Hello, I’m planning our honeymoon and would love any input/advice on the itinerary below. First time posting but reaching out as the advice I’ve seen on here is very helpful
I’ve visited Kyoto and Osaka before but it will my wife’s first time visiting Japan. We will be there July 4th-19th, flying in and out of Tokyo.
Only honeymoon once so I’m trying to go all out.
We’re very excited but my main questions/concerns are:
– If you think we are packing in too many locations / too much travel in the time available. (Especially with the internal flight..)
– If so, what would you cut and where would you add some additional days?
– For Kyoto, do you think being there for Gion matsuri will be too hectic? The summer festivals sound so fun, but some videos make it look like it’s hard to even walk around. Also should we expect any disruptions to trains the next day? (as we have to be able to leave the next morning for our flights..)
– I’ve read we should prebook the seats at the back of train carriages now that the rules have changed for carrying suitcases. Have you encountered any issues with large suitcases if these seats aren’t available? Don’t want to get stranded
Interests/priorities:
– Food. We both love food and this will be a big focus for us. I’m not worried about finding nice food everywhere we visit, but always happy to hear any must tries! Booking well in advance for nice places seems a must..
– I’m trying to include some romance given it’s our honeymoon – would love to hear any unique activities/locations/ceremonies you’d recommend.
– Crafts/workshops – We’d really love to see / participate with traditional crafts/blacksmiths, so far I’ve included Sakai below
– I’m a very amateur photographer – landscape/architecture/street
– I’d say we’ll love visiting the temples/shrines, especially those with gardens, but think we’ll restrict this to 4 or 5 during our stay
– We’ll be 29 if that adds any context
– We’re trying not to pack each day with too many things, definitely keen to leave time to relax/ be spontaneous
– All hotels so far are cancellable, just can’t move or inbound/ outbound flights – so can definitely adjust the itinerary
Itinerary:
Day 1: 4th July – Tokyo
– Landing in Tokyo, 7am
– Straight to the hotel in Shinjuku, leave luggage and then wander
– Shinjuku Gyoen garden
– Relax and eat
Day 2: 5th – Tokyo
– Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya sky+ Hachiko
– Evening out in Shinjuku
Day 3: 6th – Tokyo
– Akihabara, Ueno Park, Ginza, TeamLabs Planets
– We were tempted by one of the car meets in Daikoku despite being quite far – is this is a good idea/ better alternatives?
Day 4: 7th – Kawaguchiko
– Coach to Kawaguchiko
– Staying at an onsen ryokan by the lake for 3 nights
– Relax in the hot spring, kiseki dinner
Day 5: 8th – Kawaguchiko
– Explore the lake area, perhaps a short hike
– Mt Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
– Onsen, eat, repeat
– [We’d considered Kusatsu+Karuizawa instead of Kawaguchiko, but thought that would be too hectic]
Day 6: 9th – Kawaguchiko
– Visit Fujiyoshida, seems we should get up early. Open to other, less busy viewpoints!
– Visit Ide sake brewery
Day 7: 10th – Fly to Ishigaki
– Coach to Tokyo then train to airport – fly to Ishigaki
– Relax, walk, eat some good Ishigaki beef
– Thought the islands seemed so unique and would provide a very different experience to our time on Honshu
– Our main question here is whether to stay on Ishigaki island throughout and do day trips to the other islands, or to stay on Taketomi (Hoshinoya) and take the ferry when needed. Currently assuming we stay in Ishigaki. Haven’t seen many posts on these islands so all advice appreciated!
Day 8: 11th – Ishigaki
– Scuba diving (famous for manta rays), relax
– Explore Ishigaki island, beaches. [Seems renting a car is best, have seen I’ll need to get an IDP for this]
Day 9: 12th – Taketomi island
– Short ferry to Taketomi
– Ride bike around island, relax on beach
– Ferry back to Ishigaki, hotel
Day 10: 13th – Fly to Osaka
– Fly to Osaka, relax at hotel
– Dotonburi
Day 11: 14th – day trip to Sakai
– Short train from Osaka
– Famous blacksmiths – trying to organise a tour of a small workshop/forge where Japanese knives are made. + Sakai knife museum
– Back to Osaka, go out to Round 1 if we have energy
Day 12: 15th – Train to Kyoto
– Morning train to Kyoto. Looking to stay in the Gion district given accessibility and the matsuri – open to other areas.
– Explore old town Kyoto, Kodaiji / Kiyomizu-dera
– Kyoto Handicraft Center
– Wife’s birthday so trying to find something special for the evening..
Day 13: 16th – Kyoto
– Possible day trip to Arishiyama/Nara/Takenomichi, or explore more of Kyoto – keen to hear your thoughts!
– Honen-In/Shoren-In/Saihoji temple, Kamigamo
– Tea ceremony
Day 14: 17th – Kyoto
– Gion matsuri all day. Lots of street food!
Day 15: 18th – Kyoto to Tokyo
– Train to Tokyo, check in
– Explore some quieter neighbourhoods for our final day
– or: Toyosu Market, Tsukiji Market
Day 16: 19th July – flying back to London
– Shinjuku to Tokyo Haneda
Long post, thanks for reading and appreciate all advice!
by Fantastic_Athlete_96
