Hello everyone 🙂
We’re a couple (m,w 27years old) from Europe, traveling to Japan for the first time and we are a bit overwhelmed with the planning of this trip.
We do like to eat good food but we aren’t used to high end restaurants, so we’re not too bothered about trying to reserve one, I read that isn’t always easy anyways. We plan to try as many local specialities as possible. Do you think it’s necessary to reserve a table in ‘normal’ Restaurants at this time of year or can you just walk in/cue up? I don’t really want to plan where we eat in too much detail, cause then the timetable gets really strict and there’s not much room for finding nice places by accident. Always open for recommendations though 🙂
This is what we came up with so far:
Tokyo
04.04.
Arrival Airport Haneda at 10am
Get luggage, portable WiFi or SIM (we haven’t looked into it yet)
Store our luggage at the hotel in Akasaka, can’t check in till 3pm
Have lunch & maybe go to Chidorigafuchi Park (hopefully will be able to still see cherry blossoms?) and the Imperial Palace because its not too far from the hotel
Check in at the hotel, relax and grab some food/drinks close by
05.04.
Get bento boxes + hanami equipment and go to Shinyuku gyuen Park at 9am
(I hope we still get to see the cherry blossoms, I read that the Park has different varieties that bloom later as well)
Explore Shinyuku (Tokio Metropolitan Government Building, Meiji-Shrine) and
Shibuya (Shibuya Crossing and Shibuya Sky)
Evening: Golden Gai/ Piss alley if we feel up to it
Is this day too busy? If so we could push Shibuya to the next day
06.04.
We want to visit some Museums. We’re interested in history and technology, do you have recommendations? What is your favourite museum in Tokyo?
(Maybe shibuya if we couldn’t do it on the 5th)
07.04.
Asakusa (Senso-Ji Temple, Hoppy Street) + Akihabara
We’re not expert gamers but we’d like to emerge into the world and try some stuff out. Any recommendations for fun games?
Evening: Karaoke
08.04.
Day trip
If we missed out on the cherry blossoms is there anywhere not too far for a day trip where we could see them?
Otherwise we thought about going to Kamakura
Any other day trip destinations you really enjoyed?
09.04.
Travel to Kyoto
Can’t check in till 3pm
Visit Kiyomizu-dera, explore Gion
I thought about buying a kimono/yukata that I could wear the next day. Can you recommend anywhere not too expensive, maybe second hand? And how do locals view tourists wearing them out and about? If it’s frowned opon I obviously wouldn’t want to do it.
10.04.
Fushima Inari-Taisha early in the morning
Day Trip to Nara
11.04.
Arashiyama (Bamboo Forest, Monkey Park), Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
Segano Onsen Tenzan-no-yu (Anyone been there? How did you like it?)
Kinkaku-ji
12.04.
Day trip to Hiroshima (Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Museum)
Maybe also Miyajima – or is that too much of a rush in one day?
13.04.
Philosopher’s Path
Ginkaku-ji
Cooking class – Any recommendations? Preferably not sushi, and something that doesn’t only contain fish cause my boyfriend isn’t too keen
14.04.
Travel to Osaka
Nothing really planned yet
15.04.
Osaka Castle
Dotonbori District
16.04.
Travel to Lake yamanaka (Mt Fuji)
We’re staying in a little guest house so it’ll be quite the adventure to get there
17.04.
Explore the lake
Maybe visit a onsen
18.04.
Travel back to Tokio
19.04.
Shopping / maybe go back to places we liked or feel like we missed out on before
20.04.
Flight home
Anything big we’re missing out on that you really enjoyed? We’re leaving out amusement parks on purpose. Thinking about adding teamLab though.
Thank you in advance for any recommendations, I really enjoyed reading all the itineraries 🙂
2 comments
Be mindful at Shinyuku Gyuen Park that you don’t bring alcohol in, and do some research if they’re allowing picnics now. They’re still strictly following COVID protocol and their website actually says that meals should only be had inside the covered areas away from other people:
>・Bringing and drinking alcohol in the garden are strictly prohibited.
>・Please have meals within the group of four people at indoor facilities such as cafés or restaurants and keep your distance (about 2m) from other visitors in the garden.
> kimono / yukata in Kyoto
There are a *massive* amount of tourist-targeted kimono rental shops in Kyoto where they have the full service package, including hair/makeup for women and helping you put it on which is not as easy as just tying the waist belt), So, if this is something that seems fun to you then go for it. The challenge for you is that a properly worn kimono restricts stride length for the woman in your travel party so you can’t get as much walking done.
> Hiroshima / Miyajima
Very doable as a day trip if you are a fast traveler. Wake up early, gulp down lunch, prioritize and don’t try to see/do everything (eg take the cable car up Mt Misen to save time, don’t read/ponder every sign in a museum). I would do it from Osaka rather than Kyoto to save one transfer.