Hey everyone! Finally posting my itinerary to this sub. I, 25F will be travelling with my partner, 25M – we’re both gym junkies so have high level of fitness and don’t mind getting our steps in! Please let me know if this itinerary is too congested, unrealistic, or just silly! It’s my second time in Japan but it’s been a while. We’re both visiting Japan mostly for food, shopping (streetwear, high end fashion) and amusement parks/arcades.
**TOKYO**
29/11 – *Day Zero. Wednesday.*
8:00PM: Arrive in Haneda airport.
9:30PM: Check into airbnb in Koto city (near Akihabara). Grab some conbini food and tuck in for an early night.
30/11 – *Thursday.*
8:00AM: Arrive early to line up outside Disneysea.
9:00AM: Disneysea opens up.
9:00PM: Depart Disneysea, head back to hotel area for dinner and shut eye.
01/12 – *Friday.*
8:00AM: Arrive early to line up outside Disneyland.
9:00AM: Disneyland opens up.
9:00PM: Depart Disneyland, head back to hotel area for dinner and shut eye.
02/12 – *Saturday.*
**Free day today**! (kinda). Redeeming our 2 day Tokyo Hop on Hop off Bus ticket (2 days), so planning to pick an area and explore. Does this day seem full enough or should I pick an adjoining area to explore?
10:30AM: Redeem Skybus tickets and enjoy the sights until Harajuku station.
12:00PM: Explore Harajuku for shopping and food.
1:00PM:
2:00PM: Check out Yoyogi park. (maybe have picnic lunch here instead?)
4:00PM: Shibuya sky.
6:00PM: Dinner somewhere in Shibuya! Any recs? 😀
03/12 – *Sunday.*
7:30AM: Wake up early and grab breakfast at Tsukiji Outer Market.
9:00AM: Teamlabs Planets – first spot of the day for pictures hopefully!
11:00AM: Explore DECKS Tokyo Beach afterwards for the Daiba Haunted school.
3:00PM: Hop back on Skybus and head back to Akihabara.
4:00PM: Check out Namco arcade.
6:00PM: Dinner in the area.
7:30PM: Check out some stores and go shopping (BIC camera, want to get airpod maxes!)
**KYOTO**
04/12 – *Monday.*
8:30AM: Catch bullet train from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station.
11:00AM: Leave bags at airbnb reception counter outside Kyoto Station.
12:00PM: Light lunch or exploring if not hungry.
12:45PM: Kyoto Samurai Experience. Staring at @ 1PM.
3:00PM: Check bags into Airbnb.
5:00PM: Relax for remainder of day, potentially do Philosopher’s path for a sunset stroll if up to it?
05/12 – *Tuesday.*
Kyoto Golden Tour booked. Whole day experience.
8:45AM: Meet at Kyoto station for Kyoto Golden Day Tour.
7:00PM: Return to Kyoto station at end of tour.
7:30PM: Enjoy Kobe beef at restaurant in Kyoto city centre.
9:00PM: Back to hotel for the night.
**OSAKA**
06/12 – *Wednesday.*
11:00AM: Check out of airbnb.
11:30AM: Bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka.
1:00PM: Check into hotel – THE ROYAL PARK HOTEL ICONIC OSAKA MIDOSUJI.
3:00PM: **Free afternoon.** Thinking about visiting Osaka castle at night because there’s an illumination event but also really want to see it during the day. Is both worth it or just overkill? *(note: this is my second time going to Japan and for some reason I remember really loving Osaka castle when I went during the day! But also, my bf nicknamed me a ‘moth’ because I love LEDs and all things lights. So the illumination event sounds dope!)*
07/12 – *Thursday.*
7:30AM: Arrive early at USJ.
8:30AM: Rush to SNW to to try and beat timed entry. We have express pass 7 but unfortunately SNW is timed for 1:50PM.
9:00PM: Exit USJ
9:30PM: Return to hotel, drop stuff off and have dinner somewhere.
08/12 – *Friday.*
8:30AM: Depart Osaka for Ghibli Park, Nagoya.
12:00PM: Grand Warehouse & Mononoke Village timed entry.
3:00PM: Hill of Youth timed entry.
5:00PM: Depart Nagoya.
7:30PM: Return to Osaka, dinner somewhere and relax at night.
09/12 – *Saturday.*
10:30AM: Osaka castle + conbini breakfast at the neighboring park.
1:30PM: Head to America Mura for some shopping.
3:30PM: Shopping continues in Dotonburi.
6:00PM: Teamlabs Botanical Gardens.
8:30PM: Dinner then return to hotel.
10/12 – *Sunday.*
**Free day! Considering going to Nara but not sure what to do there. Open for suggestions!**
**HIROSHIMA**
11/12 – *Monday.*
11:00AM: Check out of Osaka hotel.
11:30AM: Sakura Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima.
1:00PM: Arrive in Hiroshima.
1:30PM: Check into hotel – Randor Hotel.
12/12 – *Tuesday.*
9:00AM: Depart for Nagasaki.
11:30AM: Arrive in Nagasaki.
11:50AM: Hashima (Battleship island) tour. Starts @ 12PM.
3:00PM: Tour finishes at Gunkanjima Concierge Office. Head to Chinatown for some food.
4:30PM: Board bus from Nagasaki Station South Exit towards Iojima terminal. Change at Iojima and catch bus to “Lighthouse entrance” for Island Lumina.
5:30PM: Island Lumina hiking experience.
6:30PM: Bus back to Nagasaki station.
7:30PM: Nagasaki station to Hiroshima station.
10:00PM: Return to Hiroshima station.
13/12 – *Wednesday.*
9:30AM: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
11:00AM: Visit Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome.
12:00PM: Walk to Hiroshima castle (25mins), explore and enjoy lunch in area.
1:30PM: Head back to Hiroshima station and travel to Miyajima.
2:30PM: Omotesando shopping street (fish nibbling pedicure!).
3:30PM: Floating torii gate (5 min walk from Omotesando).
Considering adding in the Miyajima ropeway up Mt Misen in here around 4pm but unsure if practical. I hear it runs until 5pm (want to take it up and down the mountains) so would that be enough time to ride it up and down before it closes for the day?
**BACK TO TOKYO**
14/12 – *Thursday.*
11:00AM: Check out of hotel. Head to Hiroshima station and grab some food for the long shinkansen ride. Make sure Nintendo Switch is charged so I can grind out some Stardew Valley (important).
11:30AM: Sakura shinkansen to Shin-Osaka.
1:00PM: Arrive Shin-Osaka station then board Hikari shinkansen to Tokyo.
4:15PM: Arrive in Tokyo station, board local trains to Shinjuku.
4:45PM: Check into hotel – Hotel Groove in Kabukicho Tower.
7:00PM: Explore Kabukicho, maybe play some arcade games in Kabukicho Tower and grab a bite to eat somewhere close. I’m anticipating exhaustion from the long shinkansen ride so most likely won’t be bothered travelling out of the area. If we are bothered, however, might finally chose this day to bar hop!
15/12 – *Friday.*
1:00PM: Sumo Experience lunch booked @ Sumida City.
3:00PM: Experience finishes. Head over to Ginza to shop.
6:00PM: Fine dining @ Tapas Molecular Bar, Nihonbashi.
8:00PM: Experience finishes.
16/12 – *Saturday.*
11:00AM: Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour, Nerima City, Tokyo.
5:00PM: free!
17/12 – *Sunday.*
7:50AM: Meet at Shinjuku-nishiguchi station for Nikko Bus Tour full day.
6:00PM: Tour finishes back at Shinjuku-nishiguchi station.
6:15PM: Probably gonna head back to the hotel to freshen up then go out again for food/activities. Last night here so open for some suggestions!
18/12 – *Monday. Final day :(*
11:00AM: Check out of hotel, ask if we can leave luggage there.
11:30AM – 5:00PM: **free! open to suggestions. :)**
5:30PM: Narita Express from Shinjuku st to Narita airport – but unsure how to book this? Should I book in advance or simply show up at the time?
7:00PM: Arrive at Narita airport in preparation for flight.
9:00PM: Flight back home to Sydney, Australia.
1 comment
Some advice at a quick glance:
**03/12**
Generally, I think going to arcades on a Sunday isn’t that great, since they’re more crowded than usual. Especially since it’s something that you note as a priority.
A lot of shops in Akiba will close at 8pm, and most by 9pm, so not a lot of time for shopping in this schedule. But if you just want to go to Bic Camera then it’s fine.
**13/12**
Feels rushed. 1 hour and a half is not a ton of time to spend in the Peace Museum, you have very little time for walking to the castle+seeing the castle+eating lunch, and Mt. Misen seems impractical (the last departure from the top is at 4.30pm).
If you want to do the ropeway, I’d cut the castle. Or alternatively, I’d think about moving one or both of the castle and/or the peace museum to 11/12, since you don’t have anything planned there. And then dedicate the entire day or at least half a day to Miyajima, including the hike from the top ropeway station to the peak of Mt. Misen which I think is really nice.
The tide calendars I can find online also have the low tide at around 4pm, which isn’t great if you want to see the Torii surrounded by water.
**14/12**
Kabukicho Tower is probably one of the worst places for arcade games. The actual arcade section is very small and made up of mostly gashapon and claw machines. The arcade chains around the area (Gigo, Taito) will be better options.