Hi all! I’ve been dreaming & planning about visiting Japan for almost 9 years now and I’m so happy knowing that I’ll be able to fulfil my dream in the coming year.
I’ll mostly be travelling with a friend. Also planning to get the 14-day JR pass and take full advantage of it since I plan to travel a lot during my visit. I’m in my early 20s so I think I can manage to move around frequently. I’ll be travelling from India, so the time difference won’t be too difficult to adjust to (+3h30m).
My biggest dilemma is deciding which season I want to experience in Japan. Contemplating between Spring (Mar-Apr 2023) & Autumn (Nov 2023). I don’t have any biases, and I’m sure I would enjoy both seasons equally.
So here’s my plan –
**Day 1, Tokyo:** Arrive in Tokyo (Narita) by evening. Staying at Shinjuku. Explore the Golden Gai & Omoide Yokocho areas.
**Day 2, Tokyo:** Shibuya crossing, Meiji shrine, Tokyo Metropolitan government building observatory, Gyoen park, Harajuku.
**Day 3, Tokyo:** Tokyo tower, Team labs planets, Imperial palace.
**Day 4, Hakone:** Travel from Tokyo to Hakone. Planning on getting the 3-day Fuji Hakone pass. Will stay at a Ryokan.
Sightseeing & activities- Open Air Museum, Onsens, Pampas grass field.
**Day 5, Hakone:** Lake Ashinoko (Moto-Hakone view, sightseeing cruise), Hakone Shrine, Hakone ropeway/cable car.
**Day 6, Fujikawaguchiko:** Travel from Hakone to Fujikawaguchiko.
Sightseeing and activities – Sengen shrines, Fujikyu highland.
**Day 7, Fujikawaguchiko:** I want to cover the Fuji 5 lakes area extensively.
Lake Saiko, Koyodai Observatory.
Lake Kawaguchiko, Chuerito Pagoda, Ide sake brewery.
**Day 8, Fujikawaguchiko:**
Lake Yamanaka, Yamanakoko Community centre.
Lake Motosu (enjoying the iconic 1,000 Yen Mt. Fuji view).
**Day 9, Kyoto:** Shinkansen from Mishima to Kyoto. Nishiki market.
**Day 10, Kyoto:** Arashiyama Bamboo forest, Tenryuji temple, Kinkakuji, Gion district.
**Day 11, Kyoto + Nara:** Fushimi Inari shrine (early morning), a day trip to Nara (Todaiji temple, Isuien garden, Nara park).
**Day 12, Osaka:** Shinkansen from Kyoto to Osaka. Umeda sky building, Osaka castle, Denden town, Dotonbori district.
**Day 13, Tokyo:** Sumiyoshi Taisha (early morning), Osaka station, Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo (reach Tokyo by late afternoon). Staying at Asakusa. Tokyo stock exchange, Akihabara, Ginza.
**Day 14, Tokyo:** Sensoji, Sumida Hokusai museum, Ueno park, Ameyoko.
**Day 15:** Depart from Tokyo (Haneda).
Please comment below if you think this itinerary is too ambitious. It’ll be my first time in Japan, so I could put this together based on what I’ve read and seen on the internet (Japan-guide was a huge help!). Also please let me know if I’m missing anything that would be cool to visit during my time in Japan or if there’s something I can avoid.
I also really wanted to try and fit in a night at Koyasan and experience staying at a traditional Buddhist temple (Shukubo) but skipped it because it would’ve been too much travelling. Should I cut down on any other days and add Koyasan to my trip?
Also, should I try to squeeze in a day at either the Osaka Universal studios or Tokyo Disney? I was thinking really hard about this but couldn’t come to a conclusion.
Thank you very much! : )