This is my first trip to Japan and I’m going solo. I plan to beat the crowds as much as possible by getting to my first attraction at opening unless stated otherwise. If I finish that day’s itinerary, I’ll just wing the rest of the day until I go to bed by 9-10pm. I think I’ll take Shinkansen as much as possible in between cities to save time. This is after a lot of research but would appreciate any feedback.
**Friday, October 27, 2023**
*DAY 0: Traveling to Japan*
Begin USA departures at 6am
**Saturday, October 28, 2023**
DAY 1: Tokyo (arrive at 2pm)
Check into hostel
Ueno Park (This is next to my hostel. I don’t plan to really do anything after landing, maybe bring food here and walk around before going to sleep).
**Sunday, October 29, 2023**
*DAY 2: Tokyo*
Meiji Jingu
Meiji Jingu Gyoen
Yoyogi Park
Takeshita Street
Shibuya Crossing
Hachikō Square
Shibuya Sky (daytime)
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue (if I have time)
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (if I have time)
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation room
Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo (closes at 8 pm)
**Monday, October 30, 2023**
*DAY 3: Tokyo*
Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center (take photos from here)
Kaminarimon (lantern entrance)
Senso-ji (enter by 9am)
Denboin/Garden
Nakamise-dori Street (shops open around 9:30-10am)
Ueno Park (while it’s still daytime)
Tokyo National Museum (this is a maybe. I’ve seen countless museums in Europe and a few major ones in NYC. I feel like I’ve seen enough museums for the rest of my life but I know this is very popular.)
MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya
Shibuya Sky (at night – maybe)
**Tuesday, October 31, 2023**
*DAY 4: Tokyo*
Kokyo Gaien National Garden
Imperial Palace (is this worth going inside I arrive at opening? Many reviews says castles/palaces are pretty basic/uninteresting and even worse if there are crowds, which makes it unbearable. I’m fine just seeing exterior and grounds.)
Chidorigafuchi
Akihabara
Zōjō-ji Temple
Tokyo Tower (probably don’t go up)
Kabukiza (single act performance)
teamLabs Planets
**Wednesday, November 1, 2023**
DAY 5: Nikko (Toshogu Shrine area)
Travel to Nikko (do not check out of Tokyo Hostel yet – hope to leave by 8:30am.)
Shinyoko Bridge
Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple
Gojunoto
Three Monkeys
Yomeimon (main gate)
Nikko Tosho-gu
Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
Kanmangafuchi Abyss (good photo spot)
(Hopefully will see everything here before it starts getting dark. I assume I’ll have seen enough to not warrant stopping back here on my way back to Tokyo tomorrow)
Check into room near Lake Chuzenji starting at 4pm
**Thursday, November 2, 2023**
*DAY 6: Nikko (Lake Chuzenji area) and back to Tokyo*
Check out of room by 10am
Kegon Falls
Chuzenji Temple
Chuzenji Lakeside Boathouse
Ryuzu Falls
Lake Chuzenji Cruise
Explore the area until I feel the need to head back to Tokyo
Return to Tokyo (hopefully return by 9pm)
**Friday, November 3, 2023 CULTURE DAY**
*DAY 7: Hakone*
Check out of Tokyo Hostel by 8:30am
Travel to HakoneOpen Air Museum
Gora Station (Ropeway start)
Owakudani (Ropeway midpoint/stop)
Togendai Station (Ropeway finish)
Lake Ashi pirate ship cruise
Explore Lake Ashi grounds
Check into ryokan from 3pm
Onsen
Dinner at ryokan (depending on my reservation: 5:30pm-9:00pm)
**Saturday, November 4, 2023**
*DAY 8: Hakone to Kyoto*
Hakone ryokan breakfast (7:30am-8:30am)
Onsen
Check out by 10 am
(This is mostly a travel day)
Check into hostel starting at 4pm
Food tour 5pm-8pm
**Sunday, November 5, 2023**
*DAY 9: Kyoto*
Kinkakuji (Golden Pavillion) Opens at 9am
Kyoto Gyoen National Garden (maybe walk through here after Golden Pavillion.)
Nijo Castle (probably will go inside; do tour if still available.)
Nishiki Market (just want to walk through and maybe buy a treat, not spend a lot of time unless really seems interesting.)
Heian-jingu Shrine
Eikan-dō (Zenrin-ji) Temple
Nanzenji Temple
Beginning Philosopher’s Path (Tetsugaku No Michi)
Higashiyama Jisho-ji
**Monday, November 6, 2023**
*DAY 10: Kyoto*
Fushimi Inari Taisha (get here by 7:30am)
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Sannenzaka
Ninenzaka
Hokan-ji Temple
Maruyama Park
**Tuesday, November 7, 2023**
*DAY 11: Kyoto*
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (arrive by around 7am.)
Tenryu-ji Temple
Togetsu-kyo Bridge
Arashiyama Park Nakanoshima Area
Sagano Scenic Railway
Hozugawa River Boat Ride (last departure is at 3pm; takes 90-120 min.)
Toji Temple (this isn’t anywhere near my other stops but I should have time to see this random thing on this day)
**Wednesday, November 8, 2023**
DAY 12: Osaka (day trip from Kyoto) Arrive by 9am
Umeda Sky Building
Osaka Castle
Osaka Aquarium
Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel
Dotombori District
Tombori River Walk
Walking tour 5:30pm-8:30pm
Return to Kyoto
**Thursday, November 9, 2023**
*DAY 13: Kyoto to Himeji to Hiroshima*
Check out of Kyoto HostelTravel to Himeji (depart by \~7am)
Himeji Castle (arrive by 9am) (is this worth going inside if I arrive at opening? Many reviews says castles/palaces are pretty basic/uninteresting and even worse if there are crowds, which makes it unbearable. I’m fine just seeing exterior and grounds.)
Kokoen Garden
Travel to Hiroshima
Check into hotel starting at 3pm (Depending on when I arrive, I might squeeze in the Peace Memorial Museum if I’ll get at least a couple hours inside before it closes at 6pm.)
**Friday, November 10, 2023**
*DAY 14: Hiroshima and Miyajima Island*
Board Hiroshima World Heritage River Cruise to Miyajima Island (This is the fastest way to get there. I hope to get there by 9:15am-9:45am which are the first 2 earliest arrival times to beat crowds.)
See Grand Torii Gate
Don’t have much planned overall, I’ll just stick to the main town area and wing it.
(Unlikely to go up Mt. Misen; it’ll take too long.)
Return to Hiroshima
Explore Peace Park (while it’s still daylight)
Atomic Bomb Dome (“)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (If I didn’t do this yesterday. Closes at 6pm – I plan to spend a 2+ hours here until it closes.)
**Saturday, November 11, 2023**
*DAY 15: Hiroshima to Toyko to USA*
Travel day
Travel to Tokyo – Haneda Airport
Depart to USA at 6pm
2 comments
Your second planned trip to Shibuya Sky necessitates your going across the city just for that. Maybe instead go to the City Hall in Shinjuku after dark instead.
You cannot go in to the Imperial Palace or even see any of the buildings. It’s occupied by the emperor and members of the imperial family.
Tokyo National Museum is closed on Mondays.
3 November is a national holiday (Culture Day), so the Hakone Open Air Museum is likely to be more crowded than usual.
With Hakone. I left my Tokyo hotel at 8.30am and with only stopping for a quick bite to eat before getting in the train at Udawara, I didn’t get to my hotel near Topengai until 12ish. Which meant I only got to the ship in Topengai at 12.30.
Doing the circuit, with a quick lunch, I managed to get the second last gondola(?) From Gora back to Topengai at just past 4.45 and whilst I walked a bit I didn’t see a whole lot of the places.
I managed to see most of them on the following day but it burnt half that day too.
Hakone is amazing and well worth it. If I did it again, I would have left slightly earlier and also forwarded my luggage from Hakone-Yamato station to my hotel or found a locker to leave it in and take a smaller day pack. I forwarded my luggage for the return trip which meant I could see the open air museum etc without baggage.
Just food for thought.