Osaka/Kyoto/Nara Itinerary

Dear All,
I am planning for my trip to Osaka/Kyoto/Nara for 7days. Kindly help me to see if the itinerary is fine:

Day One, Wed 05Nov2008
Arrive hotel FlexStay Shinsabashi Inn.
Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai/ La Porte/America-Mura/Dotombori Area

Day Two, Thur 06Nov2008 SanjusangendoÈÊ®ÈégÌà / Kiyomizudera / Higashiyama district /Hokan-ji Temple. It is known colloquially as Yasaka-no-to (Yasaka Pagoda)/Kodai-ji Temple/Yasaka Shrine°ËÚæÉ�EGion (µo�E)

Day Three, Fri 07Nov2008 Arashiyama-Tenryuji TempleÌ�EˆËÂ/Bamboo Groves ÖÖ/Jojakko-ji Temple³£¼Å¹âËÂ/Gio-ji TempleµoÍÂ/Fushimi Inari Shrine ·�EŠµ¾ºÉÉ�ENishiki Market

Day Four, Sat 08Nov2008
Osaka Temmangu Shrine´æÌ�EMŒm/Tenjinbashi-Suji Shopping Street/The Umeda Sky Building/ Yodobashi Camera Umeda/HEP FIVE /Diamor Osaka (underground shopping center)Day Five, Sun 09Nov2008
Shitennoji Temple /Tennoji Park/Tsutenkaku Tower/Hozenji Temple/The Hozenji Alley (Hozenji Yokocho) /Den Den Nipponbashi Shopping /Dinner at the Kuromon Ichiba Market.

Day Six, Mon 10Nov2008
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum/not sure what to do in the afternoon yet.

Day Seven, Tue 11Nov2008
Will buy JR West Rasil One-day Pass to Himeji castle in the morning and back to Osaka, then travel to NaraÄÎÁ¼-Kofukuji Ð˸£ËÂ/Nara Park ÄÎÁ¼¹«�E (Nara Koen) Todaiji–|´Â
Day Eight, Wed 12Nov2008
Home Sweet Home!

Cheers!

Day 6 Nara
Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, Kasuga Grand Shrine, and Heijo Palace Site or Yakushi-ji Temple

Day 7 Himeji
Himeji castle in the morning, Ramen Museum in the afternoon

will be much much much better.

Day 3
Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari Shrine are different direction. Considering you are travelling from Shinsaibashi by JR or Hankyu? probably can skip Fushimi Inari or go there first in the morning.
As for Nishiki market, watach out for the closing time of shops.
http://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/

Day 6
If you like manga/anime, Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum is on the same Hankyu line:
http://en.tezuka.co.jp/tomm/info.html

Day 7
From Himeji to Nara would need 2 hours. Nara deserves half day at least to 1 day.

How about visiting Himeji castle and Kokoen then go to Maiko to see world's longest suspension bridge (Akashi Kaikyô Bridge) then go to Kobe at night.

Ts & Michelle OZ, thank you so much .
This is my revised itinerary, pls advise:

Day One, Wed 05Nov2008
Arrive hotel FlexStay Shinsabashi Inn.
Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai/ La Porte/America-Mura/Dotombori Area

Day Two, Thur 06Nov2008
Nishiki Market/ Kiyomizudera / Higashiyama district /Hokan-ji Temple. It is known colloquially as Yasaka-no-to (Yasaka Pagoda)/Kodai-ji Temple/Yasaka Shrine / Gion

Day Three, Fri 07Nov2008 Arashiyama-Tenryuji Temple/Bamboo Groves /Jojakko-ji Temple/Gio-ji Temple/Fushimi Inari Shrine / Gion

Day Four, Sat 08Nov2008
Osaka Temmangu Shrine/Tenjinbashi-Suji Shopping Street/The Umeda Sky Building/ Yodobashi Camera Umeda/HEP FIVE / Diamor Osaka (underground shopping center)

Day Five, Sun 09Nov2008
Shitennoji Temple /Tennoji Park / Tsutenkaku Tower/Hozenji Temple/The Hozenji Alley (Hozenji Yokocho) /Den Den Nipponbashi Shopping /Dinner at the Kuromon Ichiba Market.

Day Six, Mon 10Nov2008
Himeji castle / Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum

Day Seven, Tue 11Nov2008
Nara-Kofukuji /Nara Park (Nara Koen) / Todaiji /Yakushiji

Day Eight, Wed 12Nov2008
Home Sweet Home!

Cheers!

2 remarks: on day 4: Diamor underground shopping mall. It is a giant maze down there: As a guidebook says: "a serie of underground shopping malls connect under the Umeda railway station giving rise to the fascinating Umeda Underground Shopping Concourse. Housed in a labyrinth of passageways are malls such as Whity Umeda, Dojima Underground, Diamor Osaka and Hankyu Sunbangai. Man-made underground rivers, sunken gardens and common areas boasting fountains and cascading waterfalls bring life to the underground city"some people say that this is the biggest mall in the world.Also, because these malls connect to 3 department stores and the railway stations of 3 rail companies plus several subway stations chances are that you will be lost. On the day that you go to the Fushimi Inari shrine you should go there early in the afternoon as in November the sun set early, so it will be dark in the forest on Mt Inari. it takes about 2 hrs to do the short walk under the torii and 4 hrs to go all the way up then down and around the back way. Then you have to go there and back from Kyoto station and visit the main shrines and the shops..You should drop some of the other temples that day. I think that you are cramming too many things everyday. It always take longer than planned to go from one place to another and there are always things to see that you weren't planning to see. When I went to Arashiyama with friends 5 hrs went by in a flash.

Thanks for your suggestions, Monkey see.
Below are my revised itinerary and transportation plans, please advise:

Day One, Wed 05th Nov2008
08.30am Kanai Airport(Nankai AirPort Line Exp) - Namba(Namkai)(Walk) –Namba (Midousuji Line) – Shinsaibashi 1hr for 1090Yen

Day Two, Thur 06th Nov2008 (Nishiki Market/ Kiyomizudera / Higashiyama district /Hokan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda)/Kodai-ji Temple/Yasaka Shrine / Gion)

08.45am Shinsaibashi Sta (Midosuji Line) – Umeda Sta (Walk) – Osaka Sta (JR) - Kyoto Sta 40mins for 770Yen
08.30pm Karasuma Sta (Hankyu Kyoto Line)-Umeda Sta (Midosuji Line) – Shinsaibashi Sta, 54mins for 620Yen

Day Three, Fri 07th Nov2008 (Fushimi Inari Shrine/ Arashiyama-Tenryuji Temple/Bamboo Groves/ Jojakko-ji Temple/Gion)

08.30am Shinsaibasi Sta (Midousuji Line) – UMEDA (Walk) – Osaka (JR) – Kyoto (JR Nara Line) – Inari, 57mins for 1050Yen
01.30pm Inari Sta (JR Nara Line) - Kyoto Sta (JR Sagano Line) - Saga-Arashiyama Sta 46min for 230Yen
06.30pm Arashiyama(Hankyu Arashiyama Line) – Katsura (Hankyu Kyoto Line Ltd.Exp) –Umeda (Walk)–Umeda(Midousuji Line)–Shinsaibashi 1hr05mins for 620Yen
07.30pm Dinner@ Shinsaibashi
OR
06.30pm Saga-Arashiyama Sta (JR Sagano Line)–Kyoto 21mins 230Yen
07.00pm Dinner @ Gion
08.30pm Karasuma Sta (Hankyu Kyoto Line)-Umeda Sta (Midosuji Line)–Shinsaibashi Sta, 54mins for 620Yen

Day Four, Sat 08Nov2008 (Osaka Temmangu Shrine / Tenjinbashi-Suji Shopping Street/The Umeda Sky Building/ Yodobashi Camera Umeda/HEP FIVE/Diamor Osaka

09.00am Shinsaibashi Sta (Nagahoritsurumi Line) – Nagahoribashi Sta (Sakaisuji Line) – Minami Morimachi, 13mins for 230Yen
03.00pm Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome Sta (Tanimachi Line) –Higashi-Umeda Sta, 10mins for 200Yen
21.30pm Nishi-Umeda Sta (Yotsubashi Line)– Yotsubashi Sta (Walk) - Shinsaibashi Sta, 11 mins for 230Yen

Day Five, Sun 09Nov2008 (Shitennoji Temple /Tennoji Park / Tsutenkaku Tower / Hozenji Temple/The Hozenji Alley (Hozenji Yokocho) /Den Den Nipponbashi Shopping / Dinner at the Kuromon Ichiba Market.)

09.30am Shinsaibashi Sta (Midousuji Line) – Tennoji Sta (Tanimachi Line)–Shitennoji-Mae Yuhigaoka Sta, 17mins for 230Yen
12.30pm Tennoji Sta (Midousuji Line) – Namba Sta, 13mins for 230Yen
08.30pm Nipponbashi (Sakaisuji Line)–Nagahoribashi (NagahoritsurumiLine)– Shinsaibashi,6mins for 200Yen

Day Six, Mon 10Nov2008 (Himeji castle / Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum)

08.15am Shinsaibashi Sta (Midosuji Line) - Osaka Sta, 11mins for 230Yen Osaka Sta (JR West Rail Pass) - Himeji Sta, 1hr 06mins
12.30pm Himeji Sta (JR West Rail Pass 2000Yen 1day pass)–Osaka Sta (Walk) –Umeda Hankyu Sta (Hankyu Takarazuka Line 260Yen) - Ikeda(Osaka) Sta, 1hr 26mins
03.30pm Ikeda(Osaka)Sta - Umeda Hankyu Sta (Walk) - Umeda(Subway)–Shinsaibashi Sta, 33mins for 490Yen

Day Seven, Tue 11Nov2008 (Nara-Kofukuji /Nara Park (Nara Koen) / Todaiji / Yakushiji)
09.30am Shinsaibashi Sta (Midousuji Line) – Tennoji Sta (JR Yamatoji Line)–Nara Sta, 55mins for 680Yen
06.00pm Nara Sta (Midousuji Line)–Tennoji Sta (JR Yamatoji Line)–Shinsaibashi Sta , 55mins for 680Yen

Day Eight, Wed 12Nov2008
07.00am Bus leaving Nikko Hotel to Kansai Int’l Airport 1300 Yen
09.30am Kansai Int’l Airpot
11.00am Home Sweet Home

Beside the one day JR West Rail pass, what other passes should I purchase for better deal?

Cheers!

Osaka Subway 1day Pass
http://www.kotsu.city.osaka.jp/foreign/english/ticket/index....
850yen, or 600yen on Fridays

See ICOCA card, that is valid for virturelly all the JR, Subways and Private railways in Kansai Region
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4006.html

don't know how you can fit so many shopping places in day 1 & day 4

day 3: I would spend more time in Arashiyama

day 7: you can take Kintetsu from Namba to Nara. Cheaper (540Yen) & closer to Nara park.

Dear All,
Really appreciate your help and suggestions.

Ts, will certainly buy a prepaid card for convenience and No-My-Car-Day pass on Fri, thanks to you again.
Michelle, We may not go to all the shopping areas I listed in the itinerary. We shall play it by ear as we go along leisurely ya.

Getting very excisted for this trip as I usually travelled in package tours. Hope everything goes on well though the Yen is rather at the high side against SIN$.

‚ ‚肪‚Æ‚¤ Arigatougozaimasu!

Cheers!

http://www.nissin-noodles.com/mcfactory/index.html

We went on a cold raining weekday but the museum was packed. Daugher was disappointed that we didn't ''make'' our own cup noodle.

Hope you have better luck than us.

Thanks for the info, Micelle.

Actually, my initial plan was to drop by Kobe on the way back from Himeji. After second thoughs, felt it's better to visit the 1st cup noodle factory.

Does anyone know beside supermarket where else can I buy those pre-packed ramen? There is clear or miso soup sachet in it.

Cheers!