Itinerary Check - 15 days in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara - Late May/Early June, large group

Hello!

First off, thank you all for the tremendous help in planning this trip – I looked through so many of the threads people have posted in the past and everyone’s responses have been a big help. I would greatly appreciate it if I could get a sanity check & some feedback on the current iteration of my itinerary.

**Some backstory**: There’s a large group of us going on this trip (currently 7 people, all mid-20s), and only I have been to Japan before. I’d like to show them a good mix of culture, touristy spots, and amazing food. About half of the group is interested in anime stuff. For the itinerary, I’d like to have a good list of potential things we could do, but not so structured that we can’t take our time and explore as we see fit. We have yet to book any lodging – so far just planning to find a private AirBnB or hotel near a station.

**Itinerary**:

**Day 1 – May 18th (Landing in Tokyo)**:

* Everyone arriving at various times, check into lodging and explore nearby area (likely staying in Shinjuku, TBD)
* Purchase IC/Suica card

**Day 2 – May 19th (Tokyo – Shibuya)**:

* Shibuya Crossing & Hachiko
* Miyashita Park
* Meiji Jingu
* Takeshita St. & Cat St.
* Omotesando

**Day 3 – May 20th (Tokyo – Asakusa, Akihabara)**:

* Senso-ji Shrine & nearby area
* Tokyo Skytree & nearby area
* Akihabara

**Day 4 – May 21st (Tokyo – Odaiba)**:

* Pallete Town
* teamLab Planets (or Borderless if it opens in time)

**Day 5 – May 22nd (Tokyo – Free day!)**:

* Split up and go to any missed locations or new ones.
* Some potential ideas: Studio Ghibli Museum, Nakano Broadway, Ginza shopping & exploring, Ueno (Tokyo National Museum, Ameyayokocho, & nearby area)

**(Tokyo Evening ideas)**:

* Golden Gai
* Downtown Shinjuku
* Kichijoji

**Day 6 – May 23rd (Tokyo -> Hakone)**:

* Ideally stay in a budget-friendly ryokan, TBD
* Travel to Hakone by Romance Train (Shinjuku Sta. -> Hakone-Yumoto Sta.), drop off luggage & purchase Hakone free pass at station.
* Hakone Loop (Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashinoko, Owakudani & Gora ropeway, (if time permits) Open Air Museum)
* Relax in an onsen

**Day 7 – May 24th (Hakone -> Kyoto)**:

* (if time permits) Open Air Museum
* Travel to station by bus (Hakone-Yumoto Sta. -> Odawara Sta.) then travel to Kyoto by bullet train (Odawara Sta. -> Kyoto)
* Check into lodging and explore nearby area (likely staying near Gion, TBD)

**Day 8 – May 25th (Kyoto – East)**:

* Kiyomizu-dera
* Sanneizaka & Nineizaka
* Gion
* Fushimi Inari

**Day 9 – May 26th (Kyoto – West)**:

* Arashiyama Monkey Park
* Tenryuuji
* Bamboo Forest

**Day 10 – May 27th (Osaka – day trip)**:

* Osaka Castle
* Dotonbori
* Nipponbashi
* Shinsekai

**Day 11 – May 28th (Nara – day trip)**:

* Kofukuji
* Nara Park & deer
* Todaiji Gate & Temple & Nigatsudo
* Kasuga-taisha

**Day 12 – May 29th (USJ – Super Nintendo World)**:

* Travel to Osaka’s Super Nintendo World
* Some of the group may split up to instead explore Osaka some more

**Day 13 – May 30th (Kyoto – Free day!)**:

* Split up and go to any missed locations or new ones.
* Some potential ideas: Kobe day trip, Himeji day trip, Hiroshima day trip, Kyoto Kinkakuji -> Ryouanji -> Ninnaji, Kyoto Philosopher’s Path -> Nanzenji -> Heian Shrine

**(Kyoto Area Evening ideas)**:

* Pontocho
* Gion
* Kiyamachi-dori
* Fushimi Inari
* Hang out in Osaka & return before trains stop at midnight

**Day 14 – May 31st (Kyoto -> Tokyo)**:

* Travel to Tokyo by Bullet Train
* Check into lodging, spend the rest of the day chilling & shopping for souvenirs.

**Day 15 – June 1st (Leaving from Tokyo)**:

* Goodbye Japan!

That’s it for now! Sorry for the long post – I appreciate any feedback you can give.
**Some key questions**:

* Does each day seem reasonable?
* Particularly, does Day 2 seem reasonable considering we may be super jet-lagged?
* Am I missing anything obvious?
* Is this itinerary *too* generic?

Thanks!

With 7 people you’re gonna need to prepare everyone that it’ll often be best to split up into separate places for meals. Especially in places like Golden Gai or Omiode Yokocho in Shinjuku. These are tiny, counter seating only bars and you’ll be lucky to find 2 seats together. Most restaurants in Japan are set up to easily accommodate 2-4 people tables but over this really depends. If there’s a certain restaurant you all want to eat at together it will be imperative that you make a reservation. Try looking on Google Maps to see if they have a reservation link or you may need to use a service line Tablelog which is primarily in Japanese so open it in Chrome to translate to English.

– [How To Make Restaurant Reservations in Tokyo](https://tokyocheapo.com/food-and-drink/restaurant-reservation-japan/)
– [Japanese Phrases for Restaurant Reservations](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-tokyo/in-tokyo_train_station/article-a0002459/)

An alternative option for large groups is to check out some of the many food halls that have spring up in Tokyo. These usually have open seating where you may have an easier time finding seating for 7. Bonus is that everyone can eat whatever they want most and no issues with splitting a large check as you pay individually when you order.

– [8 Food Halls in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/best-restaurant-food-halls-in-tokyo)
– [Odaiba Ramen Street](https://maps.app.goo.gl/RYJj4PWunALTwWCt7?g_st=ic)

You might also consider picking up to go food from the basement food halls of department store (depachika). These are fun experience in and of themselves and have high quality food options to take back to your lodging or have a picnic in the park. You can usually find picnic sheets to put down on the grass at dollar stores as parks typically only have benches, not tables.

– [8 Depachika in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/shopping/best-depachika-food-halls-in-tokyo)
– [Best Picnic Parks in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/best-picnic-parks-in-tokyo)

On the top floors of department stores you’ll find a large number of restaurants too. Making it easy to split up into smaller groups to meet up again when done. All department stores in Japan have depachika in the basements and restaurants on the top floors so this applies in Kyoto/Osaka too.

If you split up and try different restaurants for meals it’s fun to share your experiences together when you meet back up too.

Happy Planning!

3 comments

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phillsar86 says:
January 5, 2023 at 1:24 am
With 7 people you’re gonna need to prepare everyone that it’ll often be best to split up into separate places for meals. Especially in places like Golden Gai or Omiode Yokocho in Shinjuku. These are tiny, counter seating only bars and you’ll be lucky to find 2 seats together. Most restaurants in Japan are set up to easily accommodate 2-4 people tables but over this really depends. If there’s a certain restaurant you all want to eat at together it will be imperative that you make a reservation. Try looking on Google Maps to see if they have a reservation link or you may need to use a service line Tablelog which is primarily in Japanese so open it in Chrome to translate to English.
– [How To Make Restaurant Reservations in Tokyo](https://tokyocheapo.com/food-and-drink/restaurant-reservation-japan/)
– [Japanese Phrases for Restaurant Reservations](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-tokyo/in-tokyo_train_station/article-a0002459/)
An alternative option for large groups is to check out some of the many food halls that have spring up in Tokyo. These usually have open seating where you may have an easier time finding seating for 7. Bonus is that everyone can eat whatever they want most and no issues with splitting a large check as you pay individually when you order.
– [8 Food Halls in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/best-restaurant-food-halls-in-tokyo)
– [Odaiba Ramen Street](https://maps.app.goo.gl/RYJj4PWunALTwWCt7?g_st=ic)
You might also consider picking up to go food from the basement food halls of department store (depachika). These are fun experience in and of themselves and have high quality food options to take back to your lodging or have a picnic in the park. You can usually find picnic sheets to put down on the grass at dollar stores as parks typically only have benches, not tables.
– [8 Depachika in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/shopping/best-depachika-food-halls-in-tokyo)
– [Best Picnic Parks in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/best-picnic-parks-in-tokyo)
On the top floors of department stores you’ll find a large number of restaurants too. Making it easy to split up into smaller groups to meet up again when done. All department stores in Japan have depachika in the basements and restaurants on the top floors so this applies in Kyoto/Osaka too.
If you split up and try different restaurants for meals it’s fun to share your experiences together when you meet back up too.
Happy Planning!
I_Am_Vladimir_Putin says:
January 5, 2023 at 2:35 am
Palette town shows as permanently closed.
You won’t be able to get into Studio Ghibli the day of.

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Itinerary Check – 15 days in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara – Late May/Early June, large group

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Itinerary Check – 15 days in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara – Late May/Early June, large group

Tags:

3 comments

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Japan lacks the expertise for renewed nuclear ambitions

Japanese Politics in 2023: Can Kishida Recover Before the Local Elections?

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