Konnichiwa minasan,
I am almost done with planning my itinerary for a 28 days trip in Japan and I would like to hear some feedback and in hope of getting some help for 5 days I could visit before returning to Tokyo.
My trip starts at May 4th and ends on the 31st of May.
In Tokyo I spent most of the time with a friend. I can sleep at his place for the first few days. Afterwards I am heading out alone for my trip with the Shinkansen Pass.
Here we go:
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* **Arrival in Tokyo 4 May**
I will arive in Tokyo at 9:30am. My friend picks me up from the airport and I just spent the day with him. I havn’t planned anything for that day as I just wanna arrive. So no concrete plans. He will show me around.
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* **5 May Tour around Shinjuku**
Shinujuko Gyoen
Matsumoto Kiyoshi
Tokyio Metropolitan Goyverment Building (observation deck)
Hanazono Shrine
Don Quijote
Omoide Yokocho
Kabukicho
Godzilla Head 😉
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* **6 May Tokyo**
Meiji Shrine
Harajuku
Shibuya
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* **7 May Tokyo**
Ueno
Ameya Yokocho
Asakusa
Tokyo Skytree (in the evening)
For my ideas for Tokyo I found this blog [tokyo-itinerary](https://preparetravelplans.com/tokyo-itinerary/)
Starting from the 8th of May I activate my Shinkansen Pass for 21 days and make my way to the west of Japan.
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* **8 May Hakone**
Hakone Open Air Museum
Cable Car to Owakudani / Hakone Ropeway
Owakudani
GeoMuseum
Cruise
Hakone-jinja shrine
For Hakone I plan to buy the Hakone Freepass to save up money and have not to worry about what bus or train I need to use. It also includes the cable car.
I got my Ideas from [Hakone Itinerary](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/course/244)
Getting to Hakone from Tokyo takes around 1,5 – 2 hours by public transportation.
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* **9 May Kawaguchiko**
Bike trip around the lake,
Sunset and chill with Mount Fuji view
Dinner at the local izakaya
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* **10 May Kawaguchiko**
Chureito Pagoda
Sake brewery tour in the afternoon
My ideas for Kawaguchiko came from the following blog [2-days-itinerary](https://betifulworld.com/how-to-fall-in-love-with-mount-fuji-lake-kawaguchi-in-2-days/)
Getting to Kawaguchiko from Hakone takes around 3,5 hours by public transportation. There are quite a few possibilites to reach it.
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* **11 May Kanazawa**
Kenroku-en
Kanazawa Castle Park
Oyama Jinja Shrine
Nagamachi Samurai District
On the first day of Kanazawa I intend to get a One-Day bus ticket to save up some money and don’t have to worry buying a ticket for every bus/tram.
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* **12 May Kanazawa**
Omi-cho Market
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Ishiura Jinja Shrine
Kazue-machi Chaya District
Higashi Chaya District (Higashiyama)
Getting from Kawaguchiko to Kanazawa is quite a trip as it takes around 6 hours by public transportation to get there. I plan to leave no later than 7am so I will be there around 1pm.
My ideas for Kanazawa came from [kanazawa-itinerary](https://www.theflashpacker.net/kanazawa-itinerary/)
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* **13 May Kyoto south Higashiyama**
Kiyomizudera Temple 6am – 6pm
Sannenzaka Street
Maccha House 11am – 6pm
Ninenzaka Street
Ichibeikoji Street
Kodai-ji Temple 9am – 5pm
Maruyama Park 10am – 4:20pm
Yasaka Jinja Shrine
Chionin Temple 10am – 4:20pm
Shoren-in Temple and Garden 9:00am – 4:30pm
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* **14 May Kyoto Arashiyama and northwest**
Bamboo Forest
Okochi Sanso Garden 9am – 5pm
Tenryu-ji Temple 8:30am – 5pm
Lunch
Ryoan-ji Temple 8am – 5pm
Kinkaku-ji Temple 9am – 5pm
Daitoku-ji Temple 9am – 5pm
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* **15 May Kyoto Downtown Kyoto**
Nijo-jo Castle 8:45am – 5:00pm
Nishiki Market 9:00am – 6:00pm
Gion Neighborhood
Food Tour of Kyoto
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* **16 May Kyoto south Kyoto and north Higashiyama**
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Nanzen-ji Temple 8:40am – 4:30/5:00pm
Eikan-do Temple 9:00am – 4:00pm
Philosopher’s Path
Honen-in Temple 6:00am – 4:00pm
Ginkaku-ji Temple 8:30am – 5:00pm
Geisha Performance
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* **17 May Nara**
Kōfuku-ji Temple 9am – 5pm
Isuien Garden
Todai-ji Temple 7:30am – 7:30pm
Deer Park and Mt. Wakakusa
Kasuga-Taisha 6am – 6pm
At the beginning of planning my itinerary I considered staying in Nara, but I didn’t want to switch hotels as often so I decided to stay in Kyoto for the night before going to Osaka. Well it almost worked….
Because of a stupid mistake I booked my hotel till 17th and changing it is more expensive now than when I booked it. So I leave for Nara in the morning and head to Osaka in the evening. I intented to stay in Kyoto till the morning of the 18th since Nara is pretty close to both cities and the traveling time is quite short.
For Kyoto I used the following ideas [kyoto-itinerary-4-days](https://thebambootraveler.com/kyoto-itinerary-4-days-a-city-of-a-million-temples/) and for Nara [nara-itinerary-one-day-trip](https://thenavigatio.com/nara-itinerary-one-day-trip/)
The timetables at the places I visit in Kyoto and ongoing are just the opening hours of the places I intend to visit. Not my actually time I spent there.
On the second day of Kyoto I also intend to visit the monkey park and either Shimogamo-jinjia or Kamigamo-jinjia. The following day I visit one of the two shrines I didn’t visit the day before. For the final day in Kyoto I also visit Kennin-ji.
Getting to Kyoto from Kanazawa takes around 2 – 2,5 hours. Kyoto to Nara is about 0,5 – 0,75 hours. From Nara to Osaka it‘s about 0,5 hours. All by public transportation.
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* **18 May Osaka**
Osaka Castle 9am – 5pm
Kuromon Ichiba Market 9am – 6pm
Umeda Sky Building
Dotombori & Amerikamura Area Evening
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* **19 May Osaka**
Namba Shrine 6:30am – 5pm
Rikuro Cheesecake
Tsutenkaku Osaka Tower
Osaska Aquarium 10am – 8pm
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My ideas for Osaka I found by the help of the following blog [osaka-itinerary](https://nerdnomads.com/osaka-itinerary)
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* **20 May Hiroshima**
Himeji-Castle 9am – 4pm
Atomic Bomb Dome
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum 8:30am – 6pm
Hiroshima Castle 9am – 6pm
Shukkeien Garden 9am – 5pm
Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum 9am – 5pm
Okonomimura (dinner)
Peace Pagoda Night View 4:30am – 7pm
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* **21 May Hiroshima**
Futabanosato Walking Trail
Mitakidera Temple
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* **22 May Hiroshima**
Senjokaku Pavilion
Itsukushima Shrine
Miyajima Museum of History or Miyajima Public Aquarium
Lunch
Daisho-in Temple
Ropeway or Hike to Mount Misen
Mount Misen Observatory
Coming from Osaka I want do a stop at Himeji (as most do) and visit Hemeji-Castle. I plan to be there at 9 am. I guess I will spend around 2 hours there and keep continuing to Hiroshima. I don’t think I will do all things I listed on the first day, as it would be just rushing around. The places I won’t visit I do intend to visit on my second day. For the third day I am of to Miyajima.
My ideas for Hiroshima came from [hiroshima-3-day-itinerary](https://www.touristinjapan.com/hiroshima-3-day-itinerary/)
Gettin to Himeji from Osaka takes about 1 hour by public transportation and going from there another 1,5 hours by train to Hiroshima.
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* **23 May ???**
* **24 May ???**
* **25 May ???**
* **26 May ???**
* **27 May ???**
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* **28 May Tokyo**
This is the final day of my Shinkansen-Pass. My idea was to travel from wherever I am back to Tokyo and spent leisurely the day with my friend.
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* **29 May Tokyo**
Tokyo Tower
Ginza
Odaiba
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* **30 May Tokyo**
Anything I havn’t visited in Tokyo yet.
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* **31 May Tokyo**
Flight back at 11:30am
So this is my plan for my vacation in Japan. Now I am getting to my questions in hope to get some help and ideas 😊
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**Questions**:
* What is the best way to get from Hakone to Kawaguchiko if I have a Shinkansen-pass?
So far I wrote down getting the Fuji-Hakone pass as most public transportation isn’t covered in the Shinkansen-Pass. Should I get this pass instead of the Hakone pass or is it budget-wise better to always pay the fares to get to Kawaguchiko?
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* What ist he best way to get from Kawaguchiko to Kanazawa if I have a Shinkansen-pass?
The google map routes are quite differently by public transportation.
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* Is the „Osaka Amazing pass“ worth it for 2 days (3.600 Yen)?
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* I have no idea where to go after Hiroshima (23 to 27 May). I am absolutely open for any ideas and have no problem with traveling around one day to get to a further away area.
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Thanks for reading and helping me with my trip. If you are around some place I am visiting give me a shout. Maybe we can meet 😉