First time itinerary check for my partner and I – 14 days Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Tokyo + day trips

4 comments

1. Looks good.

   Use Google to see travel times and allow for connections to see if you can fit everything in in a day. Also check opening times and if open, some attractions close for a day in the week and it’s not always a Monday that is picked.

   Gyoen National Garden is enormous. If you are planning to spend a lot of time there perhaps do Yoyogi Park on another day to mix things up as it also covers a large area. Some of the smaller gardens / parks are worth considering.

   Start your day trip to Miyajima early. The day’s will be short with sunset at 5.07pm. Low tide to view the Tori Gate will be 3.15pm, for you to double check.

2. For Kawaguchiko, you didn’t specify the time, but leave Tokyo by 8 a.m. to maximize your time there. When I went in March, the ropeway line was super long. Not sure if it’s worth waiting in line for the ropeway. Also, consider going to visit the Chureito Pagoda if you have time. It’ll probably be too crowded for pictures depending on when you go, but the view of Mt. Fuji from there is nice.

3. You’re staying in Shibuya on 31 October? It’s going to be a mess.

   The 22nd looks odd: you’ll be crisscrossing the city unless you’re only planning to see the West side of the Imperial Palace grounds, rather than the east side, where the gardens are.

4. If you love food, consider doing a night or two in Osaka, rather than day tripping there. There is so much amazing street food in Osaka and a lot of Osaka doesn’t really get hopping until into the evening. We spent two nights and barely scratched the surface in Osaka. In terms of food, we enjoyed it much more than Kyoto. A few food recommendations from our trip so far.

   *Yakisoba Celona – Teppanyaki near Shinagawa station. Life changing beef and best Yakisoba I’ve ever had. Resos are fairly easy to get

   *Tonkatsu Narikura – an institution in Tokyo. We were lucky and they had Tokyo X Pork the day we were there. Resos through Omakase.

   *Hokkaido Project Bon Lumière – food truck outside the Bellustar Tokyo hotel in Shinjuku. This was Hokkaido milk soft serve, and it was literally the best ice cream I’ve had in my life.

   We ate at a lot of random bars and izakaya in places like Shinbashi and Shinjuku. Just pick something that appears to have lots of locals and go in. Ask for ‘O susume’ (what you recommend). If also recommended giving yourself time to just wander around neighbourhoods that are interesting like Ameyoko in Ueno, as you’ll stumble upon random con places just poking around.

   Osaka – again, we spend lots of time just wandering into random places that looked busy, and we ate so very well. There are lots of little alleys off the main drag of Dotombori with tiny bars and restaurants that felt more authentic and less touristy than those on Dotombori, which is still fun and worth exploring. Between 8 and 11pm is the prime time on this area.

   I highly recommend Kuromon market in Osaka. Give yourself a few hours, as it’s big, and you want sufficient time to wander and try things. Tons of stalls with everything from the freshest sashimi to Kobe beef skewers, to sweets and tea. We had 2 hours and felt a bit rushed at the end. I really wish we’d allotted more days to Osaka. The vibe is just so laid back, fun, and friendly.

   Kyoto had been challenging, and it’s entirely our own fault. We’ve been there the past few days, and it’s Golden week in China, and a holiday weekend in Japan, so the place is completely swamped to the point where it’s hard to walk around and enjoy the city. We did have some of the best ramen of my life at Ramen Taiho, and some good meals just wandering into places that look busy. Next trip, we’ll definitely try to hit up Kyoto mid week, and plan a bit better.

   We did a day trip to Kanazawa from Echizen (we were there for the knife building course at Takefu knife village). I loved Kanazawa. It’s just utterly charming, and id say go if you can. I wish I’d had more time, but it’s very walkable, and you can see the major sights in a day.

   Have an amazing trip!