Hi all! I’m travelling to Japan for the first time next august with my girlfriend (both 28) and I’m trying to finish my proposed itinerary. We are both very active so busy travel days do not worry us. The idea is to see as much as possible but let me know if you think there’s too much in a day! Tips and suggestions are more than welcome – especially in Tokyo which is absolutely massive.
2 August: travelling from Rome to Tokyo
3 August: arrival in Tokyo early morning, Staying in Shinjuku. Check in around 12 pm.
– walk around Shinjuku
– Tokyo Metropolitan building
– Harujuku: Meiji Jingu / cat street/takeshita dori
– Omotesando walk
– Golden Gai at night if still alive, otherwise we’ll push it to any other night
4 August: Tokyo
Early morning —> Airbnb experience at Tuna Auction:
– 5.45 am Toyosu market for tuna auction
– Tsijiki Market
– Sensoji shrine
– Lunch in Asakusa (13.30 – end of Experience)
– walk around Asakusa (Tokyo Skytree)
– Team labs planet
– Odaiba- Gundam Tower
5 August: Tokyo – Ueno
– guided tour of Ueno Yanesen
– lunch
– Tokyo National museum
– Akihabara at night
6 August: Tokyo, day trip to Nikko.
– Night Omoide Yokocho shinjuku
7 August: Tokyo Ginza, Shibuya and Roppongi
– Hama-rikyu onshi teyen (giardino)
– Imperial Palace (tentative)
– Lunch in Ginza
– Shibuya crossing
– Roppongi hills (night)
– Museum Morì (open until 22)
8 August: Tokyo day trip to Kamakura
9 August: kanazawa (travel time h2.30 – activating JR pass)
– kenroku en
– suzuki museum
– Omi cho market
– Any other suggestions on Kanazawa?
10 August: Kanazawa and Shirakawago
– Autobus for Shirakawago (1h.20)
– Shirakawago
– Ainokura (tentative)
11 August: Kyoto, staying in Gion
– Ginkaku-ji
– Philosophers path
– Nanzen ji
– Chion In
– Kiyomizu dera
We wanted to fit in Fushimi Inari today as it’s the same area but I think it’s already extremely packed
12 August: Kyoto
– Fushimi Inari early morning
– taxi to Kinkaju Ji
– Nishiki Market for lunch (maybe)
– Ryoan Ji
– Ninna ji
13 August: Tokyo
– Tempio Tenryu Ji
– Arashiyama forest
– Jojakko ji
– Gio Ji
– Otagi Nenbutsu Ji
– Daikaku ji
14 August: Hiroshima – Miyajima, staying in Miyajima
– travel to Hiroshima (h2.20 )
– peace museum and park + atomic bomb dome (morning)
– Miyajima
– Itsukushima jinja + tori
– Misen and cable car
15 August: travel to Osaka (h1.40)
– Osaka Castle;
– Mamba Yasaka Shrine
– kuromon ichiba (lunch -alternatively wanaka honten)
– Abeno Harukas
– Shinsaibashi -suji (shopping)
– dotonbori for dinner/ amerikamura
16 August : Nara day trip from Osaka
17 August: travelling back home from Osaka
2 comments
Next August as in 2024? I thought TeamLabs Planets was closing at the end of 2023.
Looks like a fun trip! I’m noticing a couple days where things could be grouped together more efficiently based on location, which will help maximize your time and eliminate some travel stress!
Aug 4: Toyosu Market is very close to Teamlab Planets (about ten minute walk), so having to backtrack there after going to Asakusa is a bit unideal. It’s about a 45-50 minute travel time from Asakusa back down to Teamlab. It’s much more convenient to group Asakusa with Ueno and even Akihabara. If you have to go to Asakusa on this day as part of the tour, I recommend trying to do Teamlab Planets a different day so you’re not doing as much backtracking.
Aug 7: This Day also has quite a bit of backtracking. Gina’a and Roppongi Hills are relatively close, while Shibuya Crossing is out of the way. I recommend doing Shibuya Crossing first thing in the morning, and grouping Ginza and Roppongi Hills together.
Aug 12: This day is not doable as-is. You are criss-crossing all over town. You’re starting in the southeast corner, then traveling up to the northwest corner, then traveling back east, then traveling back up to the northwest corner. You’re looking at about 40 minutes of transit time in between each spot, and that’s assuming you take an expensive taxi. Public transit will take even longer. I would rearrange this with some things on August 13th so you can keep Arashiyama on the same day as anything you want to do in the northwest corner (Kinkakuji, Ryoan-Ji). You may have to sacrifice some of the temples on August 13th to make that happen.