I will be solo traveling in Japan this December and would like to get thoughts/feedback on my current itinerary. My main concern is making sure that it is realistic, given that I want to give everything the time it deserves and not run from one place to the other. I’ve tried to plan everything so that every day makes geographical sense, but would like to know if you guys have any suggestions for that as well. Another important thing for me is good food/drinks, so any recommendations for that would be appreciated!
Thanks!
**Itinerary:**
**Dec 12 – Arrive**
4:25 pm – Land
1. Get to Hotel (Shinjuku)
2. Dinner
3. Maybe explore area
**Dec 13 – Shibuya/Shinjuku**
* Meiji Jingu
* Takeshita street
* Omotesando
* Shibuya Sky/Parco/Miyashita Park/Scramble Square, etc.
**Dec 14 – Central Tokyo**
* Tsukiji
* Ginza
* Tokyo Station
* Imperial Palace
**Dec 15 – Asakusa, Ueno, & area**
* Sensoji
* Nakamise street
* Akihabara
* Nezu Shrine
* Ameyoko
**Dec 16 – Roppongi & area (swap Nakameguro/Ebisu/Daikanyama for Odaiba?)**
* Mori Tower
* Tokyo Tower
* Zojo-ji
* Nakameguro/Ebisu/Daikanyama
**Dec 17 – free day/day trip to Kamakura**
**Dec 18 – Tokyo to Kyoto**
* Walk around Gion & area
* Nanzen-ji
* Zenrin-ji
* Heian Shrine
* Ginkaku-ji
**Dec 19**
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Higashiyama
* Yasaka, Chion-in, Shoren-in
* Rengeoin Sanjusangendo
* Downtown Kyoto
**Dec 20**
* Fushimi Inari
* Tokufu-ji
* Nishiki Market
* Nijo Castle/Kyoto Imperial Palace
**Dec 21**
* Kurama/Kibune
* Free time
**Dec 22 – day trip to Nara**
* Kofuku-ji
* Todai-ji
* Nara park
* Kasuga-taisha
* Nara National Museum
**Dec 23**
* Tenryu-ji
* Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
* Kinkaku-ji
* Daitoku-ji
**Dec 24 – Kyoto to Osaka**
* Explore Minami, Namba, & area
**Dec 25 – free day**
**Dec 26**
* Osaka Aquarium
* Tempozan Marketplace
* Tenjinbashi-suji
**Dec 27 – Osaka to Hiroshima**
* bomb dome/Peace memorial park/Peace memorial museum
* Okonomimura for lunch
* Miyajima
**Dec 28 – Hiroshima to Tokyo**
**Dec 29 – Leave**
6:05 pm – Departure
2 comments
If you are concerned about the proper order of things.
13 – As you can walk from Omotesando to Shibuya, for example via cat street, the order would be Miyashita park, Parco, Scramble square (Shibuya Sky is the name of the observation deck in Scramble Square).
15 – Akihabara and Ameyoko are next to each other, so it does not really make sense to do Nezu shrine between the two. Also, technically, you will pass by Nakamise to reach Senso-ji, unless you take a backstreet to reach it.
27 – personally, would do Miyajima in the morning (you want to get there as early as possible), eat lunch there, peace museum/park in afternoon. The reason is that about everything close at 5pm on Miyajima, but if you are in Hiroshima at that time (peace museum close at 6) then you can still find lot of restaurant and stores open in the more downtown area.
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If you want to change hotel between Kyoto and Osaka, you could do Hiroshima between the two, this way you cut down the long train ride back to Tokyo in two. And if you are not to visit anything on your second day in Hiroshima (or stop by Himeji on the way), you might as well consider doing Hiroshima as a daytrip and return to Kyoto/Osaka at the end of the day. Yes that is a pretty full day, but it is doable.
instead of going back to tokyo. is there no cheap flight departing from hiroshima or osaka? it usually just connects back to tokyo. that is if the fare from hiroshima to tokyo is just the same when you add it to your current flight.