Hi everyone. Me and my girlfriend are planning a ~two week trip to Japan next year (spring or autumn). This time I thought it would be fun to try out making a more specific itinerary, since before I've always just pretty much done everything spontaneously, but the places I've visited have always been smaller, closer to home in Europe and the trips have been shorter.
Tbh this itinerary was made in a very short time, and I don't have practically any beforehand knowledge about travelling in Japan, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are some clear issues. Obviously there's still so much time before the actual trip, so I mostly did this already just for fun and to get some idea what the trip could be like. That's why all kinds of comments and critiques are welcome.
We are both interested in culture and history, and also appreciate nature and overall wandering around, taking in the different vibes of different locations. I think the most important thing is that the days don't get too full and we have time to just sit down in some random cafe and relax also. I am not sure have I achieved this with this itinerary or not, but we want the trip to be relaxed enough, even though there's a lot to see. We don't mind 'mainstream touristy sightseeing' if the places are actually worth seeing and not complete tourist traps. Even though we are not particularly fans of huge crowds, we also understand that they can't be avoided during a trip like this. We are also both very interested in local cuisine, but I have not included any restaurants in this itinerary yet. The plan is to eat out twice a day anyway, of course restaurant recommendations are also welcome. I was thinking something like one dinner in a fine dining, Michelin starred place and besides that, we'd prefer if the food budget wouldn't get overwhelming 🙂 mid-range or something.
Day 1 (Tokyo)
Asakusa area, visiting Senso-ji
Day 2 (Tokyo)
Wandering around Shinjuku, pretty much seeing what comes up + Shinjuku Goyen
Maybe some shopping in the area (second hand stores, I am into some Japanese brands so maybe a Kapital / Nepenthes / etc. stores also)
Day 3 (Tokyo)
teamlab Planets, maybe
Meiji shrine
Evening in Shibuya
Day 4 (Day trip to Nikko)
Early train to Nikko, Toshogu shrine, Shinkyo bridge, walking around the area/forests
Back to Tokyo in the evening, chilling without making specific plans
Day 5 (Tokyo)
Ueno park + Tokyo National Museum + maybe Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Something spontaneous after this, maybe visiting one of the previous districts again or something
Day 6 (Kyoto)
Early train to Kyoto, checking into hotel
Wandering around Gion district, visiting Yasaka shrine
Nishiki market
Day 7 (Kyoto)
Visiting Kiyomizu-dera in the morning
Walking in Higashiyama area, Hokan-ji
Fushimi-Inari in the evening
Day 8 (Day trip to Nara)
Todai-ji and the surrounding area, walking in Kasuga forest
Day 9 (Kyoto)
Spending the day in Arashiyama area
Tenryu-ji, Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, Jokkajo-ji etc.
Taking the Sagano romantic train, and going back with the boat ride
Day 10 (Day trip to Uji)
Maybe visiting Ryoan-ji in the morning before going to Uji
Byodo-in, relaxed wandering around Uji, attending a green tea ceremony or something (I don't know anything about tea, but my girlfriend loves it)
Day 11 (Kyoto)
Just relaxing during the day, not making specific plans
Train to Hiroshima in the evening
Day 11´2 (Hiroshima, day trip to Miyajima)
Taking a morning ferry to Miyajima, hiking around the island and spending the day there
Back to Hiroshima in the evening, spending the evening there
Day 13 (Hiroshima)
Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Park, Memorial Museum
Wandering around Hiroshima
Day 14: Train to Tokyo or Osaka depending on which one we pick as the departure destination, flight back to Europe.
What do you guys think?
by henriph