I’m currently planning my first trip to Japan next year in either of the two time periods listed above. I’d love to visit in time for the cherry blossoms to start blooming but also know that unless the Japanese government opens up in the next couple of months a later 2022 trip is more likely. Here is the itinerary as follows;
1: Arrive in Tokyo flying from Melbourne, staying in Shibuya, rest day with light exploring
2: Exploring Shinjuku whilst visiting Harajuku and Meiji Jingu during the day, Golden Gai at night.
3: Explore Shibuya and Minato city areas, visiting Roppongi, Sengakuji and Odaiba if I have time.
4: Visit Ghibli Museum, explore Kichijoji
5: Shinkansen to Nagoya in the morning, visit Tokugawa and Toyota museums, continue to Kyoto, visit Toji temple and staying Northeast of the station.
6: Explore Gion and Higashiyama, visit Nijo Castle, Manga Museum and Nishiki Market
7: Visit as many of the temples and shrines in east Kyoto as possible, as well as the Philosophers Path
8: Visit Kinkaku-ji and Ninna-ji as well as Arashiyama
9: Local train to Osaka, staying central near Umeda station? Visit Osaka castle and Shitennoji
10: Explore central Osaka
11: Day trip to Kobe, visit area around Shin-Osaka on way back (Asahi Museum?)
12: Day trip to Nara, visit Nara park and Todai-ji as well as the Heijo palace
13: Shinkansen to Himeji, see the castle and gardens, continue to Hiroshima in late afternoon, staying central
14: Visit peace park + museum, Mazda museum and Shukkeien gardens.
15: Visit Miyajima in the morning, Shinkansen back to Tokyo in late afternoon/ evening, staying in Asakusa.
16: Explore Asakusa, visit Hokusai museum
17: Explore Ikebukuro and Yanaka, visit Koishikawa gardens
18: Explore Akihabara, visit Imperial palace area and MoMA if I have time
19: Explore Ginza, Nihonbashi and Kyobashi areas, plus Tsukuji if I have time
20: Free day, revisiting an area of Tokyo I liked, possibly fly back in evening
21: Fly back to Melbourne if I haven’t already.
I orginally had planned this itinerary over 2 weeks but figured I’d stretch it over 3 to reduce the chance of over exerting myself. My questions are:
1: Are Nagoya and Kobe worth visiting? Besides the attractions I listed, I feel like these could be ditched to spend more time in other places, particularly Kyoto.
2: Are there attractions or areas near those on this list that I’m missing out on? Was debating doing a day trip to either Nikko or Kamakura during my second Tokyo stay but not sure if I’ll have time.
I have budgeted this trip already but haven’t booked anything until I know for certain I’ll be able to go. I’ve alse got a pretty good idea on how long the big train journeys will be so I feel like this will be as achieveable as I’m going to get whilst seeing what I want to see in the timeframe.
Your help is greatly appreciated!
4 comments
Day 5, I did stay close to Kyoto station during my first trip, but if I had to go again, would go to the Gion/Kawaramachi/Sanjo area, more fun stuff to explore around at the end of the day.
Day 6, would end by Gion and not start by it.
Day 11, not sure there is much to see around Shin-Osaka station, there is much more to do and see around Osaka-Umeda station.
Day 15, do you really want to do the long Hiroshima to Tokyo ride ? Can do Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka so you would split the long ride in two parts.
15: Visit Miyajima in the morning, Shinkansen back to Tokyo in late afternoon/ evening, staying in Asakusa.
In general, when planning the order of a day, check the schedule of thing. For example Ikebukuro, Yanaka, Koishikawa is a strange order if you ask me. The two first focus on shopping and store usually open at 10 or 11am. On the other hand, Koishikawa Korakuen open at 9am, finishing by it make no sense as it close at 5pm. Yanaka Ginza can be nice to get some stuff to eat, so easy stop for lunch and Ikebukuro you can easily end the day late there and even go for a drink.
Generally, start by place that are open 9am to 5pm, then place more oriented with shopping, that will usually be from 10-11am to 8pm. Like Akihabara is not a morning place, Imperial palace is. Ginza is not a morning place, Tsukiji is (a bunch of place will be close if you go too late once you have done all the rest).
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Nagoya : I liked the castle as they have a beautifully reconstructed palace, would go again once they finish the renovation of the main keep, but overall Nagoya was just ok for me. I’m not that much into car, so a car museum is not really my thing. Tokugawa Art Museum could be nice.
Kobe : Depend what you want to see, Nada sake district can be cool. I guess it depend what you would do instead.
Hiroshima : Again I am not a car person and would not go to Mazda, so I would consider doing Himeji in the morning (like at the castle when it open), check the garden there, eat in the train and do peace museum the afternoon.
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I would not really add more area to what you are already going. For a lot of the neighborhood you listed, they might be super quick to visit or take a full day, that is a bit difficult to tell without knowing what you want to do, but in general, I think your days are full, so don’t hesitate to re-evaluate things during the day and cut down a bit in order to properly enjoy where you are at the moment.
Day trip to Kamakura is super easy do to. You can just make a plan in case you want to switch something else with that.
Just one thing the weather in august is awfully hot.
Also planning to go there in mid march but seems pretty unrealistic
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