3 Days in Tokyo + 3 Days in Kyoto Scheduling

After a year of delays (I did get to see the Grand Canyon though, so not time wasted), I have new dates for 12 days in Japan – November 15-26, 2024. This is lined up so that I get back the day before Thanksgiving and can thus use a long weekend to recover from jetlag without using more PTO, but also to improve my chances of seeing fall colors in Kawaguchiko and Kyoto.

But I wanted to talk about the Tokyo and Kyoto legs of the trip specifically here. Every online itinerary groups stuff together in both cities in pretty much the same way. So I just need to decide what day plan gets slotted into which day. We’ll call these Days A, B, and C in Tokyo and Days D, E, and F in Kyoto. My schedule in its current form places my Tokyo days on Friday-Sunday, and my Kyoto days from Thursday-Saturday. Neither are particularly ideal for crowds, but I’ve prioritized my weekdays for other, probably equally as crowded, places.

**Day A:** Starting at Sensoji in Asakusa and ending either at the SkyTree or Akihabara. I haven’t actually decided if I want to go up the SkyTree, or if its worth going there at all if I don’t. But the Kirby Cafe is there, and I think I want to check that out. Same with the Pokemon Center. I’d like to check out a few of those if time permits. I’m not very deep in the anime scene but I do my share of collectibles (like Gunpla and Bandai’s action figure line) that make Akihabara a potentially interesting plage. Other stops:

– Ueno Park/Tokyo National Museum
– Kappabashi Street (don’t really get this one but it’s been recommended in multiple places I’ve looked at for research)

**Day B:** Starting at Shibuya and ending at Shinjuku. I’ve seen this one done in either direction but this is the way I’d do it, to end the day up at the Metropolitan Government Building for pictures of the city. Other stops:

– Meiji Jingu/ Ginkgo Avenue
– Sightseeing in Omotesando
– Samurai Museum (if it ever reopens)

**Day C:** This one I haven’t booked very solid yet. Thinking it’s my third day by default so I can cover anything I missed, or anything I want more time at. Specific things to hit:

– Toyosu Fish Market (less for the auction, more for the fresh ahi; I’ve heard this is a good one to see on Day 1 because you’re pretty jetlagged coming from the states but I don’t think raw fish before 11am is a good way to introduce my stomach to the country)
– The Gundam Base in Odaiba/ The Unicorn Statue
– Views of Tokyo Tower from Roppongi
– Imperial Palace

**Day D:** (Now we’re in Kyoto) Starting at Kiyomizudera and ending at Ginkakuji. This is going to be an early day, and I want to stay closeish to Kiyomizudera specifically to facilitate that, but my train to Kyoto might be arriving somewhat late (like, after 8pm) so I’m not sure doing this on Thursday is prudent. It’s also probably the most walking I do on a single day until I get to DisneySea (which is a post for another day). On the other hand, Thursday is my only weekday in Kyoto, so maybe it’s worth it. Other stops:

– Eikando Temple
– Kenninji Temple
– A checking lot of other temples along the Philosoher’s path.

**Day E:** Starting at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, ending at Daikakuji Temple. I don’t have a ton of stuff planned for this area of the city, but it seems like plenty to do a long the way. Other stops:

– Tenryuji Temple
– Tugetsukyu Bridge
– Jojakko Temple
– Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple

**Day F:** Starting at Fushimi Inari, and eventually ending at Kinkakuji. This is probably Saturday, since I get a little break where I can go back to my hotel and get my bags checked for forwarding to my next hotel. Other stops:

– Tofujuki Temple
– Toji Temple
– Ninnaji Temple

If it’s easier, just reply with the letters in the order you think would be good. Are there any days that I could be a little more flexible with based on weather, or does every day have something I need to book in advance?