Hi everyone,
I know it’s a bit last minute but would really love an itinerary check. I’m going with my boyfriend, we can both walk quite a bit (avg 15k steps per day without trying). I’ve been to only Tokyo twice, this will be his first time in Japan. We both like anime (he>me) and food (me>him), so that will be our main focus. His absolute requirement is to visit all 3 of the life sized Gundams, and my absolute requirement is to do food souvenir shopping in Tokyo Station. We already made a few reservations, and I looked up train/walking times and routes while making this itinerary so I did budget some travel time in between each stop. I also budgeted some wait time for a few popular restaurants. I have a tendency to pack too much in when I’m on vacation because I want to make the most of my time, but now I worry I may have overdone it. Any advice is appreciated!
**Day 1 (5/27 Sat):**
\- Fly out NYC
**Day 2 (5/28 Sun):**
\- Land in Narita @ 3 pm
\- Check in hotel in Shinjuku
\- Find dinner nearby (Takashimaya basement food halls or convenience store if it’s too late)
\- Retire early
**Day 3 (5/29 Mon): (should we skip Ueno/Ameyokocho?)**
\- Asakusa (9a-12p): Sensoji Temple, Nakamise St, Nishi-sando St
\- Lunch @ Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku \*\*need to put in reservation when open before 11:30am\*\*
\- ?Ueno/Ameyokocho (1-2pm)
\- Akihabara (2-5:30pm): Madarake, Super Potato, AmiAmi
\- Back to Shinjuku hotel to drop off things
\- Dinner @ 6:30pm (reserved) in Jojoen Tokyo Opera City in Yoyogi/Shinjuku
**Day 4 (5/30 Tues):**
\- Meiji Shrine (9-11am)
\- Harajuku/Takeshita St/Ometesando St (11a-2p)
\- Lunch @ Katsudon-ya Zuicho in Shibuya (2-3p)
\- Explore Shibuya, maybe Miyashita Park? (3-5p)
\- Shibuya Sky, reserved entry 5-5:20pm (5-7p)
\- Dinner @ Sushiro in Shinjuku near hotel
**Day 5 (5/31 Wed): (do we have time for Ginza and/or Odaiba 1 chome shopping street or should we just stick to visiting Unicorn Gundam Base as our main activity in the afternoon?)**
\- Tsukiji @ 7a for breakfast @ Unitora Nakadori
\- Walk around Tsukiji & eat what looks good
\- ?Check out Ginza vs. Initial food shopping/scouting in Tokyo Station?
\- Leave for Odaiba by 2pm
\- ?Odaiba 1 chome shopping street (retro japanese arcade)
\- Unicorn Gundam (stay for 5pm daytime show & @ 7pm night show) & Gundam Base
\- Back to hotel; dinner at convenience store?
**Day 6 (6/1 Thurs):**
\- Pick up JR pass from Shinjuku JR Station & reserve seats
\- Lunch @ Tsujihan Kagurazaka Branch (11a-1p)
\- Nakano Broadway (1-5p)
\- Back to Shinjuku hotel to drop off things
\- Dinner @ Fuunji Ramen
\- Shinjuku night out: Kabukicho, ?Omoide Yokocho vs. Retire early
**Day 7 (6/2 Fri):**
\- Lunch @ Sosakumenkobo NAKIRYU (get there at 10am to wait)
\- Ikebukuro (2-5pm): Sunshine CIty World Import Mart, Sunrise World Tokyo, ?Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo, Animate
\- Leave by 5:30pm to drop things off at Shinjuku hotel
\- Wagyu dinner in Ginza @ 7 pm (reserved)
\- If time, Tokyo Tower night view? Roppongi Hills?
**Day 8 (6/3 Sat):**
\- Pokemon Cafe @ 11:10a-12:40p (leave by 10am)
\- Shopping in Tokyo Station (1-6pm)
\- Leave by 6:30pm, Drop things off at hotel
\- Back to Ginza, for sushi omakase Dinner @ 8:30 pm (reserved)
**Day 9 (6/4 Sun):** **(I feel like this is too much… should we just pick either Kirin Brewery Tour vs. Cup Noodle Museum and start the day later?)**
\- Travel to Yokohama at 7:30am
\- Breakfast @ Matsuya (boyfriend request, it’s a Yakuza video game reference)
\- ?Kirin Brewery Factory Tour @ 10am (90 mins tour)
\- ?Cup Noodle Museum (12-2p)
\- Gundam Factory Yokohama (3-7p)
\- Back to Shinjuku hotel; dinner at convenience store?
**Day 10 (6/5 Mon):**
\- Travel to Osaka (leave @ 10a); get Ekiben breakfast for Shinkansen
\- Check in Hotel in Namba @ 3p
\- Kuromon Market for late lunch (3-5p)
\- Dontobori for dinner: Okonomiyaki Mizuno, Takoyaki Wanaka Dontobori, Naniwaya sweets
\- ?Hozenji Yokocho if there’s time?
**Day 11 (6/6 Tues):**
\- Travel to Hakata/Fukuoka, leave 8:04a -> arrive Hakata 10:40am
\- Sushi Lunch @ 銀明翠 博多, 11:30 am (reserved)
\- Gundam Base Fukuoka (1-3pm)
\- Check in hotel near Hakata train station
\- Lalaport mall (4-9pm): Gundam Park Fukuoka / Side-F, Life size Gundam statue
\- Dinner @ Hakata Issou
**Day 12 (6/7 Wed): (will we have time for both Osaka Castle & Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping St? We don’t plan on going into the Castle, just checking out the Castle grounds and take some pics of the exterior)**
\- Breakfast @ Fukuoka hotel, 6:30am
\- Travel back to Osaka, 8:20a-11a
\- Eel Lunch @ Honke Shibato, 1 pm (reserved)
\- ?Osaka Castle? (2-4p)
\- ?Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street? Ghibli Store? Matcha dessert @ Ujien Honten? (4-6p)
\- Shinsekai: Kushikatsu (@ Daruma?), Tsutenkaku Tower photo?
**Day 13 (6/8 Thurs): (I really want to explore Pontocho Alley & Gion at night, but will there be time for it on this day or should I do this on the next day?)**
\- Travel to Kyoto (10a-12p)
\- Drop off luggage in Hotel in Central Kyoto
\- Lunch @ Nishiki Market (1-3p)
\- Pokémon Center (I really want to buy the kimono pikachus)
\- Check in Kyoto hotel after 3p
\- ?Walk along Kamogawa River (+ ?Pontocho Alley)
\- Kaiseiki Dinner in Central Kyoto, 6-8 pm (reserved)
\- ?Explore Pontocho Alley + Gion at night? (if not too late)
**Day 14 (6/9 Fri):**
\- Breakfast @ hotel (7:30a)
\- Fushimi Inari (10a)
\- Kiyomizu-dera (12p)
\- Higashiyama (2-6p): Sannenzaka, Ninnenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda; find lunch & dessert
\- ?Explore Gion at night?
\- Dinner & Dessert in Nakamura Tokichi in Kyoto Station (7-9pm) – I REALLY want to try this place
**Day 15 (6/10 Sat):**
\- Breakfast @ hotel (7:30a)
\- Leave for Arashiyama by 9a
\- Tenryu-ji Temple main gate
\- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
\- Lunch/snack in surrounding area: Kameyamaya, %Arabica, Sagano Croquette, Ex Cafe, Kyozuan tofu ice cream
\- Kinkaku-ji (3-5pm)
\- Back to hotel for Sukiyaki dinner @ 7:30 pm
**Day 16 (6/11 Sun):**
\- Check out hotel @ 9am
\- Travel back to Narita Airport for last minute duty free shopping
\- Flight back NYC (flight @ 5:40pm)
That’s it! Thank you so much for reading through all that. Any advice is appreciated!
1 comment
You’re definitely packing a lot in, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable. Some days seem busier than others which seems fine because it will give you time to recover on the “slow” days. My wife and I prefer to walk around cities when we travel and in Japan we can easily hit 20-25k steps, so it’s good you’re ready to do some walking!
You’ve probably read or been told that Arashiyama & Fushimi Inari will be packed. If it matters to you to see them with less people, shoot for getting there 6-7am if you can.
Like you said, it’s good to have time for the wait and or be prepared to go somewhere else. So maybe for the places you don’t have reservations don’t be afraid to eat in a different place. Or stop and get snacks on the way.
I guess if I was trying to nitpick your plan, the days from 6/5 – 6/8 sound kind of rushed and hectic. Could you go straight from Shinjuku to Fukuoka? Then have the consecutive time in Osaka instead of what looks like a layover there and back?