Hi All – first time to Japan and I’ve got it all planned (I hope). Please let me know how this looks from your end and, most importantly, if the trains all seem fine. I’m coming from a place where we have no trains, so training on this scale is decently new to me. Again – going for general zones as opposed to jamming everything in day-by-day. I travel decently fast, am in no interest for shopping. Big fan of eating and plan for no more than one indoor museum. I’m not using a JR pass.
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12/27 Tokyo: Arrive HND 7PM and make way to Shinjuku hotel
12/28 Tokyo: Meiji Jingu, Shinjuku and Shibuya. Fit in Roppongi/Golden Gai for some drinks
12/29 Tokyo: Asakusa, Senso-Ji, Tokyo National Museum, Ginza, imperial Palace. Fit in Roppongi/Golden Gai for some drinks
12/30 Tokyo: Day trip over to **Lake Kawaguchiko via Fuji Excursion**. Book tickets online.
12/31 Tokyo: New Year’s. Open day. Nothing planned. I’d like to do something special for this day. Can anyone comment if Shibuya crossing will have some festivities, or if the Zojoji/shrines are worth a visit at midnight? thanks!
1/1 Travel/Osaka: Understand most things will be closed. I’m flying to ITM from HND and plan to walk the Nishinomaru gardens and see the castle outside. Quiet day.
1/2 Osaka: Castle (again), Namba, Dotonburi
1/3 Nara: Day trip to Nara: **Plan to take the Kintetsu-Nara line to the terminus**. Have a decent walking path set up, Konfuku-ji, Isuien Garden, Todai-Ji temple, etc.
1/4 Kyoto: Planning to take the **Keihan Main Line to Sanjo station** as this is very close to my hotel. Arrive around noon, fart around downtown.
1/5 Kyoto: Chawan Zaka, Sannen-zaka, Maruyama Park. I plan to take the **Keihan Line to Fushimi-Inari** Station and do the hike in the early afternoon. Gion for dinner
1/6: Kyoto: Tenryu-Ji temple, Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji Temple
1/7: Kyoto: Open day, tie up loose ends in Kyoto
1/8: Kyoto: **Nozomi Shinkansen over to Tokyo** (around 9AM). Then jump on the **Narita express** to arrive at NRT around 1PM. 5PM flight to LAX.
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Would love to see if the transport lines up with what you guys think is preferred. Tried to keep to some “zones” with some open days here and there.
TIA