My partner and I (both early 50’s) are planning a trip to Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. This will be our first time to Japan (first time to anywhere in Asia), but we have traveled extensively to other parts of the world, so not newbie travelers.
We are interested in culture, history, soaking up the vibe of different cities, and shopping (not necessarily buying anything in particular, we just like going to different markets/shops throughout the world). We like a fast pace and will be up early every morning.
Apr 7 – Arrive into Osaka at 10:10 AM after a long flight from Canada via Taipei
* Check into Joytel Hotel Namba Dotonbori
* Shinsaibashi-Suji (only 5 min walk from our hotel)
* Dotonbori until we crash
Apr 8
* Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
* Osaka Castle/Park
* Kuchi Teien Observatory
Apr 9
* Train to Kyoto
* Check into The Blossom Hotel
* Explore Gion and do a tea ceremony
Apr 10
* Train to Nara
* Read a trip post where they took cab from the train station to Mt. Wakakusa then hiked down (thought that might be a good idea to save our legs)
* See the deer, Kofuku-ji Temple, Isui-en Garden, and Todai-ji Temple as we walk down
* Train back to Kyoto
Apr 11
* Bamboo Forest
* Arashiyama Monkey Park
* Kinkaku-ji Temple
Apr 12
* Fushimi Inari Temple
* Check out of hotel train to Tokyo
* Check into Nohga Hotel Akihabara
* Explore Akihabara and maybe hit a butler or maid cafe
Apr 13
* Train to Yokohama
* Have a 10:15 AM reservation at Cup Noodles Museum
* Landmark Tower
* Sankei-en Garden
* Train back to Tokyo
Apr 14
* Toyosu Fish Market
* Have 10:00 AM reservation at TeamLab Planets
* A Pit Autobacs (partner is a car guy and wants to maybe stop there as it is close by)
Apr 15
* Imperial Palace
* Try to get a reservation at Pokemon Cafe
Apr 16
* Ueno Park and National Museum
* Tokyo Skytree
Apr 17
* Explore Harajuku
* Hachiko Memorial Statue
* Shibuya Crossing
* Tokyo Met Government Building
Apr 18
* Wipe away the tears as we head to Narita for our flight home at 1:25 PM
How’s the pacing? Do you think I’m missing any major sights? I tried to group activities together and leave some breathing room to just explore. I’d like to squeeze in a visit to an Onsen, but I’m not sure where would be the best place to do that?
We have no definite plans for food. Our Kyoto and Tokyo hotels include breakfast. We plan to hit 7-Eleven and Lawson’s for snacks and drinks. Any restaurant suggestions welcome.
Thanks!
1 comment
You can tell you’re seasoned travelers. This is a very measured itinerary. I only have a couple of notes, that I hope are helpful.
First, praise. You understand jet lag. So many people try to cram in stuff immediately when they land. You’re being very smart about it.
Apr 12, Fushimi Inari – keep in mind that if you do *all* of Fushimi Inari, including the walk up to it (beautiful shopping streets), all the gates, top of the mountain, etc, it can take 3-4 hours. And shit gets pretty steep and stair heavy in the second half (there’s a beautiful view and turn around point right before that, though). So doing that, the train back to Tokyo, etc could very easily get you to Tokyo mid afternoon so it might make your Akihabara time a little limited as it isn’t *really* an evening hang out spot. More of a “keep in mind” rather than a “you should change this”.
Apr 15, Pokemon Cafe – as far as I understand, with the pokemon cafe and shops, the earlier you go to get a reservation the better, as they typically will give you a ticket for a little later in the day. So you very well could be just fine, but it might be worth checking before you go to the Imperial Palace because the check in time could be after you’d be done there. Someone else can probably speak to this more specifically, though.
>leave some breathing room to just explore.
This is the main thing I always suggest, so you’ve got it. You will absolutely get distracted or stumble upon things. Leaving space for that is the best thing you can do.
>I’d like to squeeze in a visit to an Onsen
I hate to sound like a smartass, but google is a great friend here. Onsen and sento are everywhere. If you have time, you can go all out and do a day trip to Hakone or somewhere similar and make a thing out of it. You can find plenty of sento (the big, onsen like public baths) *everywhere* on your trip, so it really depends on if you’re looking for a traditional “onsen” experience or just want the really great bath.