I’m going to Japan with some friends between the last week of March and the two first weeks of April. We made this schedule for the 21 days but it’s our first time and we would like to get some advice from people with experience.
This is our current itinerary:
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**Tokyo**
* Day 1: Arrive at Narita on the evening, travel Tokyo, check in at the Airbnb and rest.
* Day 2: Shibuya (Yoyogi Park, Miyashita, Shibuya Sky, Shibuya Crossing) and Harajuku (Night)
* Day 3: Day trip to Kawaguchiko and Hakone
* Day 4: Shinjuku (Suga Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen, Some cafes and Kabuchiko)
* Day 5: Rent a Kimono, Senso-ji temple, Skytree, Imperial palace, Art Aquarium, Tokyo Tower.
* Day 6: Akihabara (Nezu, Kanda, SEGA, Yodobashi, Ueno Park and Rikugien Park)
**Kyoto**
* Day 7: Travel to Kyoto, check in at the Airbnb. Visit Nijo castle, Okazaki boat ride and Gion.
* Day 8: Fishimi Inari-taisha, Kiyomizu temple, Tea ceremony activity, Nanzen-ji temple and Ginkaku-ji temple.
* Day 9: Day trip to Nagoya (Castle, Toyota museum, Osu shopping, Atsuta Jingu, Nabana no sato)
* Day 10: Arashiyama (Bamboo forest, Togetsu brige, Moneky Park)
* Day 11: Ryoanji Temple, Golden temple, Daitoku-ji, Kimono forest.
* Day 12: Kofune Shrine, Botanic garden, Romantic train.
**Osaka**
* Day 13: Travel to Osaka. Check in at Airbnb. Osaka Aquarium. Kofungun de Mozu, Dotonbori.
* Day 14: Universal studios and giant ferris wheel (night)
* Day 15: Day trip to Nara (Kasuta taisha temple, Nara park, Isuien garden, Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji) Hopefully have enough time to visit Wazuka.
* Day 16: Himeji castle and Kobe.
* Day 17: Osaka castle and travel to Hiroshima. Check-in at Aribnb. Visit the castle and a garden.
**Hiroshima**
* Day 18: Peace monument and museum. Itsukishima. Travel to Okayama and take Sunrise train back to Tokyo.
**Tokyo**
* Day 19: Arrive to Tokyo. Check in at Airbnb. Free day.
* Day 20: Disney Land (Still deciding between land and sea)
* Day 21: Spare day to adjust schedule otherwise free day.
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Do you think some days are too crowded? and are we missing any must-visit place/activity?> Will post a trip report and my own advice once I come back from it.
6 comments
I would consider renting the Kimono in Koyto.
This is a pretty great itinerary that hits most of the ‘big’ attractions. Might be a little busy on some of the Kyoto days, but it is certainly ‘doable’. Just decide what you’re prepared to drop from a given day, what you would be willing to move to the following day, and what you definitely must do.
Kawaguchiko and Hakone in 1 day seems a bit much? I went to Kawaguchiko for a day trip and did nothing else that day. We rent a bike and drove around the lake and stopped at interesting spots.
I’ve never been to Hakone so I do not know what you can do there.
Disney sea. Only park like it. Land is similar to other Disney parks
Day 2: Unless you are going to specific establishment/eatery – Harajuku is pretty much dead at night and area has generally much shorter opening hours (6-7 pm) than Shibuya.
Day 3: For highlights of Lake Kawaguchi and Hakone areas, you really need 3 days since the travel between the two is cumbersome. If you are looking for a day trip, peak one destination.
Day 8: This is likely undoable or close to undoable in that order, starting the day with Kiyomizu-dera working your way up north to Ginkaku-ji and taking a train to Fushimi Inari in the late afternoon/evening makes it a long, doable day, but otherwise no. It’s also possible with very early (6am-ish) start at Fushimi Inari.
Day 9: Choose two activities of castle, Atsuta-jingu and Toyota Museum – doing all three will be near impossible.
Day 10-12: You have locations totally mixed up. Arashiyama day should include Sagano Romantic train and Kimono forest. Day 11 has Ninna-ji missing, which is a prime Hanami location in Kyoyto.
> Take Sunrise train back to Tokyo.
I would still book a hotel for the night somewhere since getting a seat or compartment in Sunrise Seto/Izumo might be a fallacy.
Day 8 seems a very tight.
Fushimi Inari can be quite a hike depending on how far you go up
Kiyomizu can take a while if you go see sannenzaka and the surrounding area.
If you stop at other shrines on philosophers path then that’ll take a couple hours too
Nanzenji and ginkakuji close at 5, kiyomizu at 6. Unless you start your day early, you’ll be rushing