Ok, I think I’ve just about completed our itinerary for the second week of September, but if you have any suggestions for things we missed or should move around to make it better, I’d love your input!
Day 1- arrive KIX at 6:45pm.
\- pick up pocket WiFi at the airport and then head to hotel to crash (Kitahama, Chuo-Ku)
\- **Any recommendations for the best way to get to the hotel with our bags at this time?**
Day 2/Thursday- maybe Osaka Castle in the morning?
* Shinsaibashi shopping arcade
* Kuromon Ichiba Market
* Evening: Dotonburi Street
* Dinner reservations: Matsuzaka Gyu Yakiniku M Hozenji-Yokocho
Day 3/Friday
* Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
* Giant Ferris Wheel?
* 3pm Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 6pm-9pm- **I cannot figure out how to buy tickets online for Universal. Any have tips here? It doesn’t seem to accept my American CC.**
Day 4/Saturday
* Travel to Arashiyama- **Any recommendations for which train to take? There seem to be some fancier options.**
* Lunch at Maikohan Arashiyama (tempura) – **I can’t seem to figure out the reservation system online. Should I ask our Osaka hotel concierge to book for us?**
* Otagi Nenbetsu-ji temple
* Iwatayama monkey park (hike)
* Check into Ryokan in Arashiyama
Day 5/Sunday
*
Fushima Inari Taisha temple ( arrive before 10am)
* Bamboo forest
* Rickshaw?
* Onsen at hotel
Day 6/Monday
* Travel to Gion (hotel there)- **Could we take the Romantic Train to get here?**
* Philosopher’s Walk, Kyoto
* Higashiyama
* Nishiki Market
* Night walk in Gion
Day 7/Tuesday
* Kyoto Starbucks
* Kinkaku-ji (golden) temple?
* Train to Tokyo/Shibuya- 3.5 hours
* Disney Store Shibuya
* Mega Don Quijote Shibuya
* Shibuya Sky Tower for cocktail- I haven’t been able to book tickets yet, but hoping to when the dates open.
* 7:30pm Ninja Restaurant (Akasaka) for dinner
* Rappongi and/or or Shibuya bars for nightlife
\- Staying in Shibuya
Day 8/Wednesday
* Nakamise Market, Asakusa
* Kappabashi Street
* 12pm Mario Kart- I know some advised against this, but my husband really wants to do it.
* Alter Ego Robot Cafe
* Omoide Yokocko for dinner
* Nonbei Yokocko or Golden Gai for nightlife- **any recommendations for one over the other?**
Day 9/Thursday, departure day
* Tsukiji and surrounding market
* Team Lab planets at 12:30 (tickets purchased)
* Depart Narita at 7:55pm
2 comments
You’re packing in a lot each day. For comparison when we did Arashiyama last month, this was our itinerary:
* Arrive at 9:30 am via Hankyu Arashiyama Station. Hike the monkey park
* Rickshaw ride through bamboo forest
* Lunch near the temple
* Afternoon and evening walking around Gion/Shijo area.
Because it was record breaking heat the day we went we dropped the monkey park.
Osaka Castle is skippable. Just look at it from the outside instead and save yourself some time/money.
Convince your husband to skip the Mario Kart shit that will earn you the collective hatred of everyone and watch a Japanese baseball game instead. It doesn’t even matter if you like baseball, it’s a magical experience and it’s probably much cheaper with the added experience of getting to have cute girls deliver you beer while you eat fried ballpark food.