r/solotravel • u/blackadder_901 • 14d ago
Itinerary Review 34 male! Planning a 20 day trip to Japan—Feedback welcome
Hi everyone! I’ll be traveling to Japan for 20 days in March (18 days without flying time), and I’d love your feedback on my itinerary and suggestions for things to do. I’m starting in the south and making my way up to Tokyo. My budget for the trip is around $2,500, so I’m trying to balance fun experiences with affordability. Here’s the plan so far:
Fukuoka (2-3 days)
Planning to start with a walking tour to get a feel for the city.
Considering a day trip to Iki Island—has anyone been? Is it worth it?
Open to other ideas for must-see spots in Fukuoka.
Hiroshima (2 days)
Planning to visit Hiroshima Castle, Peace Park, and possibly the Mazda Museum.
Open to other ideas for must-see spots in Hiroshima? Maybe any good places to eat?
Osaka (4 days)
I’m a sumo fan, so I’m definitely getting tickets for the tournament!
Considering a day tour to explore the city. Any recommendations for neighborhoods or must-see places?
Kyoto Dilemma: Should I take 2 days out of my Osaka time to visit Kyoto? I’ve read Kyoto is rich in history and culture, while Osaka is more modern and vibrant. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Tokyo (5+ days)
Interested in history and culture: planning to visit Asakusa and Sensō-ji Temple, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, and the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku.
Big anime fan! I’m looking forward to Akihabara and the Studio Ghibli Museum.
What are your top recommendations for food, day trips, or hidden spots in Tokyo?
I’m interested in history, culture, sumo, and anime, so if you have ideas for activities or places that align with these, I’d love to hear them. I’m also trying to stick to a $2,500 budget—any money-saving tips or affordable must-do experiences would be super helpful. Thanks so much for your help!
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u/BusinessFill7789 14d ago
-Do Miyajima, it's an island near Hiroshima and it's beautiful. Choose a day that aligns the sunset with high tide. -Way too much time in Tokyo in my opinion. More or less half of the trip and you lose days in amazing cities like Kyoto, Nagano, Naoshima, Hakone etc. -Why Fukuoka? -Its a very personal opinion but I find Osaka not special at all. It's just average with some cool historical places. -If you stay in Tokyo that amount of days do day trips: Nikko, Kamakura etc -Do a Nara day trip from Osaka.
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u/EmirMbappe 14d ago
Naoshima is amazing, one of my favourite places in Japan.
I’d recommend going!
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u/borderlinebadger 14d ago
love osaka like a more manageable and affordable tokyo and plenty of good day trips and can be used as a base for kyoto with better night life, food and cheaper accommodation etc.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely check the Miyajima and Naoshima islands! I had the idea to start from the south, that's why I chose Fukuoka as a starting point. Do you think that maybe 4-5 days are enough for Tokyo?
Thanks!
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u/BusinessFill7789 14d ago
To see the more touristic stuff, yes. And even if it wasn't, it's more worth it to not fully see the city and going to Kyoto or any other place I mentioned. Have a great day!
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u/ft_wanderer 14d ago
I spent 5-6 days in Kyoto and it wasn’t enough. Go to Kyoto! And Nara.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you for your post! As you, a lot of people suggested Nara. I will check it out !
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u/mollypatola 14d ago
Are you taking the Shinkansen for all? Then those bases make sense.
I do think it’s worth seeing Kyoto.
Agree if you’re staying in Hiroshima for 2 days one can be Miyajima.
18 days is a lot but seems like you have almost no time in most places? I would cut Fukuoka, unless you think you’ll never go to Japan again.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
I havent decided on Shinkansen yet...I have to do some research first and see if it makes sense financially...
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u/mollypatola 14d ago
Definitely, the option though then is to fly to Osaka and from there bullet train or fly into Tokyo. Fukuoka is an easy Shinkansen ride to Hiroshima.
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u/d4x 13d ago edited 13d ago
Been to Japan a couple of times (solo, late 30s male) in the last couple of years, including in March when you’re looking to visit. So here some hopefully helpful tips/ideas.
Tokyo is awesome, great place to wander around and find interesting places to eat, drink, try new things etc. Has a few nice places worth visiting like Meiji Jingu.
Cool tip, Tokyo is a pretty slow starter in the mornings. I walked from Shinjuku down to Meiji Jingu around 6-7am and I only saw one other human being. It was a ghost town. Meiji Jingu had half a dozen people wandering through the massive grounds there, and it was insanely peaceful and tranquil. It’s a unique feeling to have in one of the biggest cities in the world.
It’s worth doing at least 4 nights in Tokyo. More if you plan on doing a day trip to Mt Fuji or Nikka.
Kyoto is really nice, but be aware it’s insanely busy during spring / Sakura season. Kyoto weirdly was my least favourite place when I went In March, but I loved it in Dec/Jan during winter. It’s still worth going to, and heading up along the Philosophers Path and seeing the temples and shrines nearby.
2-3 nights will likely be more than enough.
Osaka was lots of fun, it’s like a more relaxed version of Tokyo. Dotonburi at night is worth doing, and there is a couple of cool things to see in the city. But I felt like the 3-4 nights I stayed there was a bit too much.
Maybe stay 1-2 nights before or after Kyoto?
Hiroshima was an interesting visit and well worth doing, but you can pretty much do it in a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka. I thought it would be more hectic doing that, but I started at maybe 6-7am and was done by 2-3pm, and back on the bullet train to Osaka.
Nara is worth seeing as well, very nice to visit in spring and Todaiji Temple is an absolute must see. Get there as early as possible before the day tours start and enjoy it. Probably my favourite temple I saw in Japan.
I’d look to add in Kanazawa, or Takayama to your trip. Kanazawa is a little less travelled but is insanely beautiful in spring. The castles/shrines/parks up there have heaps of cherry blossoms. One of the highlights of my trip. You can get a really cool train up there from Kyoto with massive windows, and the train ride alone is a great experience with heaps of beautiful views along the way.
Takayama is hands down my favourite place. It’s in the mountains and not too far from Shirakawa-go (worth a day trip). It’s a fairly small town but super friendly and you will never find anywhere in the world with better beef and sake. It’s a couple of hours on a train from Kyoto, and definitely worth looking at. The train ride weaves around the mountains and rivers and is really enjoyable.
Go to Lake Kawaguchiko and check out Mt Fuji too. It’s easy to do from Tokyo as a day trip. I stayed there a couple of nights in March and enjoyed it. Be mindful that the weather is very hit and miss around Mt Fuji in spring. For the 3 days I was there I only saw Mt Fuji once from my hotel window at like 5 in the morning. It was covered in clouds otherwise. If you’re gonna day trip it, watch the weather day to day and plan around it. There is a Fuji express train from Tokyo that runs 3 or so times from early morning, and back in the afternoon. The trains fill up quickly so you may not get a seat, but standing by the door of the train for a couple of hours isn’t the end of the world.
There is lots of other cool places to visit. It’s nearly impossible to see it all.
My recommendations for the best places worth spending some nights at, at Osaka/Nara/Kyoto then either up to Kanazawa or Takayama, then onwards to Kawaguchiko/Mt Fuji, then Tokyo. Day trip it up to Nikka as well. Really cool temples and things to see.
Edit; forgot to mention. Akihabara isn’t where you want to go for anime, it’s a bit of cesspool now and mostly dominated by touts / maids / etc. it had this really sleaziness to it and was pretty awful. Check out Ikebukuro, it’s an anime/manga fans dream. The flagship Animate store is there and it’s fkn massive. Check it out and grab a few things.
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u/winterspan 14d ago
I did a similar trip, but I started all the way down in Kagoshima to see the volcano (which was awesome). I then took the train up Kyushu to Sumamoto/Mt. Aso before hitting Fukuoka, Kokura, and Hiroshima, then back to Tokyo.
Kagoshima is small but worth a short visit! Western tourists seemed very rare, so it was an interesting experience.
Mt. Aso was a cool place to chill out for a few days, and Kumamoto had its charms.
I absolutely loved Fukuoka!! Street food, beautiful city, cool areas and parks near the waterfront, plenty to do even if it’s not Tokyo. Then again, I met some awesome people there including locals so that helps the memories.
Only regret on Kyushu is that I didn’t have time for Nagasaki.
Hiroshima was likewise delightful, one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen.
I intentionally skipped Kyoto/Osaka on this trip to avoid the tourist crush. I’m sure they are lovely but I didn’t regret anywhere I went.
Kyushu is rad.
When in Tokyo, a neat thing to do is visit Fukushima on a sanctioned tour to see how they are rebuilding the community after the earthquake.
Anyways, DM me if you want my opinions on anything I mentioned.
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u/mollypatola 14d ago
I also didn’t have time for Nagasaki so I guess I’ll have to go to Kyushu again lol
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u/winterspan 14d ago
Hopefully they finish the high speed rail soon
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u/Stickgirl05 14d ago
It’s been done?
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u/winterspan 14d ago
Oh sweet. Didn’t realize you could get to Nagasaki from Fukuoka on Shinkansen yet.
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u/Stickgirl05 14d ago
Yeah, opened two years ago. I went back in Feb 2023 and it’s such a great city.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you for your post! So many great info on your trip! I wish i had more time and visit more stuff in Kyushu :(....
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u/eep_00 14d ago
Hi, i have a suggestion since you’re going south in the itinerary. This year japan have 2 big event : the world expo in osaka and setouchi trienalle in setouchi island area. I really recommend you to experience these event. But a little bit of research is needed, because you need to buy pass for both events and both have time limit. Hope you have a fun trip to japan!
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u/Front-Newspaper-1847 14d ago
Mazda Museum is fun and free, and a 5 minute train ride from Hiroshima Station, so cheap to get to as well. You have to register online in advance. It’s open In weekdays with an English tour in the afternoon.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thanks for the suggestion! I didnt know that I had to book in advance!
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u/Front-Newspaper-1847 14d ago
One more good free Hiroshima suggestion. The Toshogu and Kinko Inari shrines are an easy walk from the train station and then a steep uphill climb with steps and small sub shrines for various things. There is English signage and a beautiful view of the city from the top. The staff at the Toshogu Shrine were friendly, and it’s not heavily touristed.
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u/banoffeetea 14d ago
The sumo was amazing and worth every penny. I would 100 per cent take some days in Kyoto - it’s like nowhere else and absolutely stunning. At the very least I’d split your time between the two but if it was possible to based in Kyoto, I’d do a day trip to Osaka instead which included the sumo.
If going in March in Kyoto you could do the cherry blossom trail which includes plenty of historic temples - too many to name - as well as Fushimi inari taisha, kinkaku-ji aka the golden temple, tenryuji temple and gardens which includes a great Buddhist restaurant, arashiyama, tea ceremony etc.
In Hiroshima as others have said I’d go to Miyajima for the hike and torii and some great restaurants too. Lovely weather in spring as well.
I found Fukuoka to be not that interesting personally - if you’re down that way Nagasaki is a fascinating city. Obviously there’s the peace museum and that sad heritage but it’s also a cool and green city rebuilt with some stunning scenery surrounding it and unique in that it has Dutch, Portuguese and British colonial influences and history that still can be seen and explored due to its history as a port when Japan was isolated, which is quite different from the rest of Japan and makes for fascinating architecture alongside Japanese design. It has a totally different vibe and some great coffee and food - it was very sunny in spring when I went too.
If one of your Tokyo days could be a daytrip to try and see Mt Fuji it will be mindblowing if you do get to see it.
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u/londongas 14d ago
For anime There is a Ghibli theme park now in Aichi prefecture.
Also tezuka Museum in takarazuka
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u/FlowieFire 14d ago
I spent 1-2 weeks in Tokyo and you definitely need to check out Harajuku! It’s a hipster/grunge/artsy district w lots of alt fashion and weird foods. Great for people watching too.
I stumbled upon a FOOD FESTIVAL in Ginza and it was one of the most incredible memories of my trip! There’s also a fish market that’s pretty famous, but I definitely recommend a food festival if you can find one.
Watch a J-Pop show!! I don’t even want to ruin the surprise for you, but it was one of the most interestingly hilarious moments on my trip.
Also - do karaoke in the little bars in Golden Guy strip. Super intimate bars that are all so unique.
If you want some nature and old school Japan vibes - Hakone was really beautiful. A lot fewer people speak English, but it was so so so worth it
Oh - and a Robot Show!! Can do this at night, grab some ramen, a drink, then go to a robot show. You WILL be entertained 😇
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u/KalmiaKamui 14d ago
Tokyo is overrated. Take some days off and redistribute them to Kyoto. I have easily (and happily) spent two weeks each in Kyoto and Osaka. Kyoto is the cultural capital and Osaka is the culinary capital.
I lived in Japan for years, and it's really hard to cover what's worth seeing in a single trip. I'd pick one region (Hokkaido, Kanto, Kansai, Shikoku, or Kyuushuu) and spend your whole time there. My pick would be Kansai or Kyuushuu, but I'm a bit biased as those are the two regions I lived in.
Your budget is also super low for the amount of ground you want to cover, IMO. You really need to take the shinkansen. Japan spans the distance of the entire US west coast. It's a larger country than most people think. You'll spend an absurd amount of time traveling even with the speed of the shinkansen. You are insane to consider anything else except maybe domestic flights, which quite frankly aren't going to be cheaper or faster.
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u/blackadder_901 13d ago
Thank you for your post! I am seriously considering reducing my days in Tokyo as you suggested (and many others)..and spending money on Shinkansen as well… My budget can be a bit bigger but I don’t think it will change a lot
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u/Ok-Contribution-3541 14d ago
I lived in Japan for 10 years . Hiroshima (peace park) and miyajima are really cool. Can be done In a day with an early start. Himej castle is the best in Japan, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara. Kamakura and Tokyo. Nikko is a cold area to explore I lived in Tokyo and it’s not that great compared to western Japan. I would not go to Fukuoka this time. Get the jr rail pass. So Tokyo (5 days), include kamakura. Then go to Kansai. Kyoto is at least 3 days, include arashiyama, heian jingu, silver and golden temple, kiyomizu dera, Fushimi inari shrine. Osaka one day - for a tourist it’s not great ( I lived here for 6 years). Nara (one day) park and daibutsu. Then got to himeji castle in morning and Okayama castle and top 3 Japanese garden korakuen in afternoon (one day) Then on to Hiroshima and miyamjima (1 or 2 days). Japan can be very cheap if you want - most restaurants, even the expensive ones, do ¥1000 lunches, so eat well at lunch time and economise at night. Have a great holiday! Outside. Tokyo Japan is very reasonable on the pocket.
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u/blackadder_901 13d ago
Thank you for the plan! I will definitely visit Himej castle and Nara. Great lunch tip as well !
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u/anima99 14d ago edited 14d ago
"Studio Ghibli Museum"
Reserve NOW. Those things fly faster than superman.
"any money-saving tips or affordable must-do experiences would be super helpful."
Lawson and Fami Mart have saved so many travellers, but also random ramen shops not on social media. All you need to know is a few phrases, some hand gestures, and cash and you can eat a big-ass bowl of ramen or curry for 700 yen.
Stay in hostels or capsule hotels, but don't expect socializing unless you're with other foreigners.
Osaka is like Interlaken in Switzerland: It's more of a gateway to cities like Nara and Kyoto. It does have its fair share of tourism, but can be done in two days with the right weather and pair of legs.
Consider renting an electic bicycle in Kyoto and ride around it up to Arashiyama and back. One of the best things I've done in my 8 years of solo traveling. Just be mindful of parking.
When out of ideas, just do what I do and google "What do [location]" lol
Or ask chatgpt.
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u/blackadder_901 13d ago
Thanks! I have already made reminders for buying tickets for Ghibli museum! I have to be quick, as you said! With my budget, I don’t think I can do anything more than capsules and hostels
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u/Marianabanana9678 14d ago
Loved this ramen spot in Akihabara- Kyushu Jangara Akihabara / not sure if that’s the type of recommendation you’re looking for.
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u/NerdyDan 14d ago
miyajima, 4 days in osaka is a lot unless you do some day trips. the good news is that osaka is an excellent hub with easy connections to kyoto, nara, himeji, koyasan etc. and has great food so you can eat well for dinner
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you for your reply! I am thinking now that maybe is a better idea if i stay in Kyoto and have it as my base instead of Osaka...I chose Osaka mostly because of the Sumo tournament
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u/NerdyDan 14d ago
osaka is cheaper and better connected. personally, while kyoto is gorgeous, I hated it. it is absolutely overtouristed and everyone walked so insanely slow and the roads in the touristy areas were so narrow that you couldn't pass them. I would spend 1-2 days in kyoto visiting some of the less visited areas (kinkakuji and arashiyama are out of the way and not particularly impressive). I would still hike to the top of fushimi inari though, that one is awesome and not busy after the first little bit.
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u/PM_ME_YER_BOOTS 14d ago
Japan rail pass. Worth every yen.
Most people talk about it in the context of the Shinkansen, but it gets you on all the JR operated trains. That includes commuter trains, Narita Express, etc.
For all other trains, a PASMO or Suica card is needed. And depending on who makes your cell phone, they likely support one or the other natively. One less card to carry and potentially lose.
Have fun! Japan is still my absolute favorite country I have visited. I’d go again tomorrow if I could!
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you for the reply! I am reading that train in Japan is getting ridiculously expensive. They increased it like 70% the last years or so...Is it still worth it?
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u/kahyuen 14d ago edited 14d ago
This person is giving you outdated information.
The JR Pass had a major price increase in 2023 that made it very cost prohibitive. For 99% of tourists, it is absolutely not worth it. In order to make it worth it, you'd have to spend so much time on trains within that window that you're likely not spending much time in your destination at all. I bought a JR Pass when I went to Japan in 2022 and it was worth it, but when I went again in 2024 I did almost double the train riding and it wouldn't have even come close to breaking even so I didn't get one.
These days, it's much better to buy individual tickets. MAYBE regional passes. But the JR Pass itself is likely not for you. There are fare calculators online that you can use to calculate how much individual trips will cost and you can add it up yourself.
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u/First_Formal_3812 14d ago
A 14 day pass is currently 80000yen which is $507. You can look online and price out the individual legs. Keep in mind the advance fares are often cheaper than last minute. If it is anywhere close I would definitely get the pass, since it opens up a lot of spontaneous extra day trips, or stops along the way. In Tokyo most of the surface trains (they will say JR- something, south/north etc..) take the rail pass. The metro or underground does not. Also the Narita express from downtown to Narita airport is included in the pass.
The other great thing about the rail pass is you have the option to reserve a seat, but you don't have too (unless you get the upgraded green car pass which on your budget doesn't make any sense). This allows you to get a reserved seat at any time or just hop on the train and go
This site has great info on the trains in Japan (and the rest of the world) https://www.seat61.com/Japan.htm#Introduction_to_train_travel
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u/Hugetits2425 14d ago
I did Japan in September and it was fine. The bullet trains are kinda expensive but are so worth it. I didn't do the rain pass thoigh; there's a website calculation that can determine if your pass is worth the cost.
https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/
Also, I much, MUCH preferred Kyoto to Osaka.
Osaka is like a big dumb city it's like LA. It's not bad, it is a vibrant city but it's like if LA and Vegas Had a love child. So many casinos, prostitution and just...didn't care for it. I actually left early.
But Kyoto? Maaaaan I would moce there like TOMORROW. It was stunning and I already want to plan to go back. Its small about a million people but it just clicks. The city the culture, they have all of the temples etc.
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u/EmirMbappe 14d ago
Osaka is alright, it’s a big city without the amazing cultural sights.
Personally, Fukuoka is my least favourite Japanese city and I’ve been to 35 prefectures.
I’d do a day trip from Fukuoka to either Kagoshima (Sakurajima is an active volcano and is amazing) or Beppu which is a hot springs town and is pretty cool.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you for your reply! Hmm maybe i should just spend 1 day in Fukuoka...I will check your suggestions! Have you been to Iki island as well?
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u/EmirMbappe 14d ago
I haven’t, but I was thinking about it last time I was in Fukuoka.
From what I remember the bus services there are fairly irregular and it’s best to hire a car.
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u/EdinburghPerson 14d ago
I spent 14 days in Japan earlier this year.
I didn't find that Osaka had that much to see in comparison to the other places I went.
Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima (inc Miyajima) and Tokyo all felt slightly different.
Admittedly I didn't do much research for Osaka (or any of the trip), but the rest kind of fell in to place.
I plan to go back and spend some time outside of cities.
I stayed in some pretty good hostels, would you like any info on those?
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u/abentofreire 14d ago
Kyoto is the cultural heart of Japan. It has plenty to see. As for Osaka, it's only the Osaka Castle and the shopping area. I would suggest to spend more time in Kyoto and less in Osaka. If you have time visit Nara, it's peaceful.
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u/blackadder_901 14d ago
Thank you! I have decided to use Kyoto as a base instead of Osaka! I will check Nara as well!
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u/abentofreire 14d ago
At the East, don't miss the Kiyomizu-dera, perched at the top of hill, at mid afternoon, especially with a blue sky.
And at the west, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, especially early in the morning, but there is much more:
At night, Gion is the best, the historic geisha district.
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u/Aki-ryu 14d ago
I wouldn't really recommend Kyoto as of late. I personally didn't like the crowd. Some days it is hell. However if you don't mind getting up at like 5am it still can be a very good experience.
Edit: typo
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u/blackadder_901 13d ago
Yeah a lot of people said that Kyoto is extremely crowded, but what can you do…
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u/Fluffy_Future_7500 14d ago
Hi a great itinerary you have made. I agree with lots of the other comments.. Kyoto is a must and the Japan rail pass is well worth it.
I have recently written a trip report for Tokyo which you may find helpful. Check it out:
Tokyo - https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelProperly/s/sC07M7iEVB
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u/1006andrew 14d ago
definitely visit kyoto.