Hello folks! My husband and I are taking our second trip to Japan this fall and looking for a sanity check on our first draft for our Itinerary. We have already booked our flights to Japan as well as domestic flights to and from Okinawa.
We have also already tentatively booked most of our accommodation – all with free cancellation so I can keep an eye out on better deals or more convenient locations.
We are trying to maintain a good balance of both our interests of anime/manga/game culture and outdoor and cultural appreciation on this trip, and revisit some places we felt we didn’t see enough of or overlooked in our first trip in Feb 2020. Im trying to be careful of not over packing days but I think that some of them still might be pushing it a bit.
We will be in Kyoto for Jidai Matsuri, it has been hard to get good answers online and through google about exactly how early we should try and find a spot to view the parade or if there is any kind of festivities happening after in the area – would love some feedback for this day if anyone has experienced it for themselves!
**Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated!**
**DAY 1:** Fri Oct 18, 2024 – **Tokyo**
* Arrive at Narita airport at 4:30pm
* Check into Hotel near Shinjuku station @ 6-6:30pm.
* Rest, refresh and go for dinner.
**DAY 2:** *Sat, Oct 19, 2024* – **Hakone**
* Take romance car to Hakone from Shinjuku
* Drop Luggage off at Rykon and try to book private onsen usage
* Go to Hakone Open Air Museum & Explore go for Lunch in the area
* Back to Ryokan for dinner & evening.
**DAY 3:** *Sun, Oct 20, 2024* – **Hakone**
* Cable Car & Ropeway to Owakudani volcano
* Take ropeway back down to Togendai St
* Take pirate ship cruise across Lake Ashinoko
* Tokaido Road walk and get food at Moto-Hakone Pier
* Back to Gora area for dinner and then back to Ryokan
**DAY 4:** *Mon, Oct 21, 2024* – **Kyoto**
* Bus/Shinkansen to Kyoto Station
* Check into Hotel (near Kyoto Station)
* Walk up for shopping at Pokemon Centre Kyoto, continue to Nishiki market, Nintendo Store and end up near \**Gion area*
* Dinner and drinks at Moon Roof top bar in Gion. *\*Need to look more into whats now closed in Gion with the recent ban.*
**DAY 5:** *Tues, Oct 22, 2024* – **Kyoto – JIDAI MATSURI**
* Head to Kiomizu-dera at crack of dawn (arrive by 6:45-7am)
* Walk through Sannen-Zaka path & Ninen-Zaka
* stop off at a konbini and grab breakfast to eat at Maruyama Park
* Higashiyma shopping street
* Make way to Heian-Jingu Shrine *(no later then 12:30 to get view of parade)* *-* Watch Jidai Matsuri parade/festival event *(arrives at shrine by 2pm)*
* Take the scenic walking route around the Kamogawa river
* Get dinner in Pontocho Alley?
**DAY 6:** *Wed, Oct 23, 2024* – **Kyoto: Ghibli Park Day Trip**
*^(\* Date for this is not set in stone and might need to swap this with another day depending on ticket purchasing.)*
* Leave early for Train/Bus from Kyoto to Ghibli Park in Nagoya (2hrs)
* Ghibli Park until roughly 4pm
* Depending on how we are feeling it might be nice to check out a bit of Nagoya after and get dinner.
* Train back to Kyoto station.
**DAY 7:** *Thur, Oct 24, 2024* – **Kyoto**
* Taxi to Arashiyama for 6am)
* Arashiyama Monkey Park + Nakanoshima Area
* Togetsukyo Bridge to Tenryuji Temple
* Walk up river to Bamboo Grove before it gets too busy
* Jojakkoji Temple, Giōji Temple, Kimono Forest, Saga Toriimoto Street.
* Lunch somewhere -Otagi Nenbutsuji
* Depending on energy make way to Daikakuji Shrine
**DAY 8:** *Fri Oct 25, 2024* – **Kyoto: Mount Karuma Day Trip**
* Train to Karuma Station
* Mount Karuma Hike to Kibune
* Leave evening open for whatever we feel like in Kyoto.
**DAY 9:** *Sat Oct 26, 2024* – **Kyoto: Uji + Nara Day Trip**
**(Uji Morning)**
* Byodo-in Temple, Byodo-In Omotesando
* Tsuen Tea House
* Matcha shopping in General \**If the Nintendo Museum is open we will be adding that in.* **Nara (Afternoon)**
* Walk Sanjodori Street to xTodai-ji Temple complex
* Nara Park
* Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Manyo Botanical Gardens
* Walk through Higashimuki shopping street and get dinner
* back to Kyoto.
**DAY 10:** *Sun Oct 27, 2024* – **Okinawa**
* Train from Kyoto Station to Osaka Station, bus to ITM airport (1hr15m)
* Flight from Osaka ITM > Okinawa 11am, land 1pm.
* Take monorail and Check into hotel in Naha
* Check out Tsuboya Pottery Street, Kokusai Dori Shopping street
* Dinner & Drinks in Kokusai Street food Village.
**DAY 11:** *Mon Oct 28, 2024* – **Okinawa**
* Express bus direct drop off at Hotel Orion Motobu Resort
* Churaumi Aquarium & Ocean Expo Park
* Okinawa Village
**DAY 12:** *Tues Oct 29, 2024* – **Okinawa**
* Get a taxi from resort to Nakijin Castle Ruins
* From there get back down to Bise Fukugi road and Village area
* Watch sunset from Emerald Beach
**DAY 13:** *Wed Oct 30, 2024* **- Okinawa**
**-** Express bus from resort to Naha
* Drop off bags at hotel *\*need to find out how late we can do full check-in*
* Kinjo-Cho Stone Paved Path, Tamaudun area.
* Bus up to AEON mall for shopping & Pokemon Center
* American Village around dinner time/evening.
**DAY 14:** *Thur Oct 31, 2024* **- Okinawa**
* Book snorkelling tour Kerama Island (7am-5pm)
* Go for dinner in Naha
* walk around Fukushuen Gardens (closes 9pm) **DAY 15: Fri** *Nov 1, 2024* **- Tokyo** **Flight from Okinawa – Haneda (10am-12:30pm)**
* Check into Hotel (Tokyo Station Area)
* Roppongi Hills & Mori Art Museum
* Explore Ginza (Ginza 6, Tsutaya Art Books etc)
* Bar Lupin (iykyk)
**DAY 16:** *Sat Nov 2, 2024* **- Tokyo**
* Yoyogi Park & Meji Jingu
* Shibuya 109, Shibuya Parco shopping
* Shinjuku Gardens \**If we need to, drop stuff back at hotel (15 min train)* *-* Find either a Kareoke bar or some kind of Metal/punk etc show for later in the evening.
**DAY 17:** *Sun Nov 3, 2024* **- Tokyo**
* Asakusa & Senso-ji (saw it at night last time but the street vendors were closed)
* Kappabashi Street
* Get food at Konbini and eat lunch in Ueno Park
* Akihabara rest of the afternoon
**DAY 18:** *Mon Nov 4, 2024* **- Tokyo (this is culture day in Japan…)**
* Ikekbukuro – Sunshine City Mall, Aquarium
* Anime Station Ikekbukuro
* **Not sure what to do with the evening here**
**DAY 19:** *Tues Nov 5, 2024* **- Tokyo**
* Day at Tokyo DisneySea
**DAY 20:** *Wed Nov 6, 2024* **- Tokyo**
* Ghibli Museum Mitaka *(this day might have to be swapped around based on tickets)*
* Kichijoji Neighbourhood
* Inokashira Park
* Evening: get dinner and packing for return home.
**DAY 21:** *Thur Nov 7, 2024* **- Tokyo**
* Find breakfast somewhere, maybe walk around Imperial Palace?
* Check out of Hotel
* Maybe last minute shopping at Tokyo Station area since hotel is right there.
* Get to Narita Airport by 4pm **- Flight from Narita @ 6:40pm**
by m3gam3w