Hi,
my SO and myself are planning a 20-day first time trip to Japan in April. We’ve set up an itinerary, but defo need a check and some help deciding on destination sequence. Also, some “off-the-path” recommendations would be nice. I tend to plan way to much for 1 day, so feel free to roast.
**Day 1: Osaka**
\- Land in Osaka
\- Check in Hotel 1
\- Chill and wonder aimlessly, and visit the mipig cafe ’cause it seems odd
**Day 2: Osaka**
\- Kuromon Ichiba Market
\- Osaka Castle
\- Eat at Zauo Fishing Restaurant –> it seems like a quirky place, since you can catch you own fish there
\- Minoh Falls –> if time allows, but probably not since it’s rather far away
**Day 3: Nara** (day trip)
\- Todai-ji Namdaimon
\- Walk around Nara and pet the bowing deer
**Day 4: Kyoto** (sleep in Osaka)
\- Arashimaya Bamboo Forest –> be there by 6 AM to have the IG pictures the internet wants
\- Ogura Chaya –> seems like a really cool place to visit but we’re open to recommendations
\- Walk the Togetsukyo Bridge to get to
\- Arashiyama Monkey Park
\- Walk around the forest if we feel like it, or take it easy
**Day 5: Kyoto** (sleep in Osaka)
\- Samurai & Ninja Museum and Experience (something for the child within me)
\- Gion District –> is it possible to “walk in” for a tea ceremony? Are there certain hours?
\- Maruyama Park
\- Evening dinner with Geisha and traditional meal –> very expensive, we know, but heck, it’s once in a lifetime! Any hints here?
**Day 6: Kyoto** (sleep in Osaka)
\- Yogen-in Temple to se the bloody ceiling
\- Fushimi Inari Taisha
**Day 7: Osaka**
\- Onsen recommendations for tattoo friendly places? We each have one, roughly the size of an A4 paper
D**ay 8: Transition**
\- Reach Kagoshima and check in hotel 2
\- Have a chill day there, walk around –> recommendations welcome
**Day 9: Kagoshima** (day trip)
\- Yakushima Island
**Day 10: Hiroshima**
\- Take the first tray to Hiroshima (6:00 or 6:30, there about)
\- Arrive at Hiroshima by 9:00 and check in hotel
\- Itsukushima Island by 11:00
\- Stay until “the last ferry”
**Day 11: Hiroshima**
\- Atomic Bomb Dome
\- Mazda Museum
**Day 12: Tokyo**
\- Arrive in Tokyo and check in Hotel 3
\- Shibuya Scramble Crossing
\- Shubuya Sky
\- Hachiko Memorial Status (good boi!)
\- Relax a bit
\- teamLab Planets
**Day 13: Tokyo**
\- Tsukiji Outer Market
\- Urayasu City Folk Museum
\- Tokyo Place –> lay in the grass and enjoy vacation
\- Owl Cafe Tokyo
\- Akihabara –> have to check out maiden cafe and some arcade places. Hints welcome.
**Day 14: Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura** (day trip)
\- Visit theme park
\- Kinugawa Onsen –> if I understand correctly, this is a town? So the locations are “reduntant”? Is it possible to visit the theme park AND have some time in a tatto friendly onsen, then head back to Tokyo in a day?
**Day 15: Fuji-Q Highland**
\- Day trip to the amusement park
**Day 16: Transition**
\- Reach Toyama, check in hote 4
\- Enjoy the city –> recommendations welcome. Specially if there is something “at the sea”
\- Stroll by Matsukawa river’s cherry trees
**Day 17: Toyama** (plan to see the firefly squids, if weather allows)
\- Walk around Kurobe river and the gorge
**Day 18: Toyama** (day 2 for firefly squids if needed)
\- Reach Tateyama station and catch Murodo bus
\- Walk Mt. Tate circular path (11 km)
**Day 19: Transition** (day 3 for firefly squids if needed)
\- Head back to Osaka
**Day 20: Airport**
\- Fly back
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I’m mostly concerned if the Kagoshima-Hiroshima thing will follow through.
We currently made no plans on where to eat as we’d like to just take a bite here and there, just at random small places.
Regardin Onsens we’re having a hard time finding some that look authentic. Based on pictures, it often looks like a regular pool, but not swimmable. Some Onsens are out in the wild, but those are higher up from Niigata and Fukushima onwards. A day trip is possible or not? Also, as mentioned, being inked might cause isses. We’re prepared to cover them up if there is a way to mask it. Some tape can be used, we heard.
Since we intend to travel a lot we bought the JR pass (before October, so we saved some change) and are currently only using Navitime to find connections as google maps is quite bad for Japan.
For reference, we skipped Kibune River, Nijo castle, Takachiho Gorge, Tsumago-juku, Lake Chūzenji, Geibikei Gorge, Zao Fox village (and Onsen) etc. Mostly nature, I guess, but we do enjoy it.
Is there anything you’d remove from the list or exchange?
What do you think of the itinerary so far? To tight or too lose? Is the sequence of cities normal or should we replan? We’d like to start booking palces sooner than last second.