Hello! I want to thank this sub for all the helpful posts I’ve read over the past few months trying to plan our trip next month. We are a 30/40s couple that enjoy nature, eating and art (specifically pottery). We are not huge nightlife (no heavy bar crawling/clubs/etc.) but enjoy being out at night especially bustling areas with food around and such. I’m most intimidated by the transportation part of traveling in Japan, so I wanted to run through my high-level itinerary for a sanity check before I really drill down on how to get from place to place as that’s definitely where I’m feeling some stress.
**3/24**
Arrive HND 6pm
Get to hotel in Shinjuku
Wander Omoide Yokocho for food if up for it
Crash
**3/25**
Shinjuku Gyoen Park
Shinjuku Takano Fruits Parlor
Head to Kyoto (hotel in Gion)
Okazaki Canal Boat Ride in evening
**3/26**
Kinkaku-ji temple as early as possible
Private pottery class in Kamigyo area
Fushimi Inari Taisha after dark
**3/27**
Arashiyama Bamboo Garden early as possible
Tenryu-ji Temple
Iwatayma Monkey Park
Nishiki Market if still open (back towards hotel)
Kiyomiza-dera Temple night illuminations
**3/28**
Nishiki Market if didn’t get to yesterday
Shop/wander around Gion
Kitano Odori Performance
Sanjo-kai Shotengai
Nijo Castle Illuminations
**3/29**
Back to Tokyo (hotel in Ginza)
Shibuya Sky
Nintendo Store/Mega Don Quijote/Shopping in general
Shibuya Scramble
Nakameguro shopping/eating
Meguro River Cruise
**3/30**
Ghibli Museum (have tickets)
Explore Kichoijoji before heading to Shinjuku
Shop/Eat/Wander Shinjuku
Golden Gai Food Tour? (Open to ideas here for evening)
**3/31**
Oedo Antique Market + other Ginza area shopping
Akihabara (read this is good on Sundays because no cars)
One of Tokyo National/Nature & Science/Met Art Museum
Ueno Park Illuminations
**1/1**
Wander fish market (is this even worth it?)
Hamarikyu Gardens
Suijo Bus from Himode Pier to Asakusa
Senso-ji
Kitchenware Shopping Taito City
Tokyo Skytree
Shopping at Tokyo Solamachi
Sumida Park Illuminations
**1/2**
Last morning–do whatever we feel or something we missed
Flight departs NRT at 5pm
**I have a few general questions:**
\-Do any days seem particularly packed or inefficient?
\-Are we missing any must see/do shrines or activities? (note: we do not want to do teamslab planets or borderless as we did a similar experience in Singapore recently)
\-We are doing A LOT of cherry blossom night illumination things. It’s a once in a lifetime type thing timing wise so I think it’s good but can anyway speak to if it’s *too* much? haha I don’t think so…but feel like I should ask 🙂
Anything else I’m forgetting?! Thanks in advance 🙂
by rariya