Hello all, I am traveling to Japan for the first time with my parents in November and I’m going to be responsible for all the planning, yayyy. As a first time traveler, I really have no idea what I am doing and this is all planned out through help of Tripadvisor + Google Maps so any suggestions or tips is appreciated. (also if there are any other attractions that’s interesting let me know)
Some notes: My parents DO not want to do any theme parks so I am compromising that they will follow me doing a few anime/nerdy stuff and also a lot of shopping. We all love historical landmark and cultural things as well so sprinkling in that as well. My parents are also in their 60s so I don’t want to push them too hard with the walking and try to do one big thing a day and just rest and look at sites for the rest. (tbh, they can probably outwalk me lol)
Proposed Itinerary:
**Tokyo**
Nov 10 – Day 1: Arrival, check into hotel, rest
Nov 11 – Day 2: Design Fiesta all day (I scheduled my trip around this and booked my hotel nearby)
Nov 12 – Day 3: Check out, JR to Osaka \~ (3hrs)
**Osaka + Kyoto (I will be using Osaka as the base because I don’t want to move luggage around)**
Nov 12 – Day 3: Check into Hotel, explore Dotonburi (close to hotel), rest
Nov 13 – Day 4: Booked a stay at a fancy ryokan, leave luggage at hotel, commute to Kyoto, check in \~ 4hrs total
Nov 14 – Day 5: Check out of ryokan, explore nearby area (Kinosakionsen), travel back to Osaka
Nov 15 – Day 6: Osaka Castle, Kuromon Ichiban Market
Nov 16 – Day 7: Osaka Aquarium, Tempozan Marketplace
Nov 17 – Day 8: Cup Noodle Museum + surrounding area (unsure)
Nov 18 – Day 9: Kyoto Day Trip: take JR to Kyoto: Nishiki Market, Tea Ceremony Experience
Nov 19 – Day 10: Kyoto Day Trip: take JR to Kyoto: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove + Surrounding area
Nov 20 – Day 11: Kyoto Day Trip: take JR to Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Taisha + rest day…?
Nov 21 – Day 12: Nara Day Trip: take JR to Nara: Explore Nara and surrounding areas
Nov 22 – Day 13: Rest day + last minute Osaka shopping
Nov 23 – Day 14: Check out of hotel, JR to Tokyo \~ 3hrs
**Tokyo**
Nov 23 – Day 14: Check into Toyko hotel in Shinjuku area, Shinjuku Park
Nov 24 – Day 15: Tokyo Skytree, TeamLabs..?, Asakusa + Senso – ji…?
Nov 25 – Day 16: Ghibli Museum + surrounding area
Nov 26 – Day 17: Tsukuji Fish Market + Imperial Palace (maybe..)
Nov 27 – Day 18: Akihabara + shopping day
Nov 28 – Day 19: Check out of hotel, last minute purchases, leave in the evening
1 comment
> Day 4: Booked a stay at a fancy ryokan, leave luggage at hotel, commute to Kyoto, check in ~ 4hrs total
Nothing wrong here, just a reminder that Kinosaki is *not* in Kyoto. The train you’re looking for should be going west after leaving Osaka, not east towards Kyoto. The travel time should be slightly less (3hr and change) on a limited express.
>Nov 17 – Day 8: Cup Noodle Museum + surrounding area (unsure)
I’d move that with Day 7 and go to Himeji castle instead.
>Kyoto
Missing Kiyomizudera / Ninnenzaka / Sannanzaka, and probably Kinkakuji.
>Nov 20 – Day 11: Kyoto Day Trip: take JR to Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Taisha + rest day…?
Maybe merge Fushimi Inari Taisha with Nara, or go to Uji. Uji is where Kyoani’s headquarters are, and a few scenes from their work (especially Hibike Euphonium) are based there.
>Tokyo
Maybe consider a few day trips from Tokyo (Hakone, Nikko, Kamakura, etc) if you’re not sure what to do.