Hello! I’d like to have some insight about our planned itinerary. This is still a rough draft after a lot of reading blogs and Japan Travel sites. We have no definite dates yet, but any recommendations and comments are welcome!
**Day 1 – Tokyo**
* Arrive at Airport
* Hotel Check-in
* Tokyo Sightseeing (Hanami spots / Shibuya Crossing / Nearby tourist-y spots)
* Ichiran Ramen
* Hotel Rest
**Day 2 – Ashikaga Flower Park**
* Hotel
* Breakfast
* to Ashikaga Flower Park
* Ashikaga Sightseeing if have time (or back to Tokyo)
* Tokyo Sightseeing and Dinner
* Hotel Rest
**Day 3 – Aichi Ghibli Park**
* Hotel Check-out
* to Aichi
* Ghibli Park
* to Kyoto
* Hotel Check-in & Rest
**Day 4 – Kyoto**
* Breakfast
* Kimono Rental in Yumeyakata (Other recommendations welcome!)
* Kyoto Sightseeing (Arashiyama / Gion / Ninenzaka / etc.)
* Hotel Rest
**Day 5 – Kyoto – Osaka**
* Osaka via Shinkansen
* Osaka Sightseeing + Nighttime streetfood
* Dotonbori & Shinsaibashi
* Back to Kyoto
* Hotel Rest
**Day 6 – Kyoto – Miyajima**
* Daytime Kyoto Sightseeing
* Uji Tour – Tea houses & Temples
* to Miyajima Ferry in afternoon
* Miyajima Sightseeing
* Itsukushima Shrine
* Omotesando
* Rilakkuma Sabo
* Back to Kyoto via Ferry and Shinkansen
* Hotel Rest
**Day 7 – Back to Tokyo**
* Hotel Check-out
* Back to Tokyo via Shinkansen
* Free Day Sightseeing + gift shopping
* Back to Airport
This is for two people. We are not into theme parks, more of hanami spots, cultural places, kawaii-themed places, and food-centered locations! Itinerary is for any one week around Late March to Early April. Thank you so much!
3 comments
All up, I think you’re trying to go to too many places in a very short amount of time.
The shinkansen between Osaka and Kyoto is about 15 minutes. If you’ve got a JR pass it might be worth it but I wouldn’t personally pay for it. The local train is about 30 mins and a third the price.
Day 6 Kyoto siteseeing and Miyajima siteseeing in one day is unrealistic. And what about Hiroshima, you’re planning on just passing through one of the most interesting cities in Japan on the way to the island? Also Omotesando is in Tokyo so I’m assuming that was just a mistake?
Echoing the other comment that this itinerary seems a rather inefficient use of your time. Waiting on the forecast blooming dates at each city is already difficult, without the added complication of having to travel for most of the half day to another city everyday.
I would suggest you stay in and around Tokyo if this is your first time, there are many hanami spots all around the city and you only need to travel 30 mins across. One day for Tokyo isn’t enough as the time on travel and going in and out of the stations do add up. If you want to go to less populated spots, there are Youtube vlogs that provide some tips (Tokyo Lens is one).
At the moment getting tickets to Ghibli Park is almost impossible for foreign tourists, and it is a theme park (unless you wanted to be there for the kawaii factor). If you decide to stay in Tokyo, you might consider Ghibli Museum though getting tickets to that is also rather difficult as well.
Your other option is to base yourself in Osaka or Kyoto for your entire trip and leave Tokyo for a different trip. Then you can take an overnight trip to visit Hiroshima and Miyajima. It’s still nowhere enough time to properly explore Kansai, but it’s a lot more efficient than trying to visit both regions at once.