Hi, after lots of reading and researching, I've pulled together a draft itinerary for our trip in a fortnight's time. Group of 5: Me, my partner, our 5 year old daughter, and two active/fit grandmas. We're used to a lot of walking and travelling quick and light (basically hand luggage only plus a foldable pushchair/stroller). Very excited about walking around all day, to see plenty of stuff and just soak it all in, and eating all the food! Any ideas/criticisms/suggestions welcome, especially for anything in italics and the last 2-3 days where I'm still very undecided what to do exactly re Kanazawa/Tokyo/Hakone.
Land late on 21/10, Leave afternoon of 5/11, 14 full days, 15 nights: 4 nights in Tokyo, 2 in Hiroshima, 5 in Kyoto, 2/3 in Kanazawa + 1/2 in Tokyo or 1 in Hakone (~Ryokan?).
(ignore the colours; they refer to pins I've put on a google map).
Sun 20/10 – Depart Gatwick, UK at 1900.
Mon 21/10 – Land in Shanghai PVG at 1315. 4 hour layover. Fly to Tokyo Haneda 1715-2120. Get cash and maybe mobile wifi at the airport (perhaps leave Suica/Pasmo until the next day). Depending on tiredness, train/metro, taxi or limousine bus to Asakusa, grab food, bed. 4 nights in Asakusa.
Tue 22/10 – Tokyo day 1 (blue): Asakusa/Ueno/Akihabara area – Senso-ji Temple (very near our apartment), try o-mikuji sticks; Nakamise St shops; Ueno park, lunch in Ueno Ameyoko; Akihabara ('electric town') and arcades, fun at night also. Jet lag dependent, obviously, but is this enough for a full day?
Wed 23/10 – Tokyo day 2 (green): Shinjuku/Shibuya area (some say start in Shinjuku and walk downhill to Shibuya instead) – 40 mins Asakusa Station to Asakusabashi Station to Yoyogi Station; Meiji shrine (either in last hour or before 8 am); wander the shops in Harajuku, try a crepe; try purikura photo booth; Shibuya crossing and Hachiko statue; quick visit to Pokemon & Nintendo shops in Shibuya, #C=Pla Gachapon toyshop; and/or Cat Street; check out Don Quijote Shibuya megastore (24/7); maybe grab lunch in Omoide Yokocho (might not open until mid-PM). 3D Cat. Godzilla head. Late afternoon/evening: view from Met Govt Building; Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (illuminated?); Shibuya Center Gai or Golden-Gai (or Harajuku) at night (karaoke?). Near Golden-Gai, make sure we see Shinjuku neon lit up at night.
Thu 24/10 – Tokyo day 3 (yellow) Roppongi/Odaiba – TeamLabs Borderless booked for noon, annoyingly, I left it too late to get the early slots. Hoping it won't be too busy, but it means we need to find something to do beforehand. Tempted to move it to 4/11 \if* we're in Tokyo that day, or to the evening of day 3?;* Before Borderless, maybe visit Tsukiji Outer Market first thing, or a quick look around Tokyo Imperial Palace beforehand (don't think I'm bothered about the tour), or Character Street, or Azabudai Mori JP tower sky lounge at the 33rd floor; see Tokyo Tower; Zojo-ji Temple grounds; Hamarikyu Gardens; wander over Rainbow Bridge to Joypolis and Unicorn Gundam (time it for 11/13/15/1700 or 1900-2130 (half hourly)). If returning to Roppongi later on, museums in the area and karaoke nearby.
There are a few other things it'd be nice to see (Nakano Broadway, Suzume-no-oyado Ryokuchi Park bamboo forest, Omote-Sando architecture, National Museum & stroll through Yanesen) if time, but we may have an extra day or so in Tokyo at the end. Won't be visiting Studio Ghibli museum or Disneyland this time.
Fri 25/10 – Train to Hiroshima via Shin-Osaka (using Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass (5 days)). Because we have a child who travels free, probably go for unreserved seating and hopefully get a Mount Fuji view. Probably start from Tokyo Station rather than Shinagawa Station for better chance of seats (and more convenient for us). Plan is to get the train to Shin-Osaka and then continue to Hiroshima using the Area Pass (not sure if we need to get off the train at Shin-Osaka?). If we time it right, get the Kodama 849 at 11:37 from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima (the Hello Kitty train, although I can't see either of the Hello Kitty train times on Google Maps for some reason). Aim to get to Hiroshima early afternoon, and then:
Hiroshima (Green): Do what we can of this itinerary today, anything else the next morning. Peace Memorial Museum, Atomic Bomb Dome (also wander past in evening); Orizuru Tower View (£10); Hiroshima Castle (skip?); Gokoku Shrine; eat Okonomiyaki; Shukkei-en Garden (if time, but meant to be v good in Autumn). Night: wander past Atomic bomb dome. 2 nights in Naka Ward.
Sat 26/10 – Miyajima Island (pinky red): do stuff in the afternoon, high tide at 1805ish for Shrine view. / Senjokaku Pavilion; Mt Misen view; eat Momiji Manju pastry; Itsukushima Shrine.
Sun 27/10 – Train to Kyoto via Himeji. If we didn't get the Hello Kitty train on Friday, try to get the 08:38 Kodama 838 from Hiroshima to Himeji. Stop off and see Himeji Castle. Himeji (purple): Himeji Castle, Himeyama Park, Koko-en gardens next door (buy a combined ticket). Will be busy on a Sunday but can't be helped. Undecided whether to go into the Castle or not.
[At some point in the next few days, visit Osaka in the afternoon/evening. Might be after Himeji, might be after Nara, might be a standalone day. Currently have 2 days (AFAIK) worth of stuff for Osaka, so need to narrow this down to 1 day: Day 1 (orange): Osaka Castle (reconstruction so probably skip); Shinsekai + Tsutenkaku Tower; Namba Shrine; Nipponbashi Den-Den (computer game shops – skip if no time); Dotonbori food and lit up at night. / Day 2 (green): Umeda Sky Tower; Shitennoji Temple; Kurumon Food market.]
Continue to Kyoto, 5 nights in Sakyo Ward near Highashiyama Station.
Mon 28/10 – Nara day trip (while 5 day Area Pass still active). (light green): Deer Park; Isuien Garden; Todai-ji Temple (giant Daibatsu buddha); Kasuga Taisha Temple; (if time) Kofuku-ji; Nigatsu-do (only if time); Nakatanidou (mochi pounding shop). [Possibly Osaka in the afternoon/evening].
Tue 29/10 – Kyoto day 1 (purple) Fushimi, Gion & Higashiyama: Fushimi Inari Taisha (early hike! or go in the evening); walk around Geisha district (Gion + Higashiyama), see Kiyomizu-Dera (if time today, if not day 3), Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, Kodaiji Temple, Hokan=ji, Kenninji, Gion Corner etc; dinner and evening walk around Potoncho Alley.
Wed 30/10 – Kyoto day 2 (green) Arishayama: early start for Arashiyama bamboo grove (and Arishayama Kimono Forest; better at night?) and Arashiyama Iwatayama Monkey Park (some say the views are great, some say it's sad to see the monkeys and should skip this); Sagano train line; end the day in central Kyoto to see Kyoto Tower, Gundam Base, lots of bars and restaurants in this area.
Thu 31/10 – Kyoto day 3 (orange) Kinkaku-ji: Kiyomizu-Dera temple if missed on day 1. Head out to the Golden Pavilion Kinkaku-ji (half a day) (although I've heard some say they just go to take a photo and it's not really worth the journey?). Anything else? [Possibly Osaka in the afternoon/evening, in which case might swap this with day 2].
Try and see some of these at night (black): wander Gion; Yakusa shrine; Pontocho Alley and Kiyamachi St nightlife; Kiyomizu-Dera and Yasaka St; Fushimi-Inari; Kyoto Tower & Station; Kifune Shrine; Arishayama Kimono Forest; Eikando Temple. Anything Halloweeny in the evening?
Added to the map to visit if there's time, but there probably won't be: Honenin Temple, Adashino Nenbutsuji, Otagi Nenbutsuji, Enkoji Temple, Daitoku-ji Zuiho-in.
Fri 1/11 – Travel to Kanazawa. Aim to get there for lunchtime. Wander around as much of Kanazawa day 1 (orange) as possible, moving things to the next day if necessary: Nagamuchi Samurai district; (Oyama Shrine possibly); Ishikawa Gate and Kanazawa Castle park (probably not go in the castle itself); Kenroku-en and everything in the gardens (Kotoji Toro, Kasumiga-Ilu pond, Honomi-Bashi Bridge, 7 Fortunes etc). Probably do a quick informal tea ceremony at Shiguretei. Head over to Kazuemachi Chaya & Higashi Chaya geisha districts, wander round (Shima Geisha House, Kaikoru House etc); See Gyokusen Inmaru Garden (in the evening); dinner in Seseragi-Dori St. 2/3 nights in Kanazawa, v near to Kenroku-en.\*
Sat 2/11 – Kanazawa day 2 (blue) – things we didn't do one day 1 (Myouryuji Ninja Temple etc). See the modern side of Kanazawa. Breakfast at Curio ; Omicho Seafood market; Oyoma Shrine (if missed on day 1); 21st Century Art gallery; dinner at Kirari Sushi? Another Onsen at some point – maybe in Kanazawa?
If time: DT Suzuki Zen museum; Renshoji Temple; Onsen (Miroku onsen Motoyu?).
\[Currently got 3 nights booked in Kanazawa, very near Kenroku-en. Am debating whether to cut this to 2 nights and add a night in Tokyo, which will give us a bit more time in Tokyo and split the journey up en route to Hakone. Also contemplating cancelling Hakone for our last night, which would give us either 3 nights in Kanazawa and 1 in Tokyo, or 2 in each].*
Sun 3/11 – [Culture Day National Holiday] Either Kanazawa day 3 (mooch around, relax, onsen etc) OR head to Tokyo and have an afternoon/evening there. Probably the latter, especially if we're staying a night in Hakone as it will break the journey up.
[Probably get a Hakone Free Pass (need to check if it covers the return to Haneda instead of Tokyo).]
Mon 4/11 – Hakone. [Currently, I have our last night booked in (what I believe to be) a ryokan in Hakone, called Mount View Hakone. It has public onsen and breakfast and dinner are included, but it's only costing us £500 (£110 per adult per night after BDC discount), which I understand to be on the cheap side for a Ryokan+onsen. Reviews seem good, although a few people commented negatively on the food, making me wonder if it's actually a Kaiseki meal. I'm a bit concerned that going on the cheap end of the spectrum is pointless, and that we should either splurge or give it a miss (I would've liked to stay earlier in the trip, or the night before, but this is the only night available at Mount View (and the other ryokan/onsen places are very expensive)). I'm also a bit concerned we're cutting it fine on returning to the airport from Hakone. I don't know what to do: I'd like to see Hakone if possible, and a Mount Fuji view. I'd like to experience an onsen and a Kaiseki meal, which I think this is. Stop off at Hakone on the way to Hiroshima for a day visit? Find a different ryokan and/or onsen elsewhere? Keep the booking and stay here?]
If we stay the night before in Tokyo, we can get to Hakone mid-morning. Depending on how much time we have: aim to see the Hakone shrine and view of Mount Fuji over Lake Ashi, maybe a pirate ship trip on Lake Ashi, take the Ropeway to Owakudani, try a black egg, have a quick look around the Open-Air Museum if there's time before heading to the Ryokan at 3ish to enjoy the onsen before dinner.
Tue 5/11 – Fly home. Breakfast, leave Hakone around 0930 (bus or train), get to Haneda for 1210-1230, fly at 1430. Cutting it a bit fine, but should be okay? Fly home via Shanghai, and an 8 hour layover in Shanghai changing airports (will use it as an opportunity to walk along the Bund for an hour or two, see a few sights; I've not been to Shanghai since 2007, and the rest have never been).
Wed 6/11 – Arrive in Gatwick,UK at 0630 UK time.
Thanks!
by saccerzd
