Day 1 (11/13): Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Arrive in Osaka
- Check in at hotel
- Dining at Dotunburi
Planner's Notes: No notes for this day. Dotonburi is an excellent first stop. There will be plenty of places for both food on the street and nice restaurants as well there.
Day 2 (11/14): Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Osaka castle
- Umeda sky building
Planner's Notes: Again, no real notes. You can definitely fit more into this day. I do have a food suggestion though. It's a Japanese-style curry restaurant called, Kyuyamutei. Here is the Google Maps link to it:
https://goo.gl/maps/dUQniYxp8Np7FHbs6
Day 3 (11/15): Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Namba Yasaka
- Amerikamura
- Osaka Aquarium
- Tempozan Ferris wheel
Planner's Notes: This is a rather full day, and so I don't see the need to add anything to it.
Day 4 (11/16): Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Shitenoji
- Keitakuen
- Abenu harukas
- Tsutenkaku
- Spa World (?)
Planner's Notes: I don't know if you guys would be interested, but one of my favorite places to visit in Osaka is Spa World, which is a very short walk from Tsutenkaku. It is a massive spa (multiple stories) that attempts to recreate the style of spas from all over the world in one building. If you like an onsen or perhaps just want to relax before heading off to Koya-san, then this is a great place to go.
Day 5 (11/17): Koya-san
Activities planned by client:
- Transit to Koyasan
- Kongobuji Temple
- Daito Pagoda
- Kondo Hall
Planner's Notes: I'm not sure which temple you're planning for your shukubo, however I would ask if they have morning rites and meditation lessons that they offer to guests. Eko-in is one of the better temples in the area simply because of the fact that there are English-speaking monks. I don't think that they would mind if you joined in on their activities, even if you aren't staying there.
Day 6 (11/18): Koya-san / Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Takugawa Mausoleum
- Okunoin
- Danjo-garan Temple
- Transit to Osaka
Planner's Notes: Another note about this area. I HIGHLY suggest getting what is called a 'goshuincho'. It is a book that you can have monks place their temple's insignia on when you visit, and you buy them from temples and shrines around the country. Not every shrine or temple has a 'goshuincho', however pretty much every shrine or temple in Japan has an insignia that they will put in your book for a very small fee. It makes an excellent memento, and also the calligraphy that the monks sign your books in is beautiful.
Day 7 (11/19): Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Bicycle Centre Museum
- Sumiyoshi Taisha
- Maikoya Tea ceremony
Planner's Notes: No notes for this day. Maikoya is a decent place for a tea ceremony.
Day 8 (11/20): Osaka
Activities planned by client:
- Mino Falls
- Shinsekai Dining
Planner's Notes: No notes to add to this day, as it is very specific, so we didn't want to interrupt anything that had already been planned.
Day 9 (11/21): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- Transit to Kyoto
- Nishi Market Dining
Planner's Notes: Nishiki Market has restaurants, but the market itself isn't really a foodie place, but moreso a great place for a few street food items and a great place to go for shopping for rare ingredients and foods that you can use to prepare meals. I would 100% suggest walking through, but maybe planning on getting lunch somewhere nearby. Speaking of which, traveling from Osaka to Kyoto doesn't take very much time at all. If you took a bullet train it would be somewhere around 10 minutes. I feel like you may have only put one activity on this day because you thought it may take longer to get to Kyoto, but it is a very short journey.
Day 10 (11/22): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Kyoto National Museum
- Gekkeikan Sake Musesum (?)
Planner's Notes: If you are interested in sake and spirits, then Gekkeikan's Sake museum might be a really nice place to visit on this day. They take you on a tour of the area where they produce the sake and teach you about the differences between high quality and low quality nihonshu. I think it would be a good addition. They also let you try their sake.
Day 11 (11/23): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- Yasaka Pagoda (Hokanji Temple)
- Ninenzaka street
- Sannenzaka street
- Kiyomizu-dera
Planner's Notes: This is a very good day. I don't think that there is a need
Day 12 (11/24): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
- Arashiyama Monkey Park
- Sagano Railway
- Tenryuji Temple
- Hozugawa Kudari
Planner's Notes: I would highly suggest considering adding the Hozugawa Kudari boat ride to this day. It works perfectly if you ride the Sagano train towards Kameoka, and then take the river all the way down to the Toget Bridge. It's a traditional, 3-man boat crew. No engine, or anything else. Just 3 guys paddling you down the stream. Here is a link to the boat ride:
https://www.hozugawakudari.jp/
Day 13 (11/25): Nara
Activities planned by client:
- Day Trip To Nara
- Kasuga taisha
- Isuien garden
- Kofokuji temple
- National treasure museum
- Todaiji Temple
Planner's Notes: No notes here, this is an excellent day, however it may be slightly packed. Waking up early to go to Nara will be advantageous.
Day 14 (11/26): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- Nijo Castle
- Nanzen Temple
Planner's Notes: No notes to add to this day.
Day 15 (11/27): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- Kinkakuji Temple
- Pontocho Alley Dining
Planner's Notes: I don't know if you'd be interested, but the Kamogawa River is a nice area to ride up and down on a bike, or even walk down. I don't know if people will be out at this time of year, but typically there are artists out along the river busking, or performing for the public.
Day 16 (11/28): Kyoto
Activities planned by client:
- rest and laundry day
- onsen
Planner's Notes: I think that a visit to Kurama just north of Kyoto would be ideal for this day. The area has natural hot springs that you can visit, and since you don't have any other major activities planned, it would make for an excellent relaxation day.
Day 17 (11/29): Kyoto --> Tokyo
Activities planned by client:
- transit to Tokyo
- Dining in Memory Lane
- TeamLab Planets
Planner's Notes: I have the feeling that the reason why you guys have kept your visit to Tokyo so short, is because you've been before. I'm not sure if you've been to any of the TeamLab exhibitions while visiting, however I do think 'Planets' is one that should be experienced.
Day 18 (11/30): Tokyo
Activities planned by client:
- Yanaka
- Senso-Ji temple
- Akihabara
- Tokyo SkyTree
Planner's Notes: This seems like a very simple day. So far, I don't know if you had plans for having a guide on some of these days, but I would suggest having one on this day. Also, since all of these activities are relatively close to each other, I wanted to add Tokyo SkyTree to the list of places that I think you should visit. It gives you an amazing perspective of Tokyo, and shows you truly how massive the city is. It is also within the east side of Tokyo, so I think it would make a good addition to this day.
