A 2 Week Itinerary in Japan: Exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, & Nara

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The Itinerary

Days 0-4: Tokyo

Day 0: Arrive in Tokyo

If you arrive at Narita International Airport (NRT), I would recommend taking the Narita Express from the airport to the city – it’s fast, convenient, and much more affordable than an Uber or taxi. You can buy tickets there.

One of the first things that struck me about Japan was that people here are so beyond friendly, and this was clear from the airport – for confused tourists like me, they show you where to go at the airport and when boarding the train. The subway seats are very clean and comfy – the seats are soft and cushioned, not hard plastic chairs.

Spend the evening exploring and getting acquainted with the neighborhood where you’re staying. Since we were staying in Shinjuku, we spent the evening exploring the area and walking around the brightly lit streets and alleyways.

My first meal in Japan was ramen at Ramen Ichikakuya! Maybe I was just really hungry, but I thought it was so flavorful and really good.

Day 1: Harajuku – Meiji Shrine, Takeshita St, Mipig Cafe – and Shibuya Skydeck

We never had to worry about breakfast here – ready-to-blend smoothies and onigiri rice balls from Family Mart / Seven-Eleven became a regular quick breakfast. (Also, in case this is helpful to you, there are also printers in these convenience stores – just download an app and pay a few cents per page!)

Start the day at Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu), dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. It has beautiful architecture and scenic grounds – located next to Yoyogi Park, it makes up a large forested area, offering a nice respite from the city – you’ll hardly feel like you’re in the middle of a megacity and capital! Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan, born in 1852. He ascended to the throne in 1867, ending Japan’s feudal era (the Edo period) and beginning a period of modernization.

Barrels of wine consecrated at Meiji Jingu. They were offered by wineries in France, a gift to be consecrated in the spirit of world peace and amity. Meiji period was an enlightened period during which a policy of “Japanese Spirit and Western Knowledge” was adopted – to learn from western culture while keeping Japanese traditions. Emperor Meiji promoted modernization by embracing many features of Western culture, including enjoying wine with western food.

Barrels of sake (Japanese rice wine). The connection between sake and shinto shrines lies in the belief that people get closer to the gods when they drink sake. Sake brewers typically donate the barrels to the shrines. The sake is consumed at the shrine on special occasions like during rituals, ceremonies, or festivals.

There’s also a beautiful garden you can walk around for a small entry fee of 500 yen (or a couple bucks in USD).

Harajuku, with Takeshita Street and its side streets, is the center of Japan’s teenage cultures and fashion styles (you’ll see girls here and there cosplaying, i.e. dressed like anime characters), with plenty of food and shopping to enjoy.

Have seared steak for lunch at Gyukatsu-motomura – they serve breaded steak that you sear on your own and dip in soy sauce. The menu is very simple – they basically serve only one kind of meal: you choose the amount of steak, and it is served with potato salad, salad, miso soup, and rice. There is an optional addition of 3 sides, but I personally didn’t like them (except for the mochi). Like most restaurants in Japan, the restaurant is pretty small, so you wait in line for a table and they strictly enforce the policy that all parties must be there before you can wait in line. But I thought the restaurant operated pretty efficiently – you don’t have to sit there waiting for your food to cook, and it’s delicious! It was so good that we ended up coming back here our last day in Tokyo.

Walk down Takeshita Street, lined with trendy shops, fashion boutiques, thrift stores, and food stands/fast food outlets. Enjoy brown sugar milk boba at Taiwan No. 1, or enjoy some authentic matcha at The Matcha, a cafe just a few minutes’ walk away from Takeshita Street.

The first of many matcha drinks I would have here – Japan is truly matcha heaven!

Mipig Cafe – apparently animal cafes are a thing here, and they are so adorable! We went to a mini pig cafe, so you basically pay to play with mini pigs for 30 minutes or an hour! If you sit there with your legs out in front of you, they’ll gradually come to you, and if they don’t, the lady working there will put them into your lap. You can make reservations in advance on their website; we did walk-ins and it was fine, but if you go during a busy hour you might have to come back at a later time.

Enjoy a sunset view of Tokyo from Shibuya Sky, Tokyo’s newest observation deck which opened in 2019! While it is not the tallest observatory around, it stands out in that you get special effects in the elevator on the way up, and can enjoy the view on a very spacious outdoor rooftop while listening to calming music, napping in net pods, or having a drink.

The corners were popular photo op spots!

Tickets were about $15, and it is highly recommended that you reserve tickets in advance; tickets open 3 weeks prior to the date you want to go. Sunset times are popular but you can stay as long as you want – we got 4pm tickets, which worked out well because we got to stay through sunset, and it’s very easy to relax and just pass the time up there.

You can see the Shibuya Crossing from up here too!

The famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, has up to 3,000 people crossing at a time.

crowded intersection in tokyo japan — Photo by Imani Williams on Pexels.com

End the day with sushi for dinner at UobeiGoulabe, where a conveyor belt delivers your sushi to you (or you can order at your table).

Day 2: Tokyo DisneySea (or Disneyland)!

If you’re in Tokyo for a few days, consider spending one of them at Tokyo DisneySea or Disneyland! Initially I wasn’t too keen to come here, since I thought, well if I’m coming all the way here to see Tokyo, I want to see the actual city every minute that I’m here. But it ended up being a lot of fun, and DisneySea is quite different from other Disneylands I’ve been to, so it is totally a part of Tokyo to go to one of the Disney theme parks!

From my research and what I’ve heard, Tokyo DisneySea is more like California Adventure – a couple of the rides are the same, like Tower of Terror (which ended up being my favorite ride), Soaring, and Indiana Jones – but it’s not owned by Disney so it’s pretty different. Many of the rides were unique, like Journey to the Center of the Earth (also a top favorite), Raging Spirits (upside-down rollercoaster but slower and less scary than California Screamin’ at California Adventure), and the sit-down boat rides (Frozen and Rapunzel, which are must-sees!). On the other hand, Tokyo Disneyland seems to have mostly the same rides as the Disneyland in say Anaheim, CA, but with a Japan twist and a couple unique rides like Beauty and the Beast. Tokyo DisneySea is the one to go to for foreigners and if you want something different, but if you want something closer to Disneyland with a Tokyo twist, you’ll probably enjoy Disneyland a lot – I certainly would love to go to Tokyo Disneyland next time.

The public transit to get there was pretty straightforward – we only had to change trains once from our hotel, and the Disney Monorail takes you to the park entrance. I would recommend getting there early – they open at 9am but we were there waiting as early as 6.30/7am, because to be able to even enter Fantasyland (which has the Frozen and Rapunzel rides), you have to get passes, which you can’t get until you enter the park. Download the Disney app to get these passes. They also have limited priority passes (fast passes); the rest cost $$. A couple rides like Raging Spirits also have single rider lines which can save you a lot of time. Knowing and preparing for this beforehand will prevent you from missing out on some amazing rides!!

My favorite scary ride was Tower of Terror – we had to wait almost 2 hours but it was so fun and so worth it! I think what made it scarier was that the rides are in Japanese, so it was hard to tell when the actual drop was going to happen. The Frozen ride was my favorite slow ride – I thought they did a genius combination of choreography and scenery, paired with the boat movement and music.

I ate a lot of desserts throughout the day. They had Mickey Mouse popsicles (tropical fruit and peach raspberry), matcha white chocolate popcorn and soy sauce butter popcorn, and melon bread – yum! They also have several giftshops where you can get your favorite Mickey Mouse ears, shirts, or other souvenirs.

There are several options for lunch too. We went to Vulcania, which serves mostly Chinese food – the pork fried rice and fried chicken with leek sauce were pretty good.

Definitely stay for the 8pm light show at Mediterranean Harbor – it lasts 30 minutes and is an amazing show, with quite a few music scores.

The park closes at 9pm, so if you want to squeeze in a last ride after the show, I would leave the show a few minutes early – we left 5 minutes before the show ended and made it to Journey to the Center of the Earth just before they closed the line!

Day 3: Sensoji Temple, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Golden Gai

You’re probably going to be really tired after an entire day at Disney, so don’t overbook yourself the day after. My legs ached a LOT. Still, I couldn’t let an entire day in Tokyo go to waste! I ended up doing way more walking then I wanted to, but at least they were at peaceful places like temples and gardens where there are plenty of benches and places to sit.

Start the day in Asakusa at one of Japan’s most popular temples, the Senso-ji Temple. The temple is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the goddess of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. It is also Tokyo’s oldest temple, completed in 645 AD. The temple complex includes the main hall, a 5-story pagoda, and large gates.

The area around the temple is worth exploring too! There are several streets surrounding the temple, lined by shops, cafes, and restaurants.

I had a small lunch there at Asakusa Menchi, where they serve fried meat cutlets with Koza pork, Japanese black beef, and onion. They were juicy and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I also had a matcha green tea boba at Geisha Coffee – the boba was tender and not too sweet. There were also stalls selling deep fried sweet potato and strawberry daifuku (mochi with a strawberry inserted in the middle – definitely a must try while you’re in Japan!).

Visit the Tokyo Imperial Palace, the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It was unfortunately closed when I visited (I went on a Friday), so make sure to check the website before visiting!

Instead, I went to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, which was a lovely place to stroll. It was the first western style garden in Japan. Shinjuku Gyoen is also a premier cherry blossom viewing spot, containing about 1000 cherry trees of about 65 different varieties! The best viewing season starts from the end of March through mid-April. I would budget 2 hours to take your time walking around the expansive grounds. Shinjuku Gyoen covers about 145 acres and has 4 major gardens – Formal Garden, Tamamo Pond, Landscape Garden, and Japanese Traditional Garden.

The **Taiwan Pavilion** was a gift from the Japanese in Taiwan, which was at the time part of the Japanese empire. The building was given to commemorate the 1924 wedding of Crown Prince Hirohito (1901~1989), who became emperor in 1926, and construction began in 1927. This building showcases a Chinese architectural style and was popular in Taiwan from the early 19th century.

There are many sights to see throughout the National Garden, including the tea house, the greenhouse (which contains a wide range of tropical plants from all over Japan), a museum which includes the history of the chrysanthemum which was cultivated in Japan and is a symbolic flower – cherry blossom and chrysanthemum viewing parties were held here. The Landscape and Formal Gardens reflect the imperial family’s emphasis on European art and high culture in the 19th century.

The Landscape Garden features a wide, open lawn with tulip trees, Himalayan cedars, and other large trees.

The Formal Garden is a beautiful symmetrical garden with rows of sycamore trees lined on both sides.

In the evening, head over to Mawashi Sushi Katsu in Shibuya for some delicious sushi.

Passed by a beautiful sunset on the way to dinner –Miyashita Park (on the leftside of the photo) is a rooftop park on top of a shopping center.

Mawashi Sushi Katsu serves sushi on a moving conveyor belt – you can see them making the sushi. This was probably my favorite sushi place in Tokyo – I especially enjoyed the seared scallop and fatty tuna. I was a little nervous to eat the pufferfish (which is poisonous if not properly prepared) – I don’t remember it tasting super different from cod, but I guess you eat it for the experience and for the bragging rights! Also recommend trying plum wine at some point here – it has an interesting taste but I liked it enough.

End the night at Golden Gai, a cluster of narrow alleys with tiny bars and some clubs in Shinjuku. Though I saw more foreigners than locals here, this is a must-visit district where you won’t be bored!

Bar hosts can range from being friendly to being more aggressive. It makes sense that with such limited seating in each bar you would need turnover to make a profit, but some certainly were more aggressive than others. We went to a bar where the host would ask people to squeeze to make room for more people, and he made it clear that he wanted you to get in quick, buy a drink, and leave quick. When I hadn’t finished my drink after we had been sitting there for awhile, he gave me 1000 yen for us to leave so the seats could be filled by the next customer. Despite that experience though, I had a great time, and sitting in a bar with other strangers creates a wonderful opportunity to meet new people. We met some interesting people just standing out on the street talking and while sitting at the bar.

I would recommend walking through all the alleys and bar-hopping, choosing bars off of vibes. The bars are very small; some only fit 4 people while others can fit a few more. And since the rooms are so small, the other people in the bar influence your experience. Each bar has its own vibe – some are more foreigner friendly than others (e.g. the ones with the signs in English). Some require a cover charge, while others require everyone in the party to buy a drink and/or charge a service fee (in lieu of tip since people don’t tip here). Some take cash only. Some had karaoke going on, while others were more quiet.

Day 4: Tsukiji Fish Market, Hamarikyu Gardens, and Shopping in Ginza

Start off your day at the Tsukiji Outer Market / Tsukiji Fish Market. This is a must visit if you’re in Tokyo – the food is beyond amazing. Many say that you need to get there early to avoid long lines – we got there around 9am and I didn’t think we needed to get there earlier, though the lines did start to get longer closer to noon.

My first taste of grilled wagyu beef blew me away – it was pricey (3300 yen, or about $20, for a skewer) but so so worth it – it was seriously the most delicious beef I’ve ever had. Weeks later, I can still remember the salt on my tongue and the tender melt-in-your-mouth texture. Of course, there are plenty of sit-down restaurants that serve wagyu beef, but if you just want a taste of it, this would be the place to try it.

The tamagoyaki, a sweet rolled omelette served warm or cold, is a must-try as well.

In Japanese, *tamago* means egg, and *yaki* means grill, so *tamagoyaki* translates to “grilled egg.”

And definitely try the daifuku mochi with strawberry – you can find it in many places throughout Tokyo too.

I highly recommend Matcha Stand Maruni. I had my favorite hojicha (a roasted Japanese green tea) latte there – it had the perfect amount of sweetness, and you could taste hints of the roasted tea flavor. They also sell matcha tea and lattes, as well as bags of tea leaves that make perfect gifts (they recommend getting the ceremonial grade tea leaves).

Left: hojicha latte. Right: matcha latte.

Also highly recommend this sushi place – there was a long line when we were there but it’s worth the wait, in my opinion. They’re known for their spectrum of fatty tuna (from lean to very fatty), so I would recommend trying a sampling to see which you like the best!

After you’ve satisfied your food cravings, head over to Hamarikyu Gardens: it was a Shogun family residence until the middle of the 17th century, and a representative garden of previous feudal lords developed during the Edo period.

Spend the afternoon shopping in Ginza! Ginza is known as a premier shopping district with a wide array of shopping malls, department stores, boutiques, and restaurants.

The Uniqlo flagship store in Ginza is the biggest one in Japan, with 12 floors! I absolutely recommend walking through it (plus they have great deals – I got a bunch of sweaters and sweatpants for about $20 each, and some heat tech gear).

I was impressed at how the incredibly friendly the staff were and how they go the extra step to help you and make sure your needs are met. At Lululemon, for example, they get different sizes for you while you’re in the fitting room so you don’t have to go get it and come back. Unlike in many stores in the U.S., here it was so easy to find employees to ask questions – they were readily available and happy to help. They ask if the sizes are ok, etc. and they say arigato a lot (even though they’re the ones helping you!).

Not everything was significantly discounted here – the Lululemon was still pricey – but I did get better deals than I would’ve gotten in the U.S. And make sure to bring your passport so you can get your purchases tax-free – each store requires a 5500 yen minimum purchase to get the tax-free benefit.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the Starbucks here, and would recommend checking it out as it is pretty different from those in the U.S. – I tried the banana rice flour rolled cake, which they served on a reusable plate and fork, and they served a small iced coffee on the house!

End the day with dinner at Menchirashi, a popular udon place. Their hot broth is simple but so good and their udon is very affordable (about $7!).

Days 5-12: Kyoto, Osaka, & Nara

Lodging: We stayed at this airbnb in Higashiyama, Kyoto, which is a nice stay for 2-3 people. It was in a quiet neighborhood near the Gion District and the Kamo River, and still within walking distance of the subway station. It had a cute upstairs room with the low table and a sleeping cot, and a small sun room. If you plan on traveling more outside of Kyoto, you may want to be closer to Kyoto Station, the main station which leads to other cities. Since we spent several days in Kyoto, staying in Gion District worked well for us, and it was still pretty convenient to take day trips to Osaka and Nara.

Day 5: Travel to Kyoto – Gion District and Nishiki Market

Kyoto was a completely different vibe than Tokyo, and I knew that I was going to love it the moment I stepped out of the Shinkansen. It felt like a small town, quiet and peaceful. The train station had cute shops and restaurants that were decorated like traditional teahouses. Apparently hojicha (Japanese green tea) originated in Kyoto, after which tea shops across Japan began roasting green tea.

After arriving, head over to Gion District for lunch! There are many options so feel free to walk around and choose whatever appeals to you. We had a late lunch at Dining Bar W. They had outdoor seating by a creek, which provided for a really nice setting. They had beautiful looking matcha pancakes, so I got one, and it was cool – it comes in a plastic wrap, which you take off, and the whipped cream oozes out into a pancake. Their pancakes were light and fluffy and amazing. I wouldn’t recommend their matcha lattes as highly though – they had more milk and not as much matcha as I would’ve liked.

I learned after getting to Kyoto that there is also plenty of shopping to do here, and I hear it might even be a little cheaper than in Tokyo . . . so save some of your shopping for Kyoto! There are streets full of shops, from designer brands like Clarks and Gucci to international brands like H&M to cute shops like San Rio selling Hello Kitty souvenirs and a pet store with the most adorable dogs and cats.

It was Hello Kitty’s 10th anniversary the year we went, so there was plenty of Hello Kitty merch to celebrate!

Definitely make sure to stop by Nishiki Market, a touristy area of multiple alleys with shops and restaurants.

Many shops were closed on Sundays, which is the day we went, but some were still open, including a Snoopy store; a cute store built in a traditional teahouse style with beautiful tea sets, postcards, and more; stalls selling meat skewers (including shrimp and Kobe beef); a matcha store; and some thrift shopping at 2nd Street (a thrift store).

Make sure to grab some delicious onigiri at Nishiki Market – they make a great snack or meal (and are a nice upgrade from the Seven-Eleven ones!)

Have dinner at Gion Kappa, an izakaya restaurant, which is like a casual Japanese sit-down restaurant where you order small plates (like Japanese style tapas). You sit at a counter facing the chefs so you can watch them prepare your food. You pay a cover charge, and in return they serve you an appetizer – we were served chicken cucumber salad. They serve skewers, from chicken skewers (yakitori – chicken grilled over a flame) to manganji (grilled pepper), along with rolled omelet and tuna steak. My friend liked their seared beef so much that she ordered two plates. After eating a lot of carbs the last few days, with sushi and ramen and udon and not many veggies, it was refreshing to have something light and refreshing! We enjoyed our meal so much that we came back again later in our trip.

Pike conger (hama), a fish eaten in Kyoto during the summer – it had an interesting texture and was served with grated radish, which cleanses the palette. The staff were very friendly – they didn’t hesitate to show us how to eat the food properly. I was eating the pike conger plain, and he advised me to try it with a little wasabi on top, dipped in soy sauce. And it was really good. I usually avoid wasabi in the States, but here it doesn’t have the strong horseradish flavor and tastes more natural, so I found it much more enjoyable.

Definitely try *chu-hi* (pronounced like “high”, not “hee,” as the waiter corrected me) while you’re here! It’s a Japanese cocktail with fruit flavors that tastes like slightly sparkling fruit soda.

Day 6: Kyoto – Fushimi-Inari Shrine and Uji for “OG” matcha

Today would be a good day to start early with the Fushimi-Inari Shrine, a popular and Insta-worthy destination famous for the rows upon rows of beautiful inscribed orange torii gates, which mark the approach and entrance to a shrine, amidst the wooded forest of Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.

Make sure you get on the right train (we took an express train by accident that took us a few stops too far). Because it is so popular, it is recommended to get there as early as possible for fewer crowds. We started at 10am, which is not particularly early. It was crowded in the beginning, but we still were able to catch moments where there was no one in the background for our photo shoots!

Budget 2-3 hours if you want to climb to the top of the summit – I would say it’s a moderate hike but there are a lot of stairs. After about a 30-45 minute ascent and a gradual decrease in the density of torii gates, you’ll reach an intersection about halfway up the mountain, where you can see some nice views over Kyoto, and the trail splits into a circular route to the summit.

Some people turn back here, or you can keep going to the summit!

This is probably the steepest part, the last stretch before you reach the summit!

There’s not that much to see at the top, but I still recommend completing the loop, even if just for the sake of going all the way!

We definitely had the appetite for a juicy burger afterwards, and Dragon Burger, located right by the Fushimi-Inari station, has some delicious burgers made using Wagyu beef and veggies from Kyoto. I recommend the set menu that comes with a burger, fries, and iced tea.

In the afternoon, head over to Uji, a small city just south of Kyoto known for its tea and temples/shrines. There was matcha everywhere – I truly felt that I was in matcha heaven!

First, enjoy some matcha at Nakamura Tokichi Byodo-in, a cafe by the river.

Then visit what is apparently the “OG” (aka original) matcha place, Tsuen Tea. Located by the Uji Bridge, Tsuen Tea is an independently owned family company established in 1160 C.E., making it Japan’s oldest teashop. They sell a wide variety of tea leaves and matcha powder as well that make great gifts!

Japanese tea is grown both in the shade and in the sun. Tea leaves grown in the shade give the tea a milder flavor (e.g. Tencha which is later stone-milled into matcha) and tend to be pricier, while tea leaves grown out in the sun are stronger tasting and more bitter (e.g. Sencha – the most popular tea consumed in Japan – and Hojicha – roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal, vs. most Japanese teas are steamed) and thus a bit cheaper. That explains why I prefer hojicha tea as a latte, with some milk and sugar!

It was also insightful to learn about the caffeine spectrum of tea – from the less caffeinated hojicha/green tea to black tea to matcha to, unsurprisingly, coffee as the most caffeinated.

After you have satisfied your matcha cravings (or want more), stroll around and check out some of the small shops, where you can pick up more matcha tea and sweets and other souvenirs!

Day 7: Kyoto – Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryu-ji Temple, Gion District, Yasaka Shrine

After a couple weeks of travel, we needed some rest, so today’s itinerary will only require a half day. Feel free to add a trip to the onsen here, or combine with excursions from another day, or just take this opportunity to rest and recharge!

Start off at Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, another popular Instagrammed destination that can be super peaceful if not too crowded. It is recommended to go earlier in the day, though we went on a rainy afternoon and it was not crowded. It’s open 24 hours, so you can go anytime. Budget about an hour; there’s one main pathway where you’re surrounded by beautiful towering bamboo groves (and where the Insta pictures are taken). Then you can continue onward and walk around some more (there’s a pond with birds and lotus flowers) and check out other small temples in the area.

Then head over to the nearby Tenryu-ji Temple. If you go later in the day, note that the temple closes at 5pm, and the last entrance is at 4pm, but the garden remains open until 5pm with an entry fee of 500 yuan. It’s a pretty small garden but very beautiful, especially in the rain.

Have lunch/dinner at Teppanyaki Manryu in Gion District. They had a wide selection of meats to choose from, I thought their garlic shrimp and Japanese steak (on the right) was pretty good. I also tried an okonomiaki (on the left)– a Japanese style pancake made with egg, flour and water, and squid (though okonomiaki can be made with a different meat). The restaurant is small and doesn’t have many tables; we got lucky and got a table as soon as we arrived, but we saw others get turned away.

After dinner, check out the Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine), just a few minutes’ walk away from the restaurant. It’s wonderful to visit at night, with the lights and lanterns lit up. They hold the Gion Festival, the Gion Matsuri, here every July.

Day 8: Kyoto – Nijo Castle, Kiyamizu-dera Temple, Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka

Start the day off at Nijo Castle, where Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1868), lived. After the Tokugawa Shogunate (military government that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868) fell, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace until it was donated to the city and opened up to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings exemplify castle palace architecture during Japan’s feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.

Just my matcha ice cream fix for the day:) from the Nijo Castle gift shop

Next, visit the Kiyamizu-dera temple, a beautiful temple founded in 778 that you can find on postcards. In 1944, the temple was registered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

You can see a good amount from the outside, but if you want to see the rest of the grounds, it costs 500 yen to go inside for more temples and views.

As the sun sets, stroll around Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, pedestrian streets with shops and food stalls that light up with a beautiful golden glow at night.

Day 9: Osaka – Osaka Castle, Museum of History, Dotonbori, and Kobe Beef

From Kyoto, it is easy to do a day trip to (or from) Osaka, only requiring a 30-40 minute train ride, depending on how close you are from Kyoto Station, the main train station in Kyoto. Osaka is the third-largest city in Japan and historically an important cultural and economic hub. It was briefly the imperial capital in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the early 1900s, Osaka experienced rapid growth in various industries including commerce and textiles, making it a top industrial city. It is known for takoyaki (fried octopus balls) and okonomiaki (a savory pancake), both of which originated in Osaka. It also currently is the location of Universal Studios Japan!

Start off by visiting Osaka Castle, built by the samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

I didn’t realize before going that the inside of the castle is a museum now, and honestly I think it looks cooler on the outside, made of gold leaf, but you can get a nice view of the city from the top floor of the castle, and walk around the castle grounds.

There’s a nice garden in the castle grounds.

Next, check out the Museum of History. If you plan on going to both Osaka Castle and the Museum of History, you can get both tickets for 1000 yen – we didn’t know that so we paid 600 each. There were very limited English captions, but for what it’s worth I found the captions informative to learn more about Osaka’s history. The museum also housed construction models of what life was like back in the medieval Edo period up to the 1800s.

After your cultural and history immersion, walk around Dotonbori, a pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants, and the Ebisubashi bridge which has views of the iconic Glico Man sign.

It’s nice to walk around both during the day and at night, and a great place to do some thrift shopping, especially in the Shinsaibashi-Suji street area.

When you need a break from walking, treat yourself to Kobe beef at Kobe Beef Steak Ken! It is definitely a splurge meal – the Kobe beef costs 14,000 yen, and the cheapest item is the wagyu beef at 10,000 yen. We were able to make a reservation the day of. They served a 3-course meal, with salad, grilled shrimp and scallop as appetizers, before the main Kobe beef entree with garlic fried rice, yuzu sherbet for dessert, and hot matcha tea to finish. I would say it’s worth the splurge for one time. They also make it a memorable experience by showing you information about the cow you’re about to eat – like the cow’s family tree – and where it came from (which can be a little strange – but memorable nevertheless!).

My friend and I shared the Kobe and wagyu beef. The Kobe was fattier and definitely worth trying, but we thought the wagyu beef was quite tender too and possibly just as good.

Day 10: Kyoto – Golden Pavilion, Kyoto Imperial Palace, and the Onsen Experience

Start the day at Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion), a Zen Buddhist temple that used to be a palace. It was built by Yoshimitsu, the third Shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate. The palace was a center of politics and culture and used to welcome the emperors of Japan and trading partners from China. After Yoshimitsu passed away, it became a temple according to his will, and was designated a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1994. Entry tickets cost 500 yen for adults, and they take cash only.

The temple has a phoenix rooster on the top, and is surrounded by Rikushu pine, a famous pine tree in Kyoto.

Have lunch at Hanamakiya, down the street from the temple. They have the low tables where you sit on a pillow. I had to wait 20 minutes, but the soba noodles were worth the wait. I had the Nishin-soba hot noodles, buckwheat noodles served with dried sweet-salty herring simmered in soy sauce, mirin sweet cooking rice wine, and sugar. I was also served cold green tea, the perfect complement to the hot noodles.

In the afternoon, visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Japanese emperors lived here until 1869, when the capital was moved to Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration. No reservations are needed to walk through it – you follow a designated route through the palace at your own pace.

The Carriage Porch, reserved for high ranking courtiers

Shishinden (Hall for State Ceremonies) – the most important building in the palace where importance state ceremonies like the enthronement of the emperor were held and where the first constitution of modern Japan (the Charter Oath) was promulgated in 1868

The Sento Imperial Palace and Kyoto Omiya Imperial Palace, next to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, require a reservation for a guided tour to access – they give you a self-paced audio tour in English so you can listen to it on your headphones while the tour guide talks in Japanese. You can make the reservation at the door – when I went, the next tour was an hour later, so I saw the Kyoto Imperial Palace for the next hour and came back in time for this tour, which worked well.

The Sento Imperial Palace was built in 1630 and served as a residence for the retired emperor. However, after the great fire of 1854 when both the Sento and Kyoto Imperial Palace burned down, the Sento Imperial Palace was not rebuilt because there was no retired emperor at the time.

The Kyoto Omiya Imperial Palace was used for the Empress Dowager – it was built in 1867 for Empress Dowager Eisho. After the Empress moved to Tokyo in 1872, the property was liquidated, and only the main structure exists today.

On a clear day you can see the Higashiyama Mountains in the distance!

Surrounding the palaces are a beautiful garden, teahouse, and two ponds. Before the Meiji Restoration, many imperial families and court nobles resided here. When the Meiji Emperor left for Tokyo in 1869, the area around the Kyoto palaces fell into decline. The Emperor later in 1877, upon seeing the state of disrepair, ordered that the imperial palaces and their surroundings be preserved and maintained, developing the beautiful vast green spaces of Kyoto Gyoen today. There are 50,000 trees, 500 varieties of plants, 50 varieties of butterflies, and 100 types of wild birds here, making Kyoto Gyoen an important biodiversity sanctuary in the heart of the city.

Relax for the rest of the afternoon at a public bath (onsen). We went to Gokuyu in Kyoto but there are plenty of options – we paid 490 yen (a flat fee). It’s an experience (yes, you take off all your clothes), but I was glad I did it. Some rules to know before going in (which a senior lady kindly informed me of): Shower before you go in, and tie your hair up. Bring a towel (to dry off after), soap, and shampoo (you can also rent these there). Also don’t talk loudly. I went from the hot tub to the cold plunge to the sauna and back to the cold plunge – which was unexpectedly very satisfying. We made a new friend there who comes here everyday after work. It felt really good afterwards, I can see why people would want to come here for a post-work detox!

We then attended a Meiko show at Gion Corner, though it is not an experience I would recommend! They do a traditional arts performance every day at 6 and 7pm, featuring a tea ceremony; Koto music (koto is the national musical instrument of Japan); the Ikebana flower arrangement; Bugaku dance (which was performed primarily in the emperor’s court); Kyogen comedy; a Noh play (music and dance with a character in mask); and a Kyomai dance. I would say it’s not worth the $40 USD ticket price – I found it a little slow and it almost put me to sleep (granted, I was pretty tired from a long day). Honestly, I would’ve rather spent more time in the onsen. But it seemed popular online so just wanted to give my two cents.

Day 11: Nara – Nara Park, Todai-ji Temple, Higashimuki Shopping Street, and Mount Wakakusa

Nara is a small town and most of the touristy stuff to do is around Nara Park, so in my opinion you’ll need one day max here. I wouldn’t say Nara is a top priority, so you may want to prioritize spending more time in Kyoto or Osaka. But if you have an extra day in your schedule or want a change of scenery, I would recommend a day trip to Nara.

Nara Park: Many tourists come here to feed the deer! Once you get to Nara Park you’ll see that the deer roam freely, throughout the park and by the streets.

You can buy deer crackers for 200 yen a pack to feed the deer. Warning that the deer can be quite aggressive – the best practice I learned (through trial and error) is to hide your crackers so they don’t all come at once. And go for the less aggressive deer – they tend to be the female ones lying down. The first time I tried feeding them, I was swarmed by several deer that kicked me and bit my shirt, and overwhelmed, I ended up just tossing them all the crackers as quick as I could to get them away from me. It wasn’t fun, and I had to get a second pack of crackers to redeem myself.

They are not afraid to get in your face!

I fed my second round of crackers to a deer who was much more calm, making the experience much more enjoyable. You can also bow to them and they’ll bow back!

Visit Todai-ji Temple, near Nara Park. The temple is known for the Great Buddha, a gigantic bronze Buddha built in 752 by Emperor Shomu. It costs 800 yen to go inside and see the Buddha – I thought it was worth the price since the Buddha statue was really quite large and grand – but you can also see the outside of the temple without going in to see the Buddha.

View from the entrance (before paying a fee)

For lunch, check out the Higashimuki Shopping Street, right by the Nara subway station. It is a covered pedestrian street with restaurants and stores, so there are many food options.

After lunch, stop by Nakatanidou for some red bean mochi – they prepare it in front of you!

Then enjoy afternoon tea at Salon. We had to wait for a table but it was well worth it – we ended up sitting there the rest of the afternoon, until closing time at 7pm. They provide a very calm and pleasant setting, and you sit at a traditional low table. They have everything matcha/hojicha, from matcha sweets and hojicha made in Nara to a matcha latte, which I ended up getting. I highly recommend the latte cold – it was foamy and slightly sweet, with a deliciously strong matcha taste, though I would have loved to try the sweets and hojicha tea as well.

Sunset at Mount Wakakusa: We didn’t have time to go here, and it was rainy in the evening so there wouldn’t have been much of a sunset anyway when we went, but it was on my list, and if you have time, I think you would get a nice view of Nara from the top of this hill.

Day 12: Osaka – Japanese Play, Afternoon Tea – and Back to a Kyoto Bar/Nightclub (Alternative: Universal Studios Japan)

Osaka is also known for its performing arts, and so we were back in Osaka to watch Carmen Comes Home, a Japanese comedy play and the first Japanese color film. It is a satirical comedy about a Tokyo stripper who returns to her hometown with a friend. Watching a play that was entirely in Japanese was not at the top of my list of things to do, but my friend insisted on seeing one, and I was glad she insisted! I enjoyed the music and dancing, and they had one love song in English which was a nice addition for us. I would recommend watching one, even if just because it was finally a space where we were surrounded by only locals!

The best way to buy theatre tickets is in person. For this play, it seemed to be sold out online, but we got to the theater 20 minutes before and were able to get tickets – and the cheapest seats were only $28!

Watching a play here was a slightly different experience than watching Broadway in the U.S. The play started right on time, and after the show, the audience clapped together – in sync – as each actor walked on stage, followed by faster clapping when they bowed. After the clapping, the main actress (Carmen) and a few other actors said a few words to the audience, which was a nice touch – I just wished I could understand what they were saying!

To get your matcha for the day, spend the afternoon having tea! I tried the matcha mont blanc, a sweet dessert made with white bean paste and uji matcha – the base is a cream made with matcha sponge cake and chopped chestnuts. It was sweeter than I would’ve liked, but complemented the more bitter tea well.

Since we were staying in Kyoto, we headed back to Kyoto for the bar scene, on the west side of the Kamo River, a section of restaurants and bars where young people and tourists hang out. We did some bar hopping – we walked into a random bar with good music that was playing old tennis matches on TV. We met these guys from Australia and ended up going out to the Kitsune nightclub. The nightclub was poppin’ and had two floors, with a pretty good DJ and decent drinks – I tried the red bull vodka and had a lemon sour. The only thing I didn’t like was that it’s not illegal to smoke inside, so the air quality was not great. We left at 3am, which I guess was early because it was still pretty full when we left and they’re open until 5am.

As an alternative, you can also spend the day at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka!

Day 13: Kyoto – Tea Ceremony, Nishiki Market

What better way to recover from a late night out than a tea ceremony? I highly recommend doing a tea ceremony while you’re in Japan, and I particularly recommend the Maikoya tea ceremony. It felt like an authentic way to experience and learn about Japanese culture. For a few dollars more, you can also rent a kimono to wear during the ceremony.

We sat in a group on the floor. The lady leading the ceremony started with roundtable introductions asking us where we were each from, then proceeded to briefly describe the history of tea, including how matcha was initially used back in the day to keep people awake in the temples. She then taught us how to bow – you sit on your knees and make a triangle shape with your hands. We sampled some sweets – a square of “expensive sugar,” and a red bean dessert.

Then we made our matcha tea, adding hot water to matcha powder and whisking it quickly back and forth until it’s frothy and light green (you have to whisk it fast!), then in an N shape and one circle motion.

And then your tea is ready to drink!

Our teacher taught us a couple Japanese phrases – the one that stood out to me was ichi-go, ichi-e, which essentially embodies treasuring the once-in-a-lifetime experience of this moment. Just as every cup of matcha you make is different, every experience you have is unique and cannot be replicated, just like this trip is a unique experience – never again will I be traveling to Japan with my friend at this period of time, in this season of our lives.

They have a garden outside the teahouse for photo ops!

For lunch, have some delicious ramen at Ichiran. This place is great for solo travelers and small groups – you sit in a row but in solo booths, with each seat blocked off by a wooden wall. You write your order on a paper menu, and the staff give you your food through a curtain, so you don’t ever see them. No one’s looking at you while you’re eating, so you have the privacy to just eat and not chat or go on your phone.

I thought the ramen here was considerably better quality than other ramen places I’ve been to. I got the classic tonkotsu ramen with a boiled egg – they give you the soft boiled egg that you peel yourself as well as extra slices of pork. You can choose your spicy and seasoning levels. With the recommended medium levels, I found the broth rich and flavorful and not just salty – it had the umami flavor for sure. The noodles were chewy, and mild spiciness was just enough spicy for me – you could taste the spicy flavor more when drinking the broth. You also have a tap at each seat so you can fill your water cup at your leisure.

Spend the afternoon walking around Nishiki Market, especially if you didn’t see all of it the first time or just want to do some more shopping. I recommend the 100 yen ($1) sake shots!

If you’re craving wagyu beef, there are plenty of options, but one great place for wagyu is Yakinuku, which serves ohmi beef, the oldest brand of wagyu beef in Japan.

Dessert at Gion Tsujiri is a must. In my opinion, I had the best matcha ice cream here, served with rice flour balls and red bean. I could taste the full rich flavor of the matcha in the ice cream. They also have a shop where can buy matcha powder.

Day 14: Travel to Tokyo

If your flight is leaving from Tokyo, it’s probably a good idea to return to Tokyo the day before your flight to reduce stress and take your time getting back (the train from Kyoto to Tokyo will take at least 2 hours).

This also allows you do anything in Tokyo that’s still on your list! We went back to some of the popular areas of Harajuku: Gyukatsu-motomura (steak that you grill yourself), Takeshita Street (street with food and shopping), and Shibuya Crossing, and ended our amazing two-week trip at Golden Gai (in Shinjuku). We enjoyed delicious fruit wine (love yuzu) and shochu with soda at a bar, where we met these two solo travelers and ended up doing karaoke together at a place the bartender recommended (for only $20/person for 1.5 hours of karaoke plus a drink!). Going out was one of my favorite experiences in Japan – it was the perfect place to meet new people, both locals and tourists from around the world.

I loved my time in Japan and certainly hope to be back soon! Let me know about your favorite places in Japan!

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