Hi, I’m visiting Japan for the first time this May (after Golden Week) as a group of 3. We’re going to Tokyo (13 days total), Nagano (2), Kanazawa (3), Takayama (3), Gero (1), Kyoto (4), and Osaka (5).
Some other info in case it’s helpful:
* We don’t expect to follow everything to a T and we’re ok with that.
* No restaurants planned that need reservations yet. We’re fine not trying the absolute best of everything, but we do want to try a variety of different types of food.
* We want to try meibutsu/local specialties at each location.
* Looking to buy a good chef’s knife!
* Looking to buy tons of matcha!
* Looking to thrift/shop!
Here’s our planned itinerary:
**1 — Tokyo 1/7 — Arrive in Ueno**
* 🛬 Arrive at HND at 7 PM
* 🏨 Check in and drop off luggage.
* 🏪 Get dinner from a konbini + withdraw some cash. Buy necessities we didn’t bring.
* ⛩️ 24H Donki and Senso-ji if wide awake. Do the next day if tired.
**2 — Tokyo 2/7 — Asakusa + Ueno**
* 🔪 Kappabashi Dougu Street
* 🚶🏻 Hoppy St, Nishi-sando, Kagetsudo, Suzukien, Nakamise-dori St, Underground St, etc.
* 🚶🏻 Ameyoko and area
* 😮💨 Push to the next day if we’re tired.
**3 — Tokyo 3/7 \[Saturday\] — free day**
**4 — Tokyo 4/7 \[Sunday\] — Akihabara + Kanda + Jinbocho**
* 🛍️ Akihabara
* 🍜 Kanda Yabu Soba for lunch
* 📚 Jinbocho
**5 — Tokyo 5/7 — Shinjuku**
* 🌸 Shinjuku Gyoen Garden
* 🚶🏻 Quick look of Omoide Yokocho, Kabuchuko, Golden Gai
* 🛍️ Shopping: Tokyu Hands, BEAMS, Cosme, Isetan, Takashimaya, etc.
**6 — Tokyo 6/7 — Harajuku + Shibuya**
* 🛍️ Harajuku: browse/shop
* 🚶🏻 Walk to Shibuya via Cat Street
* 🛍️ Shibuya: browse/shop 109, Center Gai, etc.
* 🌇 Shibuya Sky at sunset
* 🔁 Come back another day if we didn’t have enough time
**7 — Tokyo 7/7 — Ginza + Tokyo Station**
* 🛍️ Ginza: MUJI Flagship, GINZA SIX, etc.
* 🍣 Nishitani or Kaitenzushi Nemuro Hanamaru for lunch
* 🛍️ Tokyo Station: First Avenue, Yaechika, GRANSTA, Daimaru
* 🧳 forward ALL luggage to hotel in Kanazawa
**8 — Tokyo to Nagano 1/2 — Togakushi**
* 🏨 check out of Tokyo before 11 AM
* 🍜 Sobanomi
* ⛩️ Togakushi Shrine + cedar forest
* ⛩️ Zenkoji otw back from Togakushi if there’s time (unlikely), otherwise the next day
* 🏨 check into Nagano after 3 PM
* 🍖 Izakaya to try local specialties
**9 — Nagano 2/2 — Snow Monkey Park**
* 🐒 Snow Monkey Park
* ⛩️ Zenkoji Omotesando → Nakamise St. → Temple
**10 — Nagano to Kanazawa 1/3 \[Saturday\] — Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route**
* 🏨 check out of Nagano before 10 AM
* 🚎 start Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route at 10:30 AM
* 🍽️ dinner in Toyama
* 🧳 collect luggage + 🏨 check into Kanazawa after 2 PM
**11 — Kanazawa 2/3 \[Sunday\]**
* 🛌🏻 sleep in
* 🍽️ Omicho Market
* 🚶🏻 Kazuemachi Chaya District
* 🚶🏻 Higashi Chaya District
* 🌇 Utatsuyama Park / Overlook Hill for sunset
**12 — Kanazawa 3/3**
* 🥞 Kanazawa M’za — breakfast
* 🌸 Kenroku-en & Kanazawa Castle Park
* 🚶🏻 Korinbo
* 🚶🏻 Nagamachi District
* 🥷🏻 Nomura-ke Samurai Residence
* 🚶🏻 Nishi Chaya District
* ⛩️ Myouryuji
**13 — Kanazawa to Takayama 1/3 — Shirakawa-go + Furukawa**
* 🏨 check out of Kanazawa before 11 AM
* 🧳 forward luggage to hotel in Kyoto (keep a carry-on with us)
* 🛖 Shirakawa-go — 🧳 store carry-on at station
* 🏨 check into Takayama after 4 PM
* 🚶🏻 Sanmachi Suji
* 🍔 Center4 Hamburgers
**14 — Takayama 2/3**
* 🛍️ Miyagawa Morning Markets
* 🚶🏻 Old Town
* 🍣 Hida Kotte Ushi
* 🛍️ Jinya-Mae Morning Markets
* 🛖 Takayama Jinya
* 🛖 Hida Folk Village
**15 — Takayama 3/3 — Kamikochi (Tentative)**
* 🏔️ Kamikochi day trip tentative on weather
**16 — Takayama to Gero 1/1 — Ryokan**
* 🏨 check out of Takayama before 11 AM
* Finish anything in Takayama we missed
* 🚄 go to Gero, 🧳 drop off carry-on and backpacks at ryokan
* ⛩️ Onsenji
* 🏨 check into Gero after 2 PM
* 🍽️ kaiseki dinner at 5 PM
**17 — Gero to Kyoto 1/4 \[Saturday\] — Hikone**
* 🏨 check out of Gero before 11 AM
* 🏙️ Hikone: Castle, Genkyuen Garden, & Castle Road (🧳 store carry-on at station)
* 🏨 check into Kyoto after 2 PM, pick up luggage and take shuttle to hotel
**18 — Kyoto 2/4 \[Sunday\] — Omi-hachiman**
* 🏙️ Omi-hachiman: canal boat ride, old town, La Collina, try Omi beef
* ⛩️ Fushimi Inari Taisha (night)
**19 — Kyoto 3/4 — Arashiyama**
* 🎍 Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* 🎍 Sagano Bamboo Grove
* 🚃 Sagano Scenic Railway Trolley
* 🌸 Okochi Sanso Garden
* ⛩️ Gioji Temple
* 🚶🏻 Saga Toriimoto St
* ⛩️ Adashino Nenbutsuji
* ⛩️ Otagi Nenbutsuji
**20 — Kyoto 4/4**
* ⛩️ Hōkan-ji Temple (quick photos)
* ⛩️ walk Kiyomizu-Dera → Sannezaka Path → Ninenzaka → Ichinenzaka → Kodaji → Maruyama Park → Yasaka Shrine → Hanamikoji Street > Ujicha Kigetsudō
* 🍽️ Nishiki Market
* 🍵 tea shops
* 🌇 dinner around Pontocho
**21 — Kyoto to Osaka 1/5 — Uji + Nara**
* 🏨 check out of Kyoto before 11 AM, 🧳 send luggage to 711 in Osaka
* ⛩️ Fushimi Inari Taisha (day)
* 🏙️ Uji: Fukujuen Uji (workshop), Byodo-In Temple + Omotesando, lunch
* 🦌 Nara: Kofuku-ji, Nara Park, Todai-ji
* 🍣 Kakinoha Sushi or Maguro Koya, Nakatanidou
* 🏨 check into Osaka after 4 PM, 🧳 get luggage from 711
**22 — Osaka 2/5 — Namba, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi**
* 🍣 Osaka Kizu Market
* 🛍️ Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping St
* 🛍️ Donguri Kyowakoku
* ⛩️ Hozenji
* 🍽️ Dotonbori
* 🛍️ Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
**23 — Osaka 3/5 — Minoo Park + Umeda**
* 🍣 Kuromon Ichiba Market
* 🏞️ Minoo Falls + Park
* 🍜 Human Beings Everybody Noodles
* 🌆 Umeda Sky for sunset
**24 — Osaka 4/5 \[Saturday\] — free day**
* 😮💨 Relax or revisit previous areas in Kyoto, Nara, or Osaka
**25 — Osaka 5/5 \[Sunday\] — Railway Hike**
* 🛌🏻 sleep in
* 🧳 forward luggage to hotel in Tokyo
* ⛰️ JR Fukuchiyama Line Haisenjiki Hike
* 😮💨 Relax or revisit other areas in Osaka
**26 — Osaka to Tokyo 1/6**
* 🏨 check out of Osaka before 10 AM
* 😮💨 Extra Osaka things, or stop by Ginza & do Ginza stuff when arriving in Tokyo
* 🚄 Shinkansen to Tokyo
* 🏨 check into Tokyo after 3 PM, 🧳 pick up luggage
**27 — Tokyo 2/6 — Chuo Line**
* 🛌🏻 sleep in
* 🏙️ Nakano Broadway → Koenji → Kichijoji
**28 — Tokyo 3/6 — Kamakura + Enoshima**
* 🏙️ Kamakura
* 🏙️ Enoshima
**29 — Tokyo 4/6 — Kawagoe + Ikebukuro**
* 🏙️ Kawagoe
* 🏙️ Ikebukuro
**30 — Tokyo 5/6 — free day**
**31 — Tokyo 6/6 \[Saturday\] — Minato City**
* 🏙️ Azabudai: teamLab Borderless
* 🏙️ Roppongi: shopping, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
* 🏙️ Aoyama: shopping
* 💍 ring making workshop
* 🌟 firefly viewing
**32 — Tokyo \[Sunday\] — Departure**
* 🛍️ last minute shopping/revisits
* 🛫 Depart HND at 10 PM
—
* **Does it seem reasonable?**
* It also seems like there’s tons of areas in Tokyo, Osaka, and even Nara that are known for chef knives. Are prices pretty similar or are there certain spots that have better prices?
* Are there some areas or landmarks that are better to visit at night?
**Some specific parts we’re still unsure about:**
* Day 17: debating which option to do
* A) stop by Hikone on the way to Kyoto and do Omihachiman another day
* B) stop by both Hikone + Omihachiman on the way to Kyoto
* C) do Hikone + Omihachiman on another day as a day trip
* Day 21: Uji and Nara on the same day on the way to Osaka
Thanks so much!
by picklemida