Hello everyone! I’m returning to Japan next year in May, my sister is coming with me and it will be her first time. For the most part it’s going to be a fairly standard, touristy trip, so any recommendations that could make it a bit more interesting would be awesome!
The bullet points are listed in order of planned route each day.
Tokyo hotel is in Tokyo Bay
Kyoto hotel is in Shimogyo ward
Osaka hotel is in Chuo ward
**Bold** = places/things I have done on my previous trips/s
# Day 1 – Tokyo:
* **Senso-ji**
* Denboin Garden
* **Ueno Park**
* Shinobazuno pond
* **Shibuya Scramble Crossing**
* Happy Pancake
* Hachiko Memoria Statue
* **Shibuya Sky**
* **Yoyogi Park**
* Dinner
* **Senso-ji again (night time photo op)**
# Day 2 – Tokyo:
* **Meiji**
* **Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden**
* Tokyu Kabukicho Tower\*
* **Imperial Palace**
* Sumida Aquarium
* **Tokyo Skytree**
**\***I saw this on tiktok so I really wanted to see what it’s like. Has anyone been here that can share their thoughts as I know this opened recently?
# Day 3 – Tokyo:
* I’m treating this as a kind of rest day for shopping, food, exploration. No set plan.
* Can anyone recommend some off-the-beaten-path food places, experiences, places for some RNR (both my sister and I are heavily tattooed so any awesome tattoo-friendly onsens would be cool too)
# Day 4 – Hakone:
* Just a day trip to Hakone, I haven’t been and I figured that we’re seeing enough of Tokyo where I can give myself a new experience while not taking away from my sisters first visit.
* It’s just your standard touristy Hakone day trip. But any recommendations for things that may normally be overlooked would be appreciated!
* This day is basically replacing my day trip to Enoshima from my last trip
# Day 5 – Tokyo:
* **Disneyland** \- from open to about 3pm, a good chunk of time
* **Art Aquarium Museum**
* **Teamlabs planets**
* Street Kart Tokyo Bay
# Day 6 – Nikko
* I am unsure about this day, but I really want to go.
* Just a day trip to Nikko exploring around.
* Recommendations here would be greatly appreciated
# Day 7 – Kyoto
* Tie up loose ends in Tokyo
* Shinkansen to Kyoto
* Settle in and explore area around hotel
# Day 8 – Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari Taisha – get there just after sunrise
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Yasaka-jinja Shrine
* Maruyama Park
\*\*Might rent a kimono/yakuta after the gates and revisit the gates after everything else
# Day 9 – Kyoto
* Heian-jingu shrine
* Kinkaku-ji
* Bamboo forest
* To-ji Gojunmoto
# Day 10 – Kyoto
* A free day to explore, tackle any recommendations the locals give us or things we find
* traditional starbucks
# Day 11 – Osaka
* Minoh Park
* Minoh Falls
* **Dotonburi**
# Day 12 – Osaka
* **Osaka Castle (and probably the nearby museum. Forgot its name)**
* **Shitenno-ji**
* **Abeno Harukas**
* **Shinsekai**
# Day 13 – Osaka
* **Namba Yasaka Jinja**
* **Nipponbash Denden town**
* **Expo 70**
# Day 14 – Tokyo/Home
* Flight until 8pm
* Including the shinkansen back we have about 4 hours of spare time. Normally I spend this at a garden in tokyo but I have never really explored the airport so would that be a good bet this time?
3 comments
Don’t do the street karts. They’re loud, disruptive, dangerous, and the vast majority of locals absolutely despise them.
I have been eyeing almost these exact dates
I’ve just been in Hakone last week. Pick the areas you’re interested the most. I tried to cover all of them and it is possible, but really rushed. I think it’s better if you take your time and enjoy the area slowly.
About Disneyland… not sure if around half day is
Enough. This kind of parks are really tired and require a lot of time. I’d say it’s better if you consider a full day for it… just in case!