Tenative JP Trip plan – Any suggestions?

* Day 1:
* Leave to LAX early morning
* Arrive in Narita International – Probably Terminal 1
* Make sure to request that a clerk add a stamp or sticker on your passport. Needed to use JR Pass
* Buy a Single Ticket for Narita Express departing to Shibuya Train Station, Tokyo (About 2.5 hr travel time)
* May need to transfer
* Check into “The Millennials Shibuya” after 15:00 PM
* Rest then walk out for dinner
* Explore Shibuya or Akihabara
* Day 2:
* DO NOT USE YOUR JR PASS YET
* Shibuya
* Walk and checkout Shibuya Crossing
* Checkout Hachiko Dog at Shibuya Crossing
* Meiji Shrine
* Harajuku
* Can walk from Meiji Shrine or optionally take Yamanote line to Harajuku
* Takeshita Dori is a famous shopping street, open around 11:00 AM. Plan on getting here around 13:00 PM
* Checkout Hedgehog Café
* Shinjuku
* Robot Restaurant
* Omoide Yokocho – Piss Alley
* Has a bunch of tiny eateries serving ramen, soba, sushi and yakitori
* Checkout 45th floor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
* Visit Shinjuku Gyoen – to see Cherry Blossoms
* Day 3:
* Asakusa and Sensoji Temple
* Start at the Kaminarimon Gate
* On the way checkout Nakamise Dori shopping street
* Sumida Park
* Sumida Park – Cherry Blossoms
* Mister Donut – for Sakura donuts
* Tokyo Skytree (20 minute walk or a 5 minute train ride from Asakusa)
* Tallest tower in the world
* Might have a waiting line
* Ueno Park (If going take a JR train from Tokyo SkyTree to Ueno Park)
* Lots of temples and shrines here to check out, as well as museums and a zoo
* Akihabara District
* Yodobashi Akiba – the world’s largest with nine stories stuffed with hi tech equipment
* Anime and Manga shops
* Super Potato Retro Shop
* Day 4:

o Head to Kamakura – Day Trip

 Visit Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kotokuin Temple

 Next visit Hase Dera Temple, which is a beautiful temple located on a hillside overlooking the ocean – Few minute walk from Great Buddha

 See bamboo forest at Hokokuji Temple

o For lunch – Komachi-dori, the busiest commercial street in Kamakura
* Day 5:

 Get up early and get Breakfast at hotel

 Get the 7:00/7:30 AM bullet train from Tokyo Station (may need to transfer at Shinagawa Station) to Kyoto Station

• Use the JR Pass to leave Tokyo and get to Kyoto (About 2.5 hr travel time)

 Will get to Kyoto by 10:30 AM

 Put luggage in a coin locker \~500-900 Yen

 Catch a bus to Saga-Arashiyama Station, will be in this area for few hours

• Tenyru-Ji Shrine and Zen Gardens

• Once exit the gardens, there is Arashiyama Bamboo Grove/Forest – \~15 mins to walk through the bamboo forest

• Next, walk to the Iwatayama Monkey Park uphill \~15-20 mins (entrance to the park is near the orange shrine gate at the south side of the Togetsu-kyo bridge. Look for a cartoon picture of a monkey)

 If there is time, take a bus to Golden Pavilion

• Can eat Japanese flavored ice cream here

 Head back to Kyoto Station to collect luggage

 Check into “Hotel Keihan Kyoto Ekiminami” is after 15:00 PM
* Day 6:

 Start the day at Nishiki Market

• Checkout Floresta Donuts

 Walk to Gion district for geishas

 During midday, go to Higashiyama District for shrines and temples

• Walk to Sannenzaka and Ninensaka streets, might be crowded during day

 Next, Kyomizu-dera Temple

 End of the day, walk to Philosopher’s Path, on Google Maps – Tetsugaku-no-michi

• Will end at Silver Pavilion, although not as fancy and intricate as the Golden Pavilion

 Return to hotel
* Day 7:

 Head to Nara from Kyoto Station (via JR Nara Line – roughly 1 hour on the express train)

 Visit Nara Park

 Todaiji (must visit Unesco World Heritage Site with super tall Buddha), Kasaguga Taisha Shrine (the most important shrine in Nara), Kofukuiji Temple, and Gangou-ji Temple

 Head to Osaka

• Get off at Osakajokoen Station to go visit Osaka Castle (Close at 16:30 PM and it’s 20 min walk from station)

 Next Dotonbori Street in Osaka – bunch of eateries and shops

• Some food to try: okonomiyaki, takoyaki (fried octopus balls), udon, and hiyashi ame ginger drink

 If there is time, visit Shinsaibashi – shopping district

 Return to Kyoto for hotel (Check train end time)
* Day 8:

 Miyajima

• Take an early morning (08:00 AM) bullet train to Hiroshima, which takes roughly 2 hours from Kyoto Station, then a local JR train to Miyajimaguchi Station, then finally the JR ferry to Miyajima (All covered with JR Pass). Will get to Miyajima by 11:00 AM

• During high tide, Miyajima gate will be “floating”

• Visit the Tori Gate and floating shrine

• Maybe take Miyajima Ropeway (\~15 minutes, $17 roundtrip) for views of the whole area from the top of Mt. Misen

 Hiroshima

• Take the ferry back to Miyajimaguchi Station, then the JR train to Hiroshima

• Take the Hiroshima Sightseeing Hop-On, Hop-Off Loop Bus “Meipuru-pu” to get around in Hiroshima (free for JR Pass)

• Take the sightseeing bus to Hiroshima Castle

• Visit “A-Bomb Dome, Children’s Peace Monument”, and “Peace Memorial Museum and Park”

• Head to eateries at Okonomimura – a multi-level eatery

 Make it back on a bullet train around 8:30/9pm, getting back to Kyoto around 11pm
* Day 9:

 Morning in Kyoto

• Head to Fushimi Inari Shrine early morning – Take JR Line (Nara or Keihan Main) from Kyoto to Inari Station.

• Make sure to get past the main tori gate – the whole circuit is 2 HR long, no need to do the whole circuit

 Nijo Castle – Will need to head back to Kyoto Station, then take the JR Sagano train to Nijo stop

• A large fortified castle with moats and gardens

 If there is time, after coming back to Kyoto station, walk to To-Ji Garden and Temple – tallest wooden pagoda in Japan, a garden with a koi fish pond, and some cherry blossoms

 Use the JR Pass to leave Kyoto and get to Shibuya, Tokyo (Bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo takes around 3 hours)

 Check into “The Millennials Shibuya” after 15:00 PM
* Day 10:

 In the morning, consider heading to Tsukiji Fish Market – sushi

• Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai are two of the most common sushi shops in Tsukiji Market
* Day 11:

 Leave Shibuya early and get to Narita International Airport to depart to LAX (takes approximately 1 hour via Narita Express)

 Arrive at LAX

by ron365123