Trying to confirm if the following itinerary would be too ambitious or if we could fit in more places to visit. Thank you in advance for any feedback!
**Overview:**
* Arrive HND: 11/20/23 (Mon) @ 3p
* Depart HND: 11/25/23 (Sat) @ 1p
* Staying at Shinagawa Station hotel (open to changing to something closer to Tokyo City Center)
* Purchasing JR Pass for first 3 days and SUICA / PASMO for days 4 – 6
* Purchasing 10 GB eSIM for our phones
**Day 1: Arrival** (11/20 – Mon)
* Arrive HND @ 3p
* Take Keikyu Line -> Hotel at Shinagawa Station
* Take Yamamote Line -> Shibuya Station
* Visit Shibuya Sky 360 viewing platform + Shibuya Crossing
* Walk to: Miyashita Park, Hachi Dog, Yoyogi Park
**Day 2: Lake Kawaguchiko Daytrip** (11/21 – Tue)
* 6:30a take Keikyi Line -> Shinjuku -> take Azusa1 -> Otsuki -> take Fuji-Kyuko line -> Kawaguchiko
* Board (Red) Kawaguchiko Omnibus to visit: Cable Car / Kachi Kachi 1600¥, Pleasure Boat, Oishi Park (free), Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine
* Visit Tokyo City Hall
**Day 3: Karuizawa Daytrip** (11/22 – Wed)
* Take Keikyu Line Train -> transfer to -(Hakutaka 555)-> Karuisawa
* Rent bike / ebike to visit: Kumbaike Pond, Kyukaruizawa Ginza, Somminshokuduo, Kogen Church/ Stone Church, Harunnire Terrace, Prince Karuizawa Shopping Outlet
* 6p Karuisawa – (Hakutaka 570) -> Tokyo (explore Tokyo market)
**Day 4: East and West Tokyo** (11/23 – Thur)
* Estimated total commute time: 3 hr (170 min)
* Meiji-Jingu 5a – 5p, Free
* Shinjuku Gyan National Garden, 9a – 4p, 500¥
* Ueno koen Park, 5a – 11p, Free
* Senso-ji Temple, 6:30 a – 5p, Free
* Mukojima-Hyakkaen Gardens, Free
* Tokyo SkyTree (+UnaToto Eel Bento), 10a – 9p, 2100¥
**Day 5: Central Tokyo + Ginza** (11/24 – Fri)
* Estimated total commute time: 2.67 hr (160 min)
* Imperial Palace
* Tokyo Train Station
* Tokyo Tower
* Shiba Park
* Ginza Shopping District
**Day 6: Departure** (11/25 – Sat)
* Depart HND: 11/25/23 (Sat) @ 1p (Take train to airport ~9:30a)
2 comments
Check the hours for Oishi Park: I think it closes at around 4 PM in this season.
You seem to have a special interest in parks, as you’re going to so many. I myself would maybe skip Shinjuku Gyouen: it’s nice, but for me it was not worth the price. I first went there 30-odd years ago and went again two weeks ago. If I don’t go again for another 30 years, it’ll be fine with me. I’d recommend Korakuen Park instead if you’re going to pay for one.
I’d also recommend looking at a map of Tokyo and plotting where you want to go, then grouping the things by geographic area. I have a feeling you’ll be spending a lot more time commuting than you’ve estimated. (Within Tokyo, triple the Google-estimated times between train stations 2 or 3 stations apart and double them for longer journeys. Navigating to and within the stations takes longer than you’d think.)
Having only a Suika or Pasmo is fine. You very likely will not use JR trains enough to make a pass worthwhile.
You must love parks! On a prior trip stayed at the prince sakura shinagawa and found it pretty easy to walk down the hill and cross the street and enter the station to get to the yamanote line. Stayed a week and did nothing in shinagawa except the 7-11 and station. As prob a bonvoy ambassador at the time the hotel and room was fine and breakfast was fine. Just got back from a week at prince shinjuku where my room was tiny, but it was so much more fun though was quite the challenge to actually get around. I dont value free breakfast much in asia, well, massive buffets are nice, but delicious inexpensive food in all directions.
Not sure why a jr pass –
I assume you have been to japan and tokyo before, otherwise this is a pretty unique one week itinerary!