Heading to Japan for a delayed honeymoon/5-year anniversary. Our goal is not to see and do everything, but just explore a lot and eat food. We are casual travelers who like to wander – but would like feedback on the travel itinerary we put together, and any suggestions on very particular things we should do or see based on where we are going and how we are traveling (not a laundry list of restaurants, temples, gardens, etc. – we can find that info online – looking for more personal experiences).
There are quite a few optional items and a lot of casual exploration built in, as we like to do what we feel in the moment. Our secondary goal (first being exploring) is to try lots of local food but we are happy with stumbling upon places through our exploration rather than planning ahead for those. We are happy to go off the beaten path as well if there are any of those kinds of recommendations. The only thing I really cared about was staying at an onsen in the snow at the end of our trip.
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**Day 1** \- 12/16 – Tokyo
* 5:45pm arrive at Tokyo Haneda (from midwestern US)
* Grab dinner in airport or near hotel
* Walk to hotel
* Stay at Hotel Villa Fontaine near airport
**Day 2** \- 12/17 – Tokyo to Kyoto
* Breakfast included at hotel
* Walk to Haneda Terminal 3 Station
* Rail to Shinagawa Station
* Shinkansen to Kyoto – Arrive at 2:30pm
* Walk to hotel
* Stay at Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura
**Day 3** \- 12/18 – Kyoto
* Explore Kyoto
* All meals while out and about
**Day 4** \- 12/19 – Kyoto
* Explore Kyoto, do day trip to Osaka, or do day trip to a small town
* All meals while out and about
**Day 5** \- 12/20 – Kyoto
* Explore Kyoto
* All meals while out and about
**Day 6** \- 12/21 – Kyoto to Tokyo Disney
* Walk to Kyoto Station
* Shinkansen to Tokyo Station – arrive at 3:30pm
* Rail to Tokyo Disney
* Stay at Disney Ambassador Hotel
**Day 7** \- 12/22 – Tokyo Disney
* Relax
* Stock up on food
* Optional evening trip to Shibuya if we are up for it
**Day 8** \- 12/23 – Tokyo Disney
* Day trip to Yokohama or small town
**Day 9** \- 12/24 – Tokyo Disney
* Spend day at DisneySea
* Fancy Christmas Eve dinner *(TBD – suggestions welcome – missed out on Disney restaurant reservations – easy to get to from Tokyo Disney ideal)*
**Day 10** \- 12/25 – Tokyo Disney
* Trip to Shibuya (if didn’t go 12/22) or day trip to small town
**Day 11** \- 12/26 – Tokyo Disney to Sapporo
* Bus to Tokyo Narita Airport
* Domestic flight to Hokkaido – New Chitose Airport – arrive 4:45pm
* Rail to Sapporo
* Walk to hotel
* Stay at Sapporo View Hotel Oodori Kouen
**Day 12** \- 12/27 – Sapporo to Jozenkai
* Walk to Sapporo Station
* Shuttle to Jozenkai
* Stay at Grand Blissen Hotel
**Day 13** \- 12/28 – Jozenkai
* Onsen
**Day 14** \- 12/29 – Jozenkai to Sapporo
* Shuttle to Sapporo Station
* Walk to hotel
* Explore Sapporo
* Stay at New Otani Inn Sapporo
**Day 15** \- 12/30 – Sapporo to Tokyo
* Rail to New Chitose Airport
* Domestic flight to Tokyo Narita Airport – arrive 7:40pm
* Grab dinner at airport
* Rail to Akihabara
* Stay at Hotel Resol Akihabara
**Day 16** \- 12/31 – Tokyo
* Explore Akihabara
* Rail to Tokyo Haneda Airport
* 5:30pm flight home from Tokyo Haneda
2 comments
You’re braver than I am: I wouldn’t go anywhere *near* Tokyo Disneyland or Disney Sea on Christmas Eve, let alone try to visit the place. Christmas Eve is one of the most important (or dutifully marked) date nights in Japan, and the Disney places are the most popular excursion places in the country.
As for food in Tokyo, it’s needless to bother with reservations: most of the 60,000 to 100,000 restaurants in the city are good to excellent, and you’ll do fine just dropping in to one of the scores you’ll be near at any given time. The only exception is, again, Christmas Eve.
Although I know many people do so, you are needlessly throwing away more than half a day by not taking the train to Kyoto directly upon arrival. Yes, you may be exhausted after the flight. But you’re just as likely to be jet lagged the next day. Why find two hotels and go through check-in and -out twice, when you could just do it once? With your current itinerary, you are essentially traveling for two days straight.
Here’s how I would do it: Have two days’ worth of outfits and necessities in your carry-on bag; gather your luggage at HND; have a preprinted address for your hotel in Kyoto that you take to the next takkyubin and send your checked bags to Kyoto; transfer to Shinagawa, grab a bento, and head on to Kyoto (adds only ~3h to your total travel on day 1). Then go to your hotel in Kyoto and get a good night’s rest. Day 2: Your honeymoon starts.