My husband and I are planning to travel to Japan in March 6th – 20th. Planning has been a bit overwhelming because there is just so much to do but we also want to enjoy our trip and be okay with not seeing everything. We're still figuring out what we want to do but we do have a rough outline of where we want to be located. What we have next to the days are just suggestions now so we know we may not do them all in a day or two. We're not counting our arrival travel day in our itinerary but I want to know if staying in only Tokyo & Kyoto and doing day trips is fine compared to staying in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Day 1 Tokyo 3/7
- Arrive @ 3:05 pm, check in hotel, grab food/explore city @ night
Day 2-4 Tokyo 3/7-3/10
- explore Tokyo (Asakusa, Sky Tree, Shibuya, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace, Ginza)
Day 5-6 Day trip Tokyo to Disney 3/11-3/12
- Disney
Day 7 Tokyo to Kyoto 3/13
Day 8-9 Kyoto 3/14-3/15
- Explore Kyoto (shrines, bamboo forest, silver pavilion, pontocho, Hanami koij)
Day 10-11 Day trips from Kyoto to Osaka 3/16 – 3/17
- Explore (Dotonbori, Shinsekai, Osaka Castle, Cup Noodle Museum, Kuromon Market, Umeda Sky Building)
Day 12 Day Trip Kyoto to Nara 3/18
- Explore Nara (Nara Park, Todaji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine)
Day 13 Day Trip Kyoto to Hiroshima 3/19
Day 14 Kyoto to Tokyo (Airport leave @ 5:00 pm)
by OkDistribution79
7 comments
Just regarding your day 10 and 11, these Osaka days can be very busy IMO. For instance, with train travel from Kyoto, then a train to Osaka Castle, walking distance (+ return journey), taking photos, exploring castle grounds, queing for admission, and exploring Osaka Castle can take a half a day alone. And then you might be able to do one or two more things in the afternoon and evening – depending on when you get tried or if you’re like me and get easily distracted and end up spending more time in Dotonbori. lol.
I will just note that it might be worth spending a a few days in Osaka as compared to back and forth from Kyoto. Taking the day trips to Nara would be the same, along with train travel to Hiroshima. So I’m basically recommending staying in a hotel in Osaka from Days 10 to 13 (with 13 being the checkout and travel day).
Just for reference, sometimes I just wanted to crash at my nearby hotel when I got tired, but I couldn’t since I had to take a long train journey to a neighboring town where my hotel actually was. Adding a long train journey to an already tiring day can be a real pain (especially if you are carrying souvenirs, a heavier backpack, etc).
Hope that helps OP, Have fun in Japan!
Day 13 & 14: I would return to Tokyo the day before instead of the day of for the flight…just in case any delay with train etc.
Alternatively, have you consider starting your trip in Kyoto/Osaka first, and then spend the rest in Tokyo?
I spent about the same time in Japan two years ago. My absolute favorite city was Kyoto, and I chose to spend more time there rather than take any day trips. This city has so much to offer and I think it’s worth it over Nara 🙂
If Day 14 occurs on 20 March 2026 then you should be aware that this day is Vernal Equinox Day in Japan, a national public holiday also known as Spring Equinox Day. I’ve read that this holiday may alter public transportation schedules and cause some businesses to close so you may wish to look further into it as you plan to cover a lot of ground on the 20th.
I would agree with another commenter to stay the night in Tokyo before flying out from Tokyo. It just alleviates some stress. On our last day we didn’t fly out until 6:30pm. We stayed the night before in Tokyo, put our luggage in lockers at Shinjuku station and spent the day shopping and eating.
Kyoto and Osaka are neighboring areas, and the train ride between them only takes about 30 minutes. Because of that, I think you can keep your accommodations in just Tokyo and Kyoto without needing to stay in Osaka.
Also, the teamLab exhibits in Tokyo and Osaka are very popular, so I recommend booking tickets in advance.
No need to pay the Kyoto markup¥ for hotels when you’re doing day trips to Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima. Just stay in Osaka. If you like any nightlife or things to do after dinner Osaka is much more lively than staying in Kyoto.
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