Itenary check 21 days in Japan
Hi everyone,
Will be the first time for my girlfriend and I, it’s our dream coming true… What do you guys think about our itinerary?
About us : into Anime/Manga, love japanese food, love temples, tea fans. If you have any recommendations, will be a pleasure 🙂
Day 1 May 17 Tokyo :
– Arriving at Narita Airport around 1 PM
– Pocket Wi-Fi + Suica card
– Go to the Hotel in Shinjuku and drop off the luggage
– Chill around Shinjuku (Golden Gai)
Day 2 May 18 (Saturday) Tokyo :
– Asakusa (Senso-Ji)
– Ueno + National Museum
– Tokyo Sky Tree
– Kirby Cafe
Day 3 May 19 (Sunday) Tokyo :
– Harajuku, Meiji Shrine
– Shibuya, Shibuya Sky
Day 4 May 20 Tokyo :
– Tsukiji market
– TeamLabs Planet
– Ginza
– Akihabara
Day 5 May 21 Tokyo –> Kyoto :
Shinkansen to Kyoto
– Chill around Gion Area
– Yasaka-jinja Shrine
Day 6 May 22 Kyoto :
– Sannenzaka path
– Kiyomizudera Temple early morning
– Kenninji
– Kodai-ji maybe?
– “Gear” performance
Day 7 May 23 Kyoto :
– Day trip to Nara
Day 8 May 24 Kyoto :
– Bamboo Forest early morning
– Iwatayama Monkey Park
– Kinkaku-ji Temple
– Ginkakuji
Day 9 May 25 (Saturday) Kyoto :
– Fushimi Inari early morning
– Nishiki Market
– Samouraï Experience
– Tea Ceremony
– Send the luggage to Osaka
Day 10 May 26 (Sunday) Kyoto –> Hiroshima :
– Peace Memorial Park
– Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
– A-Bomb Dome
– Hiroshima Castle
– Shukkeinen Garden
Day 11 May 27 Hiroshima –> Miyajima :
– Take the ferry to Miyajima
– Itsukushima Shrine
– Daishoin
– Try Oyster
– Top of Mount Misen
– Omotesando Street
– Stay in Ryokan
Day 12 May 28 Miyajima –> Osaka :
– Continue visiting Miyajima
– Shinkansen to Himeji Castle
– Visit Himeji Castle
– Shinkansen to Osaka
– Chill around Dotonbory (hotel here)
Day 13 May 29 Osaka :
– Osaka Castle
– Umeda Sky Building or Harukas 300 (or both?)
– Den-Den Town
– Namba Yasaka Shrine
Day 14 May 30 Osaka :
– USJ
Day 15 May 31 Osaka :
– Kuromon Ichiba Market
– Midosuji
– America-Mura
– Aquarium + Tempozan Giant Wheel
Day 16 June 01 (Saturday) Osaka –> Hakone :
– Sumiyoshi Taisha
– Sakai Traditional Crafts Museum and Knife Shop (or just buy a knife at Tower Knives Osaka ?)
– Hakone pass in advance
– Drop off luggage at the Ryokan (Gora)
– Hakone open-air museum
– Onsen
Day 17 June 02 (Sunday) Hakone :
– Cable Car and Ropeway to Owakudani
– Ropeway to Togendai
– Pirate Ship
– Tokaido Road
– Hakone Jinja Shrine
– Stone-Paved road
– Teahouse
– Onsen
Day 18 June 03 Hakone –> Tokyo :
– A little bit more of Hakone
– Hakone to Tokyo
– Check-in Shinjuku
– Roppongi ?
Day 19 June 04 Tokyo :
– Disney sea
Day 20 June 05 Tokyo :
– Ghibli Museum
– Akihabara (maybe?)
– TeamLab Borderless
– Around Tokyo Tower
Day 21 June 06 END :
– Chill and go back to Narita airport at around 1 PM (flight at 5 PM)
In terms of nights :
Tokyo 4 nights
Kyoto 5 nights
Hiroshima 1 night
Miyajima 1 night
Osaka 4 nights
Hakone 2 nights
Tokyo 3 nights
Any issue with Saturday and Sunday day trips?
Is the trip well balanced?
Do you think we could do better?
What should we add or remove?
Thanks in advance for your recommendations 😀
by 97GE
9 comments
The Tokyo parts look fine. I can’t tell whether it’s well balanced or not because I cannot tell what you mean by ‘well balanced’.
I recommend skipping Tsukiji market, it’s just a tourist trap nowadays.
Crowded alleyway with ridiculously overpriced mediocre food, a terrible experience and a waste of my time.
I’d probably combine Kyoto and Osaka, cut them down to 7 total nights, and add those 2 nights onto Tokyo at the backend. Add a day trip to Kamakura. You’re kind of 100% tourist attractions in Tokyo, which is natural as you’re a tourist, but I’d probably cut down on those and block out half days to check out some more interesting neighborhoods that are less tourist-filled, so to speak. Koenji, Kichijoji, Nakameguro, Daikanyama, Jimbocho, etc. There are a bunch depending on your interests. If you’re anime/manga fans, Nakano Broadway is a must and pairs really well with the thrift shops + late night restaurants/bars in Koenji.
Day 4 and 20 seem aggressive. Overall guessing you may need more chill time. IMO after 1 or 2, the tower observations views start looking all the same. Id reduce to maybe 1 in any area, if at all. Guessing you know Ghibli museum isnt an easy ticket and not just quick in-out situation.
Just wanted to say that this itinerary is very well put together on the whole, you’ve clearly done the work. Others may point out issues with specific parts or days of the itinerary but I wouldn’t change too much from here. Great job
If you have an iPhone you can just get the Suica card in your wallet and top it up from there. It’s really handy 🙂
I have a very similar plan for my 3 week stay (April/May) 😀 The only difference is that I’m not doing the Hiroshima/Itsukushima part – more days in Tokyo instead.
I’m thinking about not taking suitcases to Hakone, sending them directly to the hotel, and going to Hakone with just a backpack
No love for Kanazawa and Takayama? I guess Hakone more worth it?
This is a bangin itinerary man, my girl and I had a similar one! Your days are packed but definitely doable. Some things are gunna take longer than expected, mostly because you’re just enjoying them so much, and before you know it hours have passed 😅 The reality is there will probably be something here that you’ll miss due to a time constraint, and that’s okay!