Itinerary Check: 12 Days Couple Trip to Osaka, Koyasan, Kyoto, Nara (6/4 – 18/4)

Finally, 3 years later after a failed Japan trip attempt back in Feb 2020 (Covid Border Restriction), I got my tickets again and this time I’m going around the Kansai region. How time flies where 3 years ago I asked about my Tokyo trip here in this forum that was meant for my girlfriend, this time she is travelling with me as my fiancé now.

Alright my trip will be 12 days long (not counting 18/4 as I’ll be leaving early in the morning). Our main areas are Osaka, Koyasan, Kyoto, and a day trip to Nara, pretty standard itinerary. We like our trip to be lax and not too rush, but of course we are open to more suggestions, especially we are visiting during the Cherry Blossom season.

Both of us would like this trip to be more cultural themed, and it would be great if there are suggestions of places that are off-beaten and not too touristy (Although the list below will be quite touristy lol). We are not big eaters or shopaholics as well, but we are open to suggestions on exploring local food spots and interesting stores/malls.

Okay, onto the proposed itinerary in order:

**APR 6th, Thursday** *(Accommodation: Osaka Kitahama) -* **Osaka Castle Area, Kita Area, Minami Area**

* Morning
* Arrive at Kansai International Airport (KIX) (9am)
* Leave luggage at Hotel
* Afternoon – Evening
* Osaka Castle
* Osaka Tenmangu
* Check in Hotel at 3pm
* Night – Late
* Dotonbori
* Ebisubashi-suji Shopping Street
* Hozenjii Yokocho
* Hozenji Temple
* Don Quijote
* Shinsaibashi
* Amerika-mura

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**APR 7th, Friday** *(Accommodation: Osaka Kitahama) -* **Minami Area, Tennoji Area**

* Morning
* Kuromon Ichiba Market (8am Depart from Hotel)
* Namba Parks Mall
* Afternoon
* Namba Yasaka Shrine
* Sumiyoshi Taisha
* Abeno Harukas
* Evening
* Shinsekai
* Night
* Teamlab Botanical Garden

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**APR 8th, Saturday** *(Accommodation: Osaka Kitahama) -* **Northern Osaka**

* Morning
* Minoh Park (8am Depart from Hotel) (1hr30min travel time)
* Afternoon
* Cup Noodle Museum
* Evening – Night (Leisure)
* Nakazakicho
* America-mura – Shinsaibashi / Mido Suji
* Osaka City Station
* Grand Front Osaka
* Ohatsuu Tenjin

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**APR 9th, Sunday** *(Accommodation: Koyasan Temple) -* **Koyasan**

* Morning
* Check-out Hotel (8am Depart from Hotel)
* Kitahama Station – Gokurakubashi Station – Nankai Cable (2hr15min travel time)
* Afternoon
* Check-in Temple
* Kongobu-ji Temple
* Banryutei
* Danjo-Garan Temple Complex
* Daimon Gate
* Evening
* Buddhist Dinner at Temple
* Night
* Early sleep

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**APR 10th, Monday** *(Accommodation: Kyoto Station South) -* **Settle Down**

* Morning
* Morning Buddhist Ritual (6am)
* Buddhist Breakfast
* Check-out Temple
* Okunoin Cemetery
* Mizumuke Jizo
* Gobyobashi Bridge
* Kobo Daishi Mausoleum
* Torodo Lantern Hall
* Nankai Cable – Gokurakubashi Station – Kyoto Station (3hr30min travel time)
* Afternoon – Night
* Check-in Hotel
* Evening – Night
* Kyoto Station
* Walk around Gion / Tatsumibashi / Nene no Michi /

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**APR 11th, Tuesday** *(Accommodation: Kyoto Station South) -* **Arashiyama Area**

* Morning
* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (5am Depart from Hotel)
* Afternoon
* Tenryu-Ji
* Togetsu-kyo Bridge
* Arabica Coffee
* Nakanoshima Area
* Temple Walk (Optional)
* Jojakko-ji
* Gio-ji
* Adashino Nenbutsu-ji
* Daikaku-ji
* Evening
* Kinkakuji
* Night
* Leisure (Open to suggestions)

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**APR 12th, Wednesday** *(Accommodation: Kyoto Station South) -* **Higashiyama Area**

* Morning
* Higashiyama District (6am Depart from Hotel)
* Hokan-ji
* Ninenzaka / Sannenzaka
* Starbucks
* Afternoon
* Kiyomizu-Dera
* Maruyama Park
* Chion-in Sanmon
* Yasaka Shrine
* Gion Weeping Cherry Tree
* Evening
* Keaga Incline
* Nanzen-ji & Suirokaku (Optional)
* Night
* Yasuka Shrine (Night)
* Gion Shirakawa / Hanamikoji Street
* Pontocho Alley

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**APR 13th, Thursday** *(Accommodation: Kyoto Station South) -* **Fushimi-ku, Kurama & Kibune Area**

* Morning
* Fushimi Inari Taisha (6am Depart from Hotel)
* Afternoon
* Tofuku-ji
* Tofukuji Station – Kurama Station (1hr30min travel time) (Approx ¥900)
* Kurama to Kibune Hike (Approx 3 hours hike)
* Evening
* Arrived Kibune
* Riverside Dinner
* Kibune-guchi Station – Kyoto Station (1hr travel time) (Approx ¥900)
* Night
* Leisure (Open to suggestions)

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**APR 14th, Friday** *(Accommodation: Kyoto Station South) -* **Nara Area**

* Morning
* Kyoto Station – Kintetsu-Nara Station (40min travel time)
* Afternoon
* Nara Park
* Kofuku-ji
* Isui-en Garden
* Todai-ji
* Todai-ji Nigatsudo Hall
* Kasuga Taisha
* Evening
* Sandojori Street
* Nakataninidou (Mochi performance ends around 3/4pm)
* Naramachi Street
* Night
* Kintetsu-Nara Station – Kyoto Station (40min travel time)

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**APR 15th, Saturday** *(Accommodation: Kyoto Station South) -* **Kyoto Leisure Day**

* Morning
* Nishiki Market
* Afternoon – Night
* Leisure walk around Higashiyama / Tatsumibashi / Nene-no-Michi / Shijoko Bridge / Gion
* (Open to suggestions)

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**APR 16th, Sunday** *(Accommodation: Osaka Kitahama) -* **Osaka Leisure Day**

* Morning
* Check out Hotel
* Afternoon – Evening
* Kyoto Station – Kitahama Station (1hr travel time)
* Check in Hotel
* Leiesure walk at Shinsaibashi / Amerika-mura / Dotonbori
* Night
* Open to suggestion

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**APR 17th, Monday** *(Accommodation: Osaka Kitahama) -* **Osaka Leisure Day**

* Morning
* Leisure
* Afternoon – Evening
* Leisure walk at Umeda Shopping Arcade/ Shinsaibashi / Amerika-mura / Dotonbori
* Night
* Pack luggage and bags
* Early sleep (9pm)

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**APR 18th, Tuesday** *-* **Departure Day**

* Early Morning
* Check out Hotel 5am
* Arrive KIX by 6:30m
* Departure flight at 8:55am

Some areas may need some fine tuning in terms of walking feasibility, and I hope to get some suggestions for Kyoto night time too!