Hi everyone! I recently posted my draft itinerary for 20 days in japan and I got amazing feedback. A lot of you guys loved it! Well, i had to shorten my draft to 14 days as I have some unexpected trips coming up. I had revised the cities I am going to and would let to get some advice on this. My first question is should I go to kinosaki or gunma instead? Or should I just skip the onsens and see Nara for a day from Kyoto? I’m going with my boyfriend so we would like to experience the onsens together vs separated by gender. Which has more of that? I also had some questions about budgeting. Would 3k to spend aside from the 1.3k flight cost be enough for this trip? Also send me some cheap accommodation recommendations! (Not hostels or capsules)
Also, a lot of you were concerned at how detailed my itineraries are. Listen, I have been traveling like this for YEARS. It works for me and has always been a great time for me and everyone I travel with. I dont actually follow these ever to a tea. Sometimes you get stuck all day in the first place, other times you stumble into a place that’s not on the list. I am super flexible but like to have it planned incase we do need a guide for the day. So if this type of planning doesn’t work out for you then keep it to yourself. Also the things with a “/“ mean OR so if I have dominoes/McDonald’s it means I can go to either or.
MARCH 21 THURS
– [ ] MIA —> TOKYO
MARCH 22 FRI
– ARRIVE IN TOKYO!!!!
– Check into Airbnb
– Shinjuku Kabukicho @ sunset (Shinjuku Gyoen at night, Toho Cinema, Hanazono Jinja Shrine, cross Shinjuku vision)
– Drink at Shinjuku Golden Gai tonight (Bar Albratross/ 2nd option: Death match in hell, Araku)
– Pick up 7-11 snacks and Explore area near hotel
MARCH 23 SAT
– 1:30-2:30: Visit the Imperial Palace
– 11-12: Explore Akihabara (Super potato store, AmiAmi, Animate store, arcade buildings, chuo street, taito station; Home Cafe)
– Get ready to go out tonight
– Drink @ Star Club
– 10-6: Clubbing @ Loose Bar-> WARP SHINJUKU R3 Club Lounge
– Late night @ Ichiran
MARCH 24 SUN
– 9-8: Coffee @ Onibus Coffee
– Visit Meguro river
– 10-8 Visit the Starbucks roasters
– 10-8: Explore Harajuku (Meji shrine, Aoyamq cemetery, Yoyogi park, Takeshita street, cat street 2nd street thrift, kiddy land, Daiso, crepes, Mi Pig cafe, Harajuku Gyozaro)
– 12-9: Thrift @ Shimo-Kitazawa (New York joe, Flamingo, Rose, step ahead, Dylan)
– 5:30-7:30: Shibuya Sky
– 10-9: Explore Shibuya (Nintendo store, supreme, Hachiko square, QOO)
MARCH 25 MON
– Breakfast @ Lawsons (egg sandwhich)
– 9-9: VISIT TOKYO DISNEYSEA
– Hit up a Sakura illumination on Wednesday
MARCH 26 TUES
– TOKYO —> KAWAGUCHIKO
– 8-9:30:Chuerito Pagoda
– 9:30-5: Fuji Q Highland
– KAWAGUCHIKO —> TOKYO
– Dinner @ shin udon
MARCH 27 WED
– 6:30-10:10 Tsukiji fish market MUST TRY: wagyu, giant Oysters @ Saito Fisheries, tuna @ Maguroya, Eel @ Nisshin Tasuke, dumplings @ Suga shoten, Seafood bowls @ TsujiHan Zeitaku, Mochi @ soratsuki
– 11-8: Shop @ Sanrio World Ginza and stop at Tsujiri for ice cream
– Visit Ueno (Ueno park, shrine, Nezu shrine)
– wagyu yakiniku panga for Japanese bbq
– 1-5: Explore Asakusa (Senso-Ji shrine, Sakura Jingu shrine, sumida park, Donguri store, Tokyo sky tree @ sunset)
– Drink @ Red Bar
MARCH 28 THURS
TOKYO —> OSAKA
– Check into Airbnb
– 12-6:30: Have a bite at Izakaya Toyo
– Sakura tunnel in the Expo 70 Commemorative Park/ Kema Sakuranomiya Park
– 12-2: Explore Kuromon Ichiba Market (Kurogin, Takahashi Shokuhin)
– 2:30-3: Namba Yasaka Shrine go
– Maybe orange street or America Mor shopping??
– 5-6:30: Explore Shinsekai
– 6:30-1: Explore Dotombori (Pokémon center, FOOD TOUR:, Takoyaki @ Wanaka Sennichima, Okonomiyaki @ Ajinoya honten, Kushikatsu @ Daruma, Melonpan/Cheesecake, Egg tart @ Lord Stows, Dumplings @ Yasudaya, Custard Fish, running man Drinks @ Bible club)
– Umeda sky building for city views
MARCH 29 FRI
– 9-9: Universal studios Japan!!!
– Shop @ Don Quijote for souvenirs
– 11-5: party @ Ghost/Madam Woo
MARCH 30 SAT
– 12-2: brunch @ Kobe beef steak Ken
– OSAKA —> KYOTO
– Check into Airbnb
– Rent bikes
– 10-11: visit traditional Starbucks
– Stop by a Yojia store/miffy Sakura bakery
– 2-8: Gion district (Yasaka Shrine, Tower of Yasaka, Philosophers path, Gion corner, Sannenzaka street, Ninenzaka street, hanamikoji street, tatsumi bridge, Keage Incline, Nanzen-Ji, Tenji-An, Sanjo Bridge, Maruyama Park, Kodaji Temple + Kiyomizumadera Temple @ night + Heian Shrine)
– 5-9: Eat @ Kichi Kichi Omurice
– Drink @ Pontocho
MARCH 31 SUN (the temples from 2-4 are a big maybe)
– 7-1: Visit Arishiyama forest/ Monkey park/ Gio-ji Temple, Tenryuji Temple, Togetsu-Kyo Bridge (Lunch in arashiyama dauizen sushi OR Unagi Hirokawa OR tofu at Shorian OR Yoshinura for soba OR Kijurou for beef)
– 2-4: Ryoan-Ji, Hirano shrine, Kinkaku-Ji, Temple day!!
– 4-6: Fushimi inarii shrine @ sunset (mitsurugi-sha, the love rock here, Kifune Jinja, Fushimi castle)
– 10-5: Nishiki Market: (Kamura fresh fish, Matcha house)
– Visit art installation in Niko castle Kyoto!
APRIL 1 MON
– 11-3: Breakfast @ Hinodoe Udon
– KYOTO —> KINOSAKI
– Visit Onsenji temple to thank the hot spring gods and call the waters healing powers
– Go on the cable cars
– Check into a Ryokan and put on my Kimono (Morizuya Inn)
– Chill in the Ryokan baths (3:30-6)
– Eat dinner @ Ryokan (6:30PM)
– Explore public bathhouses (Kono-yu, Goshono-yu, Ichino-yu) 8-11PM)
– Walk around the town
APRIL 2 TUES (this day is up in the air) kinda just want to leave the last day open to feel the vibes but I only plan to pick one thing out of all the things on this list today)
– Chill in our hotels onsen until it’s time to leave
– KINOSAKI —> TOKYO
– Picnic @ Shingashi River
– Kinuta park + Gotokuji temple
– Shop @ Nakano broadway
– /Koenji/Ikebukuro/ thrift (explore the area and have a snack @ gudetama cafe)/ K books
– Explore Ikebukuro or Gunman
– Dinner @ Gonpachi or udon shin
APRIL 3 WED
TOKYO —> MIA
4 comments
Seems intense which isn’t bad thing but maybe a bit overplanned with where you plan on eating and drinking basic stuff
Is this me or the numbers make no sense?
Shinjuku gyoen closes at 6pm, right at the time of sunset. Id be curious to find out how you’re managing to hang out in the garden at night?
Also, I’m in Japan now doing (not in Sakura bloom) and some of days are very packed and intense. They look possible but also looked rushed. I don’t think you’re taking into account the long lines a lot of these places will have. I would suggest being flexible with your days and having a “top list” of things you want to do that day and potentially removing some things last minute due to lines/so you can rest and not burn yourself out.
I’ve travelled to japan few times and my planning it’s similar to yours. It’s not intense at all, and you said you’re pretty flex anyway so it’s fine. My personal preference is onsens over seeing deers/Nara. Nara is pretty fun but i was a bit underwhelmed. I just love relaxing in onsens that’s all. Kinosaki is great; you won’t be disappointed. I’d be going to gunma on oct this time round for onsens.