Hi everyone!
I’m here to humbly add my 2 week itinerary to the sea of near-identical ones. Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions, and sorry for the wall of text! I am travelling with my husband as well as my sister & her husband – this is their honeymoon vacation, so I’m trying my best not to panic in an attempt to make it as perfect as possible. Our main interests are food, nature, temples, and a bit of anime and video games. Not crazy big on shopping/fashion, and not big drinkers. If you guys also have any tips for avoiding large crowds, that would be much appreciated!
I have the feeling that I’m over-packing the schedule (which is the way of travelling that my husband and I are used to), so please feel free to call me out! However, please note that the VAST majority of what I have listed are essentially suggestions – if we want to spend more time walking around and exploring something that’s totally fine & expected. I just didn’t want us to be wasting time on Google while we’re already there!
Only things set in stone are the hotels, and anything labeled with “(Reservation)”.
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>3/17 – 3/20 Tokyo (Shibuya)
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>3/21 – 3/22 Hakone
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>3/23 – 3/27 Osaka (Day trips to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Himeji)
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>3/28 – 3/30 Tokyo (Asakusa)
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**March 17 (Sunday) – Landing in Tokyo**
* Land in HND around 5:00
* Withdraw cash, purchase SUICA/Pasmo cards for each person
* Navigate to our in hotel Shibuya, pick up pocket wifi at hotel
* Relax / get dinner around the hotel (potential options: Tsukishima Monja Kuuya, Tsukishimamamonja Okoge Shibuya, Nabezo Shibuya Koendori – all open late)
* Visit Don Quijote if we can’t sleep and are looking for something to do at night
**March 18 (Monday) – Tokyo (Shibuya)**
* Have hotel breakfast (open until 10:30, but hopefully starting the day much earlier)
* Walk to Yoyogi Park and then Meiji Jingu (estimating 3 hours to explore, about 1 hr walking round-trip to get there/back). Get a Goshuin Stamp Book & signed if possible
* Potentially go to the Cat Cafe Mocha (why are there 3 locations within 10 minutes of each other…?)
* Rest at hotel if needed
* Swing by Iyoshi Cola (5 minutes from hotel – can do on any day)
* Visit Nintendo Tokyo (or see it on the walk back to the hotel, 10 minute walk)
* Have lunch at Mawashizushi Katsu Seibu
* Briefly visit Hachiko Statue/Shibuya Crossing
* Estimated time: 6ish
* Buy 3 day Subway pass at Tokyo Station?
* Go to Aoyama Flower Market Green House for tea (8 min bus ride)
* Just go back to the hotel and rest until dinner? Potentially down for making a quick trip to another district, but having trouble finding something close-ish that doesn’t involve clubbing / bar crawling
**March 19 (Tuesday) – Tokyo (Harajuku and Akihabara)**
* Walk to Togo Shrine (15 minute walk from hotel)
* Visit Cafe Reissue (5 min walk from shrine)
* Walk around Harajuku for a bit (mainly interested in the food/snacks – if anyone has any particular recommendations!) (estimated time 2.5ish hours)
* Go to Akihabara (40+ minute ride)
* Potential points of interest:
* *-Game Centers/Arcades (e.g. HEY Hirose Entertainment Yard)*
* *-Akiba Cultures Zone*
* *-Animate*
* *-Gachapon Hall*
* *-2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan Alley*
* *-Kanda Shrine*
* Dinner – maybe Kanda Ponchiken? Kyushu Jangara?
* Head back to Shibuya
**March 20 (Wednesday) – Tokyo (Koto City Area)**
* Leave by 10:00 to get to Koto City area by 11:00.
* (Reservation) Teamlabs Planets at 11:30, visit their restaurant Vegan Ramen UZU (estimated time: ~3.5 hours)
* (Optional) Check out the Small Worlds Miniature Museum (10 minute bus ride)
* Walk around DiverCity (20 minute bus ride), check out food court if hungry
* (Reservation) 6:30 take 30 minute ferry to Hinode Pier, with views of the lit up Rainbow Bridge
* It will be ~1 hr ride back to the hotel at this point – optionally check out Zojo-ji temple / Minato City Park / look at Tokyo Tower if not tired yet
* Do luggage transfer directly to Osaka (skipping our 1.5 days in Hakone and just bringing backpacks)?
**March 21 (Thursday) – Travel to Hakone**
* Leave around 8:30am for Hakone (~2.5hr train ride)
* Visit the open-air museum
* Swing by the ryokan to drop off bags, confirm time to be back for dinner
* 30 minute bus ride to Amasake Tea House
* 30 minute hike to Heiwa no Torii / Hakone Shrine
* 30 minute bus ride back to ryokan, should arrive around 4:30pm (dinner is estimated to be at 6pm)
* Use onsen / relax rest of the day
**March 22 (Friday) – Rest of Hakone Loop / Travel to Osaka**
* Eat breakfast at ryokan around 9
* 30 minute bus to Sounzan Station ropeway
* Spend around 1 hr at Owakudani
* Take ropeway to Lake Ashi pirate ship ride
* Disembark at Hakonemachi Park, walk over to the Hakone Checkpoint
* Eat lunch (Tatsumi Garden?) & then travel to Osaka hotel (Shinsekai)
* Arrive around 7:30pm – Meander around Shinsekai, find somewhere for dinner
> Note: The Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe/Himeji days can be swapped around as needed – I’d like to try and mitigate the weekend crowds
**March 23 (Saturday) – Osaka (Arashiyama Day Trip)**
* Travel to Arashiyama (~1hr 45min – leave at like 8:00?)
* Monkey Park (~2 hours)
* Brunch at MUKU (closed between 10am and 11:30am, need to plan accordingly)
* Walk across Togetsukyo Bridge (or take the bus, but not much faster)
* Bamboo Forest + Tenryu-ji (~2 hours)
* Eat late lunch / early dinner (Shoraian, Kameyamaya, or Shigetsu(vegan) as potential options – latter two close earlyish)
* Go back to Osaka (estimated arrival: 8:00ish)
**March 24 (Sunday) – Osaka (Kobe and Himeji Day Trip)**
* Arrive at Shin-Kobe around 9:30 (takes about an hour from the hotel)
* Ropeway to Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens (explore & eat for like 4 hours – leave by 1:30pm sharp to have time for Himeji before closing)
* Explore Himeji Castle until they close (4pm)
* Back to Kobe for some Yakiniku (leaning towards Kobe Beef WASSIA, but open to suggestions)
* Back to Osaka – potentially go see the Umeda Sky Building for night city view
**March 25 (Monday) – Osaka**
* Osaka Castle (40mins from hotel, spend ~3 hrs there)
* Dotonbori (I’m torn between doing this during the day & avoiding the crowds, vs seeing it in it’s proper glory at night)
* Den Den Town? (Leaning against it – I feel like we would get our fill in Akihabara). Potential alternatives: Aquarium Kaiyukan, Tennoji Zoo – recommendations welcome!
* …I also have a potential Hiroshima/Miyajimaguchi optional day planned out – could do that instead with possibly Dotonbori food at night? …That’s probably crazy.
**March 26 (Tuesday) – Osaka (Kyoto Day Trip)**
* Fushimi Inari Taisha (~1.5 hrs from hotel, plan to spend about 1.5 hours there)
* Meander around Higashima Ward / visit Kiyomizu-dera
* Go to Nishiki Market, buy a bunch of food
* Pokemon Center
* Go to Maruyama Park/Yasaka-jinja – better at night?
* Things to add in if wanted/time permits: Imperial Palace/Garden, Nijo Castle, Manga Museum, Samurai Kembu Theater
**March 27 (Wednesday) – Osaka (Nara Day Trip)**
* Leave hotel around 8? (~1hr trip)
* (Optional) Rent kimonos at Waplus?
* Feed deer and explore the park (Kasuga Taisha, Todai-ji, Yoshikien Garden, Kofuku-ji, etc) (~3hrs)
* Go to a bunch of sweets shops (Nakatanidou, Salon Naramachi, Ishii Sweets, etc)
* Probably eat a proper meal in the area, I guess
**March 28 (Thurday) – Travel to Tokyo**
* Trip to Tokyo hotel (Asakusa) takes ~4hrs – ideally leave by 8
* Arrive around 12, drop off backpacks
* Walk around Senso-ji area / Denboin Garden
* Grab some food nearby
* Take ~30min ride to Shinjuku to get tattoos with my sister at 4 (estimated to take 3 hours total), husbands can wander around Shinjuku or something
* Eat at Shinjuku (Nabezo Shinjuku Sanchome Store) or back at Asakusa (Kura Sushi, etc) before everything closes
**March 29 (Friday) – Tokyo (Hopefully Sakura Views)**
* Go to Kokyo Gaien National Garden / get views of the Imperial Palace
* Walk around Tokyo Station, grab some food
* Potentially visit Hie Shrine?
* Rent a Chidorigafuchi boat at night
* Maybe eat at Bib Gormand restaurant for dinner? (Katsuyoshi Nihonbashi Ningyōchō)
* Set up luggage forwarding to airport
**March 30 (Saturday) – Tokyo, Travel home**
* Maybe go to Kameido Tenjin Shrine to see if wisteria is blooming? (unlikely, but it’s closeish to the hotel)
* Nezu Shrine for the Azalea Festival (starts at 9:30)
* Ueno Park?
* Go to Inokashira Park or Nakameguro (latter is closer to the airport) to see more cherry blossoms (hopefully)
* Flight leaves at 7:20pm, leave Tokyo around 4:30pm.
Thanks for reading my essay!
by danioof