Hey all,
I am planning a trip to Japan in Jan/feb for my family and we have booked flights and accommodation. However, all of the accommodation is fully flexible so I am able to change how long we spend in each place – and even where we go. We have all never been before, so it will be our first time.
Do you think I have balanced our time in each place enough? And is there anything major I am missing out on?
Honestly, any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much!
**Day 1 January 19 – Tokyo**
\- Arrive in Narita Airport at 21:05
\- Take the train to Tokyo Station and then train to Akasaka Station
\- Check into accommodation in Akasaka
\- Have dinner in Akasaka
**Day 2 January 20 – Tokyo**
**-** Explore Shibuya >>> scramble crossing and shopping
\- Visit Shibuya Sky for a nice view
\- Explore Harajuku and Meiji Shrine
\- Have drinks at Park Hyatt Shinjuku
\- Dinner in Shinjuku
**Day 3 January 21 – Tokyo**
**-** Visit Sensoji Temple >>> Try some street food as well
\- Explore Tokyo Skytree
\- Eat lunch at Kura Sushi Restaurant
\- Have dinner in Shimbashi Area
**Day 4 January 22 – Tokyo**
**-** Ueno –> have breakfast at parkside cafe and explore Ueno Park
\- Explore Akihabara –> have lunch
\- Go shopping in Ginza in afternoon
\- Explore and eat dinner at Roppongi Hills
**Day 5 January 23 – Tokyo**
\- Head to Tsukiji Fish Market in the morning
\- Explore and shop in Shimokitazawa
\- Spend afternoon in Nakameguro >>> visit Starbucks
\- Spend evening and eat dinner in Ebisu
**Day 6 January 24 – Tokyo >>> Hakone**
\- Leave in the morning and take train to Hakone
\- Drop luggage at hotel (HR Hakone)
\- Hakone Ropeway
\- Explore Owakudani
\- Hakone Shrine
\- Lunch at shore of Lake Ashi
\- Check into hotel
\- Dinner
**Day 7 January 25 – Hakone**
\- Breakfast at Bakery & Table Hakone
\- Hakone open-air museum
\- Gora Park
\- Shopping at Hakone-Yumoto Station
\- Dinner
**Day 8 January 26 – Hakone >>> Kyoto**
\- Check out of the hotel and take the train to Kyoto
\- Drop bags at hotel
\- Visit Kinkaku-Ji Golden Temple and Golden Pavilion
\- Lunch at Nishiki Market
\- Check into hotel
\- Tea ceremony in afternoon (will book online)
\- Visit Kyoto Tower and have dinner around Kyoto Station
**Day 9 January 27 – Kyoto**
\- Walk along the Philosopher’s Path and visit Nanzenji Temple
\- Visit the gardens at Heian Shrine
\- Enjoy lunch in the Higashiyama area
\- Head to Yasaka Shrine after lunch
\- Then visit Kiyomizu-dera
\- Explore Gion
\- Have a kaiseki dinner in Gion
**Day 10 January 28 – Kyoto**
**-** Arrive early to Fushimi Inari
\- Coffee and food at Vermillion Cafe
\- Visit Nijo Castle
\- Visit Kyoto Imperial Palace
\- Flaming Ramen for dinner
**Day 11 January 29 – Kyoto >>> Hiroshima**
\- Take the train to Hiroshima Station
\- Drop bags at the Hilton upon arrival
\- Visit the Hiroshima Castle
\- Atomic Bomb Dome
\- Lunch
\- Check into hotel
\- Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
\- Explore the Hondori shopping street
\- Have Okonomiyaki for dinner
**Day 12 January 30 – Miyajima (day trip)**
\- Take the ferry in the morning to Miyajima
\- Lunch
**-** Take the Miyajima Ropeway
\- Explore the Itsukushima Shrine Town
\- Have dinner in a local ramen restaurant back in Hiroshima
**Day 13 January 31 – Hiroshima >>> Himeji >>> Osaka**
**-** Take the train in the morning from Hiroshima to Himeji
\- Visit Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden
\- Take train from Himeji to Osaka
\- Drop bags at hotel in Namba North
\- Have lunch at Kuromon market
\- Check into hotel
\- Dinner in Dotonbori
**Day 14 February 1 – Osaka >>> Nara (day trip)**
\- Take the train to Nara
\- Visit Kofuku-ji temple
\- Visit Todai-ji temple
\- Go to Nara Park
\- Go shopping at Higashimuki Shopping Street
\- Take the train back to Osaka
\- Head to Dotonbori for dinner
**Day 15 February 2 – Osaka >>> Kobe (day trip)**
\- Leave early and take the train from Osaka to Kobe
\- Take Kobe Ropeway
\- Explore the Herb Gardens
\- Visit Ikuta shrine and Chinatown
\- Have Kobe Beef for lunch
\- Explore Kobe Port and Harborland
\- Head back to Osaka by train
\- Eat dinner in Dotonbori
**Day 16 February 3 – Osaka**
\- Head to Osaka Castle early in the morning
\- Explore Umeda area >> have lunch here
\- Go shopping in Minami
**Day 17 February 4 – Osaka**
\- Not sure what to do on the morning here?
\- Head back to Narita to fly to Seoul
Thanks!!
4 comments
Looks very busy but this day especially.
Day 4 January 22 – Tokyo
– Ueno –> have breakfast at parkside cafe and explore Ueno Park
– Explore Akihabara –> have lunch
– Go shopping in Ginza in afternoon
– Explore and eat dinner at Roppongi Hills
There is alot of things in Ueno and Akhibara, the amount of time you will spend travelling between all four areas you won’t have the time to see anything as you will already need to be heading to the next train station.
I’d skip (or at least not prioritize) Kura Sushi. It’s just a chain joint, and if you feel the need to eat at one particularly instead of any of the other chains, you’ll see them in many places. Heck, there’s one 100 meters from our place.
Our place is near Shimokitazawa, and that’s another place I wouldn’t recommend. I don’t wish to actively dissuade you from it, but it’s no longer anything special, and it’s fairly far from Tsukiji. If you’re going toward Shimokitazawa anyway, you might as well continue to the more interesting and varied Kichijoji neighborhood. (Most shops in Shimokitazawa don’t open until 11 AM or so in any case.)
A 9 PM arrival at Narita is pretty late; you may not reach your hotel until midnight or later: check to make sure you can check in that late. Otherwise, consider spending the night near the hotel.
I would take taxi/uber to hotel from airport. Do you really want to navigate the train system jetlagged and having spent time in baggage claim and border control? Its worth the price to me and you won’t have to carry your luggage on trains.
When moving hotels absolutely ship your luggage. Hotel reception can assist you. Yamamoto is the service. You need to ship a day or 2 out depending on where you are traveling to. This allows you to travel easier on train, again this is so worth it. We shipped our luggage and just kept a change of clothes and toiletries in our carry on.
If taking bullet train, arrive to station an hour before. The train station is huge and you don’t want to be rushed trying to find the correct platform and train car. I booked shinkansen at ticket office at JR East in person 5 days out to ensure I was booking the correct train and paying for reserved seats.
Your Hakone to Kyoto day is extremely ambitious. Hakone to Kyoto will take you all morning. You won’t have time to go to Kinkaku ji and then get back to Nishiki by lunch, it’s just not happening. Where is your hotel? It seems you’re staying near the station? You could go to Fushimi Inari in the afternoon of your first Kyoto day and then group Kinkaku-ji with your visit to Nijo instead. They’re all in the same direction and would save you travel time