I’m going to Japan with my (26f) sister (22f) on the 10th-24th November. I’ve been dreaming about this for years and now can finally go ! Flights and accommodations are booked apart from the Ryokan (looking at a ryokan in Miyajima). We were going to get a ryokan in Hakone but changed to Miyajima- prefer beach vibes to mountain vibes. With this itinerary I’ve aimed for a mix of pop culture and traditional culture. We’re both fit and have lots of energy. I’m posting this itinerary to get any feedback especially on timings, and to serve as inspiration for others who are planning.
Day 1, Friday:
-Flight day from London (14h). Hopefully sleep on plane!
Day 2, Saturday:
-Land Haneda 7.30am. Pick up portable wifi, 2 week rail pass and Suica. Monorail and yamanote line to accommodation in Yanaka.
(Activities will be energy permitting, will smash coffee and try and stay up until 8pm to defeat jet lag)
– Yanaka Ginza for brunch snacks.
-Yanaka cemetery and/or Nezu shrine
-Ueno park, Tokyo National museum
-Street food at Ameyoko
Day 3, Sunday:
(We don’t mind crowds)
-Meji shrine If we up before shops open
– Harajuku shopping streets and sweets
-Omotesando to Shibuya
-Shibuya crossing
-pokemon/Nintendo stores
-Shinjuku Godzilla statue
-memory lane yakitori
-Kareoke in Kabukicho
-golden Gai drinks
Day 4, Monday:
(Possible hangover, later start)
-Sensoji and Asakusa shopping streets
-skytree booked for 4pm to catch sunset
-Akihabara in the evening for shops and arcades
Day 5, Tuesday:
-Tsukuiji market for breakfast
– Teamlabs booked for around 12pm (borderless is moving to central Tokyo?)
-Akasaka Ninja restaurant booked for around 5pm
-See If we can get single act tickets at Kabuki-Za
-Cocktails in Ginza
Day 6, Wednesday:
-Forward big luggage from our hotel to Kyoto hotel
-Travel day to Miyajima using JR pass (approx 6 hours)
– Check into ryokan, Keiseki dinner and Onsen
Day 7, Thursday:
-breakfast at ryokan and morning onsen
-Catch Miyajima before day tourists come in
-Itsukushima shrine and floating Tori
-ropeway up mt.misen
-shopping streets
-ferry to Hiroshima
-peace park and musuem
-atomic bomb dome
-okinomiyaki at okinomimura
-bullet train to Kyoto
-check into hotel near Kyoto station, pick up big luggage
Day 8, Friday:
-Nishiki market for brunch
– Kimono hire
-Hanamikoji street
-yasaka shrine
-gion for tea
– kennin-ji
– sanneizaka/nineizaka
– Kiyomizudera in the evening lit up
-stroll kamo river, street performances
Day 9, Saturday
-Day trip to Osaka
-Osaka aquarium
-ferris wheel
-Dotonbori street food and bars, nightlife (recommendations welcome)
Day 10, Sunday
(Another possible hangover)
-return to Osaka
-Osaka castle early afternoon
-Food at Shinekei
-Head back to Kyoto
-Hike Fushimi Inari in the evening
Day 11, Monday
-universal studios full day
-book slots for Nintendo and Harry Potter
Day 12, Tuesday
-hire bikes from our hotel near Kyoto station
-Cycle up Kamo river to the silver pavilion and cycle down the philosophers path to Nanzenji, then back to hotel via kamo river
-Watch performance at gion corner
-Food and drinks in Pontocho
Day 13, Wednesday
-forward big luggage to Haneda airport from hotel
-Irashiyama monkey park
-scenic railway and boat ride
-Tenruji temple
-bamboo grove
Day 14, Thursday
-Travel back to Tokyo
-Souvineer shopping: isetan, donqui, etc.
-any activity we fancy/missed out on
-stay in capsule hotel in Shinjuku
Day 15, Friday
-1pm flight from Haneda
1 comment
Day 7 looks a little busy to me.
You mention buying a 2-week JR Pass. That seems like a pretty big waste of money, looking at your proposed itinerary. Check out the JR Pass Calculator on Japan Guide to confirm.