Hello everyone! I put together a rudimentary itinerary outline for my trip to Japan in October for 3 weeks, and wanted some advice/tips on how I should plan my route? Also, any additional recommendations for lodging/places to eat are very welcome!
Here’s the basic itinerary:
JAPAN TRIP 2024
GET AN E-SIM
GET A SUICA CARD/PASMO CARD
PULL OUT $500 CASH AND CONVERT TO YEN
JR RAIL PASS?
GET LUGGAGE DELIVERY SERVICE (YAMATO LUGGAGE)
WEEK 1 TOKYO
OCT 14 – 19
ACCOMMODATION:
Henn na Hotel Tokyo Haneda – twin beds, $602 for the week
TRAVEL
JR RAIL PASS
ACTIVITIES
DAY ONE OCT 14
GET TO HOTEL
EXPLORE GENERAL AREA
EAT AT 7-11
IF POSSIBLE TRAVEL TO SHIBUYA FOR PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES:
SHOP AT THE LOFT
SHOP AT BOOK OFF SUPER BAZAAR
SHOP AT ONITSUKA TIGER
SHOP AT GU/UNIQLO
DAY 2 PROPER: SHIBUYA OCT 15
SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE CROSSING
HACHIKO STATUE (SHIBUYA STATION)
SHIBUYA SAMURAI MUSEUM
LUNCH: HAMA/KAPPA/KURA SUSHI
POKEMON CENTER SHIBUYA
MUGIWARA STORE
TODOROKI VALLEY
EAT AT ZAUO FOR DINNER (MAKE RESERVATIONS)
DAY 3 SHINJUKU OCT 16
GOTOKUJI SHRINE
TEAMLAB PLANETS (OPTIONAL)
ECHO KARAOKE
LUNCH: NAKAJIMA RESTAURANT
GOLDEN GAI BAR CRAWL
DAY 4 AKIHABARA OCT 17
SHOP AT RECOFAN FOR VINYL
SHOP AT YODABASHI AKIBA FOR GUNPLA
SHOP AT LASHINBANG/RADIO KAIKAN FOR FIGURES
SHOP AT ANIMATE
GIGO ARCADES
SUPER POTATO
SHOP AT JUMP SHOP (IF POSSIBLE)
EAT AT: ICHIRAN RAMEN
LATE AFTERNOON: SUGA SHRINE
AT NIGHT: SHIBUYA FOR CLUBBING AT ATOM
DAY 5 TOKYO OCT 18
FLEXIBLE
AT NIGHT: LIVE MUSIC VENUE, MATH ROCK
DAY 6 ASAKUSA OCT 19
TOKYO SKYTREE TOWER
SENSO-JI TEMPLE
KNIFE SHOP AT TSUBAYA KNIVES/TOWER KNIVES
DON QUIJOTE
EAT AT ASAKUSA KAGETSUDO
EAT AT HAT COFFEE LATTE ART STAND
TRAVEL TO HAKONE (POTENTIALLY BY ROMANCE CAR SHINJUKU STATION)
DAY 7 HAKONE OCT 20
BREAKFAST AT THE PARK CAFE LAKE YAMANAKA
MT FUJI TOUR (KLOOK)
DAYTIME TENZAN ONSEN (ALLOWS TATS)
RYOKEN: YAMA NO CHAYA POTENTIALLY?
DAY 8 KYOTO OCT 21
FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE
PHILOSOPHERS PATH
DAY 9 KYOTO OCT 22
EXPLORE GION DISTRICT
DAY 10 KYOTO OCT 23
DAY TRIP TO NARA
NARA PARK
TODAI-JI TEMPLE
DAY 11 KYOTO OCT 24
MY ONLY FRAGRANCE
ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO FOREST
OTAGI NENBUTSU-JI
KYOTO EATING:
ARASHIYAMA ITSUKICHAYA (MAKE RESERVATIONS)
ITOH DINNING (MAKE RESERVATIONS)
KYOTO ACCOMMODATION:
RENKA NO YU ON YADO NONO KYOTO SHICHIJO (POTENTIALLY)
Onyado Nono Kyoto Shichijo Natural Hot Spring
DAY 12 OSAKA OCT 25
SHINSEKAI
ISSHIN-JI TEMPLE
HARUKAS 300
DAY 13 OSAKA OCT 26
OSAKA CASTLE
DOTONBORI
THE DRUNKEN CLAM OSAKA
OSAKA ACCOMMODATION:
HOTEL HOKKE CLUB OSAKA
OSAKA EATING:
ROBATAYAKI ISARIBI (RESERVATION) IZAKAYA
RIKUROS CHEESECAKE
DAY 13 MT KOYA OCT 26
DAY TRIP TO MT KOYA
ACCOMMODATION: SHOJOSHIN-IN TEMPLE LODGING
DAY 14 RETURN TO TOKYO OCT 27
GET TATTOOS AT STUDIO MUSCAT
DAY 15 TOKYO OCT 28
DAYTRIP TO KUMAMOTO TO SEE ONE PIECE STATUES
FLEXIBLE
DAY 16 TOKYO OCT 29
FLEXIBLE
DAY 17 TOKYO OCT 30
FLEXIBLE
DAY 18 TOKYO OCT 31
HALLOWEEN!!
LEAVING FRIDAY NOV 1
Any tips on routing/lodging/places to eat are greatly appreciated!
by GP011