Hi, 24M here. This is going to be my first time travelling to Japan. I’m mostly interested in experiencing food, culture and some adventure. Would really appreciate if you guys can take the time to read and review this itinerary. I’ll be travelling from 25oct-10nov.Feel free to suggest changes/criticise this itinerary please. I have an ample amount of time to make changes 😅
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**Day 1 (25th oct morning) – Flight**
Arrive at Narita airport
Buy suica card, JR pass (if required), pocket wifi and sim card at the airport
Head to hostel (possibly Sakura Hostel) in Asakusa using Keisei Access Express
Eat some ramen and head to wander around Asakusa at around 4-5pm and then make my way to see the bustling Shibuya crossing and spend my time till midnight at Akihabara (Maybe try arcade gaming at Gigo, Tokyo leisure land)
Have a dinner at Akihabara and leave for the hostel.
**Day 2 (26 oct) – Tokyo**
Have some breakfast at the hostel
Visit Senso-ji temple in the morning and Asakusa Shrine
Have some delicious rice balls at Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku and then go to see the view from Asakusa Tourist Culture Information Center.
Visit TeamLab Planets
Head to Shinjuko and spend some quite time at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Stroll through Golden Gai and have some nice dinner at one of the themed bar.
**Day 3 (27 oct) – kawaguchiko**
Head to kawaguchikoKeep luggage at the hostel (Possibly Kagelow Mt. Fuji hostel)
Hop on to the Panaromic ropeway
Wander around the lake kawaguchiko and end the day
**Day 4 (28 oct) – Kyoto**
Head to Kyoto
Stay at one of the Ryokan (Any good budget recommendation please?)
Stroll through the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the evening (\~4-5pm)
Head to watch the sunset from Kodai-Ji temple.
**Day 5-7 (29 oct – 31 nov) – Kyoto**
Check-in at the hostel (Possibly Guest house Ga-Jyun)
Explore Kyoto for the rest of the 3 days.Visiting the Fushima Inari shrine in early morning to strolling around the Pontocho Alley in evenings.
Yasaka Shrine at night, Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, Nijo-jo Castle, Maruyama Park, and other shrines and temples
Take a cooking class, onsen bath and a tea ceremony
Visit the SAMURAI and NINJA MUSEUM
**Day 8 (1 nov) – Nara**
Head to Nara
Check-in (Possibly Nara guesthouse kamunabi)
Visit Todai-ji temple, Kōfuku-ji, Nara park
Try mochi rice cakes at Nakatanidou
Again visit Nara park in the early morning
**Day 9 (2 nov) – Osaka**
Head to Osaka
Check-in (Possibly Hostel Mitsuwaya)
Visit to the Osaka castle
Explore Dotonbori in the evening and have some local food
Bar hopping
**Day 10 (3 nov) – Osaka**
Full day at Universal Studio (Is it worth to spend the whole day? Or any other suggestions please.)
**Day 11 (4 nov) – Wakayama**
Head to Wakayama
Use luggage forwarding service to transfer luggage to Onomichi (if possible?)
Taking the Daimonzaka Walking Trail
Seigantoji Temple and Sanjūdō Pagoda
Visit the Nachi falls
Head to Onomichi in the evening
**Day 12 (5 nov) – Onomichi**
Use luggage forwarding service to transfer luggage to Hiroshima (if possible?)
Shimanami kaido cycling till Imabari (Is it feasible and safe for solo traveler? Although I’m accustomed to cycle around 100km)
Head to Hiroshima in the evening from Imabari
Check-in at the hostel
**Day 13 (6 nov) – Hiroshima**
Peace memorial park
Miyajima island, Miyajima Machiya Street, Five Storey pagoda
**Day 14-16 (7 nov – 9 nov) – Tokyo**
Day trip to Nikko (Tosho-gu, Nantai-san hike)
Do some souvenirs shopping, buy some Kitkats and head back again to Akihabara or some other place which I feel like going to.
Day trip to Nagano (Zenkoji, Senjojiki Cirque)
**Day 15 (10 nov) – Flight**
Fly back to home
**Please help me answer these too:**
* Does taking JR pass/Suica card worth for this itinerary?
* Is taking day trip to Nagano and Nikko worth the hassle?
* Are luggage transfer services reliable and easily available?
* Are drone flyers looked down upon? I have a dji mini 3 and would like to bring it to Japan.
2 comments
Yamoto (black cat logo) is probably the most well known luggage service. About $16 for a normal carry on same day/next day delivery across the country.
Id coalesce some days so the JR pass would be worth it. A one way ticket from Hiroshima to Tokyo is about $115 so either do all the long travels together or get a 14 day pass. Well you do have 12 days of far-from-Tokyo travel, maybe it wouldn’t work, especially since you’re visiting smaller towns that bullet train don’t hit.
Never heard of someone bring a drone, but it would probably be looked down upon.
You shouldn’t have any issue with the Shimanami kaido and it’s very safe – though, get there early if you want any hope of hiring a decent bicycle.
Not sure about Nagano, but Nikko is definitely worth the hassle. Bit of a slog as a day trip maybe, but imo one of the nicest places in Japan.