My husband and I will be heading to Japan in October. I started making the itinerary myself and very quickly became overwhelmed and started to guess myself. I want to make sure this is feasible and that we aren't overextending ourselves. Our priorities are food, akihabara (we love anime), and nature. We wanted to see Mt. Fuji but after reading many posts, we decided not to spend a whole day on it. We have not finished booking any hotels so we can still move things around. This is still a rough itinerary so the specifics are still to be worked out.
Main Concerns are:
- is the Jigokudani Monkey Park worth it?
- Am I missing out on Mt. Fuji?
- is two days too much in Osaka?
- Am I missing anything that as a first timer is a must see?
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrival in Tokyo
Arrive in Tokyo at 2 PM. Will probably Rest until 5 and then explore. Thinking of staying in Akasaka in the APA hotel Pride
Afternoon: Arrive in Tokyo and check into your hotel.
Evening: Explore the local area and have dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Day 2: Akihabara and Shinjuku
Late Morning: Head to Akihabara. Visit anime stores like Animate, Mandarake, and Radio Kaikan.
Afternoon: Explore the Gundam Café and other themed cafés. Start Heading to Shinjuku.
Evening: Have dinner at a at Shinjuku and explore.
Day 3: Shibuya and Harajuku
Morning: Tsukiji Fish Market
Late Morning: Start in Shibuya, visit Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko Statue.
Afternoon: Head to Harajuku, visit the Meiji Shrine and Takeshita Street for shopping and unique street food.
Evening: Dinner at a ramen shop in Shibuya.
Day 4: Hakone
Relax Time
Morning: Travel to Hakone.
Late Morning: Early morning hike in Hakone, such as the Hakone Old Tokaido Road.
Afternoon: Visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum and enjoy views of Lake Ashi.
Evening: Stay overnight at a ryokan (traditional inn) with an onsen (hot spring) and enjoy a traditional Japanese dinner.
Day 5: Kyoto
Morning: Travel to Kyoto (bullet train)
Late Morning: Early morning hike at Fushimi Inari Shrine (thousands of red torii gates).
Afternoon: Visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and Ryoan-ji Temple.
Evening: Stroll through Gion district and have dinner at a traditional Kyoto restaurant.
Day 6: Kyoto
Morning: Early morning hike at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
Late Morning: Visit the Iwatayama Monkey Park.
Afternoon: Explore more of Arashiyama.
Evening: Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 7: Osaka
Morning: Travel to Osaka
Late Morning: Early morning hike at Minoo Park (Minoh Waterfall).
Afternoon: Visit Osaka Castle and explore the Dotonbori area for street food.
Evening: Dinner in Dotonbori.
Day 8: Osaka
Morning: Early morning walk along the riverside near Osaka Castle.
Late Morning: Tsutaya Bookstore
Afternoon: Shinsekai and Kumon Market
Evening: Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 9: Jigokudani Monkey Park
Morning: Travel to Nagano to visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park to see the red monkeys in the hot springs.
Afternoon: Explore the park and surrounding areas.
Evening: Travel back to Tokyo via shinkansen.
Day 10: Return to Tokyo
Morning: (would like must see morning reccomendations)
Afternoon: Free time to explore or revisit favorite spots.
Evening: Enjoy a final dinner at a special restaurant. Pack and get ready for the morning.
Day 11: Departure
Flight Home is at 12 noon
Morning: Last-minute shopping or sightseeing.
Afternoon: Head to the airport for your flight home.
by Winniethabishop