u/ace2alchemist

Hi All, I have booked tickets for my wife and me from India to Japan. Reaching Nov 17 in Tokyo (evening - night) and flying out from Osaka on Nov 28th, morning.

1. Staying 5 nights in Tokyo
2. 3 Nights in Kyoto
3. 3 Nights in Osaka

APA hotels look good and are in my budget. If there is anything better and cheaper, please let us know.

High-Level Planned Itinerary:

TOKYO (4 nights + 1 day trip)

1. Arrival — Narita Airport.
2. Meiji Shrine → Harajuku Takeshita Street → Cat Street → Shibuya Scramble Crossing → Shibuya Sky (sunset)
3. teamLab Planets(early morning) → Ginza (Itoya, Loft, Uniqlo flagship) → Akihabara
4. Mt. Fuji Day Trip — Chureito Pagoda → Kawaguchiko Momiji Corridor → return to Shinjuku city views
5. Senso-ji Temple→ Ueno Park→ Tokyo Tower

KYOTO (4 nights)

1. Shinkansen arrival(morning) → Fushimi Inari Taisha (afternoon- evening)
2. Nara Day Trip — Nara Park (deer) → Todai-ji Temple → Kasuga Taisha Shrine → Yoshikien Garden
3. Otagi Nembutsu Temple & Adashino Temple(early morning) → Kinkaku-ji Temple→ Eikan-do Temple
4. Sannenzaka / Ninenzaka → Kiyomizu-dera Temple → move to Osaka

OSAKA (2 nights)

1. Minoh Falls & maple trail → Osaka Castle →Dotonburi →Kuromon Ichiba Market
2. Universal Studios Japan (full day) — Super Nintendo World, Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Any other recommendations? How does the itenary look on a high level ?

Please suggest , this is our first DIY thus need all the help :)

Hi All, planning a trip with my wife to Japan for 10 to 11 days during Oct from Kolkata, India. Me and my wife are both working professionals. I have some queries as this is my 1st DIY international trip :

1. Do me and my wife need to apply separately for Japan Tourist Visa with individual details and bank balances? I'm planning to apply via VISA agent in Kolkata as I'm not comfortable doing/filling/submitting it by myself.
2. I have travel history to Finland due to Work and other Asian countries. Me and Wife visited Vietnam last year. But my wife had schengen visa rejection previously in 2023. Would this travel history matter or have any impact ?
3. Due to point 2, i don't want to book confirmed non refundable tickets. That is the reason for opting travel agent who would help us with dummy tickets. but have seen some articles that Japan visa is rejected if we applied with dummy tickets, it is true? So should i go with dummy ticket or buy costly refundable tickets?
4. Regarding savings account balance, how much should both keep? I heard around 5L balance. Honestly speaking i dont keep so much money idle in savings account but have significant amount invested in FD, MFs. Same for my wife. We both have ITRs and salary slips. So should withdraw money from my investments and keep the closing balance around 5L combined?
5. If Japan Visa is rejected do they send some email or reason why it was rejected ? May need this document to apply for refund from airlines (If I apply the confirmed flight tickets way)

Please help. Also is there any other pointers that I should be careful about or have missed?

First ever DIY trip to Japan, flying from India (CCU) in October — would really appreciate some advice before I book everything

Me and my partner have never done an international DIY trip before. we've been planning this for almost 2 months and finally have dates locked in — Oct 16 to 26/27

rough plan is:

day 1-2 in Kyoto (arriving evening day 1, doing arashiyama early morning day 2 and fushimi inari at sunset same day)

day 3 we're doing sannenzaka in the morning then heading to nara for a few hours and then taking the train to osaka by evening

day 4-5 in osaka — castle, kuromon market, one day at USJ (going tuesday hoping crowds are lighter)

day 6 taking the shinkansen to mishima then bus up to kawaguchiko for one night at a hotel

day 7 chureito pagoda at dawn then highway bus to shinjuku in the evening

day 8-11 tokyo — harajuku/meiji shrine, shibuya sky, teamlab planets, ikebukuro for electronics, asakusa on the last morning

a few things I genuinely can't figure out:

1. Can we make Base in osaka and book hotel for 5 nights and travel to Kyoto day trips, nara day trip and back to osaka instead of booking separate hotel in kyoto for 2/3 nights and osake 2 nights separately?

honestly just worried we're missing something obvious since neither of us has done this before. any advice appreciated, happy to share the full detailed itinerary if anyone wants to check it over

My main question is : The flights are damn expensive (almost 2L INR) , any tips for saving flight cost

Me and my partner have never done an international DIY trip before. we've been planning this for almost 2 months and finally have dates locked in — Oct 16 to 26/27

rough plan is:

day 1-2 in Kyoto (arriving evening day 1, doing arashiyama early morning day 2 and fushimi inari at sunset same day)

day 3 we're doing sannenzaka in the morning then heading to nara for a few hours and then taking the train to osaka by evening

day 4-5 in osaka — castle, kuromon market, one day at USJ (going tuesday hoping crowds are lighter)

day 6 taking the shinkansen to mishima then bus up to kawaguchiko for one night at a hotel

day 7 chureito pagoda at dawn then highway bus to shinjuku in the evening

day 8-11 tokyo — harajuku/meiji shrine, shibuya sky, teamlab planets, ikebukuro for electronics, asakusa on the last morning

a few things I genuinely can't figure out:

1. Can we make Base in osaka and book hotel for 5 nights and travel to Kyoto day trips, nara day trip and back to osaka instead of booking separate hotel in kyoto for 2/3 nights and osake 2 nights separately?

2. Does staying in Mt. Fuji/Kawaguchiko area makes sense ? Or a day trip from tokyo or osaka would do ?

3. Good area to stay in Tokyo ? Any modest hotel recommendation ?

4. USJ express pass — is it actually worth it for a tuesday in late october or can we skip it and do standby?

honestly just worried we're missing something obvious since neither of us has done this before. any advice appreciated, happy to share the full detailed itinerary if anyone wants to check it over

​Hi everyone!

​

​My wife and I are planning our absolute first trip to Japan from India (flying out of Kolkata) this coming October (Oct 16–26). We initially looked at travel agents, but they were overpriced and rigid, so we've spent the last few weeks building our own independent, non-backtracking "Golden Route" itinerary.

​Our goal is a mix of autumn scenery, culture, Mt Fuji, sightseeing and incredible local food (ramen, street food, wagyu skewers), anime and pop culture, and a dedicated day for Universal Studios. We are active and totally fine with averaging 20k steps a day. Budget is around 650,000 JPY (~3.5L INR) including flights.

​

​We would love your feedback on our pacing, logistical sanity check, and any hidden food gems along our route!

​

​The Master Schedule (created by Gemini)

​

​Oct 16 (Fri) - Day 1: Arrival & Transit Hub

​Land at NRT late afternoon. Buy physical Welcome Suica cards / set up Apple Wallet.

​Board the Narita Express (N'EX) straight to Tokyo Station.

​Check into a business hotel right next to Tokyo Central, grab a quick bowl of station ramen, and crash.

​

​Oct 17 (Sat) - Day 2: Shinkansen to Old Kyoto

​Morning Nozomi Shinkansen to Kyoto (booking Row E via Klook ahead of time for Mt. Fuji views).

​Drop bags at downtown hotel (Shijo-Kawaramachi area).

​Late afternoon: Rent traditional Kimonos, walk up the historic wooden steps of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka to Kiyomizu-dera Temple for sunset.

​Evening: Stroll through the lantern-lit alleys of Gion and Pontocho Alley for dinner.

​

​Oct 18 (Sun) - Day 3: Torii Gates & Bamboo Groves

​07:00 AM: JR Nara Line to Fushimi Inari to beat the weekend tourist buses. Hike the lower loop.

​Afternoon: Head west to Arashiyama. Board the Sagano Romantic Train, walk through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and visit Tenryu-ji Temple.

​

​Oct 19 (Mon) - Day 4: Bowing Deer to Electric Osaka

​Check out of Kyoto. Take the train to Nara Station, drop heavy bags into station lockers.

​Morning: Explore Nara Park to feed the bowing deer and see the Giant Buddha at Todai-ji.

​Afternoon: Kintetsu Line straight to Osaka Namba. Check into hotel.

​Evening: Dive straight into the neon street food madness of Dotonbori (Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Kobe skewers) and hit Nipponbashi for anime browsing.

​

​Oct 20 (Tue) - Day 5: Universal Studios Japan

​Dedicated weekday at USJ.

​Plan to book a 1-Day Studio Pass + Express Pass 4 (with timed entry for Super Nintendo World) via Klook exactly 2 months in advance to skip the massive lines.

​

​Oct 21 (Wed) - Day 6: Up to the Autumn Mountain (Kawaguchiko)

​Check out of Osaka. Take a morning Hikari Shinkansen to Mishima Station.

​Transfer to the pre-booked Fujikyuko Express Bus directly up to Lake Kawaguchiko.

​Evening: Walk along the lakefront to see the Momiji Corridor (Autumn Leaves Festival) illuminated at night against Fuji. Staying at an Onsen resort.

​

​Oct 22 (Thu) - Day 7: Postcard Views to Shinjuku

​06:45 AM: Local train to Shimoyoshida Station. Hike up to Chureito Pagoda for the iconic early morning clear view of Mt. Fuji. Walk down through the famous street view grid.

​Afternoon: Explore the lake viewpoints using the Omni bus loop.

​Evening: Collect luggage from lockers, board the Highway Express Bus straight to Busta Shinjuku, Tokyo. Check into a Shinjuku Airbnb/hotel.

​

​Oct 23 (Fri) - Day 8: Tokyo Neon & Scramble Crossings

​Morning: Explore Shinjuku's massive electronics stores (Yodobashi/Bic Camera) and Don Quijote. Spot the 3D cat billboard in Kabukicho.

​Afternoon: Yamanote Line to Shibuya. See the Hachiko statue, walk the Shibuya Scramble, and shop at the flagship Onitsuka Tiger store.

​Evening: Cozy dinner at a wooden counter in Omoide Yokocho.

​

​Oct 24 (Sat) - Day 9: Stationery & Digital Art

​Morning: Head to Ginza to browse premium stationery at Loft and Itoya. Quick stop in Akihabara.

​Late Afternoon: Head down to Tokyo Bay for our timed entry into teamLab Planets (the barefoot immersive art experience). Dinner at the vegan ramen café on-site.

​

​Oct 25 (Sun) - Day 10: Traditions & Souvenirs

​Morning: Visit Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Walk down Nakamise Street for final souvenir shopping, local snacks, and crafts.

​Afternoon: Last-minute packing, head back to Tokyo Station for the Narita Express, and head to NRT for our flight home.

​

Specific Questions for the Community:

​

1. Is luggage allowed in shinkansens and subway and trains?

2. If not how can we store our luggage?

3. Modest Hotel recommendations ?

4. What flights to book? CCU - NRT OR CCU - KIX ? Im getting confused 😕

5. Any general tips and suggestions to modify the itenary are welcome 🙏

​

Please help.

Hello All, me and my wife are planning to travel to Japan for 1st time from Kolkata. Planning for 10 days covering Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka. Dont want to go via travel agent (checked DPauls, they're takjng 2.2L PP for 7 nights), need some help in planning and itenary and with bookings etc. Have budget of 4 to 4.5L.

​

Could anyone help in tips and tricks or itenary planning and to dos. If someone can point me to some YT and websites, I can plan and research too. Are there any local travel agent will that be helpful?