Hi dear JapanTravelers,
I’m organising our honeymoon in Japan next July (I’ve heard it might not be the best time but for several reasons it had to be in that period and going to Japan has been our dream since years). I already booked flights and hotels, I would love to hear your thoughts on the itinerary, if you think it can work or if there’s anything you would definitely change.
Important: English is not my native language so sorry in advance if something is not clear; also, I’m not a Japan expert, so some choices might seem pointless to seasoned Japan traveller, that’s why I’m happy to hear any suggestion!
As many other people on this sub, food is an important element of the trip, but so far I reserved only 2 places, for the rest what I understood is that it’s better to do it more “freestyle” and just walk into places that inspire us in that moment.
Walking a lot is not an issue and we actually enjoy it (I take on avg 15-20k steps regularly when not on vacation), so let me know if you think there’s space to do more in one day of the itinerary!
Day 1 (Tokyo): arrive at HND, leave luggages at hotel in Shinjuku and then (not necessarily in this order):
– Harajuku
– Meiji Jingu
– Shibuya crossing
– Shibuya Sky
– Pokemon Center
Then back to hotel and maybe visit Golden Gai in the evening.
Hotel reserved: Groove Hotel Shinjuku
Day 2 (Tokyo):
– Ningyocho
– Asakusa
– Maybe Hanayashi amusement park (not really sure if it’s worth it and how long this could take)
– Sumida Park
– Tokyo Skytree
– Senso-Ji Temple
– Ueno Park
Hotel reserved: Groove Hotel Shinjuku
Restaurant reserved: Nishi-azabu Taku
Day 3 (Tokyo):
– Teamlab Planets (bought tickets for 9am)
– Tsukiji Outer market to eat something
Then I would like to wander around one or two neighborhoods with no precise itinerary, maybe something good for shopping and/or trying out different types of food; any recommendations?
Hotel reserved: Groove Hotel Shinjuku
Day 4 (Kamakura+Yokohama day trip):
I was thinking of taking a train to Kamakura, visit and have lunch there, then take a look at Yokohama on the way back.
Hotel reserved: Groove Hotel Shinjuku
Day 5-6 (Lake Kawaguchi):
We will head to Ubuya and will stay there for 2 nights, we will probably just relax or maybe visit the surroundings a bit.
Hotel reserved: Ubuya (2 nights)
Day 7 (Kyoto):
We will take a taxi to Mishima station and there maybe grab Hikari 505 to Kyoto, then visit Nishiki Market, Nijo-jo and Kinkaku-ji, plus walk around the city.
Hotel reserved: Yasaka Yutone Kyokoyado
Day 8 (Kyoto + Nara day trip):
– Arashiyama Bamboo forest very early morning
– Take Sightseeing Aoniyoshi Kintetsu for Nara and spend the day there (Nara Park, Todai ji, Botanical Garden)
– Back to Kyoto and enjoy dinner at ryokan
Hotel reserved: Yasaka Yutone Kyokoyado
Day 9 (Himeji + Hiroshima)
– Stop by Himeji for lunch and visit the castle, on the way to Hiroshima;
– Arrive at Hiroshima and visit Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park
Hotel reserved: Sheraton Grand Hiroshima
Day 10 (Hiroshima + Miyajima):
Ferry to Miyajima early morning and spend most of the day there (any important recommendations here?), then back to Hiroshima in the evening
Hotel reserved: Sheraton Grand Hiroshima
Day 11 (Osaka):
- Amerikamura
- Osaka Castle
- Tenjinbashi-suji / Shopping Street
- Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
- Other?
Hotel reserved: W Osaka
Day 12 (Osaka + Kobe day trip):
– Travel to Kobe (still unsure if we will take a taxi or a train) and visit Sannomiya (where we have a reservation for lunch), Chinatown and then take the ropeway and visit Herb Garden.
– Back in Osaka in the evening and enjoy nightlife.
Hotel reserved: W Osaka
Restaurant reserved: Royal Mouriya
Day 13-19:
We will then take a flight from Osaka to a nearby country to spend the rest of the vacation relaxing at a resort. The flight from Osaka will be around 10am, so I don’t think there will be time for an early morning visit to some places in Osaka worth it, but let me know if you have any suggestions.
Day 20 (Haneda):
We will fly back to Haneda in the evening and will stay there at Villa Fontaine Premier, because we have the flight back home the following morning. Might sound as a weird question but do you have any recommendations on things to do/Places to eat around the airport? We will probably be quite tired and will have to wake up early, so we probably won’t be willing to go far from there.
Last but not least, a key element on which I need your advices is transportation between cities: I would love to surprise my wife with unusual and/or luxury experiences; any idea in this regard for the following?
- Tokyo to Kawaguchiko (I read about the Fujisan View Express but apparently doesn’t cover the entire Shinjuku-Kawaguchi trip)
- Kawaguchiko to Kyoto (the best plan I was able to come up with is to get to Mishima station and grab a Green Class Shinkansen there but I would love to find something more “wowing”)
- Kyoto to Nara and back (as mentioned above the Sightseeing Aoniyoshi Kintetsu looks like a nice experience, but not feasible on the way back since I think there’s only one at around 3pm and would mean spending very little time in Nara)
- Kyoto – Himeji – Hiroshima
- Hiroshima – Miyajima
- Hiroshima – Osaka
What do you think?
Thanks so much in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this and share their thoughts! <3
by Greedy_Donut_7781