Hi All! I’ve seen some amazing advice and help being offered on this forum to first time travelers. My wife and I will be heading to Japan for 12 days in November, its both of our first times visiting!
Any pointers or advice from experienced travelers on how realistic our itinerary is would be a huge help. We’re mostly interested in historical and cultural sights, so if we’re missing something important please let me know. Also… my wife is vegan, so if anyone has any particularly good vegan reccs then I’d love to know about them!
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Huge thanks in advance!
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Day 1: Dublin to Tokyo Flight 5th
• Day 2: Arrival in Tokyo 6th
• Arrive in Shibuya district hotel and settle in
• Imperial Palace
• Explore the neighbourhood, try some local cuisine
• Day 3: Tokyo City Exploration 7th
• Ramen/Gyoza cooking class in the morning 25mins from Shibuya
• Shibuya + Shibuya Crossing
• Takeshita Street Harajuku (shopping street)
• Shopping at Ginza
• Day 4: Tokyo Historical Sites 8th
• Ochanomizu street for musical instruments and memorabilia
• Asakusa: Senso-ji temple and Nakamise Shopping
• Koishikawa Korakuen Garden (Bunkyo)
• Explore Ueno Park and museums.
• Shinyuku Golden Gai (tiny bar district)
• Day 5: Modern Tokyo and Entertainment 9th
• Sumo morning wrestling
• Akihabara, the electronics and anime district
• Visit the Meiji Shrine
• Shibuya Sky /Skytree (Which is better?)
• Enjoy the nightlife in areas like Roppongi or Shinjuku.
• Day 6: Travel to Hakone 10th
• Take a scenic train or bus to Hakone.
• Relax in an onsen and enjoy the hot spring baths.
• Explore the Hakone Open Air Museum.
• Day 7: Hakone Exploration 11th
• Take a cruise on Lake Ashi and enjoy views of Mt. Fuji.
• Visit the Hakone Shrine.
• Experience the Hakone Ropeway for panoramic views.
• Day 8: Hakone Relaxation + travel to Kyoto 12th
• Spend a relaxing morning at your onsen resort.
o Travel to Kyoto from Hakone by bullet train – Bento box time!
o Tea ceremony in the afternoon in Gion
o Explore Gion district in the evening
• Day 9: Kyoto Historical Sites 13th
o Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine – early morning
o Explore the historic district of Higashiyama and Kiyomizu-dera
o Waraku Samurai experience
o Walk along the Philosopher’s Path (30 min scenic walk along the water).
• Day 10: Arashiyama and Bamboo Grove 14th
o Visit the Arashiyama district
o Explore the famous Bamboo Grove (1-4 h) – EARLY
o Take the Romantic train
o Visit the Iwatayama Monkey Park.
• Day 11: Cultural Kyoto 15th
o Explore Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji
o Visit Nijo Castle – maybe plus Imperial Palace
o Explore the Nishiki Market
o Kaiseki meal in Gion
• Day 12: Himeji Castle 16th
o Day trip to Himeji castle
• Day 13: Departure 17th
o Last minute sight seeing/shopping then head for the airport.