Hello to my favorite community!
After reading some amazing feedback on my first trip draft, here’s my revised itinerary, still incomplete and messy – There’s so much to see!!!
Also, wondering if it would be a good idea to rent a car directly from Narita as soon as we arrive, drive to Fuji, spend the first night in an Onsen and ‘relax’, explore Fujiyoshida and Chureito Pagoda in the morning, and return to Tokyo in the afternoon to start exploring the city. This way, I’d offset some travel time from the airport and squeeze in the fuji onsen experience. Any thoughts?
Please see the current trip and other notes below! Any other recommendations, aka Halloween events, tea ceremonies, sumi-e or other traditional calligraphy workshop, sumo (shows?), or any other fun experiences or suggestions, please feel free to share! Thanks a bunch! 😊
**> Wednesday, October 25**
Arrival to TOKYO NRT – 2:30 pm
Buy Suica Card
Asakusa Hotel Check-in, Bag drop off
Dinner at Kura Sushi Global Flagship Store Asakusa or Ichiran Ramen in Ueno, walk a bit around
Hotel, rest
\> **Thursday, October 26**
Asakusa: Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Souvenir Street
Kappabashi kitchenware shopping area
Shinjuku: Gyoen National Garden, explore shops
Izakaya dinner and drinks at Golden Gai or Omoide Yokocho or Omoide Nukemichi // Kabukicho, Shinjuku Nichome (Tokyo’s LGBT District)
\> **Friday, October 27**
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Harajuku: mipig cafe, check-out pop-up, Yoyogi Park, Takeshita Street, Cat street. KAWAII Monster Cafe pop-up store.
Daikanyama | Nakameguro | Ebisu
Akihabara or Halloween party!
\> **Saturday, October 28**
Toyosu Fish Market 5 AM–3 PM, closes Wed and Sun, Rainbow Bridge
teamLab Planets! 11:30-12 pm Tickets!
Shibuya: Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Yokocho, shopping, Nonbei Yokocho
Dinner, Halloween!
\> **Sunday, October 29**
Tsukiji Outer Market 8 AM–2 PM
Ginza day: Tokyo International Forum, Ginza Place, etc
\> **Monday, October 30**
Omotesando, Roppongi, Aoyama
Dinner and back to hotel
\> **Tuesday, October 31**
Hotel checkout. Morning: explore some Marunouchi & Otemachi
Tokyo station, Pickup ekiben Yamatseri lunch or eat at ramen street
Train / Arrival to Kyoto 3 pm / Hotel Check-in
Nishiki Market, Kenninji Temple, tea ceremony?
Gion, Hanamikoji Dori district. Dinner at ryokan?
\> **Wednesday, November 1**
Higashiyama District: Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka, Kodai-ji Temple, Ishibei Koji, Yasaka Shrine, Kenninji Temple
Philosopher’s Path, Nanzen-ji Temple, Eikan-Do
Maiko dinner Experience?? or Pontocho
\> **Thursday, November 2**
Start at 6 AM, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Byodo-in Temple
Tea ceremony at Taihoan Tea House//Nakamura Tokichi Honten//Itoh-Kyuemon?
Calligraphy Lesson
Kaiseki dinner
\> **Friday, November 3**
Start at 6 AM – Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, see Gio-ji/Otagi Nenbutu Temples, Tenryu-Ji Garden, Monkey Park?, Kinkakuji, Ryōan-ji
Nijo castle (UNESCO), explore cute shops in central Kyoto, tea ceremony
Check out Kiyamachi, get Dinner and sleep early
\> **Saturday, November 4**
Start at 6 AM – Commute to Naoshima (10 am), arrive on the island, rent electric bikes
Explore the Art House Project (approx. 2 hours)
12 pm – Tickets to Kinza
Chichu Museum tickets at 2 pm (1 hr), lunch at Chichu Cafe
Benesse Museum, explore outdoor art
Dinner and sleep
**> Sunday, November 5**
Start at 8 AM – Explore whatever we missed on the previous day, aka Lee Ufan Museum (approx. 30 minutes), Tadao Ando Museum, Naoshima Bath “I♥︎湯” (approx. 5 minutes, etc)
Depart to Osaka 3 pm or earlier
Amerikamura
Dontobori food crawl
\> **Monday, November 6**
Start 9 am – Osaka Explore: Kuromon Ichiba Market, Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street, Osaka Castle, Osaka Museum of History, Shitennoji Temple, Sumiyoshi Taisha
Japanese street food Food Crawl #2
\> **Tuesday, November 7**
Start 7 AM – Day trip to Nara: Nara Deer Park, Todai-ji Temple (Todai-ji Nandaimon Gate, Great Buddha Hall, Todai-ji, Nigatsu-do), Horyuji Temple (UNESCO), Lunch at Nakatanidou, Yoshikien Garden?, Isuien Garden, Kofukuji Temple
Return to Osaka
Japanese street food Food Crawl #3, hotel, rest
\> **Wednesday, November 8**
Start 7 am, Travel to Takayama at 11 am
Hida Folk Village, Higashiyama temple walk, Sanmachi suji Sake tasting (Edo-era architecture), Harada Sake Brewery
Hida beef dinner
Early night
\> T**hursday, November 9**
Start 7 AM, Takayama morning markets
Depart to Kanazawa (2.5 hrs) Arrival, bag drop off – 11 am
Lunch at Omicho fish market, Kenrokuen garden, Kanazawa Castle, Contemporary Art Museum, Kazue-machi Chaya and Higashi Chaya Geisha districts, Nagamachi Samurai district
\> **Friday, November 10**
Start 8 AM, Finish sightseeings in Kanazawa
Take Shinkansen to Tokyo
Depending on time, either stay in Tokyo or rent a car and drive to Mt. Fuji to an onsen
Onsen night
\> **Saturday, November 11**
Explore Fujiyoshida, Chureito Pagoda
Return to Tokyo
Explore
\> **Sunday, November 12**
Tokyo open to pending items
\> **Monday, November 13**
Tokyo open to pending items
\> **Tuesday, November 14**
Check out / pack bags
Eat, last shopping
Travel to NRT
Departure
​
6 comments
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If you care about animal welfare at all, I wouldn’t suggest going to any of the exotic animal cafes here especially the mipig one. They’re really sad and unethical 🙁
Unless you’re used to driving in very crowded conditions and don’t plan on stopping anywhere, I wouldn’t recommend driving. There are plenty of trains to areas around Fuji that will let you relax and see the sights. Many highways in Japan are walled in people homes, so you’ll see nothing much of the time.
I’ll echo u/briannalang’s sentiment: don’t go to animal cafés.
As long as you are going to Naoshima, try to check Teshima too… Although your itinerary is jam-packed already…
Consider rearranging your schedule so that Naoshima is at the very end of your journey. There’s an airport in Takamatsu, so after Naoshima you could fly back to Tokyo (or any other city) in under two hours. I had some friends who did this.
This might make your visit a bit more comfortable in Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, instead of leaving Kyoto for a night and just coming right back to Osaka.
I also second the not driving suggestion.
Btw, this is a very busy itinerary, hope it all works out. I’d be interested if you could post a summary somewhere after you’ve recovered.
I would check the schedule for Tsukiji Outer Market. I think it’s closed on Sundays.