I started to plan our trip for November 2023, some key information:
* we are a couple in our 30s, first-time travelers in Japan (which has been my dream since I was a kid)
* interested in a mix of city life, and nature focus
* we want to avoid too stressful an itinerary, at the end of the day, we are on vacation 🙂 and when I’m tired I don’t really enjoy what I’m visiting. I also get major FOMO if I stay only a short time in a place that offers much more, so I tried to plan a bit more time in areas that could potentially be done in less time
* I haven’t planned yet what we want to do in the cities, that will come later 🙂
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**Day 1 – Fly to Tokyo**
Sleep in: Tokyo – Capsule hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: N/A
Luggage: Capsule hotel
**Day 2 – Tokyo**
Sleep in: Tokyo – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: N/A
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 3 – Tokyo**
Sleep in: Tokyo – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: N/A
Luggage: Hotel
​
**Day 4 – Tokyo**
Sleep in: Tokyo – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: N/A
Luggage: Hotel
​
**Day 5 – Tokyo**
Sleep in: Tokyo – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: N/A
Luggage: Hotel
​
**Day 6 – Tokyo**
Sleep in: Tokyo – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: N/A
Luggage: Hotel
​
**Day 7 – Tokyo > Nikko**
Sleep in: Nikko – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 3h
Rough plan: Explore Nikko area
Luggage: Hotel / Luggage storage
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**Day 8 – Nikko (after breakfast) > Hakone**
Sleep in: Hakone – Ryokan
Estimated travel time (one way): 4h
Rough plan: Ryokan and onsen
Luggage: Ryokan
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**Day 9 – Hakone**
Sleep in: Hakone – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: Explore Hakone area
Luggage: send to Kyoto?
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**Day 10 – Hakone > Kawaguchiko**
Sleep in: Hakone – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 3h
Rough plan: Mt. Fuji
Luggage: tbd
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**Day 11 – Hakone > Kyoto**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 2.5h
Rough plan: tbd, tea ceremony
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 12 – Kyoto**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Bamboo Garden, tbd
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 13 – Kyoto**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: Temples, explore city, tbd
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 14 – Kyoto > Osaka**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 30mins
Rough plan: Explore city & night life
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 15 – Kyoto > Nara**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 30mins
Rough plan: Deer Park
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 16 – Kyoto > Osaka?**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 30mins
Rough plan: Universal studio (is it possible half a day? Super Mario Area)
Luggage: Hotel
​
**Day 17 – Himeji OR Ghibli Park**
Sleep in: Kyoto – Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): tbd
Rough plan: If the get the ticket, Ghibli Parl
Luggage: Hotel
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**Day 18 – Fly back home from Osaka**
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I’m looking for any recommendations on how to improve/optimize this trip. I also have some questions:
* Is it too much time in Tokyo? As I said we enjoy cities and I feel like Tokyo has a lot to offer, also I’m a bit afraid we will be super jetlagged at the beginning and not be able to enjoy fully the 5 days in Tokyo.
* Day 8 -> Nikko > Hakone, is it too long of a ride or it’s feasible? I know most of the ryokan allow check-in in the afternoon so we would arrive right before that
* Day 10 -> I’m a bit concerned about the long ride, in total it would be a 6h ride. Feasible? Also, the point of going to Kawaguchiko is to see Mt. Fuji, but if the weather doesn’t allow it, shall we go anyway? Or it’s better to stay in Hakone and visit the area/ enjoy the onsen?
* Day 16 -> we are only interested in the Super Mario Area, is it realistic to spend half a day at universal studio? or is it a full-day activity? I’m even thinking to skip it and just go to the city
* Anything I’m missing that I should include?
2 comments
>Sleep in: Tokyo – Capsule hotel
I wouldn’t recommend for couples.
>Also, the point of going to Kawaguchiko is to see Mt. Fuji,
It’s going to look very similar to the view you’ll get from Hakone.
>Day 16 -> we are only interested in the Super Mario Area
It’s a bit of a waste of money, I guess it depends on how much you really like Mario. You have to pay to get into USJ, then pay to get into Mario section, then since you got this far you should also buy the wrist band that lets you interact with things.
>I’m looking for any recommendations on how to improve/optimize this trip
Have a look at Google maps, you’re doing a lot of back and forth.
>Himeji OR Ghibli Park
Good luck getting Ghibli Park tickets. If you can, you should definitely go.
But Himeji has possibly the nicest Castle in Japan. But you can go on one of the other days.
suggest moving your capsule hotel stay to the end of your trip if it’s for the experience. Capsule stays don’t always allow you to have good rest.