Hello guys. My first trip to Japan has been booked for a few months now, been working on the itinerary for 13 nights and this is what I came up with, any feedback appreciated.
Initially I had Uji and Nara on the same day but didn't want to rush neither so moved Nara to when I'm staying in Osaka, where there's less stuff I want to see.
November 2, Saturday:
- Flight arrives at Haneda at ~19:45pm. Do the usual formalities, get IC card, etc, and go to hotel in Asakusa area. Sleep. At best I might visit a konbini before bed, but only if I feel up for it.
November 3, Sunday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, then explore Asakusa area (around 7:30ish) starting with Nakamise street and the nearby Shinto shrine. Buy some souvenirs. Have tea and lunch early (no later than 12h).
- Go to Akihabara around 13:00 and spend the whole afternoon there. Simply explore, get some souvenirs, gachapons, snacks. Basically free roam the area, at least until 18:00. Road traffic closed between 13 and 18, so thought it would be the best time to explore there.
- If I feel like 5 hours was enough, leave and go to Tokyo Skytree, check the observation deck and Solomachi MISE. Kirby Cafe If I can fit in a reservation (crosses fingers). Back to Hotel.
November 4, Monday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, then go to Meiji Shrine. Afterwards take a stroll in Yoyogi park and also Meiji metropolitan Park. Should fill up the morning.
- Go to Shibuya for Lunch.
- Explore Harajuku.
- Be a tourist at Shibuya Scramble. Gawk at Hachiko statue.
- Go up Shibuya sky in the late afternoon.
November 5, Tuesday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, then get on a train to Kamakura
- Megetsu-in + Genji Pond + Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu
- Explore Komachi-dori street and have lunch
- Hokokuji temple + Kotoku-in temple + Hase-dera temple
- Walk to Kamakurakoko-mae station. Then take the train to Enoshima.
- Check out the bridge and entrance to Enoshima. Will probably be too late to go any further, so go back to Tokyo using the Shonan Monorail for part of the trip (interested in using that monorail!).
November 6, Wednesday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, then go to Tokyo-daijingu Shrine. Visit nearby Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, hopefully with some early autumn foliage. Subway to Rikugien garden.
- Subway to Ikebukuro for lunch + anime shopping. Checkout Sunshite city mall if weather isn't great, skip it if weather is good.
- Subway to Shinjuku Gyoen garden for an afternoon stroll.
- Godzilla Store in Shinjuku.
- Free roam Shinjuku + Kabukicho until I want to go back to sleep at the hotel.
November 7, Thursday:
(- [If I feel tired at this point, skip these morning points until Tokyo Station Shinkansen, waking up and checking out later)
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, check-out of the hotel, leave bags in Tokyo station lockers, go to Hamarikyu gardens.
- Go to Tokyo Tower for a stroll around Shibakoen and tower photos.
- Go to Tokyo Station, explore a bit, get bentos, and ride a Shinkansen to Kyoto that arrives there around the 15:00 mark.
- Check in to Kyoto hotel in Gyojo area.
- Go take a walk through Philosopher's path. Visit Ginkaku-ji and Heian Jingu.
- Visit Aeon Mall Kyoto at night. Sleep.
November 8, Friday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, go to Arashiyama and see area before Monkey Park. Enter Monkey park at 9:00.
- Tenryuji temple + Bamboo forest + Okachi senso garden + Jojakko-ji + Giouji temple
- Golden Pavillion before it closes at 17:00.
- Honestly no idea what to do after, if tired just rest. Or explore Gion at night on this day instead of Sunday. But most likely rest.
November 9, Saturday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, go to Fushimi Inari-taisha, climb the whole thing.
- Go to Uji by train. Explore and eat/drink as much matcha is possible for 3-4 hours.
- Get back to Kyoto and enter Botanical Gardens if I arrive there before 15:30. If not, simply check out the area around the Imperial Palace.
- Rest.
November 10, Sunday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast at 6:30, then go to Kiyomizu-dera.
- Matsubara street + Sannenzaka road + Ninenzaka + Murayama park + Yasaka shrine + Chion-in temple + Shorenin Monzeki.
- Explore Gion until nighttime.
November 11, Monday:
- Check-out early and get on Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Leave bags at station or hotel (hotel is right next to Hiroshima station). Hopefully arrive in Hiroshima around 12:00, maybe even slightly earlier.
- Visit the Peace Memorial Museum + Memorial Park + A-dome.
- Hiroshima Castle + Shukkeien garden + Hijiyama shrine.
- Hondori shopping/strolling/dinner
November 12, Tuesday:
- Wake up early for hotel breakfast, take train + ferry to Miyajima.
- Omotesando shopping street
- Itsukushima shrine
- Daishoin temple + Momijidani park
- Take ropeway up to observatory/climb mount Misen
- Revisit Itsukushima shrine around sunset
- Back to Hiroshima, maybe visit Edion Tsutaya Kaden, Hondori again or rest, depending on mood.
November 13, Wednesday:
- Shinkansen to Osaka mid-morning. Leave bags in Shinbaishi station
- Check out Dotonbori during daytime
- Hozen-ji temple + Hokoku shrine.
- Osaka Castle
- Tenmangu shrine
- Umeda sky building observatory
- Dotonbori at night
November 14, Thursday:
- Sumiyoshi taisha
- Train to Nara. Get Mochi at Nakatanidou.
- Ukimido bridge + Kasuga-taisha + Nara park + Todai-ji
- Get back to Osaka after sunset and visit teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka.
- November 15, Friday:
- Visit Shinsekai, Tsutenkaku, Shitenno-ji and Tempozan Harbor village.
- Go to Kansai Airport mid-afternoon. And bye Japan!
by TheSebWithin