Hello!
I’ll be heading to Japan as a graduation trip of sorts with two of my friends (20sM) in May this year!
I’ve been to Japan more than 10 times with my family now but the other 2 have only been once or twice and with tour groups so I’ve done most of the planning. That being said, they have expressed that they do not like having to frequently change hotels so I have kept most of the travelling as day trips.
My family likes really packed itineraries and regularly hit 20000+ steps a day which probably is not very sustainable for such a long trip so I’ll appreciate it if you could keep me in check!
Our budget would also be tighter so I would also really appreciate some tips or recommendations for good and cheap food / places to see or any tickets that would be wise to purchase / reserve in advance!
\–
**May 10 Tokyo:**
Land at Haneda at 10pm
Monorail to our hotel in Ueno
**May 11 Tokyo:**
Wake up later to recover from the flight
Ikekoburo (Animate & Pokemon Center)
Roppongi
\- In between Ikekoburo and Roppongi, would it be better to visit Shinjuku, Harajuku or Shibuya for lunch and shopping?
\- Would it be recommended to buy the subway / metro / Tokunai pass or would it not be worth the hassle of sticking to one system over another?
**May 12 Tokyo:**
Ochanomizu
Akihabara for the road closure
\- Would it be better to have dinner at Ginza or Odaiba if we want something cheaper and more relaxed?
**May 13 Tokyo (Nikko Day Trip):**
0900 Spacia X3 from Asakusa to Nikko
Shinkyo Bridge, Rinnoji & Iemitsu Mausoleum
Toshogu Shrine
1744 Spacia X12 back
\- Would it be worth it to get the Nikko World Heritage Pass for this day trip or can we just walk around? – Is it worth the extra cost to take the limited express compared to just the local / rapid service?
**May 14 Tokyo (Hakone Day Trip):**
Hakone Classic Course / Loop
**May 15 Travel Day (to Okayama):**
1312 Nozomi 35 from Tokyo to Okayama
Rest (Considering popping by Korakuen)
**May 16 Okayama (Kibi & Kurashiki):**
Kibi Plains cycling
Kurashiki
\- Does anyone have a list of the sites to stop by / a map of the Kibi plains beyond the one provided at [japan-guide.com](https://japan-guide.com) or is that sufficient?
\- Is it worth it to take the boat ride at Kurashiki and how’s the experience like?
\- Does anyone have recommendations for a more affordable cafe or restaurant for tea / dinner at Kurashiki?
**May 17 Okayama (Himeji & Kobe):** **Activate JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass**
Himeji Castle
Kobe Nada Sake District (honestly, this is only here because I don’t have anything else to fill the time)
Dinner at Steakland
Kikusedai / Mt Maya for the nightview
**May 18 Okayama (Ogijima & Megijima):**
Train to Takamatsu
Ferry to Ogijima for the cats
Lunch on Megijima
Ferry back from Takamatsu to Uno at sunset
**May 19 Okayama (Onomichi & Okunoshima):**
Onomichi Temple Walk (Senkoji temple ropeway)
Onomichi Ramen for lunch
Okunoshima for the rabbits
**May 20 Travel Day (to Kinosaki):**
Kodama 842 (Hello-Kitty) to Shin-Osaka
Konotori 9 to Kinosakionsen
\- Would it be necessary to forward our luggage so that we can travel lighter to Kinosaki or can we just bring it along?
\- Any recommendations for which of the 7 onsens to visit?
**May 21 Kyoto:**
Arriving in Kyoto around 2pm
Kiyomizu-dera and walk around the Higashiyama district
Pontocho
**May 22 Osaka:**
Uji (mainly to buy matcha so I’m not sure if it’s worth the stop over Asuka / Sakurai)
Nara
Back to Kyoto to take our luggages to Osaka
\- I’m toying with the idea of replacing Uji with the Asuka & Sakurai region but I’ve read that it’s hard to navigate without a car due to how spread out the sites are? Would it also be worth getting a 2 day Kintetsu Rail Pass to cover this area?
\- Would it be better to just send our luggage to Osaka?
**May 23 Osaka:**
Universal Studios
\- Is it worth it to buy the early admission pass / express pass?
**May 24 and 25 Osaka:**
Nothing strictly planned, mostly going to be shopping for souvenirs
Thank you for your feedback and please do feel free to ask for clarifications!
by TheRayArmy