Hello! I am planning my first Japan trip, and want to make sure this looks feasible.
My main concern is how I tried to stick Shimoda in between Tokyo and Hakone. I’m worried I won’t be spending enough days in Tokyo as a result, and might have too much packed into the couple days I currently have there. Would I be better off forgetting Shimoda and just using that time to enjoy Tokyo more? It’d also be annoying changing hotels several nights in a row, probably.
But I put Shimoda in there as I really wanted to see a smaller coastal Japanese town instead of just the big cities, and it seems like a really cool place I’d love to see if possible. But is the rest of the time around Tokyo going to be too rushed with this as is?
I feel more confident about having enough time in Kyoto, but open to suggestions concerning that plan as well!
# Day 1 (Saturday June 24)
* Fly out
# Day 2 (Sunday June 25)
* Arrive 3:30 pm Tokyo (Haneda)
* Find hotel, explore nearby area and get dinner
* Hotel in Shinjuku?
* Shinjuku
* Omoide Yokocho – small street with restaurants
* Golden gai – Small streets with bars
# Day 3 (Monday June 26)
* Imperial palace east garden?
* Shibuya area
* Meiji shrine
* Yoyogi park
* Cat street: old houses renovated into shops
* Harajuku?
* Nezu museum / garden
* Omotesando?
* Center-Gai: shopping
* MAGNET by SHIBUYA109: eat at foodcourt
* Underground mall
* Oreryu shio ramen – dinner
# Day 4 (Tuesday June 27)
* Asakusa
* Tokyo Skytree (view from Sumida park)
* Sensoji Buddhist temple
* Ueno park
* Tokyo national museum?
* Akihabara
* Shop
* Eat at cafe
If more time (probably unlikely but ideas for more just in case):
* Yanaka??
* Yanaka Ginza street – souvenirs
* Gyokurin-Ji temple
* Kichijoji??
* Shop at sun road
* Inokashira Park: pond
# Day 5 (Wednesday June 28)
* Depart for Shimoda in morning
* Odoriko 3 Limited Express Izukyu-Shimoda
* Depart 9 am, arrive 11:41 am
* Walk around Perry road
* Museums
# Day 6 (Thursday June 29)
* Shimoda: beach town
* Shimoda ropeway
* Shrines at beach, explore beach area a bit
* Return to Tokyo
* Odoriko 10 Limited Express
* Depart 1 pm, arrive 3:49 pm
* Teamlab Planets/Borderless
* See art museum
* Explore bay area
* Tsukiji (Toyosu?)
* Outer market: street food, sushi
* Depart for Hakone either in evening….?
* Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen
* Depart 8:27 pm, arrive 9:32 pm
# Day 7 (Friday June 30)
* ….Or depart for Hakone in morning?
* Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen
* Depart 8:27 am, arrive 9:27 am
* Hakone
* Hakone Shrine
* Lantern path through forest
* Hakone Checkpoint
* Lunch
* Pirate ship cruise across lake
* Hakone ropeway cable car
* Hakone open air museum
# Day 8 (Saturday July 1)
* Train to Kyoto – arrive around 12 pm
* Get lunch
* Kiyomizudera Temple
* Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple
* Zen Garden nearby
* Gion neighborhood
* Dinner
# Day 9 (Sunday July 2)
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Nishiki Market – lunch
* Some more temples (Nijo castle, Imperial palace)???
* Pontocho Alley – dinner
# Day 10 (Monday July 3)
* Arashiyama
* Togetsukyō Bridge
* Bamboo Grove
* Tenryuji Temple
* Arashiyama Monkey Park
* Other stuff we didn’t have time for?
# Day 11 (Tuesday July 4)
* Train to Tokyo
* Depart 3:50 pm Tokyo (Haneda)
1 comment
You’re right in that you don’t have much time. It’s really a whirlwind tour. But IMO I think it’s amazing to see at least one quiet place like Shimoda. Compared to everywhere else in your list, it will be really going like back in time 10+ years. So I’m torn… I think it depends how strongly you’re into the stuff you have planned in Tokyo & Kyoto… how good are you with jet lag? What would you be devastated if you missed?
If you want to go to Shimoda, on June 29th, instead of returning to Tokyo, I would head from Shimoda to Hakone directly (same Odoriko and transfer at Odawara). Shift all your other plans about a half day earlier. You’ll have time to take an onsen bath in the evening at Hakone
and cutting out some back-and-forth will help you keep up your energy levels over the fast-paced trip.