Hello everyone! My boyfriend and I are leaving for our trip so soon! I included our detailed itinerary. It is a mixture of both our contributions, so I apologize if formatting isn't super consistent. Both of us don't need to do everything. We have some things booked, but other than that we are trying to use this as a guide.
Big question though: We are wondering what more to add on our Shibuya and Shinjuku days. We aren't sure if we should plan a day trip somewhere from Tokyo or visit another area in the morning of say Shinjuku. I see people dedicate days to these areas and just explore so thats why its not super filled out. But any recs would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
Leg 1: Tokyo (13th-17th)
13th, Sunday: Day 1 (Arrive at airport, travel to hotel)
- 3:00 PM: Arrival
- send luggage to hotel, get money
- no plans this day, just explore area around hotel
- stay in a hotel near ueno station
- Kesei Skyliner (transportation to Ueno)
14th, Monday: Day 2 (Ueno + Asakusa)
- Morning
- Senso-ji early (before 8am if possible)
- Asakusa tourist center has a pretty view
- Nakamise shopping street
- Kappabashi kitchen town (buy a knife)
- Edo shitamachi traditional crafts hall (souvenir)
- Lunch
- Ponta Honke (tonkatsu)
- Kura Sushi Asakusa (conveyor belt sushi)
- Sushiro (conveyor belt sushi)
Evening
- Sky Tree (reserved)
15th, Tuesday: Day 3 (Akihabara + Ginza) Anniversary 🙂
- Morning:
- Imperial Palace (no tour, just take a peak)
Ginza
- Uniqlo flagship
- MUJI flagship
- GU (clothing stores a lot of girlies go to)
Japanese Mcdonalds Maybe?
Food Options: Ginza Bairin: Tonkatsu or Fukumimi Ginza: Meat skewers
Akihabara
- Gigo Arcade
- Radio Kaiken (anime merch)
- Super Potato (games/snacks) (retro games)
- Yodabashi (Cheap Gundam!)
- Lashinbang (cheap anime figurines)
Kotobukiya.
mandarake
16th, Wednesday: Day 4 (Shibuya/Harajuku)
- Random list of things to do with no order
- Shibuya
- Big Don Quijote
- Crossing
- Katsu
- Meiji jingu temple
- Yoyogi park
- Nintendo store
- Harajuku
- Takeshita street
- Shibuya
17th, Thursday: Day 5 (Shinjuku)
- Random list of things to do with no order
- Shinjuku
- National Garden
- Government Building Observation Deck
- Kabukicho (Entertainment District)
- Omoide yokocho (memory lane)
- Golden gai
- Shinjuku
Leg 2: Hakone (18th-19th)
- Hakone Free Pass for 2 days
18th, Friday: Day 6 (Tokyo checkout > Hakone Loop)
- 7:00 AM: morning checkout + breakfast
- 7:50 AM: arrive at Shinjuku
- 8:11 AM: Romance train to Hakone-Yumoto
- 9:53 AM: Arrival in Hakone-Yumoto
- Send luggage to Ryokan
- Snack in area near station
- 10:10/10:40 AM: Bus to tea place
- Lunch at Lake
- Cruise to Togendai
- Finish loop
- (Open air closes at 5pm)
19th, Saturday: Day 7 (Open air museum > Kyoto)
- Breakfast at Ryokan
- Open air museum at 9am
- Finish museum around 11am (maybe eat at cafe)
- Get to kyoto around 4pm
- Check in at hotel and head to market for dinner
- Shinkyogoku Shopping Street?
- Closes at 10pm?
Leg 3: Kyoto (20th-22nd)
20th, Sunday: Day 8 (Eastern Kyoto/Uji)
- Morning
- Kiyomizu-dera (sunrise?)
- Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka
- Nanzen-ji?
- Explore Gion
- Lunch: Gion
- Hotel break
- Afternoon
- Get off at Uji train station and explore food/shrines
- 20 min walk to museum
- Early Dinner
- Evening
- Nintendo Museum at 4pm
21st, Monday: Day 9 (Western Kyoto)
- 8:00 AM: wake up + breakfast
- 1 hour travel to boat ride
- 10:00 AM: boat ride
- 12:00 PM: Boat ride end in Arashiyama
- Lunch: Arashiyama
- Attractions in Arashiyama
- Togetsukyō Bridge
- Tenryu-ji
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
- Real quick
- Little shrines in north
- 20 min bus ride to > Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple > walk > Adashino Nenbutsuji
- Giōji
- 4:00 PM: Golden Pavilion
- Closes at 5 PM, ok if we miss
- Back to hotel
22nd, Tuesday: Day 10 (Northern/Central Kyoto)
- Morning
- Fushimi Inari (2 hours, 3 if we want to hang)
- Central Kyoto (wander, check out places we missed)
- Nijo Castle
- Northern Higashiyama ward
- Jidai Matsuri Festival
- Kyoto Imperial Palace (12:00) > Sakaimachi Gomon (12:15 ) > Karasuma Marutamachi (12:30) > Karasuma Oike (12:50) > Kawaramachi Oike (1:20) > Kawaramachi Sanjo (1:30) > Sanjo Ohashi (1:40) > Sanjo Jingumichi (2:10) > Heian Jingu Shrine (2:30)
- ※ The time in ( ) is the estimated arrival time of the head of the procession. For the entire procession to pass a single location takes about 2 hours.
- Evening:
- 1 hour travel to Osaka
- Special train?
- 1 hour travel to Osaka
- Check into hotel
Leg 4: Osaka (23rd-25th)
23rd, Wednesday: Day 11 (Himeji)
- Book Tonbori river cruise
- 1.5 hour travel to himeji
- Morning trip to Himeji
- Osaka (random list, do not need to do all)
- Umeda Sky building
- Dontobori
- Amerikamaru (american fashion)
- Eat Osaka-style Okonomiyaki/takoyaki
- Kuromon Market
- Mittera Kaikan
- Explore Tenma (food/shopping)
24th, Thursday: Day 12 (Nara)
- 45 min to 1 hour travel to Nara
- Day trip to Nara in the morning
- Check out mochi demonstration at Nakatanidou
- Look up times
- Yoshiken Gardens (free entry)
- Go to park and feed deer
- Kofuku Ji Temple
- Lunch at Mizuya Chaya (Udon/tea house)
- Todai-iji (big buddha)
- Isuien Garden
- Kasuga Taisha Shrine
- Explore park
- Check out mochi demonstration at Nakatanidou
- Lunch in Nara
- Evening in Osaka
- Last minute shopping in Mega Donki
25th, Friday: Day 13 (Fly out)
- Breakfast in Osaka (Hoshino cafe?)
- Airport
- Take airport bus limo from namba
- Fly out at 2:15 pm
by Panetella