[ITINERARY CHECK] 10 Day Trip within Kansai

Edit: added Q6

Hi everyone, will be travelling with my girlfriend to Osaka on 7th April night – 16th April morning. This will be my second trip (first was 6-7 years ago), but the first time for her.

We will be staying in an AirBNB in Osaka during the whole trip, and are planning to venture out to Kyoto, Nara, Himeji and Kobe throughout the trip. We have finalized the general wishlist of places to go/stuff to eat, but have not fixed the dates to do so.

Hence, seeking your kind expertise and thoughts on the following:

1. We are planning to obtain the 4 Day JR-West Kansai Pass for travel to the surrounding regions. Should we just buy 2x of the pass (for 8 days total), or just get a pass for 4 days and travel with Suica for the rest?
2. Do share if there are other good places to visit (or conversely places not worth visiting) based on the list below.
3. Based on the timeline, is there an optimal sequence to visit the regions? I.e. Osaka on Day 1-2, Kyoto on Day 3-4, etc. (To avoid crowds, for example). If the difference is negligible, then we will probably set it at random.
4. Would appreciate dining suggestions on the following from a local’s perspective (as I know there are many tourist-oriented options, plus the options are very abundant): Curry rice/Kaitenzushi/Matcha desserts/teppanyaki/omakase. The budget for non-omakase options would be around 1000-1500yen, whereas the omakase can be around 9000-12000yen.
5. Do you think there’s a chance to still see sakura at this point? If so, which area would be best, given that it’s late?
6. Would 60k yen be sufficient as a minimum budget for the trip, excluding accommodations?

**Sites to visit**

* **Osaka**
* USJ (Expecting a full day here)
* Osakajo (Mandatory for first timers imo)
* Dotonbori (Obligatory takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and the gf loves donpen)
* Shinsekai
* Osaka Museum of history (worth visiting?)
* Shitennoji
* Abeno Harukas
* Shinsaibashi (Love horology, must peruse the JDM options @ Seiko here)
* Tenjinbashisuij Shotengai
* Kuromon
* Tempozan Ferris Wheel (Not a priority)
* Momofuku Ramen Museum (Not a priority)
* Pokemon Centre Osaka (a must.. Seems like there are other stuff nearby as well?)
* Kyoto (How many days do you think should be spent visiting here?)
* Fushimi Inari
* Arashiyama
* Hanamikoji
* Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka
* Pontocho Alley
* Kawaramachi
* Nishiki Market
* Pokemon Centre Kyoto (a must too)
* Himeji (Thinking maybe a half day only is required here)
* Himeji-jo + Kokoen Garden
* Engyoji Temple
* Nara
* Nara Park (For the deers and a nod to Shikamaru ofc)
* Todaiji Temple
* Soba-dokoro Kitahara (Seemed pretty good)
* Naramachi + Gangoji
* Mount Yoshino (How feasible is fitting a visit/hike here into this trip?)
* Kobe
* Appreciate a value for money recommendation for kobe beef please, first timer here.
* Nankinmachi (Not a priority)
* Akashi Kaikyo
* Honestly not sure what else is worth visiting here

Any other suggestions would be great. We enjoy Japanese food, cafes, anime, street markets and chill activities like fruit picking. I’m personally also an archer, but I don’t think buying back a Yumi bow is feasible. Knifemaking seems cool too, but not sure if the timing permits.