Hello it will be my first time in Japan with a small group (no kids) and our itinerary does look quite dense. If there are suggestions of things that could be removed/moved or things I’ve missed I would really appreciate it.
I’m travelling during the foliage season towards the end of November, our interests are history, food, anime, gaming etc.
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**Northern Tokyo (first day = chilled)**
– **Asakusa (3 hours: 10am – 1PM):**
– Kaminarimon Gate
– Sensoji Temple
– Temple Grounds
– Nakamise Shopping Street
– Sumida Park
– Melon Pan in Asakusa Kagetsudo
– **Ueno Park + Tokyo National Museum (2.30PM – 5PM)**
– **Akhibara (5PM – 8PM):**
– SEGA Akhibara (Open till 11.30PM)
**Western Tokyo**
– **9.00am – 12.00PM:**
– Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue (0.5 hour)
– Shinjuku National Gyoen Park – Map (1.5 hour)
– Meiji Shrine (1 hour – not open on Thursdays)
– Yoyogi Park (1 – 2 hours)
– **Shopping Streets: 1.30PM – 6.00PM:**
– Takeshita Street – Harajuku (2 hours)
– Shibuya (2 hours) – Shibuya Sky *Buy tickets for sunset*, Shibuya scramble crossing
– **Shinjuku (4 hours: 7:00PM – 11:00PM):**
– Memory Lane
– Godzilla
– Kabukicho Tower
**Nikko**
– **7am departure:**
– Travel from Asakusa –> Tobu Nikko
– Shinkyo Bridge (15 min walk)
– Toshogu Shrine + Gardens (15 min walk)
– **Ryuzu Falls (20 min bus)**
– **Lake Chuzenji Cruise (55 minutes, 1250 yen – get a 20 min bus to here)**
– **Bus to Kegon Falls and get the elevator (this is the bus to Nikko Station)**
– **Bus to Nikko Station for 40 minutes**
– **Nikko Town then back to Tokyo via train**
– **Return latest 7pm so back by 9pm**
**Disney Sea**
– **Disney Sea (8am – 10PM)**
– **Disney Sea (8am – 10PM)**
– **?Disneyland**
**Lake Kawaguchi**
– **7am departure:**
– Get sightseeing bus pass – Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Bus (1500 yen)
– Kachi Kachi Ropeway/Tenjoyama Park (20 min bus)
– **Arakurayama Sengen Park/Chureito Pagoda (20 min bus)**
– **Oishi Park (20 min bus) – lakeside views of Mount Fuji**
– **Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival (20 min bus)**
**Kamakura**
– **9am departure:**
– Travel to Kamakura St. then Take Enoden Rail to Hase Station
– Diabatsu Great Buddha of Kamakura – Kotoku-in Temple (7m walk)
– Hasedera Temple (5m walk)
– Take Enoden Rail back to Kamakura
– **Komachi-dori Street (lunch)**
– **Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (if time – 10m walk back to St)**
– **Kamakura St –> Enoshima island (via Enoden train)**
– **Enoshima Benzaiten Nakamise-dori Street**
– **Sunset at Enoshima Sea Candle**
– **Head to Kyoto (where we will have dinner)**
**Kyoto day 1: Arashiyama and Northern Kyoto**
– **Arashiyama:**
– Sagano train 9.30am from Kameoka Torokko (walkable from Umahori)
– Okochi-sanso villa near groves
– Bamboo Groves
– Tenryuji temple
– Togetsukyo Bridge
– Monkey Park
– **Northern Kyoto:**
– Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) £10 taxi
– **Halal Kaieski**
**Kyoto Day 2: Eastern Kyoto**
– **- Early! 7am – 11am: Fushimi Inari Taisha**
– **Tofukuji Temple (15 min walk/PT)**
– **- Kiyomizu-dera (Wooden platform) Temple (30 min by PT from Fushimi)**
– **Higashiyama District**
– **- Gion, Kyoto’s historic geisha district**
– **Wander along Hanami-Koji Street and keep an eye out for geisha**
– **Pontocho Alley**
– **Look at Samurai/Tea experiences**
**Kyoto Day 3: Central Kyoto**
– **Nijo Castle**
– **Philosopher’s path**
– **Gion**
– **Kimono**
– **Afternoon tea Geisha**
– **Chill**
– **Travel to Osaka**
**Osaka**
– **Umeda Sky Building**
– **Osaka Castle + observation deck**
– **Shitennoji Temple**
– **Abeno Harukas (observation deck)**
– **Namba – Tombori river cruise (book tix early)**
– **Dotonburi:**
– Shinsaibashi shopping arcade
– Don Quixote’s unique Ferris wheel
**Hiroshima**
– **7am departure:**
– Umeda –> Hiroshima (9am)
– Peace Memorial Park
– Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (3hr for both)
– **1PM – 3PM:**
– Atomic Bomb Dome
– Hiroshima Castle
– Shukkei-en Garden
– **3PM –> 4PM (Hiroshima Station –> Himeji)**
– **4PM –> 5PM**
– Himeji Castle
– **After 5PM Back to Osaka, have dinner/evening there**
**Universal Studios**
**Nara**
– **9am departure:**
– Umeda –> Kintetsu-Nara Station (10am)
– Kofukuji Temple Hall – Central and Eastern Golden Halls (40 minutes)
– Nandaimon Gate + Todaji Temple Hall (1 hour)
– **Nara Park (1.5h)**
– **Nigatsudo hall (30m)**
– **Kasuga Taisha Shrine (60m)**
**Back to Tokyo – Imperial Palace + Outskirts**
– **Imperial Palace – Ginza (4 hours)**
– **11am – 1PM:**
– Free time
– **2PM – 5PM:**
– Odaiba See Gundam
– Teamlab
– **7PM – 8PM:**
– Roppongi Hills
**Tokyo – Shopping (free day, can decide then)**
– **10am – 2PM:**
– Shinjuku/Harajuku (TBC – Free Time)
– **3.30PM – 5.30PM:
3 comments
Just to let you know that Himeji Castle closes at 1600, and the walk from the station to the castle takes at least 40 minutes there and back – it will certainly take more than an hour to see it fully. I also don’t think there’s any need to see Osaka or Hiroshima Castle if you’re planning to go to Himeji anyway, so you could cut the latter and arrive a bit earlier.
Also, the bus from Nikkō to Ryuzu Falls/Lake Chūzenji takes more like an hour each way, but it looks like you’ve scheduled plenty of time overall. I don’t think your itinerary is too dense overall, but just be prepared you may not be able to do every single thing on your list.
> travelling during the foliage season towards the end of November
Nikko will be barren trees branches by this time, foliage here peaks in late Oct / early Nov.
Depending on how late in November, Kawaguchiko could also be branches only as it peaks quite a bit before Tokyo.
Kamakura peaks a little later than Tokyo, so you may wish to move it to the last few days of your trip.
> Kyoto
Days 2 and 3 look extremely packed, geographically inefficient (eg doing Gion twice) and full of crowds. Kiyomizudera for example should be the first thing you do in the morning, aim to arrive before 7am.
>Western Tokyo
9.00am – 12.00PM:
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue (0.5 hour)
**Shinjuku National Gyoen Park – Map (1.5 hour)**
Meiji Shrine (1 hour – not open on Thursdays)
**Yoyogi Park (1 – 2 hours)**
Yoyogi Park is nice, but it’s just a park. There’s not anything especially amazing about it. On that note, scheduling more potential time for Yoyogi over Shinjuku Gyoen strikes me as a bit silly. Spend that time in Shinjuku Gyoen, not Yoyogi.
On a macro level, I’d probably recommend structuring your trip less. Less hour by hour scheduling. Reduce your stress and give yourself time to explore or change plans without having to worry about hitting the next spot by your allotted time.
I also think only having 3 Tokyo days (with one of those being a travel day) on a 16 day trip is a big miss.