TL;DR: Travelling to Japan with the wife for the first time ever. Sticking to Osaka → Kyoto → Gunma (Onsen) → Tokyo, but have some questions on whether this 2-week itinerary makes any sense.
Hey r/JapanTravel!
The wife and I are taking a long-awaited anniversary trip to Japan now in September. We're first-timers to the country, and so we're mostly sticking to the usual Golden Route destinations (with a stopover in an onsen in the Gunma mountains), but we'd also want to mix in some off-the-beaten-path options. I'm not really sure if this itinerary makes sense, so I'd really appreciate any comments, feedback, and suggestions. If you have any recommendations for restaurants (especially gluten-free ones), bars, or other activities along this itinerary, those would also be fantastic!
The hotels are already booked, so the main cities and dates are locked in, but I'm looking for feedback on the day-by-day activities and day-trips.
Summary
- Day 1 – 4 (September 6th – 9th) in Osaka, based in Shinsaibashi
- Day 5 – 8 (September 10th – 13th) in Kyoto, based in Gion
- Day 9 – 10 (September 14th – 15th) in an onsen ryokan in Gunma
- Day 11 – 15 (September 16th – 20th) in Tokyo, based in Ueno
Osaka (September 6th – 9th)
- Sept. 6th (Osaka): Arriving in KIX around noon → Nankai Rapi:t to Namba → Wandering and shopping around Dotonbori/Shinsaibashi → Maybe Donki Ferris wheel at night
- Sept. 7th (Osaka): Walking through Den-Den Town → Visiting Kuromon (maybe?) → Spending evening in Shinsekai (incl. Tsutenkaku)
- Sept. 8th (Himeji + Kobe day trip): Early train to visit Himeji Castle and Koko-en → Lunch in Himeji → Kobe (Nunobiki falls) → Kobe beef dinner → back to Osaka
- Sept. 9th (Nara day trip): Early train to Nara → Full day around Nara Park, Tōdai-ji, Isuien/Yoshikien, etc. → return to Osaka
Kyoto (September 10th – 13th)
- Sept. 10th (Osaka to Kyoto): Express train to Gion-Shijo Station → Exploring Gion → Rooftop drinks around sunset (e.g. K36) → Anniversary dinner → Yasaka Shrine at night
- Sept. 11th (Kyoto): Visiting Fushimi Inari early (before 9 am) → Lunch near Gion → Tea ceremony in Gion → Further exploring Gion/Kiyomizu area → Dinner
- Sept. 12th (Kyoto): Going to northwestern Kyoto → Quickly looking through the Arashiyama forest → Visiting Gio-ji temple → Saga-Toriimoto lane → Otagi Nenbutsu-ji → Back to Gion
- Sept. 13th (Kyoto): Buffer day, depending on what's left to see in Kyoto
Onsen in Gunma (September 14th – 15th)
- Sept. 14th (Kyoto to Gunma): Shinkansens from Kyoto (via Tokyo) to the destination → Relaxing in rotenburo → Kaiseki dinner
- Sept. 15th (Gunma): Full onsen day with maybe some light hiking in the area
Tokyo (September 16th – 20th)
- Sept. 16th (Gunma to Tokyo): Shinkansen to Tokyo (Ueno) → Ameyoko → Akihabara
- Sept. 17th (Tokyo): Exploring and shopping in Shibuya → Same in Harajuku/Omotesandō → Evening/night in Shinjuku night (Omoide Yokocho or Golden Gai).
- Sept. 18th (Day trip TBD): Leaving this day open for a possible day trip, depending on the weather and whether we have the energy for it. Considering Kawaguchiko or Kamakura.
- Sept. 19th (Tokyo): Morning/daytime visit to Asakusa → Tokyo Skytree in the afternoon → Akasaka Hikawa Festival around 19:00–21:00
- Sept. 20th (Tokyo): Last-minute shopping and any other missed places → Late-night flight home from Narita
Questions
- Nara day trip: We can't decide whether to do Nara from Osaka (as planned) or to move it to our Kyoto stay. I figured that there's more to see in Kyoto, so it's best to spend one of our Osaka days on it. What makes the most sense?
- Day trip from Tokyo on Sept. 18th: If the skies are clear, is Kawaguchiko worth it (vs. staying in Tokyo)? If cloudy, would you pick Kamakura/Enoshima, Nikko, or Yokohama (or something else)? Or is there too much left to see in Tokyo to bother with a day trip?
- Den-Den and Shinsekai on Sept. 7th: Is a stroll from Shinsaibashi to Shinsekai (through Den-Den) enough activity for a full day, or should we try to add something else to round out the day? I'm thinking Umeda, Abeno Harukas, Sumiyoshi Taisha, etc.
- Himeji + Kobe in one day: Is this pacing reasonable? How much time should we budget for Himeji Castle?
- Akasaka Hikawa Festival (Friday Sept. 19th): Does anyone have experience with this festival? It doesn't seem to be super popular with tourists, but it's the only one happening during our visit. Is it worth seeing?
- Any other feedback, recommendations, or tips are also very appreciated!
Thanks a lot for taking the time to read and respond!
by Hope-A-Dope-Pope