Hello all,
I have posted my itinerary here, but I wanted one last check before we head there in a few days. I and 5 friends (18-20M) plan to go to Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka in 4 days. I would appreciate any feedback on the itinerary or any help in general with Japan (hotels, attractions, logistics with the schedule, etc.).
A few questions I have:
1. What time would be optimal to wake up and leave the AirBnB? I was thinking of leaving by 8 am every day. Are there specific attractions that are better to wake up early/late?
2. Are the trains complicated (are we able to figure them out there?)
3. Does anything on the itinerary need to be booked in advance?
4. Our day 11 in Osaka hasn’t been finalized but I put down some ideas, which attractions are best to go to?
5. Any other overall tips/facts to know before we go.
# Tokyo (5 nights)
**Day 0 (5/11) – Leave for Tokyo**
**Day 1 (5/12) – Arrive in Tokyo**
* Check-in to AirBnB
* Explore Surroundings
* Get Dinner around the hotel
**Day 2 (5/13) – Tokyo**
* Imperial Palace
* Ginza
* Tsukiji Market
* Hama-rikyu
* Odaiba
* teamLab Borderless
**Day 3 (5/14) – Tokyo**
* Asakusa
* Senso-ji Shrine
* Ueno Park
* Ameya Yokocho
* Akihabara
* Yodobashi Camera
* Arcades
**Day 4 (5/15) – Tokyo**
* Todoroki Valley
* Shibuya District
* Shibuya Crossing
* Harajuku Street
* Meiji Shrine
* Mugiwara Store
* Miyashita Park
* Dragon Ball Cafe
* Shibuya Sky
**Day 5 (5/16) – Tokyo**
* Free day
# Hakone (1 night)
**Day 6 (5/17) – Tokyo to Hakone**
* Check out of the hotel
* Travel to Hakone using Hakone Free Pass
* Hakone Round Course
* Check in to Ryokan
**Day 7 (5/18) – Hakone to Kyoto**
* Mt. Fuji and Komagatake
* Lake Ashi
* Onsens
* Travel to Kyoto to check-in
# Kyoto/Osaka/Nara (4 nights/3 nights/Day Trip)
**Day 8 (5/19) – Kyoto**
* Nijo Castle
* Kiyamachi
* Yasaka Pagoda (Hokan-ji Temple)
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Kyoto Station Building
**Day 9 (5/20) – Kyoto**
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Dragon Burger
* Nishiki Market
* Philosopher’s Path
* Gion
**Day 10 (5/21) – Day Trip to Nara**
* Feed Deer
* Isuein Garden
* Todai-ji Temple
* Kasuga-taisha
* Nara Park
**Day 11 (5/22) – Osaka**
**ALL IDEAS**
* Minami (Namba)
* Dotonbori
* Kuromon Market
* Shinsekai
* Shitennoji
* Osaka Aquarium
* Umeda Sky Building
* Tenjinbashisuji
* Tenma
**Day 12 (5/23) – Osaka**
* Universal Studios Japan
**Day 13 (5/24) – Kyoto to Tokyo**
* Kokedera (Saiho-ji)
* Arashiyama Monkey Park
* Bamboo Grove
* Jojakko-ji
* Gio-ji
* A riverboat cruise
# Back to Tokyo (1 night)
**Day 14 (5/25) – Tokyo**
* Check out and head to Tokyo
* Gyoen National Garden
* Shinjuku District
* Robot Restaurant
* Kinokuniya Books
* Capsule hotel for this night
**Day 15 (5/26) – Tokyo**
* Leave for the airport
Thank you
7 comments
The earlier you can leave the better. The crowds at say 8 or 9am is a lot less than 11am. Note that shops don’t open until 10 or 11am so if that’s your first activity for the day then you can start later.
Trains aren’t too complicated. It can look confusing as there are a lot of train lines but once you get it it’s pretty easy to navigate.
teamLabs borderless, Robot restaurant, and the river boat cruise in the Arashiyama area are all closed during your dates. teamLabs planets is open though [https://www.teamlab.art/e/borderless_azabudai/](https://www.teamlab.art/e/borderless_azabudai/)
I believe that the Robot Restaurant is permanently closed!
For day 2, I think you mean Teamlab planets? This should be booked in advanced since they sell out. Book Shibuya sky in advance as well, the times before sunset are super popular and usually sold out weeks before. Some nicer/popular restaurants in Kyoto I’d recommend making a reservation. However, there are plenty of restaurants if you’re not too particular.
Let me get this out of the way first: air bnb is VERY HARD to find. Take your time and use gps + instructions the air bnb lister gave to you
– Generally for your itinerary going out out at 8 is good
Day 2: you can go out earlier like 7 then to tsukiji market first (then to hamatikyu, imperial palace, ginza, then teamlab + odaiba). If you go at 8, it will be very crowded.
*Teamlab planets. Not borderless.
Day 4: that is very far with a lot of stops. Same, going out at 7 (or even 6) also good
Day 7: lake ashi?? Lake ashi is already in hakone round course. You mean lake kawaguchi?
Day 11: kuromon first, then osaka aquarium, then the rest (you can do dotonbori and namba at night)
– What you need to book in advance:
Teamlab planets
USJ
– the train can be confusing at first, google map is your friend. It usually tell you which platform you need to wait. Look for signs above you, or on the wall (usually above you). You will get used to it after few days.
And learn about local and rapid / express train. Local means it stops on all stops. Rapid / express stops on select few (faster).
Same with shinkansen kodama and hikari. Kodama stops at all stops while hikari stops at select few (faster). And you cannot use nozomi if you use jr pass
At least you have a plan. I’m just going to wing it for 10 days 😂
For day 13, did you book entry to Saiho-ji? Also, if Yiu go by bus the ride up to the temple takes an hour from Kyoto station. I see that you must be staying at Osaka on day 12 (USJ), you have to leave early the next morning to meet the opening time at Saiho-ji. The usual opening time is around 10-12 noon, and the visit take an hour in average.
By the way, Hozugawa Boat ride is now suspended until the end of May due to the accident back in March (https://www.hozugawakudari.co.jp). So, you might as well save that for a later trip, and enjoy Ararshiyama in a more relaxed pace in the afternoon.