Itinerary

Hi, I'm still planning my itinerary for my trip to Japan later this month and was wondering if it's alright. I'll be staying in Osaka for the majority of the trip.


1st Day - Tuesday 31st Jan 2017 – Dotonbori, Osaka

Namba HIPS
Dotonbori
Ebisubashi
Cheese tart Pablo Dotonbori
Shinsaibashi Shopping Street
Shin Sai Bashi-Suji Shopping Street
Ichiran Dotonbori Shop (Ramen restaurant)
Hozen-Ji Temple
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Denden Town (Shopping Centre)
Animate Osakanipponbashi (Hobby Shop)
Namco Osakanipponbashi (Arcade)
Isonoryotao Namba (Sushi belt restaurant)
Namba City
Nanbayasaka Shrine
Back to Dotonbori for the Night lights


2nd Day – Wednesday 1st Feb 2017 – Nara

Nara Park
Kasuga-Taisha
Wakamiya Shrine
Tamukeysms Hachiman-gu Shrine
Todai-Ji Temple
Izasa Sushi Restaurant?
Monsier Pepe French Restaurant?
Soba Noodle Shop?
Okaru Teppanyaki Restaurant?
Tonkatsu Restaurant?
Head back to Osaka ~7pm


3rd Day - Thursday 2nd Feb – Universal Studios


4th Day – Friday 3rd Feb (Setsubun)– Osaka

Umeda Sky Building
Sushi Conveyor Belt Restaurant?
Pokemon Center
Hankyu Umeda Main Store (Department Store)?
HEP Five Ferris Wheel
Muten Kura Sushi Sunroute Umeda?
Tsuyunoten Shrine (Setsubun Festival)
Osaka Castle
Hokoku Shrine
Oskajo Hall
Osaka Museum of History?


5th Day - Saturday 4th Feb – Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha
Higashimaru Shrine
Fushimishinpo Shrine?
Araki Shrine?
Kiyomizu-Dera Temple
Fumonan (Japanese Sweets)
Niomon
Sanjunoto
Hondo
Okunoin
Otowa no Taki
Otani Hombyo? (Temple)


6th Day - Sunday 5th Feb – Monkey Park, Kyoto

Arashiyama Monkey Park & Bamboo Forest
Arashiyama Park Nakanoshima Area
Arashiyama Yoshimura (Soba Noodle Shop)?
Kimono Forest
Tenryu-ji Buddhist Temple
Yasaka Shrine
Shorenin Temple
Gion Tsujiri (Tea Shop) Outside Shrine
Pokemon Centre Kyoto, inside Department Store
Baskin Robbins (Ice Cream Shop)
Ichiran Kyoto Kawaramachi (Tonkotsu Ramen Restaurant)?
Heian Shrine


7th Day –Monday 6th Feb - Osaka

Instant Ramen Museum
Osaka Aquarium?
Santa Mario Port
Osaka Culturarium at Tempozan
Tempozan Ferris Wheel
Dotonbori


8th Day - Tuesday 7th Feb 2017 - Sapporo

(Half day since we'll be flying from Osaka to New Chitose Airport)
Odari park (night) for winter fest
Sapporo tower


9th Day - Wednesday 8th Feb - Otaru

Odari park (day)
Otaru Canal and surrounding area
Back to Sapporo in the evening (no idea what to do yet)


10th day - Thursday 9th Feb - Asahikawa

Winter festival and surrounding area till evening


11th day - Friday 10th Feb - Sapporo

Walk around Sapporo station/ underground walkway in the morning and get to the airport late afternoon.



Sorry for the long post, if anyone has any recommendations then that'll be great :) Thanks.

- Edward

On your days 1 to 7, will your base be in Osaka? Osaka to Kyoto is only 30 minutes away.

Suggest you to move day 2 (Nara tour) to either day 3 or 4. Combine days 1 and 3 as days 1 and 2 and get the Osaka Amazing Pass for 2 days. Anyway, you can use IC card within Osaka and Kyoto.

Proceed to Inari at an earliest possible time or after tourists have gone. You can proceed to Higashiyama Walk after you Inari and Kiyomizudera. Check Higashiyama Walk here in Japan Guide.

I am not sure what will you see in Kiyomizudera given that its main hall is closed this time. Refer to 'Site under Construction' section here in Japan Guide.

Thank for for the info, the Osaka amazing pass looks really useful! Do I buy this at the airport (Kansai) or can I buy it from any station? I'll be staying a couple minutes away from shin-Osaka station so getting around should be easy.

And Kiyomizudera is closed? Will there still be access to the veranda or is there no point in going? It was one of the main places I wanted to visit while in Kyoto.

I was able to buy Osaka Amazing Pass at Osaka station itself at Namba http://www.osaka-info.jp/osp/en/buy/buy.html. You can try to buy it at tourist information center at KIX.

About Kiyomizudera, I do not have information about the extent or effect of the closure of main hall to tourists. Should you check other website or perhaps on your tour there, you will know what exactly you are getting.

"And Kiyomizudera is closed? Will there still be access to the veranda or is there no point in going? It was one of the main places I wanted to visit while in Kyoto."

I'm trying to find out about the veranda/viewing deck also. I can't find any info about it. My friend said the main hall is technically not part of the veranda and that it has access on the side. But you never know, it might mean the whole area. Since it said January 2017, I can find out more later. My trip isn't til April.

My bad. I was supposed to say that I was able to purchase Osaka Amazing Pass at Namba Station.

You may have idea what you will expect at Kiyomizudera with these articles:

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201611230045.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/FAQ_Answers-g298564-d321401-t3078251-I_hea...

Thanks for the links, I'll keep an eye on the trip advisor one and see if anyone knows if it's open :) I'll probably still go there though since I'm going to be in Kyoto anyway

@ Eddz

Regarding Kiyomizudera, from what I've read it is open. There are some tarps on smaller shrines, etc. And that there is a lot of open spaces around the area for viewing for photo ops. Unless you really really want to see/be in the main hall then that's a bummer. But if you just want to see the view out over Kyoto then there's ample spots around to do so. As of now, I'm still planning on going but will be checking the renovation progress as I get closer to my trip.