Hi, we are a couple traveling to Japan between May 6th and May 13th for the first time. We’ve put together an itinerary, and are hoping to get some specific guidance as well as any general things to look out for. We’re mostly interested in food, culture (- shrines), browsing around neighborhoods for small shops (but not as interested in department store shopping).
Browsing around the subreddit has been very helpful in planning, so we are looking forward to any tips. Thank you!
# May 6th, Saturday (Tokyo)
* 4:30pm arrival, 1.5 hours to hotel from NRT. Nothing planned except settling in and sleeping early.
* Lodging: **Tokyo East Side Hotel Kaie**, near Shiomi station
# May 7th, Sunday (Tokyo)
* Tsukiji **or** Toyosu Fish Market (5:30am) + Breakfast \[*any recommendations on which is preferable? The tuna auction at Toyosu sounds interesting, but we’re probably more interested in walking around and seeing the stalls*\]
* Ohi Racecourse Flea Market
* Back to hotel, rest
* Shinjuku – exploring the area including:
* Hedgehog Cafe
* Cafe Arles / Die Katze
* Marron Papier
* AEAJ Green Terrace \[*has anyone does this and whether it’s worth it?*\]
* Shinjuku National Garden
* Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories (sunset)
* Omoide Yokocho / Golden Gai dinner
# May 8th, Monday (Tokyo)
* Asakusa – exploring the neighborhood including:
* Senso-ji shrine
* Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku
* Nakamise-dori street
* Kagetsudo
* Asakusa Tatsumiya – cups/mugs
* Asakusa Chika Shotengai
* Mukojima Hyakkaen – Garden \[*is it plausible to take a rickshaw here from the shrine?*\]
* Chomeiji Sakuramochi – sweet dessert
* Higashi-Mukojima Coffee-ten
* Walking around Tsukishima Monja Street near our hotel
* Browsing at Ginza before dinner
* Ginza Kanematsu – Custom shoe fitting
* Ginza Uchikuan – Bonsai store
* Nonohana Tsukasa – Wild grass store
* Ginza Kimijimaya – Sake tasting
* Gekkoso – Art supply store
* Higashiya – Sweets, tea, alcohol
* Omakase at Matoi Ginza
# May 9th, Tuesday (Tokyo -> Hakone)
* **Lodging**: Laforet Club Hakone Gora Yunosumika, private onsen room
* **Travel**: Bus from Shiomi Station -> Train from Tokyo station -> Bus from Odawara station -> 10 minute walk to hotel (purchase Hakone Free Pass)
* Drop off luggage at hotel before check-in (confirmed with staff)
* Walk to the cable car ten minutes from hotel, stop at the volcanic area and get eggs, do the rest of the ropeway and head back (don’t take the ship or visit the shrine)
* Hakone Open Air Musuem & Chisujino Falls \[*is doing both plausible?*\]
* Check in at hotel, get dinner at the hotel restaurant, dessert nearby
* Rest for the night
# May 10th, Wednesday (Hakone -> Kyoto)
* **Travel**: Head out to Kyoto (3 hr 30 min): Cab/shuttle to Kiganosato Bus Station -> Bus to Odawara station -> Train and transfer at Shin-Yokohama Station -> Train to Kyoto Station
* Drop luggage off at Airbnb in Gion
* Have lunch at Nishiki market
* Fushimi Inari Taisha hike (may not go all the way up)
* Coffee at Vermillion Cafe if still open
* Return to Airbnb; rest and explore nearby neighborhood
* Head out for dinner in Gion / Pontocho; explore the streets at night, get desserts, etc
# May 11th, Thursday (Osaka half-day trip)
* Morning in Kyoto
* Kiyomizu-dera + Ninnenzaka + Sannenzaka
* Lunch nearby
* Sake tasting at Gekkeikan Sake Museum: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
* Head to Osaka
* Kaiyukan Aquarium
* Explore Dotombori, eat dinner
* Travel back to Kyoto
* At night, explore Gion / Pontocho; maybe get some late-night snacks or desserts
# May 12th, Friday (Kyoto)
* Morning in Arashiyama
* Bamboo forest
* Gio-Ji temple
* Itawayama Monkey Park
* Arashiyu foot massage
* Lunch
* Kinkaku-ji (may skip if we don’t have time)
* Kyoto Botanical Gardens
* Wife&Husband coffee and picnic
* Rest in Airbnb
* Head out for dinner, walk around Gion / Pontocho
# May 13th, Saturday (Kyoto -> Tokyo)
* Head to Tokyo around noon
* Flight from Haneda at 6pm
# Questions:
* We will be buying a 7-day JR pass; the calculator confirms that we’ll save some money with this. Are there any other passes that could be helpful for us?
* Are any of the days too packed?
* Any recommendations for us that we may have missed, especially food recs? We enjoy street vendors and sampling local restaurants/izakayas
* For early May, we are seeing that the weather will still be somewhat brisk but hopefully not too rainy. Any sense of how warmly and prepared we should dress & pack?
Thanks again!
2 comments
Tbh, with such a short period, I’d just stay in either the Tokyo or Kyoto/Osaka region for the entire time. You’re underestimating how much time you waste in transit and how large these cities are: once you account for that, you’ll find you won’t have as much time time as you think.
Each of these regions will have enough stuff to occupy you for several weeks. Probably Tokyo, since I’m guessing you’ve already got plane tickets.
Your days are way too packed in my opinion. We also had 7 days in Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka and there is no way we would have been able to fit another city in there even for half a day. In my opinion; select 2 to 4 “priority” visits per day, and be ok with dropping anything else if you run out of time because of transit times, meal wait times, etc.
Also if you haven’t ordered JR pass exchange orders yet, I would do so today. Mine took 10 days to arrive.
Edit to add: you can walk around Gion area after dinner but be aware, most places are still closing at 6 pm, as they have been since COVID rules. It won’t be in its full glory.