Hello, this is our first time vsiting the country and we, especially me, are very excited but also terrified and nervous, I’ve been stalking this sub for a while and I know a few things, I tried to keep it simple to allow us to explore and have unexapected adventures, it would help a lot if I had your guys’ opinions on our itinerary, so what do you think?
Please let me know if there’s anything I could/should add to any of these days that would be convenient to visit given the places we already have.
Two of us are big into video games, anime, and nerdy shit, the other two are not as much but love history and adventuring out.
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Thank you. We greatly appreciate any feedback/improvements.
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\*\*Tuesday, July 11th\*\* – Travel Day
\- Travel from the home country to Japan
\*\*Wednesday, July 12th\*\*
\- Arrival at Narita International Airport
\- Check-in at Hotel in Shinjuku
\- Grab a bite at a nearby restaurant. Stop by 7-Eleven and settle in for the night
\*\*Thursday, July 13th\*\* – Tokyo Sightseeing
\- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
\- Meiji Jingu Shrine
\- Yoyogi Park
\- Walk around Shibuya City, including a visit to the Hachikō Memorial Statue
\- Possible Kabukicho for evening entertainment
\*\*Friday, July 14th\*\* – Odaiba Day Trip
\- TeamLab Planets TOKYO
\- Visit Gundam Statue, National Museum of Emerging Science
\- Explore Toyosu Market and rest of Odaiba
\*\*Saturday, July 15th\*\*
\- Free day so far. Planning to let everyone just do whatever they want
\- Anniversary dinner with wife at Kitaohji in the evening ( any cool activities we could do after?)
\*\*Sunday, July 16th\*\* – Asakusa Visit
\- Visit Sensō-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple
\- Explore Tokyo Solamachi and Tokyo Skytree and sorrounding area
\*\*Monday, July 17th\*\* – Travel to Osaka
\- Travel from Tokyo to Osaka
\- Check into Hotel in Umeda
if we’re not too tired for this: Osaka Sightseeing
\- Visit Umeda Sky Building
\- Boat Dotonbori tour with Tombori River Cruise
\- Explore Dotonbori in the evening
\*\*Tuesday, July 18th\*\* – Day Trip to Kyoto/Higashiyama
\- Visit Kiyomizu-dera, Sanneizaka (Sannenzaka), Nineizaka (Ninenzaka), Maruyama Park, Shōren-in Garden, Eikan-dō (Zenrin-ji) Temple
\- Visit Philosopher’s Path, Higashiyama Jisho-ji, Ginkaku-ji House, Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Gion, and Hōkan-ji Temple
I know this day seems busy but in my defense, it looks like it’s just one street in the map but I have no idea how realistic this is. We’re not expecting to actually see all of it.
\*\*Wednesday, July 19th\*\* – Day Trip to Nara
\- Visit Nara Park
\- Return to Osaka, optional visit to Shinsaibashisuji, Dotonbori, Kuromon Ichiba Market, and Namba Yasaka Jinja
\*\*Thursday, July 20th\*\* – Day Trip to Kyoto/Fushimi Inari
\- Visit Fushimi Inari Taisha
\- Optional hike and visit Bamboo Forest and Arashiyama area
\- Visit Iwatayama Peak Rest House (Monkey Park)
\- Explore Nishiki Market and Daimaru Kyoto
\- Visit SAMURAI & NINJA MUSEUM with EXPERIENCE (tentative)
\*\*Friday, July 21st\*\* – Osaka Sightseeing
\- Visit Osaka Castle and Nishinomaru Garden – Osaka Castle
\- Visit Shitennoji and Osaka Museum of History
\- Visit Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
\*\*Saturday, July 22nd\*\* – Day Trip to Hiroshima
\- Train ride to Hiroshima
\- Visit Gates of Peace, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Peace Memorial Park – Hiroshima, Children’s Peace Monument
\- Try out Archery experience
\*\*Sunday, July 23rd\*\* – Osaka Sightseeing
\- Possible Visit to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
\- Free day in Osaka
\*\*Monday, July 24th\*\* – Travel back to Tokyo
\- Travel from Osaka to Tokyo
\- Akibahara
\*\*Tuesday, July 25th\*\* – Tokyo Shopping Day
\- Souvenir shopping shibuya/shinjuku/Harajuku
\*\*Wednesday, July 26th\*\* – Departure Day
\- Depart from Narita International Airport, Japan
7 comments
18th July Daytrip Kyoto: I dont think this is possible. Yeah, its all one street, but its quite a distance to cover and you dont want to just walk by, put a mark on a checklist, and move on. Sooner or later, the day will end and you probably will not be where your plan said you would be. if you want to make the most out of the day, start early (kiyomizudera opens at 6am), skip gion and yasaka for now, and backtrack there when its after 5pm and everything else is closed, since gion shines in the evening and yasaka is open during the night
july 20th Kyoto 2: you can do fushimi inari very early or late, its open 24/7. its a bit out of the way in the south of kyoto. maybe you want to add it to the nara day (before or after), even if it means taking a detour with staying in Osaka…
the rest of the day is still very full with going to arashiyama (north west of kyoto) and then nishiki and the samurai/ninja experience…
I might just gonna add, disneysea? (Like, best theme park in the world), Universal studio japan? (Pokemon parade and nintendo world)
If you are into anime, then ikebukuro and nakano broadway is a must. Denden town in osaka too.
How about toei kyoto studio park if they like history?
I much preferred Shinjuku Gyoen gardens over Yoyogi Park! Yoyogi is really a *park* and there isn’t too much to see, in my opinion.
For Kyoto, that’s definitely a lot in one day lol. Depending on when you’re going, you may want to cut Philosopher’s Path. Unless there’s specific foliage in season, there’s not much to see. When I was there, I started at Kiyomizu-dera, temple-hopped and looked in souvenir shops up to Chion-in and then over to walk around Gion, and that took much of the day. It’s a lot of walking and the shrines themselves are quite large with a lot of steps. If there’s one you particularly want to see, plan your itinerary to start there, so you know you’ll get to it. My last hot take is that Akihabara isn’t worth it and Osaka Denden was better!
i need a holiday just from reading your itinerary haha, its a little too packed for my liking…but that’s just me.
I’m sure you’ll have a great time . enjoy
Neither of your Kyoto days are realistic. We were in Kyoto a few weeks ago and it is very very hot and humid. Unless you are use to being outside and doing things in the heat and humidity, I think you are underestimating how it can tire you out. Lots of Japan is “mildly” air conditioned, and only offers so much relief. You will still also have to get from where you are staying in Umeda to Osaka Station to Kyoto Station to where you want to sightsee in Kyoto. Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are slightly easier since you take trains to get there and if you start in Arashiyama, you can take the Hankyu from Umeda directly there.
As others have said, you should consider re-planning your Kyoto Itinerary. At most, you’ll only be able to do 5 temples across 2 days because of fatigue and temple closing times.
On the first day, I’d suggest Kiyomizu-Dera, Kodai-ji, Sannen-zaka and Ninnen-zaka, and end the day with Yasaka-Jinja (open 24 hours) and Gion if you have time.
On the second, day you can do Fushimi Inari, and any other temple you find interesting. I would recommend Kinkakuji. You can also check out Arashiyama, but it is a little outside Kyoto.
since there is SO much to see in Kyoto, does it make sense to also visit Nara? especially if you don’t care for the deer.
it seems like Kyoto has many thing that Nara does not have, but does Nara have things that Kyoto does not?