I’m planning on traveling solo (M21) for 10-12 days to Japan in mid February. This is a rough outline of what I want to do. I haven’t set anything in stone yet, so a bunch of sightseeing stuff is still TBD- I have some places in mind for each of the cities but haven’t finalized anything. I’m open to any suggestions on things to do or places to stay (more questions below) and whole changes to my current plan are also welcome. Also, this will be my second time to Japan. I’ve already visited Tokyo and Kyoto, so I think I can skip Kyoto this time.
Day 0
Fly into Tokyo, then fly to Sapporo
(I want to see both the Snow Festival and Otaru Lights festival, but for some reason this year they only overlap by one day: 2/11. This means I’ll have to arrive either 2/9 or 2/10 if I want to see both)
Day 1
* Snow festival
* Sapporo tower
Day 2
* Beer museum
* Hokkaido historical village
Day 3
* Trip to Otaru
* Nikka whisky distillery
* Light path festival at night
Day 4
* Fly to Osaka
* Explore Shinsekai
* TBD
Day 5
* Osaka Castle
* River tour
Day 6
* TBD
Day 7-8:
* These two days are when I’m open to exploring another city. Possible candidates are Nara, Nagoya, Yokohama, or a repeat visit to Kyoto. Which place is the most interesting to visit?
Day 9:
新幹線 to Tokyo
* I know it’s cheaper to fly by plane, but I want to try the bullet train at least once this trip lol
* Mori art museum
Day 10-end of trip: just listing out possible places or activities to sort out later
* Akihabara
* Ikebukuro
* Roppongi
* Sky tree
* Additional hotspots I didn’t visit my first time to Tokyo
* Museums
* Things related to digital art/anime
* I also want to do something that is more local and not touristy. E.g. I love the small streets/alleys feel of Tokyo and would be down to bike around
Other questions…
* Are there any recommended ryokan/onsen visits I should make while in Hokkaido? I’ve read that a lot of places turn down solo travelers which is unfortunate. It would be cool to visit one in the wintertime, but it’s not totally necessary
* Bars: I’m interested in mixology/cocktails and definitely want to visit some of the famous bars in Tokyo, are there any specific places you all have been to that I should keep in mind?
* Do most hostels or hotels have laundry machines?
* For solo travelers, what were your experiences with hostels and capsule hotels? I think it would be cool to try out one of the capsule hotels one or two nights, but I’d prefer to have at least a private bathroom if I’m staying somewhere more than two nights