16 days in Japan (Tokyo/Kawaguchiko/Izu/Kyoto/Hiroshima/Okinawa)

Hi all 😊 My husband and I will be visiting Japan in late November and would be extremely grateful for help with our itinerary. We have both visited before with our families when we were little but this will be our first trip there together (it's kind of our honeymoon trip, although the first weekend there, one of us is attending a work conference in Tokyo).

One thing we're quite worried about is figuring out the public transport system. We've tried to look up routes and rough costs on Google Maps – if any transport guru could give them a once-over, we would be so grateful! Would it be worth it for us to get a JR pass or just use an IC card and buy shinkansen tickets individually?

We have a niggling feeling that we are maybe trying to fit in too much on some days and that the flow of events isn't the best for some days either…🥺Racking our brains has led us to this iteration of our itinerary but we feel a bit stuck on how we can streamline/improve it further. Very open to advice on what to cut out (e.g. are some things more worth seeing than others?) or how to better rearrange activities. Thanks all in advance!!🙏

Our Itinerary

Day 1 Fri: Arrival in Tokyo

  • 1130am – arrive at Narita Airport
  • Travel to Ryogoku to check into our Airbnb:
    • considering taking the Airport Limousine Bus
  • Afternoon & Evening – open to suggestions!
    • some things in Tokyo we are hoping to see:
      • Meiji Jingu Gaien Gingko avenue
      • Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
      • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
      • Sensoji temple
    • of course, we'd love to eat (we know Japanese food is great everywhere though we'd love to try amazing unagi-don, omurice, ramen, sushi, kaiseki and matcha ice cream) – we haven't researched food in detail yet so it's a bit lacking on our itinerary at the moment

Day 2 Sat: Tokyo

  • Morning to Late Afternoon – W at work conference, H exploring
  • Evening – open

Day 3 Sun: Tokyo

  • Morning to Late Afternoon – W at work conference, H exploring
  • check out of Airbnb and transfer to Tokyo DisneySea hotel
    • From Ryogoku, take the JR Keiyo Line to Maihama (Tokyo Disney Resort). Travel time: ~50 minutes. Cost: ¥220
  • Evening – open

Day 4 Mon: Tokyo DisneySea Day 1

  • any specific recommendations for best rides or food to try?

Day 5 Tues: Tokyo DisneySea Day 2

Day 6 Wed: Kawaguchiko

  • Check out of Tokyo DisneySea hotel
  • Forward luggage to next accommodation in Izu Peninsula
  • Travel from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko
    • option 1: Take JR Chuo Line from Tokyo Station to Otsuki, then the Fujikyu Railway to Kawaguchiko. Total travel time: ~2.5 hrs. Cost: ~¥2,500-3,000.
    • option 2: Take an express bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko. Travel time: ~2 hrs. Cost: ¥2,000.
  • Get the Mt Fuji Pass – helpful for unlimited rides on buses and discounted entry to attractions. Cost: ¥4,500 for 2 days?
  • Visit:
    • Oishi Park
    • Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum
    • Lake Kawaguchi Maple Corridor OR Momiji tunnel
  • Check into a ryokan with an onsen
    • any recommendations? We've heard Konansou and Ubuya are good)

Day 7 Thurs: Kawaguchiko/ Izu

  • Morning: Mt Fuji Ropeway
  • Late morning: Travel to Izu
    • Option 1: Take a bus to Mishima Station? Travel time: ~2.5 hrs. Cost: ~¥2,500.
    • Option 2: Go back to Tokyo and take the JR Tokaido Shinkansen to Mishima Station. Travel time: ~3 hrs. Cost: ~¥5,000.
  • Afternoon:
    • rent a car at Mishima Station
      • does anyone have specific recommendations for a good car rental place?
    • drive to Kawazu area
    • Visit Kawazu seven waterfalls
    • (+/- Joren Falls)
    • Visit Shuzenji town (mainly Tokko no Yu, walk along the river/ Katsura bridge, Shuzenji Temple, Hie Shrine and the small bamboo forest)
  • Evening
    • check into accommodation – deliberating between staying at a ryokan in Shuzenji or Bousui Ryokan Shizuoka Hotel

Day 8 Fri: Izu

  • Morning:
    • Take the chairlift at Mount Omuro and walk around the top for panoramic views.
    • Visit Izu Shaboten Zoo
  • Afternoon
    • +/- have lunch at Okawaya (unagi-don) = open 11am-2pm?
    • Jogasaki Coast + suspension bridge.
  • Late afternoon:
    • Drop off the rental car at Mishima Station.
    • Shinkansen to Kyoto: Take the JR Tokaido Shinkansen from Mishima to Kyoto. Travel time: ~2 hours. Cost: ¥11,300 (unreserved seat) to ¥12,600 (reserved seat).
  • Evening: check into Kyoto accommodation
    • any recommendations for a nice ryokan near to a main train station convenient for onward travel the next few days?

Day 9 Sat: Kyoto – east side

  • Morning:
    • Fushimi Inari Taisha
      • JR Nara Line to Inari Station, ~5min, ¥150.
  • Late morning:
    • lunch at Nishiki Market
      • Take Keihan Main Line from Fushimi Inari to Gion-Shijo Station, then a short walk to Nishiki Market, ~15 minutes, ¥230.
    • Should we attend a kimono tea ceremony at Kyoto Maikoya Nishiki? (or would it be nicer to rent couple kimonos to walk around in Gion later?)
      • ¥ 6,300 / person, 90min long
  • Afternoon
    • take bus #5 to Ginkakuji from Nishiki, ~25min, ¥230.
    • Walk the Philosopher's Path to Nanzenji (~30-minute scenic walk).
    • Kyoto City Bus 100 from the Nanzenji Eikando-michi bus stop to the Gion bus stop, 20min, ¥230 per person
    • Walk through Gion (see Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka and Sannen-zaka)
    • Rent kimonos in Gion? (any recommendations for a particular store? really overwhelmed with the choices on Klook 😟)
  • Evening
    • head to either Kodaiji Temple for the seasonal light festival OR Kiyomizu-dera temple for night views (would you recommend any one over the other?)
    • back to our ryokan for dinner

Day 10 Sun: Kyoto – west side

  • Morning: Arashiyama
    • Take the JR San-In Line from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama, ~15min,¥240.
    • Walk through Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
    • Visit Nonomiya Shrine
    • See the views from the Arashiyama Park Observation Deck
    • Walk the Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street to Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple.
  • Afternoon:
    • Ride the Sagano scenic railway (we are not exactly sure which station to board it from given how we'll be near Adashino Nenbutsuji > < should we catch it from Hozukyo torokko station back to Saga torokko station? Book on the official website or on Klook?)
    • Visit Kinkaku-ji temple
      • Board the JR Sagano line from Saga-Arashiyama Station
      • Ride train to Emmachi Staion (7 min, 2 stops, ¥200.)
      • Take Kyoto city bus 204 or 205 to Kinkaku-ji Michi bus stop (15min, ¥230.)
  • Evening:
    • back to our ryokan

Day 11 Mon: Hiroshima /Miyajima

  • Morning:
    • check out of ryokan
    • forward luggage to Kansai airport
    • take bullet train to Hiroshima
      • JR Tokaido Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima Station (2h, ¥11,300 (unreserved seat), ¥12,600 (reserved seat).)
  • Late morning-noon
    • visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
      • From Hiroshima Station, take tram line 2 or 6 to the Genbaku-Domu Mae stop. (15 min, ¥200)
  • Afternoon:
    • Go to Miyajima island
      • Board the Hiroden Streetcar No. 2 at Hondori Station to Miyajima-guchi Station (50min, ¥270.)
      • walk to Miyajima Ferry Terminal
      • Take JR ferry to Miyajima (10min, covered by JR pass?, ¥180 one-way or ¥360 round-trip)
    • Hike or take the Miyajima Ropeway to Mount Misen
    • Visit Itsukushima Shrine and see the floating torii and deer
  • Evening:
    • stay overnight in Miyajima

Day 12 Tues: Miyajima to Osaka to Wakayama (travelling day)

  • Morning:
    • ferry back to Hiroshima
    • +/- eat okonomiyaki at Okonomi Mura Suigun?
    • bullet train to Osaka station
      • JR Sanyo Shinkansen to Osaka Station (~1.5h, ¥9,000 (unreserved seat))
  • Afternoon:
    • Take JR line to Wakayama station (~1h, ¥1,300).
    • Take the Wakayama Electric Railway to Kishi Station, home of Tama the stationmaster cat.
      • buy the 1-day pass (¥780pp)
      • hop on and off and explore the different themed trains?
      • eat at Tama cafe at Kishi station or Kishigawa Udon
  • Evening:
    • stay somewhere near Kansai airport for our flight the next day

Day 13 Wed:

  • Morning:
    • collect luggage that was sent to airport previously
    • 7:30am flight to Naha Airport, land at 10:30am
    • head to Onna
      • direct airport bus to Onna (~1.5 hours, ~¥1,500)
      • OR should we rent a car?
    • check into accommodation in Onna (any recommendations?)
  • Afternoon:
    • 1 dive
  • Evening:
    • relax

Day 14 Thurs:

  • Morning:
    • 1 dive
  • Afternoon:
    • 1 dive
      • fellow divers! Please would you recommend your favourite dive sites around mainland Okinawa? is Cape Manza, Kerama Islands or Minna & Sesoko Islands any good? (we would mainly love to see beautiful coral and fish and hopefully turtles! we know manta rays are out sadly…)
    • also thinking of trying out the Panza Okinawa Zipline
  • Evening:
    • relax

Day 15 Fri:

  • book a half-day snorkeling trip to the Kerama Islands?
  • visit TeamLab Future Park in Naha?
    • how long should we allocate for this? would you recommend any other must-experience things around Naha while we're in that area?
    • guess getting easily to and from Naha would be the main reason why we'd rent a car in Okinawa rather than rely on the bus (not really planning to visit anywhere else but just focus on diving/snorkeling and chilling)

Day 16 Sat:

  • Morning:
    • check out
    • travel back to Naha (by bus = 1.5h, by car = 1h but factor in time to return car)
  • Afternoon:
    • be at Naha Airport by 1230pm
    • 230pm flight home

**Thanks again for looking through our itinerary. We'll be eternally grateful for any advice ^ ^

by marshmallow_skye

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