Trip for a couple in moderate shape, going in May after Golden week. Nothing is booked yet so anything can change. We're traveling from the US. Mostly I'm wondering if we have things on our list that are completely not worth it or if we're pushing ourselves too hard. This is our first time in Japan. Any input is appreciated. Sorry, formatting, mobile.
Day 1: Arrive in Osaka late afternoon or early evening. Check in to our hotel, maybe explore and vibe if we feel up for it.
Day 2: Train to Himeji castle, koko-en, then return to Osaka, go to the aquarium.
Day 3: Shitenno-ji, Osaka castle (maybe), Nara park, Todai-ji. Hopefully see an Orix Buffaloes baseball game, depending on their schedule.
Day 4: Train to Koyasan, spend the day there, train back to Osaka.
Day 5: Wake up in Osaka, visit Byodo-in, Daigo-ji, Fushimi Inari check in to Kyoto ryokan.
Day 6: Ginkaku-ji, Tetsugaki No Michi, Kiyomizu- dera, Nijo Caste
Day 7: Wake up in Kyoto, Golden Pavilion, Kokedera, fabric shopping, train to Nagoya
Day 8: Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Tokugawa art museum, Noritake Garden.
Day 9: Wake up in Nagoya, Nagoya Castle, Atsuta-jingu Shrine, train to Hakone, Hakone shrine, Chisuji Falls, check in to Ryokan
Day 10: Hakone Botanical gardens of wetlands, Owakundani (hiking if possible), Hakone open air museum, Hakone checkpoint museum (time/mood permitting)
Day 11: wake up in Hakone, train to Kamakura, Kotoku-in, Kamakura museum of history and culture, Engaku-ji, Tsurogaoka Hachimangu, Houkokiji, train to Tokyo, check in to hotel. Making this a stop on the way from Hakone to Tokyo instead of a Tokyo day trip. Seems to cut down on train time.
Days 12-14 in Tokyo. I haven't really plotted out the days. I might keep this fluid.
Tokyo activities: Tsukiji outer market, Sengaku-ji, Imperial Palace, Asakusa (vibe and shop), Senso-ji, Kiyomizu Kannon-do temple, Uneo Toshogu shrine, Akihabara Electric town, 2k540 Aki-Oka (more shopping and vibe), Kabuki show, Walk around Toho studios (pay homage to Kurosawa), Sumoda Hokusai museum, Tokyo skytree
Day 15: Maybe shop a bit in the morning, then fly home.
by abstractcollapse