16 Days Honeymoon Itinerary Check – November

Hi everyone. My wife and I are planning to visit Japan for two weeks this November. It is her first time and we have already gotten lots of ideas from this thread. This should be the final iteration of our trip (some days may shift depending on ticket availability). We are trying to find a balance in between having things planned and being flexible. It is her first trip to Japan and I am looking forward to seeing her reaction to such a different culture. We are both interested in experiences, food (albeit battling a severe dairy allergy), shopping and sightseeing.

I wanted to share this itinerary to help anyone else out (also share different ideas) and to get some final suggestions. I will list our final couple questions below:

1. Any suggestions for unique dining or drinking experiences? (We are interested in tasting and learning about sake/whiskey/coffee etc.)
2. Any suggestions on cool stores to shop for high quality (ideally made in Japan) clothing? We are looking for high quality no-logo basics (jeans, t-shirts, pants etc.). Not opposed to vintage shopping and luxury brands that are a bit more subtle
3. Is there an Uber or similar Japanese Uber app?
4. Should we reserve Shinkansen tickets before we arrive or just reserve it at the station?
5. What apps or forms should we have filled out to minimize waiting time at the airport (as we are trying to catch the earliest train possible out of Tokyo on arrival).
6. We love cats. Any humane cat cafes or cat stores to check out so we can buy some souvenirs for our boy?

Thanks again and let me share our itinerary for feedback and advice or inspiration!

Day 1 (Tokyo to Kyoto)

* Evening: Arrival at Haneda at 5pm; no check-in luggage so we want to expedite our immigration process. Hoping to catch the earliest Nozomi from Shinagawa station to Kyoto. Late arrival to Kyoto (will grab some dinner at 7/11/Yoshinoya/Marugame Seimen) Check in at Dhawa Yura Kyoto

Day 2 (Kyoto)

* Morning – Fushimi Inari (Early to take advantage of jet lag); **About Us Coffee** and 7/11 for breakfast
* Afternoon – **Kyoto Insider Sake Experience**
* Evening – **Touisiro** (Tofu Tasting Course – Vegan)

Day 3 (Kyoto)

* Morning – North Higashiyama (Philosopher’s Path) Gen-An Tea Ceremony at Ginkakuji
* Afternoon – **Suntory Whiskey Tour** (if we can score tickets) or explore Gion & Pontocho area
* Evening – Kaiseki dinner at **Gion Iwamoto**

Day 4 (Kyoto)

* Morning – Arashiyama & Monkey Park
* Afternoon – Lunch at **Shigetsu** (inside Tenryuji) then Kinkakuji
* Evening – Visit Kodaiji for **Fall Illumination**, dinner at **Vegan Gion Soy Ramen**Late Evening – Vierge Bar

Day 5 (Kyoto – Osaka)

* Morning – Southern Higashiyama (Kiyomizu-dera, Sannenzaka, etc.)
* Afternoon – **Vegan Ramen Uzu Kyoto**, travel to Osaka and check in at **Hotel The Flag**, **Lilo Coffee**, Abeno Harukas 300 Observation Deck and Shopping
* Evening – Dinner at **Yakiniku M Hozenji Hanare,** Explore Dotonbori

Day 6 (Osaka)

* Morning/Afternoon – Universal Studios Japan (Already purchased tickets and express pass through Klook)
* Evening – **Okotako Vegan Takoyaki** and **Bible Club Osaka**

Day 7 (Osaka)

* Morning – Osaka Castle
* Afternoon – Lunch at **Kashiwaya**, **Glitch Coffee,** Umeda
* Evening – Umeda for shopping, HEP5 Ferris Wheel; Chill dinner at Kura Sushi
* Late Evening – Dotonbori and Amerikamura for Bar Hopping/Round One

Day 8 (Nara Day Trip)

* Morning – Train to Nara, Todai-ji, Nara Park
* Afternoon – Lunch at **Sobakiri Momoyuzuki**, Rokumei Cafe, **Catship Museum**
* Evening – Kasuga Taisha Night Illumination, Dinner at **Unagiku**, back to Osaka

Day 9 (Osaka to Hakone)

* Morning – Ship luggage to Tokyo (to avoid the hassle of carrying luggage in Hakone), Travel to Hakone
* Afternoon – Explore Gora, lunch in Gora, Cable car (if time permits), check into **Gora Kadan**

Day 10 (Hakone to Tokyo)

* Morning – Relax at **Gora Kadan**, check out and head to Tokyo
* Afternoon – **Fuunji** for ramen lunch, check in **Hotel Gracery Shinjuku**, explore Shibuya and look to book Shibuya Sky for sunset
* Evening – Explore Shibuya for shopping and sightseeing (Parco, Scramble, Tokyu Hands etc.), dinner at **Din Tai Fung Shinjuku**
* Late Evening – Golden Gai

Day 11 (Tokyo)

* Morning – Sensoji, Asakusa, **Fugien Coffee**
* Afternoon – Tokyo Skytree, **Kirby Cafe** (pending reservation ) or **Rokurinsha**
* Evening – Ginza (Check out Dassai Sake store, Grand Seiko and other luxury stores), dinner at **Unafuji**

Day 12 (Tokyo)

* Morning – Meiji Jingu, Harujuku (Takeshita Street and surrounding area), **Sakurai Tea Tasting**
* Afternoon – Omotosando and Roppongi for shopping/walking around, **Falafel Brothers Roppongi**
* Evening – **Mori Art Museum**, Cocktail tasting at **Gen Yamamoto** (Pending reservation), Chill dinner

Day 13 (Tokyo)

* Morning – Ueno Park, Ameyokocho
* Afternoon – **T’s Tan Tan Vegan Ramen** for lunch, **Shizen Tea Tasting** (A little far off but willing to commute for it)
* Evening – Explore Shibuya and Shinjuku, Dinner at **Sushi no Midori**, **SG Club Bar**

Day 14 (Tokyo)

* Morning – **Shinjuku Cooking Sun Class**
* Afternoon – **Yayoi Kusama Museum**, need some more ideas this day
* Evening – Dinner at **Jumbo Hanare**

Day 15 (Tokyo)

* Morning – **Ghibli Museum** (Pending tickets, fingers crossed), **Ryumon’s Coffee Stand**
* Afternoon – Kura Sushi, Shimokitazawa, Gotokuji cat temple
* Evening – **Sushi Ten Shinjuku** for dinner, **Ben Fiddich** (pending reservation) or **SG Club Bar** again (any suggested cool bars to hit up?)

Day 16 (Tokyo)

* Morning/Afternoon – Last minute shopping, lunch at Sushi Maru Shinjuku, head to Haneda

Thanks for reading through and hope this helps anyone planning as well!