Hi everyone,
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I’ve spent a **ton** of time planning out my itinerary to Japan – reading through dozens of trip reports, articles, watching tons of social media videos, and more. I’ve really enjoyed doing so, but now I’d love to run my itinerary through you all to see if I’m missing anything amazing / I’ve packed too much together / etc!
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**NOTE:** Our top priorities are around: food, culture, interactive attractions, and really cool sights to see.
**NOTE 2:** I know that a LOT of suggestions on here mention that you shouldn’t plan things so tightly, and let yourself explore. We won’t hold to this schedule too strictly, but I personally love to have a day outline so that we can fit in as much as possible. We love to move, and see as much as we can. This is our honeymoon and being active and seeing / exploring is our main goal!
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Thanks so much in advance for reading this! Here is what I’ve planned (Late June into early July):
\### Day 1 (OSAKA)
\- 6:55 PM Arrival in Osaka
\- 1hr Train Ride (Probably get to hotel area around 9pm after customs and such)
\- Walk to FamilyMart to check it out?! (5 min walk)
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\### Day 2 (OSAKA)
\- Osaka Castle
\- Nishinomaru Garden
\- Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai
\- Dinner (5PM): Yakinikukappo YPryu Soemoncho Main store
\- Shin-saibashi (Night)
\- Umeda Sky Building (BOOKED TICKET)
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\### Day 3 (OSAKA)
\- Hozenji Temple (Early)
\- Kuromon Market
\- Cup Noodles Museum (Booked Ticket for 14:45)
\- Tennoji Mio Plaza
\- Shinsekai
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\### Day 4 (OSAKA)
\- Osaka Aquarium (Will book ticket, not available yet)
\- Round1 Stadium
\- Dotonbori
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\### Day 5 (OSAKA / KYOTO)
\- \*\*SHINSAKEN FROM OSAKA -> KYOTO (BOOKED TICKET, LEAVE EARLY)
\- Kiyomizu-Dera
\- Sannenzaka Street
\- Maccha House
\- Ninenzaka Street
\- Kodai-ji
\- Maruyama Park
\- Yasaka Jinja
\- Chionin
\- Shoren-in Temple & Gardens
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\### Day 6 (KYOTO)
\- Arashiyama Kimono Forest & Foot Bath
\- Iwata Yama Monkey Park
\- Okochi Sanso Garden
\- Kinkakuji
\- Kyoto Imperial Palace & Gardens
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\### Day 7 (NARA DAY TRIP)
\- Nara Park
\- Todai-Ji Temple
\- Nigatsu-Do
\- Kitahara Soba
\- Nakatamidou Pounded Mochi
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\### Day 8 (KYOTO)
\- Nijo Castle
\- Nishiki Market
\- Gion
\- Nineizaka
\- Teramachi & Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcade
\- Pontocho Alley
\- Kawaramachi
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\### Day 9 (KYOTO)
\- Fushimi Inari Shrine
\- Nanzen-Ji
\- Ginkaku-ji
\- Gion Corner Geisha Performance
\- Sanjusangendo
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\### Day 10 (KYOTO/ TOKYO)
\- \*\*SHINSAKEN BOOKED: Kyoto → Tokyo (Time 7:45am → 9:57a)\*\*
\- Tsukiji Fish Market
\- Ginza
\- Hamarikyu
\- Sushi Making Class for Dinner
\- Shinbashi (After dinner) for Hekkelun (Pudding master)
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\### Day 11 (TOKYO)
\- Lunch at Esquisse
\- Omotesando
\- Harajuku
\- Meiji Jingu
\- Yoyogi Park
\- Takeshita Street
\- Shibuya Street at night (Maybe go to otter cafe?)
\- Shibuya Sky
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\### Day 12 (TOKYO)
\- Ginza? Tsukiji? Anythingwe missed?
\- Lunch at Tempura Kondo (13:30)
\- Mipig Cafe (16:00)
\- Dinner at Kagurazaka Teppanyaki Nakamura (18:00)
\- Shinjuku at night (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory, Don Quixote, Omoide Yokocho, Bonko)
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\### Day 13 (TOKYO)
\- Lunch at Sukiyabashi Jiro Hoten (12:00)
\- Ueno Park
\- TeamLab Planets Tokyo (14:30)
\- Odaiba
\- Senso-Ji Temple
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\### Day 14 (TOKYO / PLANE)
\- Lunch at Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum **(Do I need to book a ticket for this? Can’t figure it out?)**
\- Nakamise-Dori Street
\- Kappabashi Street
\- Fly Home at 9:15PM
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Maybe fit into Tokyo (are they worth it?): Akasaka, Akihabara
5 comments
Personally, I wouldn’t want to spend so much time visiting temples and shrines.
Going to Kyoto from Osaka, I would suggest not taking the shinkansen… it’s expensive and might not even be much faster (and likely more complicated) than just taking a rapid train.
Day 11, Takeshita Street is in. Go to Meiji Jingu first, then Harajuku/Takeshita, then Yoyogi (just a recommendation, a park after a park seems like too much but also chill if you decide to do that). Are you staying near Ginza? Lunch at Esquisse seems quite out of the way if you’re going to spend the day near Meiji Jingu/Harajuku/Shibuya.
The Don Quijote in Shibuya is better than the Shinjuku one.
Day 13
Going from the lunch place, to Ueno, back down to TeamLabs is kind of not good. You need time to enjoy lunch and then going up to Ueno back down to TeamLabs (it’s kind of far away). You most likely won’t have time to enjoy Ueno park unless you rush lunch. I’d probably just visit Ueno some other time but definitely not before TeamLabs.
If you’re really into food, I would recommend a food tour in one of the cities you’re visiting. It’s a great way of trying local cuisine you may not have tried otherwise. We did one in Tokyo and it was one of the highlights of our trip.
FWIW I don’t think it’s too many temples but I like temples, so it will depend on how much you like them. If you’re not sure, maybe you can make an alternative itinerary? A non-temple place I recommend is Kyoto station at night.
For day 9, I recommend adding Philosophers Path. Eikando and Heian are nice too.
Gion would place better in day 5, it’s the same neighbourhood.
Also want to point out you have Ninenzaka/Nineizaka on the itinerary twice. (Unless you mean to go twice)
For food in Kyoto I recommend tofu cuisine and obanzai. There’s also vegan sushi at AWOMB.
Sensoji, Nakamise, Kappabashi are all Asakusa. Ueno is 5 minutes by train from Asakusa so it doesn’t make sense to put Odaiba in between. On Odaiba I recommend the Seaside Park, they also have a giant Gundam if you’re interested in that.
The Yokohama Ramen Museum I don’t think you can book in advance. Go there earlier because if they’re busy they’ll end ticket sales for the day. I liked the custom cup noodle activity, they also have a cool food court that sells all sorts of noodles.