Hello, r/JapanTravel!
My fiance and I are preparing to embark on our 15-day honeymoon in early April. After *many* months of lurking and quiet planning, we’re excited to receive your feedback on our itinerary.
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**A bit about us:**
* We always appreciate a good cup of coffee. Bring on the coffee shop recommendations.
* Neither of us has dietary restrictions and we consider ourselves adventurous eaters. We welcome all food-related recommendations!
* Between the two of us, interests/hobbies/passions include: guitar, bullet journaling, Pokemon, cats, running. Recommendations related to any of these are warmly welcomed!
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**Logistics**:
* We plan to bring 1 carry-on and 2 backpacks. If needed, we’ll allow ourselves to purchase a second carry-on along the way for souvenirs. Does this feel like a reasonable amount of baggage for two able-bodied people to comfortably navigate trains with, or should we look into Yamato luggage transport?
* We plan to pick up SIM cards upon arrival.
* We’re on the fence on getting a JR Kansai Pass (particularly for our visit to Hiroshima/Miyajima). When we did the math, costs were about the same with or without the pass, but we were thinking it might be a smidge easier?
* Sadly, neither of us speak Japanese (beyond a few memorized pleasantries). Our plan has been to rely on Google Translate for decyphering menus and communicating with locals. Open to other suggestions, though!
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**Saturday, Day 1: Arrive in Osaka**
1. Land in Osaka International Airport (ITM) in early evening
2. Check into hotel in Namba
3. Wander over to Dotonbori for a street food dinner
4. Swing by FamilyMart for any toiletries we may have forgotten
**Sunday, Day 2: Hanami in Osaka Castle Park**
1. Wake up in Namba
2. Grab take-out (R Baker Osaka-jo?) and enjoy a picnic in Osaka Castle Park
3. Explore Osaka Castle Park
4. Street food dinner in Kuromon Market
5. Stationery shopping at U-ARTS
6. Sleep in Namba
**Monday, Day 3: Transit to Miyajima**
1. Wake up in Namba; check out of hotel
2. Swing by 7-Eleven for breakfast and to stock up on transit-friendly snacks
3. Shinkansen from Osaka to Hiroshima (planning to reserve seats for peace of mind)
4. Lunch at Okonomimura
5. Train to Miyajimaguchi station, followed by JR Ferry to Miyajima
6. Caffeinate (Cafe Lente?)
7. Check into ryokan
8. Late afternoon snack (Kakifukumaru?)
9. Watch sunset from Nishino Matsubara
10. Kaiseki dinner at ryokan
11. Sleep in Miyajima
**Tuesday, Day 4: Explore Miyajima**
1. Wake up in Miyajima
2. Watch sunrise from Omoto Park
3. Breakfast (Miyajima Coffee?)
4. Take ropeway up Mount Misen; hike remainder of the way to the summit and explore!
5. Hike Daishi-in Trail down Mount Misen
6. Freshen up in ryokan
7. Lunch from Machiya Street (any recommendations?)
8. Private onsen in ryokan
9. Kaiseki dinner at ryokan
10. Sleep in Miyajima
**Wednesday, Day 5: Transit to Kyoto**
1. Wake up in Miyajima; check out of ryokan
2. Breakfast (Miyajima Coffee again? Would welcome additional recommendations)
3. Ferry, then train to Hiroshima
4. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
5. Children’s Peace Monument
6. Reflect in Peace Memorial Park
7. Anticipating not having much of an appetite; light lunch + restock transit-friendly snacks at 7-Eleven
8. Atomic Bomb Dome
9. Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Kyoto
10. If energy levels allow, check out Kyoto Station Skyway view
11. Check into hotel in Downtown Kyoto
12. Dinner in Downtown Kyoto or Gion (any recommendations?)
13. Sleep in Downtown Kyoto
**Thursday, Day 6: Arashiyama**
1. Wake up (early!) in Downtown Kyoto
2. Breakfast (konbini)
3. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
4. Caffeinate (% Arabica?)
5. Arashiyama Money Park Iwatayama
6. Lunch (Sushi bar Naritaya?)
7. Gametime choice:
1. If high energy: Walk to / explore Giouji Temple, Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, and Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple. Then, enjoy foot onsen at Arashiyama Station
2. If low energy: Soak and recharge at Sagano Onsen Tenzan-no-yu
8. Dinner in Downtown Kyoto
9. Sleep in Downtown Kyoto
**Friday, Day 7: Day Trip to Uji**
1. Wake up in Downtown Kyoto
2. Matcha yummies at Nakamura Tokichi
3. Byodoin
4. Lunch in Uji (Recommendations?)
5. Kyoto Prefectural Uji Park
6. Daikichiyama Observation Deck
7. Dinner in Uji or Downtown Kyoto (Recommendations?)
8. Sleep in Downtown Kyoto
**Saturday, Day 8: Chill Day in Kyoto**
1. Wake up in Downtown Kyoto
2. Nishiki Market
3. Pokemon Center Kyoto
4. Relax by Kamo River
5. Dinner at Kichi Kichi Omurice (pending reservation)
6. Sleep in Downtown Kyoto
**Sunday, Day 9: Fushimi Inari + Southern Higashiyama**
1. Wake up in Downtown Kyoto
2. Fushimi Inari (aiming to climb to the top and enjoy some well-earned ice cream, but we’ll listen to our bodies and compromise for half-way if we’re getting tired)
3. Sannenzaka
4. Rest in Maruyama Park
5. Sakura season evening illuminations at Kiyomizu-dera
6. Yasaka Shrine
7. Sleep in Downtown Kyoto
**Monday, Day 10: Higashiyama**
1. Wake up in Downtown Kyoto
2. Breakfast (Nishiki Market)
3. Nanzen-ji Temple
4. Higashiyama Jisho-ji
5. Philosopher’s Path
6. Okazaki Shrine
7. Sleep in Downtown Kyoto
**Tuesday, Day 11: Rest Day / Transit to Osaka**
1. Wake up in Downtown Kyoto; check out of hotel
2. Take train to Osaka
3. Lunch (Sushi Roll Double Quotation?)
4. Pokemon Center Osaka
5. Check into hotel in Namba
6. Sleep in Namba
**Wednesday, Day 12: First Day Trip to Nara**
1. Wake up in Namba
2. Mochi at Nakatanidou
3. Feed deer at Nara Park
4. Try persimmon leaf sushi (Izasa?)
5. Todai-ji
6. Dinner (CoCo Ichibanya?)
7. Sleep in Namba
**Thursday, Day 13: Shopping and TeamLab in Osaka**
1. Wake up in Namba
2. Thrift at BookOff, JAM, Palstock, and Nutty
3. Pokemon Cafe Osaka (pending reservation)
4. TeamLab Botanical Garden
5. Sleep in Namba
**Friday, Day 14: Second Day Trip to Nara**
1. Wake up in Namba
2. Hike Mount Kasuga Primeval Forest
3. Lunch (Mizuya Chaya?)
4. Soak in Hotel New Wakasa public onsen
5. Sleep in Namba
**Saturday, Day 15: Head Home**
1. Wake up in Namba; check out of hotel
2. Breakfast
3. Head home via Osaka International Airport (ITM)
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**Thank you in advance for your thoughtful feedback!**
2 comments
If you want to do any kitchenknife shopping I suggest the carryon suitcase to be a hardcase since it would have to be checked in upon your return. Kappabashi Dougu street is great for buying kitchenwares.
If your phones are capable you can obtain an esim prior to leaving your home country, would just need to press a button on your phone to turn it on upon landing in Japan.
The majority of hotels provide washer/dryers on one of the floors, so if you aren’t going to do alot of shopping your individual backpacks might be enough for 2 weeks. Would suggest having a small daypack to use during your days out and about.
Other than that, eat sukiyaki.
Kansai-Hiroshima pass has no restrictions against Nozomi use, why would you not get it. It is cheaper for your itinerary and you do not give up any flexibility.
Assuming both are able bodied I see no real reason to use Yamato. If you want to take some load off shoulders, maybe even one backpack + carry-on each. You can then check one of the carryons on the way back if you bought any knives, alcohol, shampoo etc.
On the Arashiyama day, if you are still there after dark go to the kimono forest at the Randen station. It’s very small and will take no more than 15-30 minutes even for a prolific photographer, but very few people go so the atmosphere is very romantic at night.
Edit: if jetlag adjustment is a factor I would put the ryokan stay closer to the middle/end, the ryokan schedule is very regimented and the last thing you want is to be falling asleep as a multi course kaiseki is served and explained.