Hi, my friend and I will be travelling from Singapore to Japan for a 17 day trip(15 nights). I would appreciate any feedback regarding whether each day can be realistically done. Additionally, I would like to hear opinions on whether we should dedicate the whole 17 days to Tokyo or add in another city(Kyoto) aside from Tokyo if there is enough room to compress the original plan into a smaller number of days. We will be travelling at late feb – early march so still open to any radical changes in Itinerary such as removing some days to fit in Kyoto.
Day 1 Singapore
Flight to Haneda@2245, sleep on plane(not a problem for me)
Day 2 Tokyo
\-Land at Haneda 0620 Japan time.
\-Settle admin matters/collect luggage and take metro/train to Shibuya Station. Plan to reach there by 12pm.
\-Have lunch and check into Hotel near Shibuya Station
\-Rest of the day is free except for a visit to SHIBUYA SKY at around 2030
Day 3 Akihabara, Chiyoda Ward
\-Sleep in to around 0900 OR Sensoji Temple until 1100, then travel to Akihabara
\-Basically the whole day for Akihabara(excluding surround area like Kanda Shrine/Ochanomizu area)
Day 4 Shibuya
0645-0900 : Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park
0900-1200 : Ota Memorial Museum of Art, Takeshita Street, Cat Street
1200-1500 : Lunch, Omotesando
1500-1800 : Hikarie, Shibuya Loft, Tokyuu Hands Shibuya
1800-2145 : Dinner, Scramble Walk, Center-gai
Day 5 Shinjuku Ward
0900-1100 : Shinjuku Gyoen (2h too long?)
1100-1300 : Kinokuniya Shinjuku West
1300-1630 : Arakicho, Lunch, Tokyo Fire Museum
1630-1830 : Tokyo Metropolitan Gov. Building, Yodobashi Shinjuku West
1830-2130 : Kabukicho, Toho Building, Golden Gai(merely walking through), Hanazono Shrine(meh)
Day 6 Ueno, Taito Ward
0900-1100 : National Museum of Nature and Science
1100-1230 : Tokyo National Museum
1230-1400 : Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, packed lunch from somewhere
1400-1600 : Ueno Toshogu, Shinobazunoike, Kyu-Iwasaki-Tei Gardens
1600-1900 : Shitamachi Museum, Dinner
1900-end of day : Shibuya again maybe or just end early
Day 7 Asakusa, Taito Ward/Sumida Ward
0915-1245 : Kaminari Mon, Nakamise, Hozomon, Sensoji, Sumida Park
1245-1700 : Sumida Heritage Museum, Japanese Sword Museum, Sumida Hokusai Museum
1700-2030 : Tokyo Skytree City, Dinner, Tokyo Skytree
Day 8 Saitama
0900-1600 : Do stuff at Saitama(Bonsai related stuff at Bonsai-Cho, Hikawa Shrine, Railway Museum, most of the places located along the rail line connecting Urawa Stn and Omiya Stn)
1600-EOD : Event At Saitama
Day 9 Chiyoda Ward
0900-1115 : Imperial Palace Tour
1115-1215 : Imperial Palace East Gardens
1215-1430 : Science Museum
1430-1530 : Yasukuni Shrine, Yushukan, Chidorigafuchi Moat (1h might be too short)
1530-1800 : Hie Shrine, National Diet Building, Dinner
1800-end of day : need suggestions
Day 10 Roppongi, Minato Ward
0800-1100 : Roppongi Crossing, Roppongi Hills, Mori Art Museum, Mori Garden (too early I think for shopping malls to open)
1100-1530 : Fujifilm Square, Suntory Museum of Art(can skip), 21\_21 Design Sight, Nogi-Jinja, National Art Centre
1530-1700 : Nezu Museum (Take metro Nogizaka Station near National Art Centre to Omotesando)
1700-end of day : need suggestions (maybe move Roppongi Hills to after 1700)
Day 11 Odaiba, Minato Ward(mostly)
1000-1145 : Miraikan
1145-1300 : Museum of Maritime Science
1300-1700 : Lunch, Odaiba Marine Park, Tokyo Joypolis, Odaiba Aqua City, Diver City
1700-1830 : TeamLabs Planets
1830-2115 : Tokyo Tower (maybe move to Day 10)
Day 12 Tsukiji and Ginza, Chuo Ward
0830-1130 : Tsukiji Outer Market, Tsukiji Hongwanji, Hama-rikyu Gardens, head to Shiodome Station
1130-1330 : Exit from Nihonbashi Station, Nihonbashi Bridge, Mitsu Memorial Museum
1330-1945 : Lunch, Itoya, Ginza Mitsukoshi, Kyukyodo, San-Ai dream center, Wako, Namiki-Doori Street (alot of window shopping, heading towards Ginza Station)
1945-end of day : Dinner
Day 13 Ikebukuro
0900-1030 : Rikugien Gardens, head to Komagome Station
1030-1230 : Exit at Sugamo Stn, Lunch@Fight Gyoza with temple closeby, head to Sugamo Stn
1230-2000 : Exit at Ikebukuro Stn, Ikefukuro(small owl statue), Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park, Mandarake Ikebukuro, Animate Ikebukuro, Sunshine City, Dinner
Day 14 Bunkyo Ward
0900-1030 : Exit at Todaimae Stn, Nezu Shrine, head back to Todaimae Stn
1030-1445 : Exit at Kourakuen Stn, Koshikawa Kourakuen Gardens, Tokyo Dome, Lunch, Walk to Hongo-Sanchome Stn
1445-1800 : Metro to Ochanomizu, Meiji University Museum, Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Maach Ecute, Hijiri-Bashi, Kanda Myojin Shrine, 3331 Arts Chiyoda
1800-2100/End of Day : Dinner, Extra time at Akihabara
Day 15 Unplanned
Unplanned for now, need suggestions. Maybe this day is not needed OR travel to Kyoto(not a good idea I think, this would also mean changing the departure time and location to around Osaka International Airport. Although I would just like to visit Uji mainly for some places featured in Anime. Anyways, need suggestion if possible pls)
Day 16 (Last night)
Buy any heartburn items, last minute shopping and packing. Kinda wanna keep this day empty/flex day
Day 17
Rush to catch the 0850 flight from Haneda to Singapore
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Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
2 comments
You could certainly spend two weeks in Tokyo but I think the general consensus will be that it is a lot of time to spend just in Tokyo. Adding a city like Kyoto (and Osaka because it’s very close) is very normal and typical for a two week holiday in Japan.
I think a lot of your days in Tokyo could be combined, like Shinjuku and Shibuya, etc.
Have you considered coming up with a schedule that includes Kyoto and seeing how easily you could change your schedule in Tokyo to accommodate a revised schedule? I know it feels difficult to start crossing things out in Tokyo but you might find that as you start looking at things in Kyoto, they start becoming more appealing than some of the things you already have planned in Tokyo.
Day 2 – You should be able to reach Shibuya much sooner than that, like before 9am in not unrealistic. I’m going to be a bit strict on the detail. In order it will be immigration, collect luggage, customs. Best way to reach Shibuya will be to use Keikyu to Shinagawa and Yamanote to Shibuya. Both are train lines (The metro/subway in Tokyo are Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway). Usually hotels do not let you check-in that early, but you can usually leave your luggage at the hotel before check-in. You can also go to Shibuya Sky a bit early if you want to see the sunset.
Day 4 – It depend when you go, but Yoyogi park is good for cherry blossom and people watching, if not for there seasons, you can skip it, it’s just a park, not a garden (and you have most good garden listed already). The Museum and streets you listed from 9am…. no. Ota Memorial Museum open at 10:30. Most stores in Takeshita/Cat street will open at 10 or 11am. It is important to be aware when tings are open (on that note, check, there is places that are closeone day of the week and other that close earlier a day of the week, for example Shinjuku Gyoen and Mori art museum).
Day 6 – Really important to check opening hours, Shitamachi museum close at 4:30… I’ve only done Tokyo National Museum, and it’s big, it might take more than that. You might want to put priority on the museum you want to visit and maybe not do all of them.
Day 7 – In day 3 you listed Senso-ji… so I guess you don’t have to if you also have a Asakusa day. Then in that case note that again most stores in Akihabara won’t open before 10-11am so you can fit something else (I noted it later). The Asakusa day, I would start by the different Sumida museum, move to Asakusa and then you can literally walk to Skytree. Overall, it will make transit more logic in that order.
Day 9 – While I’m kind of ok visiting Yasukuni, I would not buy anything there and I would not visit Yushukan because of their revisionist view on the war.
Day 10 – Strange that you think it might be too early for the shopping center (yes lot of stores seems to open at 11)… but Mori Art Museum open at 10… Actually on that day about everything you listed open at 10am or later.
Day 11 – Yes, Tokyo Tower is walking distance from Roppongi Hills. Thing is, unless there is an event that interest you, you will have a better point of view from Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.
Day 14 – I would move Kanda Myojin in the morning of you Akihabara day (as the store won’t be open) it will leave a bit more time for the rest on this day.
Day 15 – Going to Kyoto for a single day is a waste of time and money if you ask me. I am just surprised that you did not even include a single daytrip (or overnight trip) somewhere around Tokyo. Just to name some places, Hakone, Kawaguchiko, Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohama, Kawagoe, Chichibu, Nikko.