First Timer Itinerary Check! (Tokyo-Fuji-Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo) 19 FULL DAYS [+ 2 travel days]

Hello JapanTravel,

London couple (mid thirties) visiting Japan late April – early May 2024 for the first time. This is a belated honeymoon – we were meant to go in 2020 but for obvious reasons were unable to 🙁

Husband is massive Nintendo/ Pokémon fan.I love historical holidays but can find food tricky when travelling as I’m vegetarian (dairy is fine but no meat/ fish).

Would be grateful of any feedback on sights chosen and days of week/ times of day planned to visit.Please assume for day trips that we will arrive as early as we possibly can face!

I also have some specific questions detailed below so would be grateful of any pointers please!

\*\*Day 0 (Friday)\*\*LHR – HND

**Day 1 (Saturday) Tokyo**\- Arrive in HND around 11am- Go to Hotel Blossom Hibiya

***Spend afternoon in Ginza/ Chuo City***\- Head to Okuno Building, check out Room 306 if open- Pokémon Centre Tokyo DX- Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store- Grab something to eat at T’s Tantan- Head back to Hotel Blossom Hibiya

**Day 2 (Sunday) Tokyo**

*Spend morning in Asakusa area*\- Asakusa Shrine- Senso-ji Temple- Checkout Tokyo Skytree- Visit Kirby Cafe (will look to book in advance)

*Spend afternoon in Akihabara*\- No specific plans other than to be sure to check out Super Potato- Explore! Play in the arcades!- Maybe walk up to Ueno park if we feel like it- Eat dinner at Bon restaurant- Head back to Hotel Blossom Hibiya

**Day 3 (Monday) Day Trip to Kamakura & Enoshima**\- Kotoku-in (arrive around 9am)- Hasedera- Early lunch at Cotonoha- Komachi-dori street- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu- Enoshima Benzaiten Nakamise Doir- Enoshima Shrine- Enoshima Daishi- Enoshima Sea Candle- Head back to Hotel Blossom Hibiya (leave about 5:30pm)- Dinner at Mutsukari

**Day 4 (Tuesday) Tokyo**

*Explore Shinjuku area*\- Go up Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building first thing- Explore Shinjuku National Garden- Head back to Hotel late afternoon & freshen up- Get the New York Bar at Park Hyatt for drinks around 5pm- Dinner at Shuwashua Peace at around 7:30pm- Explore Shinjuku nightlife (Kabukicho area)

**Day 5 (Wednesday) Day Trip to Nikko**QUESTION: is it better to go to Kegon Falls in the morning or afternoon?Will probably bring snacks for lunch or grab a quick bite to optimise time!

Here’s my current plan:- Shinkyo Bridge (arrive 9am)- Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple- Nikko Toshogu- Nikko Futarasan jinja- Kanmangafuchi Abyss- Kegon Falls- Back to Tokyo (leave around 7pm)- Dinner TBD

**Day 6 (Thursday) Tokyo**\- Ghibli Museum (hoping to nab a 10am ticket)- Check out Hard Off Kichijoji- Back to Shinjuki Station, aiming to leave around 1ish

QUESTION: is this too much for half a day, assuming we’re here until late?

*Spend afternoon in Shibuya area*\- Meiji Jingu- Harajuku- Go up Shibuya Sky- Check out Shibuya Scramble- Rub Akita dog- Head to Center-Street- Visit Pokemon Centre- Visit Nintendo Centre- Dinner at Tudore Tranquility around 8pm- Head back to Hotel Blossom Hibiya

**Day 7 (Friday) Tokyo + travel to Mt. Fuji**\- Check out teamLab Planets- Check out Tokyo Tower- Lunch at Diago- Around 3pm – make way to Mt. Fuji- Arrive at around 6:30pm at Hotel Konansou- Grab dinner at Pizza Onda at around 7:30pm- Head back to Hotel Konansou

**Day 8 (Saturday) Mt. Fuji + travel to Osaka**\- Watch sunrise from Kawaguchiko Bridge- Check out Chureito Pagoda- Walk around Lake Kawaguchiko- Be on 5pm bus from Kawaguchi station to Mishima Station- Take train from Mishima to Shin-Osaka- Arrive at Hotel The Flag around 10:30pm

**Day 9 (Sunday) Osaka**

QUESTION: is this too much for one day? I could push some activities out to Day 12…

\- Osaka Castle- Shinsekai- Nipponbashi Debden Town- Hozenji- Dontobori- Back to Hotel the Flag- Dinner at Paprika Shokudo Vegan- Drinks & karaoke

**Day 10 (Monday) Osaka**\- Super Nintendo World- Maybe check out Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, if feeling inclined…?- Back to Hotel The Flag- Check out teamLab Botanical Garden- Dinner at Vegetarian Meals ROCCA- Maybe have a drink or two at a bar near the hotel- Back to Hotel The Flag

**Day 11 (Tuesday) Day Trip to Miyajima, Hiroshima & Himeji Castle**\- Itsukushima- Hiroshima- Stop off at Himeji Castle on way back to Osaka- Back to Hotel The Flag- Dinner TBD – reckon we’ll be back quite late…

**Day 12 (Wednesday) Osaka + travel over to Kyoto**

QUESTION: Not too sure about the plan for this – maybe we’ll want to go back to any areas we want to from Day 8?

Current ideas/ plans are:- Check out Amerika-Mura?- Check out Abeno Harukas?- Get cheesecake?- Have early-ish dinner somewhere? Saijiki Vegan restaurant?- Take 8:21pm train to Kyoto- Check into The Gate Hotel Kyoto at around 9pm- Have drink at hotel/ head to bed

**Day 13 (Thursday) Kyoto**\- Hanamikoji Street- Yasaka-jinja Shrine- Maruyama Park- Chion-in- Lunch at Zirael Vegan Restaurant- Nanzen-ji Temple- Eikan-do Temple- Philosophers Path- Higashiyama Jisho-ji- Taxi back to The Gate Hotel Kyoto- Dinner at Gyoza ChaoChao

**Day 14 (Friday) Day Trip to Nara**\- Nara Park- Todai-ji & Todai-ji Daibutsuden- Namdaimon Gate- Todai-ji Nigatsudo- Lunch at Vegan Cafe Ramuna- Bit more Nara Park-ing- Back to The Gate Hotel Kyoto- Dinner at Teppan Tavern Tenamonya at around 6:30pm- Visit Fushimi Imari at around 8pm- Check out Ojamakan Fukakusa Store around 9pm- Back to The Gate Hotel Kyoto at around 9:30pm

**Day 15 (Saturday) Kyoto**

QUESTION: Should I go to Nara on Saturday and do this day on Friday, in terms of crowds?

\- Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Templ- Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple- Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street- Gio-ji- Jakko-ji- Lunch at Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu- Tenryu-ji- Arashiyama Bambbo Grove- Togetsu-Kyo Bridge- Arashiyama Park (see Poke Lid)- Back to The Gate Hotel- Dinner at Itadakizen Kyoto

**Day 16 (Sunday) Kyoto**\- Kinkaku-ji- Ryoan-ji- Lunch at Tofu Restaurant Saigen-in- Take a taxi to: Hokan-ji Temple- Visit Nineizaka Starbucks- Kiyomizu-dera- Higashiyama Ward- Back to The Gate Hotel- Dinner at Hyssop

**Day 17 (Monday) Kyoto + travel back to Tokyo**\- Fushimi Inari- Rengeo-in- Pop into Marufukuro hotel- Lunch TBD- Check out Nishiki Market- Stroll around Gion- Dinner TBD- Catch 8pm train back to Tokyo- Check into Hotel Hillarys Akasaka for night

**Day 18 (Tuesday) Tokyo + Day 19 (Wednesday) Tokyo**

QUESTION: I haven’t made an solid plans for my last two days in Tokyo, would like it to be relatively chilled – got some ideas though so feedback very welcome!

Current ideas/ plans are to:- Check into Hishinoya Hotel for last two nights- Check out Roppongi area maybe on Monday? Wasn’t too sure what there is to “do“ there???- Check out Imperial Palace maybe on Tuesday ?- Husband would like to go to Pokémon Centre Mega Tokyo – is it worth trek as we’ll have been to two other Pokemon Centre’s already??

We’ll travel back to London on Day 20 (Thursday), leaving HND about 1ish

Thanks in advance for your advice!