Hello,
We are a couple in our mid 20s from California, USA and will be traveling to Japan in mid October. We made this itinerary but would love your inputs to make it more efficient or suggestion for other things to do/see nearby. Thank you for your help!
We are not picky eaters and like trying new food. We are also both Asians & had a lot of East Asian food. So any food is fine as long as it tastes good, not super expensive, & doesn’t require a lot of waiting (more than 1 hour). We like anime & characters but probably not going spend more than a day on this. I really like Japanese skincare so please recommend! Overall, trying to balance between crowd/big cities and more relaxing/quiet places.
**Day 1 (Sun): Tokyo (Ikebukuro)**
* Arrive at HND (5 AM)
* Check into hotel near Kanda Station & relax until we are hungry
* Go explore Ikebukuro
* Animate
* Sunshine City
* SEGA
* Dinner: read that this area has good ramen and Chinese food?
**Day 2 (Mon): Tokyo (Ueno & Shinjuku)**
* Get breakfast at a traditional/old-style cafe in Ueno
* Visit a museum
* Deciding between National Museum of Nature and Science / Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Tokyo National Museum
* Ameyoko Shopping District/Market
* Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
* Go shopping in Shinjuku
* Any shop recommendations? looking for everyday wear & Japanese brands
* Malls: Isetan / Marui / Lumine
* Shin-okubo & get dinner
* Maybe Kabukicho or Omoide Yokocho if we are not tired
**Day 3 (Tues): Tokyo (Harajuku & Shibuya)**
* Meiji Shrine
* Harajuku & Shibuya
* Visit some specific shops around Harajuku
* Cat Street
* Shibuya Crossing
* SHIBUYA109
* Walk around the backstreets of Shibuya
* Dinner: thinking of getting (ayce) yakiniku. Any recommendation?
* Go to Nonbei Yokocho or Yoyogi Milk Hall for some drinks
**Day 4 (Wed): Tokyo (Asakusa)**
* Sensoji
* Get some snacks & desserts on/near Nakamise Street
* Explore some of the side streets
* Asakusa Hanayashiki
* Relax at Sumida Park
* Maybe go walk around Kuramae to visit some cafes/shops
* Go back to Asakusa after the sun set. Dinner/Hoppy Street
**Day 5 (Thu): Tokyo -> Kyoto**
* Go explore Tokyo Station for a couple of hours & get lunch
* Take the Shinkansen to Kyoto around noon
* Check into hotel on Kawaramachi St/Downtown District
* Walk around Kawaramachi & Gion in the evening
* Yasaka Shrine
* Gion Tatsumi Bridge
* Pontocho alley
**Day 6 (Fri): Uji & Fushimi-inari**
* Walk around to get lunch / snacks / tea
* Nakamura Tokichi Honten – Uji Honten
* Byodoin Omotesando Street
* Tsuen Chaya
* Maybe go to the local Onsen: Uji Natural Hot Spring Genji-no-Yu
* Go back to Kyoto & visit Fushimi-inari Taisha in the evening
* Maybe visit Fushimi Sake Village/Sakagura Koji for some dinner/drinks
**Day 7 (Sat): Osaka**
* Osaka Castle (not planning to go inside)
* Get lunch at Kuromon Ichiba Market
* Walk around to shop & get food
* AmerikaMura
* Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping St
* Dotonbori
* Uranamba
**Day 8 (Sun): Nara**
* Kofuku-ji temple
* Isuien Garden
* Todai-ji Temple
* Nara Deer Park
* Kasuga-Taisha
* Higashimuki Shopping Street & explore Naramachi
**Day 9 (Mon): Kyoto (Arashiyama)**
* % Arabica / Bread, Espresso
* Tenryu-ji (garden only)
* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* Okochi Sanso Garden/Villa
* Kameyama-koen Park
* Togetsu-kyo Bridge
* Sagano Onsen Tenzan-no-yu (maybe)
**Day 9 (Tues): Kyoto**
* Go to Nishiki Market for Brunch
* explore the shopping streets (Teramachi & Shinkyogoku)
* Kimono Rental in Gion
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Kodai-ji Temple
* small bamboo grove for pictures
* Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka
* Not sure what to do on our last night in Kyoto
**Day 10 (Wed): Kyoto -> Tokyo**
* Go explore Kyoto Station for a couple of hours & get lunch
* Take the Shinkansen to Tokyo around noon
* Check into hotel in Akasaka
* Hie Shrine
* Go skincare shopping in Shinjuku
* visit some drugstores
* Grab some dinner & drinks
**Day 11 (Thu): Tokyo (Odaiba & Ginza)**
* TeamLab Planets
* Odaiba OR Tsukiji Outer Market
* Joypolis
* Maybe we will be tired of food markets after Osaka & Kyoto
* Go shopping in Giza
**Day 12 (Fri): Tokyo (Nakameguro)**
* Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo
* Go cafe hopping & shopping
* Walk along the Meguro River/Sakura Bridge
* Revisit previous stops
**Day 13 (Sat): Go Home**
* Revisit previous stops & last minute shopping
* Go to HND in the afternoon for an evening flight
1 comment
Great itinerary, it‘s not too packed with sights and activities so you’ll have plenty of time to explore. Only critic I would have is that it‘s actually not thaaat well balanced between crowds and quieter places 🙂
In general I recommend trying a few Japanese chain restaurants, especially if you don‘t want to waste a lot of time in queues. Most are good places for lunch as well. My favorites:
– Tenya (Tempura)
– Ootoya (Shokudo & Teisheiko, Set meals, fish, Tonkatsu and veggies)
– Echigoya (Grilled fish set meals)
– Ippudo Ramen (Tonkotsu style, I like it much more than Ichiran which is overhyped imo)
– Marugame Seimen or Habsmaru Udon (both for Udon)
– Sushiro, Kura, Toriton, Uobei (conveyer belt sushi)
– Yakiniku Like (no frills yakiniku)
– Nakau, Sukiya, Yoshinoys (Gyudon and rice dons)
In Ikebukuro there is Mutekiya Ramen near the station, very popular and don‘t know how long the waiting time is right now. Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto: mongol/chinese Tanmen, but it‘s also a popular shop so there will likely be a queue, too. Uchitateya has nice Udon, you guessed it: popular as well.
I can absolutely recommend exploring the Yanaka area either on your Uneo (3) or Asakusa day (4). The whole area is very old school Tokyo and not so overrun with tourists like Asakusa. There are lots of amazing back alleys with small shops
Day 9: When you are already in the Arashiyama area you could visit some lesser popular temples and areas. These were among my absolute favorites:
– Gijoji temple (small moss garden, super beautiful and tranquil)
– Jojakkuo-ji
– Saga Toriimoto street