After years of wanting to travel to Japan (and 2 attempts foiled by the pandemic), I finally booked a flight for May, right after Golden Week. But while planning my itinerary, I’m kinda overwhelmed by analysis paralysis and I hope you here could help me organize my thoughts.
I’m a solo traveler from Europe landing in Narita on May 8th, 4 pm, and leaving from Narita on May 22nd, 10:30 am, so I’ll effectively have 13 “usable” days. These are the main things I want to do which should also leave some room to roam and explore without fixed plans:
**Tokyo**
I’d like to spend a few days here both in the beginning and the end so I won’t have a long train ride right next to a flight day.
*Planned activities:*
* Explore different districts (specifically Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Asakusa)
* Spend a day in Ueno, especially for it’s park, zoo, and the Nezu shrine
* Day trips to Kamakura and (if my time and energy permits it and spots are free) Yokohama for a tour of the Kirin brewery
**Kyoto**
While I’m actually a bit less interested in Kyoto itself compared to Tokyo, it should be a great base for day trips which is why I’d like to spend at least 4 nights here.
*Planned activities:*
* Fushimi Inari is a must, preferably on a work day, followed by more exploration of the city (e.g. Pontocho Alley)
* One day in Arashiyama
* Day trip to Osaka (maybe spend one night there to better take in the nightlife)
* Maybe day trips to Nara and/or Kobe
**Hakone**
Can’t in good conscience leave Japan without trying the Onsen and Hakone seems like the best choice en route. I think 2 nights here would be a good duration of stay.
*Planned activities:*
* Spend a relaxation day in the Onsen
* Use the Ropeway to take in nearby sights
Since this is not only my first vacation in 7 years, but also my first real solo vacation, I can’t really estimate how much time these activities take and how to best distribute my time. That’s why I’d like to ask for the following advice:
* What’s the *minimum* of nights I should plan for each of the stages Tokyo1 → Kyoto → Hakone → Tokyo2
* Would it be better to insert Hakone on the way back from Kyoto or to treat it as an excursion from Tokyo to take full advantage of the Hakone freepass?
* How much do I need to plan around weekends (like only traveling with the Shinkansen or visiting certain sights on weekdays)?
Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated!
by Payatrick
