Hi everyone,
I will be going to Japan for the first time with some friends and family (group of 6) for 2 weeks: 25 Jan – 8 Feb. This is a draft of our itinerary so far, mostly around main attractions as we’re open to changing plans spontaneously if something else catches our eye. Please leave any recommendations or advice you’d like!
25 Jan (TOKYO):
* Flying from Sydney Airport to Haneda
* Checking in at hotel in Tokyo
* Exploring local convenience stores
* Going to Tokyo Tower for night view
26 Jan (TOKYO):
* Tokyo National Museum
* Ueno Zoo
* Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
27 Jan (KYOTO):
* Leaving Tokyo hotel and travelling by Shinkansen to Kyoto
* (Might leave suitcase at station lockers or wait to check in at Kyoto hotel)
* Himeji-jo
* Kyoto International Manga Museum
* Pontocho Alley for dinner
28 Jan (KYOTO):
* Kinkakuji
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Fushimi Inari
29 Jan (OSAKA):
* Arashiyama (if after checkout time, then leave suitcases at Kyoto station lockers)
* Travel to Osaka and check in at hotel/leave suitcases at station lockers
* Osaka Castle
* Osaka Station City shopping
30 Jan (OSAKA):
* Universal Studios Japan
* Takoyaki Museum
31 Jan (OSAKA):
* Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
* Dotonbori (from the afternoon)
* Kani Doraku
* Hozenji Yokocho
* Dotonbori Tsuribori fishing (1h)
* Design Pocket
* Naniwa Meibutsu Ichibirian shopping
* Yakiniku no Mise Zerohachi Namba OCAT Honten
1 Feb (HAKONE):
* Travel to Hakone
* (Either purchasing the Hakone Free Pass before hand or in the area)
* Check in to Hakone ryokan
* Either use Tozan Railway to go to Hakone Open Air Museum or go by bus to Hakone shrine
* Soak in onsen/bath at the ryokan
2 Feb (HAKONE):
* Do the other Loop activities:
* Cablecar
* Ropeway
* Sightseeing Boat
* Lake Ashinoko
* (can reverse the order)
* The plan is to skip either the Museum or Shrine depending on which one was done the day before
3 Feb (TOKYO):
* Travel back to Tokyo, check in to hotel
* Senso-ji
* Tokyo Skytree and Solamachi shopping
* Monta Cat Cafe
4 Feb (TOKYO):
* Meiji Shrine
* Harajuku shopping/exploring
* Shinjuku Gyoen stroll
* Zauo fishing around lunchtime or around the afternoon
* Menya Sho for dinner
* Visiting Shibuya crossing
5 Feb (TOKYO):
* Tsukiji Outer Market
* Imperial Palace
* Pokemon Centre DX (shopping, not Cafe)
* Ginza District for shopping/food
6 Feb (TOKYO):
* Tokyo Art Aquarium
* Maid Cafe (not sure which one yet, but considering Cure, @ home, Mai:lish or Filles)
* Imperial Palace
* An anime-themed cafe (not sure which one yet)
7 Feb (TOKYO):
* Akihabara shopping
* Arcade games and gacha in Akihabara
* Koishikawa Koen (for a break)
8 Feb (TOKYO):
* Last day
* Will probably revisit Tsukiji or Akihabara depending on preference, or explore Marunouchi for shopping
* Fly back to Sydney in the evening
Two main questions or problems I have I would especially appreciate help with are:
1. How to store suitcases after checkout in the morning and before check-in at a new city in the afternoon, since we would like to use the time after arrival in new city to do an activity? I’ve heard of station lockers but I’m not sure if there will be enough spaces or if it’s convenient enough. Are there alternative options? Or should we check in at the new hotel before exploring the city?
2. How should we do the Hakone Loop if our ryokan is around Miyanoshita? I wanted to split the Loop into 2 equal parts for the 2 days we are there, but our hotel location makes that unfeasible (i.e. can’t stop after Ropeway to Togendai and travel directly back). Or perhaps, is doing one half of the Loop and retracing steps, then doing the other half and retracing steps, the best way to split it?
Additional information:
* We are considering buying the 7-day JR Pass from 27 Jan – 3 Feb to cover our travelling in and out of Tokyo via Shinkansen.
* Our budget is around 5-6k per person, and we speak English (and a bit of Japanese from high school).
Feel free to suggest any changes or recommend any other attractions or diners. Other suggestions and advice are welcome too. Thank you for your time! \^\^
1 comment
> 5 Feb (TOKYO)
Not sure if your placed things in order of how you want to do them, but if so I do Tsukiji -> Ginza -> Imperial Palace -> Pokemon. This route will be fairly walkable.
> 6 Feb (TOKYO)
The art aquarium is in Ginza and not sure why you’re doing the imperial palace twice. Also you’ll find a lot of anime and maid cafes in Akihabara.
> How to store suitcases after checkout in the morning and before check-in at a new city in the afternoon, since we would like to use the time after arrival in new city to do an activity? I’ve heard of station lockers but I’m not sure if there will be enough spaces or if it’s convenient enough. Are there alternative options? Or should we check in at the new hotel before exploring the city?
You can just forward you luggage to your next destination that way you don’t have to bring your suitcase with you on your mode of transit. Also might want to consider choose either Osaka or Kyoto as your base and then make day trips to the other city. If you stay next to Kyoto station in Kyoto or either Shin-Osaka or Umeda station in Osaka you’ll only be a ~30 min train ride to the other city.