Hi All!
I am finally going back to Japan in October, 10/06 to 10/19. It is going to be my second time, my first was in 2016 but I was young and stupid, and barely did anything (I didn't even eat sushi!) – so you can treat me like a first-timer. Previous posts have been incredibly helpful here so thank you to everyone who has taken time to share their suggestions. I would be glad to hear your thoughts and input in general, but I also specifically have some points that I want your opinions on:
- I decided not to make a stop in Hakone when traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo, because staying there seems quite expensive. Also, that would mean that I'd have to run around with my luggage around the area, which seems less tolerable than doing it in Tokyo for example. Instead, I decided on a one day trip from Tokyo, hoping I'd be able to do everything I want there in a day.
- Since my flight lands at around 8 AM in NRT, I decided to directly go to Osaka from there, rather than end the trip with Osaka. I will have been travelling for around 24 hours (long flights & layover), so I'll be too tired anyway to have a full day in Tokyo. I feel like sleeping a bit on the Shinkansen and arriving in Osaka in the afternoon just in time for check-in is a better choice. Also, my flight back home leaves from NRT at 11 AM, so it will be much more comfortable to end the trip in Tokyo rather than in Osaka (I'd have to leave Osaka at like 5 am to reach the airport at a reasonable time).
- I feel like my itinerary is a too dense. I tried asking a few people about it, they all insist that it's fine, and some even said that my itinerary looks a bit sparse and that I have too much free time. I've been told that the list of attractions/places is an illusion, and that most of them is just walking around (Day 4 is a good example – the entire day is just walking around the same small area).
Lodging Areas;
• Osaka: Namba
• Kyoto: Gion
• Tokyo: Nihonbashi
Day 0: Flights
Day 1: NRT -> Tokyo -> Osaka; Aquarium Kaiyukan
• Get a Suica/Pasmo card
• Set up SIM
• Narita Express to Tokyo Station
• Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka
• Aquarium Kaiyukan
• Dotonbori (if not too exhausted)
Day 2: Universal Studios, Dotonbori
• Universal Studios
• Dotonbori
Day 3: Osaka -> Tokyo; Northern & Eastern Kyoto
• Sakaisuji/Hankyu-Senri Lines to Kyoto
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Temple)
• Eikando Zenriji
• Walk around Gion (Kamo River, Shirakawa Lane, Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka)
Day 4: Arashiyama, Nenbutsuji
• Togetsukyo Bridge
• Arashiyama Park – Nakoshima Area
• Tenryu-ji
• Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
• Arashiyama Park Observation Deck
• Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
• Otagi Nenbutsuji
• Kimono Forest
Day 5: Fushimi-Inari, Nijo Castle, Kokedera
• Fushimi-Inari Taisha
• Nijo Castle
• Saihoji Kokedera
Day 6: Nara Day Trip
• Kintetsu-Limited Express to Nara
• Nara Park
• Kofuku-Ji
• Todai-ji
• Kasuga Taisha
• Ukimido
Day 7: Kyoto -> Tokyo, Northern Tokyo
• Tokaido-Sanyo Shinaksen to Tokyo
• Ueno Park & Zoo
• Kaminarimon
• Senso-ji
• Tokyo Skytree
• Kirby Cafe
Day 8: Central Tokyo
• teamLab Borderless
• Tokyo Tower (just because it's near)
• Akihabara
• Ginza
Day 9: Western Tokyo
• Shinjuku Gyoen
• Meiji Shrine
• Yoyogi Park
• Takeshita Street, Harajuku
• Shibuya Scramble Crossing
• Nintendo Tokyo
Day 10: DisneySea & Free Evening
• Tokyo DisneySea
• Free time when I'm back to do whatever I want
Day 11: Hakone Day Trip
• Romancecar to Hakone
• Mishima Skywalk
• Lake Ashi
• Open-Air Museum
• Romancecar back to Tokyo
Day 12: Warner Bros. Studios & Free Time
• Warner Bros. Studios – The Making of Harry Potter
• Rest of the day free, my last hours in Japan
Day 13: Morning Flight Back
by Pyrodraconic