This will be my girlfriend and I’s first trip to Japan. We have REALLY been looking forward to this for nearly 3 years now, tried booking right when COVID hit and ended up having to postpone. The following is a stripped-back itinerary I’ve personally done for the both of us, and I was just hoping for a little feedback if anyone has the time to look it over 🙂 .
The thing I’m most concerned about is actually **NOT** having enough to do on some days and being bored; I left a lot of free time for us to just do whatever, even left a few days open to catch up on stuff we might have seen / missed and wanted to come back to. If anyone sees a major conflict (not enough time, too much stuff for one day, glaringly empty spots, etc.) OR if you have any suggestions for stuff to see and do on lighter days, feedback would be greatly appreciated 🙂 .
**\*BONUS\*** Specific dinner suggestions would be awesome if anyone has any.
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* **April 2 2024 – Day 1 (Tues)**
\– Land in HND 7pm. Gather SIM / Wifi / Suica if needed (Apple Wallet should be fine?).
\– \~9pm HND to Ueno
\– Hotel Check-In (Sardonyx Ueno)
\– Dinner/Snack
\– Walk around / Konbini
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* **April 3 2024 – Day 2 (Wed)**
\– \~3am-4am — Wake up, get ready, head to Toyosu Fish Market (Possibly Uber/Cab)
\– \~4:30am-5am — Sushi Dai lineup (hopefully no more than 90min) – BACKUP — Daiwa Sushi
\– Check out Toyosu Fish market. Auction building, shops, surrounding area.
\– teamLab Planets
\– \*CHOICE\* Find something to do until 4-6pm OR go back to hotel to rest and come back at night.
\– \~6pm — Go to Odaiba Seaside Park. Dinner, park, gundam statue / store.
\– After sunset — Walk Rainbow Bridge at night (Worth it ??)
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* **April 4 2024 – Day 3 (Thurs)**
\– Walk thru Ueno Park (Blossoms) explore park for 2-3 hours
\– Explore Yanaka, Yanaka Cemetary – Yanaka Ginza (Walk from Ueno Park)
\– Head back to hotel, explore Ueno area
\– Dinner close to hotel
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* **April 5 2024 – Day 4 (Fri)**
\– Head to Akihabara.
\– Lunch – Possibly Maid Cafe, whatever catches our eye most
\– Explore more of Akihabara, possibly Arcade??
\– Head to Senso-Ji temple
\– Explore Senso-Ji and surrounding area (Asakusa shrine).
\– \~7pm CHOICE – Eat Dinner or head to Tokyo Skytree and eat there
\– Enjoy Skytree at night
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* **April 6 2024 – Day 5 (Sat)**
\– Koishikawa Korakuen, explore park and castle, possibly grab an early lunch
\– Shinjuku Goyen park
\– Explore Shinjuku Goyen and surrounding area
\– Fill time, shop Shinjuku, Piss Alley, malls.
\– Dinner – Check out Golden Gai and/or Piss Alley, grab drinks and food
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* **April 7 2024 – Day 6 (Sun)**
\– SHIBUYA DAY
\– NO ITINERARY
\– VISIT MEGA DON QUIJOTE
\– LOVE HOTEL HILL
\– SHIBUYA CROSSING
\– TAKESHITA STREET – HARAJUKU STATION
\– (Any suggestions?)
​
* **April 8 2024 – Day 7 (Mon)**
\– Free Day
​
* **April 9 2024 – Day 8 (Tues)**
\– Ueno to Shinagawa
\– Shinagawa to Kyoto – 2 Hours
\– Land in Kyoto, make way to hotel (Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kiyomizu Gojo). Drop off luggage at hotel
\– Explore around hotel, check out nearby shops / malls / restaurants
\– Check in
\– Free time
\– (Anything specific we should do here?)
​
* **April 10 2024 – Day 9 (Wed)**
\– START – Higashiyama Jisho-ji
\– Honenin
\– Philosophers Path
\– Nanzenji
\– Keage Incline
\– Heian-Jingu / Torii
\– Maruyama Park / Yasaka Shrine
\– Kodai-ji / Yasaka Pagota / Higashiyama Streets
\– Head home whenever
​
* **April 11 2024 – Day 10 (Thurs)**
\– 7am — Wake up early, snack
\– Head out to Arashiyama – Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple (Taxi from station to Otagi)
\– Start walking toward inner Arashiyama / Bamboo Forest. Grab breakfast and explore on the way down
\– Go to Bamboo Forest > Kameyama Park > Tenryu-Ji Temple > Togetsu-kyu Bridge > Monkey Park
\– Relax / Go home / Dinner / Whatever
​
* **April 12 2024 – Day 11 (Fri)**
\– Free Day
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* **April 13 2024 – Day 12 (Sat)**
\– Leave for Nara, train (Kintetsu Limited Express)
\– Grab Breakfast
\– FOLLOW JAPAN-GUIDE
[https://www.japan-guide.com/map/?id=nara\_full](https://www.japan-guide.com/map/?id=nara_full)
\– Dinner – (?)
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* **April 14 2024 – Day 13 (Sun)**
\– 6am wake up
\– Leave for Fushimi Inari
\– Grab breakfast, explore Fushimi Inari
\– Head to Pokemon Center
\– Explore area
\– Nishiski Market
\– Nijo Castle (??)
\– Dinner – (?)
​
* **April 15 2024 – Day 14 (Mon)**
\– Train to Osaka (Tokaido-Sanyo Line NOT SHINKANSEN)
\– Arrive at hotel (Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama), drop off bags, check in if possible
\– FREE TIME
\– Explore Umeda District, eat lots of food.
​
* **April 16 2024 – Day 15 (Tues)**
\– Himeji – Leave at \~730am (arrive for open at 9am)
\– 20 Min walk from station to Himeji Castle – Get combo ticket with garden and Castle
\– KOBA&MORE Lunch (OPEN 11:30am to 2pm)
\– Himeji Station > Shin-Kobe Station (Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkasen \~30 min)
\– \~3-4 hours Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens
\– \~6pm – Head out for dinner
\– 7pm – Dinner at Tor Road Steak Aoyama (reservation already booked)
\– Explore Kobe
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* **April 17 2024 – Day 16 (Wed)**
\– Osaka Aquarium for aquarium half day
\– Shopping at nearby market / Ferris Wheel
\– \*\*Free time\*\*
\– Nakanoshima Museum of Art?
\– Dinner(?)
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* **April 18 2024 – Day 17 (Thurs)**
\– Explore / Relax
\– Leave for Koyasan \~1pm
\– Arrive \~3:30pm (Check in 3pm-7pm)
\– Onsen Fukuchiin – Check in.
\– Explore Koya
\– Dinner at ryokan
\– Spoopy Graveyard
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* **April 19 2024 – Day 18 (Fri)**
\– \~6am – Morning Prayer / breakfast
\– Check out \~8am
\– Leave Koyasan – World Heritage ticket should still work (?)
\– \~10am Hotel
\– Den Den Town
\– Lunch / Explore
\– Denden Town / Nipponbashi > Dotonbori
\– Explore Dotonbori
\– Dinner (??)
​
* **April 20 2024 – Day 19 (Sat)**
\– Free Day
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* **April 21 2024 – Day 20 (Sun)**
\– Check out 11am
\– Transit to HND
\– Store baggage
\– Go to Ginza? Kawasaki Costco?
\– Explore airport? (bearing in mind we have approx 6-7 hours before flight)
\– Arrive at check in \~7-8pm
by ghostsnstufx