I am going to Japan with 5 other ppl for 2 weeks (the last week of September and the first week of October) and made an itinerary that I drafted based on research on events and recommendations and what ppl want to do. Most of us do not speak Japanese (except 1). 4/6 are first-timers(including me). The trip is split into two parts where the Osaka/Kanazawa/Kyoto is only a 2-ppl trip. Just want to make sure everything looks good and have some gaps/questions about the trip and would absolutely love some suggestions!
Sat 9/23: Arrive at NRT airport at 5:30 → Airbnb either by bus or NRT express(which is better?) to Shinjuku, drop off stuff/freshen up at Airbnb, → KabukiCho for dinner and drinks.
Sun 9/24: Go to Tokyo Dome for the Handmade Marche around 11:00, → Akasaka for lunch and Antique market in Ark hil(any clue if this is interesting?)l, → Tenso shrine matsuri(unsure if this is still open by 4-5ish?) → walk around Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi area + tokyo tower until dinner → bar/night-life in the area.
Mon 9/25: Asakusa → sky tree area → split up in Akihabara and meet up for dinner. Then drinking in the Shinjuku area near Airbnb (any suggestion for after Akihabara?).
Tue 9/26: Travel to Hakone → sulfur pit → check into Ryokan, (any food place or onsen we should go to?).
Wed 9/27: Check out the gate → pirate ship? → lunch → back to Tokyo → shibuya golden gai and nightlife.
Thur 9/28: Train to Yokohoma → Gundam Factory → Split up (ramen museum, Megadonki, yokohama chinatown, Motomachi shopping street, Pokemon art walk, sadly I found out Oktoberfest after booking a ticket to Gundam factory).
Fri 9/29: Harakjuku → shopping day (need suggestion for this day).
Sat 9/30: Shimokitazawa → kichikoki → koenji → Nakano broadway → Airbnb → Shinjuku night life.
Sun 10/01: Split days → Tokyo station to store luggage for the next week → (Would love some suggestions on this day since I have the Hokuriku Arch pass starting this day and wonder if there’s any day trip I can do on this day. Or is there something I haven’t covered within Tokyo that I should really check out?).
Part 2 of the trip: 4 ppl leave and go back home. Me plus another person stays for one extra week for osaka/kyoto/kanazawa.
Mon 10/02: 4 ppl end their trips, 2 ppl stay for part 2 of the trip: Tokyo → Kanazawa station → Higashi chaya district → Kenrokuen garden/ Ishiura shrine → Nishi chaya district → Samurai district → thunderbird to osaka → airbnb in tengachaya → Dotonbori → Namba → airbnb.
Tue 10/03: Osaka Castle → Shinabashi parco → Kuromon market →Tennoji → Shinsekai.
Wed 10/04: Umeda Sky building → Daimaru umeda → (need suggestion for something to do during this time slot) → Osaka to Kyoto → Nishiki market + Pontocho → night Kyoto walk → Kyoto hotel.
Thur 10/5: Fushimi inari Taisha → philosopher path → Gion area → Duck ramen –> hanamikoji street → Kyoto to Kanazawa → Dinner at fish market(any other suggestion?) → night kanazawa view → kanazawa castle team lab → hotel in kanazawa.
Fri 10/6: Kanazawa to Tokyo station and grab stored luggage → Tokyo to Narita airport for flight back home.
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Just wonder if i fit too many stuff for the 2nd half of the trips and still missing alot food places. Would love some input thankss!
1 comment
The Tokyo half looks fine and the second half looks terrible. I am very confused as to why you’re doing it this way – not going via Kanazawa is a lot faster, so at least in one direction you should go the direct route.
My opinion: Skip Osaka altogether – you’ve just spent a week in a megacity by that time so not sure why you’re skimping on the places that are significantly different to that. If you’re doing Kanazawa, make sure you have enough time to do it slowly – it’s a place for looking at gardens, temples, old buildings, museums – they’re not the sorts of places you just powerwalk through or why even bother?