Hello!
My wife and I are finally visiting Japan out for our anniversary trip. We’re both in our 30s and have planned our itinerary with more activities than we'll probably have time for.
We’ve marked the must-do/must-see spots and will try to plan our days around those. The rest are backups in case we have some extra time or energy!
Day 1 – [Tokyo] | Akasaka
Afternoon-Evening:
- Arrive at Narita airport, get Suica card and eSims
- Check in at hotel and explore places nearby
Day 2 – Tokyo | Shibuya and Shinjuku
Morning-Afternoon:
- Shibuya Crossing ★
- Shibuya Parco
- Meiji Jingu Shrine + Meiji Jingu Gyoen ★
- Takeshita Street
- Omotesando Hills
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (maybe)
Evening:
- Omoide Yokocho
- Tokyu Kabukicho Tower (possibly have dinner here)
- Bar Hopping in Golden Gai
- Explore Kabukichō District (3D Cat, Godzilla Head, explore the shops and bars) ★
- Warp Shinjuku (Nighclub) (maybe)
Day 3 – [Tokyo] | Ghilbi Museum / Akihabara and Asakusa
Planning Akihabara on a Sunday since the roads are blocked for cars
Morning-Afternoon:
- Ghibli Museum (if we get tickets) ★
- Akihabara ★
Afternoon-Evening:
- Nakamise-dori + Kaminarimon Temple (Sensō-ji) ★
- Denboin Street
- Hoppy Street
- Tokyo Skytree (maybe)
Day 4 – [Tokyo] | Diver City and Ginza
Morning-Afternoon:
- Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai (maybe have breakfast at this market since it's really close to teamLab Planets)
- teamLab Planets ★
- Small worlds miniature museum
- Tokyo Big Sight (maybe if they are showcasing formula cars)
- Unko Museum
- Tokyo Joypolis ★
- Unicorn Gundam Statue / Tokyo DiverCity Plaza ★
- The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (maybe)
Evening:
- Ginza Shinbashi ★
- Ginza 300 Bar
- Ginza Kagari Soba Ramen
Day 5 [Tokyo] | Kamakura Day Trip
Learned about the Daibutsu Trail thanks to u/rickcogley. We'll be following the route and ending the day at Enoshima, below the link of the routes:
Morning-Afternoon:
- Start at Kita-Kamakura Station
- Jochi-ji
- Genjiyama Park
- Zeniarai Benten Shrine
- Sasuke Inari Shrine
- Kotoku-in ★
- Komachi-dori Street
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
- Kamakura Yuigahama Beach
Evening:
- Enoshima ★
Day 6 [Tokyo] | Mt Fuji Guided Tour
Morning-Afternoon:
- Mt Fuji Lake Kawaguchi One day Guided Tour ★
Evening:
- Shibuya Sky
Day 7 [Hakone] | Hakone loop + Ryokan Stay
Morning-Afternoon:
- Arrive at Hakone-Yumoto Station
- Take Hakone Tozan Bus H Route to Motohakone-ko
- Hakone-jinja Shrine ★
- Motohakone-ko (Cruise ride)
- Lunch at Togendai
- Owakudani – eat some black eggs ★
- Ropeway and SouzanStation Cable Transfer to Gora
- Open Air Museum ★
Evening:
- Stay at Ryokan ★
Day 8 [Osaka] | Umeda
Not adding many activities on first day as we may take our time before leaving Hakone.
Morning-Afternoon
- Umeda Sky Building ★
- Hep Five Ferris wheel
- Osaka Castle ★
- Shimada store sake tasting ★
- Osaka Tenmangu Shrine (maybe)
Evening:
- Whity Umeda
Day 9 [Osaka] | Dotonbori and Shinsekai
Morning-Afternoon:
- Bear Pew Café
- Shin Sekai "New World" ★
- Tsūtenkaku
- Shitenno-ji (maybe)
- Dotonbori ★
- Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel
- Rikuro's Fluffy Cheesecake ★
- Kuromon Ichiba Market (maybe)
Evening:
- Namba Yasaka Jinja (maybe)
- Tombori River Cruise
- Osaka Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour ★
Day 10 [Nara] | Day Trip
Morning-Afternoon:
- Todai-ji Temple
- Kofuku-ji Temple ★
- Nara Park ★
- Kasuga Taisha
- Mount Wakakusa
Evening:
- Ikomasanjo Amusement Park
Day 11 [Kyoto] | Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera
Morning-Afternoon:
- Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine ★
- Maruyama Park
- Shogun-zuka (short hike from Maruyama park which offers very scenic overlook, thanks u/GrisTooki)
- Ishibe Kōji road
- Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka
- Yasaka-dori to Hōkan-ji Temple
- Kiyomizu-dera ★
Evening:
- Kiyamachi
- Pontocho ★
- Gion
Day 12 [Kyoto] | Arashiyama and Golden Pavilion
Morning-Afternoon:
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest ★
- Sagano Scenic Railway trolley train / Boat (maybe)
- Arashiyama Monkey Park
- Ryoan-ji Hojo Teien (Rock Garden)
- Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) ★
- Toei Studio Park (maybe)
Evening:
- Menbaka Fire Ramen
Day 13 [Kyoto] | Nintendo Museum and Philosopher Path
Morning-Afternoon:
- Nintendo Museum (if we get tickets) ★
- Ichiran Ramen Kawaramachi
- Philosopher’s path (maybe rent bikes for this section):
- Higashiyama Jisho-ji (start here)
- Mo-an
- Okunoin Temple
- Saishō-in
- Nanzen-ji Temple
- Murin-an Garden
Evening:
- Nishiki Market
- Fushimi Inari Night Tour ★
Day 14 [Tokyo] | Kirin Factory Tour and teamLab Borderless
For the last few days we are going to be spending them on Tokyo and taking it more slow.
Morning-Afternoon:
- Kirin Factory Tour ★
Evening:
- Explore Asakusa
Day 15 [Tokyo] | Ginza Shopping and Shibuya 109
Morning-Afternoon:
- Café Capybara
- Sumo Tournament (if we get tickets)
Day 16 [Tokyo] | Ginza Shopping and Shibuya 109
For this day we want to go for shopping/souvenirs or any pending activities that we didn't get a chance before.
Morning-Afternoon:
- teamLab Borderless ★
- Ginza Shopping (Uniqlo, Don Quijote)
Evening:
- Shibuya 109
Day 17 [Tokyo] | Narita
Bittersweet goodbye to Japan 🙁
- Depart day
by Fehyt