Hey all! We’re 4 x 25M friends, wanting to go out to Japan for the first time. In terms of priorities for what we’re looking for in Japan, it would go something like Food >> Sightseeing, Shrines & Culture > Shopping for clothes/etc. >> Anime stuff/The rest (Not sure what else i’d be forgetting).
Trip is during the middle of May, so a little check-up before finalizing everything (all hotels and flights are booked).
Need help with ordering things around to be more efficient/direct path. Thanks in advance!
Also want to book an Omakase Michelin experience in the first Tokyo section, looking for recommendations of that and even just restaurants in general to go to.
The days sections aren’t strict hours, just a general idea of time.
anything with a * just means we have as filler, would appreciate opinions for other things to do/what we are missing out on
*With that being said…*
# TOKYO
**Day 0**
Fly out from home, in the air all day
**Day 1**
*Afternoon:* Land in Narita @ 3PM, wait for friend to land around 4PM. Head to Hotel @ Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside
*Evening:* Find Food (will probably end up in Ichiran to knock that out), maybe head out to Golden Gai/Kabuki-cho/Omoide Yokocho OR crash at the hotel to recover
**Day 2**
*Morning:* Tsukiji Market, Senso-ji (roam in Asakusa)
*Noon:* Sumida Park, Sky Tree
*Afternoon:* Harajuku, Omotesando
*Evening:* Golden Gai/Kabuki-cho/Omoide Yokocho
**Day 3**
*Morning:* Yoyogi Park, Meiji Shrine
*Noon:* Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo Metropolitan Gov. Office
*Afternoon:* Shibuya (personally want to see Nintendo Store + Pokemon Center at the least, will find other things to do here too), Shibuya Sky @ Sunset (6PM seems like sunset?)
*Evening:* Nightlife in Shibuya
**Day 4**
(do the below or half-day trip somewhere? Maybe Hakone or Kawaguchiko? Open to ideas here)*
*Morning:* Koishikawa Botanical Garden*
*Noon:* Kokugikan Sumo Stadium*
*Afternoon:* Akihabara, Ginza
*Evening:* CAR SHOW* since we’re freaks for modded shit. Any way we can find out where we can find any underground car meet? if not: Ginza Nightlife OR Golden Gai/Kabuki-cho/Omoide Yokocho
# KYOTO
(need help in ordering Kyoto badly, and on ideas of what to do/replace)
**Day 5**
*Morning:* Transit to Kyoto
*Noon:* Check in hotel in @ Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Kawaramachi Jokyoji
*Afternoon*: Nintendo Museum* if open, plus: Tenryu-Ji, Kinkaku-Ji, Ryoan-Ji, Ninna-Ji
*Evening:* Pontocho Alley / Gion walk-through
**Day 6**
*Morning:* Kichi Kichi Omurice Reservation, Fushimi Inari
*Noon*: Kiyomizudera (better at night?) , Philosopher’s Path
*Afternoon*: Ginkaku-Ji, Kodai-Ji
*Evening*: Kiyamachi Dori / Pontocho Alley
**Day 7**
*Morning*: Nishiki Market
*Noon:* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Iwatayama Monkey Park
*Afternoon:* Transit to Osaka, Check in @ Candeo Hotels Osaka Shinsaibashi
*Evening:* Dotonbori
# OSAKA
**Day 8**
*Morning:* Kuromon Market*
*Noon:* Osaka Castle, and maybe Blue Birds Rooftop Terrace for *views*
*Afternoon:* Namba Yasaka Jinja, Umeda Sky Building, Shinsaibashi
*Evening:* Team Labs Botanical Garden*, Dotonbori
**Day 9**
**Nara Day Trip**
*Morning:* Transit to Nara (Need more advice on scheduling this)
*Noon – Afternoon:* Todai-Ji, Nara Park, Kofuku-Ji, Kasuga Taisha*, Nakatanidou
*
Evening*: Dotonbori
**Day 10**
**Hyogo / Kobe / Arima Onsen* Day Trip**
*Morning:* Transit to Kobe
*Noon – Afternoon:* Himeji Castle, Kokoen Garden. Kobe beef in Kobe. Walk-in Onsen* (Arima Onsen or can we find one where we are), is that a thing/possible/where to find one? Anything more we can do?
*Evening:* Dotonbori
# TOKYO
**Day 11**
*Morning:* Transit to Tokyo, Check-in to Hotel Groove Shinjuku
*Noon-Afternoon:* No clue at all what to plan here. Open to suggestions on what to visit/do/eat. Maybe book another Michelin Omakase (might be overkill lol)?
*Evening:* Probably chill and get food, or go out to Golden Gai one last time.
**Day 12**
*Morning:* Tsukiji Market maybe for one last time if we liked it a lot?
*Noon:* ???? Chill probably?
*Afternoon:* Head to Narita Airport @ 3PM latest and chill there, Fly out @ 6PM
**Thanks in advance for all the suggestions!**
by RoosterVking