Hello! I’m heading to Tokyo next week 4-10 October.
* We’re a couple in our 30s, more interested in nature and cultural stuff.
* Not into luxurious shopping or anime so I’m skipping Ginza and Akihabara.
I’ve plotted the locations in Google Maps and arranged them to the best ability but I welcome suggestions and advice. Thank you.
​
Here’s our itinerary:
**5 Oct (Thu) | Mt Fuji / Kawaguchiko Lake**
\- Arrive Narita Airport @ 7.40am
\- Take bus to Kawaguchiko Stn @ 10.30pm (booked and paid)
\- Arrive Kawaguchiko Stn @ 2pm
\- Red line bus to Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center (Oishi Park) – explore + dinner
​
**6 Oct (Fri) | Mt Fuji / Asakusa**
\- Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
\- Check-out hotel @ 12.30pm
\- Depart Kawaguchi Stn @ 1.30pm
\- Arrive Tokyo Stn Nihonbashi Gate @ 3.35pm
\- Check-in hotel @ Asakusa
\- Kaminarimon, Nakamise-dori Street, Senso-ji temple – Explore + dinner
Optional in Mt Fuji: Chureitei Pagoda + Arakurayama Sengen Park – Many stairs
Optional in Ueno:- Ueno Park, Ameyoko Shopping Street
​
**7 Oct (Sat) | Harajuku / Shibuya**
\- Polene (opens @ 11am) – Reach 10.30am to queue
\- Shibuya Crossing + Miyashita Park – Explore + lunch
\- Meiji Jingu shrine + Yoyogi Park
\- Dinner nearby or back to Asakusa
Optional: Harajuku/Takeshita Street + Omotesando Street – Is this worth going? I saw the pictures and seems like it’s a long stretch of shops and I’m worried about spending my time in crowds on a weekend.
I heard that Polene’s queue can get pretty long (1-2 hours) at noon, so I’m thinking of heading there first thing in the morning. But, it’s kinda messed up the entire day’s plan. Any thoughts on how to re-arrange Shibuya day?
​
**8 Oct (Sun) | Tokyo & Shinjuku**
\- teamLab Planets @ 10-10.30am (booked)
\- Optional: Ginza, Akihabara – Might skip both entirely as we’re not interested in luxury products or buildings
\- Imperial Palace
\- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
​
**9 Oct (Mon) | Disneyland**
\- 🌟 Tokyo Disneyland (booked)
​
**10 Oct (Tues)** \- Flying home
3 comments
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It seems you don’t have many days so I can understand the back and forth.
But I would reconsider your Kawaguchiko itinerary. Essentially you’re doing nothing in Kawaguchiko except take a ropeway up a short mountain, taking a photo and back down, and walking around a park. It’s a lot of money and time to go all the way to Kawaguchiko just for that… There doesn’t seem to be much nature or culture in your itinerary, more city things and walking around.
If you live in Asia or Oceania the jetlag won’t be bad, and the flights might not be so long, but if you’re coming from further away then you’ll be dead on your feet when you arrive to Japan. You probably won’t want to do any tourism on your first day.
I recommend spending the 6th Oct in Kawaguchiko, rather than leaving at 1.30pm. Check out the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum or the Music Forest Museum if you want to stick to the red line. Iyashi no Sato and the Bat Cave if you’re okay with going out further. There are stairs up to Chureitei Pagoda, but it’s an easy walk. Take as long as you like, enjoy the place, then you can spend the evening in Asakusa / Ueno, going out for dinner at the izakaya near Ameyoko. Asakusa never closes, it’s an outside shrine, and it’s nice at night lit up. All the shops will be closed but they have drawings on the shutters so it’s interesting to walk around Asakusa late without the crowds.
My personal view as someone who isn’t into tiktok famous foods, Harajuku (atleast Takeshita Dori) isn’t worth it unless you’re going there for some specific shops.
I only go to a couple of stores then dip. Its never been my favourite place but I went last year and it seemed like more of a dump than I remembered, and it really does get crazy busy on weekends.
If you did want to go just to see it, go at maybe 6pm or something, most of the stores will still be open but you won’t have quite the footfall.
Ginza might be worth it if you wanted to visit Kabukiza. It’s got a nice little museum and some interesting stores at the bottom, we really liked it!