This trip takes place from Apr 28th to May 13th. We will be in the Golden week rush for the first half of the trip, but trying to avoid most of the busiest areas in Tokyo.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or tips. This will be all of our first times in Japan. We are not getting the JR pass as it’s cheaper to buy everything separate, and we will be using SUICA for local transportation. Most of the Kyoto days we will either be waking up early to see the shrines or we will see it at night. If y’all have any ryokan recommendations in Hakone please let us know.
Day 0 (Mon, Apr 29th): Arrive at Narita
* Land at 6PM, grab dinner
Day 1 (Tue, Apr 30th): TBD
* Shimokitazawa, not much planned yet for this day
Day 2 (Wed, May 1st): Asakusa area
* Senso-Ji temple
* Maybe tokyo skytree depending on crowds
* Ueno park
* Shitamachi museum
* Lots of street food
Day 3 (Thur, May 2nd): Shibuya area
* Yoyogi park
* Shibuya crossing/shibuya sky
* Shinjuku gyoen national garden
* Golden Gai
Day 4 (Fri, May 3rd): Osaka
* Travel to Osaka in morning via bullet train
* Maybe Aquarium (likely not due to crowds)
* Americamura
* Dotonbori
Day 5 (Sat, May 4th): Osaka
* Umeda Sky building
* Osaka Castle
* Namba parks shopping
Day 6 (Sun, May 5th): Day trip to Nara
* Deer park
* Todai-ji nigatsudo
* End day traveling to Kyoto
Day 7 (Mon, May 6th): Kyoto
* Philosophers path
* Nijo Castle
* Kyota Imperial palace
Day 8 (Tue, May 7th): Kyoto
* Yasaka Pagoda
* Gion district
* Nishiki market
Day 9 (Wed, May 8th): Kyoto
* Arashiyama
* Hoshinoya (River ride)
* Saiho-Ji (moss temple)
Day 10 (Thur, May 9th): Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Kyoto Tower
* Travel to Hakone via bullet train – staying in Ryokan
Day 11 (Fri, May 10th): Hakone
* Lake ashi + pics of mt Fuji if we’re lucky
* Gora park
Day 12 (Sat, May 11th): Hakone/Tokyo
* Possibly mt fuji if day 11 didn’t pan out
* Travel back to Tokyo via bullet train
* Clothes shopping
Day 13 (Sun, May 12th): Tsukiji/Odaiba area
* Tokyo tower via Asabudai hills view
* Teamlabs
* Tsukiji fish market, possibly Toyosu market as well
* Possibly Odaiba island
Day 14 (Mon, May 13th): Leave from Narita
* Nothing planned this day
* Flight at 6PM