Hi Reddit! This has been a useful community thus far and wanted to run some final ideas by the group. Mainly what I’m looking for is one or two things I didn’t consider that time will allow for (without being rushed), but then AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, the considerations around what I need to do PRIOR to being in Japan as well as guidance around JR pass & transportation.
Thus far it seems:
Arrival into airport (pickup JR pass if you get one) and make reservations on NRT express & kyoto train?
Also needed before airport is covid vaccination upload information
Anything else?
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Itinerary below:
Arrive in Tokyo – 5:30pm November 25th
1. Pick up JR Pass
2. Pick up Luggage?
3. Take NRT express to airbnb
4. Arrive at Airbnb (Approx 8-9pm)
5. Sleep or go out
Day 1 in tokyo
1. Coffee
2. Don Quijote
3. Walk to National Garden (26 minute walk from Airbnb)
1. 1 hr walk
4. Breakfast
1. 45 minutes
5. **Meiji Shrine**
6. Yoyogi Park
7. Shibuya Crossing
8. Harajuku fashion street (used clothing stores)
9. \~ GAP \~
10. Omoide Yokocho
1. Right next to air bnb
11. Kabukicho
1. Right next to air bnb
12. Observation deck
1. Right next to omoide yokocho
13. Return to airbnb
Day 2: Tokyo -> kyoto
1. Get to kyoto (8:02AM -> 10:54AM)
2. Drop stuff off at Airbnb (11-11:30)
3. Lunch (11:30-12:30)
4. Kyoto Gyoen (12:30-3)
1. Imperial Palace (5 minute walk from airbnb)
5. Go to Nijo Castle (3-4pm)
6. Nishiki market (5-6pm)
1. short walk from airbnb
7. Kyouzumi Dera (4-5pm)
1. Ninenzaka
2. Sannezaka
8. Gion 6pm – on
1. Rest of night
2. east of Kawabata (east of the Kamo River) between Sanjo and Gojo Streets all the way east to Higashiyama.
9. Come home (9-10pm)
Kyoto Day 2:
1. Wake up (6:30am)
2. Breakfast near arashyiama
3. Arashiyama (8-12?)
1. Tenryu-ji
2. Okochi Sanso.
3. Gio-ji and Temple of life and death
4. Walk by River
4. Lunch
5. Kamo River (4-5pm
1. Demachi
2. Kyoto National Garden / imperial palace
6. fushimi inari (5-8pm) evening walk
7. Dinner
Tokyo trip 2:
9am – Wake up
10am – Pack
10-12pm – Breakfast + checkout
12:30 – 3:30pm Train to new airbnb spot (right next to shibuya train station)
3:30 – 5pm Grab lunch
5-5:30pm Drop off stuff at new airbnb
6-10pm explore
Tokyo Day 3:
6:30am – Wake up / Walk to Station / Grab coffee
7:30am – 9 am NRT express (is 2 hours enough for 11:30am flight?)
Flight @ 11:30am
Thank you!!
2 comments
I recommend reserving the limousine bus from/to Narita, it will be a lot less stressful.
Also you can usually get shinkansen tickets the morning of/ immediately before your train. Using the machines is easy, but you can also talk to the jr ticket sales folk.
I personally wouldn’t do two regions in only five days even if I had been to Japan several times before, but it still looks fine to me. Are you planning on taking the Shinkansen back from Kyoto? The last one is at 21:38, so you’ll need to be conscious of the time if you’re staying at Fushimi Inari Taisha until 8 and having dinner before leaving. If you do use the JR pass, which might not even be great value, then the last Hikari appears to leave Kyoto station at 20:59.