Yay you’re coming to Japan! This was my very first time in Japan, so I planned on visiting the big cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Mount Fuji and Uji (for the love of matcha) had also been on my bucket-list, so the itinerary revolves around these places.

I’d say that this itinerary is quite ambitious, because we jumped from one place to another pretty quickly and of course, did a lot of walking. In the end, we ended up not really following the itinerary haha.

For example, I didn’t end up going to Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari Taisha. I also didn’t go to all the lunch/dinner places I listed on the itinerary, unless I booked them beforehand. But hopefully this itinerary could serve as a rough reference for your Japan trip planning 🌻

✨➡️ So this is my Japan itinerary spreadsheet.

DAY 1 – 2: Tokyo (Ginza)

DAY 2 – 4: Kyoto – Uji – Nara – Kyoto

DAY 3 – 5: Kyoto – Arashiyama – Osaka

DAY 6 – 8: Osaka – Kawaguchiko – Tokyo (Shinjuku)

DAY 8 – 9: Tokyo

And here’s more on the things I loved and some tips:

💡 Tips

1. Book Shibuya Sky tickets beforehand

Or at least 1 day before. I didn’t end up going to Shibuya Sky because I planned on going in the evening, and the tickets had sold out.

2. Wear comfortable shoes

There’s going to be so much walking so wear your comfiest pair of shoes.

3. Pack light for clothes

I did a massive haul at Uniqlo and GU lol 🥹 and wore them on the trip right away.

4. Cash & cards?

Definitely always have cash on your wallet.

p.s. for my fellow Indonesian peeps, I use OCBC NISP Global Wallet Debit Card and it’s such a lifesaver for me. No need to stuff that many cash during travel and I could always save & store JPY before the trip. I could wait until I got the best exchange rate and store it on my bank account later.

💖 Things I Loved & Recommend

1. Eating at Shoraian when in Arashiyama

2. Really took some time to relax and taking it slow at Kawaguchiko

I didn’t end up going to the Shibazakura festival because I arrived a bit later and probably past the full bloom peak. I loved staying at Ooike Hotel and enjoyed their onsen.

3. Onsen!

I admit it was a bit uncomfortable to use a public bath, but I actually grew to like it so much. Nothing feels better to soak in a warm bath after a looooong walk. My tiredness just went away and I could get a good night sleep 😊

I didn’t research beforehand about which hotels have onsen, because I wasn’t too interested. But this experience proved me wrong, and I’m glad to share which hotels on my trip that have onsen, like:

• Ooike Hotel
• Mitsui Garden Hotel Ginza Gochome
• Hotel Elcient Kyoto
• Hotel Granvia Osaka
• Gracery Hotel Shinjuku

4. All the nice food everywhere

You can find my complete top eat list in Tokyo here. I also truly enjoyed having a traditional omakase at Sushi Dan.

5. Going to Uji

Uji is such a haven for matcha lover. There’s matcha everywhere I go– in desserts, lunch, souvenirs, curry. I loved it. Click here to see my version of things to do at Uji.

6. Staying overnight at Arashiyama and going early to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Arashiyama is a really nice area to stay, especially in the evening when it gets quiet and serene. I stayed at MUNI Kyoto in Arashiyama and wrote the full review here: Hotel Review: MUNI Kyoto, Arashiyama.

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Hope this helps! If you have more recommendations for Japan, list them out on the comment below 🌻

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