March & April visit to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka with stops in Nara, Hiroshima, and Haneda. Is this too much?

What are we overscheduling, under scheduling, what needs more or less time and what isn’t worth experiencing for 3 first time visitors to Japan?

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**Kyoto**

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Day 1

* Land at 5:30 am in Haneda and take the Shinkansen directly to Kyoto\\
* 1pm Goshuincho making class
* Kinkaku-Ji
* Explore and head to the hotel

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Day 2

* Coffee in Arashiyama
* Romance Train & Boat Tour
* Arashiyama Monkey Park
* Tenryu-ji

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Day 3

* 10am-12 Kimono Rental and Tea Ceremony
* Kiyomizu Dera
* Yasaka Shrine
* Nanzen-ji
* Kaege Incline

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Day 4

* MiPig Cafe
* Nishiki Market

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**Nara**

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Day 5

* Take 6am train to Yoshino
* Brunch in Yoshino
* 12:30 Blue Symphony Sightseeing train towards Nara
* Nara Deer Park
* Todai-Ji Temple
* Nakatanidou Mochi
* Head to Osaka capsule Hotel
* Late night snack in Dotonbori

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**Hiroshima**

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Day 6

* 7am Shinkansen to Okunoshima Island
* 11am Okunoshima to Hiroshima
* 2:30pm Okonomiyaki lunch
* Atomic Bomb dome & Peace Park
* Miyajima, floating tori gate
* 6:45pm shinkansen to Osaka

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**Osaka**

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Day 7

* Namba Yasaka Shrine
* Kurumon Market
* Super Potato & DenDen Town
* Zarigani Arcade
* Shinsekai for Diner

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Day 8

* Universal Japan

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Day 9

* Coffee
* Osaka Castle
* Souffle Pancakes for brunch
* Head to Hakone
* Onsen

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**Hakone**

Day 10

* Owakudani
* Hakone Jinja

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**Tokyo**

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Day 11

* Head to Tokyo after lunch
* Gotokuji Temple
* Cafe Capyba
* Kirby Cafe
* Tokyo Skytree

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Day 12

* Mocha Cat Cafe
* All day in Akihabara

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Day 13

* Chopstick making class
* Kotori Cafe
* Asakusa Shopping St.
* Senso-Ji temple
* Imado Shrine
* Monjayaki Diner

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Day 14

* Disney Sea

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Day 15

* Kyudo Archery Class
* Sumo Lunch
* Massages/Spa
* Get a tattoo

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Day 16

* Hie Shrine
* Meiji Jingu
* Shibuya Sky, Shibuya Crossing
* Nintendo Store
* Tokyo Tower

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Day 17

* Last day exploring, anything we felt we missed out on, shopping
* Flight leaves at 6:30pm from Haneda

6 comments
  1. Day 4 needs more stuff. Market ain’t going to occupy all your afternoon, let alone evening lol

  2. Do you mind sharing info on the goshuincho class and chopsticks class? I have only been to japan once but your Hiroshima day looks exhausting. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

  3. Assuming you are coming off an international flight and arriving in Japan at 5:30 THEN taking the Shinkansen to Kyoto on the SAME day and planning to do a class on 1pm is insane.

    I don’t care how young or old you are but you will be jet lag and exhausted after that much travel in one day.

    Your Day one should be a travel day and only a travel day. Maybe add one thing to see in the afternoon or evening.

    Less is more, you are rushing and seeing way too much. Japan is not going anywhere. I first came to Japan in 2009 and came back over a dozen times. Nothing has really changed in terms of the tourist things to do. Remember, you can also come back and you will be planning your next trip to Japan after this one.

  4. Keage Incline in March might not have blooming sakura which means you will just see bare trees along an abandoned railway track. Would drop it if that is the case.

  5. Day 6 looks too tight to be enjoyable. Lunch – atomic bomb site / peace park – train / ferry – Miyajima – train / ferry all in four hours.

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