Hello! We are a 22F/23M couple traveling to Japan for the first time mid-May! We’re very active individuals and are totally fine walking/moving around a lot every day (we want to see as much as possible). We’re trying to keep a little bit of room in our schedule for exploring, but there’s so much to see.
The biggest feedback we’re looking for are recommendations on places to eat! I’ve included roughly where we’re staying each night if that helps at all. 🙂 Open to any and all feedback.
**Day 1: Tokyo/Arrival**
Land in Tokyo at Narita (2 PM)
* Purchase JR Pass/PASMO
* Check into hotel (after 3PM)
* Hello Kitty Japan, Pokemon Center
* Lunch
* Shibuya Area
* Check out ‘Cat Street’
* Dinner
* Omoide Yokochō
*Hotel is in Sumida City, near the Tokyo Skytree*
**Day 2: Tokyo**
* Breakfast
* Gotokuji Temple
* Buy a goshuincho
* 3 hour train to Ghibli Park!
* Ghibli Park (be there by 12PM)
* Lunch
* Train back to Tokyo
* Dinner
* T.M.G. Observation Room
* Omoide Yokochō again!
*Hotel is in Sumida City, near the Tokyo Skytree*
**Day 3: Hiroshima**
* Quick Breakfast. maybe grab something from 7 Eleven the day before
* 4 hour train to Hiroshima
* Lunch
* Peace Memorial Park
* Check into hotel (after 3 PM)
* Momijidani Park
* Miyajima Shrine Tori
* Dinner
* Check out the entertainment district
*Hotel is in Miyajimaguchiue, near the ferry to Miyajima*
**Day 4: Hiroshima**
* Breakfast
* Hiroshima Castle
* Lunch
* Shukkei-en Garden
* Check out PARCO
* Dinner
*Hotel is in Miyajimaguchiue, near the ferry to Miyajima*
**Day 5: Osaka**
* 1 hr 30min train to Osaka
* Lunch
* Kuchu Teien Observatory
* Check into hotel (after 3pm)
* Tsutenkaku Tower
* Shinsaibashisuji Area
* Dontonbori + Glico Running Man
* Dinner
*Hotel is in Nipponbashinishi, near Tennoji Park*
**Day 6: Osaka**
* Breakfast
* Shitenoji Temple
* Lunch: Pokemon Cafe
* Osaka Castle
* Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
* Dinner
*Hotel is in Nipponbashinishi, near Tennoji Park*
**Day 7: Kyoto**
* Breakfast
* 15 minute train to Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari Taisha
* Nijō Castle
* Lunch
* Sagano Scenic Railway trolley train
* Arashiyama Bamboo Park
* Arashiyama Monkey Park
* Dinner: Pontocho Alley
*Hotel is near Okazaki Enshojicho*
**Day 8: Kyoto/Tokyo**
* Breakfast: Rilakkuma cafe
* Toji Temple
* Lunch
* 3 hour train to Tokyo
* Go to Sanja Matsuri!!!!
* Dinner
*Hotel is in Taito City, near the Asakusa Station*
**Day 9: Tokyo/Departure**
* Breakfast
* Meiji Shrine (if we have time/get up early enough)
* Kameido Tenjin Shrine
* Departure at Narita (2:40 pm)
Is this schedule too much, or are there things that just aren’t worth visiting (this time of year) that we have down? Thanks for your help!
1 comment
Going back to Tokyo after the Ghibli Park just to go to Hiroshima the day after seems like a huge waste of time and money. Continuing to Hiroshima after the park would make your day after a lot less cramped.
For the first day keep in mind it takes a lot of time from the airport to the city. We landed at 1pm a week ago and didnt make it to our hotel in Shinjuku until around 5pm. Especially considering your hotel is not that close to your planned activities, plus any potential jetlag, doing a lot in Shibuya might not be feasible.
It also makes me wonder why your Tokyo hotels are in Sumida and Asakusa while everything you’re planning to do is on the western side.
The Kyoto day is also quite lofty, since it includes moving hotels, amd the places you want to visit are not that close to each other.
I’d personally drop Hiroshima completely (even though I love the city) and spend some more time on Kyoto or Tokyo. 9 days for the 4 cities is definitely doable, but imo its a bit rushed.