Day 1: Arrival in Osaka
Take a bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. Osaka has a lot of local foods loved by many people ranging from Takoyaki to Kushikatsu. Please try various foods during stay.
Accommodation in Osaka
Day 2: Osaka
We’ll travel around Osaka Today. The most popular destination in Osaka would be Osaka Castle. Hideyoshi Toyotomi, one of the three great samurai lords in Sengoku period built this castle. You can learn the history of the castle and the city of Osaka. As Osaka has been the centre of trade and merchants for many years, you can also enjoy shopping and fresh foods from each area in Japan. K
uromon Ichiba is the biggest markets arcade in Kansai, and people enjoy walking the shopping arcade holding some local street foods in their hands. Locals in Osaka enjoy the nightlife in the greatest food city.
In Namba or Shinsekai area, there are all different types of Izakaya restaurants serving amazing food and beverages at absolutely reasonable prices.
Accommodation in Osaka
Day 3: Himeji and Kobe
Himeji is the castle town from the early Edo era. The elegant form of wings and the beauty of the appearance of the pure white castle were recognised worldwide and registered as World Heritage in 1993. Near the castle, there is a traditional Japanese garden called Kokoen Garden. This garden is often used as a filming location for Japanese movies or TV dramas. Also, there are restaurants in this garden, you can have lunch with a classic view.
In the afternoon, we’ll go back to Kobe and experience the culture. Two options are in Kobe, one is for fans of Japanese Sake. Nada area in Kobe is known as a town of sake breweries and is designated as one of the three greatest sake-producing area. There are some tours to visit breweries and try different kinds of sake. The second option is San-no-Miya area. Kobe Harbour Land is a beautiful bay site, and it has shopping and amusement centres. The huge Chinatown in San-no-Miya is also a popular tourist site. You can enjoy numerous kinds of Chinese foods there.
Accommodation in Osaka
Day 4: Kyoto
Move to Kyoto and spend a day in the centre of Japanese tradition. Kyoto has so many sites to visit that it’s impossible to introduce them all here. Among them, the sites being given favourable comments are Kiyomizu Temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Japan Holidays has a lot of local English-speaking guides. Most tourists who visit Kyoto spend one or two days for private guided tour with them. The Specialist in Kyoto will take you to the sites and explain full of history those sites have.
Nightlife in Kyoto would also be great. The traditional cityscape will be lit up and will show you different expressions. City walking at night may be possible only in Japan, an absolutely safer country. Also, as Kyoto had been the capital city of Japan for a long time, various kinds of foods arrived in Kyoto from every part of Japan, and there is a wide range of restaurants with high-quality foods and services.
Accommodation in Kyoto
Day 5: Kyoto
You may still have a lot to do in Kyoto. Highly recommended activities in Kyoto are Kimono experience, tea ceremony, samurai & ninja experience, handicrafts experience, or traditional cooking class. These hands-on activities are also popular among Japanese tourists.
In addition, traditional sweets on streets in Kyoto would be listed as a must-do in Kyoto. There are many shops and cafes, and they have matcha sweets, mochi (rice cake) sweets, soybean sweets or giant Kakigori (shaved ice sweets).
Accommodation in Kyoto
Day 6: Nara
Day trip to Nara. Nara is another top historical tourist destination. The first Imperial Court in Japan was built in this city over 1300 years ago.
That period is called the Nara era, named after this city, temples and shrines in this city is thought to be the origin of Japanese religious culture.
The huge statue of Buddha in the main hall of Todaiji Temple called the Great Buddha would be amazing. Furthermore, Kasuga Taisha Shrine is another site that is highly recommended. This shrine was built when the state of affairs in Japan was bleak during Nara era, making a wish to the god to help people. The highlight of this shrine would be the traditional architecture. The beautiful hall and the monuments that were built nearly 1300 ago are so impressive.
Nara is also known as deer. In Nara Park, near Todaiji Temple, wildlife adorable deer are walking around. You can feed them Deer Senbei (rice cracker). When you buy the Senbei on the street, you’ll be super popular among the deer and around you will be filled with them.
Accommodation in Kyoto
Day 7: Hikone and Lake Biwa
Day trip to Shiga Prefecture. There is the biggest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa, people have lived around this lake for many years. Among beautiful towns along the lakeside, Hikone would be the best to experience Japan’s tradition. This town has flourished as a castle town since the early Edo period. Hikone Castle is one of the few castles with the same shape as when it was built 400 years ago. Inside the castle ground, there are some gardens or facilities for wars. The beautiful townscape around the castle is also impressive, there are restaurants and shops for local food, snack and traditional goods.
After lunch, we will enjoy a cruise boat on Lake Biwa. The highlight of this cruise is Chikubu Island, the small island in the lake. About 1500 years ago, people considered this island solemn and sacred, built a temple and a shrine on this island.
Accommodation in Kyoto
Day 8: Kyoto to Tokyo
Transfer back to Tokyo or your next destination.
