Itinerary check (8D/7N) in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara

15 comments

1. There is absolutely no way you are getting close to doing your full Kyoto list. Maybe a few of those

2. Why would you budget a free day in Osaka and try to do 100 things in Kyoto in one day?

   Nara also looks too ambitious.

   Yes, there’s a big building outside Osaka Castle with food options. I forget what it’s called.

3. It took me 4 days to do your day 5

4. You’re not going to make team lab unless your Osaka dinner is a grab and swallow.

5. Having just come back from Osaka/Kyoto – I personally would rather spend more time in Kyoto than Osaka. I’d almost say reverse your trip order, do the first 3 days in Kyoto, then go to Osaka day 4 for USJ, Teamlabs, and Cup Noodle Museum.

   With how tight your itinerary is, I think Nara is the one on the chopping block. There’s plenty to do between Kyoto/Osaka.

6. Second time I’ve been in Kyoto I spent 5 days there still. And it still felt short.

   I’m a fast walker.

   Your day 5 is not going to happen. You’ll manage to see 3/4 things.

   Most things have open and closing hours.

   Latest entry usually is 4h30pm

   Nara from a personal perspective is only worth the todaiji and maybe nara park if you want to see deer in the wild can be done in one morning or one afternoon.

   You have limited time and your group is kind of big, at the end of the trip you’re going to fell like you only saw pictures of things because you’ll be running from one place to the other.

   Be prepared to get frustrated

7. No big comments, other than the Yodabashi Camera in Osaka (Umeda) is the best ! As are any of the department stores… But plan time accordingly. We got sucked into Yodabashi every time and spent at least an hour just marveling at the sheer selection.

8. Only 1 day in Kyoto and you wanna do everything you’ve listed? Nope, i can tell you that it is not happening. Nara is pretty ambitious too.

9. No idea how much the pocket wifi costs but I’m currently in Japan for 2 weeks, using the Ubigi e-sim and it’s working wonderfully for 10GB for 30 days at only like 15-18$ (I forget the exact amount).

10. Yeah definitely move your free Osaka day for Kyoto instead, like others have mentioned it’s impossible to do everything you have planned for Kyoto in one day. Just the Fushimi Inari Shrine took about 3 hours if you want to experience the whole thing (it’s a hike around a whole mountain but most people only do the beginning).
    With how compact your trip seems, although I completely understand having limited time, focus on the things you want to do most, if not you’ll just be stressed and rush through everything without fully enjoying it.

11. Day 5 is too ambitious, as someone who did most of those things in 2.5 days and still felt that was rushed.

12. As everyone else has said, the Kyoto day is basically impossible. I would also warn you that unless you (and the other 5 people in your group) are absolute temple fanatics, I don’t think you will enjoy seeing more than 2-3 temples per day, especially not multiple days in a row. The day in Nara for example, Todaiji is great, but you don’t need to see 6 temples in one day, especially not if you just did like 4 in Kyoto on the day before. I would try get some more variety in the itinerary.

13. instead of pocket wifi, a sim card with unlimited mobile internet is cheaper.

    You would not have enough time for your olanned itinerary in Kyoto in the afternoon. I would prioritize Yasaka first if you have to choose.

    I would not spend Day 7 in Umeda shopping. I would rather spend it in Kyoto to explore. You can buy souvenirs as you go through these sites.

14. I was just in Japan with a group of 6, four adults and two small kids, and I think a few of the big things this itinerary isn’t accounting for are:
    (1) Travel between locations is going to take longer than anticipated. Google maps may say it takes an hour to get from Osaka to Arashiyama but that’s only if you don’t get lost in the train station, make every train connection. I’m not sure the physical shape of your mother but if you need an elevator this is going to more time, so anticipate 1.25-1.5x the anticipated time to travel between places.
    (2) Meals with a group of 6 isn’t easy, a lot of places will have 30-40 min waits especially around meal times for larger groups.
    (3) Your itinerary factors in a lot of travel and walking, I hope your group is prepared for 6-8+ miles of walking a day.
    (4) Kyoto and Nara are just a little too ambitious, you just won’t enjoy yourselves if you’re rushing from place to place. I would either move things around or limit Kyoto to the 2-3 things that you really want to see. In Kyoto, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Kiyimizudera, and Kinkakuji are each pretty much half day activities especially if you want to take the time to enjoy them. Sure you can rush through them respectively just to say you’ve been there but you’ll be defeating the point of visiting them. In Nara, I’d limit the temples as well, I would recommend Kofukuji, Kasuga Taisha, and Todaiji, I think this is reasonable.

15. 大阪城公園 has few restaurant.

    And for castle to umeda:大阪環状線

    IC card (icoca, sucia ect…)is ok