Hello! Looking for some feedback on my itinerary in November 2023. Not sure if I overdid this one, but I have plenty of time to adjust. Although, the flight and accommodations are already booked.
This will be my first solo trip ever, so I’m very nervous. I’m a bit worried about getting lost (especially in train stations) since I’m pretty bad at directions but I’m super excited overall! Hopefully Google Maps will take care of all that I need for directions.
I want to enjoy Japan as much as I can without having to worry too much about fitting all the things I plan to do in each day. The ones in **bold** are the things and places that I really want to see and try in Japan.
​
# Day 1: Haneda Airport > Shibuya
* Arrive at the airport at around 5-6PM
* Go through customs then pick up pocket Wi-Fi, JR Pass, Suica, and withdraw cash
* Take trains to Shibuya Station, walk to hotel booked nearby
* Walk to **Shibuya Crossing**, have dinner nearby
* Walk back to hotel
​
# Day 2: Shibuya
* Wake up \~7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Walk to Meiji Jingu (not sure how long to spend here or at shrines and temples in general)
* Walk back to Shibuya Crossing for lunch
* **Shibuya Sky**
* Taito Station & Parco Mall
* Dinner
* Walk back to hotel
​
# Day 3: Shibuya > Kamakura/Enoshima
* Wake up \~7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Take trains to Kamakura Stn.
* Walk to see Komachi-dori & **Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu**
* Take quick train to Hasa Stn.
* See Hasadera and **Kotoku-in**
* Have lunch in the area
* Take train to Enoshima
* See Enoshima Shrine and Samuel Cocking Garden
* *Extra time: Explore more of the island*
* Dinner in the area
* Take trains back to hotel
​
# Day 4: Shibuya > Fujikawaguchiko
* Wake up \~7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Check out of hotel
* Take trains and bus to Kawaguchiko Stn.
* Check in at hotel
* Have lunch in the area
* Take train to see **Arakura Fuji Shrine** and **Chureito Pagoda**
* Buy dinner at convenience store to eat back at hotel
* Go back to hotel for dinner and **Onsen**
​
# Day 5: Fujikawaguchiko > Hakone
* Wake up \~ 7AM
* Have breakfast at hotel
* Check out
* Take shuttle buses to Hakone
* Check in at hostel
* Have lunch nearby
* *After this, I’m not really sure what I can do as a lot of the things I want to do in Hakone are planned for the next day. Maybe an onsen?*
* Dinner near whatever I end up doing for the rest of the day
​
# Day 6: Hakone
* Wake up \~7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Take bus to Hakone Open Air Museum
* Walk to Gora Stn., have lunch nearby
* Take cable car to Sounzan Stn. to take the ropeway to Owakudani Stn.
* Check out volcanic steam area
* Take ropeway down to Togendai Stn.
* Take the pirate ship to cross the lake down to get off at Moto-Hakone Port
* See the Heiwa no Torii
* Dinner in the area
* Take bus back to hostel
​
# Day 7: Hakone > Kyoto
* Wake up \~ 7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Check out
* Take bus to Odawara Stn. and grab a bento for lunch
* Use JR Pass for Shinkansen to Kyoto
* Arrive at Kyoto Stn. then take bus to check in at ryokan
* Take bus to see **Kiyomizu dera**
* Have dinner nearby
* Walk around **Nineizaka** and **Hokan-ji area**
* Walk or take bus back to ryokan
​
# Day 8: Kyoto
* Wake up \~7AM
* Have breakfast at ryokan
* Take bus to **Otagi Nenbusu-ji**
* Walk down and explore all the way to Bamboo Forest
* Walk through **Arashiyama Bamboo Forest** and **Kameyama Park**
* Have lunch nearby
* Take bus to **Nijo Castle** (hopefully get there before 3PM as it closes at 4PM)
* Walk to **Pontocho Alley** for dinner
* Take bus back to ryokan
​
# Day 9: Kyoto
* Wake up \~7AM
* Have breakfast at ryokan
* Take bus and train to Fushimi Inari Taisha (not sure how long I want to do this hike)
* Have lunch nearby
* Take trains and bus to **Nanzen-ji Temple**
* *Extra time: Heian Shrine*
* Walk or take train to **Pontocho Alley** for dinner (depends how tired I am by that point)
* Bus back to ryokan
​
# Day 10: Kyoto > Osaka
* Wake up \~7AM
* Have breakfast at ryokan
* Check out
* Take bus and trains to Osaka
* Check in at hotel
* Take train to **Tsutenkaku** and **Shinsekai**
* Have lunch and walk up towards DenDen Town
* Explore DenDen Town area
* Visit Namba Yasaka Shrine & nearby Taito Station
* Walk up to **Dotonbori** and explore the area
* Have street foods and dinner
* Walk back to hotel
​
# Day 11: Osaka > Nara
* Wake up \~7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Take trains to Kintetsu-Nara Stn.
* Check out **Nakatanidou**
* Walk to see **Nandaimon Gate** and **Todai-ji**
* Walk to Todai-ji Nigatsudo and have lunch
* Walk down to see **Kasuga-Taisha**
* Walk through **Nara Park**
* Have dinner near Kintetsu-Nara Stn.
* Take trains back to hotel in Osaka
​
# Day 12: Osaka > Akihabara
* Wake up \~ 7AM
* Grab breakfast at nearby convenience store
* Check out
* Take train to Shin-Osaka Stn. then take Shinkansen to Tokyo Stn.
* Take train to Akihabara Stn. then walk to check in at hotel
* Have lunch nearby
* Walk to main Akihabara street and explore the **anime stores** and arcades
* Dinner in the area
* Walk back to hotel
​
# Day 13: Akihabara and Nakano
* Wake up \~7AM
* Have breakfast at hotel
* Take train to Ueno Park walk up to see Tokyo National Museum
* Have lunch nearby
* Take trains to **Nakano Broadway** for some shopping
* Take trains back to hotel to stash bought stuff
* Take train to Asakusa Stn.
* Check out Kaminarimon Gate, **Senso-ji** and **Asakusa Shrine**
* Have dinner nearby
* Take train back to hotel
​
# Day 14: Akihabara
* Wake up \~7AM
* Have breakfast nearby
* Go to Don Quijote to buy all the snacks, souvenirs and what not to take back home
* Check back on some anime stores for extra shopping
* Stash things back at hotel
* Have lunch nearby
* Walk to Kanda Myojin Shrine
* Random exploring and shopping
* Dinner nearby
* Walk back to hotel and pack everything up
​
# Day 15: Akihabara > Haneda Airport
* Wake up \~6AM
* Have breakfast at hotel
* Finish up packing
* Check out
* Take taxi to Haneda Airport
​
And that’s it! Please let me know how this itinerary turned out.
I also have a few side questions:
1. How worried should I be about rush hour? Does it impact transportation time greatly?
2. How long does the customs process take when I arrive at the airport?
3. Can Suica also be used on all Kyoto trains and buses?
4. Is Google Maps reliable for all of my direction and transportation needs?
5. In my understanding, the JR Pass can be picked up when you arrive at Japan but you can activate it whenever you want? I’m planning to get the 7 days instead of 14.
6. When buying food at a convenience store, can I eat it just outside the place? Assuming there’s no seating inside. I heard eating while walking in Japan is considered rude and I most likely won’t be walking back to the hotel to eat the breakfast that I buy there.
7. Do restaurants typically serve one person?
8. Are long lines typical at restaurants around lunch and dinner times?
9. What do you do at shrines and temples exactly? I mostly plan to go there for sightseeing and pictures mainly.
​
**Thank you! :)**
3 comments
>Hopefully Google Maps will take care of all that I need for directions.
Also get the NAVITIME/Japan Travel app. It’s really great for specific trains (such as if you only want JR, etc)
>How worried should I be about rush hour? Does it impact transportation time greatly?
It’s just real crowded, mostly. It came be a tight squeeze but I mostly just avoided it without even meaning to last time I was there.
>How long does the customs process take when I arrive at the airport?
Depends on a variety of factors but give yourself an hour or so. **Incredibly important**: Go to the [“Visit Japan Web”](https://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/) site and app and do the customs process (including uploading your vaccine cards and what not) and it will give you a QR code that you use when going through customs.
>Can Suica also be used on all Kyoto trains and buses?
Yes. As well as convenience stores and other places.
>Is Google Maps reliable for all of my direction and transportation needs?
Mostly, yeah. Like I said above, I tend to tag team with Google Maps and NAVITIME
>In my understanding, the JR Pass can be picked up when you arrive at Japan but you can activate it whenever you want? I’m planning to get the 7 days instead of 14.
Yes. They send you a voucher to your house, then in Japan you just go to a JR counter to activate it. You can do it early and choose which date you want it active for, or just go to a counter the day you want to start using it. Edit: I just used the JR Pass Calculator on your trip and….you’re cutting it real close to it being not worth it. You’d have to activate it on Day 6 in Hakone to even get *close* to getting your money’s worth, and even then it’s only if you use it on a *ton* of JR subway lines in Kyoto/Tokyo (limiting your travel area). Unless you want it mostly for peace of mind, it may be better just to stick with the Suica and load it with cash to get shinkansen tickets on.
>When buying food at a convenience store, can I eat it just outside the place? Assuming there’s no seating inside. I heard eating while walking in Japan is considered rude and I most likely won’t be walking back to the hotel to eat the breakfast that I buy there.
Correct. It’s rude to walk and eat. Eat right outside, quickly. Or find a park (that allows food) and sit on a bench and eat. Drink your drinks next to vending machines, also. You’ll also find that the only public trash cans are in konbinis and vending machines, so pay attention to recycle/burnable/etc. Note: it is okay to eat on a shinkansen as long as your food isn’t smelly. Do *not* eat on subway or local trains, and *definitely do not* eat in parks that contain shrines.
>Do restaurants typically serve one person?
Japanese cities are very easy for being a solo person. The majority of restaurants will accommodate you.
>Are long lines typical at restaurants around lunch and dinner times?
Last time I went, it was pretty normal. We had a group of 5 and often had no real trouble getting into places. Solo is even easier.
>What do you do at shrines and temples exactly? I mostly plan to go there for sightseeing and pictures mainly.
That’s great, but remember to be respectful. People go and pray, pay respects, light incense, buy charms, etc. Make sure you follow etiquette as well. Some quick tips: Don’t be loud (this is also just a general rule for Japan). Don’t walk in the center of the main pathway, that is for the gods. Perform [‘temizuya’](https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b05205/) at every shrine you enter. Keep an eye out for “no photo” signs; general rule of thumb is anywhere outside is okay but nothing inside a building.
I get ya. I also travelled to Japan for my first solo international trip ever last November, so I understand the nerves. BUT trust me when I say that it’s A LOT easier than you think and you’ll quickly realize that you were fretting over nothing. Seems like the itinerary is not too packed either, so you’ll be more than ok.
In terms of the side questions:
<How worried should I be about rush hour? Does it impact transportation time greatly?>
– based on your itinerary, seems like you’ll be out past rush hour, so don’t worry too much. The trains are very prompt regardless, so timing is not an issue for the most part.
<How long does the customs process take when I arrive at the airport?>
– with the app filled out, took me 30 mins from the plane to past security. Should be no issue as long as you fill out the Visit Japan requirements.
<Is Google Maps reliable for all of my direction and transportation needs?>
-I had zero issues with Google Maps and it was a definite life-saver. You don’t even need to be online all the time for it to come in handy; the GPS-tracking function works well enough if you have your destinations marked.
<When buying food at a convenience store, can I eat it just outside the place? Assuming there’s no seating inside. I heard eating while walking in Japan is considered rude and I most likely won’t be walking back to the hotel to eat the breakfast that I buy there.>
-some will have seating, but otherwise, just make sure to not eat while walking. Find a nice park bench or something and enjoy your meals while looking at scenery/people-watching.
<Do restaurants typically serve one person?>
– as a matter of fact, from my experience, it is advantageous to be solo going into restaurants, as they’ll usually have space to prioritize you, i.e. counter seats.
Are long lines typical at restaurants around lunch and dinner times?
-yes. be prepared to come early before they open or right as dinner rush starts. even then you could see wait times go for 20-40 mins at a time, so just be wary of that.
Hope you enjoy your trip and remember to put yourself out there! IDK what level of Japanese you know, but I think it’ll do you a great service to try to meet the locales in the middle and try to communicate in Japanese as much as you can. Worst thing that could happen is an awkward situation, and even then that makes for a good story. Godspeed!
We had less of an issue with rush hour than we expected, but you probably want to avoid having luggage with you during those times.
We could use IC cards (Suica/Pasmo) with no issue in Kyoto/Osaka/Kawaguchiko (pretty much everywhere that you’re going).
If you are going to a fancy restaurant (e.g. kaiseki), some of the set meals will be for a minimum of two people. Otherwise most restaurants are perfectly okay for one person.