Okay, just finished a rough draft of my itinerary. For context, this is our honeymoon and we’re going for ~two weeks at the very beginning of December, so a lot of my choices (timing of day trips, etc.) revolve around seeing the last of the autumn foliage. I think our odds are good (foliage lasted until mid December last year).
Feedback I’m looking for – tips on excursions, things to add/skip, or possible issues with my itinerary. I’m a pretty type A traveler, so many of these days are packed but I tried to account for some sleep-in days as well.
DAY ONE OF TRIP:
1. Assume we leave in the evening Nov 29th and land Dec 1nd in Haneda airport. (I’d prefer we leave the 29th but 30th works too.) Japan is 15 hours ahead, so calculate ~16 hours travel + 15 hours time loss, that’s a 31 hour difference.
2. Collect station stamp and see if it’s possible to ship luggage to hotel.
SHIBUYA.
3. Go to hotel in Shibuya (?) and check in.
4. Rest, adjust to time difference.
DAY TWO – DECEMBER 2, MONDAY:
KAWAGUCHIKO (FUJI).
1. You spent the whole last day/night snoozing; now wake up early for a relaxed first day trip to Fuji. It’s about an hour 30 minutes from Tokyo, so get up at 6 to catch the first train and spend the day focusing on Fuji and pretty momiji.
2. Visit Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine for picturesque view of Mt. Fuji
3. Mt. Fuji Panoramic ropeway
4. Momiji Corridor
5. Shimoyoshida Honcho Street (cool street view of Mt. Fuji!)
6. Not far from SH Street is a bike rental service! Bike around the lake?
7. Snack and explore
8. Head home and get some more rest!
DAY THREE – DECEMBER 3, TUESDAY:
KAMAKURA (Should this happen later? Enjoy Tokyo first?)
1. Kamakura day trip (1 hour 30 minutes from Tokyo)
2. Fall foliage is still beautiful here in early December
3. “Kamakura Free Kankyo Tegata” to travel around the city – city pass (?? not sure if we’ll use this)
4. General order of the day:
– We arrive in Kamakura at Kamakura Station. We’re closest to Hachimangu Shrine (city’s most important Shinto shrine), so we’ll start there.
– Walk Komachi-dori Street as you approach the temple. Even more cool souvenir shops and snacks! (Tuzuru stationary store is right near here!)
– Next temple is a 40 minute walk or alternatively we can take the bus or train. (I’m leaning walk, just because I think it would be cool to explore, plus we have all day!)
– Arrive at Kamakura Hasedera – this one has koi and a view of the ocean (and lots of cool stationary shops on the street leading up to it, as well as Woof Curry between the last temple and this one).
– Then it’s an 8 minute walk to Kotoku-in (Giant Buddha! Tickets are like $2)
– Explore more shops and snacks!
– If we feel like going, it’s a 30 minute walk from our last temple stop to visit Café Yoridokoro, the awesome little café where the Edoden train line passes right in front of the window! (They’re open 7am-6pm and closed Wednesdays.)
5. That’s probably enough temples and shopping for the day. If we want to hit one more, Zenarai Benten Shrine is cool and Hokoku-ji Temple has matcha and a bamboo grove.
6. Takara Clay Studio – pottery classes in the woods! takaranokama.com
CHICHIBU (OPTIONAL).
1. Head to Chichibu (3 hours from Kamakura). I’m iffy on whether this is worth it.
2. The Chichibu night festival happens Dec. 2 and 3, from 5-10pm, but the floats only occur on Dec. 3rd, so we’d have to go this specific day.
3. After the festival head home and go to sleep!
DAY FOUR – DECEMBER 4, WEDNESDAY:
SETAGAYA.
1. Wake up and head to Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya (cat temple, 30 minutes from Shibuya/Shinjuku area.)
2. On the train back, stop at Shimokitazawa (Tokyo’s thrifting district! Shops and cool food)
MEIJI JINGU.
3. Meiji Jingu (looks like mostly ginkgos)
SHIBUYA.
4. Head to shibuya! Sunset is 4:30! Shibuya Sky at least an hour beforehand (get tickets ahead of time and dress warm!)
5. After Shibuya Sky, explore!
6. Nighttime Shibuya scramble pictures
7. Mega Don Quijote
8. Loft
9. Continue exploring, enjoy some Shibuya nightlife, and then get some rest
DAY FIVE – DECEMBER 5, THURSDAY:
TEAMLAB PLANETS.
1. Head to Teamlab Planets (near Ginza). I think a weekday is still best since they don’t limit how long you’re in there (gets busy).
SHINJUKU.
2. Spend the rest of the day exploring and shopping in Shinjuku
– Shinjuku Don Quijote
– Natural Kitchen (Shinjuku Mylord)
– Sekaido Stationary store!
– Cat café?
– 3D cat billboard
– UNIQLO
– Kabukicho
– Omoide Yokocho (“Memory Lane”) – old style izakayas
– Zero Tokyo (foreigner friendly)
3. End the night at Zero Tokyo (club in Kabukicho Tower)
DAY SIX – DECEMBER 6, FRIDAY:
ASAKUSA.
1. Head to Senso-Ji temple (famous red one). Read your fortune!
2. There’s a fuckton of souvenir shops here. Explore all over Nakamise Street
3. Get caricatures done at Caricature Japan Asakusa!
4. Visit Takagi Shrine (rice ball shrine). (Optional)
AKIHABARA.
1. Explore Akihabara, shop and snack. Shop along Kappabashi Avenue!
UENO/AMEYOKO.
1. More shopping!
2. Get a fun dinner, take night city pictures and explore!
3. The trains stop running around midnight so we can stay out pretty late
4. Back to hotel
DAY SEVEN – DECEMBER 7, SATURDAY:
GINZA!
1. Keep this on Saturday because they close off traffic to the main street, which makes it easier to explore!
2. Go to Loft
3. Go to Itoya
4. Go to Perfect Beer Kitchen Monnaka (open 5pm to 12am)
5. See a show at Kabuki-za theatre (they seem to be around 4ish)
6. Ginza Starbucks Reserve (connected to a big bookstore)
7. Ginza Six (huge store with 241 shops and restaurants and a rooftop garden, 10:30-23:00)
DAY EIGHT – DECEMBER 8, SUNDAY:
1. Free day!
2. Sleep in and then explore any part of Tokyo you want to see more of.
DAY NINE – DECEMBER 9, MONDAY:
1. Ship luggage to hotel in Kyoto!
2. Ghibli Museum!! Super important to get tickets on the 10th the month prior, and log on with multiple devices if possible.
3. The museum opens at 10am.
4. Go to Kuusoogai Stationary store nearby! Lots of fun shops in the area.
5. Once you’re done, head to Kyoto (about 3 hours and ~$200 per person).
KYOTO.
1. We’ll arrive towards the end of the day. Get a hotel near Shijo Station (easy access to all of Kyoto & day trips).
2. Hotel is nearby Nishiki Market, which makes a great end to the night! Visit for dinner and souvenirs, explore a little, then get some rest.
DAY TEN – DECEMBER 10, TUESDAY:
KYOTO.
1. Wake up fairly early and go to Fushimi Inari shrine. (Thousand red tori gates winding all the way up the mountain. Full hike takes about 3 hours, plus some time for souvenirs and snacks at the top! I’m anticipating being done just before noon.)
2. It would be smart to take a break here at a café or something similar and just relax for a while—we’re going to be walking most of the day and our feet will already be sore.
3. Next stop: at Kiyomizu-dera Temple (beautiful during fall)
4. Higashiyama (the area around Kiyomizu-dera) (I estimate it’s about 2 o’clock now)
5. Next stop: Ghibli Studios Shop Kyoto
6. Head to Kennin-ji Temple (ceiling with the painted dragons) (arrive around 4?)
7. Make your way up to Pontocho Alley (traditional dining, shopping, Kamo River) and explore Gion, keeping an eye out for geisha (especially around dinnertime is when they typically have appointments)
8. There are geisha shows at Gion Corner (optional).
9. Head back to hotel and get some rest.
DAY ELEVEN – DECEMBER 11, WEDNESDAY:
ARASHIYAMA.
1. Sleep in a little, then explore Arashiyama!
2. Check out the Miffy Sakura Kitchen (it’s right near the train station, opens at 10a)
3. Visit Tenryu-ji Temple first (opens 8:30am, ticket to get in) (pretty in autumn! This whole area is.) (In 2023, Dec. 11 was the peak for autumn foliage in Kyoto.)
4. Lotus Lake
5. Visit the bamboo forest
6. Rent bikes and go temple hopping north of the bamboo forest!
– Jojakkoji Temple
– Nison-in Temple
– Enrian Temple
– Gioji Temple
– Saga Toriimoto preserved street
– Nenbutsu-ji (the little stone statue guys)
7. Get a yummy dinner – maybe Nishiki market again or somewhere else?
8. Back to hotel
DAY TWELVE: DECEMBER 12, THURSDAY:
NARA.
1. Day trip to Nara from Kyoto (about forty-five minutes to an hour)
2. General order of the day:
– Arrive at Kintetsu-Nara Station
– Higashimuki shopping street (mall, arcade, etc).
– Head to Kofuku-ji Temple
– Walk to Nara park and feed the bowing deer
– Lots of shops and souvenirs around the park.
– Kasuga Taisha (optional)
– Visit Todai-ji Temple (giant buddha, but indoors!)
– Visit the Catship Museum (museum about CATS!)
– Get a yummy dinner
– Head home!
DAY THIRTEEN: DECEMBER 13, FRIDAY:
OSAKA.
1. Wake up early for this one – busy day!
2. General ideas to do (not organized/researched yet):
– Katsuoji Temple (little red dudes)
– Namba Yasaka Jinja Shrine (big green dragon head)
– Sumiyoshi Taisha
– Dotonbori
– Don Quijote Dotonbori ferris wheel
– Hep Five Giant red ferris wheel
– Umeda sky building
– Osaka Castle
– Cup Noodle Museum
– Tsutenkaku’s Tower Slide
– Den Den Town
– Osaka Ghibli store
DAY FOURTEEN: DECEMBER 14, SATURDAY:
LAST DAY. 🙁
1. Wake up and take train back to Tokyo.
2. Explore any part of the city you have time to, then head home!
by Reasonable-Creme-683