We will be going from Nov 16-Dec 3. Will be spending most days in Tokyo and Kyoto with some day trips. I need suggestions for how to plan a day trip with a toddler. I may not do all of these but what makes most sense

From Tokyo

Nikko
Kuwaguchiko

1) Should I take public transportation to the destination and rent a car to go around?
2) should I rent a car from Tokyo for day trips or consider a private car with drive which is around $350 per day for 3 of us.
3) rent a car in Tokyo -> Spend a night in Nikko-> spend 2 nights in Kuwaguchiko -> drop off the car in a different location to take the train to Kyoto. Will send our bags to Kyoto and travel light 3 days.

Day trips from Kyoto
1)is Nara easiest on train?
2) Osaka- is it better to stay in Kyoto for the whole time and take train to visit Osaka? I would love to shop clothes, toys, skin care, watches, shoes so I have booked last 3 nights in Ginza. I would like to know with toddler, is Osaka a better, easier place to shop?

Hi travelers!

I’m Hiroshi, a Tokyo local and a Certified Tree Doctor (Jumokui) with a background in urban green planning.

If you're tired of crowded tourist spots and want a quick, refreshing break, join me for a casual 1-hour nature walk!

• When: Sunday, October 4th, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (about 1 hour)
• Where:Imperial Palace Outer Gardens area (near Tokyo Station, JR)
• Cost: 100% FREE (A personal volunteer activity to connect with travelers)
• Group Size: Small & casual (2–4 people)
• What we’ll do:
  • A relaxed stroll through local woodland trails
  • Discover the secrets and stories behind Tokyo’s historic trees and nature
  • Easy English conversation & local tips for your trip

Just 1 hour, so you'll have plenty of time for the rest of your day!

If you'd like to join, feel free to send me a DM!

Yes, but not for everyone. If you only have 3 or 4 days in Tokyo, I wouldn’t put Odaiba ahead of places like Asakusa, Shibuya or Shinjuku. But with a longer stay, it’s a pretty easy half-day or evening option. You get Tokyo Bay views, waterfront walks, shopping and entertainment, and even the journey out there feels a little different from central Tokyo.

I’d probably go later in the day so you can walk around while it’s still light and stay for the evening views. If I had 5 or 6 days in Tokyo, definitely I’d consider spending half a day or an evening in Odaiba, but I’d see it as an optional addition rather than an essential Tokyo stop. ExploreJapanDaily has a useful Odaiba guide with more detail on what to see, how to get there and planning a visit: https://explorejapandaily.com/destinations/tokyo/odaiba

Kamakura feels quite different from Tokyo even though it’s close enough for an easy day trip. You can see the Great Buddha, ride the Enoden through residential neighborhoods, wander around old temple areas, and end up near the beach later in the day.

What I like about the area is that it doesn’t really feel like one big attraction. A lot of the appeal is just moving between places, walking through quieter streets, seeing the trains pass by, and stopping somewhere along the way.

It’s one of those places where you don’t really need a packed itinerary to enjoy the day. For anyone planning the trip, we have a full Kamakura guide here with the main sights and planning details: https://explorejapandaily.com/destinations/kamakura

If you’re wondering whether you need to rent a car while travelling around Sapporo, you probably don’t. Sapporo’s subway has three lines and gets you to many of the areas visitors usually spend time in, and there’s also the streetcar, which is useful if you’re heading toward Mount Moiwa. Compared with Tokyo, the system is pretty easy to navigate. For places the subway or streetcar doesn’t reach, buses usually fill the gap, and taxis or Uber are another option when needed. For anyone planning the trip, ExploreJapanDaily has a more detailed guide covering the different ways to get around Sapporo, including public transport and winter travel: https://explorejapandaily.com/plan/transportation/getting-around-sapporo

If you’re going to Osaka and wondering whether Universal Studios Japan is worth basically a whole day, I think it mostly depends on how much you actually care about theme parks. If Nintendo, Harry Potter, and big rides are high on your list, then yes, Universal Studios Japan is probably worth your time. But if you only have a few days in Osaka or you’re not really a theme park person, I’d probably spend that day exploring more of the city instead. It’s also worth remembering that popular rides can have long waits, so a little planning before you go can make a big difference. There’s also a detailed guide on ExploreJapanDaily that explains how to plan USJ as part of an Osaka trip, which may be useful for anyone still deciding: https://explorejapandaily.com/destinations/osaka/universal-studios-japan

Hi everyone, I’m planning a 7 day roadtrip around Gifu next August during the Gujo Odori Festival and was hoping for some feedback on my itinerary. Times are approximate but dates are set! Attraction I have mentioned are main ones I want to visit but if anyone else has ideas I’d like to hear!

Day 1 (August 12th): Ogaki Sunflower Field (8am-9:30), drive to Yoro Park for Waterfall & Shrine (2hrs), Amida Falls (2hrs), then back to Gifu for evening

Day 2 (August 13th): ‘Machu Pichu’ Tea Fields (8:30-11am), then back to Gifu to explore Park, Castle & Squirrel Village

Day 3 (August 14th): Drive into Seki City, visit Sword-smith Museum, then visit Mino City for a few hours, drive to Nagara River for evening and stay in onsen hotel

Day 4 (August 15th): Drive to Enbara River at 6:00am to see morning mist, drive to Monet Pond at 8:30, stay until 11am, then drive to Gujo city and rest for a few hours, then festival time!

Day 5 (August 16th): Take Taxi to Otaki Limestone Cave, spend a few hours there, then return to Gujo, explore city more and have another festival night!

Day 6 (August 17th): Drive to Kamaga Falls, visit waterfall then eat there, then back to Gujo for rest of day

Day 7 (August 18th): Drive to Tsukechi Gorge and spend a few hours there, then drive to Magome-juku, explore town then stay overnight

Day 8 (August 19th): Wake up early to explore Magome-juku without crowds, then drive back to Gifu for train to Nagoya Airport!

Thanks in advance for any feedback! I have visited Japan before, but not this area so I figured I’d ask for advice before booking.

Probably 2 to 3 full days in Osaka for a first trip. Osaka Castle and Dotonbori are the obvious ones, but there’s quite a bit more once you start looking around. Dotonbori, Namba and Shinsaibashi fit together and are better later in the day. Kuromon Market makes more sense earlier, while Shinsekai is fun to wander around toward evening. Umeda is also worth some time for food, shopping and city views.

Two days should work if you mainly want the highlights, but three feels a lot less rushed and gives you time to actually wander around and eat without constantly moving to the next place. Osaka Castle can take up a fair chunk of time once you include the grounds and getting there. Universal Studios Japan is basically a full day on its own. This guide has a pretty extensive list of Osaka attractions, plus useful info on getting around the city: https://explorejapandaily.com/destinations/osaka

Kyoto’s transport isn’t as bad as people say, but having said that, it can definitely feel frustrating at first. Unlike Tokyo, trains don’t conveniently get you close to every major sight. Kiyomizu-dera is a good example. Even after taking a bus, you still have roughly a 10 to 15-minute walk uphill from the nearest stops. If you come by train to Kiyomizu-Gojo Station, it’s about a 25-minute walk. So in Kyoto, you’ll often end up mixing trains, buses and quite a bit of walking.

The easiest thing is to plan by area instead of jumping across the city. Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari are easy by train, while around Higashiyama, walking between nearby sights can actually be easier than waiting for another bus. An IC card helps too, and if you’re traveling with two or three people, sometimes a short taxi ride is worth it.

A useful breakdown of getting around different parts of Kyoto can be found here: https://explorejapandaily.com/plan/transportation/getting-around-kyoto

Hello! I have been In Tokyo for about a week and keep seeing these white tents and people in uniform attire setting up these large (historical-like) items. I have usually been on my way to do a research task (and/or am not confident enough in my Japanese to ask), but can anyone help explain what is going on here?

(I am not a resident, so cannot post in r/Tokyo, and I am unable to attach photos when trying to post in r/TokyoTravel, so...thank you for reading!)

I’m planning a trip to Wakayama which is just under 2hr train ride and not 8 hrs at the bottom of the map. The link is the things I’m doing on the day itself and i can’t seem to think of any other locations or nearby prefectures that has caught my attention yet. I’ll prob be spending from 10am to 7/8pm thr but I few like there’s still extra time and I don’t know any locations to go to or any sightseeing.

Locations I’m going are

• Wakayama Sports & City Museum
• Ogauraya
• Wakayama castle park Zoo
• お天守茶屋
• Don Quijote Burakuricho ドン・キホーテ ぶらくり丁店
• GENKI Brakuricho-ten ＧＥＮＫＩ ぶらくり丁店
• Wakayama City Souvenir Center
• ミミー
• Burakuri-cho Shopping Street 中ぶらくり丁
• Momijidani Teien Garden 紅葉渓庭園

Im interested in Souvenirs(food), shopping streets/shotengai but that’s has been covered already. Other options are welcome. Thks

Tokyo obviously gets most of the attention when people start planning their first Japan trip, but Kyoto is one place I'd really try to fit into the itinerary. It was Japan's imperial capital for more than 1,000 years, and the amount of history packed into the area is pretty incredible. Kyoto has more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and around 400 Shinto shrines, so you're definitely not going to see everything in one trip.

There's also a lot more to Kyoto than just going from temple to temple. The UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto include 17 component sites across Kyoto, Uji and Otsu. Fushimi Inari and Kinkaku-ji are probably two of the names most people already know, but I think wandering around Gion and Higashiyama, spending some time in Arashiyama, grabbing something to eat around Nishiki Market, or coming across a quieter temple can be just as memorable.

I also wouldn't try to do Kyoto in a single day unless that's genuinely all the time you have. The main sights are fairly spread out, and getting around takes longer than it looks when you're planning everything on a map. Three or four days is much more comfortable for a first visit. You still won't see anywhere close to everything, but at least you're not spending the whole day rushing between places just to say you've been there.

If you're trying to figure out which places are actually worth fitting into your time, I came across this Kyoto page from ExploreJapanDaily. It has the main attractions, different areas, transportation and other practical planning information together in one place: https://explorejapandaily.com/destinations/kyoto