My partner and I are going to Japan in a few days and wanted to do a quick itinerary check. We are early 30’s and people who like to plan our days mainly around eating, drinking, with only 1-2 big events. The way I wrote the literary is more many options for the day, not that we must do them all. We also wanted to check and see which of the things in the itinerary people say are must see places.
Breakfasts: Mainly at hotels and Conbini
Lunches: Find places near the location or event of the day, or the different markets we plan to go to.
Dinner: We want to find nicer restaurants near where we are staying. Any recommendations on this would be greatly appreciated, we have a few, and many things marked in google maps already, but always love food recommendations!
Day 0 Seattle → Japan – June 13th-14th
Airport by 9:30 AM
Flight leaves at 12:30 PM
Land at 3 PM
Monorail or Taxi to Hotel
Check in 15:00-24:00
The first 2 days in Tokyo I just wanted to write out some options to give us some direction, our basic plan Day 1 is to walk to Skytree & find things along the way. Day 2 walk to Tokyo Tower, and find things along the way.
Day 1 Tokyo – Ueno – June 15
BreakFast @ Hotel
Make our way to Tokyo Sky Tree
Senso-Ji Temple ー浅草寺
Ueno Park & NMoNaS (Indoor)
Yanaka Ginza (Shopping Street)
Nezu Shrine
Tokyo U? -> Kanda Myoujin Shrine
Day 2 Ueno – June 16
BreakFast @ Hotel
Akihabara
Hobonichi Store
Imperial Palace
Atago Jinja
Tokyo Tower
Atago Jinja, Hamarikyu Gardens
Tsukiji Market, Tsukiji Temple
Itoya & Art Aquarium Museum (Indoor)
Day 3 Ueno → Kyoto – June 17
Breakfast & Check out at 11AM
3-4 Hrs Train & Travel
Check in 3PM
Dinner
Walk around Gion & Pontocho
Kyoto, we want to do SOME of the big tourist things, but not all of them. These days seems a little too packed to include all of this, but we do want to see a lot of Kyoto. When we go to Fushimi Inari we want to hike all the way up, so will keep that day lighter, if needed.
Day 4 Kyoto – June 18th – https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950_eastern_kyoto_full.html
Kiyomizudera – Higashiyama Streets – Kodaiji Temple
Yasaka Shrine – Heinan Shrine – Keage Incline
Nonzenji – Philosopher’s Path – Ginkakuji
Day 5 Kyoto – June 19th – https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950_arashiyama_full.html
Arishiyama -Bamboo Groves
Tenryuji – Togetsukyo Bridge
Money Park
Are either of these worth the trip? Gioji Temple? Daikakuji?
Kinkaku-ji to end
Day 6 Kyoto – June 20th
Fushimi Inari
Imperial Palace
Nijo Castle
Manga Museum?
Evening in Gion to get ready to head to Osaka
We plan to get to Osaka Amazing Pass & see lots in Osaka while there.
Day 7 Kyoto → Osaka – June 21th
Checkout in Kyoto by 10AM
Train to Osaka 1.5 hrs
Relax in Kyoto? Manga Museum?
Check in 3PM
Explore Umeda + Sky Building + Nintendo OSAKA
Find some great Takoyaki & Okonomiyaki
Day 8 Osaka – June 22th
Osaka Castle & Boat Ride
Miraiza Osaka? – Shopping & Food Court
Shitenno-ji
Keitaken Garden
Tsutenkaku
Nice KushiKatsu Restaurant
Cruise Day or Night w/ Osaka Pass
Day 9 Osaka – June 23th
Dontonbori Day – Check out the area and explore some museums – K-Books
Shinsaibashi Market or Miyamoto Munashi
Namba Yasaka Jinja
Kagonoya Daikokuchot
This is the part of the trip we want to take very chill and spend some time relaxing and enjoying a smaller city and resting up a bit before our return to Tokyo. https://nerdnomads.com/kanazawa
Day 10 Osaka → Kanazawa June 24th
Checkout – 12PM
Train to Kanazawa – 3.5 Hours Travel
Pokémon Center Near Station
Check in – 3PM
Find Diner and settle in
Day 11 Kanazawa June 25th
Kanazawa Castle
Kenrokuen
Omicho Market
Higashi-ueno Chaya
Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery
Day 12 Kanazawa June 26th
Nagamachi – Samurai District
Nomura Samurai House + Tea Ceremony
https://airkitchen.me/blog/?p=3176 & http://www.nomurake.com/tearoom/
D.T. Suzuki Museum
Nakamura Sake Brewery
Takeuchi Sake Brewery
Day 13 Kanazawa June 27th
Curio Espresso
Myoryu-Ji Temple Ninja Temple
Utatsuyama Park?
Possible Day Trip – Yuwaku Hot Spring & Shirakawa https://nerdnomads.com/guide_to_shirakawa-go
Day 14 Kanazawa → Tokyo June 28th
Checkout 11AM
Train 3.5 hrs
Check in 3 PM
Explore Shinjuku
Book OFF
Day 15 Tokyo June 29th
Explore Shibuya
Togo Shrine
Yoyogi Park
Blue Bottle Coffee
Nintendo & Pokemon
Shibuya Loft
Shibuya Sky
Shibuya Crossing
Day 16 Tokyo June 30th
Explore Harajuku
Maybe meet up with friends
Yakult Swallows Game @ 6PM Meiji Jingu
Day 17 Tokyo -> Seattle July 1st
Check out at 11AM
Final gift and souvenir shopping
Head Home 5 PM
1 comment
Hi!
I get being from Seattle you are use to rain, but Seattle isn’t really hot and humid like Japan is in June. I could see walking from Ueno to Skytree, but I can’t imagine walking to Tokyo Tower. It’s going to be like 5 miles there the shortest route and I don’t think you are planning the shortest route. You want to be able to do a lot of walking in Kyoto, I would make sure you will have energy for that. Also Akihabara doesn’t really open up until 11 or noon. There are some stores and shops that might open at 10 (electronics and Animate, but a lot of the other shops, Mandarake won’t open until noon.) I can’t imagine Akihabara is interesting to walk through at 9 or 9:30 in the morning.
I think some of your Kyoto days feel a little packed, especially depending on where you are starting from.
The Togetsukyo is a bridge? I mean the view is nice enough, it comes in handy to get to other side of Arashiyama? I don’t know if I would go to the bridge just to see a bridge. It’s not like the Charles Bridge in Prague. The monkey park is great if you want to see monkeys. The monkeys are still wild animals and go and come as they like. They tend to hang out in the area because they are fed much like the deer in Nara. You can go into a little building and feed the monkeys through the wire. (The monkeys are outside, you’re enclosed in the little building.)
I personally don’t think Shirakawa Go is going to be as interesting in the Summer, but everyone feels differently. I think doing it as well as other things will be harder just because the buses only run so frequently.
I enjoyed Myoryuji a lot, my tween not as much.
I really like Kenrokuen, but unless the iris stay late this year, I think it is not as good in June. I went previously in November and it was sort of disappointing in June, though getting softserve outside is much more enjoyable in the Summer.
Good luck!