This 11D10N Osaka-Kyoto itinerary was planned with one aim in mind: we wanted to travel leisurely. That means, we planned to walk as little as possible, no more than 15K steps a day, and we only visited two or at most three attractions a day.

Many people plan too much for their holiday and as a result, they are exhausted AFTER the holiday. For us, holidays are supposed to be relaxing and slow,  and that’s why we did not want a hectic and rushed holiday. We want to get to know the culture detailedly, not see everything superficially.

Shinsekai, Osaka

For an overview of our itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Osaka
Day 2: Osaka in the morning and Kobe in the afternoon. Return to Osaka.
Days 3 & 4: Ohara, Kyoto
Days 5 to 8: Kyoto city
Day 9: Day trip to Yamazaki Whiskey Distillery. Return to Kyoto.
Day 10: Nara in the day and Osaka in the afternoon
Day 11: Osaka

In this itinerary, we did not include Universal Studios Osaka because we are not children. But if you are interested, you can either add another day to the itinerary or substitute one day from Ohara for Universal Studios.

Arashiyama bamboo forest, Kyoto

Budget for Osaka and Kyoto

Hotels in total: S$1500 (¥113K) for 2 persons for 10 nights

All the hotels we stayed at are located in the city centre and they are relatively good: 3-star Hotel Il Cuore Namba Osaka, 3-star Hotel Gracery Namba Osaka, 4-star Hotel Vischio Kyoto, and Ohara Kyoto ryokan (ryokan is traditional Japanese inn which are notoriously pricy).

Fushimi Inari, Kyoto

Food, bus and train, shopping (in total): about S$1000 (¥75.5K) each person

Obviously, this part of budget varies widely, depending on the type of food you eat and the kind of shopping you do. We eat relatively well although we didn’t go to high-end restaurants. We didn’t really restrict our spending and spent mostly on snacks at Don Quixote (known to Singaporeans as Don Don Donki).

This budget hasn’t included air ticket.

Glico Man, #1 attraction in Osaka

Planning for Osaka and Travelling within Osaka 

You may want to look at Osaka Tourism official website to see if there are any special events or places that you want to visit. This page shows the various attractions and map of Osaka that you can download.

Welcome to Osaka

You may purchase the Osaka Amazing Pass which allows you free transportation within Osaka and free admission to 40 attractions. We didn’t. We used the ICOCA card which can be used in Osaka, Kyoto, and other parts of the Kansai region.

Use google maps to get around.

Kinkaku-ji (golden pavilion), Kyoto

In Osaka, try the Osaka Bang. Close your fist but open your thumb and index finger to form a gun shape. Point at a random passerby and go “Bang!” The person will pretend to be shot in an exaggerated manner.

Nara Park

Planning for Kyoto and Travelling within Kyoto 

Visit the Kyoto Tourism website to check for upcoming events.

We used the ICOCA card as mentioned above. Use google maps to get around.

If you have any questions, you may ask in the comment section.

Sanzenin, Ohara Kyoto

You may be interested in…
–10 Must Eat Food in Kyoto and Where to Find them
–5 Must Eat Food in Osaka and Where to Find Them
–Where to eat Kobe Beef in Kobe Japan: Kobe Beef KISSHOKICHI 神戸牛吉祥吉
–8-Day Self-Drive Hokkaido Itinerary: Pre-Planning

Written by Dr. A. Nathanael Ho.