Hi all,
I’m currently planning a trip to Japan with a few of my friends from 15 April to 01 May of next year. I’d like your opinions on my itinerary and maybe a few recommendations. It’ll be a group of 7 and we have moderate energy levels (we’d like to do half planned and half unplanned exploration). Most of us just want to soak in the energy of our surroundings, visit some must-sees, look for weird vending machines, and pretend like we’re on an adventure.
Day 1: Travel – Fly to Japan
Day 2: Tokyo – Arrive in Tokyo, around 4pm. Check into AirBnB (either Shinjuku or Ueno) and explore the area
Day 3: Tokyo – Ginza District (Tsukiji Outer Market in the AM, Ginza shopping and TeamLabs Boarderless in the afternoon/evening)
Day 4: Tokyo – Shibuya (Meiji Jingu Shrine in the AM, explore Shibuya afterwards, check out Shibuya Sky in the evening)
Day 5: Tokyo – Chiyoda/Taito Ward (Akihabara, Ueno Park, Tokyo National Museum)
Day 6: Flex Day in Tokyo. Use to rest, explore local recommendations, or take a day trip (e.g. DisneySea or Yokohama)
Day 7: Travel to AirBnB (likely Osaka, maybe Kyoto)
Day 8: Day trip to Nara (Nara Park, Okaru Okonomiyaki, Nakatanidou Mochi, Todaiji Temple)
Day 9: Osaka – Day trip to Himeji Castle, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in the evening
Day 10: Kyoto – Nakasendo Trail Day Trip (hike from Magome to Tsumago to Nagiso)
Day 11: Kyoto – Arayashiyama District (Sogenchi Pond, Okochi Sando Garden, Otaji Nenbutsi-Ji Temple) + Kichi Kichi Omurice
Day 12: Kyoto – Kyoto Botanic Gardens, Honen-in Temple, Higashiyuama Jisho-Ji, Philosopher’s Path, and Jiki Miyazawa restaurant
Day 13: Kyoto – Fushimi Inari (early AM), Samurai and Ninja Museum (if we aren’t exhausted), Ninenzaka Street, Nishiki Market
Day 14: Flex day in Osaka/Kyoto (rest, most likely just exploring Osaka)
Day 15: Lake Kawaguchi – Travel to Konansou
Day 16: Lake Kawaguchi – Explore surroundings (Kawaguchi Asama Shrine, Haha-no-Shirataki Waterfall, maybe Mt. Fuji or just find a place to camp + grill or FujiQ Highland)
Day 17: Travel – Check out and depart
We can extend the trip by an extra day too (probably will be spent in Osaka).
The days aren’t set in stone and can be moved around depending on weather conditions or new recommendations. It’s still early but the last thing I want is a rigid schedule or a day of constantly moving around trying to look for 10 different things.
Thanks in advance!
3 comments
Nishiki market should be done earlier in the day as many stalls will be closed in the afternoon
Shibuya sky evening is very crowded. Make sure to reserve tickets
Is there a particular reason you’re using AirBNB rather than hotels? They don’t have the best reputations in Japan and may be in inconvenient areas. If you look for places called ‘business hotels’, you will probably find less expensive and more conveniently situated places to stay. Business hotels do not have amenities such as restaurants or spas, but they’re clean and easy to use. They are almost always in areas with plentiful restaurants, bars, and the like nearby and are often very convenient to transportation. The last time our family of three traveled, for example, we paid about ¥10,000 per night (including breakfast) total. (We were not, however, in Tokyo.)
hey, sounds like a solid itinerary! just a heads up, nishiki market can get pretty quiet in the afternoon and shibuya sky can get crowded, so try to plan ahead for those. have an awesome trip!