Itinerary Check: 20 days – Kyoto / Osaka / Tokyo (Hakone / Kamakura / Nikko) – Spring 2023

My fiancé and I are traveling internationally together for the first time. We were planning on a shorter trip in April 2020, but that didn’t end up happening. We’ve been saving up the past two years and are excited to finally go! We’re both big game and anime nerds, but we also enjoy the culture and food. Not super big on nightlife & drinks. Hoping to get a good mix of history/culture and novelty entertainment. Still filling out details, but want a gut check on how do-able these are before we start booking flights & hotels.

**Sunday, March 26:** Land in Narita, **Hotel in Kyoto**

* Narita Airport > Suica / JR Rail / money exchange > Narita Express to Tokyo > Shinkansen to Kyoto Station > check in to hotel

**Monday, March 27** thru **Saturday, April 1**

*Order of days may shift depending on the weather & energy levels*

* **Central Kyoto Plan:** Breakfast > Nijo Castle > Kyoto Imperial Palace > Pontocho / Lunch > Hongan-ji Temples > Golden Pavilion > Kyoto Station > Dinner

* **Arashiyama Plan:** Breakfast > Bamboo Groves > Tenryu-ji > Kimono Forest > Togetsukyo Bridge > Monkey Park > picnic lunch > Jojakkoji > Nisonin > Gioji > Daikakuji > Toei Uzumasa Eigamura (if there’s time) > Dinner

* **Eastern Kyoto Plan:** Breakfast > Philosopher’s Path > Ginkaku-ji > Nanzenji Temple > Heian Shrine > Chionin Temple > Maruyama Park > Kodaiji Temple > Lunch in Higashiyama > Kiyomizudera Temple > Gion / Dinner

* **Fushimi Inari & Nara Plan:** Breakfast > Kofukuji > Yoshikien gardens > the Isuien gardens > Todaiji > Nara Deer Park & feed some deer > Kasuga taisha

* **Osaka Plan 1:** Universal – Nintendo > Naniwa Food Theme Park > Mount Tempozan > teamlab botanical garden

* **Osaka Plan 2:** Minami > Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade > Amerikamura > Dotonbori > Kuromon Market > Den Den Town > Osaka Castle > Shinsekai > Shitennoji

**Sunday, April 2:** Mount Koya

*Before leaving for Mt. Koya, luggage forward from Kyoto hotel to Tokyo*

* Okunoin Temple > Kongobuji Temple > Garan > Daimon Gate > Temple Lodging

**Monday, April 3:** Travel to Tokyo, Relax & Laundry **Hotel in Tokyo**

* Breakfast > Check out > Koyasan Station to Osaka Station (1h30m) > Osaka to Tokyo (2h30m) > Check in to Hotel / Lunch > Laundry

**Tuesday, April 4:** Shinjuku & Ikebukuro

* Animate > Sunshine City > Shin-Okubo Koreatown > Dinner (Ryu No Miyako Inshokugai)

**Wednesday, April 5:** Imperial Palace & Ginza & Tokyo Tower

* Breakfast > Imperial Palace / East Garden > Outer Park > Yurakucho / Lunch > Ginza / Kabukiza Theater / Itoya / Ginza Six / The Seiko Museum Ginza / Ginza Art Aquarium > Tokyo Tower / Red Tokyo Tower VR > Dinner

**Thursday, April 6:** Shibuya & Harajuku

* Hachiko statue / Shibuya crossing > Shibuya Shopping & Breakfast (Shibuya Center Street, Subuya109, *MEGA Don Quijote*, *Shibuya Parco*, Koen Dori, *Mandarake Shibuya*) > Harajuku & Lunch > Takeshita Street > Yoyogi Park > Meiji Jingu > Harajuku for Dinner & Dessert (Ron Ron Cafe)

**Friday, April 7** to **Saturday, April 8** Hakone

* Day 1: Check in to Ryokan > Hakone-Yumoto to Gora, Hakone Open Air Museum > Gora to Sounzan, Hakone Art Museum and Gora Park > Sounzan to Togendai, Owakudani > Togendai to Hakone-machi (Hakone Sightseeing Boat) > Hakone-machi to Moto-Hakone, Checkpoint Museum, Detached Palace Garden, Ancient Cedar Avenue > Dinner at Ryokan

* Day 2: Ryokan breakfast > Check out > Odawara Castle, Ninja Museum, Samurai Museum > Back to Tokyo

**Sunday, April 9** to **Friday, April 14**

*Order of days may shift depending on the weather & energy levels*

* **Kamakura Day Trip:** Breakfast > Check out of Ryokan > Kamakura > Hasedera Temple > Great Buddha of Kamakura > Daibutsu Hiking Course > Zeniarai Benten Shrine > Genjiyama Park > Komachidori Street > Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine > Hokokuji Temple

* **Akihabara Day 1:** Akihabara > Tokyo Dome > Sword Museum

* **Nikko Day Trip:** (NOT ON A WEDNESDAY) Toshogu Shrine > Edo Wonderland

* **Asakusa & Odaiba Day:** Kaminarimon Gate > Nakamise Dori / Breakfast > Sensoji Temple > Dempoin Street and Shin-Nakamise Shopping Street > Asakusa-Odaiba River Boat Ride (50min) > National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation > DiverCity (Gundam) / Lunch > Small Worlds (1-2hr) > TeamLab Planets (1hr) > Dinner

* **Disney Seas**

* **Free Day:** Anything we want to revisit in Tokyo & last minute gift shopping

**Saturday, April 15:** Flight home from Narita Airport

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