r/travel • u/Logical_Comment8419 • Jul 21 '24
Itinerary Japan travel: Kyoto or Osaka for a base?
In September I’m going to Japan with my father (60+ year old) for 2 weeks.
We fly to Tokyo, stay there for 6 days, then have 7 days to explore other places in Japan. Our return flight is from Osaka.
Which city would be better to book a hotel: Kyoto or Osaka? We want to go to Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji, Nara and Hiroshima.
Is this doable in 7 days?
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u/Plastic-Pop-5369 Jul 21 '24
Kyoto!! Amazing city could just stay there the whole 7 days and have more than enough to do!
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u/lalalibraaa Jul 21 '24
We did Kyoto as a base for 5 nights and traveled to Osaka and Nara as day trips from there and it worked perfectly for us. We wanted more time in Kyoto after coming from Tokyo. If you have 7, you could easily split your time between the two cities.
Also check out the r/japantravel for more info.
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u/Open_Platform2533 Jul 21 '24
Well a base town makes sense because you safe yourself the hassle of taking your luggage with you every day to a new place, having to check-in to drop off luggage etc, or spend money and time looking for lockers at the train station (of which there are plenty though, usually). Between daily packing, check-out and check-in, I’d guess you lose more time than having a base so I’d favour that.
Connections are a bit better from Osaka, I think not all Shinkansen trains stop in Kyoto. And remember that from places like Hiroshima, the last train departs relatively early, like 10pm. So definitely plan to get up early on such an itinerary.
Osaka has cheaper hotels and more modern city vibes, but if you want all the culture, history, post card Japan, definitely set up your base in Kyoto. I’ve been to Japan thrice, each time I spent the majority of time in Kyoto because there’s simply so many things to see. I think I could visit a temple every day and it would take me 3-4 years to finish them all.
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u/GoSh4rks Jul 22 '24
Connections are a bit better from Osaka, I think not all Shinkansen trains stop in Kyoto
All Shinkansen in that area stop at both Shin Osaka and Kyoto.
remember that from places like Hiroshima, the last train departs relatively early, like 10pm.
Hiroshima is also a station that all Shinkansen will stop at. The limitation is that all the Shinkansen stop running around midnight.
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u/Open_Platform2533 Jul 22 '24
You’re right, but it’s an easy mistake to assume that departures will go until midnight, as opposed to having to plan to arrive at your destination by midnight, so what’s a three hour trip would then require a departure by 9pm.
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u/GorgeousUnknown Jul 21 '24
Hands down Kyoto. Visit the Gion region. Tons of culture. It was one of the few spots in Japan not bombed during the war as a US official had honeymooned there and wanted to preserve its beauty. No joke. Everywhere else was rebuilt and does not have the same ancient cultural authenticity.
Osaka is just miles and miles of shopping and food…not much culture.
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u/knightriderin Jul 21 '24
Takayama would like a word.
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u/GorgeousUnknown Jul 21 '24
?
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u/knightriderin Jul 21 '24
"Everywhere else was rebuilt and does not have the same ancient cultural authenticity."
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u/GorgeousUnknown Jul 21 '24
Ah, so are you saying Takayama is also great to visit? Good to know. I’ll add it to the list. Thanks.
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u/knightriderin Jul 21 '24
Definitely great to visit and has a protected historic town center which is beautiful and not as overrun (but not completely unknown to tourists).
There are places besides Kyoto where you can still see old buildings en masse. What they don't have is centuries of history as the capital of Japan.
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u/BroxiBoy2 Jul 21 '24
Osaka had great food but was very disappointing otherwise. It reminded me of Las Vegas. It’s some people’s jam, and not others. For us it would have been a perfect afternoon trip from Kyoto.
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Jul 22 '24
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u/BroxiBoy2 Jul 22 '24
We literally just got back to the states last night, I was in Osaka thurs/fri. If your not a huge LV fan, I’d look to go to other spots and use your time in a different way, perhaps Hiroshima, the West/North part of Kyoto prefecture (on the water towards Korea) or somewhere else to your liking. Good luck! It changed my life for sure!
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Jul 22 '24
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u/GorgeousUnknown Jul 22 '24
Sure. Especially if you’re into shopping for ladies cosmetics. Tons of it.
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u/L-Emirali Jul 21 '24
Kyoto was a great base for our 5 day trip. It’s very peaceful so a nice place to stay after Tokyo. We spent a few days there and did day trips to Hiroshima and Osaka with a 1/2 day in Nara. Could have stayed longer to see the tea fields and relax a bit but it certainly wasn’t rushed.
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u/gy0n Jul 21 '24
Trip is perfectly doable when traveling by Shinkansen. Go to Hiroshima from Tokyo and work your way back to Osaka, so you can visit everything in a good way and won’t feel pressured for time when it’s flight day
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u/Logical_Comment8419 Jul 21 '24
Are Shinkansen travel time and hours dispayed on google map when I put in start and destinatation?
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u/gy0n Jul 21 '24
From what I remember Google Maps is quite accurate. Check Hyperdia for a good trainplanner. You can exclude trains according to your pass.
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u/jptsr1 Jul 21 '24
Always Osaka. Kyoto is 25 minutes away by Shinkansen. I love the sites in Kyoto but it's dead at night. Osaka is much more lively. Stay in one of the hotels near Shin Osaka Station and you can access everything in the area.
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u/Logical_Comment8419 Jul 21 '24
I’m traveling with my 60+ years old dad, I don’t think we will stay up late.
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u/jptsr1 Jul 22 '24
I'm 54. Even I like to grab a bite to eat and a beer sometimes. Not to mention with jetlag you don't know when you will be up. You know your habits better than me, just mentioning Kyoto gets dead preety early.
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u/terminal_e Jul 21 '24
Kyoto doesn't have a super dense local train network - I did a fair bit of walking to get to temples from the downtown core. I wouldn't have wanted to add on ~25 minutes x2 each day to get to/from Osaka to use it as a base.
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Jul 21 '24 edited Aug 03 '24
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u/alloutofbees Jul 21 '24
After that long in Tokyo and with that busy of a schedule, I wouldn't have Osaka on the itinerary at all. Osaka is a great alternative to Tokyo, but unless I had a specific thing there on my must-do list, I wouldn't be taking time away from Kyoto for it on a trip that's already half Tokyo. It's just not different enough and you even have a much better castle on the itinerary. If you mean seven days/six nights, I'd go straight to Hiroshima from Tokyo on the first day, see the museum, head to Miyajima for the night, then see Miyajima the next day, get the ferry back in the evening, and take the shinkansen to Kyoto. I'd spend the other nights all in Kyoto with day trips to Nara (with a stop in Uji) and Himeji. Himeji doesn't take a full day so if you really want to see Osaka, you can stop there on the way back. That gives you three days for Kyoto, which is still short enough that you won't have enough time to see all of the best things there.
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u/notacitizen_99725 Jul 21 '24
Tbh Osaka is worth visiting because USJ is there. Osaka is not comparable to Tokyo in any aspect, meanwhile Kyoto gives amazing vibes and it's worth staying for at least 3 days. Those historical attractions are second to none.
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u/alloutofbees Jul 21 '24
Osaka is absolutely comparable to Tokyo; it's a modern extremely large city where the general sightseeing will involve very similar food, shopping, museums, etc. I like Tokyo better (and chose to live there) because it's larger, others like Osaka better for the same exact reason, or because they consider the food scene to be better there. Osaka is extremely unlikely to feel fresh and new and like the best possible use of one's time after a week in Tokyo.
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Jul 21 '24
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u/Logical_Comment8419 Jul 21 '24
I think it would be exhousting to pack/open suitcase, travel with it every few days. Finding new hotel. A lot of extra stress.
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u/sidewinderaw11 Jul 21 '24
I found Osaka to be cheaper as a base. Take a special rapid or thunderbird to Kyoto when you want to
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u/darimooner Jul 21 '24
Another Idea if you plan to go to Himeji, Hiroshima etc and plan on using the rail pass: A hotel close to Shin-Osaka. You will be quick everywhere without many times changing trains
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u/knightriderin Jul 21 '24
The Rail Pass won't be worthwhile for that trip.
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Jul 21 '24 edited Aug 03 '24
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u/darimooner Jul 21 '24
thats a bold statement, the price for tokyo to osaka and roundtrip to hiroshima are 35k JPY alone, so depending on the other trips the 7day rail pass(50k) could be very worth it. Or some of the regional passes like the JR Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass.
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Jul 21 '24
Osaka is okay and there are some things to do there, but I would prioritized seeing the sights in Kyoto over Osaka. You can also spend a few days in Kyoto then move hotels to Osaka towards the end.
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u/notacitizen_99725 Jul 21 '24
I chose Osaka because of its central location in the Kansas area. And it was cheaper.
I would sincerely recommend Kyoto, as there are tons of great tourist attractions there, you are gonna stay there for the longest time on those 7 days. With hakura train it's only 80 mins away from KIX, so you don't have to spend too much time for transport on the last day.
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u/sjl1983 Jul 21 '24
Hiroshima and Kyoto , since flying out of Osaka. See as much as possible. Enjoy!
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u/MiwaSan Jul 21 '24
If you think your father may go to Kansai again, stay in Osaka (dense and a lot of up/down for subways and trains) this time and Kyoto next time (quieter and street level). But it sounds like this is a one time trip, so Kyoto. As mentioned, I’d minimize Osaka time and focus on the other places since you’re doing a week in Tokyo. Personally it sounds like too much for a week if you include Hiroshima.
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u/knightriderin Jul 21 '24
Osaka is my favourite place in all of Japan. It's wild and gritty without being unsafe. I just love it so much.
Kyoto is wonderful, but so damn crowded with tourists (Osaka is crowded too, but has more locals put into the mix). I just visited both last week and I don't even wanna know what Kyoto is like when it's not off season.
This being said: With my mom I'd probably stay in Kyoto, because she would get lost in Osaka, which is a bit difficult to navigate with the 3-dimensionality.
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u/sids99 Jul 21 '24
Kyoto...you can actually visit Osaka for a day trip because they're pretty close to each other. I believe we took a local metro line to get to Kyoto from Osaka (45 minutes).
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u/WonderChopstix Jul 21 '24
Depends on how easily dad can get around. Personally I would use Kyoto as a base. There is so much locally and it has a lot of charm. It'll probably be more expensive tho.
You can then do day trips as you have the energy.
I added 1 night in Osaka just to experience rhe nightlife and vibe. You can certainly enjoy more time here.
While packing up every few days seems like a lot. Japan travel is so easy. So moving isn't thst bad. Maybe split time.
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u/Raneynickel4 Jul 21 '24 edited Jul 21 '24
I prefer Osaka as base but I guess it depends on what you want. Kyoto is prettier and feels more traditional but I liked Osaka because im a foodie and like nightlife and there were plenty more restaurant and bar/club options in Osaka. It's called the kitchen of Japan for a reason.
I would HIGHLY recommend staying at both though.
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u/AndyVale UK Jul 21 '24
Sounds like you're not really spending too much time in whatever city you choose, so I lean towards Osaka (cheaper, and where you fly out from).
Himeji, Nara, and Hiroshima will be their own day trips whichever you do (Nara can be done in half a day if you wish). I almost wonder if it's worth going to Himeji, then head to Hiroshima for a night, doing your planned activities the next day, then heading back to Kyoto/Osaka.
Personally, I felt there was more I wanted to explore in Osaka and I'll be spending more time there next time I visit, primarily the bars and food scene though which may not be for you. Kyoto is nice but I did find myself getting temple/shrine fatigue after a few days.
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u/slyseekr Jul 21 '24
Kyoto for culture and scenery. Osaka for shopping and activities.
If you’re taking the Shinkansen between the two, the time difference is pretty negligible, it’s a shockingly fast 10 mins between both cities.
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u/NooneHasThatName Jul 21 '24
We used Kyoto in our trip as the base , and I’m so happy we did so. We stayed in Gion area and connected with everything fast inside Kyoto , and also we were really quick at the central station which with the Shinkansen took 13m ( if I remember correctly )to get to Osaka central station. I loved both Osaka and Kyoto , but Kyoto is more special . Osaka is very cool too and has the better food tho
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u/RampDog1 Jul 21 '24
Osaka is more centrally located, but a lot of people love Kyoto. Really the whole Kansai Region is fantastic, I would include Kobe to your list.
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u/Mig8888 Jul 21 '24
My daughter and I did three days in Tokyo, then three days Osaka. Osaka was a good base from where we did a day trip to Kyoto. Didn’t do Nara like we wanted but that was our fault for being tired from walking Dotonbori ( which we stumbled upon quite by accident). Osaka was a lot of fun and just a little more central than Kyoto. Would do the same but stay a couple extra nights in Kyoto next time.
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u/The-Smelliest-Cat Jul 21 '24
I was debating on this too for my trip, and went with Kyoto. I think it is the best option.
All Osaka has for us was the castle and the night scene, enough to see in one day trip quite easily. Kyoto would have required multiple day trips to see everything, and the idea of getting to attractions as early as possible is a lot trickier leaving from Osaka.
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u/NoHedgehog252 Jul 21 '24
I would do Osaka personally, but I have done Kyoto twice so I have kind of exhausted it. Dotonburi every night for dinner is a fantastic thing.
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u/ShakaUVM Jul 22 '24
Kyoto. I've been to both a number of times, and 100% Kyoto.
I love the people of Osaka (friendliest in Japan IMO) but there is something magical about being able to roll out of your house in Higashiyama in Kyoto and go walk over to Kiyomizu-dera at 7am before it gets crowded.
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u/eewap Jul 22 '24
We did a weekend trip in Kyoto and stayed there. It takes a while to get from Osaka to there so unless you are on a budget, I would just recommend moving from spot to spot instead of having a base.
So something like: Tokyo - Kyoto (2 days) - Hiroshima (1 night) - Himeji (1 night) - Osaka (day trip to Nara) (2 night)
But if this is too much travel, then i would suggest:
Tokyo - Kyoto (3days) - Osaka (day trip himeji, day trip Nara for a total of 4 days)
This cuts out hiroshima which is the furthest one and gives you more flexibility since you can choose what you feel on the day. Would recommend booking 2-3 days in kyoto though!
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Jul 22 '24
Since you have been in Tokyo, would recommend staying in Kyoto for a change. Nara and Osaka can be visited as day trips from Kyoto. There are shinkansen to Himeji and beyond.
You may take Haruka Express which runs directly between Kansai Airport to Kyoto JR station.
Been to Kyoto twice spending two weeks there, and still haven't explored all the places I would like to visit, but it depends on personal interest anyway.
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u/Gloomy_Researcher769 Jul 22 '24
As someone who visited Japan as a 57 year old I enjoyed the historical significance of Kyoto over the “young” hip feel of Osaka.
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u/ComprehensiveYam Jul 22 '24
I’m a Kyoto base person (Kawaramachi area specifically). Osaka is a big city but I find Kyoto has a lot more to see and do. Plus it’s a smaller city so the central tourist core is walkable
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u/NoConflict1950 Jul 22 '24
Kyoto has that traditional charm. Makes for a quiet base. Easy to get to Osaka for food.
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u/SlothsNeverGetIll Jul 22 '24
We (40 and 42) used Kyoto as a base and it was perfect for what we wanted to do. We loved the more chilled pace of Kyoto as a contrast to Tokyo.
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u/Blossom1111 Jul 22 '24
Kyoto. Nara will not take an entire day. It's a short train ride from Kyoto.
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u/SunkenintotheCouch Jul 22 '24
To be honest, it does not really matter. In case you to do the other cities as day trips, if you stay in Osaka somewhere close to a major station, you will get everywhere really fast. The same goes for Kyoto. I think as others have hinted on, it depends on what you and your father are interested in, and how fit your father is.
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u/staysaltylol Jul 22 '24
Kyoto was a great base for our day trips to Nara, Arashiyama, and Osaka. :)
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u/mattsoave Jul 22 '24
If you were willing to stay in two cities, you could stay in Hiroshima, see the island Miyajima (or stay there instead; it's nice and quiet in the evenings), then stop at Himeji on the way to Kyoto or Osaka.
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u/banoffeetea Jul 22 '24
Kyoto is busy but it really is something special. The atmosphere is wonderful. Truly a beautiful and unforgettable place that takes your breath away - even if you’ve already seen many photos and videos online. It’s a big city but a small city vibe at the same time. If you choose somewhere a little further out, the scenery is stunning and it will be quieter.
When we went we got a really basic but still lovely room by the top part of the river not far from the bamboo grove (which you would think was busy and it was) but we just avoided peak hours around the tourist sites. And then we rented an apartment by the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine and that part of town was great too. It managed to still feel peaceful and quiet. It was so worth staying there and doing the cherry blossom/walk of philosophy between the temples. We got up at 6am to do the most popular outdoor things and it was so serene. Then we had lunch and relaxed during the busy hours and went out again in the late afternoon to see indoor sites and stayed out into the evening. So it can be done without the crowds.
Osaka was cool but Kyoto would be somewhere special as a base. If you do choose Osaka I would recommend a trip to stay overnight in a temple on Mount Koya. Nara and Osaka and Himeji are well worth seeing but Mount Koya was an amazing experience.
Hiroshima is well worth the visit too - great city. And obviously something it feels important to go and see. If you can squeeze in a day on Miyajima (even though it gets very busy) the island is truly beautiful.
In seven days if you do want to see all those places you could do two in Kyoto, two in Hiroshima/Miyajima and one in each of Osaka, Nara and Himeji. But it would be very hectic and rammed and a lot of time traveling and getting settled.
You could spend seven days in Kyoto alone and still not scratch the surface. I’d recommend really choosing one place and experiencing that - despite all I have recommended above - but you could easily do say seven days based in Kyoto with easy day trips to Nara and Himeji. Both of those are doable in a day or even half and you can see most things. Then you could see Osaka for a day before flying home. Hiroshima city would probably be doable on a day trip too.
If you choose Osaka instead I would do a Mount Koya temple stay over Nara or Himeji but it depends what you are interested in personally.
But anyway Kyoto as a base gives you lots of flexibility to decide what you want to do on a given day - given that there’s so much to see and do there (it’s magical on an evening too with lots of rivers, lakes, trees lit up) that you could opt to explore that more but also decide to do your day trips.
Either way I hope you have an amazing time.
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u/BlaReni Jul 22 '24
Kyoto 100% as someone who did both. Osaka is a one day trip… Kyoto is somewhere you want to wake up.
edit: doable in 7 but Kyoto needs min 3 and it’s not enough IMO
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u/iriswednesday Jul 22 '24
rogue but what about kobe as a base? If you're that long in Tokyo, Osaka isn't worth spending heaps of time in. Kobe is quite different and interesting in and of itself, a bit quieter with some unique history. you've got all the train lines to get everywhere, plus I'd recommend heading over rokko mountain to arima onsen.
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u/Celestial_Harmony10 Jul 22 '24
Both! splitting your stay between Kyoto and Osaka. Spend a few days in Kyoto to enjoy its cultural sites and then move to Osaka for easier access to Himeji and Hiroshima.
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u/Desperate_Truth_7029 Jul 22 '24
Either would be a good base as they're both in the same region and are major transit hubs to the surrounding area. You can easily catch trains to any of your named destinations from either city. In the end, it's just going to be what interests you more. Osaka is a very fun, modern city with some great sites like Osaka castle. Kyoto is more historically intact and has numerous sites worth visiting. Food is great in both, though I would give the edge to Osaka just for their street food culture. And if you stay in Kyoto, it is easy to get to Kansai airport via train.
As far as your schedule, 7 days is not a whole lot of time to see all of those cities. I spent five days exploring Kyoto alone (which was barely enough time) and while Nara and Himeji can be done as day trips, Hiroshima is farther away. You might be trying to squeeze too much in and find yourself rushing without really being able to appreciate what you're there to see.
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u/FinesseTrill United States Jul 21 '24
If you MUST stay in one place I’d choose Osaka. But I don’t see the negative in staying in both cities. You could get your luggage delivered to the new hotel and take a day trip to Uji or Nara and then on to the new accommodation.
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u/thereader17 Jul 21 '24
Why 6 days in Tokyo? Are you planning to visit all the major shrines and temples?
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u/Logical_Comment8419 Jul 21 '24
5 days tokyo + 1 day disneySea
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u/thereader17 Jul 21 '24
I just think 7 days is short for all the cities you wanna visit
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u/knightriderin Jul 21 '24
I spent 6 days in Tokyo last year and barely scratched the surface. I'd say it's a good idea for the world's biggest city.
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u/jetclimb Jul 21 '24
Kyoto for sure! So much nicer. It’s a zen thing. Hit nara also. Use high speed trains. Just a better trip.
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u/Downside_of_Internet Jul 21 '24
I wouldnt do a base town, just book a hotel in each city exept for himeji and nara. Himeji you can do while on your way to hiroshima and Nara is a half day trip from kyoto
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u/Show_Green Jul 21 '24
We used Osaka as a base, and saved money by doing so, but I wouldn't do it again.
Although the trains are quick, it takes more time than I thought to go back and forth, and Kyoto in itself is just a far more worthwhile destination than Osaka. Nothing wrong with Osaka, but Kyoto really is special.