Hi everyone, my husband and I (both early 30’s) will be taking our first trip to Japan in late March. It’s been a lifelong dream to visit Japan for both of us and we’re hoping to make the most of it. We’re expecting A LOT of walking on this trip and I’ll be bringing insoles to push through some of the longer days.
I’m posting here as I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from other people’s itinerary posts so this might help someone, and also I’d love recommendations for Tokyo. I’m sure I’ll get (deserved) flak for the pacing of our trip, but here goes!
**GOALS:** Experience traditional Japan (temples, onsens, ryokans) and eat lots of great food
**SEEKING RECOMMENDATIONS:** I’m pretty set on most of the itinerary except for the days in Tokyo. I would love to hear any suggestions here. Currently the general plan is to wander aimlessly in neighborhoods between meals, with areas allocated to each day.
I’m planning on posting my trip report once I’ve come back, let’s see what goes as planned and what doesn’t!
​
**Day 1 – March 18 -** Hakone
* 14 hours flight to Haneda Airport
* 9:00 – Land at Haneda Airport, go through customs and pick up JR Pass and portable WiFi. Send our luggage through ta-q-bin to our Kyoto hotel – we’ll be living out of our carry-on luggage for the next two days.
* ***Optional -*** Head to Yokohama Gundam Factor (1hr from Haneda). We will buy the tickets online (Â¥3,300 for two) and eat the loss if we’re too knackered to make a pit stop.
* Head to Hakone (2hrs ride). We’re staying at a ryokan and plan on taking it easy for the rest of the day.
* ***Optional*** \- Hike the Mount Kintoki trail if we’re filled with that “finally in Japan!” energy. Be lazy potatoes if not.
​
**Day 2 – March 19 -** Hakone – Chasing Mt Fuji views
* Taxi to Hakone Shrine. Starting the Hakone Loop (clockwise).
* Hakone Shrine – take photos at the Torii gate, check out the shrine and the baby wishing tree.
* Narukawa Art Museum – famous for its view of Mt. Fuji and the Hakone Shrine Torii gate from the lounge. Also look at some art, I guess.
* Old Tokaido Road – old road lined with tall cedar trees, used to be the main walking trail between Tokyo and Kyoto.
* Lunch near Hakone Shrine.
* Hakone Pirate Ship – this will take us from the south of the lake to the north. Hopefully we’ll get views of Mt. Fuji on the cruise, weather-permitting.
* Take the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani where we should get views of Mount Fuji. Owakudani is a volcanic valley where you can eat [kuro-tamago](https://en.japantravel.com/kanagawa/black-eggs-of-owakudani-hakone/1052) or black eggs that supposedly add 7 years to your life. Apparently they taste like regular eggs though ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ .
* Continue on the ropeway back to our ryokan and enjoy a nice soak in the onsen.
* ***Optional -*** or if we have the energy to keep going, head to the Hakone Open-Air Museum
* Kaiseki dinner back at the ryokan.
​
**Day 3 – Mar 20 -** Kyoto – Kiyomizudera
* Take the train to Kyoto, lunch will probably be an ekiben (train bento box).
* Arrive at our hotel in Gion and drop our luggage here.
* Walk to Kiyomizudera – famous temple with tall viewing platofrm and the iconic three-storey pagoda. Expect to spend 1-2 hours here.
* Note: Kiyomizudera has night illuminations in the spring and autumn during which they stay open until 21:00. Here’s the [schedule](https://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/en/visit/).
* Drink from the Otowa Waterfall for love/success/longevity, not sure which two to pick yet.
* Walk the shopping streets of Sanneizaka and Nineizaka. Take a photo of Yasaka Pagoda from here.
* Kaiseki dinner with Geisha, includes a performance and some games.
* Walk to Kodaiji Temple and view the illuminations.
* Walk to Yasaka Shrine to view the temple with lit lanterns.
​
**Day 4 – Mar 21 -** Kyoto – Arashiyama
* Arashiyama Monkey Park – feed the monkeys, take photos of the monkeys, **don’t** stare at the monkeys. It’s a hike to the park so planning on going before we rent our kimonos.
* **Question -** how long do you recommend at the Monkey Park?
* Togetsu-kyo bridge – I’m personally not sure why this is cited as a spot in Arashiyama. It looks like a bridge. A bridge made of wood. Have I missed something here? What makes this bridge so special?
* Kimono rental
* Lunch
* Head to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, walk down to Okochi Sanso Garden and Tenryuji Temple.
* Return kimonos
* Head to kimono shop, shop for an obi to display at home.
​
**Day 5 – Mar 22 -** Kyoto – Fushimi Inari and Tea Ceremony
* Early morning at Fushimi Inari (2-3 hours here), temple famous for its long tunnels of red Torii gates. Hoping to come here for sunrise but will see how much of a lazy potato we’ll feel like. Not planning on doing the full hike. We won’t see the sunrise since Fushimi Inari faces west, but we’ll get good lightning and photos with no crowds (fingers crossed).
* Note: Sunset at Fushimi Inari is supposed to look beautiful
* Note 2: There’s a secret bamboo grove in Fushimi Inari
* Head to Tofukuji Temple to view the Zen garden.
* Do some shopping near the restaurant before lunch.
* Kobe beef lunch
* Tea ceremony with kimono.
* Nishiki Market – shop for souvenirs, we’ll probably be too full to eat anything here.
* Chiso Gallery and visit the kimono gallery. Chiso is the haute couture brand for kimonos and they make gorgeous (and expensive!) ones. Here’s a (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3xOKlvlkHY&ab_channel=InsiderBusiness) from Business Insider if you’re curious about the craftsmanship.
* ***Optional -*** head to Pontocho for some evening drinks and dinner. Otherwise head back to hotel after dinner.
​
**Day 6 – Mar 23** \- Kyoto – Philosopher’s Path
* Head to Nanzen-ji Temple and walk down the Philosopher’s Path
* Visit Higashiyama Jishoji
* Head to Nishiki Market for some lunch
* Afternoon free for shopping around, or revisiting sights
* Evening bar hopping tour in Pontocho
​
**Activities in Kyoto we’re not doing** (but might inspire others):
* **Kinkaku-ji** \- on the fence here as it’s completely out of the way (we’d have to taxi there) and from what I’ve read, it seems to be one of those take a photo and leave place. Though I’ve also read that it’s an amazing sight in person.
* **Kyudo in Kyoto** \- there’s a temple that gives lessons for beginners and lets you shoot arrows (apparently usually takes several form lessons usually before they allow you to shoot)
* **Samurai and Ninja Museum** \- they have a few unique experiences, including wearing authentic samurai regalia and cutting tatami mats with samurai swords. From what I’ve read, this is a great experience for travellers with children.
* **Nishijin Textile Center** \- they have artisans weaving textiles and a kimono fashion show. The reviews weren’t great which deterred me from going. Including as the weaving does look interesting!
* **Toei Kyoto Studio Park** \- a theme park and film set where they shoot historical dramas. They have shows and lots of activities for children.
* **Kichi Kichi -** I considered going as the chef is very entertaining and has an infectious energy about him. Decided not to but including here if anyone didn’t know he is based in Kyoto.
* A couple of temples in the Arashiyama region like **Giouji Temple** (famous for its beautiful moss garden), **Jojakko-ji Temple** (famous for its expansive views of Kyoto, particularly stunning in autumn as all the foliage turns red) and **Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple** (famous for its 1200 stone statues of little Buddhists, but more out of the way than the others)
* **Mount Yoshino** \- a day trip from Kyoto, this is a mountain absolutely covered by cherry trees. It looks gorgeous when in full bloom, a veritable sea of sakura. We’ll likely be too early to view it but including for anyone interested.
​
**Day 7 – Mar 24 -** Miyajima Island
* Ship our luggage to Osaka and keep a backpack with one day’s change for Miyajima
* Head to Miyajima Island from Kyoto and expect to arrive mid-day. Bullet train transfer to local train transfer to ferry (3hr journey)
* Eat oysters, lots and lots of oysters. Grill’em, slurp’em, fry’em, so excited!
* Head to Daishoin and admire the mini statues wearing the mini bean hats
* Hike up Mount Misen (or take the cable cars if we’re lazy potatoes today)
* Visit Reikado (Hall of the Spiritual Flame) where the flame has been burning for 1200 years. There’s a cauldron of holy water over it you can drink from, which is said to heal ailments.
* Head back down to our ryokan for check-in
* Go view Itsukushima Shrine Tori gate at sunset (18:30)
* Head back for kaiseki dinner at the ryokan
​
**Day 8 – Mar 25 -** Hiroshima
* Take the ferry straight from Miyajima to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
* Spend the morning at the Memorial Hall and the Memorial Park
* Look for Okonomiyaki for lunch, I’ve seen enough people raving about the Hiroshima version to be convinced to try it 🙂
* Take the train from Hiroshima to Himeji Castle
* Visit the area near Himeji Castle and enter Koko-en (we expect to stay in the area \~2hrs). Just here to see the castle in person and take some photos, realistically.
* Head to Osaka, arrive in the evening
* Buy cheesecake at Rikuro, try not to eat entire cheesecake
* Have dinner in Dotonbori
* ***Optional*** \- find an izakaya to have a few drinks and snacks at
**Skipping:** Entering Himeji castle, I watched a walking tour of the inside and it didn’t appeal to me.
​
**Day 9 – Mar 26 -** Koyasan
* Drop luggage in a storage locker at the station. We’ll keep a backpack with a day’s change of clothes for Koyasan.
* Head to Osaka Castle Park early in the morning if sakura trees have bloomed early. Bring Rikuro cheesecake with, eat it for breakfast while admiring the sakura (does this cheesecake make me look fat?). If no sakura, be a lazy potato and sleep a little longer.
* Head to Koyasan from Osaka Castle, buy the Koyasan World Heritage Pass at Namba Station.
* Have lunch in Koyasan
* Visit Kongobuji (had temple of Shingon Buddhism) and the Daimon Gate (gate marking the entrance to Koyasan).
* If we feel like it, do the Women’s Pilgrimage trail (2.5hr hike). If not, head to our shukubo (temple lodgings).
* Side note: women were banned from entering Koyasan until 1872 so this trail allowed them to get close to the temples without entering.
* Have dinner at our shukubo.
* Note that all meals at shukubo are vegetarians, and I’ve read some travellers mention they were still hungry afterwards. We’ll be bringing snacks with us just in case (and hopefully we’ll still have some of that cheesecake…though probably not!)
* Do the Okunoin Cemetery Night Tour offered by Ekoin Temple.
**Skipping:**
* Lots of temples in Koyasan obviously. We’re only doing Kongobuji but there’s many more temples available if you’re inclined to visit them!
* Hikes – there are many hikes available, ranging in difficulty. I think the most notable is the Koyasan Choishi Michi trail which takes seven hours and gets you from Kudoyama station to the Daimon Gate. This was the original way pilgrims reached Koyasan.
​
**Day 10 – Mar 27 -** Nara & Osaka
* Early morning temple prayer
* Visit Okunoin Cemetery again in the morning. I’ve read that it looks particularly atmospheric in the morning, and we will have more context from our night tour.
* Head to Nara from Okunoin – this will be a fairly long trip with multiple transfers, but we should arrive in the early afternoon
* Go to Nakatanidou to buy some mochi, with any luck they’ll also be pounding some mochi
* Visit Todaiji and view The Big Buddha
* Walk through Nara Park and feed the deers
* Visit Kasuga-taisha and view the many lanterns. This temple is open until 18:00 where most close at 17:00, so visiting this last.
* Take the train back to Osaka, arrive in Dotonbori in the evening and find food for dinner. Retrieve our luggage from the station.
​
**Day 11 – Mar 28 -** Osaka – Universal Studios Japan
* Husband is a major fan of Nintendo so we’ll be prioritizing Super Nintendo World
* Ride The Flying Dinosaur if I don’t chicken out
* ***Optional -*** Visit an izakaya in the evening
​
**I haven’t planned Tokyo in as much detail yet as I’m waiting confirmation for a few restaurants. Open to suggestions!**
**Day 12 – Mar 29 -** Tokyo
* Take the train from Osaka to Tokyo, arrive mid-day
* Visit Meiji Jingu, we’ll possibly be temple’d out at this point so this is one we’ll play by ear the day of
* Visit Harajuku and Shibuya
* Head to Shibuya and do some shopping in the area
* Stroll through Yoyogi Park
​
**Day 13 – Mar 30 -** Tokyo – Asakusa
* Head to Sensoji in the early morning
* Rent a kimono for the day
* Shop through the area near Sensoji
* Visit Kappabashi and shop for Japanese kitchen knives, bento boxes and tea sets.
* Lunch
* Return kimono
* Head to Ueno Park and rent a row boat. Row on the lake with (fingers crossed) cherry trees in full bloom lining up the lakeshore
* ***Optional -*** Visit the Tokyo National Museum
* ***Optional -*** visit Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
* Go to the Shinjuku Takano Fruits Parlor and try some Japanese fruit desserts. I keep hearing about how delicious Japanese fruits are, so I’m very excited to try some here.
* Stroll around Omoide-yokocho (Memory Lane) and Golden Gai
​
**Day 14 – Mar 31 -** Tokyo – TeamLab Planets, Akihabara and Odaiba
* TeamLab Planets in the morning. Tips I’ve seen are wear sneakers and wear trousers that can roll up to the knees. Avoid wearing a skirt.
* Tsukiji Fish Market for lunch
* Head to Akihabara for some gift shopping
* Visit a video games arcade
* Dinner
* View the Rainbow Bridge at night
* Go to Odaiba to view the Statue of Liberty and Unicorn Gundam Statue at night
​
**Day 15 – Apr 1 -** Tokyo – Shibuya (Last day!)
* Free day
* Spend the evening in Roppongi, view the Tokyo Tower at night
​
**Day 16 – Apr 2** \- Leaving
* Fly home in the morning
​
**Activities we’re skipping in Tokyo** (but might inspire others):
* **Meguro River** \- river lined with cherry blossom trees, often cited as a top spot for viewing sakura
* **Ghibli Museum**
* **Nakano Broadway** \- shopping complex destination for fans of anime, manga etc…
* **Yayoi Kusama Museum** \- for those who don’t know, Kusama is famous for her infinity rooms.
* **Sumo wrestling match** \- we won’t be going during the season unfortunately. Tournaments are held in January, May and September.
* **Kabuki theatre** \- didn’t interest us but this is often cited as a worthwhile activity in Japan
* **Karaoke** \- we might still go Karaoke, but I need to do more research here
* **Baseball game** \- I’ve heard lots of good things about baseball games in Japan and the crowds’ contagious enthusiasm. Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be able to fit it in considering how long games last.
* **Maid, themed and animal cafes** \- not my personal cup of tea but definitely a unique experience in Tokyo
​
**Class and workshop ideas for anyone looking for some:**
* Cooking classes, including ramen, sushi, soba, bento box, izakaya, gyoza, wagashi (Japanese confections, they look super cute)
* Pottery class
* Kintsugi class (smash some ceramics and glue it back with some gold)
* Calligraphy
* Ikebana or flower arrangement
* Woodblock printing
​
Some travel films I came across which have inspired my itinerary:
[Japan – A short travel Film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMPJRe2qTlI&ab_channel=CharlieJohnston) video by Charlie Johnston, both footage and editing look amazing. Features most of the locations on my itinerary including Kyoto, Koyasan, Osaka, Nara and Tokyo.
[Japan – Where tradition meets the future](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLIv7HnZ_fE&ab_channel=visitjapan) video by Visit Japan, beautifully edited as could be expected.
[Japan EPIC Travel Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcnLTnGGBU0&ab_channel=JasonVong) video by Jason Vong disregarding the clickbaity title, another video with great footage. Features Hakone, Kyoto and Tokyo, as well as Mount Yoshino, Nikko and Takayama. Really great shots of the Torii gates at Fushimi Inari.
​
That’s all from me, will post my trip report in a few months and let you know how it all went. I hope this helps someone! Looking forward to any Tokyo recommendations I may have missed!