Shanghai Weekend Special Forces—Osaka, Kyoto, Uji, Nara

I've always wanted to try the Japan Weekend Special Forces, so on an impulsive night, I directly bought a plane ticket for the next week. It was both a long-planned and spontaneous trip✈️
Flights (worker-friendly version):
Saturday morning 7:00-10:20 9C6239 Shanghai - Osaka
(Alternate flight at 6:05 MM80)
Sunday night 22:10-0:05 MM79 Osaka - Shanghai

Itinerary and transportation (tight schedule, heavy tasks version):
Day 1:
Land at Kansai at 10:00, clear customs + buy ICOCA card
11:30, take the Nankai Express to Namba Station, have lunch near Shinsaibashi, take photos at the Glico billboard in Shinsaibashi
Around 14:30, subway: Namba - Yodoyabashi, transfer to Keihan train - Kintetsu Uji Station, arrive at Uji at 15:30, walk along Uji Kamisha Shrine - Uji Shrine - Uji River - Byodo-in Temple - Matcha Street, then to JR Uji Station
Around 17:30, take the JR Nara Line from JR Uji Station to Fushimi Inari, after visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha, take the train to a Kyoto hotel to check in
20:30 walk to Kamo River and Kawaramachi for dinner, then return to the hotel to rest

Day 2:
Get up at 6:00, follow the route Yasaka Pagoda - Ninenzaka - Sannenzaka - Kiyomizu-dera to experience Kyoto in the early morning without crowds
8:30 descend from Kiyomizu-dera for breakfast, then go to a kimono shop to change
10:00 dressed in kimono, take photos along Ishibei-koji - Kodaiji Temple - Yasaka Shrine - Gion Shirakawa route, walk to Kawaramachi for lunch at 12:30
14:00 take the JR Nara Line to JR Nara Station, then take a bus directly to Nara Park, route: Nara Park - Kasuga Taisha - Wakakusa Mountain, then walk to Kintetsu Nara Station for dinner
18:30 take the Kintetsu Nara Line to Namba, transfer to the Nankai Express at Namba Station to return to Kansai Airport, arrive at Terminal 2 around 20:00, with plenty of time
23:30 land in Shanghai, go home to shower and sleep~

This transportation plan offers excellent cost performance and convenience, with a two-day transportation cost of about 5,000 yen per person, and no backtracking.

The Uji and Nara itineraries can be swapped. On Day 1, you can take the Kintetsu Nara Line directly from Namba to Nara, then after playing, take the JR Nara Line to Kyoto for accommodation. On Day 2, after visiting Kyoto, take JR or Kintetsu to Uji, then from Uji take the JR Nara Line back to JR Kyoto, and transfer to Haruka at JR Kyoto to Kansai Airport. This is also a very convenient route.

Very tiring! But very happy.

Post by Zee87Wilde | Oct 21, 2025

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