Almost complete with our itinerary and wanted some advice! Anywhere we can improve/cut/add, ideas, etc. Active nerdy married couple, both 38 yo. Open to any and all interests. Main concerns were help with Osaka, whether or not Nikko day trip is feasible and what to plug in to our last leg of Tokyo. Flexible, don’t intend to adhere too strictly to schedule but just wanted some solid planning in. Thanks for any and all suggestions/help!!!
**Tokyo(First Stay)**
**Day 0**
– Depart LAX @ 3:45pm PST(11/14) Arrive 2110/9:10pm JST(11/15) @ Haneda Airport.
– Obtain Welcome Suicas from Vending. Activate Unagi E Sims
– Airport Limosine -> Shibuya Station -> Check in @ Hotel in Shibuya
Drop off Luggage, Explore the area, Mega Donki for some essentials before settling in for the night.
**Day 1(Shibuya/Shinjuku) 11/16**
– Shibuya Scramble
– Hachiko
– Shibuya Parco
– Yoyogi Park
– Meiji Jingu
– Harajuku/Shinjuku
**Day 2(Asakusa) 11/17**
– Hirosaki Neputa Asakusa Festival*(Not sure if it will be going on saw it has Mid November but no date?)*
– Kaminarimon Gate
– Senso-ji
– Nakamise-Dori
– Shin Nakamise Street
– Asakusa Underground
– Tokyo Sky Tree
– Explore a little more, head back to hotel, dinner, explore Center Gai
**Day 3(Nikko)11/18**
– Nikko Day Trip *(Tohoku Shinkansen -> Utsunomiya JR Nikko Line -> Nikko )*
– Bus from station to Shinkyo Bridge
– Toshogu Shrine Area
– Bus to Kegon Falls
– Bus back to Shinkyo Bridge
– Kanmangafuchi Abyss
– Depart Nikko by 5?*(what time realistically would I need to depart tokyo to leave Nikko by 5 without rushing? or is this day even feasible, should I drop something? maybe swap this with one of the days in second tokyo stay so we’re not doing two travel days back to back since we depart for Kyoto next day?)*
**Day 4(Kyoto)11/19**
– Shinkansen to Kyoto
– Toji Temple
– Nioji Castle
– Nishiki Market
– Check @ hotel in Kawaramachi
– Explore Gion & Kodai-ji Temple/Entokuin\*(evening fall illumination)\*
**Day 5(Kyoto) 11/20**
– Arashiyama Grove Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple*(taxi/bus from station)*
– Gioji Temple
– Tenryuji Temple
– Monkey Park
– Sagano Romantic Train from Torroko Station – > Kameoka*(probably won’t do this, – tickets sold out. Do you think I’d have a chance getting one day of?)*
– Hagazawa River Boat back to Arashiyama*(is the boat ride worth it?)\*
**Day 6(Kyoto) 11/21**
– Wake up early for Photo Yasaka Pagoda in Nineizaka/Sannezaka
– Kiyomizudera
– Kodai-Ji revsited(day) *(Might stop by again to see the bamboo grove during the – day if time permits)*
– Nineizaka/Sannezaka
– Yasaka Shrine
**Day 7(Kyoto/Osaka) 11/22**
– Fushimi Inari(early)
– Tofokuji Temple
– Depart for Osaka
– Eorzea Café
– Namba Yasaka Shrine
– Check in @ Hotel in Shinsaibashi/Dinner/Explore
**Day 8(Osaka) 11/23**
– Osaka Castle
– Umeda Sky Building
– HEP 5
– Amerikamura/DenDen Town/Kuromon Market
– TeamLabs Botanical @ 1800/6pm
**Day 9(Nara/Osaka) 11/24**
– Aoniyoshi Train to Nara
– Todaiji
– Nara Park
– Kasuga Taisha
– Kofukuji
– Nakatanidou/Shopping
– Back to Osaka – Shinsaibashi/Dotonbori evening
**Day 10(Osaka) 11/25**
– Open to suggestions. Maybe Osaka Aquarium? Wondercruise?
**Day 11(Osaka->Hakone)11/26**
– Depart Osaka
– Arrive Hakone and explore area until check in @ Ryokan in Yumoto area
**Day 12(Hakone->Tokyo)11/27**
– Hakone Loop(Clockwise from Hakone Yumoto)
– Depart Hakone via Limited Express at 1700/5pm *(what time recommend to start – – – hakone loop to make it back by departure?)*
– Check in @ hotel in Shinjuku
– Explore Area/Kanukicho/Golden Gai
**Day 13(Tokyo)11/28**
– Open to suggestions???
**Day 14(Tokyo)11/29**
– Disneysea
**Day 15(Tokyo) 11/30**
– Mipig Café Meguro *(Yes I am aware that these cafes aren’t great but the wife really wants to visit and I’m seeing Mipig is among the more well kept ones. Particulary the Meguro location)*
– Diver City
– Toyuso Maket
– Teamlab Planets
– Roppongi/Tokyo Midtown
**Day 16 (Tokyo) 12/1(Yokohama day trip)**
– Gundam Factory
– Chinatown
– Yamashita Park
– Minatomirai area
– Yokohama Air Cabin
– Cosmoworld
– Red Brick
– Cup of Noodle Museum
**Day 17 Tokyo 12/2**
– Akibahara/Shopping
– Namco Arcade
– Akiba Cultures Zone
– Vending Machine Corner
– Kanda Shrine
– Hitachino Brewing
**Day 18 Tokyo 12/3**
– Last minute shopping(looking for knives, any recommendations? I read kappabashi?)
Dinner
– Flight Departs Haneda 2100/9pm
4 comments
I disagree that the mipig cafe is one of the more well kept ones, I’ve heard tons of stories of the pigs having scratches and being aggressive. Also, there’s no such thing as a “mini pig,” they keep them small by malnourishing them. Literally starving them. Maybe it would help for you to explain that to your wife? They’re super unethical to support in any way but especially monetarily.
You have a very jam packed schedule. I would be surprised if you saw half of what you listed here.
You will be absolutely exhausted arriving.. and your plans are really ambitious for day one. If you eat well, drink water and get sorta a good sleep the first night you will run out of gas by mid day day two. The time change crosssing the date line takes several days to straighten out.
It is often stated in this sub, but do not under estimate the amount of walking. Your Hakone itinerary is possible if you follow your plan..it’s just you likely won’t have any time to see or enjoy anything as this region is huge.
The days will be very short at this time. I’m assuming you are carrying ultra light day packs. If you are dragging around luggage I would caution you to think carefully about that- let alone Osaka, Kyoto and then an overnight in the Hakone area. I’m also assuming you are using mostly public transportation; the upper Hakone area is mountainous and roads are steep and narrow.
If your accommodation is along a major route you may end up alright. There are so many roadways without proper street lighting and no sidewalks. I would have a dependable hands free (head light) light as you’re trying to zoom into Google maps and navigating the streets. Taxis are really expensive in this area and charge ‘night rates’ in the evenings. Many businesses could be limited hours as tourist season is over for the end of November. Eating will be limited; if you’ve booked a Ryokan evening meal and fishy breakfast will likely be provided in house.
If you are wondering about seeing Hakone ‘clock wise’..that is indicating you are in the Yumoto area. As you may not be familiar with the geography, this is along the bottom of the mountain area. Perhaps consider taking the Tozan train from Yomoto uphill first to Gora, then the Funicular uphill to the first of the connecting Gondola. If you visit the crater (easily an hour to walk around from the mid station gondola ) you could then head downhill to lake Ashi and then across the lake. Again with you hoping to be in Tokyo you would have limited time to visit that part of the lake..but the connecting bus towards Yumoto can be boarded there. I think that could be the best use of your time doing a lap..but you won’t really spend much time anywhere.
I don’t mean to poo poo your trip plans, you have likely planned this for a long time and excited. You have so much planned and I hope to god you have good shoes and light luggage.
Skip kegon falls, all the leaves around it will have fallen and it’s not all that impressive without the complement of color from the leaves. This makes the rest of your Nikko day very doable.
Minipigs are not a breed, they’re underfed normal pigs who get sent to you know where when they get too big bc biology. This may or may not be okay on you or your wife’s ethical meter (I myself am not vegan and eat animals/products of animals that probably didn’t have great lives) but there’s no pig equivalent of a rescue cat cafe for instance.
This looks exhausting. I’d suggest limiting yourself to 3 or 4 things a day.
Just go to bed when you arrive in Tokyo rather than attempt to do anything – you’ll be exhausted from the flights, and the sooner you get to sleep the better in terms of dealing with jet lag (you are likely going to wake up really early, so go to bed early). If your hotel does room service, it would be a perfect option for dinner – if not get dinner somewhere easy close to the hotel, like a chain restaurant.
Note that you should schedule shopping for the afternoon as lots of shops don’t open until 11. Some don’t open until 12.