Hi all,
My wife and I are going to spend 20 nights in Japan in May (just after the golden week – we made sure to avoid that!). For context, we’re in our late 20’s, neither of us have been to Japan before and we’re quite active so walking around etc shouldn’t be an issue (hopefully!).
This itinerary is still quite iterative so we’re very open to suggestions:
Day 1 – TOKYO
AM
\- Arrive to Haneda airport at 7am
\- Pick up Welcome Suica card + pocket wifi
\- Head into Shibuya to check in to hotel (or drop bags off if too early to check in)
PM
\- Walk around Shibuya
\- Do some clothes shopping in Harijuku
EVENING
\- Head to Golden Gai for dinner then relatively early night as we’ll probably be very tired
Day 2 – TOKYO
AM
\- Head to Shimokitazawa for vintage clothes & check out bakeries/cafes
PM
\- Visit Meiji Jingu
EVENING
\- Head to Omoide Yokocho for dinner
DAY 3 – OSAKA
AM
\- Grab a shinkansen to Osaka
PM
\- Check into hotel (or drop bags off if too early)
\- Walk the streets of central Osaka and go to Osaka castle
EVENING
\- Head to Dotombori for dinner
Day 4 – OSAKA
AM
\- Head to Kuromon market & Tsutenkaku for Osaka views
PM
\- Cooking class (open to recommendations!)
EVENING
\- Head to Dotombori for dinner
Day 5 – KOYASAN
AM
\- Get the train to Koyasan
PM
\- Check into Shukubo (temple lodging)
EVENING
\- Dinner in Shukubo
DAY 6 – BACK TO OSAKA
AM
\- Breakfast in Shukubo
PM
\- Check into hotel
\- Head to Shinsaibashi-suji to walk around
EVENING
\- Grab dinner around that area
DAY 7 – HIROSHIMA
AM
\- Train to Hiroshima
\- Put bags in coin locker
PM
\- Go to peace memorial museum
\- Go to Hiroshima castle
Evening
\- Pick up bags from coin lockers & head to Miyajima island and check in to hotel
Day 8 – MIYAJIMA ISLAND
AM
\- Visit Itsukushima shrine early
\- Head to Mt Misen
PM
\- Mt Misen
EVENING
\- Dinner somewhere on the island (okonomiyaki)
DAY 9 – TRAVEL TO KYOTO
AM
\- Train to Kyoto
\- Check into hotel (or drop bags off)
PM
\- Head to Arashiyama
\- Head to Nishiki market
EVENING
\-Tea ceremony & Dinner in central Kyoto
DAY 10 – KYOTO AOI MATSURI FESTIVAL
AM
\- Go to Nijo Castle
PM
\- Check out the festival fun
EVENING
\- Check out the festival fun
DAY 11 – NARA DAY TRIP
AM
\- Train to Nara
PM
\- Nara park and Todai-Ji temple
EVENING
\- Train back to Kyoto and dinner somewhere central
DAY 12 – KYOTO
AM
\- Head early to Fushimi Inari Taisha
PM
\- Head to Kiyomizu-dera temple
\- Have lunch around Higashiyama
\- Head to Kinkaku-ji temple
EVENING
\- Late dinner in central Kyoto
DAY 13 – TRAVEL TO TOKYO
AM
\- Train to Tokyo
PM
\- Check into hotel in Shibuya (or drop bags off)
\- Tsukiji market
\- Hamarikyu gardens
EVENING
\- Teamlabs
\- Dinner nearby
DAY 14 – TOKYO
AM
\- Tokyo Sky Tree
PM
\- Senso-Ji
\- Walk around Asakusa
Evening
\- Dinner in Asakusa
DAY 15 – TOKYO
AM
\- Imperial palace and gardens
PM
\- Sushi cooking class (open to suggestions!)
EVENING
\- Golden Gai for dinner
DAY 16 – HAKONE
AM
\- Train or bus to Hakone
PM
\- Check in to hotel (or drop bags off)
\- Visit onsen
\- Walk around the area
Evening
\- Dinner in Hakone
DAY 17 – BACK TO TOKYO
AM
\- Train to Tokyo
\- Check in to hotel in Shibuya (or drop bags off)
PM
\- Go to the May sumo tournament
EVENING
\- More sumo tournament and dinner nearby
DAY 18 – DAY TRIP TO NIKKO
AM
\- Train to Nikko
PM
\- Visit Toshogu shrine (via Shinkyo bridge)
\- Lunch nearby
\- Taiyuin temple hall
\- Rinnoji temple
\- Tamozawa villa park
EVENING
\- Train back to Tokyo
\- Dinner in Omoide Yokocho
DAY 19 – DAY TRIP TO KAMAKURA
AM
\- Train to Kamakura
\- Visit the Great Buddha
PM
\- Head to Kamakura Yuigahama Beach
\- Lunch by the beach
EVENING
\- Train back to Tokyo
DAY 20 – TOKYO
AM
\- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
PM
\- Lunch nearby
\- Head back to hotel to pack
EVENING
\- Head into central Tokyo for last dinner
DAY 21 – FLIGHT BACK
AM
\- Wake up (probably feeling sad)
\- Flight from Haneda airport in the morning
Thanks for reading through and really value your opinions!
