Hi all, we are traveling to Japan from 5/3 to 5/8. Last minute trip, my wife’s family got us plane tickets and we are trying to figure out the rest. My wife has never been, I have gone years ago on vacation.
Priority for this trip is for my wife to have fun and she is mainly wanting to eat good food / variety of food, food markets / street food, and see any sakura/flower blooms if possible.
**5/3 – arrive Narita 8am Terminal 1**
* We have 2 suica, load money onto them (pull cash from ATM)
* hotel is near tsukiji market
* KEISEI Access Express to Higashi Ginza, taxi to hotel or store luggage at station
* Straight to Asakusa area
~~* Explore Tsukiji Outer Market and eat~~
~~* Drop off luggage at hotel / check in~~
* Explore the Asakusa area, visiting Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street. Also Imado shrine.
* Stroll through Ueno park and dinner at Ameya-Yokocho market area
**5/4 – Tokyo Day 2**
* Morning: Explore Shibuya, including Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko Statue.
* Afternoon: Visit Harajuku and Takeshita Street for shopping and unique cafes.
* Evening: Check out Akihabara. Dinner in the area.
**5/5 – Travel to Kyoto by Shinkansen**
* earliest shinkansen to Kyoto
* -hotel inside station
* -eat near station at okonomiyaki restaurant
* Kinkaku-ji (mostly want to buy tea they sell in gift shop)
* -Osaka, eat at Osaka Umeda isaribi
* -Osaka for Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, specific shop in Namba we want to visit
**5/6 – Kyoto/Nara/Osaka**
* -Nishiki Market for food
* Yasaka Shrine, Gion area (maybe kiyomizu-dera if time allows)
* Nara Deer Park, Todaji
**5/7 – Leaving Kyoto for Hakone**
* Take earliest Shinkansen to Hakone
* -maybe see the nearby castle
* -Check in hakone ryokan
* -Do the Hakone Free Pass route, buy at odawara station
* Relax in hotel onsen at night
**5/8 – Hakone Day 2**
* last day in Hakone, visit checkpoint museum
* -romance car back to tokyo
* -enjoy tokyo before heading to a hotel near NRT for early flight
**5/9 – Flight**
-Leaving at 930am
Would really appreciate restaurant recommendations or any easy way to find good food nearby when we get hungry. Also not sure if I’m grouping areas the best to maximize our time.
by tokyobound