Just found this reddit and thought I could get some advice. We’re doing a family trip with two teenage kids, so trying to blend attractions of different types.
I’m trying to keep a flexible itinerary that I can add things to if time allows rather than try to pack it as tight as possible, looking for feedback on where something looks impossible, but hey, any pointers on cool stuff to do are also welcome 😉
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Day 00. 🛬 Arrive in Tokyo in the evening
🛏️ Get to the apartment in Asakusa, sleep.
Day 01. 🛍️ Shibuya, Harajuku, chill mode, jet lag
🚦 Scramble crossing
🏢 Shibuya Sky
🎮 Nintendo Store
Day 02. 🛍️ Asakusa, Akihabara
🏯 Sensō-ji temple
🏢 Tokyo Skytree (maybe)
Day 03. 🛍️ Marunouchi, Koto
🦖 TeamLab Planets🎫(morning)
🏯 Tokyo Imperial Palace (afternoon)
🤖 Gundam Base (maybe)
Day 04. 🚅 Mt Fuji day trip
🏯 Chureito Pagoda
🌲 Lake Kawaguchiko
🎢 Fuji Q Highland (rest of the day)
Day 05. 🛍️ Shinjuku, Ikebukuro
⛩ Meiji shrine
🏢 Kabukicho Tower
Day 06. 🚅 Hakone half-day trip
⛩ Hakone Shrine
🌲 Owakudani
🛍️ Roppongi (back in Tokyo)
🗼 Tokyo Tower
Day 07. 🚄 Tokyo-Kyoto travel
🏢 Kyoto Tower
Day 08. ⛩ Fushimi Inari Taisha
🛍️ Higashiyama / Gion
Day 09. 🛍️ Kinkaku-ji
🌲 Bamboo Grove
🌲 Monkey Park
Day 10. 🚄 Kyoto-Osaka train
🏢 Umeda Sky Building
🏯 Osaka Castle
Day 11. 🚅 Himeji half-day trip
🏯 Himeji Castle
🛍️ Kuromon Market (back in Osaka)
🍜 Cup Noodle Museum
Day 12. 🚅 Nara half-day trip
🦌 Sacred deer
🛍️ Shinsekai (back in Osaka)
🦈 Kaiyukan Aquarium🎫
Day 13. 🎢 Universal/Nintendo🎫
Day 14. 🚄 Osaka-Tokyo train
+ space for stuff
Day 15. 🎢 Disney Sea🎫
Day 16. 🛫 Flight back in the afternoon
(basically whole day of travel)
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We’ve got tickets to the places marked with 🎫, didn’t get the tickets for any of Ghibli attractions 🙁 (I think Ghibli park may still be viable but hard to fit) .
I \_think\_ we don’t really need tickets to anything else, but might be wrong about that – would appreciate any pointers here.
Hiroshima & Miyajima didn’t make the list, same with Okinawa and anything further out. Maybe next time.
1 comment
Hi! If you’re going to Skytree for the view you might consider the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building instead, because it’s free.
Note that you can only visit the Imperial Palace on guided tours. Without them you really only see the outside.
General advice here is to skip Osaka castle if you go see Himeji castle, because it’s much nicer.
The Kyoto days seem a bit light but that’s not a problem per se, especially considering most people plan way too much. Maybe note a few more optional things close to the areas you plan to visit in case you have time left. Also many people are a bit disappointed by the bamboo grove because it is overrun by tourists and not that big.
Since you are not spending too much time in Osaka you could consider staying in Kyoto and doing Osaka itself as a day trip from Kyoto to save one accommodation change. For Nintendo you will need an additional (free) Timed Entry Ticket.
Enjoy the trip!