Itinerary check: first time solo travelling , Japan 9-10 days.
As the title suggests I’m goin to Japan on 3 Nov and heading back on 12 Nov. Gonna add in my itinerary to see if it’s ok .
Nov 3: flight at night
Nov 4:
arrive in the morning . Exchange the JR pass and my suica card . (Bought it off klook so it should be able to be exchanged right? And also do I have to go to Shinjuku station to get exchange it or can I just exchange it in Narita airport?)
Make my way to Osaka. Check into hotel.
1. Dotonburi for maybe 1-2 hrs
2. Shinsekai street for maybe 1-2 hrs
3. Umeda area for maybe 3 hrs
4. Dotonburi again at night (if time permits)
Nov 5:
Nara day trip (gonna hike mount kasuga primeval forest)
Nov 6:
Kyoto. Fushimi Inari shrine 2 hrs
nishiki market
Gion area
Ninenzaka area
Nov 7:
Arashiyama bamboo grove
Arabica at arashimaya
Walk around ( any suggestions here would be cool :))
Nov 8:
Tokyo. Travel to Tokyo.
Pokemon Center mega
Akihabara
Shibuya > Shibuya sky in the evening
Shinjuku > any safe and hidden bars or places to drink ????? Want to go to somewhere I can chill and not be scammed and I heard golden Gai is kinda overrated so any other more hidden places would be cool.
Nov 9:
Kamakura Day trip
Nov 10:
Okutama Day trip ( read online on a few trails I can take for hiking. Anyone here has solid routes they have taken ? Thanks)
Nov 11:
Watch hunting .
Nakano broadway
Nakameguro
Ginza
Asakusa
(Any other place to watch hunt for an omega aqua terra would be appreciated 🙏)
Nov 12:
Last minute souvenir shopping / walk around and then flight back home .
This is my first solo trip so honestly I’m rly scared of getting lost … but I hope to get some insight on how my itinerary can be improved 🙏🙏🙏 thanks guys 🤩🤩🤩
7 comments
>.. Bought it off klook so it should be able to be exchanged right?
if you are able to print off the details in Japanese, this could be helpful. There may be a way on Klook to change languages. I would have every receipt and shred of paperwork to support your ticket purchase as there are so many JR pass scams out there
>..I’m rly scared of getting lost
You are going to.. and that is sorta fun about travelling. Look into a SIM or eSIM card for data while being there. The train travel and Google maps work extremely well together. Also, you may want to book mark [Jorudan Travel planner (english)](https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/) as it is much more complete than Google maps on the transportation planning. Jorudan works with all busses, ferries and Train services (not just JR but ‘local’ and regional train companies -which there are many of)
edit: you are having a few days in Tokyo, besides the SUICA pass.. do you know about the low cost Tokyo Metro passes? You can buy them in 24, 48 or 72 hour periods.. access many of the regions highlights (about 200 stations) Note this allows unlimited travel on the Metro, “Toei” and “Tobu” lines NOT JR stations (which are more ‘regional’ travel within Tokyo.. ) A good write up [here](https://tokyo-park.net/tokyo-subway-ticket-passes-24-48-or-72-hours) and you can buy them upon arrival at Narita/ Haneda airport and a few select places within greater Tokyo
And if you are out of money in Tokyo and need a cool safe place to walk around at night, take a stroll along Asakusa near the Sumida river to see Tokyo Skytree lit up at night. To give you an idea [here](https://tankenjapan.com/exploring-tokyos-sumida-river-10-sights-and-attractions-along-the-waterway)
I rented a bike in Arashiyama, which was a pretty good idea to get around. The Otagi Nenbutsuji (in my opinion one of the nicest temples) for example is in the outskirts, biking there is pretty easy though. Also it just feels nice not having to walk everywhere. Going through bamboo grove with a bike is pretty much impossible though, too many people. There are bicycle stands everywhere, though.
Way too much going on. At this rate, you’ll be too tired to appreciate much of it.
Do you know what time you land in Narita? Also, depending on where you are leaving from, be sure to double check that you are arriving on the 4th and not the 5th.
Just for reference, each time I have arrived through Narita, it has taken about 3+ hours to get from my plane to actually leaving the airport. You will need to pick up your JR pass at the airport and the line can get to be 40 minutes long. You will also need to wait for your train. After that, you are looking at a 5 hour train ride to Osaka. Depending on where you’re flying from, you are setting yourself up to a very long travel day. Maybe plan to get food somewhere in there?
That all being said- you might want to think about having a full day in Osaka somehow? There is a lot to see in Osaka and I HIGHLY recommend it for drinking over Golden Gai. There is an area near Amerika-mura with a lot of chill standing bars. I highly recommend Umineko, a craft beer bar with local brews. If you Google maps Umineko it will put you in the right area for other bars too.
Amerika-mura may also be a good place for watch hunting, depending on what you’re looking for. The entire area is vintage and alt fashion mixed with higher end/Western brands. There is also Denden, Osaka’s Akihabara, which might be worth checking out.
Your trip is really packed. Nov 4 is very ambitious for your arrival day. I would personally drop the Kamakura and Okutama day trips and redistribute those days to Osaka and Tokyo (or just drop Osaka altogether and stay in Kyoto… the way you’ve planned it, you not actually doing much on Osaka at all).
>Watch hunting
I assume you’re looking for grey market or second hand ones? Shinjuku is the other area to go; I like Komehyo and Best Ishida.
>I’m rly scared of getting lost
Getting lost and exploring is part of the fun in Japan. Google maps will make sure you don’t get too much trouble.
Shinjuku JR pass exchange has a shorter line compared to airport. JapanTravel app and Google maps are very useful. JapanTravel app lets you enter your JR pass so you can see the route which accepts JR pass
allocating 1 single day for tokyo seems insane to me.