Kyoto and Osaka Itinerary for a First Trip to Japan

hi everyone, and first of all, I wish you all a happy new year and good health!

This coming October or November, we’re planning our first trip to Japan. The only downside is we’ll only have two weeks off.

For this first visit, I’m thinking of sticking to the Kyoto and Osaka area… saving Tokyo for another trip. Do you think that’s a good choice for a first-time visit?

I’ve put together a little itinerary below to get some feedback from those in the know. I’m only counting the days we’re actually there, not travel days.

Day 1: Kyoto Ginkaku-ji – Philosopher’s Path with stops at a few shrines temples Eikan-dō and Nanzen-ji visit to the Samurai Ninja Museum in the late afternoon

Day 2: Kyoto Fushimi Inari (allow 4 hours for the hike through the park) visit to Sanjūsangen-dō temple Shōseien garden participate in a tea ceremony

Day 3: Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera temple stroll through the historic district up to Kennin-ji temple visit Kennin-ji temple Yasaka-jinja shrine and Gion district in the late afternoon return to the hotel via Pontochō Street

Day 4: Kyoto visit Kinkaku-ji and Nijō Castle visit the Imperial Palace gardens end the day in the shopping streets (Shibkyogoku and Teramachi, among others)

Day 5: Kyoto Arashiyama area Togetsukyo Bridge, walk along the river, visit the Bamboo Forest explore the area up to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple

Day 6: Kyoto hike from Kibune to Kurama

Day 7: Kyoto day trip to Nara (full day)

Day 8: stroll around Kyoto before heading to Osaka

Day 9: Osaka Katsuo-ji temple, then head to Minoh Falls and hike back via the Minoh Trail end the day in the Osaka Castle area

Day 10: Osaka Himeji Castle and an afternoon in Osaka

Day 11: Osaka Osaka and return to the airport in the late afternoon for the flight home

Do you think this itinerary is doable? Are some days too relaxed or too packed? I was thinking of adding a trip to Lake Biwa and Uji, but in that case, I’d have to cut some things. Are those places worth dropping some of the planned spots? And if so, which ones would you recommend cutting or shortening?

Thanks in advance—I’m all ears for both positive and negative feedback! stephane

Hi there, I made exactly the same choice 10 years ago and have no regrets at all :) I simply added Koyasan to the itinerary because it’s not too far and has a truly unique atmosphere! I documented my trip here: https://nilsetmareva.com/aoutseptembre-2016-japon-premiers-retours/ For the Kibune-Kurama part, I highly recommend setting aside enough time to enjoy the Onsen at Kurama. In Kyoto, I really loved hiking up behind the Ginkakuji for an incredible view of the city. Around Kyoto, I also really enjoyed the day trip to the countryside in Ohara. For Osaka, if it’s still running, I can’t recommend enough a guided tour with Angelo: https://www.horizonsdujapon.com/. Happy trip planning! (And happy New Year!)

Hello, and Happy New Year to you too!

I’d recommend traveling in late October or November to enjoy the momiji season.

For a first trip, I think it’s a shame to skip Tokyo, which is, in my opinion, a "must-see" and offers a different side of Japan. You could always return a second time, as you’re considering, to explore it further.

Otherwise, the itinerary as described is entirely doable. I’m not familiar with the Lake Biwa and Kibune areas.

**Day 3 – Kiyomizu-dera:** I suggest arriving at dawn—you’ll notice the difference compared to 10 AM.

**Day 4 – Kinkaku-ji:** On the other hand, I recommend visiting in the late afternoon. The tour buses will have left, and it’ll be (a little) less crowded.

**Day 5 – After the bamboo forest:** If you rent a bike, you’ll see more, like the Rankyo Gorge and the charming small temples on the slopes of Mount Ogura.

**Day 9 – Check travel times for Minoh Falls.**

**Day 10 – Himeji is stunning.** Osaka Castle might seem a bit "bland" in comparison. Why not stay overnight in Himeji and add Engyo-ji, a Buddhist complex nestled in the forest? It offers a different perspective on temples than those in Kyoto.

Stop by Uji and Byodo-in on your way to Nara (which I didn’t particularly enjoy).

Finally, choose your hotel locations carefully—it saves time.

Happy planning!****

Hi marev, and thanks for your reply and tips! I’ll take the time to check out your blog. I’d considered Koyasan, but with the luggage it seems tricky with all the transfers. But I’ve heard that in Japan you can have your luggage transferred from one hotel to another? I haven’t looked into it yet though. Thanks again—I think I’ll be back in touch! Stéphane

Hi and thanks for your reply. Actually, we can’t take the first and last weeks of the month for the dates.....that’s why we’re planning the two middle weeks. And so....we decided to skip Tokyo, since we don’t really feel like rushing around. Especially since there are quite a few places around Tokyo that we’d be interested in. I feel like we’ll be less frustrated focusing on one region for this trip. LOL About Himeji, you’re right that the time you mentioned sounds interesting....I’ll think about maybe staying overnight there between Kyoto and Osaka. Does the city of Himeji have any nice, old neighborhoods? Thanks again for your reply. Stephane

Hello! I’m reaching out because I’m fine-tuning my itinerary a bit. I’d love to get some expert advice on whether it’s better to explore Hiroshima and Himeji from Osaka or to actually stay overnight in those cities.

Example 1: Depart Kyoto for Hiroshima in the middle of the day. Overnight in Hiroshima. Next day: visit Hiroshima, then take the train to Himeji. Overnight in Himeji. Following day: visit Himeji and take the train back to Osaka in the evening. Overnight in Osaka. (Note: I plan to stay in Osaka for 3 nights afterward, from where I’ll also visit Nara.)

Example 2: Stay all nights in Osaka and take day trips to Hiroshima and Himeji, leaving in the morning and returning in the evening.

With Example 2, I like that I don’t have to deal with luggage on transport or hotel check-in times since everything stays in Osaka. But is it realistic to explore both places from Osaka, even if it means long days with a lot of travel time?

Thanks so much for your expert tips!

For Himeji, yes it's doable

Hi there

Watch out—you might be tempted to cram even more into your itinerary 😉

Use Google Maps or another tool, and you’ll see that Osaka <=> Hiroshima in a day just isn’t doable. Plus, skipping Miyajima while in Hiroshima would be a real shame.

For luggage, hotels can either hold onto it for you or arrange shipping (takkyubin).