My wife and I are in our early 30’s traveling from Austin Texas to Japan in a couple of weeks. We are both very active and are used to logging at least 30,000 steps a day on trips (we like to go go go 🙂). We have put a lot of time and thought into our itinerary, I would love your thoughts and helpful critique.
We will be in Tokyo from December 15 – 19, Kyoto from December 19 – 21, Osaka from December 21 – 24, Fujikawaguchiko from December 24 – 26, then back to Tokyo from December 26 – 28.
Thank you in advance.
*Day 1:*
* Land at **Haneda** at 3PM
* Train to Hotel in **Ryogoku** District
* Walk from Hotel to **Azumbashi**
* Eat **Dinner** in area around **Tokyo Skytree**
* Visit **Tokyo Skytree**
* Find **Dessert** on walk back to **Hotel**
* Nightcap and Bed
*Day 2:*
* Wake up very early and find coffee
* Train to **Tsukiji Outer Market**
* Eat breakfast at the **Market**
* Walk to **teamLab Planets** for 11:00 AM booking
* Train to **Shinjuku** and walk around/explore
* Walk to **Omoide Yokocho** \- Food Tour w/ Group (5:00PM to 8:00PM)
* Train back to **Hotel**
*Day 3*
* Wake up very early and find coffee/explore Hotel neighborhood
* Walk to **HATCOFFEE** for 11AM reservations
* Walk to **Asakusa**
* Walk to **Tokyo National Museum**
* Walk through **Ueno Park**
* Walk to **East Gardens of Imperial Palace**
* Walk **Tokyo Station**
* Train back to Hotel
* **Dinner** with friends who live in Tokyo
*Day 4*
* **DisneySea**
* 11:50AM Lunch Reservations at **Magellan’s**
* Try to get a drink at **Teddy Roosevelt Lounge**
*Day 5*
* Travel to **Kyoto**
* Check into **Airbnb** near **Kenninji Temple**
* Walk to **Shoren-in Temple**
* Walk to **Kyoto Starbucks**
* Walk to **Kiyomizu-dera**
* Omakase Dinner at **Sushi Obino**
Day 6
* Wake up early and find coffee
* Take train to **Fushimi Inari Taisha** and hike up
* Take taxi to **Arashiyama Bamboo Grove**
* Possibly go to **Arashiyama Monkey Park** or **Kinkaku-ji**
* Head back to **Airbnb** to rest and shower up
* Walk to dinner at **Nishiki Market**
* Walk to live music at **Zac Baran**
* Walk to **Kyoto Beer Lab** for a nightcap.
Day 7
* Wake up early and find coffee/breakfast
* Take train to **Osaka**
* Check into **Airbnb** in **Dotonbori** Area
* Walk around and Explore **Dotonbori** Area
* Walk to **Kuromon Ichiba Market**
* Train/Taxi to **Kita Ward**
* Visit **Umeda Sky Building**
* Taxi to dinner at **Yoshitora**
* Walk to **Tonbori River Cruise**
Day 8
* Wake up early and find coffee/breakfast
* Take train to **Osaka Aquarium** \+ **Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel**
* Take train to **Nipponbashi Denden Town**
* Walk to **Shinsaibashisuji** and meet up with **Group Food Tour** (4PM)
* Explore **Nanba** in the evening
Day 9
* Wake up early and find coffee/breakfast
* Take Train to **Nara**
* Walk to **Higashimuki Shopping Street**
* Walk to **Yoshikien Garden, Todai-ji Nandaimon, Toto-ato enchi, Todal-ji, Todai-ji Nigatsudo, Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha Shrine**
* Walk to **Harushikia Sake Brewery Store**
* Train back to **Osaka**
* **Shinkei** Restuarant for dinner
Day 10
* Wake up early and find coffee/breakfast
* Take the **Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen** train from **Shin-Osaka Station** to **Mishima Station**
* Take the **Kawaguchiko Liner Bus** from **Platform 2** at **12:20 to Kawaguchiko Station**
* Walk to **Toyota Rent a Car – Fuji-Kawaguchiko** and pick up rental car
* Drive to **Highland Resort Hotel and Spa** and check-in
* Drive around and explore a bit, have dinner at **Komen-ya Reel Cafe** on **Lake Yamanaka**
Day 11
* Wake up early and find coffee/breakfast
* Drive around **Lake Kawaguchi, Saiko Lake, Lake Shoji, Lake Motosu**
* Drive to **Aokigahara Forest**
* Drive to **NEW MID** for Lunch (pizza restaurant)
* Drive back to **Highland Hotel**
* Walk to **Fuji-Q Highland** and ride roller-coasters for the rest of the afternoon
* Drive to Christmas dinner at **Fuji Lake Hotel**, **Premier** **Restaurant** (French)
* Drive to **Toyota Rent a Car Fuji-Kawaguchiko** to return rental car
Day 12
* Wake up early and walk to **Fujiyama Onsen** (open at 6:30)
* Take the 9:45 **Fuji Express Co Bus from Fuji-Q Highland** (2 hours)
* Take Train from **Tokyo Station** to **Sendagaya Station**
* Walk to **Mitsui Garden Hotel** and check-in
* Walk through **Toritsu Meiji Park**
* Walk to **Adidas Brand Center Harajuku**
* Walk to **Kith-Tokyo**
* Walk to **Shibuya Sky for 4PM reservation**
Day 13
* Wake up early and find breakfast and coffee
* Omakase Dinner reservations at **Sushi Yuu**
Day 14
* Wake up early and find breakfast and coffee
* Check out of hotel by **Noon**
* Take Train to **Haneda Airport**
* Flight back home is at **5:35 PM**
4 comments
WOW! your itinerary sounds amazing! Well done. I went a couple of months ago with my 63 year old mother and we walked well over 10km every day. It sounds action packed, and you don’t really have any rest days built in! If I were you, i’d be mentally prepared for that, as 12 days straight could be exhausting!
In some places we struggled to find breakfast options available before 8am – if that’s the case for you, definitely hit up convenience stores. In fact, hit up convenience stores regardless, they are amazing 🙂
Looks like you’ve already reserved all the essentials in my mind!
I’m sure you’ve organised sim cards to collect at airport upon arrival? If you are getting a JR pass, don’t lose your ticket! It cannot be replaced.
Have an INCREDIBLE time! 🙂
I like it! especially around Fuji-Q. Staying at the Highland Hotel is a wise choice.
Onsen is great at Fuji-Q.
I’m impressed your search and you booked lunch, dinner and mini tour here and there. Very smart.
Fuji-Q gets really cold.
It comes in handy to get Kairo or hokkairo, disposable heating pads, sold at any convenience stores or drugstores all over Japan.
I like the ones with adhesive sides so that you can stick them under your jacket, making a huge difference.
Also, grab gloves; they are also sold at convenience stores. I prefer the ones with special fingertips that allow you to use your smartphone while wearing the gloves.
For Tokyo DisneySea, arrive at the gate 2 hours before the opening time. They open 30-45 minutes earlier than the announced opening time, so it’s better to be ahead of the queue.
As soon as you enter, get Disney premier access to buy a viewing spot for the night show, Believe! Sea of Dreams. I think it’s a great show but hard to secure a place to watch.
Teddy Roosevelt lounge is great. They make cocktail strong.
On day 3, a lot of walk this day. Just few blocks from Tokyo station, Marunouchi area have few cafe, also Toho cinema headquater where you see a Godzilla statue.
You could ask your friend in Tokyo to take you to a dinner in Ginza area, since you haven’t been there.
On Day 12, I would go to Meiji Shrine, instead of the Toritsu Meiji park, unless you have a specific thing you want to see there.
In Shinuya, you can go to Shibuya Parco (a shopping complex) where they have Nintendo TOKYO, Pokémon Center Tokyo, and Capcon Store.
If it rains on this day, you can change your Shibuya Sky reservation by physically visiting the place and rescheduling it for the next day, as the rooftop observatory closes in case of rain.
You get Suica and ready to go!
a man and his wife went to a city tour tour of the united states. when they were done, the tour guide announced that he had made a good discovery. ” congratulations! ” said the man. ” we’ve made a great discovery! ” he said. ” what do you call it? ” asked his wife. ” luber – city. “
This itinerary looks very doable overall, wel done!
day 3: While this is a lovely walking route I think it’s a bit too long. If I put all these places on a route in Google Maps it says 1h50m and 7.5km but you have to take into account that inside each of these places you will be doing walking as well, easily adding a few more hours and km’s. At least I would recommend you to take the metro between Ueno Park and Imperial East Gardens to give yourself some time to take a rest.