Hi Japan Travel,
I’m 44f and travelling to Japan for the second time this November, and would really appreciate some feedback or any tips for my rough itinerary. I’m flying in from Australia and going on to spend a week in South Korea after Japan. Some days (like Hiroshima and Kyoto) I have really planned out in detail because I only have a limited time there, while most of my 7 days in Tokyo are interchangeable, depending on what I feel like that day, or on the weather.
Day 1. Arrive at Narita 5:30pm. Pick up Passmo passport or welcome Suica and pick up Sakura mobile sim card. Keisei Skyliner to Nippori Stn, then Yamanote line to Shinjuku. Walk to Gracery Hotel and check in, arrive approximately 8pm? It will be Sunday night so might get konbini food and have an early night. Luckily Tokyo is only a couple of hours time difference so the jet lag shouldn’t be too bad.
Day 2. Day at Ueno. Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National Museum, National Nature and Science Museum, maybeShitamachi Museum if i’m not suffering too much museum fatigue after the others. In between, i’d like to try food from Ameyokocho, including:Minatoya (Seafood bowls, Takoyaki)Tentenraku (Chinese street food)Chano Kiminoen (all things Matcha)Magurondonya Miura Misakiko (great sushi)Yakitori BunrakuBack to Shinjuku, maybe hit up Omoide Yokocho for yakitori and vibes.
Day 3. Shibuya, Harajuku, Shimokitazawa. Shopping, Tokyu Hands, Mega Don Quijote, oriental bazaar for souvenirs, Takeshita st, Mipig cafe, Gonpachi Nori Temaki (standing sushi bar in Harajuku). Wandering round Shimokitazawa and checking out the thrift shops and cafes. Shibuya sky for sunset (if I can get a ticket!) or before heading back to Shinjuku. Dinner at Ichiran.
Day 4. Tsukiji / Odaiba. Tsukiji outer market for breakfast, check out Odaiba inc. malls and Daiba Itchome Shotengai, Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), and Teamlab Planets at 5pm. Not sure if I should have dinner in the area or head back to Shinjuku.
Day 5 (Thurs). Ikebukero and Kichijoji. Line up early for Nakiryu ramen. Afterwards check out sunshine city, Pokemon centre, game centres, otaku shops and maybe Times Spa Resta onsen. Head out to Kichijoji and wander around. Back to Shinjuku and check out Golden Gai in the evening.
Day 6. Akihabara, Asakusa. Super potato, GIGO game centre, BEEP and just wander around. Lunch at Tanaka Ramen or Yakiniku Horomon Tasuki. Head to Asakusa and check out Sensoji. I’ve been before so I may skip this.
Day 7. Shinjuku. Shopping. Uniqlo, Isetan, etc etc. Check out Kabukicho tower and Higashiyuki shinjuku yokocho. Maybe Tokyo Metropolitan Govt. building. Wouldn’t mind heading to Meiji shrine again or walking through Shinjuku Gyeoen. Dinner at Konjiki Hototogisu.
Day 8. Day trip to Yokohama or Hakone? or alternatively, Art Aquarium Ginza, Kabuki theatre and Ginza Kakari ramen.
Day 9. Early flight to Hiroshima, departing 8:35am. Limousine bus at 6:40am from Kabukicho tower to Gimpo airport. Arrive Hiroshima at 10:05, limousine bus to hotel (1hr) Check in Rihga Hotel around 11:30 or drop bags for later check in.
Walk around nearby Hiroshima Casrle (1.5hrs)Walk via atomic dome to Museum, through park (1hr)Tour museum (1.5hrs)Nagataya OkinomiyakeOptional: Check out Ourizuro tower, fold crane (closes at 6pm)Back to hotel to check in, late supper at hotel
Day 10. Buffet breakfast at hotel.check out of hotel by 9:30am (leave bags)high speed ferry to Miyajima at 10:10am (1hr)temple & tori gate, deerLunch – check out fish cakes (conger eel), oystersropeway to top of Mt Mison, time permittingLeave island on 3:20pm ferry (1hr) back to hotel, collect bags and 20 min train to Shinkansen stnCatch 5:30pm shinkansen to Osaka (1hr30m) and then train to Namba (20m) arrive 7:30-8pmCheck into Mercure Namba and wander round Dotonbori for dinner
Day 11. Lazy morning. Find lunch somewhere local.Spa World (2300Y) including saunas (2 hours)Explore shinsekai areaTsutenkaku tower (900Y)3 hour Osaka food tour meet at 5:30pm, Dobutsuen-mae stationback to hotel
Day 12. Osaka.Osaka castle (special garden, castle tower/museum)train to Osaka AquariumLunchSolaniwa Onsenback to NambaWander round Dotonbori in the evening, ferris wheel?
Day 13. Kyoto.This has been my hardest day to plan.. I’ve been to Kyoto before and stayed in Gion, which I absolutely loved. I wasn’t well though so I didn’t do as much exploring as I would have liked.I’m tossing up between:Ginkakuji (open 9am)Walk Philosophers Path to Nanzenji templetrain to Higashiyama and wander round.Maybe make it to Kiyomizo dera by sunset.Then head to Ponotocho alley for a snack and a drink before heading back to Osaka.
Day 14. Depart from KIX at 11:45am. Breakfast at the hotel and check out by 8:30 to catch train to airport (1hr). Fly to Seoul.
I would absolutely appreciate any suggestions or ideas, and i’m also considering forwarding my large suitcase from Tokyo to Osaka and just taking a carry on to Hiroshima. Would I be able to arrange this with my hotel? (Hotel Gracery Shinjuku) or would I have to take it to a drop off point?
Appreciate any and all feedback, thank you!
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2 comments
Just got back from Japan to Australia this week, it’s only an hour time difference if that helps.
I think personally you’re trying to cram too much planned stuff in- what if you see a street that looks interesting, or a bar or restaurant you want to try? You don’t seem to have allowed any freedom in your itinerary to consider those things. Day 2 has a zoo and FOUR museums!
For me, part of the joy of Japan is wandering the streets, discovering things, getting lost ( a station is never far away), chilling out people watching, generally exploring. I know people are different, and that’s fine 😊 but if I were you I would relax this a bit and take some time just to take it in and enjoy!
Power to you! I could never do more than one MAYBE two museums in a day cause I pretty much read and observed everything and it takes me hours to get through it.
It’s fine to plan out your itinerary and map it out to make sure it makes sense travel wise, but you can get very wrapped up in the unplanned parts of your trip plus there’s weather and natural fatigue. Just make sure that you’re not married to every single thing in your itinerary. You may need to shift something from one to another or drop plans. IMO it’s best to have one or two priorities per day and a handful all around.