Hello!! Been lurking this subreddit for ages and I’m finally going on my dream first trip to Japan this Spring!! I would love an itinerary check to see if what I’ve mapped out so far looks doable and makes sense.
I’m 26(f)will be traveling by myself, this will be my first major trip as a solo traveler, I’m a little nervous but mostly just super excited! I’m into nature, wandering around and exploring, anime/manga, animals, vegetarian food, and (casual) photography. Really want to see lots of beautiful cherry blossom spots!
Planning on getting the Ubigi e-sim
Not currently planning on getting the JR pass. After doing a bunch of calculations, it looks like the 14 day pass doesn’t quite pay off and my shinkansen trips are too spread out for the 7 day to make sense.. If I’m way off and it would be better to get the JR pass, let me know! Otherwise I think I’ll be good with just buying tickets for my 3 shinkansen trips and doing IC card for the rest.
TOKYO- 6 nights @ Asakusa
3/23 (Thursday):
•Arrive in Japan
•Take Keisei Narita Skyaccess to Asakusa
•Check into hotel
•Do whatever around Asakusa for the evening
3/24 (Friday):
•Senso-ji and Nakamise-dori area in the early morning
•Head to Akasaka Hikawa shrine then walk to Azabu Hikawa shrine (shrine that inspired Sailor Moon locations!)
•TeamLab Planets and dinner @Vegan Ramen UZU
•Ueno park for night sakura illustrations (if they’re blooming enough by this time)
3/25 (Saturday):
•Kamakura day trip
•Take train to Kamakura station in the morning and rent bike
•Bike to Hokokuji Temple, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, Komachi-dori Street, eat lunch
•Bike to Kotoku-in, then Hasedera
•Beach for sunset, then take train back to Tokyo
(Can switch this day trip with different Tokyo day, depending on weather)
3/26 (Sunday):
•Nezu Shrine early morning
•Take subway to Kyu Furukawa gardens
•Rikugien garden
•Shinjuku area for lunch
•Shinjuku Gyoen for cherry blossoms in afternoon
•Shinjuku bar hopping tour in evening
3/27 (Monday):
•Shibuya area day
•Yoyogi Park and Meiji Jingu
•Harajuku
•Shibuya Sakura Dori
•Shibuya Sky sunset
•Meguro river and cherry blossom promenade in the evening
3/28 (Tuesday):
•Forward luggage to Kyoto hotel with front desk
•Ride bike around
•Yanaka Cemetary Cherry blossoms
•Yanaka Ginza
•Get lunch and eat in Ueno park
•Akihabara
•Chidorigafuchi moat boat rental in afternoon for sunset
HAKONE- 1 night @ Ryokan
3/29 (Wednesday):
•Checkout of Asakusa hotel early morning
•Take train to Hakone Yumoto, forward overnight bag to ryokan
•Do Hakone loop, check in to ryokan after Lake Ashi cruise around 4pm
•Relax at ryokan and enjoy onsen, eat dinner at ryokan
KYOTO- 6 nights @ Shimogyo ward (on Kamo river)
3/30 (Thursday):
•Checkout of ryokan after early morning onsen and breakfast, leave bag at ryokan desk
•Take bus to Amazake Chaya
•Take bus back to ryokan, pick up bag and head to Hakone Yumoto station
•Train to Odawara station
•Shinkansen from Odawara to Kyoto station and check into hotel
•Explore the neighborhood and get dinner, evening walk along river
3/31 (Friday):
•Walk or bike to Kiyomizu-dera early in the morning
•Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka
•Tea ceremony
•Head to Fushimi Inari and hike up the mountain in time for sunset
•Late dinner near or at hotel
4/1 (Saturday):
•Take train to Arashiyama Station in the early morning
•Bamboo grove and Arashiyama Park observation deck
•Tenryu-ji temple, eat shojin ryori lunch at temple
•Okochi Sanso garden
•Togetsu-kyo bridge area
•Relax and stroll around the area and eat before heading back to central Kyoto
4/2 (Sunday):
•Nara day trip
•Nara park
•Todai-ji
•Mt Wakakusa
•Deer deer deer!!!
4/3 (Monday):
•Ginkaku-ji early in the morning
•Take Philosopher’s Path to Nanzen-ji
•Walk to Keage Incline and take photos
•Okazaki shrine
•Get lunch near Maruyama park
•Chion-In temple
•Maruyama park hanami illuminations in evening
4/4 (Tuesday):
•Arrange with hotel front desk to have luggage forwarded to next accommodation in Hida Furukawa
•Head to Kinkaku-ji in the morning for first admission at 9am
•Walk to Ryoan-ji and have Yudofu lunch in temple
•Hirano Shrine for hanami
•Pontocho bar hopping tour in the evening
HIDA- 3 nights @ Hida Furukawa Townhouse
4/5 (Wednesday):
•Check out of hotel in the morning and walk to Kyoto station
•Shinkansen to Nagoya station, then train to Takayama station
•Explore Takayama
•Train to Hida Furukawa station and check in to house around 4pm
•Explore the neighborhood and have dinner
4/6 (Thursday):
•Explore Hida on foot in the morning and take photos
•Keta Wakamiya Shrine
•2:00-5:30pm bicycle tour with Satoyama experience
•Dinner in Hida
4/7 (Friday):
•Take bus to Shirakawa-go in the morning
•Spend day exploring the village
•Take bus back to Takayama in afternoon and have dinner in Takayama
•Take train back to Hida in evening and go for walk along river
TOKYO- 2 nights @ Shibuya
4/8 (Saturday):
•Early morning walk around Hida
•Check out of Hida house
•Train to Nagoya station in the morning
•Shinkansen from Nagoya station to Shibuya station and drop off luggage at hotel
•Hang out in Shibuya and shop around (Sailor Moon store!)
•Check in to hotel anytime after 5pm
4/9 (Sunday):
•Gotokuji Temple in the morning
•Aoyama Flower Market Tea House in late morning maybe
•Miyashita Park
•Cat Street
•Shopping at Nakano broadway in afternoon
4/10 (Monday):
•Check out of hotel
•Do any last minute stuff around Shibuya in the morning
•Pick up luggage from hotel and head to Shibuya station
•Take train to Haneda and fly home
Thanks in advance!!