Hey, I think what I got so far is pretty solid. However, day 4 the Shibuya day, I’m not sure what to do. I’m going with a group of 9. Our interests are food, shopping (honestly open to anything)
***DAY 1: THURS***
8AM: Arrive Narita Airport
* Get Welcome SUICA card / can also put it on phone
* Get SIM card, or pocket wifi (what’s more worth)
* Exchange Yen currency about 100,000
10AM: Catch train to Shinjuku Station, go to AIRBNB
11-1130AM: Drop off luggage
12-3PM: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
3-4PM: Don Quijote Shinjuku (Shop for essentials like, skincare, hand towel, tooth brush/paste, coin purse, shampoo, soap, snacks, tote bags/plastic bags, headband, candy, masks, shaving tools,
6PM: SHIBUYA CROSSING
MCDONALDS and get the ONE PIECE COLLAB
7PM: SHIBUYA SKY (SPEND LIKE AN HOUR HERE)
10PM: GONPACHI SHIBUYA (IZAKAYA FOOD) **BOOKED**
***DAY 2: FRI***
10AM Nakamise St (food)
11-1PMSensoji (1-2 hrs)
* Kaminarimon Gate
3PM AKIHABARA
* MAID CAFE IN AKIHABARA
7PM:
* eat at ICHI NI SAN (gyukatsu restaurant, meat katsu)
* Other group eats at Gyukatsu Motomura Akihabara (牛かつ もと村 秋葉原店)
* Asahi Beer tower (OPTIONAL)
9PM:
* Golden Gai (bar hopping) (bars open at like 9-10)
***DAY 3 SAT***
10AM Tsukiji Fish Market (FOOD)
* Outer market
* Inner market
1P-4PM TEAMLAB PLANETS
4PM – 9PM: GINZA
* UNIQLO GINZA
* KAGARI GINZA (RAMEN, long queue)
**9PM:** MORE NIGHTLIFE STUFF
**-** Shinjuku Yokocho (food alleyway) (ryu no Miyako Inoshokugai) (Shinjuku southexit)
***DAY 4 SUN***
**SHIBUYA DAY (open to any suggestions on what to do in shibuya and its surrounding area)**
* **Miyashita Park**
* **Shibuya Hachiko Statue (from famous movie)**
* **Shibuya scramble square/Hikarie (shibuya sky is right above)**
* **Nintendo Store Shibuya**
* **Omotesando**
**-Meiji Jingu**
**Harajuku**
**- Takeshita st**
**- What other things/activities can we do?**
**Shopping @ Shibuya 109 & Magento 109**
***DAY 5 MON – Disney Sea***
8AM – 7PM: Get to disneySEA
* Centre of the earth
* Soar in
* 360
* Tower of terror
7PM: Night Dinner: GO IKSPIARI (shopping and food area close to disney land)
13 comments
Someone said it took them 30 minutes to get to the roof of Shibuya sky. Then another 30 minutes to leave.
The TeamLab experience took us 30-45 min.
You can just get the regular Suica, if you want. AFAIK, you can’t get a refund with Welcome Suica, so I honestly think that there are no downsides using the regular one, and just refund all the balance before leaving.
Day 1: always check the check-in hours of your AirBnb, and if they hold your luggage.
Day 3: take a look around Odaiba too, since it’s near TeamLab.
Day 4: Ginza, Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku are all good places to shopping, but I honestly think that all are more of the same. If you or your group personally like to window shopping, that’s fine, but if not that much, I would suggest you doing something different. Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine, Nakano Broadway, etc. are some options.
My honest take, in order:
1. Spend your time in Kyoto instead
2. Spend a day in Hakone
3. Spend a day in Nikko
The fact that you think it’s only going to take you only two hours between these two events is cute.
8AM: Arrive Narita Airport
Get Welcome SUICA card / can also put it on phone
Get SIM card, or pocket wifi (what’s more worth)
Exchange Yen currency about 100,000
10AM: Catch train to Shinjuku Station, go to AIRBNB
For day 2, I believe the lights for Sensoji temple turn off at 10pm
Source: I stayed there a week and a half ago and friends wanted to go at night but came back disappointed.
For Harajuku day, you could take some purikura with your friends. Makes for fun 30 mins 😛
Don’t hesitate to do some vintage / thrifting along the smaller streets
Instead of getting a sim card or a pocket wifi, you can download and install an E-Sim on your cellphone in your country and activate it as soon you are landing at the airport. Either Ubigi or Airalo. I got 10gb for 17 usd with Ubigi and it works well all around Japan!!
Shinjuku’s Donki is super crowded with tourists, just find another dom Quixote instead. Literally ppl standing shoulder to shoulder unable to move
Never ever exchange money at the airport.
You’ll get ripped off.
Just withdraw cash from any 7/11 store ATM using a VISA or Mastercard.
​
Ever.
Tips:
I recommend getting an eSim, I used Airalo and I’m happy with it
The exchange rates suck at airports and really anywhere, it’s cheaper to withdraw from an ATM, the “7 bank” ATM doesn’t charge withdrawal fees, located beside the Japan Rail office at Narita (also at every 7/11)
Overall it looks pretty good, you’re seeing all the best things, enjoy it, you’re gonna love it!
Tsukiji inner market (ie the part that holds the tuna auctions and wet market) has closed and moved to Toyosu years ago. There’s only the outer market left on the site.
Not really wise to exchange money at the airport, because you won’t get very favorable rates.
The best rates I’ve seen is some small shop outside Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku at 131 to 1.
This was when the rates were 135 yen to 1 dollar.
The automatic machines had the worst rates at 117 to 1.
Most were at 120 to 1.
It is best if you can directly withdraw money from your bank with no fees and receive the full exchange rate.
To be honest. Outside of meeting to go to bars and the museums/parks, don’t go eat or shop with 8 other people. I think it’s perfect for maybe 2 people and even then I can’t do what I’d prefer to do when there alone.
Get reservations for everything and check dates/times of all the places you are going