**Tags: Advice & Recommendations**
I am truly grateful for any help that anyone can offer me on this one.
It brings me immense joy to share that I have finally made the decision to book a trip to Japan. Ever since my childhood, it has been my biggest dream and a personal mission of mine to visit that beautiful country.
It fills me with immense excitement to say that I have finally taken the plunge. Life is short, and I have recently realized the importance of pushing myself out of my comfort zone and exploring the world around me. There are countless reasons why I am thrilled to embark on this journey, but I want to convey to anyone reading this that this trip to Japan is the realization of a lifelong dream, and it means the world to me that it is finally happening. I am dyslexic as well, and I find planning all of this a bit overwhelming. Please accept my apologies in advance. I would greatly appreciate the best guidance you can provide.
Appreciate if you save this post and help me as I edit and update this
**Let’s get into it:**
**Budget:** There is no real limit, but I want to get the best value for my money while being mindful. I am looking to spend more money on experiences, creating memories, and enjoying moments.
**Arrival**: I arrive in Tokyo at Haneda airport at 22:30 on the 1st of **December**
**Departure:** Sunday, 24 Dec 2023 00:05
**Bag:** The Tropicfeel Shelter 30L backpack extends to 66L and including a personal bag that will be packed into the backpack. Another option is to buy luggage to check in when returning or to post items back.
**Jackets:** **Heat:** (Thrudark) Centurion Alpine Jacket **+ Rain:** (Thrudark) SF Raid Jacket
**Walking:** Dr Marten boots or normal trainers?
**Suica Card:** Order and to be delivered to me.
**Sim Card:** 31 days Unlimited data Mobai (no calls or text)
**Solo travelling**
**Government websire to upload my details:** [https://www.digital.go.jp/en/services/visit\_japan\_web-en/](https://www.digital.go.jp/en/services/visit_japan_web-en/)
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**Questions:**
**Q1)** I find planning a 3-week itinerary for my trip very overwhelming, but I have been scouring the internet and have come up with a rough draft. However, I would greatly appreciate any help you can provide in modifying it to make the best possible use of my time in Japan. I consider myself a bit of a nerd and am passionate about technology, gaming, and Japanese history, particularly the life of Miyamoto Musashi and the samurai. I mention this to give you an idea of my interests and help guide our decisions in crafting this.
As I move along this year, I will be editing and updating this post to tailor my itinerary with your invaluable assistance (please)?
**Q2)** The price of the JR Rail Pass is going up significantly, which is a little worrying. The plan was to spend money on a 2-week pass and use the remaining time to explore Tokyo with day trips. Is this worth getting for what I am planning?
**Q3)** I would like to save money on accommodation during my trip to Japan. Ideally, I would prefer a private room, but I am open to the idea of staying in hostels that offer private areas. I am seeking advice on the best option for me. Choosing a place to stay in Japan can be overwhelming, so I am wondering which area would be the best to book in each place I travel too? fighting with being a loner or hostels with people too.
**Q4)** Anymore tips, helpful advice and good locations to stay in?
**~~Q5:~~** ~~Get access to 2-7 of Tokyo’s top activities using the Klook pass. Has anyone used this or recommends this?~~
~~·~~ [~~https://www.klook.com/activity/74574-klook-pass-tokyo/~~](https://www.klook.com/activity/74574-klook-pass-tokyo/)
~~· The premium passes include general entry to popular add-ons such as Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea,Tokyo Subway Ticket, and Shared Narita Airport Limousine Bus for Tokyo. The standard pass includes general entry to your all time favourites including teamLab Planets TOKYO, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Tokyo, Tokyo Kimono Experience, Tokyo Sanrio Puroland, TOKYO SKYTREE®, Madame Tussauds, Roppongi Hills Observation Deck ”Tokyo City View“, SHIBUYA SKY Observation Deck, Tokyo Tower Observatory and many more!~~
**The main things I would like to see are list the things you want to see:**
· Pokemon Center Tokyo DX
· Pokemon Café
· Maruzen Bookstore
· Samurai Museum
· Final Fantasy Cafe
· The Tokyo Anime centre
· Universal Studios Japan
· Ghibli Museum
· Tokyo DisneyLand
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**3 Week rough itinerary – To Be changed with help:**
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**Tokyo (5 days + 3 for day trips)**
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**Day 1 in Tokyo – Shibuya and Harajuku**
· Shibuya crossing
· Shopping in Harajuku
· Purikura
· TBC – Help?
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**Day 2 in Tokyo – Ikebukuro and Meiji Shrine**
· Shopping in Ikebukuro:
· Tokyo Pokemon Mega Store:
· Meiji shrine
· TBC – Help?
​
**Day 3 in Tokyo – Asakusa and Akihabara**
· Sensoji
· Akihabara
· TBC – Help?
​
**Day 4 in Tokyo – Koto City**
· Teamlab Planets and Teamlab Borderless.
· Gundam base
· TBC – Help?
​
**Day 5 in Tokyo – Tokyo Tower and Roppongi**
· Zojoji Temple
· Tokyo Tower
· Mori Art Museum
· Nogi Shrine
· Tokyo City View
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**Day 6 – Nikko (Day trip from Tokyo)**
· Shinkyo Bridge
· Rinnoji Temple
· Toshogu Temple
· Kegon Falls
· Ryuzu Falls
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**Day 6 – Hakone (Day trip from Tokyo)**
· Hakone Shrine
· Hakone Open-Air Museum
· Owakudani (Boiling Valley)
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**Day 7– Mt Fuji** **(Day trip from Tokyo)**
· Chureito Pagoda
· North shore of Lake Kawaguchiko
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**Day 8-10:** **Kyoto**
· Fushimi Inari Taisha
· Higashiyama and Gion
· Kinkaku-ji
· Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
· Arashiyama Iwatayama Monkey Park
· Kyoto Tower
​
**Day 11-12: Osaka**
· Umeda Sky Building
· Osaka Castle
· Shitennoji Temple
· Shinsekai
· Kuromon Market
· Minami/Dotonbori
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**Day 13: Nara – (Day trip from Osaka maybe?)**
· Kōfuku-ji temple
· Isuien Garden
· Todai-ji
· Kasuga-Taisha
· Nara Deer Park
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**Day 14 Kobe – (Day trip from Osaka maybe?)**
· Ropeway up Mount Rokko
· Soraku-en Garden
· Kobe Port Tower
· Nada Sake Museum
· Try Kobe Beef: I do a carnivore diet
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**Day 15:** **Okayama**
· **Himeji Castle**
**Day 16:** **Okayama**
· Okayama Castle.
· Korakuen Gardens.
· Kibiji Cycling Road.
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**Day 17: Hiroshima**
· Atomic Bomb Dome
· Peace Park
· Shukkei-en Garden
· Hiroshima Castle
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**Day 18: Miyajima Island ( Day trip from Hiroshima)**
· Giant Torii.
· Itsukushima Shrine.
· Five-storied pagoda.
· Daisho-in Temple.
· The Ropeway.
​
**Day: 19-20-21-22: Back to Tokyo?**
· **Advice:** Can extend other areas if needed.
2 comments
Hello! I haven’t had a chance to look through your itinerary, but I noticed you brought up the Tokyo Klook pass, so I just wanted to do some quick calculations based off of a few things I’m planning on doing for my trip in August.
I’ll be doing Shibuya Sky, Skytree, Tokyo Tower, and Disneysea. In yen, that comes out to about ¥18900 which is about $138. Adding those in on Klook gave me $128. So it saves $10 for me. I don’t know what you’ll be doing, but personally, I prefer the freedom of deciding in the moment instead of locking in with the klook pass and feeling obligated to do something. If it saved me more, I might feel different.
Don’t order a Suica in advance, it’s a ripoff. Put it on your apple wallet if you have an iPhone, otherwise buy one at the airport.
With the price increases on the jr pass the 14 day pass would probably be more expensive than buying the individual tickets. The 5 day JR west Kansai- Hiroshima pass activated on day 15 would save you money though. https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/
For the Shinkansen tickets you need to buy individually, if you want to buy them in advance use the SmartEx app/website, which is the official JR Central ticket site. Don’t buy them from any reseller like klook
I used booking.com to make most of my hotel reservations when I went in February. Had no issues and it was nice to have all my reservations info in one place. They have listings for hotels and hostels. Try to look for refundable reservations only in case your plans change.