Hello /japantravel long time reader, very occasional commenter, rare-time poster! I am beyond excited for next month’s trip to celebrate both being able to go to Japan for the first time since The Beforetimes in 2019 and to celebrate my milestone birthday! We’re doing a Kansai-focused trip with overnights to Hiroshima and Wakayama, so no Tokyo.
All lodgings are paid (except part of Osaka but that’ll be taken care of before we go), we got the JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima pass, I’m definitely a ‘pay for as much as possible prior’ kind of traveler. Any feedback or tips appreciated but also I want to talk about it, I’m definitely that friend/coworker that’s like “It’s 37 days until I go on vacation and–” We like temples/shrines/castles and collecting goshuin so there’s plenty of them on here and easily missed ones are appreciated!
Here we go!
**Day 1: November 13**
* LAX -> HND -> ITM; get in about 8pm.
* Limousine bus from ITM to Kyoto Station, probably taxi from station to AirBNB (it’s not too far, but too far to walk with luggage after travel). 7-11 if we need any food but mostly shower/sleep.
**Day 2: November 14**
* Kiyomizudera/Sannenzaka
* Kyoto Ryozen Gokuoku Shrine
* Kawai-jinja
* Shimogamo
* Fromagerie Haromie
*optional: Yasaka Shrine, Heian Jingu Shrine, Imamiya Shrine, Nanzenji, Kodai-ji)
**Day 3: November 15**
* Fushimi Inari (I would LIKE to climb but let’s be real I am an American who drives everywhere so “we’ll see”)
* Panel Cafe (fluffy pancakes) either here or some other day
* Gion
*mostly free day, still working on this one
**Day 4: November 16**
* Sanjusangendo (rec’d by friend as her fav templeshrine)
* Drop luggage at Kyoto station overnight
* Kyoto Railway Museum
*It is my birthday 🙂 We are going to a ryokan in Ikeda for kaiseki and in-room hot springs yessss
**Day 5: November 17**
* breakfast provided by ryokan! it is a buffet
* Head back to Kyoto, kill time with some Options until we can get our stuff and check in to our Osaka Airbnb
* Yasaka Nanba Shrine
* Iwashimizu Hashimangu
*staying near Tsutenkaku so we’ll probably wander this area/Shinsekai in the evening
**Day 6: November 18**
* Hozenji
* Dotonbori early this time (we’ve been before on a Saturday night sooo)
* going to attempt Pokemon cafe at their earliest reservation when we can try for it!
* Capcom store
* Osaka Castle (probably outside only)
* Osaka Aquarium
* Udon Sanku
*(Optional: Himejima, shoppin’ at Pokemon Center, Mandarake Umeda, etc)
**Day 7: November 19**
* Horikoshi Jinja
* Shitennouji
* Osaka Tenmanju
*(Optional: Isshin-ji, Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, ferris wheel, Tsuyunoten Jinja)
**Day 8: November 20**
* Return to Nara!
* Todai-ji for that Reiwa goshuin
* Hannyaji
* Asuka Historical Museum
* Nara Prefectural Museum of Folklore
* Tanaka Nara Honten for sushi in persimmon leaves
*(Optional: Hase-dera, Nara Prefectural Museum, Enjo-ji)
**Day 9: November 21**
* have JR-West pass activated for today!
* head to Wakayama Castle
* Kimiidera
* stop by Southernmost point in Honshuu
* eating at Bodai at Kii-Katsura and check into inn
*(Optional: Keiunji Temple)
**Day 10: November 22**
* Nachi Falls
* Seiganto-ji
* Kumano Nachi Taisha
* bop up to Shingu for Shingu Castle Ruins
* long trip back to Osaka
**Day 11: November 23**
* Uji! Ujinami Jinja & Byodo-in
* you know we gotta get the matcha souvenirs
* hoping to secure tickets for Takarazuka’s new show for this night but mostly taking it easy and doing any catchups
**Day 12: November 24**
* head west to Himeji for castle
* check into Hiroshima hotel or drop bags if too early
* Hiroshima Peace Park/Atomic Bomb Dome
* Hiroshima castle
* Nagataya (vegan okonomiyaki – we’re not vegan but my partner is allergic to all fish/shellfish so… lol)
**Day 13: November 25**
* up and at ’em for Miyajima! Goal to arrive for high tide ~8:30amish
* Itsukushima Shrine
* Momijido/Furaido Momijidani
*(Optional: Daishoin, ropeway)
* Head back to Osaka by way of Kobe for dinner and Ikuta Shrine (have a few other optional templeshrines on the Wanderlog too)
**Sunday: November 26**
* Catchup day mostly – at night, head over to Kiyomizudera for the autumn illuminations that started 11/18
* weeb shopping?? animate/lashingbang, Pokemon Center Kyoto, etc
*(Optional: Nijo Castle, Mikane-Jinja, Go-o Shrine, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Fromagerie de Mythese)
**Day 15: November 27**
* Reservation for Saiho-ji/Kokedera at 10:30am
* Kitano Tenmangu
* Tenryu-ji
* maybe a relax on the Sagano Romance Train
*(Optional: Hirano-jinja, Kinkakuji, Otogi Nenbutsu-ji)
**Day 16: November 28**
* Flight isn’t until like 8pm out of ITM so we’ll just catch up here to anything we chose not to earlier due to time or tireds 🙂
We’re not really interested in Arashiyama + monkey park and my partner has some mobility issues hence lots of ‘optional’ or ‘yeah we have a top 1-2 of the day but there’s time built in later too’ and we have a few chain restaurants we really like/are looking forward to for easy options when out and about but! This is roughly where I’m at right now knowing I need more specific food options and Japan is a reservation-preferring society.
Thank you!
![[itinerary check] first-timer solo trip! tokyo and kyoto march 19 - 30](https://www.lonelyjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/UE8CRq4Ry4fofvc395HL5h2JJoZqDEXfl2Ok8Mg_hzg-380x220.jpg)
4 comments
I love this!!! I’ve never been and am going this month. I am also traveling with someone who isn’t down for the apparently 1 million steps per day every talks about, so you do have any tips for how to enjoy Japan while still being mindful of mobility problems? I’m thinking a lot of fun train travel for one thing.
Looks great, I can feel the excitement through your writing.
Few suggestions –
* Unless you’re eating fancy/famous every meal, you won’t need many reservations. There’s plenty of options everywhere, some of the best food I had was at places that were very quiet and chosen at whim.
* You have a few empty half days which is good! Keep those quiet/unplanned, they really help to recover.
* Note that the autumn illuminations can be really busy with large queues. You can even book tickets in advance to avoid the queue (no idea how). At the Kodai-ji illumination, the vibe was more ‘festival’ than ‘contemplative’. At the bamboo forest, we were herded through basically shoulder to shoulder. Still can be worth it but it definitely surprised me when we showed up.
* Fushimi Inari is great at/after sunset!
Similar boat as you and the other commenter! 🙂
I’m going (but for the first time) earlier in November than you, but also am That Coworker/Friend and will be traveling with my partner who has slight mobility issues due to an old injury.
I think your itinerary looks great!
As far as specific food recommendations… I can’t actually speak to the quality because as I said, it’s our first time. But we are doing a day in Kobe, and made a reservation at the private counter at Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant Royal Mouriya that looks great!
Personally, I would switch up your days a bit so that you can be in Kyoto later more later in the month when foliage is likely to peak (especially this year, since they’re estimating later senescence). Doing that would also allow you to be in the city for Koubou-san market at Toji on the 21st and/or Tenjin-san market at Kitanotenmangu on the 25th (the latter would be my recommendation if you’re only doing one, especially since Kitanotenmangu is GORGEOUS in autumn). The disadvantage to doing this is that the weekend of the 23-26th is Labor Thanksgiving Day Weekend, which in my experience is one of the busiest times of the year in Kyoto in terms of domestic tourism.
If you’re interested in seeing foliage soon after your arrival, Kurama/Kibune tends to be a 1-2 weeks ahead of the city proper, so that would be a good bet. I would also highly recommend renting bicycles if that’s an option for you. Kyoto is a really fun city to see on bike, and the weather should be perfect for it.
As far as your days go, most are not too unreasonable since it seems like you’re going with the assumption that you won’t get to everything you have listed, but there were some real headscratchers in there as well. I’m mainly trying to wrap my head around why you’re doing some of these things in the order you’re doing them. For example, Uji is located between Kyoto and Nara, and it’s kind of an awkward journey from Osaka because you have to make a transfer in Kyoto to get there (or Nara, but that would usually be even longer). And then Takarazuka is like 2 hours away from Uji, so it’s a bit odd that you would try to do Takarazuka Review on the same day and it’s also odd that you’re apparently doing Uji as a day trip from Osaka. It’s even stranger when you consider that Ikeda, where your ryokan stay a few days prior (assuming you were talking about Ikeda, Osaka) is essentially right next door to Takarazuka, and that you’re planning on going to Nara as a separate day trip from Osaka. Overall, there seems to be a lot of time wasted running around in the middle of your trip that could be avoided with better planning.
>Day 12: November 24 * head west to Himeji for castle * check into Hiroshima hotel or drop bags if too early * Hiroshima Peace Park/Atomic Bomb Dome * Hiroshima castle * Nagataya (vegan okonomiyaki – we’re not vegan but my partner is allergic to all fish/shellfish so… lol)
I would consider Hiroshima Castle completely skippable–especially on a trip that already includes Himeji Castle as well as couple others. Definitely do not miss Koko-en in Himeji though–it’s practically free if you buy the combined castle+garden ticket, and it’s one of the most beautiful gardens in the country.
>Day 8: November 20 * Return to Nara! * Todai-ji for that Reiwa goshuin * Hannyaji * Asuka Historical Museum * Nara Prefectural Museum of Folklore * Tanaka Nara Honten for sushi in persimmon leaves *(Optional: Hase-dera, Nara Prefectural Museum, Enjo-ji)
Again, I assume you know you’re probably not going to get to half of this, but the stuff you have listed really is spread all over Nara prefecture, including things which are very far from Nara city and each other, and have limited transit access (e.g., Asuka Historical Museum).