Hello! My boyfriend (24m) and I (23F) are going to Japan in 2 weeks for the first time and we were hoping we could get some feedback on our itinerary.
I will admit I am an avid planner and def have planned a lot lol but I am hoping to get advice on if the plans are doable or not and if there are some things we need to add/remove. We are HUGE foodies, enjoy shopping, and are hoping to explore Japan and experience the culture as well. I have a lot planned (oops) and I am curious if people who go to japan typically leave time to return to their accommodation during the day or if most the day is spent sightseeing and exploring and they only come back in the evening once they are done exploring?
Day 1
– arrive into Tokyo at 3:30pm
– take train to Kyoto (we have read some opinions of people saying with jet lag etc it would be better to start in Tokyo, however we did not want to be stressing the day of our flight to get back on time or lose out on a day and leave early from Kyoto to get back to Tokyo and leave the next day)
– check into our accommodation in kyoto (hopefully around 7:30/8 (?) **don’t know exactly how long it will take to get out of airport and on train to Kyoto**
– eat late night dinner somewhere that’s open in Kyoto, maybe chao chao gyoza
Day 2 (nara day trip)
– quick 7/11 bfast
– train to Nara around 8:30am
– grab coffee, see mochi show
– todaiji temple (**how many hours do people typically spend here?**)
– lunch
– deer park
– visit melon de melon
– early dinner
– train back to Kyoto
Day 3 (Kyoto)
– fushimi inari tour starting at 9am (hiking + lunch included)
– visit nishiki market around 2pm
– free explore time around Kyoto
– sushi omakase dinner
– explore gion/pontocho after dinner
Day 4 (Osaka day trip)
– train to Osaka around 9am
– grab bfast/coffee somewhere
– visit Osaka castle
– spend time visiting dotonburi, try various foods, shop ALOT
– bf’s birthday dinner at din tai fung
– train back to kyoto
Day 5 (Kyoto)
– breakfast somewhere
– visit ninenzaka/sannenzaka, visit the unique Starbucks there
– see kyomizu-dera
– find a lunch in the area (**if any1 has any recs pls share**)
– head back to pontocho area to glanta to make our own rings
– visit a Japanese knife shop (bf has really been wanting to buy good quality knives, **are we allowed to bring these back in our checked luggage?**)
– dinner reserved at monk
Day 6 (Kyoto/Tokyo)
– bfast
– unplanned time for any shipping or exploring
– lunch at menya iniochi
– train to tokyo around 3pm
– check into our hotel in shinjuku around 7pm
– grab dinner at either a Indian restaurant or at omoide yokocho
Day 7 (Shibuya/Harajuku/Shinjuku)
– bfast at hotel
– 9:30am train to harajuku
– explore Takeshita street
– head to shibuya
– shibuya parco/shops, mega don quijote
– lunch
– shibuya sky, shibuya crossing, shibuya 109, hachiko statue
– back to shinjuku
– takoyaki/izakaya air bnb experience for dinner + drinks
Day 8 (Ginza)
– early bfast
– train to ginza
– teamlab borderless
– shopping at various stores
– lunch
– dinner reserved at pizza bar on 38th
– drinks after dinner at mixology salon/orchard
– back to shinjuku
Day 9 (fuji day trip)
– early bfast
– train to Shimoyoshida, explore a little then head to chureito pagoda
– train to kawaguchi, see lake kawaguchi views of mt fuji
– grab lunch here
– back to shinjuku
– gyukatsu dinner
– golden gai for bar hopping
Day 10 (ginza/asakusa/ueno)
– sushi class + omakase for a v early lunch, includes visiting tsukiji market and then class and omakase after
– leave from ginza area to ueno park
– stroll around ueno park
– grab small lunch/snack in asakusa
– see sensoji temple, get our fortunes, spend time eating a lot of yummy food
– visit kappabachi kitchen tools street
– okonomiyaki dinner
– back to shinjuku
– shinjuku batting cages (maybe?)
Day 11
– bfast at hotel
– leave japan 🙁
by cheesestick000