My Fiance and I are traveling to Japan for the first time July 3-13th and are looking for some feedback on our itinerary and also any suggestions you might have. A bit of background on us and what we like: We are active and love exploring neighborhoods and stumbling across fun bars, restaurants and shops. We are hoping to have tentative plans with must see things and then leave room for spontaneous things which might catch our attention as we are exploring. Also, we keep hearing how hot and humid it will be in July so we are trying to be realistic about how far we might walk in a day.
**July 3 (Tokyo)**
\- Arrive at 2:15pm
\- Travel to Hotel in Akasaka
\- Explore Hie Shrine and the Akasaka Neighborhood
\- Eat some yummy sushi for dinner, potentially Itamae Sushi Akasaka
**July 4 (Tokyo)**
\- 9AM, Explore Shibuya Neighborhood
\- Shibuya Scramble Crossing then walk to Harajuku
\- 1PM, travel to Shinjuku Neighborhood
\- Check out old camera stores and Golden Gai
\- TBD Robot Restaurant. Does anyone know if this is open again and how to purchase tickets?
**July 5 (Tokyo)**
\- 9AM eat at Tsukji Outer Market
\- Shopping at Ginza
\- 2:15PM Team Lab Planets
\- Thoughts on what to do after this? Maybe Imperial Palace
**July 6 (Tokyo)**
\- 9AM, Explore Daikanyamacho and Nakameguro
\- 12pm, Lunch at Wagyumafia The Cutlet Sandwich
\- 6PM, Dinner at Yakitori Akira
**July 7 (Kyoto)**
\- 8AM, Travel by bullet train to Kyoto
\- 1PM, Check into hotel and eat lunch at Nishiki Market
\- Walk through Gion District
\- Hōkan-ji Temple
**July 8 (Kyoto)**
\- 8AM, Fushimi Inari Shrine
\- After this can we walk back towards Gion and look at all the shrines along the way?
\- Open to other options on this day, are the Bamboo Groves worth the trek?
**July 9 (Osaka)**
\- 12PM, Check into hotel
\- Explore Dotonbori District
\- 7PM, Dinner reservations at Yakiniku M Hozenjiyokocho
**July 10 (Osaka)**
\- Potential day trip to Nara
**July 11 (Osaka -> Naoshima)**
\- Leave at 8AM, arrive on island at 11:20AM
\- 1PM Tickets to ChiChu Art Museum
**July 12 (Naoshima -> Tokyo)**
\- 10AM, Tickets to Teshima Art Museum
\- 12:45PM, Ferry back and travel back to Tokyo
\- 6PM, Arrive at hotel in Ebisu
**July 13 (Tokyo)**
\- Relaxing morning, find a nice coffee shop and chill
\- 4PM, Leave for airport
1 comment
We really enjoyed Naoshima, stayed at Uno port which is very close to the ferry. If I’d known how I’d be taken by Tadao Ando architecture, I would’ve tried to look up more of his work in Osaka and other places.