Tokyo/Kyoto and Some Day Trips – 14 Day Itinerary Advice

23 comments

1. Regarding the JR passes – are you planning to use them on the local subways? Remember they are useful only on JR lines and you will need a PASMO/SUICA card for the other lines.

   Also, it seems like you’ll take the first Shinkansen ride on day 7 and the last one on day 12. You’ll be able to manage this with a 7 day pass.

   Tsukiji market is no longer the fish auction hub. The surrounding restaurants still exist and are totally worth checking out.

2. Monkey park in Kyoto is great. Did it on both of my japan trips. Wear good walk/hiking boots that day. Cause it’s a hike up a mountain.

3. Hi, i went to Japan June 2019 and did a similar trip but i didnt visit Hiroshima.

   You should visit Nara and Kobe. Nara was really awesome and Kobe has an awesome cable car with an geat view and Steaks.
   And eat and snack as much as possible. I Miss the food so much.

   I am planning to visit Japan again in April (if Corona allows it) but next time i would take the Shinkansen till Fukuoka and from there Korea.

4. Would you consider reversing the order of your trip? I did essentially the same trip you’re planning last year but when I landed in Tokyo, I took the jr train straight to Kyoto. The train ride is a few hours long so I did that to optimize the time I spent at each city.

   If you are flying home out of Tokyo, it seems like a waste to have to travel from Kyoto to Tokyo for that.

5. I suggest keeping your Tokyo days flexible so that you can go to Lake Kawaguchiko on the sunniest/clearest day. I also recommend renting a bike to ride around town. It’s quite an experience to bike around with Mt Fuji in the background.

6. First, JR Pass 1 week, from day 6 to 12. There is nothing that justify the extra week. The extra week is 13 000 yen more and you can do all the short distance for less than that, and Kawaguchiko by bus would be cheaper than by train. Also, if there is a line of people changing the pass at the airport, do it later in Tokyo.

   Day 3 and 5. I do not understand why you do Shinjuku and Akihabara on the same day, then Shinjuku and Ueno. I would suggest to do Ueno and Akihabara on the same day, as they are next to each other, and focus your day in Shinjuku to do everything you want to do in Shinjuku.

   Day 8 : Kinkakuji “early in the morning”… you mean… like at 9am when it open? that is not especially early.

   Day 13 – as you plan it as a day trip, you might want to check weather forecast and go when the weather is good. If it’s good on day 4, go on day 4.

7. Your Hiroshima day is pretty packed considering the ride from and to Kyoto and the journey down to miyajima. Why not stay there for 2 nights, check in after Himeji and check out on way back east?

8. Regarding fluffy pancakes, check what time the cafe opens. Gram opens at 11, and Shiawase Pancake opens earlier, but we went last year to the Ginza one and had to wait more than an hour to finally be seated.
   But they do have an online system that you can check how far along you are in the queue so you can walk around.

   I don’t know how much will change in 2022. So take my advice with a grain of salt.

   I know you are going to the Pokémon centre, but if you decide to go to the cafe, book early. I think only if you are really lucky you might get a seat if you just turn up.

9. The end of July is a MASSIVE festival season in Kansai, including 2 of Japan’s 3 largest festivals. The Gion Festival in Kyoto lasts all month, with main events on the 17th and 24th, and evening festivities on the few days preceding (eg. the 22nd-23rd). The 24-25th (especially the 25th) is the Tenjin Festival in Osaka. And the Mitarashi Festival at Shimogamo Shrine is also held towards the end of the month, as well as the Motomiya Festival at Fushimi Inari and many other smaller festivals (check for specific dates as the time approaches). Also, the 25th is Tenjin-san market at Kitanotenmangu and the 21st is also Kobo-san market at Toji (both in Kyoto and both highly recommended).

   Under normal circumstances I ordinarily recommend a minimum of 6 full days just for the highlights of Kansai, but if you’re planning to go to these festivals (I highly recommend it) and going in the heat of July, I would really recommend more like 10 days–again, as a starting point. Right now you have 4.

   I usually recommend 3 full days just for the highlights of Kyoto under normal circumstances–you’re giving it maybe a day and half in the middle of festival season and one of the hottest times of the year. Going to Kansai and skipping Nara is also pretty nuts since it’s basically unskippable if you’re going that far.

   Even under normal circumstances I would really recommend cutting the side trips to Gujo Hachiman, Hiroshima and even Kawaguchiko. Gujo Hachiman is kind of an out of the way detour and Hiroshima + Miyajima, while technically doable, is a lot for one day. Kawaguchiko is also generally not something I recommend as a day trip–it’s much better when you can settle in and take your time. You’d have more than enough to do just between Kanto and Kansai even if it weren’t a festival season and sweltering hot with what really boils down to to just 12 days.

   > We are going to buy 2 week JR passes and use mainly Airbnbs.

   Finalize your plan first, then decide on whether or not to buy passes. If you cut some or all of the day trips I suggested (especially Hiroshima) you might end up spending more on the passes than you would just paying out of pocket.

   Ultimately if you want to cover this much ground (especially in late July) I would recommend extending your trip by at least another week.

10. Don’t bother visiting Ueno Zoo, unless you like seeing animals in tiny cramped enclosures. Instead visit the nearby Ameyoko, if you are in that area.

11. Depending on your cell phone provider you could use your phones data plan. We have T-Mobile and it’s free to use data in Japan, calls cost a bit, but we just used FaceTime audio/video to call people. While in Tokyo go to Akihabara and hit up the SEGA arcades! They are so much fun! And go shopping in a Don Quijote (the one in Shibuya was our favorite)

    And finally, HAVE A BLAST! We love Japan and hope to go again soon

12. Wowwwww, this is a packed itinerary!

    Are you absolutely determined to go in July? It is not pleasant weather. I’m talking hot with 95% humidity. Walking around all day in that is not particularly pleasant. It’s much nicer in Spring and Autumn. I’d wait until September/October and go see the autumn leaves (koyo), so gorgeous!

    In any case, my recommendation would be to relax your itinerary a bit. Allow for some spontaneity! Also, you are criss-crossing Tokyo a LOT. It is a big place!! Save all of these places you want into google maps and look at where they actually are. Group visits to places into days.

    Like, I would do shopping in Omotesando (including Cat St), visit Harajuku (Takeshita St), maybe a hedgehog cafe, then go to Meiji Shrine, then Yoyogi Park. That’s a big day altogether; but you could then swing down to the high-rise part of Shibuya in the late afternoon / early evening, see the crossing etc, and then check out some of the crazy little bars around there. I wouldn’t then go back to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – do that on a day you’re in Shinjuku.

    Also, I wouldn’t bother with Ueno Zoo. But the park there is beautiful. And if you’re heading all the way over to Ueno, then combine that with Asakusa. So go to Ueno Onshi Park which is right next to the museum, then continue on to Asakusa, wander around and go to Senso-ji temple. That’s a very full day right there. Skip the sky tree – it’s over-priced as all hell.

    Golden Gai you should do in the evening and when you are exploring Shinjuku. Go to Piss Alley (now renamed Yakitori Alley) for food first, wander around the area and check out the lights, then, if you want to do something mega-touristy and cheesy but fun, go to the Robot Restaurant (book), and then hit Golden Gai. Golden Gai has sadly been overrun with tourists but it is still cool and worth checking out. And, you know, just check out the love hotels in Kabukicho, there are loads of interesting people around!

    There are so many options in Tokyo… you could always just see how you feel and choose from a variety of options. Like you could go to Daikan-Yama and around Nakameguro, or Shimokitazawa which is super cute and hipster and nice to explore during the day, or Koenji which is like a retro punk neighbourhood with great live music. You could also go up to Takaosan on a clear day, the walk is stunning, the view is incredible, and there’s a monkey park up there too.

    For the Fuji Five Lakes area, keep an eye on the weather. It could be best to head out the evening before and get up at dawn to watch the sunrise reflecting on Mt Fuji. Fuji is clearest first thing in the morning. There are spots near Ubuyagasaki Shrine (bear the bridge) that have amazing views. There are some lovely hikes around there (again, autumn weather is killer). Do yourselves a favour and go to the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum – incredible.

    General Tokyo advice: try to find accommodation on the Yamanote line.

    Osaka: this plan is crazy. Why would you go back to Kyoto? Just stay in Osaka and return to Tokyo from there. Dotonbori is very much a night time place to visit anyway. Osaka also has really fun bars and clubs.
    I would do any final Kyoto shrines you want to do super early in the morning then head to Osaka and stay there.

    Kyoto:

    Arashiyama is fantastic – it’s a full day though to do it properly. Hire bikes when there and pre-research the best shrines and spots because then you can just ride to those and not get side-tracked. Definitely go to the Tenryuji Temple and the bamboo grove. Out the back of the bamboo grove is Okochi Sanso Villa with lovely gardens to wander around. Definitely worth going through. There is a lovely preserved area of old houses and streets near Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple (home to hundreds of small stone statues – the souls of the dead) called Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street. It’s lovely to slowly ride a bike along. At the top of that street is another temple called Oragi Nenbutsuji Temple which is famous for its 1200 stone statues of raken, each with a different facial expression – the modern version of Adashino Nenbutsuji. There are lot of other great temples too – pick out what looks the most interesting!

    If you plan on going to Fushimi Inari Shrine, go as early as possible and allow time – it is a lot bigger than most people think.

    A suggestion:

    Go from Kyoto or Osaka to Koyasan (Mt Koya) in Wakayama. Stay with the monks overnight (shukubo), visit Okunoin Cemetary in the Forest, do the pilgrimage hikes, and visit the Garan Temple Complex. It is the center of Shingon Buddhism and is absolutely amazing. Two days and one night would work (including the train trip).

    General advice:

    International cards only work in 7-eleven and (some) Lawson ATMs. If you are going outside of the main cities, take lots of cash because you can get stuck in areas with no ATMs (even in 7-elevens) that take foreign cards. In general it is a cash-based society.

    Always carry your passport on you, it is a legal requirement in Japan.

    Always stick to the left, especially on escalators. So many tourists muck up the system! The right side is for walking swiftly up when in a rush. The left is for standing in a neat queue. Except in Osaka where it is swapped and you stand on the right. Kyoto is a mix depending on where you are going so just copy the Japanese people.

    Airbnbs are everywhere, if you want to do the fancy onsen experience, stay in a Ryokan, but also, the hostels are the best in the world and there are plenty that are fabulous places to stay, even when you’re well past your hostel-staying years. You can often get private rooms for a group too.

    Get a data sim when there.

13. 1. If you go to Tsukiji consider team lab borderless.

    2. The jet lag will hit you hard on day 2 or 3

    3. Breakfast isn’t really a thing in Japan, most shops don’t open until like 11am. I wouldn’t expect the pancake place to be open until that time. Expect to be eating mostly convenience store food before these hours.

    4. If you go to shibuya instead consider spending time around harajuku and omotesando instead of going to the Tokyo metropolitan building in the same evening.

    5. Instead of ueno zoo go to the park with the bunch of temples and ameyoko

    6. Do not go inside osaka castle, walk around for an hour or 2 then leave.

14. I recommend checking out sento or onsen in Tokyo before your Day 6 planned agenda.

    Not so you’re prepared or anything like that, I simply recommend checking one out earlier in your trip because they’re one of my favorite things in Japan, and I would hate for you to try them and possibly find you really like them almost halfway through your trip.

    There are a bunch in Tokyo searchable on Google Maps with English reviews. I went to 4 different ones in Tokyo near different accommodations, and they all had posters with instructions and etiquette in English.

15. Avoid the zoo and include Itsukushima Shrine and Fushimi Inari Shrine. Both are worthy

16. We had 3 nights in Hiroshima and could have benefited from it being 4.

    A Miyajima trip could take up 4-5 hours. Train, ferry, enjoy, ferry train.

    The Kintai bridge is down that way too and the cable car up to the castle.

    Otherwise seems an ok plan.

17. First problem that came to mind. I went to Kawaguchiko during my first time in Tokyo (21 day trip). Despite spending 21 days there, everyday was hella packed so there weren’t any room for change if anything bad happened.

    Weather could be a pain in the ass not only because that you can’t see Mt. Fuji, but also if there was a typhoon come through on that exact day (exactly what happened to me), all you could do is sleep in the Ryokan you booked.

    After leaving the bus from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko, we had to take a taxi to the Ryokan next to the lake as it was far away from the bus stop. Due to the typhoon, the Ryokan said that they can’t prepare meals for us so we had to walk 25mins to the closest restaurant for lunch and supermarket to stock up for that day’s dinner. Only photo we took was lake behind us with typhoon winds and rain bashing us 😛

    Then the next day despite the typhoon no longer hitting Japan Honshu, no sun as well. No Mt. Fuji nor a nice clear sky lake view. Spent 20000~30000yen just to get there for a nap, a chain restaurant hamburger steak and some supermarket food lol.

    If you have enough budget and time, it is better to put the Mt. Fuji experience earlier on. You also have to factor in the fatigue issue for such a long trip. I was a very athletic man (6-pack basketball and martial arts dude type of athletic) and slowly I got more and more tired from the back pain due to luggage transportation. Long day trips are more enjoyable in the earlier days.

18. Please you’ll should help with a karma .. I’m upvoting every comment and replies.

19. I’m noticing a distinct lack of Daibutsu – giant Buddha statues. You’re planning on passing by 3: in Kamakura (quick trip from Tokyo), Gifu (hardest one to get to for you), and Nara (which should be a top priority). I’m not sure where you can move your schedule around to see them, but I highly recommend them.

20. Tsukiji fish market is cool because there’s lots of street vendors, but the actual fish market closed down its operations and moved to a brand new location, Toyosu Fish Market. Highly recommend Sushi Dai which is at Toyosu.

21. Tokyo is sweltering in late JulyAugust i’d suggest going in MarchAprilMay. Also pick 2-3 major cities TokyoKyotoOsaka explore them then hop onto daytrips around those. You may be spreading yourselves thin by spending your time in out of the way places like Gujo Haciman. For some reason people like to trapeeze all over the place without thinking when they can go to nearby places and get a fuller experience.

    1. For Tokyo skip Ueno Zoo. Its not hat impressive. The national museum is good though. You could also use that day to go on a daytrip to Kawagoe + Shibamata oldtowns or Kamakura + Enoshima Island. Theres so much to see in Tokyo it will take you multiple trips to see it all.

    2. I’d go straight to Kawaguchiko and the Mt Fuji area right after Tokyo since its on the way then transit to Kyoto for the night.

    3. I’d book a couple nights in a hot springs hotel such as Dormy Inn and possibly a night or two at a real ryokan to get the experience. Nothing beats a long day of exploring and having fun like a hot soak and the Japanese do onsen hot springs so well they are probably the best in the world. I recommend Dormy Inn or similiar becuase they typically have large common area public baths within the hotel itself seperated for men and women. They also have free 9pm ramen noodles too in their cafeteria. You can get 70-80% of the real ryokan experience.

    Don’t be shy when in Rome do as the Romans and even they bathed naked together. Pretty much the Russians, Turks, Finns and all of the cold-climate nordic countries bath or sauna together naked. The Japanese are experts as ignoring each other and you in the baths unless they want to talk to you. Just remeber you have to shower and clean yourself before you go in.

    4. Instead of going to one off place like Gujo Hachiman add a day or two to Kyoto. For Gujo Hachiman I’d wait until the next trip when you visit Nagoya (major city) then daytrip to surrounds ( Gujo Hachiman, Kiso Valley, Takayama, etc.)

    4a. For Kyoto you definitely need to go up to the water temple. Mizudera and surrounding old neighborhoods. Skip the lesser known temples if you dont have time but definitely Mizudera. You can make this your sole destination for the day then end in Gion, the geisha district to the south at night. At Mizudera there is a giant iron spear right after the ticket gate. The spear of a legendary gaint warrior monk Benkei and his master Yoshitsune.

    4b. Theres aslo Fushimi Inari the temple complex spanning the top of Kyoto’s eastern mountains. Excellent 1/2 day hike through.

    4c. If you want the countryside experience while still being within your major city homebase you can go to Kurama and hike through to Kibune north of Kyoto. Sanzen-In also has a relaxed cpuntryside vibe similiar to Gujo Hachiman.

    5. I wouldn’t daytrip to to Himeji or Hiroshima then go back to Kyoto. You are wasting precious time going back and forth. The less time you spend travelling the more time for you and your friends to have fun. Just Leave Kyoto go to Himeji see the castle in the morning then continue on to Hiroshima in the afternoon, and stay at a hotelairbnb in Hiroshima for the night so you can be fresh the next day without wasting daylight transiting.

    6. For Osaka I’d save it as a day or day and a half on your way back to Tokyo or on your way before you go to Hiroshima. Again not worth transiting back and forth to Kyoto even if its so close. Get your airbnbhotel for the night there. Go see the usual Osaka Castle, Namba, Shin sekai, etc. Osaka has so much to see just like Tokyo, Kyoto you will never be able to see it all in one trip.

    7. Also airport day, try booking a night-time flight out back to your country if you want to squeeze an extra day or half day out of it. Japanese transportation is so efficent and good it will be fast and easy to get to the either Haneda or Narita airport. Try not to waste a day getting there.

22. (i) There are a lot of museums and temples in Ueno Park, including an Original Flame from Hiroshima. Ameyoko, by it is really pretty.

    (ii) If you’re visiting Kinkakuji in Kyoto, right beside it is Ryoanji which is a beautiful rock-garden with pebbles and white sand.

    (iii) Check out some cultural activities too – I loved the manga museum in Kyoto, and watched Kabuki theatre. I also did a beginners Zen Calligraphy in one of the temples.

    (iv) When visiting Sensoji in Asakusa, visit Hoppy street next to it – pretty lane with tiny Izakayas.

    (v) The plan seems heavily packed. Keep 1-2 “blank” days – for resting or filling out with spontaneous stuff.

    Good luck !!

23. Maybe my itinerary is useful for you https://reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/7ga99l/first_time_traveling_to_japan_from_chile/