Hey everyone! My Partner and I will be visiting Japan for the first time, spending 3 days in Osaka, 1 day trip in Kyoto and 5 days in Tokyo. We’ll be in an AirBNB in Minamihorie with 2 other friends for Osaka, and then my partner and I stay in the Uguisudani/Ueno area for Tokyo.
Day 1
\- Arrival in Osaka (2:30pm)
\- Check in to AirBNB (Miamihorie) – around 3:30pm
\- Dotonbori for dinner
Day 2
\- Osaka Bay Area
\- Kita
\- Osaka Castle & surrounding park (is it worth going inside the castle?)
\- Back to AirBNB
\- Dotombori Dinner
\- Teamlab Botanical Garden Osaka
Day 3
\- Minami
\- Dotombori
\- Hozenji Yokocho
\- Doguyasuji Arcade
\- Den-Den Town
\- Minami Dinner
Day 4 – trip to Eastern Kyoto:
\- Fushimi-Inari Shrine
\- Train up to Kiyomizu-Gojo
\- Walk to Kiyomizu-dera
\- Smile Burger for Lunch?
\- Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka
\- Kodai-ji
\- Yasaka-jinja
\- Gion Tsujiri, Hanamikoji Street
\- Gyukatsu for early Dinner
\- Train back to Osaka
Day 5
\- Take bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo @ 9am
\- Drop luggage off at hotel in Uguisudani (not yet check in time – will this be ok?)
\- Ueno Park
\- National Museum of Nature of Science
\- Dinner at Ichiran or Sushiro Ueno
\- Ameyoko Shops
Day 6
\- Visit the Meiji Shrine and stroll around Yoyogi Park
\- Experience Shinjuku, Shibuya & Ikebukuro for shopping
Day 7
\- Visit Asakusa and Senso-Ji Temple
\- Walk over to Tokyo Solamachi
\- Kirby Café @ 12:20pm
\- Shopping + Pokemon Centre.
\- Back to Ueno area for thrifting/dinner.
Day 8
\- Tsukiji Outer Market @ 8am
\- Hamarikyu Gardens
\- Shibaura House
\- Ginza Shopping
\- Dinner @ Namaiki, Akhiabara (6pm)
Day 9 (this day is more open/light)
\- Shinjuku/Shibuya
\- Reissue café
\- Kyu Asakura House
\- Gotokuji Temple
\- Any recommendations for last night (special dinner places in Tokyo?)
Day 10
\- Check out of hotel @ 6:30am
\- Go back home (departing 8:45am)
\-
1. Is it worth using a luggage forwarding service from Osaka AirBNB to Tokyo hotel? I’m not worried about bringing luggage on the Shinkansen, but I’ve heard it’s not ideal to bring on the regular trains (that we would need to take from Tokyo station to Uguisudani). I assume we would need to go through a company like Yamato – any feedback on experiences with them?
2. Any days too much or too light? Any days have too many areas in one day? Any feedback/suggestions are welcome!
3. I know Kyoto in one day is blasphemy, but we will definitely be coming back to Japan to explore other parts of Kyoto and Japan next time. Still, is the one day Kyoto itinerary reasonable?
4. Teamlab Planets was originally part of the plan for Day 8, but I’ve honestly heard more bad than good, so I took it out. Is it worth experiencing?
Thanks all!