Itinerary Check: Osaka > Kyoto > Tokyo (Sept. 10th to 30th)

Hey everyone, just about finalized our itinerary for our upcoming trip, and looking for any and all input or advice. Are we doing too much? Is there something you think we should shuffle around or add/remove? My plan was to have options everyday, but not necessarily something we have to do if we want to pivot. We have a bunch of stuff booked already, and still need to book Shibuya Sky. The last thing, I think, we need to do before we leave, is book all train tickets. Namely the Shinkansen between cities, and nail down our Mt. Fuji travel. This I will do first week of September I think. Itinerary below.

• Osaka***: Sept. 10th to Sept. 17th***
• Hotel: Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori
  • Address: 3f 1-4-22 Dotonbori, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, 542-0071 Japan
  • Check in: Wed Sept 10 @ 2pm
  • Check out: Wed Sept 17 @ 11am
• Wed Sept. 10 – Check in at hotel and explore area.
  • Travel: Arrive at Kansai International Airport (KIX). Take the Nankai Airport Express to Namba Station (~45 min), then 5-min walk to Hotel Forza Osaka Namba Dotonbori
• Thurs Sept. 11 – Osaka Castle and Museums
  • Morning: Osaka Castle & Museum, Osaka Museum of History
  • Evening: Tombori River cruise (short boat cruise on the canal, just under a half hour), Dotonbori
  • Dinner: Reservations for BLUE BIRDS ROOF TOP TERRACE (8pm)
    • Address: 1-1 MIRAIZA OSAKA-JO 4F
• Fri Sept. 12 – Visit Kita (Umeda) + Minoo Park
  • Morning: Minoo Park
  • Afternoon: Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, Hankyu Entertainment Park, Tenjimbashi-suji Shopping Street (shopping arcade)
  • Evening: Umeda Sky Building
• Sat Sept. 13 – Awaji Day Trip
• Sun Sept. 14 – Hidden Osaka and Shopping
  • Morning: Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
  • Afternoon: Shinsaibashi & Amerikamura shopping
  • Evening: Shinkensai
• Mon Sept. 15 – Aquarium and Bay Area
  • Morning: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
  • Afternoon: Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri 2025
• Tues Sept. 16 – Day Trip to Nara
  • Travel: Kintetsu Line to Nara Station (~45 mins)
  • Morning: Todai-ji Temple, Nara Deer Park
  • Afternoon: Explore Naramachi District, then visit Uji on the way back to Osaka
• Wed Sept. 17 – Check out of hotel and travel to Kyoto
  • Travel: Walk to Namba Station → Take Midosuji Line to Umeda → JR Special Rapid to Kyoto Station → Karasuma Line to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station → walk to Hotel Gran Ms Kyoto
  • Osaka to Kyoto Transportation: Tokaido Shinkansen

• Kyoto***:  Sept. 17th to Sept. 22nd***
• Hotel: Hotel Gran Ms Kyoto
  • Address: 410-3 Shimomaruya-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8006 Japan
  • Check in: Wed Sept 17 @ 3pm
  • Check out: Mon Sept 22 @ 11am
• Wed Sept. 17 – Check in at hotel and explore area
  • Afternoon:  Tea Ceremony and Kimono Experience Kyoto MAIKOYA at NISHIKI (4pm)
    • 329 Ebiyachō, Gokomachi-dori Sanjo sagaru, 329 Ebiyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8076, Japan
• Thurs Sept. 18 – Arashiyama
  • Travel: JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama Station.
  • Morning: Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji Temple, Iwatayama monkey park
  • Afternoon: Explore downtown Kyoto
  • Evening: Explore Gion, Pontocho, and Uji at night (Daikichiyama Observation Deck)
• Fri Sept. 19 – Iconic Temples Tour
  • Morning: Fushimi Inari Taisha
  • Afternoon: Daigoji Temple, Tofukuji Temple
  • Evening: Fushimi Sake District, then could look into a night tour
• Sat Sept. 20 – Day Trip to Hiroshima
  • Morning: Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Miyajima
  • Afternoon: Shukkein Garden, Hiroshima Castle
• Sun Sept. 21 (Plan A) – Gion and Southern Higashiyama
• Sun Sept. 21 (Plan B)- Day Trip to Kobe?
  • Morning: Explore Kobe > Earthquake memorial park, Nunobiki falls (or could look into a walking tour)
  • Afternoon: Explore Kitano
  • Evening: Harborland
• Mon Sept. 22 – Check out of hotel and travel to Tokyo
  • Travel: Walk to Kyoto Station → Shinkansen to Tokyo Station (~2.5 hrs, use JR Pass) → Transfer to JR Chuo Line to Shinjuku → Walk or take Seibu-Shinjuku Line to Higashi-Shinjuku Station → walk to Apa Hotel Higashi Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower.
  • Kyoto to Tokyo transportation:  Tokaido Shinkansen

• Tokyo***: Sept. 22nd to Sept. 30th***
• Hotel: Apa Hotel Higashi Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower (No. 323)
  • Address: 2-31-12 Kabukicho, Shinju-ku, Tokyo, 160-0021 Japan
  • Check in: Mon Sept 22 @ 3pm
  • Check out: Tue Sept 30 @ 10am
• Mon Sept. 22 – Check in at hotel and explore area
  • Afternoon:  Ghibli Museum @ 4pm
    • 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku,Mitaka-shi, Tokyo，181-0013
• Tues Sept. 23 – Shinjuku Area
  • Morning: Shinjuku Gyeon National Garden, Hanzano Shrine, Tokyo Metropolitan Govt Building
  • Afternoon: Kabuchiko Tower, Omoide Yokocho, Isetan Shijnjuku
  • Evening: Shinjuku Golden Gai
• Wed Sept. 24 – Mt. Fuji Day Trip (tentative)
• Thurs Sept. 25 – Shibuya Area
  • Morning: Yoyogi Park (Meiji Shrine), Miyashita Park
  • Afternoon: Shibuya Parco, Shibuya Crossing, Harajuku Area
  • Evening: Shibuya Sky
  • Dinner: Reservations for Wagyu Houdai no Dendo Udagawa Cho Nikuya Yokocho (830pm)
    • Address: 32‐7 HULIC & NEW UDAGAWA 8F
• Fri Sept. 26 – Asakusa Area
  • Morning:  Senso-Ji Temple (big red lantern shrine), Nakamise Street
  • Afternoon: Sumo Show Experience (3pm) – Confirmed and booked
    • Address: Japan, 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 2-chōme−10−１２ 1F
  • Evening: Tokyo Skytree
• Sat Sept. 27 – Toyosu/Shibuya Areaoto/Shibuya Day
  • Morning: teamLab Planets (9am) – Confirmed and booked
  • Afternoon:  Tokyo: Street Kart Experience in Shibuya (230pm) – Booked and confirmed
    • Address:  Japan, 〒150-0044 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Maruyamachō, 15−１５−３ 1F Street Kart Maruyama-Cho Shibuya-ku
  • Evening:  Fuji Broadcasting Center, Tokyo Big Sight?
• Sun Sept. 28 – Ginza Area
  • Morning: teamLab Borderless (8am) – Confirmed and booked
  • Afternoon: Azabudai Hills Sky Lobby, Mitsukoshi Food Hall
  • Evening: Tokyo Tower
  • Late night: Bar Centifolia? Should go when we first get to Tokyo to try and reserve a table in person, or try day of at 8pm as soon as they open
• Mon Sept. 29 – Akihabara Area
  • Morning: Ueno Park, Ameyoko shopping district
  • Afternoon: Yodobashi Akihabara (electronics/camera/everything else store), Radio Kaikan, check out a maid café?
• Tues Sept. 30: -Check out of hotel and travel to airport
• Hotel to airport (HND) transportation: Yamanote line to the Keikyu Main Line or Shinjuku Expressway Bus