Summary:
Hi all, I will be traveling to Japan for a friend’s bachelorette and then will meet my partner for a wedding in Tokyo. This will be my partner’s (M/33) and I’s (F/31) first time in Japan so we are making a big trip out of it 🙂 We are active/athletic & into art, design, and fashion.
I will be solo-traveling to Osaka and Koyasan by myself and then meeting with friends in Kyoto for the bachelorette. After a few days in Kyoto, we will take the Shinkansen to Tokyo for the wedding celebrations. My partner is meeting me in Tokyo on the same day my friends and I are traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo.
After a few days in Toyko, we will travel to Hakone and stay 2 nights at a Ryokan. From there, we will travel to Kyoto for 4 nights, then travel to Uno/Naoshima Art Islands for 2 nights, and then will finally end in Osaka to explore and for a few day trips before we leave from KIX. The bride is planning the Kyoto bachelorette (10/14-17) and Tokyo wedding celebrations (10/18–19) so those days are set.
Looking for:
* feedback on if this is too ambitious, or if there are any glaring mistakes or possibly things we should add/subtract. I put (?) in places I am not 100% about and could remove.
* I also plan on utilizing the baggage transport – would love advice about shipping luggage a few days in advance and picking it up in another city (ex: shipping from KIX (10/12) to Kyoto Station (10/14) or shipping from another city to a hotel a few days in advance).
* Recommendations for booking a fancy birthday dinner in Tokyo. – Willing to splurge here 🙂
* Halloween? We will be in Osaka for Halloween – any recommendations on where to go/what to do?
* Culture Day? We will be flying home on culture day, anything we should know?
Thank you all so much! I have been using this sub for so much research. Couldnt have planned this without you all :’)
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|Day|Activity|
|:-|:-|
|10/11–10/12 Wednesday/Thursday (Fly to Osaka, Spa Day)|Fly to **KIX** (**Osaka**) arrive around 3pm, Ship Luggage to Kyoto Station at KIX (shipping luggage two days in advance and keeping day pack), check into SpaWorld as hotel. Utilize Spaworld onsen and relax. Explore Shinsekai & get dinner at Conveyor Belt sushi.|
|10/13 – Friday (Koyasan Overnight Trip)|Travel to **Koyasan** (2 Hours\~) in the AM, Check into **Shukubo Temple** for overnight stay. Walk to **Okunoin Temple**, and **Kongobu & Danjo Garan Temple** Visit. Try to use Onsen at the temple before the temple dinner. **Okunon Night Tour** in the evening.|
|10/14 – Saturday (Travel to Kyoto, Meet up for Bachelorette)|Try to utilize jetlag to make 6am **morning meditation**. **Temple breakfast** and check out. Try to squeeze in quick hike to do part of the **Women’s Pilgrimage Hike**. **Travel to Kyoto** 10:30am–1:45pm. Grab Luggage from Kyoto Station. Meet up with friends at Kyoto Station at 2:30. We are planning to walk around **Gion**, **Sannenzaka**, **Higashiyama**, visit **Kiyomizu Temple**, and then get dinner.|
|10/15 – Sunday (Kyoto Bachelorette)|**Kimono try-ons for the wedding**, shopping and Lunch at **Nishiki Market**, Make your own **Plum Wine Workshop**, Watch **Geisha Dancing**, Dinner and Karaoke|
|10/16 – Monday (Kyoto Bachelorette)|We are having a private driver this day. Possible **Nara Day** trip, Vegan Lunch at Izusen inside of **Daitoku-ji Temple**, **Chionin Temple**, **Sanjusangen-do**, **Kinkaku-ji**, **Fushimi Inari Taisha**. Dinner and rest at airbnb.|
|10/17 – Tuesday (Travel to Tokyo, Rest Day)|**Shinkansen to Tokyo**. Meet up with partner in Tokyo at hotel. **Rest at Hotel** in Shinagawa, possibly walk along Tennozu Isle and grab dinner.|
|10/18 – Wednesay (Ueno, Akihabara + Welcome Party)|Travel to Ueno and visit **Ueno Park**. Possibly visit **SCAI Bath House Gallery (?)** and Akihabara (may not have time?), Travel back to hotel rest and get ready for **Wedding Welcome Party** in **Shibuya** in the evening.|
|10/19 – Thursday (Wedding)|Wedding and After-party in **Shibuya**|
|10/20 – Friday (Shopping Day) – this is ambitous for day after wedding… will pay this by ear, may be rest day.|**Meiji Shrine**, **Omotesando** & **Harajuku**, Explore **Nakameguro**, **Daikanyama**, and **Ebisu**, try to catch a Metal Rock show in Ebisu|
|10/21 – Saturday (Shibuya & Shinjuku)|Explore **Shibuya** & **Shinjuku**. **Piss Alley Dinner** & **Golden Gai** for Drinks|
|10/22 – Sunday (TeamLab, Ginza + Roppongi, Birthday dinner)|**TeamLab** in the morning, Hamarikyutein Gardens (?), Explore **Ginza** and **Roppongi**, Splurge on a fancy birthday dinner.|
|10/23 – Monday (Travel to Hakone, Hakone Rest Day)|Ship Luggage to Kyoto Hotel (for 10/25 arrival) Travel to **Hakone**, Check into Ryokan, Visit **Hakone Open Air Museum**, short walk to Chisuji Falls (?), Dinner and Onsen in Ryokan|
|10/24 – Tuesday (Hakone Loop)|**Hakone Loop**, Visit **Hakone Yuryo**, Dinner at Ryokan|
|10/25 – Wednesday (Travel to Kyoto, Explore Eastern Kyoto)|Travel to Kyoto, Check into hotel, Explore **Gion**, Lunch in **Nishiki Market** \+ **Kawaramachi**, Dinner at **Pontoncho Alley**|
|10/26 – Thursday (Kyoto Temple Day)|**Kiyomizu**, Daitoku-ji Temple Zen Gardens (?), relax by Kamo River and drink a beer with locals, **Koidaiji Night Illumination**|
|10/27 – Friday (Fushimi Inari)|**Fushimi Inari**, **Philsophers Path** \- Rest day|
|10/28 – Saturday (Arashiyama)|Rent bikes and explore **Arashiyama Bamboo park** and surrounding areas. **Tenryu Temple (?)**, Lunch and Tea at **Okochi Sanso Garden (?**, **Kinkaku**|
|10/29 – Sunday (Travel to Uno and visit Naoshima Art Island)|Ship Luggage to Hotel in Osaka. Travel to **Uno** and check into hotel. Ferry to Naoshima. Bike around **Naoshima Art Island** and explore art and galleries on island. Ferry back to Uno.|
|10/30 – Monday (Teshima Island)|Ferry to **Teshima Art Island**. Bike around Teshima and explore art and galleries on island. Ferry back to Uno. Relax at Setouchi Onsen Tamanoyu|
|10/31 – Tuesday – Halloween (Travel to Osaka, Explore Osaka)|Train to Osaka. Explore **Americamura** and **Dotomburi**, Mini Bar Hop at Misono Namba? Halloween things?|
|11/1 – Wednesday (Nara, TeamLab Osaka)|Day trip to **Nara**, **TeamLab Osaka**|
|11/2 – Thursday (Free Day)|This day is open. I was thinking of taking a day trip to **Katsuo-ji Temple** and hiking to **Minoo Falls** from there. Resting and packing before flying home.|
|11/3 – Friday (Fly Home) Culture Day|Packing and flying home. this is culture day, anything to be aware of?|
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1 comment
Honestly looks pretty good. It is busy, and pathing is odd but understandable due to the wedding. For feedbacks sake:
10/14 is definitely packed day. For the Kyoto portion, Sannenzaka and Kiyomizudera are really crowded from 9am ~ 3pm. After 3pm the crowds do dissipate, so you can time how you want to tackle that.
I see you are double dipping Kansai region again when you get back from the wedding. If you want other ideas that you didn’t do already for rest day on 10/27, here are some ideas.
* You can do the daytrip to Nara (about 45 minutes from Kyoto). Take it super slow, arrive late, leave early kind of thing. Nara is great for that.
* Other idea is head 25 minutes south to Uji. Check out the cafe’s and tea houses. Take it easy.
* (I’m mentioning alternative ideas since Fushimi Inari is similar to Kiyomizudera. It gets very crowded during the day. Unless you go very early (Before 7am), or really late) it can be hard to enjoy. Philosophers path should be fine any time
Also, if you get bored of Kyoto & Osaka, Kobe is close by. Many options of places to check out. Nunobiki herb gardens, Kobe Animal Kingdom, the chinatown. You can even go further north and check out Arimaonsen and soak a bit in public onsen
And Teamlabs in Nagai park in Osaka I personally don’t recommend. It is disappointing compared to teamlabs planets in Tokyo.