Hi all!
I will be traveling with my boyfriend to Japan end of November/beginning of December for 11 days. It will be our first time & I just wanted some input on our itinerary that we have so far. I’m worried if my Osaka/Kyoto portion is a little too packed & if I should try to squeeze in one more day.
Since it’s our first time, we’ll be hitting a lot more touristy things but I’m also open to any other suggestions! I did not include all the places I wanted to eat, but we’re big foodies!
TIA!
TOKYO
DAY 1 – Arrrive at NRT, commute to hotel, Ichiran for dinner, konbini run
DAY 2 – Sanrio Puroland, Gyukatsu Motomura, Air B&B JDM Experience (Daikoku, Rainbow Bridge)
DAY 3 – Studio Ghibli Museum, Akihabara, Shibuya
DAY 4 – Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory, Gundam Factory Yokohama, Cup Noodles Museum
OSAKA
DAY 5 – Travel to Osaka, Tempura Makino for lunch, Dotonbori, Namba, Shibasaibashi, Yodobashi
DAY 6 – Osaka Castle, Nara (deer feeding, mochi), Gion District, Nishiki Market
KYOTO
DAY 7 – Kyoto stay, Arashiyama, Gion District for kimono
TOKYO
DAY 8 – Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Sanjo-Dori, Kyoto to Tokyo
DAY 9 – Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea
DAY 10 – TeamLab Planets Tokyo, Ginza, Roppongi Hills
DAY 11 – Tsukiji Fish Market, Harajuku, Shibuya Scramble Square, Shibuya Sky
DAY 12 – Fly home
3 comments
perfact travel
You’re missing out on a lot of Kyoto imo. I’d stay in Kyoto the whole time south and just day trip it to Osaka for a day.
From Kyoto go to Nara early in the morning, finish up by about noon, then head to Namba get your tempura head to Dotonburi and work your way up Shinsaibashi. You could stuff Osaka Castle in there if you try. (IMO its way overrated, its a modern building disguised as a castle and the museum inside is all replicas).
A second day would be too start at Kiyumizudera early then walk north to Kodai-ji and Yasaka-jinja, walk Gion, then Teramachi Dori and Nishiki Market.
Third day would beh Arashiyama in the morning (you may be able to fit Kinkakuji in too) and then a whole afternoon to do other things like Nijo Castle or going shopping.
Last morning, Fushimi inari is fine.
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For tokyo, you’re already doing Shibuya on Day 11 so I’d remove it from Day 3.
Day 3 seems kind of wasted. Perhaps you could combine it with going to Mt Takao for some fall colors if there are still some since you’ll be halfway there with the Ghibili Museum.
A good amount of the stuff you planned is kind of out of the way from each other. Won’t really comment on day 2 or Kyoto as I don’t have too much experience on them
* Day 3 – Ghibli Museum -> walk through Inokashira Park -> Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory Kichijoji -> Shibuya related activities. Ghibli Museum into Shibuya is doable but I think adding Akihabara is too ambitious. There’s a Cream Puff Factory in the area next to the Ghibli Museum so you can just do that then and there instead of waiting the next day.
* Day 4 – Could have this be a dedicated Yokohama day, otherwise add one of the day 10-11 areas like Roppongi Hills, Harajuku, Akihabara, etc.
* Day 5 – 1 day for all 3 areas is ambitious unless you’re just trying to check off a list. I could spend a whole day in just Namba.
* Day 6 – Pretty packed here. You’re looking at like 2hr30m travel time by itself and I’m just ballparking, more depending on where you’re staying that night.
* Day 9 – Both parks is a little hectic, I would personally just do DisneySea and enjoy all of one park instead of trying to pack both into one day.
* Day 11 – I would try and reallocate day 3, day 10, and day 11 so you have less travel time cause these areas are all over the place. Personally I’d do day 4 Ghibli Museum + Shibuya (including the day 11 Shibuya stuff) + Harajuku if you have time/energy, day 10 teamlab + Tsukiji + Ginza, day 11 Akihabara + Harajuku if you didn’t go + Roppongi