Hello all!
My husband (28) and I (29) will be traveling to Japan for the first time during cherry blossom season for our postponed honeymoon (was supposed to be back in 202… but thanks COVID). I am hoping to get your feedback and recommendations to ensure that I am creating a realistic schedule, and if I am missing out on anything!
A little about us, we LOVE anime, food, and are excited to experience an array of culture and scenery in Japan. Ramen, Sushi, Udon, Wagyu beef, Katsu, Omurice etc. is a must ***(food recommendations for places in each city is appreciated)***. We would like to visit some temples, but are not keen on getting fatigue from it as we are just excited to in Japan. We are pretty laid back, and just want to take in the experience rather than jam-packing our days with a rigid schedule. I do have a few specific questions:
**Currently have Tsukiji Market in the AM on Sunday, should I move that to another weekday that we are in Tokyo?**
**For those that have used luggage shipping services, how far in advance do we need our hotel to take our luggage? For example, shipping our luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto.**
**We want to choose between TeamLab Planets and Borderless that is opening up. Does anyone know which one is more worth experiencing?**
**We will be purchasing e-Sims for our travel. Any recommendations on the best company to use?**
**Day 1 (Thurs Mar. 21): Flight to Tokyo from US**
**Day 2 (Fri Mar. 22): Land at Haneda at 3:10pm**
\-Travel to hotel *(Mitsui Garden Hotel Otemachi*), drop off luggage
\-Grab some toiletries and food at nearby 7/11
\-Try and go to sleep ASAP to hopefully fight off the jet lag
**Day 3 (Sat Mar. 23): Shibuya & Shinjuku**
\- Visit Harajuku (Cat Street, Takeshita Street, Meji shrine)
\- Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko Statue
\-Shopping (Mega Donki, etc.) & Lunch
\-Shibuya Sky (Is it worth it to get tickets for sunset time?)
\-Head to Shinjuku: more shopping & food, Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho
**Day 4 (Sun Mar. 24): Ginza & Minato**
\-Tsukiji Market
\-Diver City
\-Uniqlo/GU in Ginza
\-Sanrio store
\-Hamarikyu Garden
**Day 5 (Mon Mar. 25): Akihabara & Taito**
\- Start off exploring Akihabara :Kanda Myojin Shrine, Dijingu Shrine, shops
\-Ueno Park, Asakusa , Sensoji Temple, Hoppy street, Nakamise Shopping Street, Pokemon Center Tokyo DX
***-Possibly Chidorigafuchi?***
***-Possibly Yozakura at Meguro River at night?***
**Day 6 (Tues Mar. 26): Travel to Hakone in AM** (Get Hakone FreePass)
\- Check-out of hotel
\-Hakone Tozan Railway –> Ropeway
\-Hakone Shrine Ashi Lake (pirate ship)
\-Open air museum
\-Check-in at hotel *(Hakone Gora KARAKU)*
**Day 7 (Wed Mar. 27): Travel to Kyoto**
\- Have breakfast at Hakone hotel, check-out
Drop-off luggage at hotel *(Hotel M’s Plus Shijo-Omiya)*
\-Fushimi Inari Temple
*-Eat at Kichi Omurice (4 weeks in adv reservations opened)*
**Day 8 (Thurs Mar. 28): Explore Kyoto**
\-Philosopher’s Path: (Gingaku-ji Temple → Nanzen-ji Temple, Keage Incline )
\-Nishiki Market
\-Shinyogoku-dori street (food/shops)
**Day 9 (Fri Mar. 29): Explore Kyoto**
\-Sagano Romantic Train (Purchase at 10am one month prior to boarding date)
\-Hozugawa River Boat Ride (2.5 hours)
\-Togetsukyo Bridge
\-Coffee at Arabica Kyoto Arashiyama
***-Arashiyama bamboo forest?***
**Day 10 (Sat Mar. 30): Day Trip to Nara**
\-Nara Park (bowing deer of course)
\-Todai-ji Temple
\-Kasuga Taisha Temple
\-Harushika Brewery
**Day 11 (Sun Mar. 31): Travel to Osaka**
\- Checkout of hotel
\-Drop off luggage at hotel *(Hearton Hotel Shinsaibashi Nagahoridori)*
\-Shinsekai
\-Nipponbashi Den Den Town
\-Kuromon Market
\-Dotonbori in the evening (entertainment & food)
**Day 12 (Mon April 1): Explore Osaka**
***Osaka Amazing Day Pass, is it worth it?***
\-Get some fluffy pancakes
\-Osaka Castle
\-custom chopsticks (Miraza)
\-Shinsaibashisuji
\-Umeda Sky Building
\-Nakazakicho District
\-Shopping arcades/izakayas east of Osaka station
**Day 13 (Tues April 2): Day trip to Hiroshima/Miyajima**
***-Possibly stop at Himeji Castle to or from?***
\-Peace memorial Park
\-Peace Memorial Museum
\-Atomic Bomb Dome
***-Is there a boat/cruise to see the Itsukushima Shrine?***
**Day 14 (Wed April 3): Osaka**
\-Dotonbori for more shopping
\-custom ring engraving (Glanta)
***-Any must-sees that we are missing here?***
**Day 15 (Thurs April 4): Osaka back to Tokyo** (3.5 hrs)
\-Drop off luggage at hotel *(Nippon Seinenkan Hotel)*
\-Tokyo Kabuchiko Tower (food, games) (Shinjuku)
\-Sake Market Shinjuku
**Day 16 (Fri April 5): Tokyo**
\- Flex day/shopping day
*-TeamLab Borderless/Planets?*
**Day 17 (Sat April 6): Travel back US**
\-Again, time to kill before our flight from Haneda at 4:05PM