TL;DR: 19-day Japan trip focusing on traditional culture, food, gardens, and slow exploration. Early mornings (~5:30am) to beat crowds. Kyoto → Osaka → Kanazawa → Takayama → Tokyo, with day trips to Nara, Himeji, Kobe, Kamakura, and Nikko. Looking for feedback on pacing, must-see spots, and avoiding unnecessary backtracking.
Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Japan from Sunday, August 31 to Friday, September 19, and we’d love your feedback on our itinerary. We want to make sure our daily plans are realistic, that we aren’t backtracking unnecessarily, and that we aren’t missing any must-see spots.
A few notes about how we travel:
- We like to wake up early (~5:30am) to beat the crowds.
- We prefer a relaxed pace, usually 1–2 “bigger” activities per day with breaks in gardens, cafés, or just wandering streets. My girlfriend especially gets burned out if we go nonstop.
- Neither of us are big anime fans, so we did not focus on that too much. We are also not into partying, but we do enjoy casual drinks or izakayas in the evening.
We’re also planning day trips to Nara, Himeji, Kobe, Kamakura, and Nikko.
Kyoto (Aug 31 – Sep 6)
Hotel: Hotel Traveltine Kyoto Kiyamachi
Sun, Aug 31 – Arrival & Central Kyoto
- Afternoon: arrive at KIX, take the train to Kyoto and check into our hotel
- Evening: Nishiki Market and Pontocho Alley
Mon, Sep 1 – Fushimi Inari & Southern Higashiyama
- Early morning: Fushimi Inari
- Late morning: Sanjūsangen-dō, Kiyomizu-dera
- Afternoon: Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka, maybe Honen-in Temple
- Evening: relax, dinner nearby or by Kamo River
Tue, Sep 2 – Arashiyama & Golden Pavilion
- Early morning: Bamboo Grove, Tenryū-ji Temple, Okochi Sanso Garden
- Afternoon: Arashiyama shops, maybe Jōjakkō-ji Temple, riverside walk
- Late afternoon: Kinkaku-ji
- Evening: dinner near hotel or Kyoto Station
Wed, Sep 3 – Nara Day Trip
- Early morning: train to Nara, Nara Park, Great Buddha
- Late morning: Kasuga Taisha
- Afternoon: Isuien or Yoshiki-en Garden, Kofuku-ji
- Evening: return to Kyoto, dinner nearby
Thu, Sep 4 – Ginkaku-ji & Philosopher’s Path
- Early morning: Ginkaku-ji
- Late morning: Philosopher’s Path, Honen-in stop
- Afternoon: Nanzen-ji, Heian Shrine or Kyoto Botanical Garden
- Evening: Kawaramachi shopping/café, dinner in Kiyamachi/Pontocho
Fri, Sep 5 – Local Culture & Kyoto Finale
- Morning: slow start, Kyoto Imperial Palace
- Afternoon: Kyoto Manga Museum (for portraits), shopping or tea ceremony in a machiya
- Evening: sunset at Kyoto Tower, last dinner in Kyoto
Osaka (Sep 6 – Sep 9)
Hotel: 川HOUSE黒門 (Nipponbashihigashi)
Sat, Sep 6 – Arrival & Central Osaka
- Morning: arrive from Kyoto before 11am, check in
- Afternoon: Dōtonbori and Kuromon Market
- Evening: dinner, river walk, casual izakaya
Sun, Sep 7 – Himeji Day Trip
- Early morning: train to Himeji, Himeji Castle
- Afternoon: Koko-en Garden, lunch in Himeji
- Evening: return to Osaka, dinner nearby
Mon, Sep 8 – Kobe Day Trip
- Early morning: train to Kobe, Harborland, Kitano-cho
- Afternoon: lunch and waterfront walk, maybe Ikuta Shrine
- Evening: return to Osaka, dinner near hotel
Tue, Sep 9 – Departure for Kanazawa
- Morning: leave Osaka around 10–11am
Kanazawa (Sep 9 – Sep 11)
Hotel: Hotel Forza Kanazawa
Tue, Sep 9 – Arrival
- Afternoon: check in, Kenroku-en Garden and nearby streets
- Evening: dinner near hotel
Wed, Sep 10 – Kanazawa Exploration
- Morning: 21st Century Museum, Omicho Market
- Afternoon: Higashi Chaya District, Nagamachi samurai district
- Evening: relaxed dinner
Thu, Sep 11 – Travel to Takayama
- Morning: leave for Takayama, optional Hida Folk Village
- Afternoon: Takayama Old Town
- Evening: dinner
Takayama (Sep 11 – Sep 13)
Hotel: Hotel and Spa Gift TAKAYAMA
Fri, Sep 12 – Takayama
- Morning: morning market, traditional streets
- Afternoon: museums or temples at a slow pace
- Evening: dinner
Sat, Sep 13 – Departure for Tokyo
- Morning: leave around 10–11am
Tokyo (Sep 13 – Sep 19)
Hotel: Akasaka Urban Hotel Annex
Sat, Sep 13 – Arrival
- Afternoon: check in, Akasaka stroll
- Evening: dinner nearby
Sun, Sep 14 – Tsukiji & Ginza
- Morning: Tsukiji Outer Market
- Afternoon: Ginza walk
- Evening: dinner
Mon, Sep 15 – Akihabara & Ueno Park
- Morning: Akihabara
- Late morning / afternoon: Ueno Park (gardens, museums)
- Evening: dinner near hotel
Tue, Sep 16 – Kamakura Day Trip
- Early morning: train to Kamakura, Great Buddha
- Afternoon: Hase-dera Temple, Komachi Street
- Evening: return to Tokyo
Wed, Sep 17 – Shibuya, Harajuku & Meiji Shrine
- Morning: Shibuya Crossing, explore Shibuya
- Afternoon: Harajuku, Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park
- Evening: Ebisu / Daikanyama / Nakameguro for dinner and riverside walk
Thu, Sep 18 – Nikko Day Trip
- Early morning: train to Nikko
- Afternoon: Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine
- Evening: return to Tokyo, dinner near hotel
Fri, Sep 19 – Departure
- Morning: we‘ll game it easy and get our last souvenirs
- Afternoon: head to airport for flight at 5:40pm
Questions for the community:
- Are our daily plans realistic and well-paced? Any obvious areas we should combine or rearrange to avoid backtracking?
- Are there must-see sights we’re missing, given our interest in traditional culture, gardens, food, and slow exploration?
- Does the flow of day trips make sense?
Thanks in advance! We want to balance seeing the highlights with a relaxed pace that allows us to recharge between activities.
by strange_guy