(7/20-8/10) Tokyo – Hakone – Nagoya – Osaka (Nara/Kobe) – Kyoto – Hiroshima – Okinawa – Tokyo
The above is our finalized route. We are hoping to do lots of food adventuring and checking out some fairly mainstream tourist attractions. Is the below itinerary well spaced out and will it give us a lot of flexibility to explore and rest in between? We know July/August are the hottest and most humid months so we want plenty of wiggle room to rest if needed.
Looking for help with:
1. Anywhere we can hike to see bodies of water and/or waterfalls. I love to swim and it would be really cool to be able to take a splash near some awesome falls. Or any really beautiful beaches!
2. Really neat crane game districts – we may have addictive personalities for games/casinos.
3. Massage/spa recommendations to get some relax and pamper
4. Really good Kobe beef / Wagyu.
5. Is it recommended to buy travel medication insurance?
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Thursday July 20 **FLIGHT –> Arrive Friday July 21st NRT.**
* Settle in Shinjuku, eat, relax, rest.
Saturday July 22: **TOKYO**
* Tsukiji Fish market, Team lab planet, explore.
Sunday July 23: **TOKYO**
* (AM) Starbucks Reserve
* (PM) Harajuku
* (Sunset) Shibuya Sky. We plan on buying those fancy tickets to reserve a couch and have some evening drinks.
Monday July 24: **TOKYO**
* Explore, eat.
* Mario street kart Tokyo bay
Tuesday July 25: **TOKYO**
* Full day at Disneyland Tokyo. Tickets purchased
Wednesday July 26: **TOKYO –> HAKONE**
* Travel to Hakone. Check in Ryokan with private Onsen. Dinner. Relax
Thursday July 27: **HAKONE –> NAGOYA**
* Wake up early, hike, see Mt Fuji. Maybe buy the Hakone Pass? **Feedback welcomed for AM activities!**
* Travel to Nagoya early afternoon –> Check out the Osu shopping district, look for some grilled eel on rice dinner spots.
Friday July 28: **NAGOYA –> OSAKA**
* (AM) Ghibli park. Tickets purchased.
* (PM) Travel to Osaka –> Late night hang out in Dotonbori.
Saturday July 29: **OSAKA**
* Check out Dotonbori/Shinsaibashi shopping area.
* No other plans. **Suggestions are welcomed! :)**
Sunday July 30: **OSAKA (DAY TRIP NARA)**
* Nara day trip for feeding Deer Park and check out the Big Buddha Temple
* No PM activities other then eat.
Monday July 31 : **OSAKA**
* Universal Studious all day. Tickets + Express pass purchased.
* We want to see Nintendo World and Harry potter world.
Tuesday August 1: **OSAKA (NIGHT TRIP KOBE)**
* Relax in the morning, maybe some spa/massage/activity? **Suggestions welcomed!**
* (PM) Travel to Kobe for dinner reservations
Wednesday August 2: **OSAKA –> KYOTO**
* (AM) Travel to Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine.
* (PM) Nishiki Market
Thursday August 3: **KYOTO**
* (AM) Arashiyama Monkey park + Bamboo Foorest
* (PM) Gion District
Friday August 4: **KYOTO –>** **HIROSHIMA**
* (AM) Travel to Miyajima to catch ferry to see Red Torii Gates. **Is this feasible coming from Kyoto?**
Saturday August 5: **HIROSHIMA**
* (AM) Bunny Island (okonimaki Island)
* Visit Okonomiyaki restaurant friend.
Sunday August 6: **HIROSHIMA –> OKINAWA (FLIGHT)**
* Check in Hyatt Serigaki resort. 2 days in Okinawa to beach bum and relax.
* **Suggestions welcomed to explore Okinawa. We will likely have a rental car.**
Monday August 7: **OKINAWA**
* **No plans. Excursions? Suggestions welcomed!**
Tuesday August 8: **OKINAWA –> TOKYO (Arrive HND 3:30PM)**
* No plans, but catch up on anything we would like to do.
Wednesday August 9: **TOKYO**
* No plans, possibly DisneySea all day, if we really like Disneyland.
Thursday August 10: **FLIGHT BACK HOME 6:40PM**
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1. We plan on getting a **14 day JR green pass** and activating once we leave Tokyo for Hakone, it’ll cover us until we return to Tokyo from Okinawa.
2. We are also going to be taking **1 larger check in luggage** (for souvenirs and shopping) and **2 smaller carry-on luggages + backpacks** for intra-city traveling. We will likely be shipping the larger check in luggage between most larger cities using luggage shipping services.
3. We’re hoping to find lockers at major stations and using those to store as needed.
4. We’ve got a list of restaurants/food stalls/small eats seen on instagram that we want to tackle. Suggestions are always welcomed!
**Thank you for all tips and feedback!**
3 comments
The 14 day JR Pass does not pay off for you. Odawara-Nagoya 9k, Nagoya-Osaka 7k, Kyoto-Hiroshima 12k. These are without accounting for advanced purchase discounts such as Hayatoku 21. Since you are staying in Shinjuku it makes sense to use Odakyu for Tokyo-Hakone.
If you swap the order of Osaka and Kyoto it can be even cheaper because the Sanyo Shinkansen one way ticket via Klook is 7500 yen for Shin Osaka to Hiroshima.
Chances are you won’t see Mt Fuji (covered by clouds) in summer – think of it as a bonus if it happens but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t.
Miyajima – Yes it’s very possible, just try and leave as early as possible to make the most of your day
I believe Nishiki Market shops are mostly closed by 6pm and Gion District may be more interesting (and cool) after 6pm when all the lanterns are lit. May want to combine the two on the same afternoon/evening since they are next to each other.