Hello! My girlfriend and I are planning a 2 week trip to Japan around next March/April for cherry blossom season with an additional few days in Taipei. We mainly love eating and anime but also interested in culture and seeing the sights and temples. We are not really interested in bar/nightclub scene, but late night snacks and adventures is a thing we are into! We welcome any food/restaurant/dessert, activity and hotel recommendations!
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I am thinking of business hotels such as Setsuna Frensa Hotel, any negatives regarding them? Or any other hotel recommendations?
This is my rough itinerary. Generally I feel like I have put too much each day, I was wondering which things I can cut out to make it more focused and less running around everywhere so that we can actually enjoy the trip and not feel burnt out. Thanks in advance!
Edit: Will probably do 2-3 listed things listed each day, not all of them to clarify. I would like to enjoy my time rather than a speed run
This is the map I am using to pin everything [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=137ChGKPusr7pYG4pe0ppUADrdPpsRgU&usp=sharing](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=137ChGKPusr7pYG4pe0ppUADrdPpsRgU&usp=sharing)
Looking at the JR pass price increase for next year, it appears to be not worth it as individually buying tickets ends up about 4000 yen cheaper?
Is it better to just buy an IC card?
Japan/Taiwan
**S Day 1 Arrive Tokyo (Amakusa/Ueno/Akihabara)**
* o Red eye flight landing at Narita Airport \~5am
* o Travel to Tokyo and drop off bags at Hotel (Setsu Fresa Shinjuku or Amakusa)
* o Grab breakfast
* o Visit Nakimise dori street/Senso-Ji
* o Lunch
* o Ueno Park
* o Kiyomizu Kannon do Temple
* o Maybe consider National History Museum (?)
* o Explore Akihabara/Shopping
*  Animate
* o Dinner
* o Amakusa River Night Cruise? Or Tokyo Skytree?
Are red eye flights a good option from LAX or should I pick one that lands later in the day?
How functional can I expect to be after a red eye flight from LAX?
Is this too much to do the day after we land?
Better to stay in Shinjuku or Amakusa? I have seen recommendations for both.
Are business hotels such as Setsuna Frensa Hotels comfortable?
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**M Day 2 Tokyo – Tsukiji/Ginza(?)/Shinjuku**
* o Tsujiki Outer Market for Breakfast
* o Tokyo Joypolis (thoughts?)
* o Gundam Base (is this worth visiting?)
* o Lunch
* o Hamariku Gadens
* o Explore Ginza
* o See a quick Kabuki show?
* o Pokemon Center DX?
* o Pass by Imperial Palace/Photos
* o Kintanomaru National Garden (?)
* o Travel back to Shinjuku
* o Explore Shinjuku
* o Shinjuku National Garden
* o Tokyo Metropolis Building for View/Sunset
* o KURAND Sake by the hour (?)
* o Omoide Yokocho for dinner
Thoughts on Gundam Base and Tokyo Joyopolis?
Too many activities for the day?
Avoid Kabukicho, I hear that there are a lot of sketchy scams/etc here?
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**T Day 3 Tokyo – Harajuku/Shibya/Roppongi**
* o Meiji=Ji
* o Yoyogi Park to see cherry blossoms?
* o Cat Street
* o Explore Harjuku
* o Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku for lunch
* o Shibuya Scramble Crossing/Square
* o Hachiko Statue
* o Tokyo Animate Center
* o Nogi Jinja shrine
* o 21\_21 design sight
* o Roppongi Hills for dinner
* o Zojo ji Temple
* o Tokyo Tower?
Best places to see cherry blossoms?
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**W Day 4 Tokyo – Day Trip to Kamakura or Replace with any of the days above if not functional on arrival day**
* o Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
* o Kamakura Hasadera
* o Kotoku-ji
* o Return to Tokyo and explore another district (any suggestions?)
* o Forward Luggage to Kyoto and pack light to Hakone?
* What are your experience with luggage forwarding?
Th Day 5 Hakone – Buy Hakone Pass
* o Travel to Hakone via Shinkasen or use Odakyu Trains with Hakone Pass in Shinjuku – which is better?
* o Quick look at Odawara Castle if time
* o Arrive in Hakone
* o Drop of Stuff at Ryokan or explore first depending on ryokan policy
*  Trying to get Hakone-Gora Byakudan
* o Hakone Open Air Museum
* o Check into Ryokan
* o Onsen time
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**F Day 6 Hakone**
* o Hakone Loop
*  Hokone Ropeway
*  Sulfur eggs?
*  Ropeway
*  Pirate Ship Ride
*  Hakone Checkpoint
*  Hakone Shrine
*  Lunch Salon de the Roasage? Or other recommendations
*  Old Tokaido Road
*  Hike to Amasake Tea House
*  Bus back to Ryokan
Splurging a bit for ryokan at Byakudon, reservations 6 months in advance – I assume it fills up very fast?
What is the best way to book ryokans?
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**S Day 7 Kyoto**
* o Travel to Kyoto
* o Nijo Castle
* o Kyoto National Manga Museum
* o Nishiki Market for lunch
* o Nishiki Tenangu Shrine
* o Sanjo Meiten-gai Shopping Arcade
* o Ippudo Matcha Main Store
* o Visit/Explore Gion
* o Gion Corner
* o Kenninji Shrine
* o Check into Hotel (Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Kiyomizu Gojo)
* o Dinner
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**S Day 8 Kyoto – Temple Day (assume will be crowded?)**
* o Nazen-ji
* o Ginkaku-ji
* o Eikan – do
* o Philosopher Path
* o Lunch
* o Honen-in temple
* o Higashiyama Jisho-ji
* o Chion in Temple
* o Shoren in Temple
* o Dinner
Too many temples?
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**M Day 9 Kyoto**
* o Fushimi Inari
* o Tofuku- Ji
* o Kiyomizu
* o Explore Sannenzaka and Nineizaka St
* o Maccha House
* o Yasaka Padoga
* o Ishibei Koji lane
* o Kodai Ji temple
* o Lunch
* o Maruyama Park
* o Yasaka Shrine
Again, too many shrines?
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**T Day 10 Kyoto**
* o Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* o Iwatayama Monkey park
* o Okochi Sanso Garden
* o Tenryu-Ji
*  Lunch
* o Gio-ji
* o Adashino Temple (?\_
* o Kinkaku ji
* o Ryoan Ji
* o Pass and look at Kyoto Imperial Palace
Again, Too many temples?
Should Kinkaku-ji be earlier in the day or put on another day?
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**W Day 11 Osaka**
* o Travel to Osaka
* o Drop off luggage at hotel
* o Look at Osaka Castle
* o Explore Nakazakicho District/Lunch
* o Explore Umeda/shop for souvenirs
*  Umeda Sky Building and Floating Gardens
* o Explore Grand Front Osaka
* o Ohatsu Tenjin
* o Explore Kita Shinchi District
* o Dinner
* o Nakanoshima River Cruise?
**Th Day 12 Day trip to Nara**
* o Nara Park
* o Todai-ji
* o Kofuku ji
* o Yoshikien Garden
* o Travel back to Osaka
* o Abenos Hakuras/Shop for souvenirs
* o Explore Dotonbori
* o Dinner
* o Hozen ji temple
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**F Day 13 Osaka**
* o Sumiyoshi Shrine
* o Explore Shinsekai
* o Lunch
* o Shitenno ji
* o Denden town for Souvenirs
* o Kuromon Market
* o Dotonburi Exploration
* o Dinner
* o Dotonburi River Cruise?
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**S Day 14 Hiroshima/Miyajima Day Trip**
* o Travel to Hiroshima Station
* o Grab a snack
* o Travel to Miyajimaguchi Station
* o Ferry to Itsukushima
* o Explore Itsukushima
* o Ropeway up Mt. Minsen
* o Return to Hiroshima
* o Explore Peace Memorial Park
* o Look at Hiroshima Castle? Or Skip
* o Hiroshima Orizuru Tower
* o Explore Tokaichimachi for dinner
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**S Day 15 Himeji Day Trip**
* o Travel to Himeji
* o Visit Engyoji
* o Himeji Castle
* o Koko en Garden
* o Explore Himeji
* o Travel to Kobe for dinner for Kobe Beef? Or Travel back to Osaka for dinner?
Is there a better way to organize the day trop order so that we are not exhausted traveling the last two days?
Would ie be better to Luggage forward from Kyoto to Osaka while we travel form Kyoto to Nara and then return to Osaka?
Is eating kobe beef in Kobe a thing or can I find it in Osaka as well?
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**M Day 16**
o Fly out from Osaka Airport to Taipei for the rest of the trip
Thank you in advance!
3 comments
And I thought my itinerary was ambitious! There are quite a few days that don’t look doable. Your first day in Kyoto, for example. Unless you’re planning to leave at five in the morning, you won’t have time to do more than a pass through at everything on your list. You should map it all out on google maps and look up about how long it takes to see each place – Nijo Castle, for example, is a 90 minute tour.
On day 9, there’s no way you can do that all before lunch. Fushimi Inari involves a hike, at least an hour or so. Some of those temples are huge complexes with multiple buildings that can take up to 2 hours to look around if you want.
On Day 2, I don’t think you’ll make it to the Shinjuku Gardens by the time it closes. Make sure to look at the hours things close. Lots of temples and museums close at 4 or 5. I think Kyoto has some cherry blossom illuminations that let you come at night – that can help spread out your itinerary.
This itinerary is crazy – did you or anyone even plan this while looking at a map or just randomly threw in words you found googling?
Might be doable if you just want to take photos of each place from outside for 10 mins and move on.
* Business hotels are generally tiny. Their function is, afterall, just to let salarymen have a place through the night. If possible, find a twin room, or at least it should explicitly say “large double bed”.
* The problem with jet lag is that it hits when you least expect it to. You’d feel drowsy in daytime, but wide alert at night. You mostly likely won’t be entirely functional for the first two days.
* Best places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo are generally considered to be Ueno park, Chidorigafuchi, and Nakameguro. But I know, you know, everybody knows, which means they’ll likely ALL be packed full of people. It can take upwards of 3 hrs in line for Chidorigafuchi.
* In general, every single day is 50% to 100% overcapacity. You could probably do half of what you wrote here *if* there are no crowds, and you don’t spend any extra time enjoying yourself. Add some cherry blossom crowds and you’re unlikely — if not impossible — to follow this itinerary at all.
* Focus on sites that are well known for their cherry blossoms — that’s why you picked this time period afterall. Anything else that’s the same with or without cherry blossoms can wait for another time.