Itinerary check in October

My friend and I will be traveling to Japan from US for the first time and do not know any Japanese. We are in our early 40s and have low to average fitness level. Just want to make sure my intinerary sounds doable and if there is any place that we would be crazy to miss out on.

For the most part, we will be taking public transportation with occasional cab ride when we are tired.

**Day 0: Sunday, Oct 8th**

* Arrive at 4 pm at Narita Airport
* Get Pasmo Passport card, take the Narita Skyaccess to Minato City (airbnb)
* Get settled in, grab dinner, and if there is energy go to Tokyo Tower (not far).

**Day 1: Monday, Oct 9th Sports Day**

*Morning: Asakusa*

* Eat a traditional Japanese breakfast.
* Walk along Sumida River Park to see Tokyo Skytree and Asahi flame building.
* Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, Kaminarimon Gate, Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Shopping street
* Uniqlo in Asakusa opens at 10 am

*Afternoon:*

* Nippori fabric town – to go to Tomato fabric store only
* Meiji Shrine

*Evening: Shibuya*

* Shibuya Parco for Nintendo Store and Pokemon Center
* Miyashita Park
* Shibuya Sky (around sunset – try to reserve 4 to 4:30 pm)
* Mega Don Quixote and surrounding shops
* Hachiko statue
* Dinner nearby, cab back

**Day 2: Tuesday, Oct 10th**

*Morning: Tsukiji Fish Market (7 am to 11 am)*

* Get breakfast and matcha latte
* Walk to Hayao Miyazaki’s clock if there is time before 11 am when all the shops open

*Afternoon: Ginza (11 am to 3 pm)*

* Sanrioworld Ginza
* Buy a kimono or yukata
* Other shopping

*Late Afternoon: Tokyo Station and Character Street (3 pm to 7pm)*

* Studio Ghibli store (main purpose) and other shops
* Dinner somewhere
* Get back to the clock before 8 pm to see the clock show.

*Evening: TeamLab Planets*

* Cab back to airbnb possibly through Rainbow Bridge

**Day 3: Wednesday, October 11**

*Morning:*

* Send luggage to Kyoto (Yamato transport opens at 8 am)
* Cab to Gotokuji Temple to save time. (9 am to 10am)
* Shimo-Kitazawa just for Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory (to go) – opens at 10:30 am

*Afternoon: Ghibli Museum (Maybe 1 pm to 4 pm)*

* Will be buying tickets very soon.
* Aiming for 1 pm admission (will try to buy with VPN) since they do not have this time for international travelers.
* May shuffle around the order of this day due to uncertain time.
* Lunch at Straw Hat Cafe – is it worth going? will it be busy?

*Evening: Nakano Broadway – shopping for anime stuff, dinner*

**Day 4: Thursday, October 12**

* Must leave airbnb at 6:30 am to go to Ghibli Park in Nagoya.
* Should I buy the bullet train tickets now? If I buy ahead of time, can I reserve seats?
* Going to Hill of Youth, Grand Warehouse, then Dondoko Forest. (Ghibli Park tickets have been purchased)
* Take train to Kyoto hotel. Should I buy tickets now or probably wait the day of?
* Eat ekiben for dinner.
* Will my luggage get to the hotel by Thursday night if I ship on Wednesday morning?

**Day 5: Friday, October 13**

* Kiyomizu-dera (morning)
* Walk around Ninensaka and Sannensaka
* Nishiki Market – lunch
* Nijo Castle
* Imperial Palace (might skip?)
* Yasaka Shrine/ Gion area for dinner and walk around

**Day 6: Saturday, October 14**

*Morning: (Does this morning look ambitious?)*

* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest – get here by 7 am
* Tenryuiji Temple
* Togetsuko Bridge
* Arashiyama Monkey Park (will take off if no time)

*Afternoon:*

* Find lunch near Saga Torokko Station around noon.
* Aim for 1 pm Sagano Romantic train.
* Kinkaku-ji – around 3 pm, closes at 5 pm.
* Go back to hotel for a break.

*Evening:*

* Dinner – any recommendations?
* Kyoto Tower – night time view – close at 9 pm

**Day 7: Sunday, October 15**

*Morning: Fushimi Inari Shrine*

* Lunch at Kyoto Station

*Afternoon:*

* Take Aoniyoshi scenic train to Nara Park
* Todaiji Temple
* Mochi Shop
* Kofuku-ji Temple

*Evening: Go back to hotel to pack for Osaka.*

**Day 8: Monday, October 16**

Morning: Check out of hotel, travel to Osaka by train with luggage, or should I send with Yamato Transport again? hmm.. Leave luggage at hotel near Namba Station if before check in time.

Afternoon: Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Arcade

Late afternoon to evening: Osaka Aquarium and Tempozan Ferris Wheel (closes at 9pm)

Night time: Walk along Dotonbori which is near hotel. Buy some snacks for tomorrow.

**Day 9: Tuesday, October 17** \- Universal Studios Japan – tickets already bought

**Day 10: Wednesday, October 18**

*Morning:*

* *Breakfast at Kuromon Ichiba Market*
* Osaka Museum of Housing and Living (Opens at 10 am)

Afternoon:

* Tenjimbashi-suji Shopping Street
* Hep five
* Whity Umeda
* Hankyu Umeda Main Store (closes at 8 pm)

**Day 11: Thursday, October 19**

* Himeji Castle – Leave hotel around 7:30 am. Transit takes about 1hr 45 min. Spend about 3 hours here.
* Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens – closes at 8:15 pm
* Dinner somewhere in Kobe

**Day 12: Friday, October 20**

* Namba Yasaka Shrine
* Abeno Harukas (opens at 9 am)
* Shinsekai
* Nipponbashi Denden town (may skip)
* Hozenji Yokocho
* Amerika Mura

**Day 13: Saturday – Check out and leave**

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