Hello! My partner and I are travelling to Japan in November (M&F in our 30's), both very active, experienced, on the go travellers. I went to Japan 10 years ago (!!!) and we are going back together (he hasn't been). On that trip I did the highlights on a backpacker budget, so we are excited to do this on a higher budget (mid range, let's not get crazy here!). I will do a full trip report when I'm back. Reddit has been so helpful in planning. Here's what we have so far. If you have any suggestions, they are SO welcomed! Some things are already booked of course, as we are close to going but if anyone has really strong opinions I think almost everything can be changed.
A note: I have made this more as a rough guide of things we'd LIKE to see, but am not hard and fast to seeing everything – I just hate being there an having to Google things to see/do. Don't worry – lots of "just exploring and enjoying" time will be had.
Thank you SO much for your feedback and for reading this!! 🙂
Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo
- Arrive at Narita Airport at 4pm
- Take Narita Express to Tokyo Station, then taxi to hotel
- Dinner at Ichiran Ramen Shimbashi
Day 2: Ghibli Museum & Ginza
- Train to Ghibli Museum (10am) \*If we can get tickets***
- Explore Ginza: Muji, Uniqlo, Itoya Stationery, and Hibiya Park
- Dinner at Kura Sushi Ginza
Day 3: Shibuya, Meiji Shrine & Nakameguro
- Shibuya – Flytographer shoot
- Walk to/around Meiji Shrine
- Starbucks Roastery, explore Nakameguro and Daikanyama
- Dinner at an Izakaya in Omoide Yokocho, visit Golden Gai
Day 4: Asakusa & Akihabara
- Early morning visit to Tsukiji Market
- Mid-Morning: Explore Asakusa (Sensoji Temple & Kappabashi Street)
- Evening: Akihabara Electric Town, dinner at Gyukatsu Motomura (I've heard so many mixed reviews lol, I will not wait if it's mid)
Day 5: Tokyo
- Harijuku, Shinjuku Gyon Park (TBD, honestly anything we haven't seen)
- Shinjuku, Shibuya Sky (~3:30pm), sunset/night time
- Standing sushi for dinner, Uogashi Nihon-Ichi Shibuya Dogenzaka
Day 6: Tokyo to Gero Onsen
- Bullet train from Tokyo to Gero Onsen, via Nagoya
- Check into ryokan, enjoy hot springs and dinner
Day 7: Explore Gero Onsen
- Walk around Gero Onsen Town, riverside, and local shops
- Gero Onsen Gassho Village
- Rent E-Bikes????
Day 8: Takayama
- Take train to Takayama from Gero (1 hour, sit on the right side)
- Explore Takayama
- Dinner at Sakurajaya (6pm reservation) – I used a gal on Fiverr to do this for me
Day 9: Takayama
- Morning market
- Hida Folk Village
- Explore Takayama town
Day 10: Okuhida Snow Mountains
- Pick up car rental in Takayama (Toyota) at 8am
- Drive to Shirakawa-go (1 hour), explore
- Drive to Okuhida (1 hour)
- Arrive by 6pm, dinner at the hotel
- Stay at Kazeya Hotel Ryokan
Day 11: Okuhida Snow Mountains
- Drive to Shinhotaka Ropeway Cable Car
- Enjoy Onsen at hotel
- Breakfast and dinner at the hotel (Ryokan)
Day 12: Kyoto
- Breakfast at the hotel in Okuhida
- Drive to Takayama, return car by 12pm, then take train to Kyoto (via Nagoya, 3.5 hours)
- Stay at ASAI Kyoto Shijo
Day 13: Kyoto (Arashiyama & Kinkaku-Ji)
- 6:30am: Taxi to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (may not need to be this early tbh)
- 7:30-8:30am: Explore Bamboo Forest
- 10:00am: Sagano Romantic Train (Sit on the right side – Seats C/D)
- 11:00am-1:00pm: Hozugawa River Cruise
- Afternoon:
- Visit Tenryu-ji Temple
- Visit Daihikaku Senkōji Temple (Temple with Dog!)
- Enjoy Japanese Matcha Sweets at Sa wa wa (try Matcha Soft Serve)
- Bus or Uber to Kinkaku-Ji
- 3:30pm: Visit Kinkaku-Ji Temple at sunset (closes at 5pm, sunset at 4:45pm)
- Dinner: Ramen at Sen-no-Kaze Kyoto (try miso ramen)
Day 14: Kyoto (Gion/Uji)
Gion District EARLY
- Travel to Uji
- Duration: 30 min
- Nintendo Museum
- Arrival: 4 PM (closes at 6 PM)
Day 15: Kyoto (Fushimi Inari & Temples)
- Fushimi Inari (early), Fushimi Inari Market
- Okazaki Shrine (fertility temple)
- Higashiyama Jisho-ji
- Philosopher’s Path
- Nanzen-ji Temple + Tenjuan Temple
- Sunset at Kiyomizu-dera Temple Pagoda
- Dinner at Pontocho Alley
Day 16: Kyoto (Tea Ceremony)
- Tea ceremony and kimono experience at MAIKOYA in Gion at 9:30am
- Daigo-ji Temple, Bishamondō Temple
- Yamashina Canal
- Anything we missed!
Day 17: Nara & Osaka
- Train to Nara in the morning, store luggage at Nara train station
- Explore Nara, then take train to Osaka
- Dotonburi
Day 18: Osaka (Universal Studios)
- Full day at Universal Studios Japan (including Express 7 Pass)
Day 19: Osaka to Koyasan
- Travel to Koyasan (8:40am train from Namba, arrive at 10am)
- Leave luggage at the temple lodging
- Explore Koyasan
- Kongobu-ji Danjo Garan
- Daimon Gate
- Banryu-tei Japanese Rock Garden
- Okunoin Cemetery (main attraction)/Nakano Bridge
- Stay at Koyasan Shukubo Saizenin (breakfast and dinner included)
Day 20: Koyasan to Tokyo
- Morning Prayers in Koyasan
- Anything we missed from day 1!
- Take train from Koyasan back to Tokyo (cable car, then Gokurakubashi to Namba Station, bullet train from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo)
- Arrive in Tokyo in evening
Day 21: Tokyo (my birthday)
- Morning at TeamLab Borderless (booked)
- Shopping, anything else we missed/wanted to do – likely more sushi
- Evening cooking class in Shinjuku with ComBurger (highly recommended from Reddit!)
Day 22: Tokyo to Home (YVR)
- Final morning in Tokyo, then fly home in the afternoon 🙂
by HourIll1493