Overtourism in Kyoto is a controversial topic, and that’s because no city has been as impacted by Japan’s rising tourism numbers. Crowds are colossal during peak seasons and holidays, top temples are packed, buses are bursting, and areas are impassable due to congestion. It’s undeniable that Kyoto is overcrowded. Or rather, that parts of it are […] The post Kyoto Is Crowded. Here’s How You Can Avoid Japan’s Infamous Overtourism! appeared first on Travel Caffeine.| Travel Caffeine
This guide to Universal Studios Japan offers tips & tricks for visiting Osaka’s popular theme park, which is home to Super Nintendo World, Harry Potter, Jaws, and more! This includes USJ strategy & info about where to eat, what to do, how to avoid crowds, minimize wait times, and more! (Updated June 30, 2025.) After being […] The post 2025 Universal Studios Japan Guide & Tips appeared first on Travel Caffeine.| Travel Caffeine
When to visit Kyoto to avoid crowds, experience seasonal beauty, and enjoy the top festivals is important for first-timers to Japan. There will be no single worst or best time–it depends on your priorities. In this guide, we’ll narrow down your options to help you assess when is the best time for you to visit Kyoto, Japan […]| Travel Caffeine
Our 2025 Paris travel guide offers info for making the most of your vacation, including things to do, transportation tips, hotel recommendations, where to eat, and more. It also covers how to efficiently see the city–where to stay and step-by-step itineraries. (Updated May 28, 2025.) Paris is a world capital of culture: everything from art […] The post Ultimate 2025 Paris, France City Guide appeared first on Travel Caffeine.| Travel Caffeine
Our 2025 Los Angeles, California planning guide offers visit tips, including top things to do, best places to eat in L.A., hotel advice, and how to transportation hacks for SoCal’s notorious traffic. LA is one of our favorite cities in the world, and we’ll help you experience the touristy highlights and hidden gems. Maybe you […] The post Ultimate 2025 Los Angeles City Guide appeared first on Travel Caffeine.| Travel Caffeine
This Osaka city guide provides travel tips including things to do, where to stay, transportation info, and more about Japan’s third-largest city. We’ve spent months in the Kansai region and spent extensive time in the former imperial capital, and have advice and trip planning info based on those firsthand experiences. (Updated February 6, 2025.) If […] The post Osaka, Japan City Guide appeared first on Travel Caffeine.| Travel Caffeine
The Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku is one of the nicest hotels in Japan. It was prominently featured in the movie Lost in Translation. This review features photos from the hotel and my thoughts on it.| Travel Caffeine
Our ideal 1-Day Eastern Kyoto Itinerary offers a touring plan for stops along the Higashiyama Mountains, spanning from Silver Pavilion to Kiyomizudera, and beyond. Our plan of attack emphasizes efficiency while also slowing down to appreciate the majesty of Kyoto, and walking through some of the city’s most charming and historic districts. We wanted to […]| Travel Caffeine
For the last decade, we assumed that traveling to Japan with small kids would be a nightmare. In fact, we made a concerted effort to visit as much as possible before having a baby–including multi-month “bucket list” type trips–because we feared that would be impossible with an infant or toddler. After spending well over a […]| Travel Caffeine
Minion Park is the newest addition to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, a moderately elaborate mini-land anchored around Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a 3D ride through Gru’s lab, which replaced Back to the Future: the Ride. In this post, we’ll share some info and thoughts about Minion Park. When Universal Studios Japan announced that Despicable Me Minion […]| Travel Caffeine
Our 2024 Tokyo travel guide offers info & tips, things to do, transportation info, where to eat, best hotels, avoiding crowds, itineraries for the city, and more. Whether you’re visiting for cherry blossom, fall colors, or in between, we’ve got you covered. (Updated February 28, 2024.) Tokyo can be an intimidating place to visit. As […]| Travel Caffeine
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Our Kyoto, Japan planning guide offers tips & tricks, recommendations for hotels and other accommodations, best temples & shrines, transportation hacks, where to eat, crowd info, what it’s like to visit post-reopening, why we love the city, and more. (Updated January 3, 2024.) If you’re already in Kyoto and are scrambling to figure out what to […]| Travel Caffeine
Our 2024 fall colors forecast for Japan offers peak viewing info & tips for popular autumn foliage spots, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. We’ll also share strategy for visiting the best temples, shrines, and evening illuminations. (Updated September 6, 2024.) Autumn is one of the most stunning times of the […]| Travel Caffeine
Robot Restaurant is a crazy show in Tokyo, Japan’s Shinjuku district with dancers, lasers, monsters, samurai & more. This review shares how to buy discount tickets, whether it’s worth the money, what you should expect, and photos from our experiences. (Updated September 5, 2024.) The bad news: Robot Restaurant has now been temporarily closed since early […]| Travel Caffeine
Things to do in California, including attraction reviews, tips & tricks, and more for planning your California road trip or vacation!| Travel Caffeine
This guide to sakura season in Japan and cherry blossom flowering forecast for 2024 covers our favorite spots, best temples & shrines in Kyoto, tips & tricks for avoiding crowds. We also take a deeper dive into the topic, highlighting hidden gems where you’ll find fewer people and no busloads of tour groups. (Updated March […]| Travel Caffeine
Evening illuminations during sakura season are popular at temples, castles, and gardens in Kyoto, Japan. This list shares the best nighttime cherry blossom spots throughout the city, with 2024 dates & details, plus our recommended 1-night itinerary if you only have a single night to see all of the special lights. We’ve experienced sakura season […]| Travel Caffeine
This guide covers where to stay in Kyoto, with recommendations for the best area of the city. We also weigh pros & cons of various styles of accommodations: Japanese lodging (machiya & ryokan), luxurious or budget-friendly hotel rooms, top Airbnbs, and more. (Updated March 14, 2024.) No matter how long you’re staying in Kyoto, you […]| Travel Caffeine
Griffith Observatory is an observatory & planetarium in California with great views of Los Angeles. This post offers a review, photos, and some tips for visiting Griffith Observatory, which is one of the top things to do in Los Angeles. Griffith Observatory is a popular spot for a variety of reasons, from the fun exhibits to the walking trails around Griffith park to the great views of LA, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and beyond.| Travel Caffeine
During the Winter Solstice, the sunset casts an ethereal glow through Keyhole Arch on Big Sur's Pfeiffer Beach that is absolutely breathtaking. This natural phenomenon doesn't have fixed dates, but the prime time for the best light is early in January, with good-to-great light occurring from around mid-December to mid-January (I've heard of some photographers having luck as late as January 31). The light comes through the Keyhole Arch perfectly (or close to it) during this time of year due to...| Travel Caffeine
During spring sakura season, Hirano Shrine is one of the top spots in Kyoto cherry blossoms. Its nighttime illuminations and parties are among the best events in all of Japan. This post offers hanami at Hirano tips and our thoughts on the Oukasai Cherry Blossom Festival. (Updated March 14, 2024.) As we shared in updates […]| Travel Caffeine
For sakura season, Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan has special night illumination. We’ve visited during the night lighting for cherry blossom season many times, and share some of our experiences, photos and tips we’ve learned during the visit. (Updated March 14, 2024.) During the 2024 cherry blossom season, Kiyomizudera Temple is open for nighttime illumination […]| Travel Caffeine
TeamLab Planets and Borderless are interactive digital art museums in Tokyo Japan that offer galleries of immersive and Instagrammable surreal installations. This review explains what that actually means, shares photos from inside the exhibits and covers whether it’s worth the time, money & effort to visit, plus tips for buying tickets. teamLab offers a number of temporary exhibitions […]| Travel Caffeine
Our Universal Studios Japan restaurant reviews feature food photos from dining spots throughout the park, menu photos, and tips for what to order while at this theme park in Osaka, now including Super Nintendo World. From cute snacks to hearty meals, and Mario to Harry Potter to Hello Kitty, we’ve got you covered! (Updated March […]| Travel Caffeine
Dodger Stadium is a perfect setting for a Major League Baseball game, and an excellent way to spend an afternoon or evening in Los Angeles. In this guide, we’ll cover which seats to choose, what to eat, how to get there from Downtown LA and elsewhere in Southern California. (Updated March 11, 2024.) The Los […]| Travel Caffeine
Our Los Angeles itineraries offer step-by-step 1-day plans for every area of the city, plus itineraries for Southern California outside L.A. These touring plans offer tips and strategy for the best things to do (and skip!), museums to visit, where to eat, and more. Other cities covered by these itineraries include Laguna Beach, Malibu, Pasadena, […]| Travel Caffeine
