Itinerary Check, 3 weeks in Sept – Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakone (+Nikko,Nara,Miyajima)

Hi folks! I’ve really appreciated this reddit for my research. My bf and I (28f/m) are heading to Japan in a couple of weeks and I’d love to get a check on the current itinerary I’ve got so far. I have a few questions along the way as well.

I also put a summary of my current questions at the bottom. Thanks!

**Day 1, Sunday Sept 3rd – Tokyo**
Land at Haneda.
Just get the minimum things: get paper Yen, get Suica or Pasmo (is one better than the other?), get JR passes. Limo bus to hotel in Shinjuku. We’ll already have esim so no pocket wifi.
Maybe do lite shopping for eki stamp book, umbrellas, hand towels. Dinner and pass out.

**Day 2, Monday Sept 4th – Tokyo**
Harajuku – mostly wandering, def hit Takeshita, Kiddyland and some other shops. Visit Yoyogi Park/Meiji Shrine.
Shibuya – walk from Harajuku, see the crossing and dog statue. I guess shopping is the big thing but I’m not sure how much that will be our vibe? (Anime/gaming/harajuku is more of my thing). Maybe there’s a fun Love Hotel somewhere that isn’t sketchy.

**Day 3, Tuesday Sept 5th – Tokyo**
Either Toyosu or Tsukiji fish markets if there’s a way to walk through things. Leaning Tsukiji outer market for the food.
Team Labs Planets
Ginza – again is this mostly shopping? Maybe just wandering through.
Pokemon Cafe early dinner reservation.
Tokyo Station shopping before or after Pokemon Cafe

**Day 4, Wednesday Sept 6th – Tokyo**
Ueno Park – hanging outdoors, maybe do Tokyo Metropolitan Museum unless another in the area is good
Sumida/Tokyo Skytree – is it worth going up to the top for the view? Sumida Hokusai Museum also in the area if we feel it
Kirby Cafe early dinner reservation
Akihabara – wandering but at least hitting Super Potato

**Day 5, Thursday Sept 7th, Nikko. 2 week JR pass starts today**
Day trip to Nikko. No Nikko pass since it sounds like it’s not worth it with the JR pass.
Morning ideas that we might not fully hit: Shinkyo Bridge, Rinnoji Temple, Toshogu Temple, Futarasan Shrine.
Afternoon ideas, prob won’t do all: Nikko National Park, Kegon Falls, Ryuzu Falls

**Day 6, Friday Sept 8th – Kyoto**
Head to Kyoto, may or may not do luggage forwarding. Is the Kansai One pass worth it if we have Suica?
Prob take a chill day. Maybe do Fushimi Inari Shrine and market, bit of Gion but not pushing to do a ton because that’s also tomorrow

**Day 7, Saturday Sept 9th – Kyoto**
Big Gion day. Figured most times we can just wander.
Ideas: Nishiki Market. Nanzen-Ji Temple, Eikan-Do Temple, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. Looking for the main shopping streets like Hanami-Koji, Kawaramachi, Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, Pontocho

**Day 8, Sunday Sept 10th – Kyoto**
Arashiyama morning – Bamboo forest, Iwatayama Monkey Park, Senkoji Temple
North end – Kinkaku-Ji Golden Pavilion. Heard about Kurama to Kibune hike but idk if this is already a loaded day?

**Day 9, Monday Sept 11th – Osaka**
Leave early because this is our main day in Osaka.
We’ll see how much we could really do but I saw someone do this in a day: Osaka Castle, Shinsekai, Dotombori lunch, Kuromon, Amemura and Shinsaibashi, Denden Town
Sky Building? Shitennoji? I think we’ll need some cuts for today or move some things to tomorrow.

**Day 10, Tuesday Sept 12th – Osaka**
Line up for USJ at 7:30am so we can speed run Super Mario World, hopefully get lunch there.
Osaka Aquarium afterwards, else other items from above.
Revisit one of the food spots above for dinner, probably Dotombori

**Day 11, Wednesday Sept 13th – Nara**
Feeding deer obviously, and Todaiji. Fill rest of time with: Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, Isuien Garden.

**Day 12, Thursday Sept 14th – Himeji, Hiroshima**
Luggage forwarding to Hiroshima. Make a pit stop at Himeji Castle on our way over to Hiroshima. Chill evening with dinner.

**Day 13, Friday Sept 15th – Hiroshima**
Definitely Peace Park & Museum. Probably Shukkeien Garden and Hiroshima Castle. I heard alleyways are good for food.

**Day 14, Saturday Sept 16th – Miyajima**
Definitely the big torii gate.
Other options depending on how fast we want to go: Omotesando Street. Itsukushima Shrine. Pagoda. Daisho-in Temple. Ropeway.

**Day 15, Sunday Sept 17th – Hakone**
Luggage forwarding from Hiroshima to Tokyo. Will the next hotel have issues accepting it if we haven’t checked in yet?
Sounds like Hakone Free Pass is good to get?
Lots of travel today, just settle in for dinner at our Ryokan.

**Day 16, Monday Sept 18th – Hakone**
Ryokan breakfast.
Main things are Hakone Shrine, Open Air Museum, Hakone Ropeway which I think goes up to Boiling Valley?
Is a pirate ship cruise worth it for the vibes or the view of Mt Fuji? hahaha
Ending with Ryokan dinner and more onsen.

**Day 17, Tuesday Sept 19th – Tokyo (last JR pass travel day to get back to Tokyo)**
Ryokan breakfast then heading back to Tokyo
I’m realizing we still have a good amount of time leftover in Tokyo – which of these spots seems most interesting to visit? Asakusa, Odaiba, Roppongi, Kichijoji, Ikebukuro, Nakano
Probably will aim for 2 zones today, depending on arrival
Or look for museums we’ve missed and want to see like Sumida Hokusai Museum.

**Day 18, Wednesday Sept 20th – Tokyo**
Same as yesterday! New zones and/or revisiting. I think we’ll do Akihabara again at minimum.
Maybe another good day to find a wacky love hotel? We love the youtube videos we’ve seen on them haha

**Day 19, Thursday Sept 21st – Tokyo**
Yukata rental/purchase in Harajuku with photos, so we’ll also revisit that area/Meiji
Otherwise same, new area or revisiting favorites

**Day 20, Friday Sept 22nd – Leaving**
Flight out of Haneda early afternoon, so maybe just breakfast, final shopping near the hotel, perhaps lunch at the airport

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And now my summary of biggest current questions:

* Do any days seem WAY too full? I think I’m a go-go-go traveler but my bf is my counter balance. Trying to keep myself in check while also making sure we’re seeing the good stuff!
* Suica or Pasmo, are both basically the same?
* Toyosu vs Tsukiji? We won’t be up at 5am for Toyosu but I’m wondering if it’s still possible to see some live fish, otherwise next best might just be best food in the area?
* If I do luggage transport skipping a hotel (ex. Hiroshima -> Tokyo above), is there a risk luggage can get there before our check-in? Is there a recommended way to communicate that while working with Japanese hotel staff, as Americans with some language skills but not much?
* Hakone pirate ship cruise worth it or is that too gimmicky?
* Open to feedback on the next up must-see Tokyo wards as writing this out I realize we have a bunch of undecided time at the end.

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Thanks for reading! Writing this out makes me feel weirdly overplanned AND underplanned, as it makes me realize I haven’t figured it all out (ex. what’s the best order I should take with Hakone items???) and yet this took over an hour to type up. But maybe that’s fine because we certainly have a lot of train rides coming up!