Hi all!
I apologize in advance for the super long post.
I’ll be in Tokyo in less than a week for about 10 days, and I’m looking for input on the itinerary I’ve planned. I should note that I’m traveling solo, I love anime, beautiful parks but also cultural sites, and it’s my first time in Japan! Also I’m the “checking things off a list” type of traveller, but I also want to properly enjoy my time there so if there’s something that isn’t worth checking out I would love to know! I saw that most people don’t recommend to have a proper schedule so that there’s time to just get lost but I’m a bit of a control freak and I get overwhelmed easily so I \*need\* to have at least a basic structure to go off of.
(I keep checking the weather and the only days it should be sunny are day 2 and day 3)
Day 1 – saturday
19:30 landing at HND, picking up pocket wifi, getting to the b&b where I’ll be staying (Shinjuku) to check in and take a look around, grab dinner somewhere close.
Day 2 – sunday
Morning: Harajuku area (Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, Takeshita Dori, some shopping), maybe take a stroll around Shibuya after lunch. Afternoon: Akihabara (I know it’s kinda far from Harajuku but I wanna check out Chuo Dori when there aren’t any cars around). Evening: Shibuya possibly, or exploring Shinjuku since I can just walk home
Day 3 – monday (I could switch this one with thursday, but bear in mind it’s one of the two sunny days)
Morning: Ikebukuro (Mejiro Garden?), heading to Nakano Broadway before lunch. Afternoon: Shinjuku, Gyoen Garden. Maybe heading to Shibuya in the evening, or staying in Shinjuku
Day 4 – tuesday
Morning: I have teamLab Planets scheduled at 9 so if I wake up early I was thinking of checking out Toyosu Market before that (read that Tsukiji Market isn’t worth the wait/chaos, anyone can confirm?). Spending the rest of the morning exploring Odaiba. Afternoon: Ginza and Hamarikyu Gardens, before heading back to Odaiba because I wanna see the rainbow bridge all lit up.
day 5 – wednesday
Gotokuji temple (I could do this on day 8 instead), Kichijoji area, Ghibli Museum at 14. After this I was thinking of either heading to an onsen in Chofu, or checking out Shimokitazawa before going to the onsen. I’m not really sure about either tbh, I read that Shimokitazawa is overrated/things are overpriced nowdays, and I wanna check out different Book Offs/second hand stores anyways; I saw that there’s plenty of good sento I could go to in the city, but either way I’m not too sold on getting naked around strangers because I’m shy/get embarrased easily, but I really do want to experience something authentic and I love relaxing in scorching hot baths (my b&b has a shower :’-)) so idk.
day 6 – thursday (this I could switch with day 3)
Morning: Asakusa (Sensoji Temple, as early as I can), Kappabashi Dori at 10, Ameyoko Market (was thinking of moving this to day 9). Afternoon: Ueno (National Museum, Ueno Park), Yanaka Ginza + Yanaka Cemetery. Evening: going back to Sensoji Temple because I really want to see how it looks all lit up at night! I could fit a sento after this if I don’t go to the onsen, and maybe Nezu Shrine somewhere around in the day ( early morning maybe?)
day 7 – friday
Morning: Minato (Hie Shrine, Imperial Palace/Gardens), Ginza again (going twice because there’s a ton of stores I wanna check out). Late afternoon: going back to Minato to stroll around Akasaka, I wanted to go to the Andaz rooftop bar for the skyline views (originally wanted to do Shibuya Sky or Mori Tower for the skydeck but it’ll probably rain) but I saw some people saying the staff there is pushy/rude and they try to get you to spend more.
Alternatively, I saw that Prince Tower has pretty views as well, although the floor is much lower, or even Bellovisto in Shibuya, but the Tokyo Tower is pretty far from here so the view is not as beautiful (in my humble opinion). (I’d just grab a drink and maybe a snack so it shouldn’t take too much time). Regardless, I want to take a walk under the Tokyo Tower and maybe snap a pic if I manage. It’s a Friday so both the National Art Center and the National Museum of Modern Art stay open until 20, both have an exhibition I’d like to check out so I might do that if I’m not too tired?
day 8 – saturday
(Gotokuji Temple here instead of day 5 ???) Meiji Shrine again (I’m hoping to see a wedding lol), Harajuku again if it doesn’t traumatise me the first time, rest of the day in Shibuya (including Ebisu) and leisurely stroll around Nakameguro/Meguro river
day 9 – sunday
Akihabara (sunday again), maybe Ameyoko Market if I skip it on day 6 or if I like it a lot, Rikugien Gardens and Ikebukuro, Nakano Broadway ??? (not sure at all about these last 2). I wanted to keep this day’s schedule empty-ish to that if there’s some place I particularly enjoy during the week I can go again. Also I’d love to do half a day in Yokohama to see the Chinatown but I don’t know if that’s feasible.
For the night life, I’m looking into the Tokyo Localized free night walking tour in Shinjuku, or even some bar crawls in Shibuya/Shinjuku I found on airb&b (these are pretty expensive so I could do 2 at most). Has anyone ever tried those? Are they worth it? I really want to experience izakayas and hang out with other people (tourists or locals) but it’s my first solo trip ever and I don’t really know how to meet people there. Was thinking of using the ‘hang out’ feature on couch surfing but that seems risky (Hi I’m a female traveler and I’m looking for people to hang out with at night!- makes it seem like I’m looking for a hook up when I’m not).
Also saw that the Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya might be cool for meeting other people but I don’t know if the shows are actually funny or just wasted money (if anyone knows or can recommend specific shows please lmk!)
day 10 – monday
I have to get on the train to the airport at around 10 so I don’t think I have time to do anything lol esp because I’ll have my huge luggage with me (or I could just leave it in a locker in Shinjuku station and walk around there I guess)
Obviously I’m not gonna write on here all the specific places/stores/temples/shrines I want to visit but it’s a long list.
As for eating, I have a long list of possible places I can go to in every district, I’ve tried to book some spots but it seems like it’s not allowed for solo diners, or only if you book a special course. 🙁
Any insight on the onsen/sento and the skyline dilemmas is much appreciated!
Once again, sorry for the super long post and all the rambling but I’m trying to tie up the loose ends and I need help. Thank you for your patience!
by sushi-dude69