Hi! I’m going to Japan in May as a solo female traveler. Japan has been my absolute DREAM for over a decade, and I would love to see as much as I can on my first trip while also enjoying each area as fully as I can with my limited time.
I’m in my mid-to-late 20s, fit, and used to walking around for long periods. I’ll also be training before my trip to prepare for my long walks. But I do like to enjoy myself instead of rushing (which is why I removed Osaka from my itinerary, as sad as that made me, so I could enjoy Kyoto and Tokyo properly). Since I’m going alone and my main goal is to avoid crowds and be able to take nice pictures during the daytime, I don’t plan to have any late nights drinking or staying up late. Most days, I will wake up around 5-7 am and sleep around 9-11 pm.
How realistic is my itinerary, and do my plans make sense for the day of the week they’re happening? And how difficult is it to commute to Mt. Fuji from Shibuya early in the morning?
Feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you!!
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Day 0 – Thursday (Arrival)
Today is all about making it to the hostel, eating curry, and having a good night’s rest.
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* Arrive at Narita at 4:30 pm
* Skyliner to Asakusa hostel and check-in
* Eat dinner at CoCo Curry
* Browse nearby Don Quijote, konbini for snacks
* Head to hostel to relax and sleep early
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Day 1 – Friday (Ueno – Akihabara)
First day will include an early-morning walk in Ueno, daytime in Yanaka painting nekos, and afternoon/evening in Akihabara.
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* Wake up early, konbini morning snack
* Walk to Ueno Park
* Kayaba coffee for breakfast
* National Museum 10 am
* Yanaka Ginza area (Neko-e-mon cafe)
* Akihabara (Gachapon Hall)
* Lunch/dinner spots undecided
* Walk back to hostel
Day 2 – Saturday (Asakusa – Sanja Matsuri)
This day is dedicated to Asakusa and ends the day with a Kirby-themed dinner!
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* Wake up early to see Asakusa area before the crowds
* Senso-ji
* Nakamise-dori Street
* Explore Asakusa area properly
* Kirby Cafe dinner at 6 pm
* Walk back to hostel, sleep early
Day 3 – Sunday (Central Kyoto – Ryokan)
This day is special- after long walks and constant travel, the better half of the day will be about resting and recuperating in a beautiful Ryokan and its private garden.
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* Arrive at Tokyo Station by 8 am, drop luggage at a locker and buy an ekiben
* Shinkansen to Kyoto 9:30 am
* Get to Kyoto 11:30
* Drop luggage at Ryokan
* Explore nearby area (Toji pagoda, Miffy style, Nishiki market, Nijo Castle)
* Check in at Ryokan 4 PM, rest and relax, bathe in their onsen
* Get dinner nearby and sleep early
Day 4 – Monday (Arayashima)
After checking out of the Ryokan, the day will be spent in Arayashima.
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* Wake up early, enjoy Ryokan’s breakfast and onsen
* Check out from Ryokan 11:30
* Check in at other hotel (20 minute commute)
* Head to Arayashima for a day trip around 1 pm (Miffy store, Bamboo Forest, Monkey Park, etc.)
* Dinner at Arashiyama Itsukichaya
* Return to hotel and sleep early
Day 5 – Tuesday (Gion)
The morning will be dedicated to preparing for a private photoshoot in a kimono, followed by enjoying all that the Gion area has to offer.
* Wake up early and do makeup/eat hotel breakfast
* Head to kimono rental 9 am
* Private photoshoot 10:30 am
* Have lunch somewhere in area
* Walk around Gion, Sannenzaka-Ninenzaka area
* Return kimono before heading to Philosopher’s path
* Head to hotel, eat dinner nearby, and sleep early
Day 6 – Wednesday (Uji – Nara)
Since Uji is along the way to Nara, I’ll try to squeeze a few hours here to sample and enjoy one of my favourite beverages- matcha! The rest of the day will be spent in Nara with my friend.
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* Wake up early and head to Uji, arrive between 7-8 am
* Explore temples, matcha stores and ceramics shops
* Matcha roastery cafe, opens 10 am
* Head to Nara station around 1 pm
* Arrive at Nara, meet with friend around 1:30 pm
* \~7 hours at Nara (Nakatanidou, Kofuku-ji, Nara deer park)
* Get dinner together then commute back to hotel by 10 pm, sleep early
Day 7 – Thursday (Tokyo Station – Shinjuku)
To avoid crowds, I’ll be going to the Fushimi Inari shrine first thing in the morning (my hotel is very close to it). After my morning hike, it’s back to Tokyo to quickly roam the Station, check-in, then spend the rest of the day/evening in Ikebukuro/Shinjuku.
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* Wake up early and explore Fushimi Inari shrine 6 am (hotel is very close)
* Check out of hotel 10 am
* Shinkansen back to Tokyo 11 am
* Arrive at 1 pm, roam around Tokyo Station (Tokyo Character Street, Pokemon Centre)
* Check-in at Shibuya Hostel
* Head to Ikebukuro for the day + lunch (Animate)
* Head to Shinjiku for the evening + dinner (Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku Golden Gai)
Day 8 – Friday (Shimokitazawa – Harajuku – Shibuya)
I love thrifting, cats, and cute desserts. This day will be all about my favourite things in my most-anticipated neighbourhoods in Tokyo!
* Wake up early, get to Setagaya station, try to ride the Neko train to Gotokuji
* Gotokuji Cat Temple and surrounding area
* Head to Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory
* Walk to Shimokitazawa, explore thrift stores
* Shorakuen Tea Salon 1 pm
* Head to Harajuku (Cat street, Takeshita Street, Laforet Mall)
* Walk to Shibuya (Scramble Crossing, Gigo Shibuya, Nanaya Aoyama Ice cream, Mega Don Quijote)
* Walk back to hostel, sleep as early as possible
Day 9 – Saturday (Tsukiji – Ginza – Roppongi)
This day will be packed with food and some iconic Tokyo touristy things, like the fish market, Teamlabs, and the big Uniqlo in Ginza. I chose Roppongi for Saturday as it is a pedestrian-friendly day.
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* Tsukiji Fish Market, arrive 6-7 am
* Team labs 9:00 am
* Fisheries Terrace for lunch 12 pm
* Walk to Ginza (Big Uniqlo, Heckeln purin)
* Walk to Roppongi
* Have dinner at Botagumi tonkatsu
Day 10 – Sunday (Mt Fuji)
I’ll try to get to Mt Fuji with the highway bus from Shibuya station. The rest of my excursion will be on foot. After enjoying the view and taking some pics, I’ll head back to my omakase reservation.
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* Wake up early, head to station 6-7 am
* Arrive at Mt. Fuji around 9 am for day trip (Shimoyashida Honcho st, lake Yamanaka, Lawson, Fuji Yurari hot spring)
* Commute back before sunset
* Omakase dinner near hostel 8 pm
* Back to hostel, sleep early
Day 11 – Monday (Departure)
I have a feeling I will need a few more hours in Shibuya/Harajuku. If I have the energy, I’ll spend a few hours of the morning there before going to the airport.
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* Wake up early, checkout and store luggage at hostel or nearby locker
* Explore Shibuya/Harajuku some more
* Head to Ueno station by 2:00 pm for skyliner
* 6:30 pm flight
by neillieae