Feb. 12 - 16, 2016 (5D4N): Last leg of our 2016 Asia trip after visiting HK and Taiwan.  Kansai Region includes Osaka - Kobe - Nara - Kyoto.  It is the culture capital of Japan with many temples to visit, amazing food to sample (ramen, yakitori, blowfish, and Kobe beef), and you even get to hang out with over 1000 deers at Nara.  You can combine this trip with a visit to Tokyo.

^Covered under the 3 day JR Kansai Pass

*Highly Recommended

Day 1

• Evening flight arrival at Osaka (KIX); pick up JR 3 day Kansai Pass (~Y5300)
• JR Haruku to Tennoji Station^ (34 mins) + subway to St. Regis Osaka
• Dinner @ Ichiran, Dotombori*

Day 2

• Coffee/OJ in the room (St. Regis butler service)
• JR to Kobe Sannomiya station^ (45 mins)
  • Kobe City Hall observation deck (10-10pm; 24th floor, 2 decks; free)
  • Ikuta Shrine & garden in the back
  • Lunch @ Kobe Beef Steak Ishida head office*
• JR to Himeji Station^ (40 mins) + loop bus (Y100) to Himeji castle
• JR back to Osaka^ (1 hr)
• Dinner @ Ajinoya (Okonomiyaki) + Takotori shop next to Ichiran, Dotombori

Day 3

• Coffee/OJ in the room (St. Regis butler service)
• Osaka castle (suggested duration 1 hr)
• Lunch @ Zuboraya* (blowfish) + Kushikatsu-daruma  (fried skewers)
• JR to Nara^ (51 mins)
• Check-in @ Super hotel Lohas*
• Take #2 Bus to Nara Park
  • Toda-ji
  • Feed crackers to the deers
  • Grab food near the park
• Hot spring @ hotel
• Dinner @ Yakitori Tori Tamura*

Day 4

• Breakfast + hot spring @ hotel
• JR to Kyoto^ (50 mins)
• Check-in @ Dormy Inn Premium Kyoto Ekimae
• Take city bus (Y500 unlimited one day) from Kyoto Station to:
  • #28 to Bamboo Forest
  • #11 & 59 to Kinkaku-ji Temple金閣寺 (Golden temple)
  • #204 to Eikan-do Zenrinji-temple永觀堂 (Pagoda and pond)
  • #100 to Kiyomizu-dera Temple清水寺
• Dinner @ Sobanomi Yoshimura*
• Shop @ Uniqlo (great price)
• Complimentary noodle @ hotel
• Hot spring @ hotel

Day 5

• Take city bus (Y500 unlimited one day) to: 
  • #50 to Ryoanji龍安寺 (Rock garden)
  • #59 to Gion祇園
    • Yasaka shrine (free)
    • Ishibe Alley (Stone street)
    • Hanami-koji Street
• Grab food @ Nishiki Market
• Daimaru department store for kit-kat
• Take bus #26 & JR to Fushimi Inari-taisha伏見稲荷 (Thousand gates; free)
• Shinkensen to Tokyo (2 hrs 20 mins)
• Stay with a friend (or check-in to a hotel)
• Dinner @ Andy’s Shin Hinomoto*

Day 6

• Airport limo or train to Narita airport (2hr)
• Morning flight to JFK from Narita

Other points of interest

• Sanjusangendo (1000 statues)
• Pontocho

Tips

• Reserve your JR Kansei pass ahead of time online and pick it up at the airport
• Late March to mid-April is the Sakura Season (cherry blossom) in Japan; hotel rates are generally higher.