Hey guys! Looking for feedback on my itinerary for a a Japan trip coming very very soon! We will be a group of 4 for the Tokyo leg then a group of 3 for the Kyoto leg!
* Most of us aren’t first-timers to Japan except one so we definitely wanted a mix of familiar spots and new locations
* Food-wise we are travelling with a vegetarian so recos would be welcome
* Some of us are coffee lovers so that’ll be a focal point for some of the places we go to
* Other interests in the group would include anime, matcha, souvenirs, cute stuff, among others
* We are familiar with Tokyo but not too sure yet about how to go about the Kyoto leg so if you have any suggestions let me know!
* Still looking for rainy-day alternatives
* Pacing-wise, I sometimes feel like there’s too much in certain days but please let me know if these are doable!
* No need to worry about jet lag as we’re from Southeast Asia
# TOKYO
LEG
**DAY 1 F, June 30: Arrival**
* Arrive at Narita Int’l Airport (12:00NN)
* Keisei Skyliner to Tokyo, check-in to hotel at Ikebukuro
* Shibuya (afternoon – night) – ABOUT LIFE Coffee Brewers, Crazy Raccoon Store, Shibuya PARCO, Tower Records, Shibuya Sky at night
*If ever there are locations we won’t be able to hit on this night, we could move it to our July 3 day!*
**DAY 2 Sa, July 1**
* Asakusa (morning) – Nakamise-dori, Sensoji Temple, FUGLEN, Lunch
* Ueno (noon onwards) – Ueno Park, Tokyo National Museum, Ameyayokocho
* Ginza (night) – ITOYA, dinner
*Looking for more recos for Ginza at night!*
**DAY 3 Su, July 2**
* Gotokuji (morning) – Gotokuji Temple
* Shimokitzawa (morning – noon) – Thrift shopping, mini-Bocchi The Rock pilgrimage, Ogawa Coffee Laboratory, Lunch
* Akihabara (noon – evening) – Maid Cafe (@home), Super Potato, Kanda Shrine, a lot of anime shopping
* Shinjuku (night) – Tokyu Hands, Kabukicho, Dinner
*Does this seem a bit loaded? I included Gotokuji because I learned that it was on the same line as Shimokitazawa and since most thrift shopping stores I found open at 11, I needed something to do before then.*
**DAY 4 M, July 3**
* Tsukiji (morning) – Tsukiji Outer Market, a lot of snacking that counts as brunch, Hamarikyu Garden (if we have the energy)
* Harajuku (noon onwards) – Meiji Shrine, Takeshitadori, Koffee Mameya, Omotesando
* Ikebukuro OR Shibuya (night)
**DAY 5 T, July 4**
We’ll be splitting into 2 groups for this day. My group will have these to do:
* Kichijoji (morning) – Inokashira Park, Inokashira Zoo, Lunch
* Nakano (afternoon) – Nakano Broadway, another round of anime merch search
* Odaiba (5 PM) – Group up again for TeamLab Planets, then either dinner around the area or back at Ikebukuro
# KYOTO
Some of us have been to Kyoto before but only on a 1 day guided tour before. This will be the first time we’ll be going around Kyoto by ourselves.
**DAY 6 W, July 5**
One of us will be leaving Japan on this day. This will leave us as a group of 3 as we move on to the Kyoto leg!
* 11:00 AM – Check-out from Ikebukuro hotel
* 12:30 PM – Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto Station, check-in to hotel near Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station
* Higashiyama District (4:00 PM) – Bus to Kiyomizudera, Sannenzaka, Ninnenzaka, Kodaiji Temple, Yasaka Shrine
**DAY 7 Th, July 6**
* Arashiyama District (morning) – Train to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryuji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge, % Arabica, Sagano Romantic Train, then train back to Kyoto Station
* Kurasu Kyoto (afternoon)
* Nishiki Market (afternoon)
* Pontocho Alley OR general exploring (night)
*There’s a chance that we’ll be fatigued at this point of the trip, so any chill recos to do after Nishiki Market would be nice!*
**DAY 8 F, July 7**
This day is still up in the air for me, the only sure thing is a half day Osaka trip as it’ll be the first time for one of us.
* Fushimi Inari (morning)
* Noontime has options: Uji for matcha, Kyoto Station area for last minute souvenir buying, Nishiki Market again
* Osaka (afternoon – night) – Dotonbori would be the main attraction for this day, so would want recommendations that are nearby OR can be done within this half day while leaving space to get back to Kyoto at night!
**DAY 9 Sa, July 8**
Day of our flight back! We’ll be checking out of the hotel at 11:00 AM but we won’t be leaving for Kansai International Airport until around 4 PM as our flight is past 8 PM. Any recommendations for stuff to do in the area? Leaving the baggage in the hotel or in the coin lockers at Kyoto Station can be an option!
Thanks for reading and thanks in advanced as well to any suggestions or recommendations!
12 comments
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My Vegetarian Experience:
-I did not do a ton of food research before going. I did write down places other vege’s liked and kept in mind what foods such as egg sandwiches I could eat at corner stores. Did not end up needing them. I am also a less strict vegetarian, as I will eat refried beans and Spanish rice at restaurants. Otherwise, I eat NOTHING that had a nervous system.
-Bring food for the plane! Crackers had shrimp powder so nope for those. ANA served 2 meals. The first meal had NO meatless option. I had to let loose a little (once my kid took salmon off the top of pasta,I ate the pasta.I do NOT do this at home but I was hungry.)The second did, but I was still skeptical. United had a pasta option for dinner, but their breakfast pancakes had a sausage in the same container.
-I had to be more flexible than I usually am (eating rice or pasta that touched meat or eating sauces with an animal broth, but overall, it was ok.). There was something wherever I went. 7/11s had tofu sticks, salted rice balls, egg&rice patties,pizza buns, and plum buns.
-Hotel breakfast buffets had western options such as potatoes, eggs, bread, and also had fruit.
-Overall, I ate what I wanted 70% of the time. The rest of the time I ate because it was meatlessbrothless food and I was hungry.
City-specific:
TOKYO:
-Right across from Hotel Sunroute Plaza is a food court that had Plant-Based Tokyo (Hopeful that these were actually plant-based) and I thought the food was great. There is also a taco place that had a vegetarian option or two.
-In Disney, I ate fruit mousse,fries, and ice cream.
-Uogashi Nihon-Ichi sushi had sweet egg sushi and avocado sushi, along with all the other meat types. However the second time we went to the sushi place and I pointed to the avocado sushi on their menu, the man refused me.
KAWAGUCHIKO:
-Took a taxi (Fuji View Hotel communicated with them) to Forest Mall. Ate Mos Burger. Asked the last place we are at (bakery) to call us a taxi back to the hotel. Did not go, but another Redditor rec’d the pizza place that is a 7min walk from this hotel. That would be an easy option as taxis are $12-$15 one way here for just a mile and a half. Happy Cow had a couple places listed, but I was traveling with meat eaters, so we needed places that served us all.
OSAKA:
-Did not really venture out. Outside USJ, there was a decent amount to choose from-Pizza place, Mos Burger, Lawson’s,7/11. I am sure there a couple more.
I would 100% flip my time and spend more in Kyoto (a manageable city) and less in Tokyo (the distances are massive).
Regarding Koffee Mameya, you should consider visiting the Koto shop if you really want to drink coffee there, which is a great experience.
In Omotesando they only sell beans: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/yubdla/comment/iwrgn5c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
They allow online reservations: https://yoyaku.toreta.in/koffeemameya-kakeru/
Regarding Koffee Mameya, you should consider visiting the Koto shop if you really want to drink coffee there, which is a great experience.
In Omotesando they only sell beans: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/yubdla/comment/iwrgn5c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
They allow online reservations: https://yoyaku.toreta.in/koffeemameya-kakeru/
Thanks, bot! At least I can’t get lost in translation with your help.
Thanks, bot! Do you have any tips for convincing my travel group to let me eat sushi every day?
Barista map coffee roasters is worth a trip to Osaka by itself in Nipponbashi. Only open Friday sat sun.
I would do shojin ryori if you’re with a vegetarian.
> vegetarian
If the vegetarian is strict, please download the HappyCow app and have them do a lot of research according to their thresholds. Dashi (seafood-based broth) is everywhere, as are situations where everything is fried in the same vat of oil or cooked on the same grill / teppan, or there’s casually some meat/seafood-based garnish on an otherwise vegetarian-sounding dish.
If they are willing to close one eye while traveling then you can probably wing it.
Also agree ahead of time what you will do in the event the selected vegetarian-friendly eatery is unexpectedly closed or has a long queue. Does everyone cancel the next activity to wait with the vegetarian or are they expected to eat convenience store rice balls. The last thing you want is to have a major fallout over food / itinerary while on the road.
> day 8
Nishiki Market is entirely touristified and you only need to go once. If the options are Nishiki or Uji, I definitely vote for Uji.
> Day 6: 4pm bus to Kiyomizudera, Sannenzaka, Ninnenzaka, Kodaiji Temple, Yasaka Shrine
Kodaiji closes at 5pm; Kiyomizudera closes at 6pm as does all the shops on Sannenzaka and Ninnenzaka. This day is only achievable if you take the 6am Shinkansen out of Tokyo.
My bf is vegan and I’m not! Here are some great places that have both vegetarian + non vegetarian options:
Always nearby:
• Starbucks
• Mos Burger
• Coco Ichibanya
Other spots:
• Genki in Tokyo
• Kamehama okonomiyaki in Kyoto
• Jikasei Mensho in Tokyo
• Kyushu Jangara in Tokyo
Nice itinerary! How are you guys doing the rail tickets? Did you buy the JR pass in advance/ or get the suica card?
I’m arriving to Tokyo next week really last minute, kinda confused what to get advance online lol. Do you really save that much more ordering online? I don’t have time to wait for the delivery of passes to my apartment 😅😅
The Fuglen in Asakusa is horrible, like a busy market and a lot of parked tourists (who are waiting for their group I guess).
I’d recommend going to Fuglen Tokyo near Yoyogi Park-Harajuku area (it has a speakeasy feel to it), or better yet, Fuglen Hanegi Koen, one or two stop away from Shimo-Kitazawa (it’s scandi-cool-cozy).