I’m trying this post again with more details (locations and dates) added.
I’m mostly interested in anime, video games, and biking/hiking. If there are any must-do activities, please let me know, so I can add them.
**Forewarning: this is my first trip to Japan, and it’s solo.**
I could use some feedback for the following (any additional feedback would be helpful too):
* Is my schedule too busy?
* Are there too many hotel swaps? (I got a count of 9 hotels/locations)
I’m going to roughly follow some routes on the Japan-Guide website.
This is about my 3rd draft, and 1st real draft with some details laid out.
—–
Hotel 1 Ueno Area
Day 1 Tuesday (12/5): Arrival in Tokyo 6:30PM and Hotel Check In in Ueno Hotel Area.
Day 2 Wednesday (12/6): National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Zoo, Ameyoko, Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center (or other night view)
Day 3 Thursday (12/7): Akihabara Free Roam (Arcades, Stores) – Animate, Mandrake, Super Potato, Hey
Day 4 Friday (12/8): Tokyo National Museum / Ghibli Museum , **Need Help Here?**
—–
Hotel 2 Hakone / Fuji Five Lakes
Day 5 Saturday (12/9): Check-In at Fuji Five Lakes, Visit Lake Motosu for the day, **(if time permits, visit any other lakes)**, Hot Springs / Onsen at Night if possible.
—–
Hotel 3 Nagoya Center
Day 6 Sunday (12/10): Visit the Science Museum and the Railway Museum, Nagoya Castle if time permits , Eat Hitsumabushi (I like eel) **Is 1 day enough?** This is mostly a relaxing day.
—–
Hotel 4 North Kyoto
Day 7 Monday (12/11): Northern Kyoto Half Day (Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji, Ninnaji), Arashiyama Half Day (Tenryuji, Bamboo Groves, Togetsukyo Bridge, Monkey Park)
—–
Hotel 5 Nara East
**Do I need a different hotel here versus a Kyoto location?**
Day 8 Tuesday (12/12): Nara Full Day Walk (Kofukuji Golden Halls, National Treasure Museum, Nara National Museum, Nandaimon Gate, TOdaiji Temple Main Hall, Nigatsudo Hall, Kasuga Taisha shrine)
—–
Hotel 6 Osaka Center or East
Day 9 Wednesday (12/13): Universal Studios Japan **Should I swap this with another day?**, Check-in at night to hotel
Day 10 Thursday (12/14): Osaka Full Day Walk (Shinsekai, Nipponbashi Den Den Town, Kuromon Market, Doguyasuji Shotengai, Hozenji Yokocho, Dotonbori)
Day 11 Friday (12/15): Osaka Aquarium, Namba
—–
Hotel 7 Tonosho Hotel (Shodoshima)
Day 12 Saturday (12/16): Travel from Osaka to Tonosho port via train/bus/boat, Check-in
Day 13 Sunday (12/17): Rent a bike and cycle around Tonosho/Shodoshima
—–
Hotel 8 Shirakawa-go / Takayama Ryokan
**Is this location feasible to travel to in a day from Tonosho?**
Day 14 Monday (12/18): Try a ryokan and walk around a small town, ???
—–
Hotel 9 Shibuya / Shinjuku
Day 15 Tuesday (12/19): Mount Takao (Takaosan) Hike
Day 16 Wednesday (12/20): West Tokyo Full Day Walk (Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Street, Omotesando, Shinjuku)
Day 17 Thursday (12/21): Shibuya Crossing / Capcom Store , Golden Gai, Shopping and Relaxing Day
Day 18 Friday (12/22): Pokemon Center / Daiso / Harajuku Roam, Shopping
Day 19 Saturday (12/23): Yokohama Full Day walk including Chinatown and Cup Ramen Museum
Day 20 Sunday (12/24): Kamakura Full Day Walk (Hasedara Temple, Great Buddha of Kamakura, Zeniarai Benten Shrine, Genjiyama Park, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Komachidori Street)
Day 21 Monday (12/25): ??? **I’m still figuring out if I want to revisit any place that I might’ve enjoyed in Tokyo** I’m also not sure how Christmas affects things.
Day 22 Tuesday (12/26): Odaiba (DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, Aquacity Odaiba, Rainbow Bridge, See Tokyo Big Sight, Miraikan)
Day 23 Wednesday (12/27): Relax day and revisit Akihabara or other Tokyo locations, see local neighborhoods (recommendations?)
Day 24 Thursday (12/28): Leaving Flight in the afternoon
—–
Please scrutinize and help me figure out a better route if possible or if I need to remove anything that may not have enough time to do.
2 comments
I think spending only one day out of 24 in Kyoto would be a serious mistake. In addition the way you’ve structured that day sounds unpleasant to me. If you have curiosity and want to experience temples (and it seems you do based off your Nara and Kamakura days), then you ought to spend more time in Kyoto and open yourself up to exploring them more deeply.
To answer one of your direct questions: you definitely can visit Nara from Kyoto without changing hotels.
I’d recommend taking some of your 11 Tokyo days and reallocating them to Kyoto.
Would you want to visit Ghibli Park near Nagoya as well? It’s meant to larger than the Ghibli Museum.
Japan also has really lovely illuminations in December – you might want to check when the Kobe Luminarie will be on display, and what will be happening around Osaka’s city Hall and Midosuji Avenue.