Japan Two Week Itinerary. Visiting 5 places - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima.

I didn't expect I would like Tokyo as much as I did. What a great city! We flew to Haneda Airport, it's very conveniently connected with the city center by tube. My advice: fill the immigration form online as the customs clearing will be much faster. We were out of the airport within an hour from landing, we landed at 7AM. 

Tokyo is a very big city so take it into account when planning your itinerary. It's best to plan visiting places that are in the same part of the city because even if something looks close on the map it can take an hour to get there by tube. Some of our top things to do and see in Tokyo:
- Gotokuji and Makekineko Temple - an absolute must visit for all the cat lovers. Actually, even if you're not a cat lover I'm sure you will enjoy it. It's located in such a charming, quiet neighbourhood and the temple is filled with hundreds of ceramic figures of cats. 
- Kyu Asakura House - a historic house located in Shibuya, Tokyo. The house includes a large garden reminiscent of roji, a kind of garden that surrounds a teahouse. 
- TeamLab Planets - a famous digital museum. You either love it or hate it. We loved it. If you decide to go, book a ticket online in advance and make sure to wear shorts and flat shoes.
- Ikebana Class at Sogetsu Foundation - I wasn't entirely sure if it's going to be my cup of tea and ended up absolutely loving it! We joined a traditional Japanese flower arrangement class were we watched a short presentation about Ikebana and then arranged our first own Ikebana. The classes were small, teachers absolutely wonderful and attentive. What a great way to learn about some of the Japanese culture. 
- Sushi Making Class at NOBU Sushi  - another excellent experience! We joined a sushi making class with a top Japanese chef. He owns a small sushi restaurant called NOBU sushi, and we wre lucky enough to have a private class. The chef explained everything step by step, he was so helpful and informative, and answered all our questions. We also got to eat the sushi we made, it was very good! If only we had time we would go to NOBU Restaurant for dinner because sushi classes are only held at lunchtime and in the evening the restaurant serves sushi. Bookings recommended as there are only 7 seats in the restaurant. 
- Tea Ceremony - last but not least we booked a tea ceremony class. It was very nice and also very informative, the tea ceremony host explained all the steps and talked about the history of drinking matcha, etc. I liked it a lot though I have to admit that wearing kimonos was a bit much for me.  
- Omotesando - a great neighbourhood with lots of great architecture, boutiques, designer shops and cafes. If you're looking for a great place to feel the less touristy vibe of Tokyo, this is where you should go. 
- Daikenyamacho - a similar vibe to Omotesando, a neighbourhood with plenty of coffee roasters, gourmet delis, bookstores, galleries and bars. Another great area to visit if you want to see some less touristy places in Tokyo. 
- Kappabashi Kitchen Street - here's where you will find the real Japanese knives, beautiful ceramics and many more
- Meiji Jingu Shrine - a stunning Shinto Shrine, one of the most famous ones in Tokyo for a reason. Go right after breakfast for a stunning walk in the park. And remember to buy some omamori on the way out.
- Nezu Shrine - if you can't wait for the Tori Gates in Kyoto, you should definitely visit this Shinto shrine. It's not insanely busy and the surroundings are simply lovely. 
- Senso-Ji Temple - probably the most famous shrine in Tokyo. Its beautiful but extremely busy. I would advice to go half an hour before the sunset. It won't be as busy and you will get to see it in daylight and also after dark. The temple is beautifully lit up at night and the place is almost empty. 

Arashiyama is part of Kyoto and while most people just come here just for a day to visit the Bamboo Grove, I highly recommend staying for at least one night. It's surrounded by lush, green mountains and the landscapes are absolutely breathtaking. Saying that, it's a popular place an get very crowded during the day. 

If you want to see Bamboo Forest, you should either go early in the morning (we are talking 6am or earlier), or late in the afternoon when most of the people are gone to the center of Kyoto. It's an amazing place but it gets so crowded that it can be a bit overwhelming. 

Aside from the forest, I highly recommend:
- The Sagano Sightseeing Train   - the station is few steps away from The Bamboo Grove. In peak season, it's better to book tickets in advance. (Top tip: book seats on the right for a better view on the way from Arashiyama to Kameoka). You can come back to Arashiyama by train or by boat, but keep in mind that the boat ride takes approx 2hours  
- Spend some time exploring the various temples in Arashiyama, they are fabulous. My favorite ones were Otagi Nenbutshuji Temple and Gioji Temple. If you don't want to rush, make sure to start early because most temples close at 4:30pm. If you want to save time, you can catch a taxi between temples although we prefered to walk and enjoy the beutiful surroundings of Arashiyama.
- Book a table at Shoraian - it's a stunning traditional style restaurant serving tofu-kaiseki style cuisine. Make sure you have at least 1.5h to 2h to enjoy the many delicious dishes you will be served. 
- Okochi Sanso Gorge Observation Deck - it's a bit of a climb up the stairs but so worth it. The view from the top is amazing.

There are SO many things to see in Kyoto. It's up to you if you want to visit the most famous temples, etc but if you do, be prepared for crowds, big crowds. Below I will describe some of my favourite places and things to see in Kyoto. 
- The Philosopher's Walk - it's a path that follows a cherry tree lined canal between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. Totally lovely area and worth to visit even if chrry trees aren't in full bloom. I would allocate at least half a day for this activity as there are so many temples, cozy cafes and little artisanal shops around. 
- Genko-an. It's a Zen Buddhist temple with a tranquil garden & legendary ceiling with wood reclaimed from a castle.It's such a special place and definitely worth a trip. We have spend over 2 hours there and not a single person came by. 
- Fushimi Inari Taisha - it's the famous temple with orange tori gates. So beautiful but VERY crowded during the day so we decided to go there early in the morning. We showed up there at 5:50AM and we were not alone but there were no crowds. We left around 7:30AM and when leaving, there were quite a lot of people there already. 
- Nanzenji Temple - we went there straight after we left Fushimi Inari and it was a good idea to get there pretty early in the morning. The Temple is wonderful and the view from it is even better. 
- Gion is a lovely neighbourhood for Edo-period culture and traditional arts. Lots a great little streets with traditional looking shops and houses and plenty of temples around. 
 - Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace - you have to book a spot for a guided tour of the gardens. Totally worth the visit, the groups are very small and the guide is very informative. 

We took an early train from Kyoto to Nara (it's a 15 min ride on the fast train), though if you want to, you can just take a tube. It will take longer (about 40mins) but you will skip the train station fuss. I would highly recommend taking the tube instead of the train, especially if your hotel is somewhere nearby the line that goes to Nara. 

The main purpose of our visit was, of course, to visit the bowing deers in Nara Park. What can I say? I cannot wait to go back one day. Minutes after we entered the park, we witnessed a baby deer being born. It was such a special moment, we did not expect to experience something like that.  

Later we bought some deer biscuits from one of the stalls (if you want to feed the deers, please feed them ONLY the official deer biscuits that can be purchased very cheaply on site) and decided to interact with some deers. TOP TIP! Do not feed the deers right at the entrance to the park as these deers tend to be a bit frisky and impatient. They might nibble on your leg and try to help themselves on the biscuits or your bag...It's better to hide the biscuits and just go deeper in the park. Those deers are very chilled and they will not pester you, chase you or nibble on your leg. 

And if you're planning on being a drama queen about the fact that a deer nibbles on your trousers or you're scared of wild animals, please do not go to Nara Park. Remember, this is where the deers live and you are their guest. If wild animals make you feel uncomfortable, spare yourself some trouble and go somewhere else. 

We went for lunch here and it was one of the best tuna dishes I have had in my life. It is definitely worth the wait, and if you go around lunchtime, you might have to wait up to half an hour. 

After lunch we got back to Nara Park and spend a couple more hours there just sitting on the bench, reading a book and observing deers chilling around us. Nara Park is an absolute amazing place but I do encourage you to go deeper in the park. 

Osaka is a very big city and it also feels a bit chaotic. But if you are into big city vibes and additionally want to explore the street food scene of Japan, Osaka is the place to be. The highlits include
- Dotonbori - this is where you will find the most iconic neons (like the Glico Running Man and all of the crazy 3D food neons), bars, restaurants, cafes, night clubs and food stalls. Just bare in mind, it is very loud and extremely busy, hence a tad too overwhelming for my liking. But that's my preference as many people love it. 
- Osaka Castle - a stunning castle from the outside. Inside if a big like a museum, presenting the history of the castle. You can go almost all the way to the top for a good view. 

We went on a day trip to Hiroshima from Osaka but it might as well be done from Kyoto (a train ride will take 15 mins longer). 

The main purpose of our visit was to go to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. I recommend to go as early as possible, we got in around 9:30am and it wasn't very busy yet but an hour earlier it got quite crowded inside. We took audioguides and i highly recommend it. If you take your time, it should take you about 2 to 2,5hours. 

After the museum we went for lunch here, ate some lovely udon (they have plenty of vegetarian options as well) at rested after an intense morning at the museum. 

Our last stop was a visit to the Shukkeienn Garden and I highly recommend it if you can fit it into your itinerary. It is such a stunning place to visit. We spend the rest of our day there, walking around, soaking up the calm atmoshpere and taking photos in a bamboo forest. It's about 10-15 minute walk from the station so if only you have time for a visit, it's an absolute must. 

We took a train back to Osaka around 5pm. 

We got back to Tokyo for one night just before out flight back to Europe the next day.