Hey guys, I found this forum and must say I’ve seen some great tips and posts about traveling in Japan. I’m traveling to Japan solo very soon, initially it was a 7 day trip so I have only booked Tokyo (4 nights) and Kyoto (2 nights) so far, but since I saw there was more flights available I extended my flight home so I now have 10 full days instead of 7.
Would love to get some advice on what to add to my itinerary to get the best experience possible for my first visit. My initial thought is to just take it as it comes, meaning if I for example feel staying longer in Kyoto I can just do that when I’m there instead of booking anything now.
But I would need some realistic guidance on how I can get the most of my trip or what u guys would add to the list:
13 dec: arrive in Tokyo at 8 AM
– leave bags at hostel in Shinjuku
– Original pancake house Shinjuku
– Omoide yokocho
– Golden gai
– Explore shinjuku area
14 dec Tokyo
– Arashio-beya sumo practice (if open)
– Explore Tokyo and just enjoy the city
– Uogashi Nihon-Ichi (standing sushi)
15 dec Tokyo
– Ueno zoo/park
– Mizutani Camera (vintage)
– Akihabara
16 dec Tokyo
– Shibuya crossing
– Shibuya sky (booked 14:20-14:40)
– Medicom toy plus
– Night out
17 dec Kyoto
– Check out from hostel in Shinjuku
– Take Shinkansen to Kyoto before lunch
– Check in at hotel in Kawaramachi
– Nishiki market
– Udon main (tofu spicey)
– Pontocho
– Hokan-ji temple
– Gion
– Kiyomizu-dera l
18 dec Kyoto
– Fushimi inari shrine
– Temples
– Souvenirs
– omakase (?)
19 dec (not planned) maybe Osaka
– check out from hotel in Kyoto
– Sumo event in Habikino, Osaka (worth going? It seems to be quite off from the city and approximately 2-3 hours from Kyoto) https://www.buysumotickets.com/shop/special-events/2023-12-19-Habikino
– Stay a night in Osaka?
20 dec (not planned)
– I want to see Mount Fuji and read that Hakone/kawaguchiko has great views, is it realistic to get there without too much hassle?
– leave Osaka and head to Hakone?
– hot springs?
– check visibility index if possible to see Mount Fuji
– Tea ceremony
21 dec (not planned)
22 dec (not planned)
– buy gifts etc
23 dec
– flight 09:55 from Haneda > Home
So as you can see there is 4 days which I haven’t planned yet and would greatly appreciate any input!
Greetings from Sweden
2 comments
This is a low hanging fruit type comment, but you need to do at least some planning for Tokyo as it’s a vast city and can’t really be be randomly explored as you intend on 14 December. At very least pick an area and some things you want to do there to get started – it can be fun to wander around Tokyo, but it can also be really dull if you pick the wrong area.
You’ll probably see Mount Fuji from the trains between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, so you don’t need to go out of your way for this.
If seeing Mt. Fuji is the only thing you want to do, just keep your eyes open. On clear days it’s visible from many places in Tokyo, including the free observation deck of the Metropolitan Government Building (City Hall) in Shinjuku (and the roof of our two-story house, for that matter). It is also visible from many trains as they head west from the central parts of Tokyo.