We are just starting to plan a trip to Japan on our own. Looking at 5-6 days in Tokyo, 3-4 days in Kyoto and 4 days in Osaka. We have a very flexible schedule since we're retired. Looking at mid March. Since we've never been, am not sure what area would be the most convenient in each city to see the main sites. The metro system looks easy but would like to get feedback on some of the areas that offer access to the metro and offer a good area to stay with restaurants, etc. around.
Thanks!
Since you are traveling so far to experience Japan, I highly recommend that you also include visits to Hiroshima,, and Miajima.
I second the suggestion to visit Hiroshima & Miyajima Island which is a short ferry ride from Hiroshima. Getting to Hiroshima is about 2 hours on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto. If you don't want to go that far, consider at least doing a day trip to Himeji castle, one of the few original castles still standing and fascinating!
Kyoto and Osaka are very close to each other as well. I would take a couple of days from Osaka to visit Hiroshima or Himeji. You can also just be stationed in one place (either Kyoto or Osaka) and travel to the other as day trips so you don't need to move hotels. I would vote for staying in Kyoto and doing a day trip to Osaka. But you know best how you travel and your preferences.
Once we get closer to winter, visit a Dollar Store and get yourselves some gripper slipper socks. You will need to remove shoes when visiting temples and castle like Himeji, and the floors are very slippery. I wouldn't want to be on my regular socks or barefoot. I brought a couple of slipper socks with grippers that I tossed at the end of the trip.
Being close to a major train station in Tokyo is nice. Not only is it a transport hub, but a shopping hub as well. Think about which airport (Haneda or Narita) that you will be flying in or out of. Haneda, I can recommend Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Kamata. This is just a few stops on a direct train from the airport and the hotel is about 1 block from the station. A 7-11 on the corner and multiple stores, including a grocery with restaurants as part of the station complex.
In Tokyo don’t miss Team Lab Planets. Advance ticket purchase a must. Train stop adjacent so easy to get to.
a few Tokyo tips (link expires in 14 days) Travel 101 - Your Guide to Tokyo
Visiting Tokyo for the first time can feel like stepping into the future and the past at once. This vast, ever-shifting metropolis is all about contrasts: centuries-old shrines tucked beside glass towers and quiet gardens a few train stops from the neon storm of Shibuya. It is precisely this tension between modern spectacle and quiet tradition that makes Tokyo endlessly captivating.
We are definitely planning on Hiroshima and Miyajima so it was good to read your comments validating that decision. Am just trying to figure out where to stay in the cities, as far as convenient neighborhoods go.
What a wonderful suggestion about the socks. We just got back from Egypt and wore our regular socks in the Mosques but they were all carpeted so it's good to know about the slippery floors.
I saw on one of the forums that someone recommended a night in Nara to truly appreciate the park. Hate to bounce around too much but does anyone have an opinion on that? We travel very light so that's not an issue if it is worth it or is it simply a day trip. Or, for that matter, is it even a must see?
I think you can stay in Osaka and Kyoto, and do a day trip to Nara from there. I didn't go to Nara and I got to see deer in Myiajima.
If you can stretch your days and add one or two more, it will give you more time to fully explore. I wish I had extra time.
I usually travel alone and I like to stay closer to train stations. For Hiroshima/Miyajima, I was extra short on time because they were closing the island for the G7 in 2023, so I went day before. I had to split my stay in Kyoto which wasn't ideal, but glad I made it work!
I left early from Kyoto (around 7am) straight to Hiroshima. I stayed at the Hotel Granvia connected to the train station and it was the best decision for me. I dropped my bag there (and did check-in later) and went to Peace Memorial Park and the Museum. Then took the ferry to Myiajima and stayed for sunset. I took last ferry back to Hiroshima and spent the night. On my way back to Kyoto, I stopped at Himeji and explored for a few hours (they have lockers at the train station). Then hopped on the train and went back to Kyoto.
In Kyoto, I stayed next to the main train station and it was very practical as I frequently had to hop on/off train somewhere. It was called Kyoto Century Hotel and had a fantastic breakfast! In Tokyo, I stayed at a great hotel (Blossom Hibiya) but it was not as lively neighborhood but still very practical and centrally located (can you see a theme on my travels?) and 2 blocks to Shimbashi station. It worked really well for me. They had a Lawson across the street, a block from a grocery store, small selection but some good restaurants nearby. But I ended up having dinner out and about and just returning to hotel to sleep. I did grab dinner at a Izakaya near the hotel one night.
There was a recent traveler who posted a Trip Report on the forum and had a great hotel in Tokyo to recommend near Asakusa, I think.
Japan is an endlessly fascinating place to visit, with many, many options based on whatever most interests you. I'll share my personal opinions, knowing that no two of us on this forum are likely to be in complete agreement. To me, your timing for the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto sounds great for a first visit. I also second the addition of Hiroshima, possibly Miyajima, and definitely Himeji. Keep in mind that Himeji castle was a defensive fortification and to get to the top you'll be climbing steep stairs in your socks. Nara is an easy day trip by train from Kyoto, so it isn't necessary to stay overnight (although pleasant). The main temple there, Todaiji, is amazing. The deer, in my opinion, are worth avoiding.
Ask yourself why you want to go to Osaka. Is there something there that you want to see? The castle is a concrete reconstruction. The main attraction for travelers seems to be night life and food, but all of Japan's cities have great food options.
Travel time in Japan is really dependent on train routes and fares, almost more than distances. Some place far away could be two hours on the fastest and most expensive of the bullet trains, ones that leave many times per hour, or a whole day on local train lines. Studying trains can be a good way to start planning, and then move to study public transportation in the cities you want to visit.
For areas to stay in, the subway lines in Kyoto are one place to start. There are only two lines, perpendicular to each other. Subways or fairly reasonably priced taxis are better options than the crowded and very slow buses. The main attractions are all quite accessible. Absolutely study the predicted dates for cherry blossoms - prices and crowds increase dramatically, and the blossoms may or may not be worth it to you.
For Tokyo, it's hard to choose an area to stay in because there are so many good options. You can get pretty much anywhere on the many, many subway lines. If you have a specific interest, such as the National Museums, look at any area with fairly direct access. If you want ease of access to whichever airport you use, look at the many ways to get there by train, bus, subway (that becomes a train), or monorail. There is so much good food available almost everywhere that there's no need to go to popular destination restaurants or famous neighborhoods. And then when you're tired or overwhelmed, head to the nearest conbini, the convenience stores that are everywhere, and pick up a great meal to eat in your hotel room. Conbini are a cultural experience. Enjoy!
Joy was correct Kyoto and Osaka are close together. Need 3-4 days in Kyoto. Do a day trip to Nara to see the Deer Park.
Also, check out the hotels in Tokyo at the Tokyo Station.
Also, do a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko, north of the city.
Don't miss Kobe near Osaka.
I agree with not spending too much time in Osaka. We are older travellers (late 60’s) and found Osaka to be more geared toward younger tourists. It’s the food scene which is the big draw. A day trip there would have been enough.
In Tokyo we stayed at the Hotel Century Southern Tower in the Shibuya area. The hotel was on the 32+ floor of a high rise, great views, and across from an open plaza with a train station and a large mall. We ate dinner a few nights at restaurants in the mall. If you can navigate the tube in London, you’ll be fine in Tokyo.
In Kyoto we stayed at Hotel the Celestine Kyoto Gion. Street level and much more what we would call traditional decor. They offered a free walking tour one evening and a concert in the lobby one late afternoon. We walked everywhere.
The transportation system in Tokyo is phenomenal. No matter where you stay in the city you should have no problem accessing the system. I spent four weeks there last year (about 8 days in Tokyo). Consider using the Suica card. No matter where you should have a great time.
We stayed in Kyoto twice at the Miyako Westin. It is well located for easy access to many historic sights and restaurants. It is a two minute walk to a Tozai subway station. We enjoyed our stay very much.
Japan is absolutely wonderful. A couple of initial recommendations would be to spend more time in Kyoto; it is a big city and there is so, so much to see. I would try to have at least 5-6 full days, possibly even more. I would consider either cutting down your time in Osaka, or possibly using that time for other locations. Hiroshima and Miiyajima (might have misspelled that!), Takayama, Nikko, and Tsumago/Magome are some of my favorite places in Japan.
I also absolutely loved Kyoto. I think 4-5 days should be plenty depending on what you want to see. This website really helped me tailor my itinerary for Kyoto. Take time going through it, maybe there will be new things to spark your interest or help you make a decision on where to stay. https://www.insidekyoto.com/
Absolutely wonderful insights! Thanks to all of you. We are now rethinking Osaka and shortening that time. We'll add another day or two in Kyoto and I'm researching some of the other cities that were mentioned. Hiroshima and Miyajima are a must for us. The Kyoto website is very good. Eventually sites like that are uncovered with research but it is so much better to pick all of your brains and gain new ideas!
I'm still researching so would welcome any additional thoughts!
We are a retired couple who just returned from 5 weeks in Japan. We like to stay put in a location for a while. We had a wonderful time in Osaka. We stayed at the Royal Park Canvas Hotel Kitihama which was right outside a metro station, but more importantly it was a delightful neighborhood for walking and eating in great local restaurants. It also is close to the Tesahori River with parks nearby.
After Osaka we took a train to Kinosaki Onsen a delightful onsen baths town. We stayed at Kinosaki Onsen Hotel Akashiya which was excellent. Included in the room price is a pass to get you into all of the famous onsens.
We then to a bullet train down to the island of Kyushu since the weather was warmer down there. We traveled by local train around much of the island. From Beppu, a famous onsen town, we flew into Haneda Airport in Tokyo. From there we were able to take a direct train to the Akasuka district that we really enjoyed. We stayed in a small apartment, Bon Tokyo Akasuka. Once again is was in a local neighborhood with fun restaurants and bars. We were also able to walk to the lovely Sky Tree tower.
Based on Becky's recommendation of her hotel that was a walkable distance from Tokyo Sky Tree, I am guessing she stayed at the Bon Hotel Asakusa, not anywhere in Akasaka. Those are two different neighborhoods.
Osaka is an easy day trip from Kyoto. I would just stay in Kyoto for 5-6 nights and visit Nara & Osaka from there. This frees up 1-2 nights to spend in Hiroshima.
Tokyo is such a vast city and with so much to offer and to see. I'm not into Manga or Anime or electronics, but I visited Akihabara Electric Town.
The Bon Tokyo Akasaka was a short walk over a bridge from the Akasuka metro/train station. From there the Senso-Ji Shrine was very close. The Tokyo Sky Tree was a much longer walk from apartment, but there were beautiful views of it from the street infront of the hotel. And an even better view fron the Ashaki brewery’s sky lounge.
first time we went we stayed in Osaka and Kyoto. Loved both them to be fair. The next time we went we stayed in Kyoto and then just day tripped to Osaka. The trains are that good here that its quick. You will love it though no matter where you are , and still just see it as caught a glimpse. Hiroshima is certainly worth a visit but must confess we didn't do as a day trip we stayed a few days. Their metro is so simple to use you will have no problems
Looking at 5-6 days in Tokyo, 3-4 days in Kyoto and 4 days in Osaka.
I would recommend staying in Kyoto and doing day trips to Osaka. Osaka, and Nara are easy day trips. However, if you like big cities, then Osaka's the right place for you.
Everyone who goes on our tours always says Kyoto is one of their favorite places out of all the places we visit. Even with the crowds! I always tell people that Kyoto is the most romantic city in Japan. It's old, well preserved, and very walkable. Not that Osaka and Tokyo aren't walkable, it's just a different kind of walkable. Small, preserved alleyways and streams running throughout the city. Plus Kyoto has over 2000 temples and shrines. So you can just stumble upon a centuries old temple or shrine while out for a simple afternoon stroll.
Plus the number of great restaurants. You'll never go hungry! Osaka has plenty of great restaurants also, but I find that they're a bit harder to find - unless you're in Dotonburi.
Again, thanks to all of you; great information. We're definitely extending time in Kyoto and just doing day trips to cities like Osaka. Kyoto does seem to be a favorite of everyone.
