Hi all – have seen some great itineraries and responses on here, which has inspired me to post ours. We’ll be travelling to Japan on 2nd Feb, arriving the 3rd . We’re due back in England on 3rd March, but would like to add a few days in Seoul on the way back.
A bit about us – mid twenties girls from London. Very much city people but up for experiencing natural beauty, just slightly worried we will get bored in more rural places. Very interested in trying lots of different foods and doing things that you can’t do in other cities and countries. Neither of us are natural planners to say the least, but have tried to pull together something below so we can make the most out of the country.
QUESTIONS –
Where should we look for events on at clubs? Resident advisor doesn’t seem to have loads. Keen to go on a proper night out rather than just drinking in bars / at karaoke.
Is it worth staying in Yamanouchi to see the snow monkeys, or should we aim to do in a day and have a bit more time in Tokyo?
Is there enough to do in Nagoya for two nights if we can’t get tickets to ghibli park?
How many days should we allow for Seoul?
Appreciate this is the Japan thread but if anyone has been there, let me know. We’re allowing 5 days at the moment but maybe that’s too long and we’d be better off spending more time in Japan.
Have we missed key areas in Tokyo?
Are we spending too long in Osaka? Our friends who went recently said it was their favourite place, and we do love busy cities so think that side will appeal, and we will enjoy the drinking culture – but I do get the sense that there isn’t loads to do in the day. We’ll add day trips to Kobe and Nara to fill the time.
Is Lake Kawaguchiko going to have enough for us to do? Should we look into going on trips from there? We’ve already paid for the Airbnb but I’m kind of happy to lose the money if we’ll be twiddling our thumbs.
Overall, does this look like a good and varied itinerary? Would really, really welcome specific ideas for each of the places we’re going to! and food recs.
ITINERARY BEGINS:
Day 1 (3rd Feb) –
Fly London Heathrow to Narita. Arrive 7pm. Travel to the Knot Tokyo. Probably arrive quite late so maybe try and find some late night ramen or just resort to konbini. This is a Saturday so wondering if we should just suck up the jet lag and try and go out?
TOKYO
Day 2 (4th Feb) –
Explore Shinjuku
Golden Gai (Piss Alley) and Omoide Yokocho (Izakaya Alley)
3D giant cat outside Shinjuku Station.
Play Pachinko here
Day 3 (5th Feb)
– Explore Asakusa
– Dinner around Asakusa or head back to Shinjuku
-Where are the chicken nugget keyring claw machines? Need to do that
MT FUJI
Day 4 (6th Feb)
-do another area of Tokyo in the morning, get lunch
– bus to Lake Kawaguchiko. Stay in an Airbnb over looking mt Fuji.
Day 5 (7th Feb)
– Day exploring / relaxing
– maybe rent bikes around lake if that’s open in winter.
– heard food is bad around here so maybe konbini food?
TOKYO
Day 6 (8th Feb)
– bus back to Tokyo, maybe in the morning so we can get more time in Tokyo. Check into Shibuya wise owls hostel.
-Explore Shibuya and Harajuku if time
-dinner at mantén sushi (booked)
Day 7 (9th Feb)
– team lab planets in the morning
Will try and book team lab borderless for the afternoon.
Explore surrounding area
Shibuya sky for sunset
Want to go out at night – ideally dnb or techno
Day 8 (10th Feb)
Look around Ginza and/or Akihabara
Sushi making class Chagohan
Sushi finishes at 6:30 – free time from then – ideas?
Day 9 (11 Feb)
Half day trip to Yokohama
Cup noodle museum – we’ve booked a ramen making class at 10am
China town
Return to Tokyo and check out Ueno, other areas we’ve missed?
Omakase dinner to mourn the end of Tokyo?
NAGANO / YAMANOUCHI
Day 10 (12 Feb)
Travel to Yamanouchi
Staying in a Ryokan
See snow monkeys
Look around the area
Dinner at Ryokan
NAGOYA
Day 11 (13 Feb)
-Travel to Nagoya early in the day. Check in to Nishitetsu hotel.
-Arrive and look around the city
-Visit a famous Tonkotsu place (has loads of spring onions on it)
-Winter lights park
-Any other ideas for Nagoya?
Day 12 (14 Feb)
-Wake up and meet guide for prebooked day trip to Takayama and Shirakawago.
-Has anyone done this trip? Is it worth it?
-Return for dinner in Nagoya – meant to have amazing food places there.
Day 13 (15 Feb)
-Travel to Osaka. Check in to Henn Na hotel.
-Check out Osaka castle
-Dotonbori
-Karaoke at the Drunken Clam
Day 14 (16 Feb)
– Explore Osaka.
-Museum or gallery (suggestions welcome)
-Conveyor belt sushi?
-Night out. Again, would be keen to find an actual event rather than just bar drinking
Day 15 (17 Feb)
-Day trip to Nara.
-See deer, look around etc
-Return to Osaka for dinner
Day 16 (18 Feb)
-National Art museum
-Ferris wheel
-Maid Cafe
-Umeda Sky
Day 17 (19 Feb)
-Day trip to Kobe (and maybe Himeji, is it worth it)
-Eat Kobe beef!
-Take the cable car thing
-Wander around (any other suggestions of what to do there?)
-Back to Osaka
KYOTO
Day 18 (20 Feb)
-Travel to Kyoto. Check in to the Pocket Hotel.
-Wander around, explore Gion etc.
-Need to make a reservation for dinner.
Day 19 (21 Feb)
-Fushimi Inari shrine early in the morning
-Find some Matcha related treats
-Studio Ghibli store
-Try and find some nightlife (any suggestions)
Day 20 (22 Feb)
-Maybe bamboo forest but heard it’s a bit of a letdown
-Mill about and then in the early afternoon check into our one night in a ‘posh’ place – Ryokan Motonago!
-This place includes onsen, dinner and breakfast so planning to soak it all in and take it easy that day.
HIROSHIMA
Day 21 (23 Feb)
-Leave early for Hiroshima. Check in to Mitsui Garden Hotel.
-Go to peace park, museum etc.
-Look around and try Hiroshima okonomiyaki
Day 22 (24 Feb)
-Day trip to Miyajima
-Look around
-Return to Hiroshima and see what we missed
FUKUOKA
Day 23 (25 Feb)
-Travel to Fukuoka, maybe in the afternoon if there is more we need to do in Hiroshima.
-Check out the shopping centre and yatai stalls.
Day 24 (26 Feb)
-Last minute souvenir shopping
-Eat to our heart’s content
-Anything else we should do in Fukuoka?
Day 25 (27 Feb)
-Planning to fly to Seoul to spend 5 days there, returning to London on 3rd March. Does this sound like a good amount of time? Or should we give ourselves more time in Japan. Where should we add the time?
I