Hello Redditors,
We’re 2 guys late 20’s staying in Osaka from 25th to 1st of October including travel days. We will be based in Osaka and day tripping to other locations.
Almost daily we will be starting our day around 10 a.m and returning to Osaka around 6 p.m and stay awake until 11 p.m.
25th September:
– Arrive Osaka airport 5 p.m from Seoul. check in by our hotel right next to Umeda station. Have dinner around and sleep
26th September:
– Breakfast at Osaka then take train to Kyoto 11 a.m. – Start Nishiki market
– Yasaka pagoda
– Kiyomizu-dera
– Eat late lunch at Gion then back to Osaka and walk around Namba station
27th September:
– Breakfast at Osaka then head to Kyoto
– kinkaku-ji
– Fushimi Inari
– Nijo castle
– lunch at kichi kichi omurice
– Walk around Kawaramachi, dessert at Maccha House then back to Osaka
28th September:
– Universal Studio Japan
– Dotonbori
29th September:
– Monkey park
– Togetsukyo bridge
– Arashiyama bamboo Grove
– Tenryu temple
– Golden pavilion then Back to Osaka
30th September:
– Nara park half day for deers and todaiji only
– Back to Osaka visit umeda sky building
1st October:
This day we take JR train to tokyo. We haven’t decided when it depends if we still missing something we didn’t do in Osaka
I feel the only thing to do in Osaka is walk around, coffee & food mostly (hopefully good hookah too). Is there something I’m missing?
Am I staffing too much in some days? Or some days can be coupled together? If it’s too hot on those days maybe we decrease the activities
I have no JR pass as I want to take the most optimal train and not be limited on JR.
I tried to keep activities around each other for each day to minimize wasting time on transportation. If you have any recommendation about changing activity or suggesting restaurants/coffee shops I’m all ears.
Thanks
5 comments
I’d suggest getting a hotel in Kyoto if you’re going to visit it for two or three days. It’s not clear why you’re staying in Osaka.
There’s lots to see in Osaka if you do some research
Here are my suggestions:
1. September 26 – If you want to start off with Nishiki Market, go straight there with no breakfast in Osaka. You will get something to eat there, and that way, you can save some time.
2. September 27 – Kinkaku Ji is off the area you want to explore for the day. Take a look at the map.
3. September 30 – Spend the whole day in Nara. Half day will be too short.
4. Looks like your main focus on Osaka is Minami (the south of the city.) Why wouldn’t you book a hotel in the area?
skip the breakfast if you go to nishiki – unless you really dont want to eat there
nishiki, yasaka, kiyomizudera – that will be a VERY late lunch you will be having after all that… you might call it dinner
kinkakuji, fushimi inari, nijo – thats north, then south, then center. unoptimized. also, hard to make that all happen before lunch. you realise kichi kichi omurice needs a reservation?
park, bridge, grove, temple. fine. golden pavilion – that is kinkakuji which you have done before. just fyi
I might be wrong but suspect you may need to start your day earlier for USJ if you want to make the most of it and get on the popular rides
I typically only stay in Osaka while visiting Kansai region, so I’m familiar with doing day trips out to Kyoto.
I disagree that Kyoto is dead in the morning. On the contrary I think the 6am-9am slot is the best time to visit Kyoto, as that’s before the crowds come roaring in. It’s also cooler temp wise.
Stuff like Kiyiomizudera and the surrounding streets like Sanneizaka / Ninenzaka are pretty empty, allowing you to take pictures at leisure.
9am through 2pm is usually the busy crowded time in Kyoto, so your current plan to late start will see you dive head first into the crowds
What I recommend to those doing this style of travel, is leave Osaka early (5-5:30am!) so you can get to Kyoto around 6-6:30. Use that precious early morning time to explore a hotspot (kiyomizudera, Fushimi Inari, prime examples) from 9am to lunch go explore a secondary spot of less importance then have lunch.
Afterwards, you can choose either to continue in Kyoto through the afternoon (third spot of less importance) then return to Osaka.
Or you can go back to Osaka early. Use the afternoon to rest up in your hotel or a cafe before having dinner/ drinks in Osaka’s many spots (Shinsaibashi, dotonbori, Umeda, Shinsekai, etc etc)