Hi folks! This is the last part of our 21-day late November honeymoon trip. Our final stops were Nikko, Tokyo and Kawaguchiko. Parts 1 and 2 can be found on the following links:
[Part 1: Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/1ag9fqj/trip_report_21day_trip_in_late_november_part_1/)
[Part 2: Himeji, Kyoto, Matsumoto, Snow Monkey Park and Shibu Onsen](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/1alx9ug/trip_report_21day_trip_in_late_november_part_2/)
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**Day 12 – Nikko (Toshogu Shrine)**
* When building my itinerary, I wasn’t sure if we should do Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo or spend a night there. Since we wanted to visit two different areas (Toshogu Shrine area and Lake Chuzenji), I opted for the overnight option to make sure we had enough time for it.
* We left Shibu Onsen at around 7.30am and arrived in Nikko at 1pm. Dropped our bags at the hotel and had lunch at [Trattoria Gigli](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3GxvzNbY2eTzGgaD9) (6/10, the food wasn’t bad, but I REALLY like Italian and it was just not up to standard. Good price though and we got seated right away).
* After lunch we walked towards Toshogu Shrine. I recommend walking instead of getting the bus from the train station – traffic can be pretty bad in Nikko and there are several little shops and food trucks along the way. We walked by Shinkyo Bridge and didn’t pay to get inside as the view from outside seemed nicer.
* We arrived at Toshogu Shrine at 2.45pm (it closes at 4pm) and for us that was enough time to see everything. There was a MASSIVE queue to buy tickets, but thanks to someone else on this subreddit I knew I could buy tickets online at the [KKday website](https://www.kkday.com/en/product/151083-nikko-toshogu-admission-ticket-reservation-historic-site-tochigi-prefecture) right before entering. So I did that, got a QR code in my email in less than 2 minutes, and got my tickets at the KKday collection counter, which was completely empty, so I was inside the temple in less than 5 min (versus what looked like a 30 min queue). The temple was impressive, very very busy, but we enjoyed it.
* We then decided to walk towards Kanmangafuchi Abyss. The walk there is pretty nice, but the ‘Abyss’ itself is very unimpressive. So if you’re in Nikko for a day trip, I wouldn’t recommend going there.
* We walked back to our hotel and got out again for dinner at around 7.30pm. It was a mistake getting out that late – Nikko turns into a ghost town after 6pm. The only place open and taking orders was [Ramen Bonten](https://maps.app.goo.gl/7GUSUFY1yzt9koxN6) so we stopped there for food (6/10).
*Nikko hotel:* [*Nikko Station Classic*](https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/nikko-station-classic) *(8/10). Right beside the JR station, so very convenient location. Room was spacious, hotel had an Onsen (but I didn’t go check it out). Breakfast was included but it wasn’t very good.*
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**Day 13 – Nikko (Lake Chuzenji)**
* We got the 8.30am bus towards Chuzenji Lake, after buying an all day bus pass to the Chuzenji area from Tobu-Nikko station (the counter opens at 8am, so if you’re planning on getting an earlier bus, buy these tickets in advance. If I’m not mistaken you can get them online). DO NOT get the bus from the Tobu-Nikko stop – instead, walk two minutes down to the JR station and get it from there, it’s the first stop and practically empty compared to the next stop (where not everyone managed to get in the bus)
* Our first stop was the Akechidaira ropeway. We took the cable car up to the observation deck and there were no queues. Views were beautiful, so I absolutely recommend. We were there past peak foliage, but I can only imagine how impressive it would look during the peak. We spent less than 30 min there. Check the bus schedule beforehand to figure out how much time you can stay at each spot without waiting ages for the next bus to show up.
* Hopped back on the bus, and our next stop was Kegon falls. We arrived there at around 9.45am and there were no queues to the elevator yet. Once we were done, instead of getting back on the bus, we just walked down towards the lake. There was not a lot going on in the area, very few shops or places to eat.
* We decided to do the boat cruise departing from [here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GXkxy1cA9ZyLuzC96). Views were nice and it was cozy and warm inside. I don’t remember for how long exactly we were in the boat, but I’d guess it was around 40 min. Once we were dropped off we got lunch at the [Maple restaurant](https://maps.app.goo.gl/JcjMhyzFB8CNqKcF6), and had a delicious Wagyu Stew (9/10). There is a temple in the area that looked cool from the outside (Chuzen-ji temple), but we decided not to go in. We really wanted to check Mt. Hangetsu observation deck – however, at that time of the year there were no buses available, and the walk was reaaaaally long, so we opted not to go.
* We then made our way back to Nikko – be prepared for a very long bus trip (traffic), standing.
What I would do differently: we should have just done a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko. Nikko is dead in the evenings, so there was no point on spending the night there. If doing a day trip, I would explore Lake Chuzenji area in the morning (8am start), grab lunch at the Maple restaurant and then visit Toshogu Shrine in the afternoon. Renting a car could be helpful for exploring Chuzenji Lake. During our time there, traffic got really bad after 3pm, so as long as your back to Nikko at that time you should be fine.
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* We headed to Tokyo and arrived in our hotel in Shinjuku at 7pm. After grabbing dinner, we just checked out the Disney Flagship Store, Muji and the Godzilla statue at the Gracery hotel (which was pretty underwhelming) before calling it a day.
*Tokyo hotel:* [*APA Hotel Higashi Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower*](https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/apahoteru-dong-xin-su-ge-wu-ji-ting-tawa.en-gb.html) *(8/10). Good value hotel, convenient location, 15 min walk from several train/metro stations. Ideally, I would recommend staying closer than that to the stations if you can – the last thing we wanted to do by the end of the day after walking 25k steps, was to walk 15 more minutes. Rooms were small (but that was the case most of the time). They had laundry on site and a public Onsen (which we didn’t check).*
*We left the hotel to go to Mt Fuji for a night and asked them to hold our luggage for 24 hours and they refused. So we had to use a luggage forwarding service (Airporter) to pick it up and drop it off at the same hotel on the next day, a bit of a waste. That was the only stress.*
*If you are not the going out type, I wouldn’t recommend staying in Shinjuku, the area is very very busy all day every day. If you are, then that’s the place to be!*
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**Day 14 – Tokyo (TeamLabs, Odaiba and Ginza)**
When building your Tokyo itinerary, consider that you are going to need PLENTY of time to get to places. Even if two areas seem very close on the map, it won’t take you less than 40 min to travel between them. So if you are planning an early activity in a day, that might mean waking up 1.5 hours before that, so just keep that in mind.
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* The initial plan was to start the day very early and be at Tsukiji Fish Market before 7am. Well, that didn’t happen – we were very tired so decided to sleep for 2 extra hours. We ended up never going back there, so can’t really comment on it (and I don’t regret not going – we’ve been to plenty of markets during the trip).
* We started our day at TeamLab Planets with our 9am pre-booked tickets. We got there at 8.45am and there was a massive queue waiting for it to open. Still, we were in by 9.15am and even though the place was busy, it was not TOO busy that we couldn’t enjoy the exhibition, so I definitely recommend going on the first timeslot if you can. It is not a long exhibition, so you can spend as much time there as you want – we were there for 1 hour and for me that was enough.
* We had lunch at [Sushi Dokoro Yamazaki](https://maps.app.goo.gl/kmj38g9vgYUVWXM58), one of the many sushi restaurants around Toyosu market. This was the best sushi we had in our entire trip, 10/10. It’s a small restaurant. There was no queue when we arrived at 10.30am, but a big queue when we left.
* We then headed to Odaiba and checked the three shopping centres in the area and spent some time in one of the arcades. We left by 5pm, it was already dark, so we could see the rainbow bridge, the Fuji TV observatory, the Unicorn Gundam Statue and the Statue of Liberty lit up.
* Our final stop was Ginza – we just walked around and did some shopping (Shiseido, Uniqlo, Muji) before heading back to the hotel. We stopped for dinner at [Curry House Rio](https://maps.app.goo.gl/X4hAH1teryzDZ1j67) in Shinjuku Station (7/10).
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**Day 15 – Tokyo (Harajuku and Shibuya Sky)**
* We started the day by going to Harajuku and honestly, I don’t recommend going there. The area is SO BUSY and there is a queue for literally everything (to get into restaurants, cafes, shops, shopping centres, it’s a bit too much).
* Anyway, there we were. We first stopped at Cafe Reissue, dropped our names to a list (at 10.20am) and came back 1 hour later (11.20am) to be seated. While we waited we had our first Japanese crepe (I don’t remember the location). SO MUCH CREAM inside, it was a bit sickening. We then just walked around Omotesando Street (so many queues). Then it was time to go back to Cafe Reissue, their latte art is amazing. My husband got a very cute 3D Pikachu latte and the artist perfectly drew my dog’s face on my cappuccino. We had some food (sandwiches) there as well, but it wasn’t very good. 10/10 for the coffees though.
* We had a reservation for [MiPig cafe](https://maps.app.goo.gl/w7Hwv4pNfjMBWWS96) at 12pm. I have my reservations about animal cafes, but this was recommended by a friend living there, and after doing my research it seemed to be ok – the pigs are not on display for the whole day, it’s different groups taking rests throughout the day. And they are being trained and socialized there for being adopted when they get older. You also can’t hold the pigs, but they do come to you. My husband had 3 pigs taking naps on his lap at some point. It was very cute and fun.
* After that we walked down Takeshita Street and I don’t think it’s worth it. Nothing special about it and too busy. Did some more shopping in Uniqlo, before getting an Uber to the hotel as we had too many shopping bags and needed to pack as we were heading to Mt. Fuji on the next day.
* We left again in the evening to go to Shibuya Sky, as we had sofa reservations at The Roof (you need to book this one month earlier on their website at a specific time as they sell out immediately. There are posts on this subreddit explaining how to do it).
* Before going up, we stopped for Sushi at [Matsue](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CgCqDYjTUvzkXi9g9) in Shibuya Scramble Square (6/10, the sushi was more expensive than the one we had around Toyosu Market, and not as good). We were sat at the window, so we got some really nice views of Shibuya Crossing. We then headed to Shibuya Sky for our timed entry. I didn’t manage to book our sofa for sunset, but in the end it didn’t matter as it was a very cloudy day.
* We then walked to Yokocho Alley for some food in one of the Izakayas, and finished the night having cocktails at [The Bellwood](https://maps.app.goo.gl/p1yyQmxKWP61tyLC9) (10/10).
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**Day 16 – Kawaguchiko**
* Instead of day tripping to Mt. Fuji (we were torn between Hakone and Lake Kawaguchiko), we decided to spend a night in Kawaguchiko. Day trips would allow for the flexibility of picking a day with good weather – we had set dates so had to count on luck to get good Mt. Fuji views. In the end it worked out perfectly, we got very lucky with the weather, and I would recommend spending a night there if it fits your itinerary. Mt Fuji looks different during sunrise, morning, afternoon and sunset, so it was really cool to see it all.
* From Shinjuku Station, we got the Fuji Excursion (Limited Express) to Otsuki (included in the JR pass, with hourly morning departures – 7.30am, 8.30am, 9.30am). We got the 8.30am train and reserved seats on the ticket machine that’s on the platform – that was a bit stressful. So get to the station a bit earlier to find your way to the platform (Shinjuku station is a bit of a maze) and use the ticket machine. At Otsuki you jump on a different train heading to Kawaguchiko (not included in the JR pass) – that train was full and we didn’t have booked seats, so we were standing for the rest of the trip. I think it is possible to book this seats in advance.
* Our first stop was Shimoyoshida Station. We were starving, so we stopped at [Arakura Guesthouse](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3WEhwujd33ZcWsE77) for a quick bite (it was the only food option in the area open at 10am). 2/10, do not recommend – I ordered the Pork curry and there was no pork in it.
* We headed to Shimoyoshida Honcho Street for Mt Fuji photos. Full of people and queues to the good photo spots. However if you go to the adjacent streets (either side) they are empty and you get great photos.
* We then walked towards Chureito Pagoda (Arakurayama Sengen Park). Prepare yourself to climb a million steps. The view from the top was beautiful and really worth it.
* We got back in the train, this time heading to Kawaguchiko Station. We had lunch at [Shaw’s sushi bar and dining](https://maps.app.goo.gl/HqtUrPyZn2zU4vs58) (7/10), then headed to the [Lawson at Kawaguchiko Station](https://maps.app.goo.gl/yQXVDz65iymZ34m5A), the one with Mt Fuji as the backdrop. Well, it looks much prettier in photos than in person, so in my opinion it can be easily skipped.
* We checked in at our Ryokan, got back out for a walk around the lake during sunset and took a few more nice Mt. Fuji pictures. Then back to the hotel in the evening for an Onsen bath and a Kaiseki dinner.
We had planned to do more things in Kawaguchiko (the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway and Kawaguchi Asama Shrine). Even though we had enough time to do all that, we opted not to – by the time we checked in to the hotel, we felt like we’ve had enough views from Mt. Fuji (and our hotel room also had a side view of it).
The itinerary above can be done as a day trip, there’s plenty of time to do it all if you get the 8.30am train from Shinjuku station. I do recommend spending the night if you can though.
*Kawaguchiko Ryokan:* [*Hotel Asafuji*](https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/asafuji-fujikawaguchiko) *(9/10). They offer a free shuttle to and from the train station, the staff is very accommodating, traditional dinner and breakfast were delicious, the hotel has a public Onsen which was also really nice, and you get a Mt. Fuji view from the rooms (it is a side view, but still very beautiful).*
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**Day 17 – Tokyo (Akihabara and Tokyo Station)**
* We had breakfast at 8am and got out for another walk around the lake for some last Mt Fuji views. We checked out by 10am and got the hotel shuttle to the train station.
* We arrived in Tokyo at around 2pm and spent an hour in Shinjuku Taito Station while waiting for our check in time. In the evening, we went to Akihabara and walked around checking different shops, including The Mandarake Complex. We arrived in Akihabara at 5pm and stayed there for 1.5-2 hours.
* We then headed to Tokyo Station (basement) for dinner at the Tokyo Ramen Street. Every Ramen restaurant had a massive queue, so we ended up having tonkatsu at [Kurokatsu-tei](https://maps.app.goo.gl/m4jh8aaoEkv4b8nx6) (7/10). We then walked around Tokyo Character Street. I don’t think these are a must in your itinerary, a lot of the shops there can be found elsewhere.
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**Day 18 – Tokyo (Asakusa and Tokyo Tower)**
* We started the day doing this [Asakusa Rickshaw tour](https://www.getyourguide.com/tokyo-l193/tokyo-asakusa-rickshaw-tour-30-minutes-t65687/). Our rickshaw was lovely, gave us a lot of information on the area, took some nice pictures of us and told us a good bit of his life in Japan. When I booked this tour I didn’t really realize that the rickshaws in Japan ‘walk’ instead of having a bike or some sort of motorized vehicle as it happens in other places, so I don’t think I would have booked it if I knew that was the case (the tour was great, I just didn’t feel comfortable with having someone carrying us around).
* We then just walked around Asakusa. We visited Senso-ji temple and Nakamise-dori (it was around 10.30am and the place was PACKED). After we walked around the streets around the temple, much quieter than the temple itself and there are some really nice shops around. I really enjoyed Asakusa and if we ever go back to Tokyo I will try to find a hotel in the area.
* My husband wanted to get a Japanese knife, so we walked towards Kappabashi. We checked three shops ([Seisuke](https://maps.app.goo.gl/qboTsGpwSy1WxoeQ7), [Tokuzo](https://maps.app.goo.gl/5Xfd1krAx44hqAme9) and [Kamata](https://maps.app.goo.gl/9DUYRfw8bJ9XQfWk7)) and ended up buying our knife from Kamata. This area is full of shops selling all types of kitchen utensils for a good price. So if you wanna buy sake glasses, bowls, soup spoons, chop sticks, chop stick holders etc., I’d say this is the place.
* For 1pm, we had booked this [Sumo Experience and Chanko Nabe Lunch](https://www.getyourguide.com/tokyo-l193/tokyo-sumo-experience-and-chanko-nabe-lunch-t264872/?ranking_uuid=4ce0df22-3bee-405d-a18d-47be00689b15), where you basically learn a bit about sumo from retired wrestlers and watch their morning practice . They also cook you lunch. It was nice, but I don’t think I would recommend it, everything is scripted, the wrestling is definitely staged, and most of the time is allocated for people taking photos with the wrestlers (and it is a bit out of the way).
* After seeing Tokyo Tower from afar so many times, we decided to go check it out. We didn’t go up, as we’ve already seen Tokyo from above at Shibuya Sky, so we basically just walked around it and through the park right beside it.
* In the evening we visited the Christmas Market at Meiji Jingu Gaien (loads of of German and Danish stalls).
* As I mentioned in Part 1, we are not the going out type and were always in the hotel by 9pm. Since we were staying in Shinjuku, we decided to go out at least once. So we checked out several of the little bars in Omoide Yokocho and finished the night out with 2 hours of [Karaoke](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3fv7iFC6codf7Ja68). This Karaoke place had a great collection of western songs and it was an open bar.
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**Day 19 – Sushi Making Class**
* Well, I was very hungover on this day so we didn’t do anything except for this [Sushi Making Class](https://www.getyourguide.com/tokyo-l193/tokyo-sushi-making-class-t75014/?ranking_uuid=bb8e9f97-a13c-461a-bb4e-8589e0c2c41f). I really recommend it, 10/10. The instructor was brilliant and you cook an entire sushi meal (with different types of sushi) for yourself.
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**Day 20 – Shibuya**
* This was our last full day in Tokyo. We had Japanese fluffy pancakes at [The Original Pancake House](https://maps.app.goo.gl/tXjC3W7XN1F2YX3t9) for breakfast. We arrived at 11.15am and there was no queue.
* We then spent our day in Shibuya, to do our last bits of shopping and because we didn’t really walk around the area when we visited Shibuya Sky. I don’t remember all our stops, but we definitely checked Shibuya 109 and the Mega Don Quijote. We had Ramen at [Ichiran](https://maps.app.goo.gl/LCtqBCQEuuEsHWdc6) (10/10, my favourite Ramen of the trip) before going back to Shinjuku. We probably had to wait around 20 min in the queue.
* Back to Shinjuku, we spent more time in an arcade, then visited Kabukicho Tower. It was very busy and there was nothing unique to it (except for the decoration on the restaurant’s floor), so I wouldn’t recommend going there.
* We had Wagyu burgers for dinner at [Shogun burger Shinjuku](https://maps.app.goo.gl/6vun1Jixfs88UbHR9). BEST BURGER OF MY LIFE, 10/10. Just go.
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**Day 21 – Shinjuku**
* We had bus tickets to Narita Airport booked for 4pm – our initial plan was to get the Narita Express train, but after seeing how busy Shinjuku Station is, I didn’t want to walk around it with 3 large bags, so opted for the pre-booked bus.
* We spent our last hours in Shinjuku. Our first stop was the Shinjuku Marui Annex – there is a lot of cool shops in this shopping centre, so I do recommend going.
* It was a beautiful sunny day, so we visited Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – massive park with paid entrance. It was beautiful with Autumn foliage. So if you are visiting in peak autumn or spring I also recommend going there.
* We had our final lunch at [Sushi Zanmai](https://maps.app.goo.gl/W2nYQae1nzaeDf1C7) (7/10, probably a 15 min wait before getting seated).
And that was it. We loved every minute in this amazing country. Eat all the food you can, schedule some rest breaks into your itinerary and go to the arcades! I hope these trip reports can help in your planning, and let me know if you have any questions.
by IMustSayThat