Hi everyone, i’d really appreciate your comments and advice on the below.
**10 day itinerary**
It’s our first trip to Japan, still a bit confused as to whether we need JR Pass or to jusy purchase fare on the day etc. Looks like we’ll be getting the train/subway/monorail a lot – any advice?
We’re still deciding on hotels. Recommendations for hotels and restaurants welcome 🙂
See below and thanks so much in advance for your help! I’ll miss out the obvious stuff like “breakfast” etc haha
I’ve also tried to take into account exploring and general just getting “lost in japans amazing-ness”
**DAY 1 – LAND 10.30AM – TOKYO HANEDA**
Get suica travel welcome card (if possible)
Private taxi transfer to hotel
Freshen up at hotel, go find food and explore!
Head to shibuya crossing / explore / nosey in shops etc
Go to the shibuya sky viewing platform (tickets to be bought online beforehand)
**DAY 2 – TOKYO**
Make our way to Hie Shrine. How we get there
depends on location of hotel.
Imperial palace isnt to far away?? head over to there and visit the gardens/ Blossom. Tours are available for inside but the gardens around the edge are free? (is this correct). Theres also a park called “Cherry Blossom park” and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden we could try instead or another time
if we wanted to take a picnic there, or go another day with a picnic. It seems a popular lunch and relax spot.??)
Find food.
Head over to the Pokemon centre! have a look around the shops, streets. etc
Go to the Tokyo Museum of modern art (Tickets £12 each)?? Just an idea. Or can head to Sensō-ji Asakusa
Temple
Grab evening meal at the final fantasy eorzea cafe – table reservation needed.
**DAY 3 – TOKYO**
Breakfast
Get the train to Kamakura. – Lesiurely day, exploring shrines
Wander around, visit the temple,explpre
Kamakura comes up a lot in recommendations, Komachi street is recommended
for street food and snacks, and lively shops and yakiniku lunch is recommended in Kamakura too
**Day 4 – Tokyo**
Tokyo Disney – Full day
**Day 5 Tokyo > Osaka**
Check out hotel and get the train to Osaka. (2hr 30 Train) Staying in Osaka as hotels seem cheaper
Check in hotel – May need to get subway or monorail to it from station, depending on hotel
location.
Head to Osaka Castle, buy food from 7-11 and have a picnic (or find a local food stall).
Grounds. People usually spend between 2-3 hours here Good place for Blossom.
Other shrines in Osaka – Osaka Tenmangu, Tenjinnomori Tenmangu, Namba Yasaka Shrine (big dragon
head), Hozenji Temple
Evening : book tickets for Team lab botanical gardens
Would love to also go to the final fanasty cafe in Osaka for evening food
**Day 6 – OSAKA**
Universal studios – Full Day
**Day 7 – KYOTO**
Get up early and get the train to Kyoto 30/40 mins from Osaka
Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine – All the tips online say go early.
Not sure on order of the below but Kiyomizu-dera,Kinkaku-ji, Nanzen-ji Temple
Nijō Castle and cherry garden are also recommended.
Explore the town, main go to gion / geisha district.
Yasaka-dori , Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka- Famous
Order of where to go tbc, I need to look on maps where is what!
**Day 8 – NARA**
Get up early and get the train Nara – 30 Mins from Osaka
Full day exploring, lunch / dinner etc
Visit Nara Park/Manyo Botanical Garden/Todaiji Temple,
All in Nara Park
Theres lots of restaurants and cafes surrounding the park?? – Any suggestions
**DAY 9 – KYOTO**
Get up early and get the train to Kyoto 30/40 mins from Osaka
Go to West Arashiyma Bamboo
Take a packed lunch.
Tenryu-ji Temple is on the same grounds
Theres also a monkey park nearby called Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama (however I’m not
too fussed about this!)
Explore in the afternoon.
Stay in kyoto for evening meal, or head back to Osaka for evening meal.
**DAY 10 – Not sure to stay in osaka or go back to tokyo**
Train back to Tokyo??? Or stay in Osaka and train back Monday?
We might want to go back to Nara? Or Kyoto??
Trip to Mount Fuji? – Easier from Tokyo??
*Other things to do*
Tokyo – Studio Ghibli Museum – Would like to visit here but it is a bit of a way out, tickets are £6 each.
50 minute train ride from Shibuya.
Tokyo – Sensō-ji Asakusa Temple
Tokyo – Capcom gaming
Tokyo – Metro governememtn museum observation deck
Tokyo – Yayoi Kusama museum
Tokyo – Gotokuji Temple
Tokyo – Meiji Jingu
Theres a ramen museum in Yokohoma (near tokyo) looks interesting
**Day 11 – OSAKA > TOKYO** \- if we didnt already get the train back to tokyo on day 10
Watch sumo wrestling?
Studio ghibli musuem?
**Day 12 – Go home :(**
Thanks again, I really appreciate it.
5 comments
Re: JR pass
If you are going in 2024 (after the price hike), there is no way it’ll be worth it. If you are going in 2023, and want the 14 day pass it won’t be worth it. If you’re going in 2023 and tailor it to the 7 day pass starting a few days in so it covers the shinkansen travel… it’ll be close – use the calculator. If it’s close I’d bias to NOT using JR as it keeps you flexible, but it won’t matter that much – don’t stress.
Osaka Castle is a reconstructed block of concrete. Also, Gotokuji is not as exciting as people think. There is a pile of used maneki-neko.
where are you planning to get the welcome suica?
no judgy, but taxis are super expensive from the airport to central tokyo. that’s >10,000 JPY or more nowadays. might be worth it if you are travelling with elderly or arriving in odd hours, …but what do I know.
looking at the itinerary, I would say skip the JR if you are mainly using shinkansen 2x. it will not justify the new price hike after Oct 2023.
if you are up for more steps, Enoshima might be worth adding to the day you are in Kamakura. Just need an enoden ride to sightsee.
Do stay in Kyoto and experience the town,as the vibes are different and you will appreciate the cultural sights more. Day 10 depends on what you like to do, I would suggest to read around the threads.
Use this to calculate jr pass feasibility https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/