Would love any thoughts/feedback on this itinerary!
General questions are:
1. Are Happy Cow/Tabelog/Google Maps our best bets for finding **vegetarian-friendly restaurants**? Egg is ok, but my SO would like to avoid fish sauce/dashi
2. We’ll likely be coming with 2 backpacks + 2 international check-in suitcases; will **train station lockers accommodate larger luggage**, or should we plan to leave items at our hotels / use luggage shipping services? Seems like Yamato Transport is well regarded.
3. Do any of our days look over-ambitious? And any **recommendations on things we should definitely add/subtract**?
I also have some specific questions under each day’s itinerary. Thanks in advance!
**3/16**: Land in KIX at 7pm, just settle into our hotel (staying near Namba Station)
**3/17**: Do some shopping in Hankyu/Umeda, go to Osaka Castle, then Umeda Sky Building/Dotonburi in the evening
**3/18**: Day trip to Himeji (including Otemon Gate, Kokoen Garden); explore Shinsekai at night
**3/19**: [*Option 1*] Day trip to Nara (including Todai-ji temple, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji Temple, and Nara Park) OR open day in Osaka
**3/20**: Osaka > Hiroshima in the morning; cover the Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien Garden + eat Okonomiyaki
**3/21**: Hiroshima > Miyajima in the morning; cover the Itsukushima Shrine, Daisho-in temple, Omotesando, and perhaps Mount Misen; Miyajima > Kyoto in the evening (staying near Kyoto Station South)
* Should we plan on taking the ropeway to Mount Misen instead of hiking to save time given other things we want to see?
* We’re planning to leave our luggage in our Osaka hotel and pick it up on the way back to Kyoto since we have to switch stations anyways – are there any better options?
**3/22**: Kiyomuzi-dera first thing in the morning (~630a), then Kinkakuji, then Arashiyama Bamboo Forest/Tenryuji Castle; walk around Gion district at night
* Is 7a a good time to try to avoid crowds for Kiyomuzi-dera? Looks like it opens at 6am.
**3/23**: [*Option 2*] Day trip to Nara (including Todai-ji temple, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji Temple, and Nara Park) OR open day in Kyoto (including Fushimi Inari hike)
**3/24**: Cherry blossoms day – Philosopher’s Path early in the morning (~7a) to pop the question :), Takenaka Inari Shrine, Kyoto Palace/Niji palace; Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
* I’ve gone down a rabbit hole trying to find somewhat intimate places with decent cherry blossoms to propose in the morning. My photographer recommended the Imperial Palace as the flowers there may bloom earlier, but I’m hoping the Philosopher’s Path will be not too crowded in the morning. Is that a reasonable expectation?
**3/25**: Kyoto > Hakone, arrive around 12p (staying near Ubako station); kaiseki dinner at our ryokan
* We don’t have anything specific planned to see around Hakone – any “must-sees” here that can be done in the afternoon?
**3/26**: Hakone > Tokyo, arrive around 12p (staying in Chuo City); nothing planned for that evening in Tokyo
**3/27**: Walk around Ginza, then teamLab Planets in the afternoon; head over to Senso-ji Asakusa + Ueno Park + Akihabara for the evening
**3/28**: Check out Mori Tower, Shibuya Scramble in the morning; spend the afternoon/evening in Chiyoda Park + Shinjuku Park Tower
**3/29-3/31**: Staying with friends in Minato City + fly out
by atmansearcher