Hi everyone,
My partner and I are headed to Japan for our first time in October and would love any feedback and advice on our itinerary. We will be traveling for 2 weeks from mid-October to end of October from the UK.
Both of us are in our mid-to-late twenties and we enjoy nice dining experiences, exploring small local shops, cafe hopping, visiting speakeasy bars etc. We’re usually quite laid back when we travel and prefer not to follow a strict itinerary (apart from spotting local shops and restaurants in advance), but for this special trip, we aim to plan it carefully.
[ 13/10 – 15/10: Osaka & Nara ]
Day 1 – Sun 13/10: Tokyo to Osaka
* Arrive in Haneda Airport (Tokyo) early in the morning
* Pickup IC Card / Activate JR Pass
* Board train to Osaka > Arrive 2-3pm
* Checkin at hotel in Umeda and relax
* Explore Dotonbori
* Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
* Kuromon Market
* Dinner at Ichiran Ramen
Day 2 – Mon 14/10: Osaka
* Spend morning at the Namba Yasaka shrine
* Explore Amerikamura
* Osaka Aquarium
* Umeda Sky Building
* Dinner at Okaru
Day 3 – Tue 15/10: Nara
* Day trip to Nara
* Kofuku-ji
* Nara Park
* Todai-Ji
* Kasuga-Taisha
* Nakatanidou Mochi
* Head back to Osaka in the late afternoon/evening
[ Wed 16 – Fri 18: Kyoto ]
Day 4 – Wed 16/10: Osaka to Kyoto
* Board train from Osaka to Kyoto
* Checkin at hotel
* Chill and explore local area
* Pontocho Alley
* Dinner at Sen No Kaze
Day 5 – Thu 17/10: Kyoto
* Arashiyama
* Coffee at %Arabica
* Kinkaku-ji or Eikan-Do Temple
* Philosopher’s Path
* Honen-In temple before closing
Day 6 – Fri 18/10: Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari Shrine (2.5h to walk to the top)
* Tofuku-Ji
* Higashiyama
* Gion district (Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets) at dusk
[ Sat 19/10 – Sun 20/10: Kanazawa ]
Day 7 – Sat 19/10: Kyoto to Kanazawa
* Board train from Kyoto to Kanazawa (2 hours)
* Checkin at Hotel
* Omicho market: Lunch at Mori Mori Sushi
* D.T Suzuki Museum or 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
* Dinner at Sushi Ippei
Day 8 – Sun 20/10: Kanazawa
* Oyama Shrine
* Kanazawa Castle
* Kenroku-En Garden
* Shigurei-Tei Tea House
* Hakuichi Gold Leaf Ice Cream
* Hitachi Chaya District
[ Mon 21/10: Takayama ]
Day 9 – Mon 21/10: Kanazawa to Takayama
* Board train from Kanazawa to Takayama
* Morning Market
* Sanmachi Suji for sake
* Hida Folk Village
* Take Shin-Hotaka Bus Line to get to Ryokan (1h30 ride)
[ Tue 22/10 – Sat 26/10: Tokyo ]
Day 10 – Tues 22/10: Takayama to Tokyo (Shinjuku + Shibuya)
* Ride back from Takayama to Japan > stay in Shinjuku
* Check-in at hotel
* Yoyogi Park (if time)
* Shibuya Sky & Shibuya area
* Dinner at Omoide Yokocho + Golden Gai
Day 11 – Wed 23/10: Tokyo to Kawaguchiko
* Day trip to Kawaguchiko to see Mt Fuji
* Head back to Tokyo in the evening and spend rest of day in Shinjuku
Day 12 – Thu 24/10: Ginza + Akihabara
* Team Lab Planets
* Tsukiji Fish Market for Lunch
* Shopping in Ginza District (Itoya, Muji, Uniqlo, Standard Product, ABC-Mart Grand Stage)
* Taiyaki Kanda Daruma
* Spend evening/night in Akihabara
Day 13 – Fri 25/10: Nakameguro + Shimokitazawa (or Daikanayama)
* Breakfast at Streamer Coffee Company
* Meguro River + River Walk
* Quick 7/11 lunch
* Onibus Coffee
* Spend afternoon/evening EITHER in Shimokitazawa for vintage shopping (Desert Snow Shimokitazawa, Wego Shimokitazawa, BIG Time) OR spend afternoon in Daikanayama AND evening in Ebisu
Day 10 – Sat 26/10: Fly Home
* Head to airport in the morning and flight back home
Questions:
1. Is the JR Pass worth it with the price increase?
2. Is there something we should skip? Is there anything missing?
3. We’re potentially considering skipping Takayama and the Ryokan as we will be traveling with our luggages. The plan is to spend a good chunk of the day exploring Takayama before heading to our Ryokan by bus (1h30) but I haven’t figured out what to do with our luggages during the day. Any suggestions?
4. For our last day in Tokyo, should we spend the afternoon and evening Shimokitazawa after exploring Nakameguro or head to Daikanayama followed by Ebisu?
Thanks so much for any insights you can share x