Hey guys, I just wanted sort of a final check over to see if there was anything super cool that anyone knows about that I might be missing from my trip. I appreciate any advice or recommendations.
*** February 8th – February 9th 2023 (Wednesday – Thursday)**
* MCI → Seattle:
* Seattle → Haneda : (Thu, 09, FEB)( 11 HR Flight)
* Haneda → Chitose: (1HR 35MIN)
* Pick up JR PASS (Exchange for what we already have)
* Pick up Suica Card (If Possible)
* Hotel Sapporo (49 Min Ride)
* Check in (Thursday, February 9, 2023 (after 14:00)
* Pick up Portable WI-FI
* Odori Park (Snow Festival)
* Ice Sculptures Lit until 10PM (22:00) Susukino
* Dinner at Fukuroutei
* Rest/Free Time
*February 10th 2023 (Friday)
* Get Breakfast
* Hoheikyo Onsen
* Shiroikoibito Park
* Sapporo Ramen Haruka
* Milk Mura
* Rest/Free Time
*** February 11th 2023 (Saturday)**
* Mt. Moiwa (Observatory Deck)
* The Otaru Snow Light Path Festival
* Rest of Day Find Food we Want & Free Time
*** February 12th 2023 (Sunday)**
* Check out: Sunday, February 12, 2023 (before 11:00)
* Chitose → Hiroshima:
* Check In: Sunday, February 12, 2023 (3:00 PM – 12:00 AM)
* Guttsuri-ann
* Hondori Street
* Rest/ Free Time
*** February 13th 2023 (Monday)**
* Check Out: Monday, February 13, 2023 (until 11:00 AM)
* Peace Memorial Museum
* Head to Hyogo to See Himeji Castle (1 HR 25 Min Ride)
* Head to Kobe (1 HR 31 Min Ride)
* Check In: Monday, February 13, 2023 (after 15:00)
* Hanasato
*** February 14th 2023 (Tuesday)**
* Check Out: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 (before 12:00)
* Head to Osaka (1 HR 11 Min)
* Check In: Tue, Feb 14 Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
* Minoo Park (Open 24 hrs)
* Mega Don Quijote Shop
* Dotonbori District (Open 24 hrs) (Should do by shop)
* Shinsekai
* Nagai Botanical Garden (Night Time Activity) (6:00pm-9:30)
* https://www.teamlab.art/e/botanicalgarden/
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 15th 2023 (Wednesday)**
* Universal Japan
* (10:00am-7:00pm)
* Check Out Street Food we Havent seen already
* Curry Yakumido
* Cheesecake: Rikuro Ojisan’s (10:00am-8:00pm), Pablo Cheesecake (11:00am-8:00pm)
* Takoyaki: Zipang Miyakojima (Osaka)
* Fukutaro
* (Yakitori)
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 16th 2023 (Thursday)**
* Free Time
* Street Food, Whatever Else we want to check out
* Kushiage
* Rokkakutei (Osaka)
* Night Time:
* Umeda Sky Building (9:30am-10:30pm)
*** February 17th 2023 (Friday)**
* Check Out: Fri, Feb 17 10 AM
* Head for Kyoto (1 HR 37 Min)
* Check In: Fri 17 Feb 2023 17:00 (5PM)
* Tenryū-ji
* Togetsu-kyo Bridge
* Sagano Scenic Railway
* JR Saga-Arashiyama station
* Kyo Himiko (Food, Maybe Lunch)
* Rest/ Free Time
*** February 18th 2023 (Saturday)**
* Check Out: Sat 18 Feb 2023 (No Time)
* Check In: Saturday, February 18, 2023 (after 15:00)
* Nishiki Market
* Pontocho Park (Kyoto)
* Bamboo – Higashiyama Sanjo
* Kiyomizu-dera Temple
* Starbucks Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya
* Sobanomi Yoshimura
* Mouriya Gion (Reservation Required)
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 19th (Sunday)**
* Kyoto Botanical Garden
* Kinkaku-ji Temple
* Kikyo Sushi
* Okazaki Shrine
* Katsukura Kyoto-st building The Cube
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 20th (Monday)**
* Saishuan Shiraki
* 5PM – 10PM
* Saishuan Shiraki, 420-3 Funayacho, Kyoto, 604-0985, Japan
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 21st (Tuesday)**
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 22nd (Wednesday)**
* Check Out: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 (before 11:00)
* Head to Nara (1 HR 39 Min)
* Feed Deer
* Maybe Hit Sakuraburger for Lunch
* Head to Kanazawa (3 HR 40 Min)
* Check In: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 23rd (Thursday)**
* Oumicho Market (Kanazawa)
* Then Head to Shirakawa-go (2 – 4 Hours)
* Head to Nagoya (4 – 6 Hour Ride)
* Check In: Thursday, February 23, 2023 (3:00 PM – 12:00 AM)
* Atsuta Horaiken, matsuzakaya branch
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 24th (Friday)**
* Check Out: Friday, February 24, 2023 (until 10:00 AM)
* Go to Studio Ghibli Park
* Head to Hakone (3 HR Ride)
* The Hakone Open-Air Museum
* Head to Tokyo
* Sola Hotel (2 HR 30 Min Ride)
* Check In: Fri, Feb 24 Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
* Free Time / Rest
*** February 25th (Saturday)**
* Asakusa
* Senso-ji, (Temple) Tokyo (Asakusa) 13 Min Away
* Taisho Romankan (Cream Soda Restaurant) (Asakusa) 16 Min Away
* KENTYS KITCHEN (Asakusa) 15 Min Away
* Taito
* Dandelion Chocolate (Taito City) 19 Min Away
* Ameyoko Shopping (Taito City) 30 Min Away
* Yae Kimono Rental Asakusa (Taito City) 14 Min Away (Reservation)
* Koto (If theres time)
* Gundam Front Tokyo (Koto City) 55 Min Away
* 10AM – 9PM
* Sunamachi Ginza Shopping District (Koto City) 34 Min Away
* Free Time/Rest
*** February 26th (Sunday)**
* Chuo
* Pokemon Cafe (Chuo City) 29 Min Away
* Art Aquarium Museum (Chuo City) 30 Min Away
* Minato
* Kushikatsu Chisen (Minato City) 43 Min Away
* Mori Art Museum (Minato City) 48 Min Away
* Red Tokyo Tower (Minato City) 40 Min Away (Can Order Ahead)
* GYOPAO Gyoza Roppongi (Minato City) 41 Min Away (Reservation)
* Meguro
* Pig Cafe Mipig Café Meguro (Meguro City) 59 Min Away
* Starbucks Reserve Roastary (Meguro City) 55 Min Away
* Tonki (Meguro City) 50 Min Away
* Free Time/Rest
*** February 27th (Monday)**
* Shibuya
* Meiji Shrine, Tokyo (Shibuya City) 56 Min Away
* Harajuku (Shibuya City) 48 Min Away
* Statue of Hachikō (Shibuya City) 42 Min Away
* Pompompurin Cafe (Shibuya City) 49 Min Away
* Nintendo Official Store (Shibuya City) 48 Min Away
* Cat Cafe MOCHA Shibuya (Shibuya City) 47 Min Away
* Happy Pancake (Shibuya City) 42 Min Away (Multiple Locations)
* Gyūkatsu Motomura (Shibuya City) 45 Min Away (Reservation)
* Miyashita Park (Shibuya City) 45 Min Away
* Shibuya Sky (Shibuya City) 45 Min Away
* Cookie Time (Shibuya City) 48 Min Away
* Toshima
* Ikebukuro (Toshima City) 54 Min Away
* Kikanbo Ramen (Toshima City) 48 Min Away
* Free Time/ Rest
*** February 28th (Tuesday)**
* Akihabara
* Maidreamin (Akihabara) 33 Min Away
* Animate (Akihabara) 30 Min Away
* Kotobukiya (Akihabara) 30 Min Away
* Chiyoda
* Imperial Palace, Tokyo (Chiyoda City) 29 Min Away
* Shinjuku
* Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo (National Garden)(Shinjuku City) 42 Min Away
* Sekaido (Shinjuku City) 43 Min Away
* Kabukicho Street (Shinjuku City) 53 Min Away
* Free Time/ Rest
*** March 1st (Wednesday)**
* Musashino
* Ghibli Museum (Musashino City) 1 Hr 4 Min Away
* Capy Neko Cafe (Musashino City) 51 Min Away
* Nakano
* Nakano Broadway (Nakano City) 50 Min Away
* Free Time/ Rest
*** March 2nd (Thursday)**
* Check Out: Thu, Mar 2 10:00 AM
* Free Time (Last Minute Things)
* Tokyo → Atlanta: Departing (12 HR 30 MIN)
* Atlanta → Kansas City: Departing (2 HR 8 MIN)
4 comments
Would greatly appreciate any recommendations anyone has 🙂
Just a heads up: Suica is specifically JR East’s IC card. In Hokkaido, the IC card available is called [Kitaca](https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/ticket/kitaca/index.html). If you want a Suica, pick it up in Haneda before you leave Tokyo. Alternatively, you can [buy and load one now through Apple Pay](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207155) ahead of your trip, which might be advantageous if you think the exchange rate will get worse between now and then.
-edit: I’m skimming your itinerary and it seems VERY packed, especially the 25th, 26th, and 27th. I also think Ghibli and the Open Air Museum on the way back to Tokyo in a single day is very aggressive. Just traveling between Ghibli and the Open Air Museum will take you almost 4 hours. Make sure you’re putting all your locations on a map to see how far away things are and how long they’ll take to move between. Highly recommend Wanderlog and Google Maps here.
I will be visiting Japan 11 jan to 9 feb. Picked off a few things from your itinerary! Arigatogosaimasu! Have an amazing trip OP
Ghibli Park tickets are only sold domestically for people in Japan. Hopefully you already have tickets. Also if you do have tickets seems pretty unrealistic to try and do both Ghibli park and Hakone with activities on the same day and then head to Tokyo. Also Ghibli Museum tickets are only sold domestically too.
For your Tokyo portion of the trip the things you have planned everyday are seem like too much. You’ll need to check opening hours of the places you plan to start the day at to make sure they’ll actually be open at the time you’re expecting. Also not sure how long you’re expecting to stay in each location but from the list it doesn’t seem like a lot of time per location. In general I find sit down restaurants/cafes service is a bit slower than what you find in the States so you should also keep that in mind too.
You’ve grouped things based off of wards (the “city” in parens) which is okay, but wards are quite large so some of the plans dont make sense. For example you have the imperial palace is geographically very close Art Aquarium and Pokemon Cafe. If you haven’t already I’d put all the points of interest into google maps to double check if you’re your groupings make sense.