Seeking feedback on my itinerary.
**Tidbits/prefaces:**
– Experienced solo traveler (7 years and counting)
– first time in Japan so yes i will be hitting touristy spots for the most part
– i’m used to heavy itineraries but tried my best to keep it as realistic as possible
– Relatively slim/fit and young (regularly do 10k+ steps at work)
– i plan on being out of the hotel by 5 am every morning to get an early start
– Only carrying 1 personal item (backpack) and 1 carry-on luggage with plans to buy 1 bag/luggage in Japan for gifts/souvenirs) for checked bag when going home. I don’t usually buy any souvenirs when I travel (photos are enough for me) but I have been into Japanese culture since a kid so I anticipate buying things to take home
– No JR pass, only IC card and buying Shinkansen tickets on day of long distance travel
– My bases will be Shinjuku Station, Sanjo in Kyoto, Namba in Osaka, and near Hiroshima Castle
– I’ve listed optional things which means I’ll only check them out if I have time; i have no problem skipping them if it means i get more time to breathe and enjoy the priority sites
– I’m more of a sightseeing person than a foodie/shopper so even though i listed some food and heavy shopping places, i don’t have to eat there if lines are too long and i’m just mainly strolling at shopping areas. I’m very flexible with food options as they are not a priority to me
– i’m getting a pass with my mobile carrier so won’t have issues with data
– i know some day itineraries are questionable in terms of going to one place to another in the same city but i don’t mind a bit of difficulty commuting. i’m basing off what my energy levels will be like, heat tolerance in the afternoon, etc. i tried to make my itinerary make sense as much as possible commuting wise from one place to another for each day
– flight and hotels are all booked
– i know basic Japanese phrases
– i originally had planned a day trip to Nikko, but felt like that 1 day with the long commute wouldn’t be sufficient for me. So i switched to Kamakura/Enoshima for the shorter commute and plan on seeing Nikko next time
**Day 1: Fly to Haneda Airport and arriving in late afternoon/evening**
– Get cash at ATM/IC card at airport
– Limo bus to hotel next to Shinjuku Station
– Check out area/get accustomed/food at 7-11 nearby
**Day 2: Tokyo**
– Tsukiji Fish Market
– Walk through Ginza (Bongen Coffee, Uniqlo, Godzilla Statue)
– Lunch then Meiji Jingu
– Akihabara Electric Town (Super Potato, Don Quixote)
– Roast Beef Ono for dinner
– Hijiribashi Bridge view
**Day 3: Tokyo**
– A Happy Pancake Omotesando
– Stroll through Takeshita Street (Harajuku)
– Design Festa Gallery (optional)
– Tower Records Shibuya
– Meikyoku Kissa Lion Cafe
– Hachiko Statue
– Shibuya Sky for sunset
– Shibuya Center Gai/Scramble Crossing
– Parfaiteria Bel (optional)
**Day 4: Day Trip to Kawaguchiko**
– Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
– Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine
– Arakurayama Sengen Park/Chureito Pagoda
– Food: Fuji Sengenya
**Day 5: Day Trip to Kamakura/Enoshima**
– Morning in Kamakura (Kotoku-in, Hasedera temple, lunch at Kaedena Stone Pot Rice)
– Afternoon/Evening in Enoshima (Bronze Torii Arch, Enoshima Shrine, Enoshima Sea Candle, dinner (recommendations?), Chigogafuchi Abyss at sunset)
**Day 6: Tokyo**
– TeamLab Borderless
– Senso-ji, Nakamise-Dori Street
– Tokyo Skytree for sunset
**Day 7: Travel to Kyoto**
– Shinkansen to hotel in Sanjo
– Stroll in Gion (Hanami-Koji, Ninnenzaka, Sannezaka)
– Hokan-ji
– Yasaka Shrine
**Day 8: Kyoto**
– Otaji Temple
– Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
– Okochi Sanso Garden
– Tenryu-ji (if time permits)
– Monkey Park Iwatayama
– Pontocho Alley at night
**Day 9: Kyoto**
– Fushimi Inari Shrine
– Kiyomizu-dera (with option to explore Philosopher’s Path if time permits)
– Sanjusangen Do Temple
– Sushiteshu for dinner
**Day 10: Kyoto**
– Kinkakuji
– Nijo Castle
– Ippodo Tea
– Nishiki Market stroll
– Free evening (will take recommendations!)
**Day 11: Travel to Osaka**
– Regular train (can i bring carry on without being frowned upon?)
– check into hotel next to Namba Station
– Yasaka Shrine
– Kuromon Market Street Food
– Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
– Dotonbori
**Day 12: Osaka**
– Shitenoji (optional)
– Osaka Castle(exterior only, not checking interior)
– Osaka Aquarium
– Shinsekai Market (can move to next day after Nara if needed)
– Umeda Sky Building for sunset
**Day 13: Day Trip to Nara**
– Todal-ji
– Nigatsu-do
– Kasuga Taisha
– Explore rest of Nara Park
– Mochi beating (Nakatanidou)- will check times and adjust as needed
**Day 14: Travel to Hiroshima**
– Shinkansen and check in hotel near Hiroshima Castle
– Atomic Bomb Dome
– Peace Memorial Park
– Peace Memorial Museum
– Okonomimura Suigun
**Day 15: Miyajima Island**
– Ferry to Island
– Check out Itsukushima Shrine then walk to Miyajima Ropeway
– Mt. Misen Observatory
– Either go to Daisho in and grab bite at Rokaku Tea House first or Omotesando Shopping Street and do the other one second
– Itsukushima Shrine for sunset
– Ferry back to mainland
**Day 16: Shinkansen back to Tokyo**
– Maybe check out Hiroshima Castle in the early morning before train
– Check back into same hotel near Shinjuku Station
– Chill evening (will probably check out Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai)
**Day 17: Tokyo** (treating this as a “shopping day”, free to do whatever)
– ARTNIA Square Enix Cafe
– Free afternoon but considering using as shopping time (Tower Records, MEGA Don Quixote, Tokyu Hands)
– Tokyo Tower for sunset/night views to cap off first trip to Japan
**Day 18: Fly back home**
– Limo bus to Haneda Airport around 12/1 pm
– Flight at 6 pm
Thank you for reading!
by jaywin91