Our itinerary for 2 weeks in Japan!

We are lucky because we are a balanced couple. When travelling, I (Giulia) am the overly-excited and overly-tired one, and Darek is the patient and zen one. I usually sprint and hurry when we are close to our destination, slow down to take just one more picture, and fall asleep on any means of transportation. Darek is more focused, less stressed - after his third trip to Japan, the excitement of the "once-in-a-lifetime" experience faded away - and sometimes he just needs another coffee.

Similarly, our itinerary worked out because it was balanced. I keep thinking that, if we had a couple more days or one more week, it would have been a more relaxing trip... But we all know that we would just have packed in more destinations and attractions :D

With balanced, I mean that we alternated very busy days with more relaxing ones. Also, we walked and saw a lot during the day, rested (and edited videos) in the evening, without waking up or going to bed at crazy hours. No sunrise at the temples or late nights at karaoke (maybe next time!).

Our full itinerary for 2 weeks!

Compared to our previous post, let's see what we managed to do (with lots of Google Maps links to help you around):

Day 0 - departure and night on the plane

If you did not know it already, 1 hour of layover is pretty tight. Thanks to our small backpack, we skipped check-in in Budapest, but we still had to go through passport control in Warsaw, as we were exiting the EU. We made it fine, but on a particularly crowded day, it would have been very stressful.

Day 1 - arrival to Tokyo, train to Shibu Onsen and a little sightseeing

This was a challenging day. Instead of sleeping on the plane, we watched The Incredibles 2, Ready Player One, and Ocean's 8. I slept a little, Darek not at all, and we landed at 9 am. 10 minutes into our Shinkansen train ride to Nagano, I went out like a light. Another local train and local bus later, at 4ish in the afternoon we arrived to our accommodation in Shibu Onsen, Hishiya Torazo Ryokan (traditional inn, map). The excitement of arriving kept us awake and happy: we visited the public baths in the village, walked around a little, tried the in-house spa, and enjoyed a fantastic dinner from 6 to 8pm. I fell asleep with my face on my phone at 8.30 :D Darek was still incredibly awake and editing the video.

Google doesn't even consider the itinerary we actually did:
Keisei Skyliner to Tokyo Ueno, Shinkansen train to Nagano,
local train to Yudanaka, bus to Shibu Onsen, and walk

The private onsen of Hishiya Torazo Ryokan

Day 2 - onsen and relax in Shibu: actually monkey park and peaceful walk around

After a good night sleep, this was a relaxing day. The walk to the Jigokudani Monkey Park was pleasant, the monkeys were adorable, and we were back in Shibu Onsen by lunch time. Afterwards, we picked up our luggage and made our way to Yamanouchi (or Yudanaka? Not sure of the name of the town). We stopped at the Kannon temple for a visit (it was exciting that my first Buddhist temple was a real temple and not just a tourist attraction!) and finally relaxed at the onsen of our second ryokan, Yudanaka Onsen Seifuso. Another delicious dinner, some editing, and we hit the hay.

A bus goes from Shibu Onsen to the Monkey Park, but we enjoyed the beautiful walk in the forest

The cutest and fluffiest monkeys ever!

Day 3 - train to Osaka and a couple of landmarks

It was a long trip to Osaka: local train to Nagano, train to Nagoya, train to Shin-Osaka, metro to Osaka, walk to Candeo Hotel (map), for a total of almost 8 hours. It might have been faster with the railway pass, but we did not have it and we were not sure which trains to take and how long it took to buy the tickets at the stations, so we decided to relax a bit and buy one ticket at a time. To celebrate Darek's birthday, we enjoyed takoyaki balls (a local specialty with octopus) at Acchichi Honpo Dotombori and then a whiskey tasting with delicious beef at Suntory Whiskey Bar. We even squeezed in a ride on the Ferris Wheel on the Hep five mall! (not really a mind-blowing view, at least at night). At the Hotel, it was simply paradise to finish the day in the rooftop heated pool.

A looong day on public transport

The birthday boy at Whiskey Bottle Bar Suntory :)

Day 4 - Osaka sightseeing

Tired from the day before, we started veery slowly, then I freaked out a little "we won't manage to see all the things in the list!" and we got moving. We spent 2,5 hours at Osaka castle, meaning the outer park, the walls, Hokoku shrine (where I bought the Red Stamp Goshuincho book!), the souvenir hall with the ninja star game, the castle itself and the historical exhibitions. When we arrived to Shitennoji Temple at 4, it was closing time :( Time for dumplings, more relaxing walks, and a simple dinner. Quite an easy day overall.

Not our actual itinerary, we used metro to the castle and bus to Shitennoji

Stunning Osaka Castle from the walls behind the main entrance

Day 5 - Universal Studios

This was a very busy and exciting day! Deciding what time to go to the Studios was a huuuuge dilemma. Finally, instead of waiting in line at 8 before opening hours, we decided to let the rest of the world queue and we would go at 10ish. At 10.30 there was no queue :) also, being a Thursday in October, there was no time restriction to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and all lines to the attractions were reasonable. The Harry Potter part was magnificent, we spent 5 hours in there :D then from 4 to 6 we explored the rest of the park, we went back to Harry Potter, and finally again to the main area to see the zombies roaming the park. We left at 7.30, meaning 9 hours at Universal Studios, totally exhausted.

Be prepared for a crowded train ride

Pure happiness!

Day 6 - train and Kobe - we skipped Himeji castle

A busy day was modified into a relaxing one. The original plan was Himeji castle in the morning (1,5 hours away from Osaka), then go back to Kobe (1+ hour) for the afternoon. We were too tired, so we decided to keep Himeji castle for the next trip :) . After a nice relaxing morning, we travelled to Kobe and explored the centre (mainly Ikuta shrine). By 6.30 we were ready for our amazing Kobe beef experience at Steakland. We were glad to spend the night in Kobe at Hotel Trusty, instead of travelling back to Osaka.

(Normally, our holidays last 4-5 days. On day 6 of documenting and posting every day, I was quite tired and almost wished for a no-tech holiday. At the same time, I could not imagine not making pictures and videos. I was struggling a bit, but Darek's evening editing was a reassuring pillar of consistency.)

Instead of taking pricey JR to Shin-Kobe, we found a local direct train
from Namba station to Kobe Sannomiya on Google Maps

Kobe beef dinner at Steakland, probably the best dinner we enjoyed in Japan!

Day 7 - train and Nara

A relatively relaxing day, compared to the amount of temples to see in Nara. Easy morning of breakfast and train from Kobe to Nara, check-in at Edosan Ryokan at 1.30ish, and we spent 4 hours in the park. We visited only 2 and a half temples: Kohkufu-ji (with the pagoda) and Todai-ji (with the giant Buddha) also inside, Kasuka-taisha (with the stone lanterns) only outside. After a relaxing bath at the onsen of the ryokan, we were served dinner in our room at 18.30. What a fantastic, delicious, surprising, marvellous experience!

Again, Google Maps proposed a perfect direct train from Kobe to Nara

Keep in mind that you will be continuously distracted by the deers :)

The gigantic statue of Buddha at Todai-ji Temple in Nara. A must-see!

Day 8 - train and Kyoto bamboo forest

Half-way through our trip, this was a day of transition. We were approaching Kyoto and Tokyo, which Darek had already visited: I relied on his memories and experience, but we still had choose what to see and what to dismiss. The problem with Kyoto is that all the main temples are on opposite sides of the city. Sightseeing in a couple of days becomes a game of tetris - my overplanning mind was overwhelmed.

In Nara, breakfast was served at 8.30 and at 10 we were out, feeding the lovely but slightly aggressive deers. On the train to Kyoto, we decided to start with Arashiyama bamboo forest, which was both far away from the centre and also a new sight for Darek. We spent a couple of hours there and in the nearby park, and made our way to Uronza Guesthouse in the centre by 5ish. Relax, easy dinner at a "fast food", and back to the guest house to rest.

Google Maps was so helpful in choosing the best connections

People-watching at Arashiyama bamboo grove in Kyoto, approx. 3 pm

Day 9 - Kyoto - Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple, Philopher's Path, and Pontocho by night

What a glorious, efficient and sunny day! I still don't know how, but we visited Nijo Castle in the centre, Kinkaku-ji Temple on one side of the city, the Philosophers' path on the other side of the city, and still had energy for a walk and dinner on Pontocho street.

We visited Nijo Castle from 10.30 to 13, as usual spending more time on gates and exteriors than inside (but in this case, only because it was forbidden to take pictures: the interior of the palace was gorgeous and super interesting). Lunch, bus to Kinkaku-ji, and at 2.30 we were at the gates. It's really crowded, but the Golden Pavillion is worth it! The path is quite short and restricted, so at 4 we were out and with still a bit of sunlight left! After 20 minutes by bus, we reached the Philosophers' Path. I'm sure that one could spend a whole day there, visiting every temple along it, but we only enjoyed a slow stroll by the narrow canal, and we were done by sunset at 5.30 ish. Finally, Pontocho street was torture: an endless sequence of restaurants, all with inviting aromas and traditional furniture, all a bit more expensive than we wished, but after all impossible to ignore. We were satisfied with our choice and even more satisfied to lie down our tired bodies on the bed at 8.30 :D

Screenshot from my Google Maps Timeline. Pretty useful!

Too many people in your picture? Cover them :)

Day 10 - Kyoto - Tea ceremony, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera

A tiring but exciting day. When we signed up for the morning tea ceremony at our Uronza Guesthouse, we had no idea that we were actually going to watch it AND perform it. It was really fun! (and a wake-up call on how clumsy we are :D )

Due to Kyoto's painful geography, we chose to visit Fushimi Inari shrine and Kiyomizu-dera temple, which are on the same side of the city. We hiked to the top of the Torii path in a couple of hours and spent approx. three in total (12 to 3). After lunch and a few train stops back, we made our way to Kiyomizu-dera temple through a very suggestive cemetery. Even though part of the temple is covered for renovations, the view from the terrace was still lovely and the pagoda was marvellous :) On the way back to the centre, we walked down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, narrow streets with cute houses and traditional shops, very cute but it gave off a Disneyland vibe. Dinner at Il Lago with Anri, an old friend of Darek's, and home.

Blue is the train, light blue is on foot

Pagoda + golden hour = a feast for the eyes! This is at Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Day 11 - train to Hakone and sightseeing, night in Hakone

Some rest and some activity. Waking up early was hard, but we were on a Shinkansen train by 9 and we got off at Odawara at 12! I will probably write another post about Hakone and the way it's organized. We were super-efficient this afternoon after turning our itinerary around because of early sunset: we managed to cross Lake Ashi on the pirate ship while the sun was still high, see Mount Fuji from the lake and from the ropeway, smell the sulfure at Owakudani station, and make our way back on Japan's oldest mountain railway to Hakone-Yumoto after sunset. After dinner and after making the daily video, we even had energy for a few drinks and chats in the common room of Guesthouse Azito!

On the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo you can see Mount Fuji!

Our clock-wise tour of Hakone, starting from Hakone-Yumoto

A postcard! Taken on the boat from Moto-Hakone to Togendai

Day 12 - morning in Hakone, evening in Tokyo

Late night = late morning! Even though we did not do much, this was quite a tiring day.

Breakfast from the supermarket, backpacks in a locker at the station, and off we were to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, which was really interesting and unique. We visited the vast grounds from 12 to 2,  but we could have stayed longer. Lunch, local train, local train, Tokyo train, metro, walk... We were at our accommodation at 6pm, quite tired but excited to be in Tokyo for Halloween! We set out to Shibuya Crossing to explore and find these crazy Japanese dressed-up people. We were not disappointed :) Still, after one hour of crowd-watching and crowd-crossing, we made our way to a popular "gyoza" dumpling spot in Harajuku, made friends with Tegan and Matt from Australia, and enjoyed a beer together while swapping Japan advice :)

Sooo many stations in Tokyo, but Google Maps is your friend

Our walk from Shibuya Crossing to Harajuku and back

Gorgeous art at Hakone Open-Air Museum

Day 13 - Tokyo - Shibuya, Shinjuku, Senso-ji Temple, Asahi terrace, Golden Gai

Still tired from the day before (and the day before that), this day started pretty late and made me a bit nervous. In the morning, we had to move to our second hostel (super cool Book and Bed Shinjuku), exchange cash, find breakfast, buy gifts, all with our backpacks and with the thought of all the places we would NOT visit constantly bugging me. Only 2 days in Tokyo, it was just as hard as Kyoto!

Finally, some pieces of the puzzle found their own place. Close to the hostel, we got some delicious street food and visited a festival at Hanazono Shrine. By 3, we were in front of Senso-ji Temple, the oldest Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, bathed in beautiful golden light. At 5ish the sun was setting, so we crossed the bridge and reached the Sky Room of the beer-shaped Asahi skyscraper (genious!). Ramen at 7.30 and we still had energy for a whiskey in the Golden gai streets of tiny bars. A reminder of how the location of your accommodation is eeeeeverything.

We spent a lot of time in the metro

The Asahi building, shaped like a beer! Clever Philippe Starck!

Day 14 - Tokyo - Metropolitan Government Building, Meiji-Jingu Shrine, MoriArt museum, night by Narita Airport

Our last day! No matter how tired we were, this was our last precious day. No time to spend wandering around fancy Ginza, pop Akihabara, traditional Yanaka, no time for the Imperial Palace or for the arcades. We chose the morning view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building (fantastic), a walk through the park until Meiji-Jingu shrine (fascinating wild park, very humble shrine) and MORI Digital Art Museum (absolutely amazing). The Digital Art Museum definitely deserves another post, but let me just say two things: 1- buy the tickets in advance on the website! We stood in line just 30 minutes thanks to that, and 2- plan at least 3-4 hours to enjoy, explore, get lost, see the same room twice with totally different art in it. Also DO NOT waste time on the Floating Nest room.

Out at 7.15, metro, fast food dinner, train, arrival to our hotel by Narita Airport at 11.30 at night. That took much longer than expected and drained our last energies.

Not our actual itinerary! We took metro and train from Meiji Jingu to MORI and back

Keep calm at the Digital Art Museum, or you will end up with overly-excited blurry pictures like me! :)

Day 15 - early flight back home, night in our bed :)

We were soooo so happy we stayed by the airport. Waking up at 7.30 was hard enough, I would have killed somebody if I had to wake up at 6 in Tokyo city centre. Also, not having luggage to check-in allowed us to go straight through security and passport control :) Again, no sleep on the plane and rushing at Warsaw Airport, but this time WE BOUGHT POLISH DOUGHNUTS so I was happy. :)

Super weird to wake up in Japan and go to sleep in Budapest in the same (long) day.

So, what did we learn?

• Giulia can still improve her stress management skills
• Darek is much better at editing videos on the road than at home
• We need to include relaxing days, to avoid freaking out
• I actually really need to travel with an enjoyment mindset, instead of an Instagram-driven bucket-list-ticking mindset (or a blog/vlog mindset - hmmmm)
• We really love to have active holidays and to explore different cities, accommodations and eating styles
• Travelling light was an excellent choice
• There is still so much to see, that Japan is already back on our bucket list :D

Do you think that our itinerary would be suitable for you? Or not? And why? Let us know in the comments! Cheers!