Hello, friends!
My husband and I are traveling to Japan in November, and spending 4 full days in Tokyo before heading out to Kyoto. When we planned a long weekend trip to New York in the past, the one thing we absolutely regretted was how packed our itinerary was and it made the trip stressful by trying to see too many things. We’re trying to avoid this at all costs, since Japan has been our dream for a long time. I would love any advice you guys have, or opinions on whether the itinerary is too packed. It seems like mostly everything we want to do is around the Shibuya area, so the day we’re in that area is the only one that feels busy to me, but I believe we can make it work. We’re staying at the same hotel in Shinjuku the entire time we’re in Tokyo. Thank you for the help/suggestions!
**November 12th**\-First full day. Hoping jetlag doesn’t destroy us.
\-Gyoen National Garden. Maybe Eat breakfast in the park.
\-Akihabara. This is a Sunday so main street will be closed and handy for wandering around
\-Egg Baby Cafe for snack/lunch?
\-Walk around/explore. Cafe Capyba for a pick me up
\-Asakusa/Senso-ji. We’re actually wanting to go to this area at night when the shrine is lit up. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it better or less crowded?
**November 13th**\-(This is the day that is probably too heavy…but is it doable?)
\-Todoroki Ravine Park early in morning
\-Gotokuji Temple
\-Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory
\-Shibuya Scramble/Hachiko!
\-Shibuya Parco Mall. Nintendo Store, Capcom Store, Pokémon Center
\-Meiji Shrine? (this is a stretch. If not recommended on this day, what day would you move this to?)
\-Shibuya Sky during sunset
**November 14th-**
\-Warner Bros Studio Tour-Harry Potter! Takes about 4 hours
\-Takeshita Street. Not anticipating spending much time here. I’m not much of a shopper or into fashion but would like to go and see what’s around and enjoy the fun atmosphere
\-Cafe Reissue for a pick me up…I just want cute coffee!
\-Hie Shrine
\-Check out Memory Lane or Golden Gai after dinner. Walking distance to hotel
**November 15th-**
\-Teamlab Planets
\-Tsukiji Outer Market
\-Tokyo Tower
\-Zōjō-ji Temple
On the day we leave to go back home we have until 3pm to get to Narita airport. Flight is at 5. Since we have the whole morning, was going to go to the Studio Ghibli museum since it won’t be open until the last leg of our trip and we can’t go sooner
8 comments
>Meiji Shrine? (this is a stretch. If not recommended on this day, what day would you move this to?)
Meiji Shrine is literally across the street from Takeshita street / Harajuku. I think you can reasonably move it to the 14th, or conversely, move Takishita street to the 13th if you feel you have extra time and not that into shopping.
Shubuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku are also pretty much right next to each other on the Yamanote, so I think you can be pretty flexible in how you divide up the two days. No worries.
Otherwise not much to say. The days are slightly on the relaxed side, so maybe you could add something that’s a “bonus” at the end of each day, where you’d visit if you have time, but don’t feel disappointed if you don’t.
Gyoen mean National park and it’s not the name of that park, it’s called Shinjuku Gyoen.
Senso-ji at night you will have less crowd for sure, but the stores along Nakamise will also all be close. Also if you want to get a omikuji (draw your fortune) or buy omamori (good luck charm) you have to go during opening hours of the temple. Yes it’s “always open” but only in the sense that you can go at any time.
Meiji-jingu that is not a bad day to go as you would kind of be in the area, but maybe just see during the day how much time you have. You will want to get your ticket for Shibuya Sky well in advance and depening on where you are at that point, it might not make sense to go all the way to Meiji-jingu, also it’s actually really close t oTakeshita Street on your next day.
Tokyo Tower, unless there is an even at that time, I would do Roppongi Hills Mori Tower instead.
3rd is flawed. Harry potter is far off from Takeshita and Takeshita is neither close to Hie shrine. You either give up two of three
I think going to the Ghibli museum before your flight is ambitious. You‘d have to be lucky and get tickets for the 10-12 am time slot on that day, then you‘d have to check out of your hotel, leave your luggage (prob. at Shinjuku station since you’d pass through there on your way to NRT anyway) go to Kichijoji/Mitaka Station, do the museum, leave at 12 o‘clock on the dot, go back, get your luggage and go from Shinjuku to Narita. It‘s technically doable but you‘d have no time to stroll around.
My friend and I went to the Ghibli museum on our final full day in Japan and it was lovely because it was such a laid back experience. Inokashira Park is so pretty and worth a stroll. We got Totoro Cream Puffs at the Kichijoji location of Shirohige‘s Cream Puffs and sat in the park. The museum itself has little to no English (aside from the floor plan) so you‘re pretty much going for the vibes. If I knew I‘d have to go to the airport that same day, I wouldn’t be able to relax. Everyone‘s different and the museum is worth a trip but I guarantee you that you‘re going to want to come back to Japan.
I got a little shrined/templed/castled out towards the end and I felt so bad because we hadn‘t even seen all of the “big ones”. I can‘t wait to go back and see them with a fresh pair of eyes.
Oh and since you like Ghibli, there‘s a small store in Myashita Park in Shibuya called GBL. It‘s Ghibli‘s streetwear-inspired brand. I got the cutest Mei/Totoro denim tote from them and it‘s very well made! They have less cutesy apparel and accessories than Donguri. 🙂
Enjoy your trip, you‘re gonna love it!
You can do planets at night btw, saves a couple of hours in the day and apparently quieter.
Following as I am looking for suggestions for my trip next year too
Tsukiji closes quite early in the afternoon, when I went many shops were closed before 2 pm. But I can absolutely recommend eating lunch there! And if you come just before closing you can buy stuff at discounts.
Also, do you want an early morning after a night at Golden Gai? Going to Teamlabs hung over is gonna be an experience for sure haha
Have a nice trip!
Shirohige cream puff, you might spend up to an hour queueing. Not that strange in tokyo, and best to keep in mind queueing times if your day is packed. Tokyo tower, I’d say skip it. Viewing it from the outside is much better