Japan & Hong Kong Hong Kong (transit) · Tokyo · Kyoto · Hiroshima & Miyajima · Kinosaki Onsen · Osaka · Hong Kong (finale)

Base yourself somewhere with character, then work the backstreets and shitamachi rather than the postcard squares. The good Tokyo is one alley off the famous one.

• SOAK — the sequence Miyashita Park rooftop; Shibuya skyline, relaxed. No reservation needed, no minimum — just walk in. ¥¥ · ~CHF 15–25/drink
• Andaz Tokyo Rooftop Bar — 52nd floor of Toranomon Hills, Tokyo Tower glowing below; less of a queue than the observation decks. Walk-in, but reserve ahead for sunset (6–7pm) — it fills fast. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 25–35/drink
• Gen Yamamoto (Azabu) — not a rooftop, but a tiny seasonal cocktail counter that's one of the best drinks in the world. Reservation required (phone, 7 days ahead) — only 8 seats, no walk-ins. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 100–150pp for the tasting course
• Bar Trench / Bar Benfiddich — destination craft cocktails for a quieter night. No reservation, but tiny (Benfiddich has ~10 seats) — go early on a weeknight. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 20–30/drink
• Golden Gai — 200+ shoebox bars in six narrow alleys. No reservation, walk-in only, but almost every bar charges a ¥500–1,500 per-person seat charge (otoshi) (~CHF 3–8) on top of drinks — ask before you sit. Bars seat 4–8, so groups of 2–3 fare best; some post "regulars only" signs, respect those. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20 per bar (seat charge + a drink)

• Ameyoko MarketLocals' pick, Ueno — a raw, un-gentrified street market under the train tracks: fresh seafood, dried goods, cheap eats, market-stall energy rather than a tourist arcade. No reservation, cash handy for stalls. ¥ · ~CHF 5–15 per snack
• Gado-shita izakayaLocals' pick under the Yūrakuchō tracks — the real after-work Tokyo. These tiny under-track counters are recommendable precisely because they're not built for tourists: cheap, honest, family- or single-owner-run, with a menu that doesn't change to please anyone — you're eating what the salarymen next to you are eating. ¥¥ · ~CHF 20–35pp
• Tonki, Meguro — heritage tonkatsu, counter theatre. ¥¥ · ~CHF 15–25pp
• Monjayaki on Tsukishima's Monja Street — a proper Tokyo local dish you cook yourself. ¥¥ · ~CHF 20–30pp
• A neighbourhood edomae sushi counter or handmade soba-ya — ask your hotel to book a non-tourist one. ¥¥–¥¥¥ · ~CHF 30–80pp, can run much higher omakase-style — confirm the course price before sitting down
• FuunjiLocals' pick, Shinjuku — a genuine neighbourhood favourite for tsukemen (dipping ramen) with a rich pork-and-fish broth; queue at the vending-machine ticket counter, locals and regulars far outnumber tourists. Cash/ticket machine only. ¥ · ~CHF 8–12pp
• Tsukiji Outer MarketLocals' pick — right outside your hotel; tamago, uni, knives, a proper grazing breakfast or lunch stop rather than a sit-down meal. Best early before the tour groups arrive. ¥ · ~CHF 10–20 for a grazing round
• Ebisu Yokocho — a converted covered market turned communal food hall, 20-odd tiny stalls sharing long tables; order from one, drink from the next. No reservation, cash-friendly, arrive by 7pm for seats. ¥ · ~CHF 15–25pp for a full round

Kyoto in late November is the peak of the maples — and the most crowded it gets. The trick is timing: famous temples at dawn or after dark, quiet ones in between.

• K36 — rooftop of Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu in Higashiyama, sunset views over the city and pagoda rooflines rather than a skyscraper panorama (Kyoto's low-rise, that's the charm here). No reservation for the bar itself, but arrive by 6pm for sunset seats — reserve ahead if you want a table for dinner. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 20–30/drink
• Pontochō — lantern-lit riverside alley; choose a place with prices posted, not a tout. ¥¥–¥¥¥ · ~CHF 30–70pp, some unposted places run much higher — confirm prices first
• Gion — Kyoto's famous geisha district, atmospheric lantern-lit lanes with restaurants ranging from casual to serious kaiseki. Worth a wander even if you eat elsewhere. ¥¥–¥¥¥ · ~CHF 30–80pp, kaiseki runs much higher
• An obanzai (Kyoto home-style) counter — small-plate seasonal home cooking, a gentler and cheaper alternative to formal kaiseki; ask your hotel for a non-tourist recommendation. ¥¥ · ~CHF 25–40pp
• Kyoto Brewing Co. taproom — excellent local craft beer, no frills. No reservation. ¥¥ · ~CHF 8–12/pint
• L'Escamoteur / Bee's Knees — characterful cocktail bars near the river. Walk-in, small — go early. ¥¥ · ~CHF 15–20/drink
• ToritaniLocals' pick (麺処 鶏谷), Saiin — a genuine neighbourhood chicken-broth ramen shop, 12-seat counter, no MSG, house-made noodles, broth simmered up to 10 hours. Well outside the temple-district tourist loop; the crowd is overwhelmingly local regulars. Order the tori soba (clear) or jukusei (aged, richer) broth. Cash only, expect a short queue at peak times. ¥ · ~CHF 8–12pp
• Nishiki Market by day for grazing — go early before the squeeze. ¥ · ~CHF 5–15 per snack
• Kōbō-san flea marketLocals' pick, Tōji Temple — a huge antiques-and-street-food market held only on the 21st of each month. Your Kyoto departure morning (Sat 21 Nov) happens to land on it — if you're an early riser before the Hiroshima train, it's a genuine locals' market rather than a tourist one. ¥ · ~CHF 5–15 per snack/souvenir
• Fushimi brewery districtLocals' pick — Kyoto's historic sake-brewing quarter, canal-side streets lined with breweries offering tastings; a working district rather than a tourist stop. ¥ · ~CHF 5–15 per tasting flight
• A kappō counter — chef-led, seasonal, seat-at-the-bar dining; this is the Kyoto splurge option. Ask your hotel to book a non-tourist one. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 80–150+pp

Two nights based in the city, with a full day trip out to Miyajima in between — the floating torii, the maples, Mt Misen — before heading back to Hiroshima each evening.

• Asaichi Morning MarketLocals' pick, Matsubara-chō — a traditional morning market a short walk from Hiroshima Station, open early until around noon. Fresh produce, flowers and local delicacies, and it's a genuine daily-shopping stop for residents rather than a curated tourist arcade. Best early, cash handy for stalls. ¥ · ~CHF 5–15 per snack
• Okonomi-mura — a multi-storey building of 20-odd tiny okonomiyaki counters, each with its own griddle; the classic way to try the local layered, noodle-built version. No reservation, pick a counter by the queue. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20pp
• NagarekawaLocals' pick — the city's main entertainment district, hundreds of izakaya, oyster counters and sake bars packed into narrow lanes. Worth it because the density means real competition on quality, not tourist markup — most seat only 6–10 at a counter, so you're shoulder-to-shoulder with regulars, not in a dining room built for groups. No reservation needed for most; walk the alleys and pick by the queue. ¥¥ · ~CHF 20–35pp
• EkinishiLocals' pick — a small hipster pocket just west of the station (a short streetcar ride from KIRO): natural wine bars, craft beer taprooms, counter-only joints, mostly locals. Good for a quieter first night. ¥¥ · ~CHF 10–20/drink
• Yagenbori StreetLocals' pick — dense izakaya row for fresh Setouchi seafood and sake, a step more local than Nagarekawa's main drag. Smaller and quieter, with less English signage — a reliable sign the crowd is mostly locals rather than a tourist detour. ¥¥ · ~CHF 20–35pp
• Rooftop bar, Shintenchi — an open-air rooftop bar near Okonomi-mura with a night view over the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park and Hiroshima Castle; open ~18:30–23:00. No reservation for the bar itself. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20/drink

The countryside antidote. A 1,300-year-old hot-spring town on the Sea of Japan where the whole place works like one big ryokan — you stroll between seven bathhouses in yukata and geta, lanterns on the canal, snow crab on the table.

• Sotoyu meguri — your ryokan gives you a yukata, geta and a free pass to all seven public baths. Hop between them along the willow-lined Ōtani canal.
• Snow crab opens late November — you're right at the start of matsuba crab season; many ryokan dinners become full crab kaiseki. Yours is booked room-only, though, so that's a restaurant booking to make yourselves, not something that comes with the room.
• Autumn on Mt Daishiyama — the ropeway climbs through red leaves to Onsen-ji temple and a Sea-of-Japan view.
• It caters to visitors but never feels like a trap — the click of geta on stone at night is the real thing.

• Kinosaki's charm is its low-rise onsen-town scale, so skip the rooftop-bar hunt and lean into the local night culture instead: small family-run izakaya and "snack" bars tucked along the canal, open once ryokan dinners wind down (~8pm onward). These are worth seeking out because they're sized for the town, not for tourism — often just a counter and a handful of stools, run by the same family for decades, serving whatever's fresh that day rather than a fixed printed menu.
• Donmai — a proper sake bar pouring from 72 Hyōgo breweries, plus local craft beer. No reservation, walk in in your yukata. ¥ · ~CHF 5–10/pour
• Sakamotoya Liquor Store — a sake shop with a tasting counter; the ¥500 freshly-squeezed sake flight (3 pours) is the move. No reservation. ¥ · ~CHF 3 for the flight
• Bar Seven — a genuinely serious cocktail bar right next to Nishimuraya, 60+ cocktails and rare whiskies from a bartender trained in Kyoto and Osaka. Walk-in is usually fine, but worth calling ahead on a busy weekend. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 15–25/drink

• Heads-up on Tajima beef: Kinosaki sits in Tajima-beef country (the bloodline behind Kobe beef), and it's genuinely worth trying — but restaurant pricing swings wildly. A steak course at a specialist restaurant can easily run ¥8,000–20,000+ per person (~CHF 40–105) (one visitor reported ¥9,500/~CHF 50 for just 150g of prime rib) — check the menu board or ask the price before you sit, especially anywhere without prices posted outside.
• Irori Dining Mikuni — the well-known Tajima beef specialist, charcoal hearth, steak/shabu-shabu/sukiyaki courses. Genuinely excellent by most accounts, but this is the splurge option — dinner reservations prioritised (call ahead), lunch is walk-in and cheaper via set menus. ¥¥¥ · lunch sets ~CHF 35–55pp, dinner courses ~CHF 60–120+pp
• DaikokuyaLocals' pick — a Taisho-era udon shop near the station, now known for crab sushi and crab soba/udon using whole leg meat, not shredded. Family-run, no fuss. No reservation for casual dining (reserve ahead for takeout crab boxes). ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20pp
• InabaLocals' pick — straightforward seafood teishoku (set meals) from the fish store next door — oyster or fried-fish sets, simmered fish on the side. Honest, reasonably priced, no reservation. ¥¥ · ~CHF 15–25pp
• Tajima beef burger stalls (Kinosaki Roko, Burger & Cafe Loco and similar) — the affordable way into Tajima beef: a burger or cutlet sandwich rather than a steak course. Walk-in, cash-friendly. ¥ · ~CHF 10–18 for a burger set
• Izushi Sara SobaLocals' pick — the region's own style of buckwheat noodles, served on small plates with dipping broth, a short trip from Kinosaki in the Izushi castle town if you want a cheap, purely local lunch. ¥ · ~CHF 8–12pp

A one-night food finale that also sets you up for the airport. Japan's kuidaore ("eat till you drop") city — and the eating is best one street back from the famous neon.

• See Dōtonbori's Glico-sign neon once — then turn off it.
• Eat in the backstreetsLocals' pick: Hōzenji Yokochō (a lantern alley of tiny counters), Shinsekai for kushikatsu, or Ura-Namba / Fukushima for local izakaya. ¥¥ · ~CHF 20–35pp
• Osaka specialties:Locals' pick takoyaki, Osaka-style okonomiyaki, kushikatsu — street-stall, not sit-down-tourist. ¥ · ~CHF 5–15 per snack
• Kuromon Ichiba MarketLocals' pick — "Osaka's Kitchen," a 580m covered arcade of ~150 stalls: grilled scallops, wagyu skewers, fugu, sea urchin eaten standing at the counter. No reservation; go around 9:30–10am on a weekday for the freshest stock and elbow room, it's a working market rather than a food court. Cash is safest for the smaller stalls. ¥–¥¥¥ · ~CHF 5–15 for most snacks, but uni cups and wagyu skewers can run CHF 20–40 each
• Bar36 — rooftop of the Swissôtel Nankai, right above Namba Station: sunset views, live jazz some nights, an easy walk from your hotel. No reservation for the bar, but book ahead if you want a table over live music. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 18–28/drink

This is your second Hong Kong of the trip — the first was just an airport overnight on the way out. This time it's the real thing: harbour, dim sum, and some of the best urban hiking and rooftop bars on earth. Late November is the perfect season here — warm, dry, clear.

• Ozone — 118F of the ICC, the world's highest bar; do the arrival night here. Reserve a window table ahead (already in your checklist) — no set minimum spend, but drinks run premium. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 25–35/drink
• Popinjays — The Murray, elegant Central skyline. Walk-in usually fine; reserve for sunset on weekends. ¥¥¥ · ~CHF 18–25/drink
• Cruise — Hyatt Centric, North Point; both IFC and ICC towers in frame. No reservation needed. ¥¥ · ~CHF 14–20/drink
• SìpSip (Causeway Bay) & Cardinal Point (Central) — cooler, lower-key, golden hour. Walk-in. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–18/drink

• Harbour City — Hong Kong's biggest mall, right on the TST waterfront with direct access to the Star Ferry and promenade. Everything from an Apple Store and mainstream electronics counters to high-end fashion, plus harbour-view walkways if you just want to browse with a view. Easiest single stop if your hotel is nearby.
• K11 MUSEA, Victoria Dockside — a design-forward "silicon mall," more curated and architectural than a standard shopping centre; good for browsing even if you're not buying.
• Electronics — buy from the chains, not the street: Fortress, Broadway and Sunning are the three big fixed-price chains — reliable, official warranty, no haggling needed, branches inside Harbour City and other malls. Avoid the small street-level camera/electronics shops along Nathan Road with the neon Canon/Nikon/Leica signage — several have a well-documented reputation for swapping boxed goods, quoting a low price then adding "mandatory" accessories at checkout, or selling grey-market stock as new. If you want a proper camera specialist instead of a mall chain, Tin Cheung Camera in iSquare (Nathan Road) is a known, English-website, fixed-price option — always ask if a quoted price is for local or grey-import stock.
• For real bargains — Sham Shui Po (already on your Day 2 route): the Golden Computer Arcade is the city's budget electronics and computer-parts hub — components, accessories, second-hand and grey-market gear, genuinely cheap but caveat emptor (test before you pay, cash is standard). Apliu Street nearby is an open-air electronics flea market — everything from vintage radios to phone parts, more browsing/curiosity than a place to buy something you need to rely on.

• Hong Kong Science Museum, TST East — 500+ exhibits, ~70% hands-on, including a 22m twin-tower Energy Machine that runs the length of the atrium. New InnoTech, Living Tech and AI galleries opened for the museum's 35th anniversary in 2026. Good rainy-day or half-day stop, easy walk from the harbourfront hotels. Cheap: HK$20 adult (~CHF 2.40). Closed Thursdays.
• Hong Kong Museum of History, right next to the Science Museum — the "Hong Kong Story" permanent exhibition (freshly reopened April 2026 after a 5-year revamp) walks through 6,000 years of local history with a recreated 1930s street and Chinese medicine shop. Easy to pair with the Science Museum in one outing.
• Hong Kong Space Museum — the egg-domed building on the TST waterfront, right by the Avenue of Stars. Two halls (Cosmos, Space Exploration) with ~100 exhibits, over half interactive; the real draw is the Space Theatre, a 23m planetarium dome running rotating sky shows and giant-screen documentaries (not always space-themed). Compact — 1.5–2 hours is plenty — so it's an easy add-on to a promenade walk rather than a half-day trip.
• M+, West Kowloon Cultural District — Asia's big contemporary visual culture museum (design, architecture, moving image, modern art), a striking Herzog & de Meuron building with its own harbour views. Worth the slightly longer trip if you have a design/architecture interest — allow at least half a day.

• Temple Street Night MarketLocals' pick, Yau Ma Tei — clay-pot rice, seafood stalls and dai pai dong under the neon, alongside the fortune tellers and market stalls. Cash-friendly, gets going after dark. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20pp
• Yat Lok or Kam's Roast GooseLocals' pick — the two legendary roast goose specialists, both Michelin-recognised; a genuine Cantonese institution rather than a tourist set-menu version. Expect a queue at peak times. ¥¥ · ~CHF 15–25pp
• Kau KeeLocals' pick, Gough Street — a 90-year beef brisket noodle institution, Michelin Bib Gourmand and a genuine local favourite (Tony Leung's reportedly among them). No reservations, expect a 20–45 min queue, shared tables, cash only (HKD), and a small ~HK$40 per-head minimum (~CHF 4.70). Closed Sundays. ¥ · ~CHF 8–12pp
• Graham Street MarketLocals' pick, Central — one of Hong Kong's oldest wet markets, produce and street snacks rather than a tourist bazaar; go before noon while stalls are fully stocked. No reservation. ¥ · ~CHF 3–8 per snack
• Lin Heung Tea HouseLocals' pick — a century-old dim sum institution, old-school trolley service (no picking off menus, you flag down the cart). Handy: a 24-hour branch opened on Kimberley Road in TST, a short walk from the harbourfront hotels. Rinse your own utensils at the table with the hot water provided — that's normal here, not a hygiene issue. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20pp
• Tsim Chai Kee or Mak's NoodleLocals' pick, Wellington Street — the two rival wonton-noodle shrines of Central, both cheap, both excellent, both usually with a short queue. Order the shrimp wonton noodles, small portion — it's meant to be one of several stops. ¥ · ~CHF 6–10pp
• Sing Heung YuenLocals' pick, Mee Lun Street, Central — a tiny street-corner stall famous for tomato-based instant-noodle soup with a crispy bun, and a legendary egg sandwich. No sign in English, plastic stools on the alley. Cash only, closes when the noodles run out. ¥ · ~CHF 6–10pp
• Sangeetha Vegetarian RestaurantLocals' pick, Wing On Plaza, Mody Road, TST — genuine South Indian food run by resident South Indians, a short walk from the harbourfront hotels. Order a masala dosa fresh off the griddle, or the thali for a full spread. Vegetarian, no reservation. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–18pp
• Kam Wah CafeLocals' pick, Prince Edward — old-school bakery famous for freshly baked egg waffles (gai daan jai), a genuine neighbourhood street snack rather than a tourist stall version. ¥ · ~CHF 3–6 per item
• Sing KeeLocals' pick, Stanley Street, Central — one of the last surviving dai pai dong (open-air street kitchens), wok-fired stir-fries and clams under a tarp on the pavement, cold beer. Cash only, evenings, gets busy. ¥¥ · ~CHF 12–20pp