Hey there fellow travellers!
My s/o and myself are finally going to Japan in oktober & november of this year, during the autumn season. However, after I’ve checked with my boyfriend, I would like a double-check from you guys and some advice on the itinerary I’m currently planning. This itinerary is based on thorough research (Lonely Planet, Hello Sandwich and \*the internet\*) with great consideration for timings. I already checked all of the routes through JapanTransit to see if they are achievable.
My pitfall is that I often plan too much in one day or not enough. Are there events, things to do or see that are missing from this itinerary? Are some things unfeasible timing wise?
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**Monday 23nd of October – Friday 27th of October: TOKYO (5D)**
* ***Monday:*** Check-in hotel – Discover Ginza & Akihabara (shopping)
* ***Tuesday:*** Senso-ji, Nakamise-dori, Hoppy Street – Kappabashi Kitchen Street – Yanesen (Nezu Shrine) – Ueno-Kōen
* ***Wednesday***: Meiji-shrine (morning) – Harajuku (afternoon) – Shibuya (evening)
* Thursday: Ghibli Museum – Yayoi Kusama Museum (90 minutes) – Shinjuku (Omoide Yokochō, evening)
* ***Friday***: Mori Art Museum (optional: TeamLab Planets, heard it’s somewhat overrated?)
**Friday 27th of October – Sunday 29th of October: HAKONE (2D)**
* ***Friday*** **4-5PM:** leave for Hakone / **7PM:** check-in hotel Hakone + onsen
* ***Saturday***: hike to Hakone Shrine & Peace Shrine Gate & Old Tokaido Highway Cedar Avenue and Hakone Checkpoint
* ***Sunday:*** Hakone Open Air Museum
**Sunday 29th of October – friday 3rd of November: OSAKA** **(6D)** (with 2 day trips w/ Osaka as our home base)
* ***Sunday 2-3PM:*** leave for Osaka / 6-7PM: check-in hotel Osaka
* ***Monday:*** discovering Osaka (Osaka-jo, O-hatsu Ten-jin, Shinsaibashi-suji Shotengai)
* ***Tuesday:*** Universal Studios on Halloween **🎃**
* ***Wednesday:*** leave for Koyasan in the morning – check-in guesthouse Koyasan – Okunoin Cemetery Night Tour
* ***Thursday:*** leave Koyasan for Nara and discover Nara from 12PM – 6PM – arrive in Osaka at 7PM
* ***Friday (*****“Culture Day” (Bunka no Hi))*****:*** check-out Osaka and leave for Naoshima – check-in guesthouse Naoshima – discover the island
**Saturday 4th of November – Tuesday 8th of November: KYOTO (4D)**
* ***Saturday***: check-out Naoshima – arrival Kyoto in the afternoon – experience a luxury ryokan in Kyoto for 1 night
* ***Sunday***: check-out luxury ryokan – check-in hotel – Nanzen-ji – Pontocho & Gion
* ***Monday***:Arashiyama bamboo forest – Iwatayama Monkey Park – Sagano Romantic Train
* ***Tuesday***: Kinkakuji neighborhood with Golden Pavilion – Tea Ceremony – check-out and leave for Narita (4-5 hours, phew!) – check-in hotel Narita Airport
**Wednesday 8th of November**
* Check-out hotel Narita Airport and fly home
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Thanks so much! 🙂
2 comments
Ryokan are usually noticeably more expensive on Saturday nights than other days, so you may want to consider the scheduling of your ryokan nights which both seem to be Saturdays. Hakone is also quite a bit more crowded on weekends than weekdays.
from my own experience, I can only comment on some Osaka and mostly Kyoto.
Your Osaka plan looks pretty much okay.
Your Kyoto plan looks good. Monday Arashiyama might be a bit slow. You can easily add in Tenryuji. Tuesday, the Kinkakuji neighborhood? I am not sure there is too much to do there? Is the tea ceremony there?
All in all solid plan. Not too full. and not really too empty