* I am 19 and will be solo travelling and visiting Japan from September 4-19
* I have done my research on all the basics such as reservations, JRPass, pocket wifi (phone is not compatible with esim since it is one gen older rip), cash, send luggage to next hotel, etc. Just wanted to get additional eyes on my planned itinerary since this is my first time travelling far alone
* I did take inspirations from numerous posts here and adapted mine to not include the drinking or night partying culture (duh) but ofc places like Golden Gai are still worth strolling around
* Very fit and active so walking won’t be an issue, also an early riser since I know places especially in Kyoto I will be waking up at 6am or earlier to visit the popular areas and I have taken that into consideration
* I will start to book hotels after my itinerary gets checked but I do have my ryokan in Hakone booked already (Sept 11th)
* Order does somewhat matter, especially for time sensitive ones like the aforementioned Kyoto spots
* The amount of time I will spend in each place will vary since some I might just stroll around and catch the vibes and that will be all.
* Main concern would be some days might have too much while others, one would normally not spend as much time so I might need to reorganize. Maybe some attractions don’t make sense to be on the same day because of distance or timing but I did try to schedule around location and time roughly etc.
* Will reserve some (luxury) food spots but based on suggestions from the sub, best to walk around and pick spots to eat as I explore which I think is great
* Open to all suggestions, I am a fan of anime and will buy gifts for friends and family. Budget is nothing affluent but I will end up spending a little more on food and self splurge
* Extra notes: Skipped universal studios and nintendo land because I’ll be in Osaka during the weekends and can visit in the future. Any recommendations would be awesome
* Thank you, safe travelling!
**Tokyo**
Arrive in **Haneda** Sept 4th but in evening so just checking in hotel and buying basics
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Sept 5
Meiji Shrine
Yoyogi Park
Harajuku
Shibuya Parco
Shibuya Crossing (Mag’s Park)
Shibuya Sky (Ticket) for sunset
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Sept 6
Sensoji Temple + Nakamise shopping street
Akihabara shopping
Tokyo Sky Tree
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Sept 7
Imperial Palace
Tokyo Sea Life Park
Rainbow Bridge
Ginza (shopping+dinner)
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Sept 8
Tsukiji Market
Teamlabs
Tokyo Tower
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Sept 9
Pokemon Center tokyo dx
Shinjuku
Shinjuku Gyoen
Golden Gai
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Sept 10
Ueno Zoo
Tokyo National Museum
Hachiko Statue
Asakusa Underground District?
**Travel to Hakone**
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Sept 11
Hakone Ryokan (Senkyoro) (check in after loop)
Hakone Loop/Course
\-Lake Ashinoko
\-Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani Valley etc
\-Hakone Jinja Shrine
Gotemba Premium Outlet? (prob too late)
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Sept 12
**Travel to Kyoto**
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Nishiki Market
Gion, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Hanami-Koji streets
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Sept 13
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Tenryu-Ji -> Senko-Ji
Iwatayama Moneky Park
Nanzen-Ji, Eikan-Do Temple autumn foliage
Pontocho
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Sept 14
**Travel to Osaka**
Amerikamura
Umeda Sky Building
Dotonbori
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Sept 15
Osaka Castle
Osaka Aquarium
Shinsaibashi
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Sept 16
Katsuo-Ji Temple
Izakaya Toyo
Osaka Botanical Garden (teamlab)
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Sept 17
**Travel to Nara**
Nara Park
Mount Wakakusa
Isui-en Garden
Todaiji Temple
**Travel to Tokyo**
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Sept 18
Tokyo Disney Sea/Yokohama day trip? Not really sure what to do on last full day
Explore/walk around
Sept 19 Morning
Walk around, last minute light shopping maybe
Enjoy the last morning 🙂
Get to HND after lunch for flight in later afternoon
4 comments
Safe Travels!
At 19 you will still be considered a minor in Japan. That might cause issues with you booking hotels and hostels yourself. Some places may allow unaccompanied minors, but some may not. Just be aware of this in general.
That’s a lot of days for Tokyo (and to a lesser extent, Osaka) IMO. Some things may not be worth seeing (is the Shibuya Parco special? All department stores in Tokyo are massive), and you can save time by grouping things geographically. For example, if you’re already at Shibuya, you can see the Hachiko statue in like two minutes. I would do one more day in Kyoto and take the time to absorb the sights more.
Sounds like a great trip. Some pointers.
Sensoji and Osaka castle are both worth visiting in the evening / just after dark. They are both lit up at night and there will be fewer crowds. If you want to go inside then obvs visit them in the daytime as well, but they have very different vibes at night.
Fushimi Inari + Tsukiji Market – get there as early as you can. You don’t want to get up so early you don’t enjoy yourself, but the sooner you reach these places, the quieter they will be.
If you like nerdy stuff, visit Nipponbashi Den-Den town in Osaka.
If your visiting Katsuo-Ji then the nearby Minooh Park is worth a visit for its waterfall. If you have a JR pass, I would consider going further afield though, perhaps Himeji, Koyasan or even back to Kyoto.
Yokohama is cool, the waterfront and china town are both worth exploring. There are plenty of other day trips to consider from Tokyo though, maybe Nikko or Kamakura?
You haven’t mentioned Nakano Broadway, but that sounds like something you might be interested in. Its a bit more retro than AKB.
Have a great time!