13 day Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka Itinerary Check Plz

Eeek this is my first Reddit post. 😅

Hello! I(29F) will be traveling to Japan with my SO(30M) and another couple. We land a day earlier than the other couple, so we can take it easy with jet lag. Please let me know your thoughts and if this itinerary is missing any must eat/do/see. I prefer to travel with a balance of doing things/eating and also relaxing so I don’t feel drained. I kept a lot of food unplanned so that we can just drop into local restaurants. Excited to hear your inputs. Thanks!

Also I have tattoos… if you have any recommendations for tattoo friendly onsens in Shinjuku, Gion and Namba please let me know. I don’t have any sleeve tattoos, but I have a few small ones and a few medium/large ones.

August 30
– Land in Tokyo at 5:50pm
– Activate 14 day JR pass
– Make bullet train/Narita Express reservations
– Take Narita Express to Shinjuku Station (2.5hrs)
– Take taxi to hotel $4
– Check into Hotel (The Knot) 9pm
– Relax
– Golden Gai
– Kabukicho
– Pachinko parlor

Aug 31 *Jet lag/ easy day*
– Breakfast at hotel
– Coffee
– Check out Shinjuku Central Park
– Check out shrine in park
– Thermae-yu day spa 24hrs
– Get ready for dinner
– Sushi Yajima
– explore area/ Shibuya crossing (Scramble)/Mega Don 24hrs

Sept 1
– gyukatsu
– Tochomae to Shinjuku (Oedio) Shinjuku to Kichijoji (Chuo) take bus 41mins or additional 10mins if walk
– Ghibli Mueum
– Recoup
– Hotel Gracery for Godzilla
– Omoide Yokocho/Golden Gai (street food)
– Nagi Ramen/ sushi
– Governor building (close at 10pm)
– Azuki to Kouri dessert?

Sept 2
– 5mins walk
– Tochomae stat take Oedo line to Tsukijisho Stat. 24mins
– Tsukiji outer market
– Take bus to Team labs
– Tsujihan seafood bowl on the way back to Shinjuku/ Wagyu Burger/ sushi
– Walk and shopping (kitte marunouchi)
– Tokyo station to Shinjuku-Sanchome Marunouchi line (18mins + 10mins walk)
– Recoup
– Go back to hotel and get ready for dinner
– Drinks some where?

Sept 3
– Sosakumenkobo (Michelin ramen)
– Tochomae to Kuramae (Oedo) 39mins
– Senso-ji
– Lunch
– Sumida River (view of Tokyo sky tree)
– Recoup
– Mario carting (Monkey Karting)
– Dinner

Sept 4
– Lunch???
– 1pm Head to Kyoto (3.5hr)
– Take Shinjuku Station to Kyoto Station
– Check in Hotel Legasta Kyoto/ Rihga
– Dinner

Sept 5 *Get Mochi in Kyoto*
– 11:30am Yuyu kaseki
– Explore Giesha District/ experience
– Kiyomizu-dera (Buddhist temple)
– Geisha pics
– Nishiki food market (snack)
– Fushimi Inari Taisha
– Onsen
– Relax
– Dinner?

Sept 6
– lunch by bamboo forest
– Arashiyama Bamboo forest
– Monkey park
– Foot bath (Onsen) of Arashiyama Station
– Café
– Recoup
– Spring valley Brewery
– Dinner?

Sept 7
– 11am check out
– head to Osaka
– Kyoto Station to Namba Station
– Head spa at Quatre ($95)
– Check into hotel
– Umeda shopping
– Food market for dinner
– Arcade

Sept 8
– breakfast
– Train to Nara
– Grab drink or coffee
Things to do in Nara *Tentative*
– Nara National museum
– Ukimido
– Tour Former Residence of Shiga Naoya
– Todai-ji
– Late Lunch Miyama ?
– Head back
– Relax
– Dinner in Osaka

Sept 9
– explore Kuromon Ichiba Market and Dontonbori
– Osaka castle
– Recoup
– Dinner?
– Brewery
– Nightlife/Space Station

Sept 10
– Day trip Kobe 1hr by train
– Kobe steakhouse for lunch
– Nunobiki Falls (by train station)
– Take cable train to Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden and enjoy foot bath with a view
– Head back relax
– Dinner in Osaka

Sept 11
– 9am Head to Tokyo and fly out
– Take Namba Station to Narita Airport
– 6pm flight