Hi all, would love some advice around our itinerary. First time to Japan for both of us. We will be yravelling in October 2025. (I'm a planner so I know I'm early in this list).
The exact order of some of the days or events may change based on weekends and when we can get bookings for certain places, like Disneyland.
Day 1- Tokyo:Â
•Uncertain flight times, plans are just to organize train cards etc
•Accommodation to sleep (I don’t sleep well on planes)
Day 2- Kyoto: First train to Kyoto
•Higashiyama ward:Â
•Geisha Makeover
•Panel Café
•visit temples in the areaÂ
•Tea Ceremony
•Niigata Kastudon Tarekatsu
Day 3- Day trip to Osaka:Â
• Universal Studios
Day 4- Day trip to Osaka: [Kyo Trainto Osaka]Â
• Kuromon Market
•Ghibli Store
•Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping StreetÂ
•Dotonbori AreaÂ
•Kuchu Teien Observatory (evening)
Day 5- Day trip to Nara:Â
•Nara Park and a few templesÂ
•the late afternoon/ evening would be in Kyoto, no plans for that yet
Day 6- Kyoto:
•Arashiyama bamboo forest
•Fushimi Inari-Shrines
•Imperial Palace/ Gardens
•Nijo Castle
Day 7- Hiroshima: Early train
•Hiroshima Castle
•Peace park
•Glanta
•Hondori Street
â–¡Taking sunrise Izumo back to Tokyo overnight
Day 8- Tokyo:
•Have no plans for this day yet. Its just to break up being on the train too much. Might do a Disneyland day but unsure if that would be too tiring.
Day 9- Hakodate: (explore for a few hours)
•Morning Market
•Red brick warehouse
â–¡Sapporo: expecting to arrive around 8pm
Day 10- Otaru day trip
•Nikka Whiskey Distillery
•Otaru Cruse
•Walk along canal and Sakaimachi Street
Day 11- Sapporo
•Nijo Market
•Historic Village of Hokkaido and museum
•Shiroi Koibito Park (Lunch)
•Kumachan Onsen (Dinner)
•Mount Moiwa (Evening)
Day 12- Day trip to Furano
•Farm Tomita
â–¡Back to Sapporo
•Hoheikyo Hot Springs (Dinner here)
Day 13- Aomori (explore for a few hours before heading back to Tokyo)
•No actual plans
Day 14- Tokyo
•DisneySea
Day 15- Shinjuku
•Meiji-jingu Gaien Park and Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens
•Rakeru (Lunch)
•General shopping and exploring
•Metropolitan Government Building for viewing deck
•Karaoke
Day 16- Tokyo
•Disneyland (if we go to Disneyland on day 8, then this would move to the end of our list as an extra day to explore)
Day 17- Shibuya
•Meiji Jingu Shrine
•Hachiko Statue
•Shibuya 109
•Shibuya Scramble crossing
•Village Vangaurd
•Don Quijote
•Kumachan Onsen (Again or if we don’t get there is Sapporo)
•I’m donut
•Shibuya Sky (If we decide on this or have the time)
Day 18- HarajukuÂ
•Takeshita Street
•Yoyogi Park (If we want to relax)
•Ikebukura
•Milkyway Café
•Sunshine City
Day 19- Multiple locations
•Hana-Biyori
•Akihabara
•Team Labs: Borderless
Day 20- Multiple locations
•Sensoji Temple
•Nakamise Shopping Street
•Sukiyaka (Hot pot place)
Day 21- Multiple Locations
•Hamarikyu Gardens
•Itoya Stationary
•Pokemon Café
•Tokyo Station
The last two days are less planned so we can do shopping before leaving and revisit places or go somewhere we didn’t have time previously. I also have a list of other possible things to add if we can or want to. Some of these are more out of the way or are places we are unsure if we want to go to:
▪︎Kirby Café
▪︎Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Facotry
▪︎Harry Potter Themed Train Station
▪︎Lovot Café
▪︎Harry Potter Frog café
▪︎Kumonocha
▪︎Haute Couture Café
▪︎2D café Shinokubo
▪︎Godvia
▪︎KitKat Chocolatory
▪︎TeamLabs Planets
by PinkFairyForest