I’m working on an itinerary for a 16-day trip to Japan for next year. I’ve been gleaning a lot of wisdom from this reddit and felt a little shy to post here, but thought I should go for it to see what the pros think. So here I am! I’m trying to strike the balance between having a plan and leaving room for spontaneity (especially for food places).
This would be for a girls’ trip, most likely in the fall with 4 or 5 of us. We are very excited to try new foods, experience a different culture, and shop til we drop. We all love anime and video games and boast an affinity for sweets and cocktails. Totally open to any suggestions or recommendations. Thank you in advance!
* means I’m aware this needs a reservation and it’s subject to move or disappear completely depending on our luck in the reservation bloodbath.
Day 0 – Arrival in Tokyo (7 nights)
-Land in Haneda Airport early evening.
-Take Limo Bus to hotel in Asakusa. Check in to hotel. Grab dinner at McDonald's. Hit 7-11 to load up on water/snacks. See Sensoji Temple at night if we are not too bedraggled.
Day 1 – Asakusa
-Hoshino Coffee or Mister Donut for Breakfast
-Explore Asakusa (Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Shrine, Tanuki Street, Nakamise-dori Street—must try melon pan and Cremia softserve!)
-Cat Cafe MONTA
-Ueno Park
-Dinner on Hoppy Street
Day 2 – Shibuya
-Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Hachiko statue
-Shopping at Nintendo Store, Pokemon Center, Loft101, Uniqlo, Mega Don Quijote
Day 3 – Sumida City / Akihabara
-Sumida Park, Tokyo Skytree, Kirby Cafe*
-Animate Building, Arcades, Gachapon, shopping to our nerdy hearts’ content
-Nikuya Yokocho* for dinner
Day 4 – Kichijoji
-Tokyo Station Character Street
-Ghibli Museum*, Inokashira Park, Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory
-Rainbow Karaoke back in Asakusa
Day 5 – Ikebukuro
-Explore Sunshine City. Round One, Animate, Sanrio Cafe, Pokemon Center, Pikachu Sweets
-Explore Otome Road. K-Books, Stella Worth, Swallowtail Butler Cafe* for afternoon tea
-Bar Panorama
Day 6 – Free Day
-Keeping this day free for anything we missed, or for spontaneity!
-Do laundry and pack our bags
-Alternatively, I wonder if I should move this day elsewhere, perhaps give it to Kyoto, which is pretty packed? I had 7 days in Tokyo to get a weekly stay discount on the hotel, but I’m thinking maybe I should prioritize the itinerary over saving a little bit of money.
Day 7 – Tokyo > Hakone (2 nights)
-Forward luggage to Kyoto and check out.
-Take Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone, have lunch in town, and then check in to ryokan.
-Soak in onsen and enjoy kaiseki dinner.
Day 8 – Hakone
-Rest day at the ryokan
Day 9 – Hakone > Kyoto (3 nights)
-Check out of ryokan and catch bullet train from Odawara Station to Kyoto
-Kyoto Imperial Palace and Gyoen National Garden OR Nishiki Market
-Check in to hotel
-Explore Pontocho Park/Alley, grab dinner in there somewhere
-Bee’s Knees and Macho Bar
Day 10 – Kyoto
-Head to Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, and Kiyomizu-dera first thing in the morning
-Explore Gion district. Chawanzaka, Hokanji Temple, Kenninji Temple, Kodaiji Temple, Yasaka Shrine, Chionin Temple, Shorenin Monzeki. Temples galore!
Day 11 – Nara
-Forward luggage to Osaka in the morning.
-Day trip to Nara Park! Meet the deer.
-Also check out Kofuku-ji, Todai-ji Temple, Isuien Garden, Kasuga Taisha, and the Nakatanidou Mochi Show.
-Hit Fushimi Inari on the way back to watch the sunset there. Get eaten by wild boar.
Day 12 – Kyoto > Osaka (3 nights)
-International Manga Museum, Nishiki Market (if missed it), and Kimono Tea Ceremony*
-In the evening, take the 4:20pm Aoniyoshi Sightseeing Train* to Osaka
-Check in to hotel near Universal
-Osaka Takoyaki Park
Day 13 – Osaka
-Universal Studios Japan! Express pass* to maximize the day.
Day 14 – Osaka
-Explore Osaka with Osaka Amazing Pass possibly?
-Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori
-Tempozan Harbor Village, Captain Line Ferry back to hotel
Day 15 – Departure
-Catch limo bus to Itami airport, then plane outta Japan. Cry the whole way home while basking in what an amazing and smooth trip that was! 😉
Thank you so much for reading and have a great day!
by Mello-Knight