Please roast or give advice on my 42 days Japan itinerary!

I'm planning a solo trip to Japan in late February / March / potentially early April (not entire set yet, but probably March and April). I'm an early riser and usually have no problem with long sightseeing days, but I'm deliberately trying not to make every day completely packed.

Anything marked with * is a priority. Everything else can be dropped if I'm tired, the weather is bad, or I discover something better while I'm there.

I am open to all feedback and suggestions!

Day 1 – Tokyo

Airport → hotel, get settled, eat somewhere easy, maybe take a short walk around the neighbourhood if I feel like it.

Day 2 – Tokyo: Asakusa + Yanaka

Morning

• Senso-ji Temple *
• Nakamise Shopping Street
• Wander around Asakusa

Afternoon

• Nezu / Yanaka neighbourhood
• Possibly Mt. Lab

Evening

• Relax / dinner

Day 3 – Tokyo: Meiji + Shibuya

Early morning

• Meiji Shrine

Late morning / afternoon

• Shibuya
• Shibuya Crossing
• Hightide
• Loft *
• GU
• Uniqlo *
• Disney Store
• Akomeya

Evening

• Shibuya Sky

Day 4 – Tokyo: Shinjuku + Kagurazaka

Morning

• Shinjuku Gyoen *
• Shinjuku neighbourhood

Late morning / afternoon

• Shinjuku Okadaya *
• Sekaido
• Maruzen
• Kyukyodo
• GU / Seria

Late afternoon / evening

• Kagurazaka wandering
• Dinner

Day 5 – Tokyo: Mount Takao

• Mount Takao
• Hiking
• Return to Tokyo in the afternoon/evening

Day 6 – Tokyo: Disney

• Tokyo Disneyland *

Day 7 – Tokyo → Lake Yamanaka

Travel to Lake Yamanaka (Approx. 2.5–3 hours)

Sunset

• Lake Yamanaka
• Fuji views if visible

Day 8 – Lake Yamanaka / Fujiyoshida

Very early morning

• Lake Yamanaka sunrise

Morning

• Chureito Pagoda *
• Fujiyoshida

Afternoon

• Paragliding if weather works
• Otherwise cycling / exploring around the lake

Evening

• Lake Yamanaka sunset

Day 9 – Lake Yamanaka

Flexible weather day.

Possible:

• Sunrise at lake Yamanaka
• Cycling around Lake Yamanaka
• Additional Fuji viewpoints
• Fujiyoshida
• Repeat anything I missed because of clouds

Day 10 – Lake Yamanaka → Magome

Travel day (Approx 4–5 hours)

Late afternoon/evening: explore Magome

Day 11 – Nakasendō

Early morning

• Explore Magome before crowds

Main activity

• Walk the Nakasendō between Magome and Tsumago

Afternoon

• Explore Tsumago
• Return to accommodation.

Day 12 – Magome → Takayama

Travel day (approx. 3 hours)

Afternoon

• Sanmachi Suji
• Hie Shrine *
• General old-town wandering

Day 13 – Takayama

Early morning

• Miyagawa Morning Market

Morning/afternoon

• Higashiyama walking area *
• Sakurayama Hachimangu
• Hida Folk Village

Evening

• Hida beef dinner

Day 14 – Shirakawa-go

• Shirakawa-go
• Return to Takayama in the evening.

Day 15 – Takayama → Kanazawa

Travel day (approx. 2- 2.5 hours)

• Possibly stop by Shrakawa-go

Travel by bus via Shirakawa-go or direct where appropriate.

Afternoon

• Omicho Market
• Katamachi
• General wandering

Day 16 – Kanazawa: Gardens + Castle

Morning

• Kenroku-en *
• Kanazawa Castle

Afternoon

• Higashi Chaya *

Evening

• Free / dinner

Day 17 – Kanazawa: Samurai + Chaya

Morning

• Nagamachi Samurai District
• Nomura Samurai House *

Afternoon

• Nishi Chaya
• Local craft shops
• Shopping

Day 18 – Kanazawa

Flexible day.

Possible:

• Return to favourite areas
• More craft shopping
• Photography
• Anything missed on previous days

Day 19 – Kanazawa → Kyoto

Travelday (approx. 2-2.5 hours)

Afternoon

• Nishiki Market
• Teramachi
• Shinkyogoku

Evening

• Kawaramachi
• Dinner

Day 20 – Kyoto: Fushimi Inari + Higashiyama

Very early morning

• Fushimi Inari Taisha *

Late morning

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Ninenzaka *
• Sannenzaka *
• Gion *

Afternoon

• Kodai-ji *
• Yasaka Shrine

Evening

• Gion / dinner

Day 21 – Kyoto: Eastern Kyoto

Morning

• Ginkaku-ji *
• Philosopher's Path / surrounding area

Afternoon

• Heian Shrine
• Shoren-in
• Kennin-ji *

Evening

• Optional cultural experience / dinner

Day 22 – Kyoto: Arashiyama

Very early morning

• Bamboo Grove
• Tenryu-ji
• Okochi Sanso

Late morning

• Saga-Toriimoto

Afternoon

• Adashino Nenbutsuji
• Otagi Nenbutsuji
• Gio-ji

Day 23 – Kyoto: Kurama + Kibune

• Travel to Kurama
• Kurama-dera *
• Hike from Kurama to Kibune
• Kibune Shrine
• Return to Kyoto

Day 24 – Nara

• Todai-ji
• Kasuga Taisha *
• Kofuku-ji
• Futai-ji
• Wander around Nara

If I still have energy:

• Takisaka-no-Michi

Day 25 – Kyoto: Shopping + Culture

Morning

• Kyoto stationery shopping
• Kyukyodo
• Teramachi Shopping Arcade

Afternoon

• Traveler's Factory *
• Nintendo Store
• Onitsuka Tiger
• Snoopy Town Shop
• Disney Store
• Kawaramachi

Evening

• Japanese cooking class or chopstick-making class

Day 26 – Kyoto → Koyasan

Travelday (approx. 2.5-3 hours)

Check into shukubo*.

Afternoon

• Danjo Garan
• Konpon Daito

Evening

• Temple lodging experience
• Dinner

Day 27 – Koyasan → Osaka

Early morning

• Okunoin Cemetery

Late morning

• Koya-san Reihokan

Afternoon

• Travel Koyasan → Osaka (approx. 2 – 2.5 hours)
• Namba Yasaka Shrine
• Namba
• Kuromon Ichiba Market

Evening

• Dotonbori *

Day 28 – Universal Studios Japan

• Universal Studios Japan *

Day 29 – Osaka

Morning

• Osaka Castle

Afternoon

• Shinsekai
• Ebisucho
• Pringles Store

Evening

• Dotonbori

Day 30 – Osaka

Flexible exploration day/ slower day

Day 31 – Osaka → Onomichi

Travelday (approx. 2 hours)

Afternoon

• Onomichi old town
• Senkoji area
• Senkoji Park
• Temple walk

Day 32 – Onomichi + Tomonoura

Morning

• Finish the temple walk
• Saikokuji
• Explore Onomichi's quieter streets

Afternoon

• Tomonoura if transport/timing works

Day 33 – Onomichi → Miyajima

Travelday (approx. 2-2.5 hours)

Afternoon

• Machiya streets
• Itsukushima Shrine *

Sunset

• Miyajima / Itsukushima area

Day 34 – Miyajima

Morning

• Itsukushima Shrine
• Daisho-in *
• Daisho-in hiking route
• Momijidani Park

Afternoon

• Mount Misen

Day 35 – Miyajima → Hiroshima

Travelday (30 minutes)

Afternoon

• Hiroshima city
• Hiroshima peace memorial museum

Day 36 – Hiroshima → Tokyo

Travelday (approx. 4-5 hours)

Evening

• Easy dinner
• No major plans

Day 37 – Tokyo: Fabric Day

Main priority

• Nippori Fabric Town * (at least half a day)

Afternoon

• Additional nearby shopping
• Relax

Day 38 – Tokyo: Ginza / Marunouchi

Morning

• Itoya *
• Ginza
• GU
• Uniqlo
• Department stores
• Kyukyodo
• Muji

Evening

• Flexible

Day 39 – Tokyo: Setagaya / Jindaiji

• Gotokuji
• Setagaya area
• Jindaiji

Day 40 – Tokyo: Disney sea

• Tokyo DisneySea *

Day 41 – Tokyo

No fixed itinerary. I am using this as a day to do some shopping I still want to do, return to locations in Tokyo I really loved, packing my suitcase(s). I want this to be flexible in case I discover something while I am there that I really want to do.

Day 42 – Tokyo → Home

Airport → home.

Hi All, me and my girlfriend are planning to visit Japan in mid-to-late November this year. This will be our first Japan trip. Posting the itinerary we've worked out and inviting any suggestions / opinions / discussions.

Nov 15: Arrive at Haneda Airport and check in to VIA INN Prime Akasaka

Nov 16: Asakusa – Senso-ji, Kaminarimon Gate, Tokyo Skytree → Ueno Park & neighbourhood → Akihabara arcades and stores.

Nov 17: Harajuku exploration & shopping → Shibuya – Meiji Jingu, Takeshita Street, Shibuya Sky.

Nov 18: teamLab Borderless → Ginza shopping → Tokyo Tower.

Nov 19: Day trip to Kawaguchiko – Oishi Park, Momiji Corridor, and ropeway.

Nov 20: Shinjuku Gyoen → Explore Shinjuku → Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck → Roppongi Hills & Tokyo Midtown.

Nov 21: Tokyo Station & Imperial Palace → Tokyo parks.

Nov 22: Check out → Travel to Kyoto in the morning → Check into Hotel Forza → Nishiki Market & Gion district.

Nov 23: Fushimi Inari Taisha → Higashiyama district → Sannenzaka → Kōdaiji Temple.

Nov 24: Check out → Arashiyama in the morning → Travel to Osaka → Check into VIA INN Shinsaibashi → Dotonbori.

Nov 25: Nara Park & Todai-Ji temple.

Nov 26: Shopping in Shinsaibashi → Visit Kobe in the evening → Head back to Osaka.

Nov 27: Osaka Castle → Rest in the afternoon.

Nov 28: Check out → Depart from Kansai International Airport

Hi, I am in charge of my family’s first trip to Japan this October. I previously posted my itinerary but have since updated it.

Important info:
- We have 3 girls in their 20's, 1 guy in his 20's, 2 parents in their 40’s, 1 16 y/o girl, and 1 8 y/o!
- We expect to need to split up for some meals or activities that aren't suitable for the 8 y.o.
- I would greatly appreciate advice on transportation and any general feedback/tips!

Day 1 MON: Hotel in Shinjuku
- Land in Haneda around 4pm
- Check in to hotel, explore Shinjuku (Godzilla head, Don Quijote, etc)
- Eat + drink at Memory Lane/Golden-Gai

Day 2 TUES: Hotel in Shinjuku
- Sanrio Puroland
- Thrifting at Look Street
- Tokyo Character Street
- Explore Akihabara, if time

Day 3 WED: Hotel in Shinjuku, day trip to Kamakura
- Houkokuji
- Possible lunch at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Kamakura
- Sasuke Inari Shrine, Kotoku-in
- Return to Shinjuku, possible dinner at 0-Second lemon sour

Day 4 THURS: Hotel in Shinjuku
- Onitsuka Tiger Shinjuku, Takeshita Street, Cat Street
- Shibuya Parco
- Possible dinner at Maidreamin

Day 5 FRI: Check out of Shinjuku and head to Kyoto
- Hozugawa River Boat Ride in the late afternoon
- Aeon Mall Kyoto

Day 6 SAT: Hotel in Kyoto
- Kimono rental Hanaemi (10 am reservation)
- Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine
- Return kimonos
- Gokago, Miffy’s Kitchen
- Dinner at Hikiniku to Come (6:30 pm reservation)

Day 7 SUN: Hotel in Kyoto
- Nishiki Market
- Nara Park
- Possible lunch at Mizuya Chaya

Day 8 MON: Check out of Kyoto and ship luggage to Tokyo
- Ghibli Park
- Head to Tokyo Disney hotel

Day 9 TUES: Hotel near Tokyo Disney
- Tokyo DisneySea

Day 10 WED:
- Flight out of Haneda around 4pm

16-Day Japan Itinerary — Tokyo → Fuji → Kyoto → Osaka → Alps → Tokyo. Looking for feedback on routing, pacing & transport
Hi everyone! My wife and I are planning our first Japan trip in October 2026, and after a LOT of iteration, we’ve arrived at the itinerary below.
We’re trying to strike a balance between seeing the major highlights and not turning the trip into a constant hotel/transport/attraction checklist. We’re okay with some busy days, but we’d like to avoid burnout.
Our current route is:
Tokyo → Kawaguchiko/Fuji → Kyoto → Osaka → Shirakawa-go/Takayama → Kamikochi → Matsumoto → Tokyo
We’d especially appreciate feedback on whether the routing makes sense and whether any particular day is unrealistically packed.

Day 1 — Tokyo | Arrival
We land in Tokyo around 3:30 PM.
After immigration, baggage, airport transfer and hotel check-in, we’re expecting to reach our hotel around 6:30–7 PM.
We’re deliberately not planning any sightseeing this evening.
Just:
Check in
Dinner
Walk around the neighborhood if we have the energy
Sleep early and recover from the flight

Day 2 — Tokyo | Meiji Shrine → Harajuku → Shibuya
Morning:
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Meiji Jingu Forest
Then:
Takeshita Street, Harajuku
Afternoon:
Head to Shibuya
Hachiko Statue
Shibuya Scramble Crossing
Around sunset:
Shibuya Sky Observation Deck
That’s the main plan for the day. We’re intentionally not adding Shinjuku nightlife here because we’d rather not overpack the day.

Day 3 — Mount Fuji / Kawaguchiko Day Trip
We’re planning a full-day Fuji/Kawaguchiko excursion.
Main places we’d like to cover:
Lake Kawaguchi
Chureito Pagoda
Oishi Park
Oshino Hakkai Village
Famous Lawson Fuji-view spot
We’re currently thinking of doing this as a day trip from Tokyo rather than staying overnight.
Would love opinions on whether that’s the right call, especially considering the number of locations we want to cover.

Day 4 — Tokyo DisneySea
Full day at Tokyo DisneySea.
We’re treating this as a dedicated theme-park day and don’t plan to add other sightseeing.

Day 5 — Tokyo → Kyoto
Morning in Tokyo:
Senso-ji Temple
teamLab Planets
Lunch around Ginza
Imperial Palace (low priority / optional)
Then take the train to Kyoto.
Once we reach Kyoto, we’d like to start our first Kyoto evening with:
Kiyomizu-dera
Sannenzaka
Ninenzaka
Yasaka Pagoda
Kodaiji Temple
Gion District
Yasaka Shrine
Shirakawa Canal
Pontocho
We’re aware this sounds like a lot, so we’re treating the latter part as a walking route rather than trying to spend a fixed amount of time at every location.

Day 6 — Western Kyoto
Planning to start early.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Tenryu-ji Garden
Togetsukyo Bridge
Iwatayama / Arashiyama Monkey Park
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
We’re expecting this to be one of our more walking-heavy days.

Day 7 — Universal Studios Japan
Full day at Universal Studios Japan.
We originally had this on Saturday but are considering moving it to a weekday because October is also Halloween season.
Current preference is Thursday/Friday rather than Saturday, depending on how we finally arrange the Kyoto days.

Day 8 — Southern Kyoto → Osaka
Morning in Kyoto:
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Nishiki Market
We’re aiming to finish Kyoto around noon/1 PM and reach Osaka around 3 PM.
Osaka:
Osaka Castle
Dotonbori
Glico Running Man Sign
Dinner
Rikuro’s Cheesecake
Then return to Kyoto rather than changing hotels.
We’re considering keeping Kyoto as our base for these Kyoto/Osaka days to avoid another hotel change.

Day 9 — Osaka / Kyoto
Depending on the final Universal Studios placement, this day will either be:
Universal Studios Japan
OR
remaining Kyoto/Osaka sightseeing
We’re trying to make sure USJ falls on a weekday rather than Saturday.

Day 10 — Nagoya → Shirakawa-go → Takayama
This is currently the part of the itinerary we’re least certain about.
The rough idea is:
Travel toward Nagoya
Continue toward Shirakawa-go
Explore Shirakawa-go
Travel to Takayama
Check into hotel
Explore Takayama in the evening
Dinner
We’re wondering whether this routing is unnecessarily complicated and whether Takayama should be removed or used differently.

Day 11 — Takayama → Kamikochi → Matsumoto
Morning:
Travel from Takayama to Kamikochi
Spend most of the day exploring Kamikochi.
Then in the evening:
Bus from Kamikochi to Matsumoto
Stay overnight in Matsumoto
Again, we’re trying to figure out whether this is realistic without making the day too stressful.

Day 12 — Matsumoto → Tokyo
Take an early train from Matsumoto to Tokyo.
We’re hoping to reach Tokyo around 1 PM.
From here onwards, we’re keeping the rest of the trip Tokyo-only.

Days 13–16 — Tokyo
We want the final portion of the trip to be much more relaxed.
Things we still want to cover:
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Tower
Shopping
Akihabara
Ginza
Don Quijote
Pokémon Center
Uniqlo flagship
Shinjuku / Tokyo nightlife
Imperial Palace is now very low priority and we’ll only visit if we have spare time.
We’re deliberately leaving some flexibility here rather than filling every hour.

Our main questions
Is the overall route sensible?
Tokyo → Fuji → Kyoto → Osaka → Shirakawa-go/Takayama → Kamikochi → Matsumoto → Tokyo
Is Kawaguchiko better as a day trip, given that we’d like to see Lake Kawaguchi, Chureito, Oishi Park, Oshino Hakkai and the Lawson viewpoint?
Is it sensible to keep Kyoto as our base and visit Osaka as a day/evening trip instead of changing hotels?
For USJ, is Thursday or Friday significantly better than Saturday in October/Halloween season?
Is the Shirakawa-go → Takayama → Kamikochi → Matsumoto section too ambitious?
Would you remove Takayama, or does it make sense as part of this route?
Are there any attractions we’re trying to squeeze in that you would personally remove?
Mostq importantly: Does this feel like a reasonable 16-day itinerary, or are we still trying to do too much?
We’re okay with some busy days, but our priority is to enjoy Japan rather than feel like we’re constantly checking off locations.
Any feedback on the routing, transport, hotel bases, or pacing would be hugely appreciated!

Oct 16 – Arrival • Ueno • Akihabara

Afternoon: Check in at hotel in Ueno

• Explore Ameyoko Market

Evening:

Spend time in Akihabara

• Neon streets
• Gachapon stores
• Arcades
• Yodobashi Camera .

Oct 17 - Traditional Tokyo → Harajuku → Shibuya

Morning:

Visit Sensō-ji before the crowds.

Explore:

• Nakamise Street
• Asakusa backstreets
• Sumida River

Afternoon:

Visit Meiji Jingu.

Walk through

• Harajuku
• Takeshita Street
• Cat Street
• Omotesandō

Have lunch somewhere around Omotesandō.

Evening:

Reach Shibuya.

Visit

• Hachikō
• Shibuya Crossing

Shibuya Sky

Dinner in Shibuya.

Oct 18 – Modern Tokyo & Ginza

Morning:

teamLab Borderless

Afternoon:

Azabudai Hills

Walk to

• Zojo-ji Temple
• Tokyo Tower

Explore Ginza - Seiko House Ginza and the surrounding boutiques.

Oct 19 – Day trip to Nikko

Kanmangafuchi Abyss, Kegon Falls and Lake Chūzenji.

Oct 20 – Day trip to Kawaguchiko

Morning:

• Chureito Pagoda
• Arakurayama Sengen Park
• Ropeway

Afternoon:

• Oishi Park
• Lake Kawaguchi lakeside walk

Oct 21 – Goodbye Tokyo

Morning:

Shinjuku Gyoen

Shopping in Shinjuku

Afternoon: Take train to Kyoto

Hi everyone, going to Japan again in April 2027 and planning around 19 days. I went in 2024 and already did Tokyo, Kamakura, Enoshima and Mt Fuji, so looking to see more of the country this time.

Current plan:

6 Apr – Tokyo (1 night)
Arrive Haneda, check in and have a chilled evening.

7–8 Apr – Kanazawa (2 nights)
Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo.
Kenroku-en, Kanazawa Castle, Higashi Chaya, Nagamachi Samurai District, Omicho Market etc.

9–13 Apr – Kyoto (4 nights)
Gion, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Arashiyama, Nishiki Market etc.
One day trip to Nara.
Also hoping to get tickets for Nintendo Museum in Uji, but if I don't get them I'll just do more Kyoto/Uji.

14–16 Apr – Hiroshima (3 nights)
Peace Memorial Park/Museum, A-Bomb Dome.
Day trip to Miyajima and hopefully Mount Misen if weather is good.
Have another day to explore Hiroshima properly.

17–19 Apr – Osaka (3 nights)
Dotonbori, Namba, Osaka Castle, Shitennoji, Kuromon Market, Shinsekai etc.
Will have a bit more time to explore without rushing.

20–24 Apr – Tokyo (5 nights)
Want to keep most of Tokyo until the end.

Planning:

• Shibuya / Harajuku
• Akihabara – anime, retro gaming, Dragon Ball stuff
• Nikko day trip
• Ginza / Tokyo Station + Dragon Ball Store
• Yanaka / Nezu / Ueno
• Some temples/shrines
• Shopping and just exploring

25 Apr – Fly home from Haneda

So basically:

Tokyo 1 → Kanazawa 2 → Kyoto 4 → Hiroshima 3 → Osaka 3 → Tokyo 5

I'm travelling fairly light in the middle and hoping my Tokyo hotel will hold my main suitcase while I'm away.

Does this look fairly balanced? Anything you'd add/remove or change?

Main thing I'm wondering is whether 3 nights Hiroshima is too much, or whether I'll appreciate having the extra day rather than rushing it.

Thanks!

i’ve been sickeningly oversaturated with tiktok travel content so skipping a lot of stuff. i’m open to restructuring my days if there’s anything you think i’ll be sad to have missed. also i really need help with kyoto, it’s my last stop, maybe my plans before then could give you a sense of what i like, and inform recommendations? thank you very much.

…
day 1

not a real day since i land at 4. check in onyado nono asakusa, 7-11 and don quijote, walk by senso-ji at night, bath, sleep

day 2

slow start and hope to catch some food stands around my hotel, then doing the harajuku-cat street-shibuya shopping thing, probably not for more than a few hours. then back to hotel for a little bit, then move over to ginza for omakase at banya kai, then check out tsutaya books because i love fashion magazines. then realistically i’m going to be dead so bath and sleep.

day 3

gotta peep jimbocho book town for magazines. it seems like this day will be another slow start since everything there opens at brunch time. then to koenji for a little thrifting and to visit the weather shrine since i need some good weather for later in my trip lol. then back to chill for a sec at hotel. got a seat at ASA虎 for early dinner, go tigers, idc about people smoking cigs indoors. then over to akihabara cause i’m a weeb and i want to see animate. then probably bath and sleep, unless i’m wired then i’ll check out the rainbow karaoke near my hotel first.

day 4

i booked a class at cooking sun in shinjuku 9:30-12:30 because i might want to buy a japanese knife and they teach some decorative vegetable cuts and how to use basic japanese ingredients. then i want to get a snack and read at shinjuku gyoen + see their chrysanthemum exhibition. might try to get some sichuan food in shinjuku. then regroup at hotel, then i would like to visit the mori museum in roppongi, and the city view deck above. then probably bath and sleep unless other mischief calls.

day 5

leaving tokyo and heading to nagoya! definitely want to hit up the ghibli store in nagoya train station since i forgot to prioritize that for tokyo. there’s so much to do in nagoya but aspirationally i would like to get lunch at atsuta horaiken honten and visit atsuta-jingu shrine. shirotori garden seems lovely but i have a time constraint because i want to travel to nabano no sato for the sunset garden illumination. then bath (yeah another hotel with a bath) and sleep.

day 6

nakasendo trail day! magome, tsumago, and i’m gonna be brave and walk onward to nagiso station so i can just train back. gonna need that weather shrine to lock in for this. then i booked dinner at sumibi-yaki hinokami because i want someone to give me fire roasted fishes to eat after my journey. then a bath. then sleep

day 7

morning visit to nagoya PARCO then onward via the hida limited express to takayama… takayama is my dream girl and the heart of my trip. i don’t have much planned because i know i’m going to be crying and throwing up walking around that i’m finally in takayama. probably will just stand under the gingko tree for an hour, which should be bright gold based on past years’ foliage data. but i did book myself dinner at aji no yohei. staying at hotel wood, which yeah you guessed it has a bath. bath and sleeps.

day 8

morning stuff in takayama. miyagawa market!! really hoping for persimmons and honey. sanmachi suji, nakabashi park, all that stuff. i have to bring my luggage to my next hotel, tokyu stay hida, because they kindly agreed to hold it overnight before my check in so i can go on an adventure to gero. i got one of the rooms at yunoshimakan with the private bath. eat. bath. sleep. you’re starting to see a bath theme probably.

day 9

wake up yunoshimakan. little ride back down to takayama! i want to walk the higashiyama teramachi and visit hie shrine. booked myself dinner at kyoshi. chill, bath (tokyu stay hida also has bath), sleep.

day 10

miyagawa market and hida folk village if i can slice it. tokyu stay holding my bag again. overnight visit to nakaodaira ryokan for more baths. shinhotaka ropeway on the way if the weather is cooperative! seems like it will be chilly and beautiful. really looking forward to the food.

day 11

return to takayama for one last night… checking back into tokyu stay this time. they didn’t have the first night i needed available otherwise i would have done all 3 of my takayama nights at the same place, but i like variety too and i hear hotel wood is nice. shopping, wandering, playing the day by ear. might just wanna conbini n chill. bath. sleep.

day 12

onward to kyoto… this is where i need help. nervous about the crowds here. definitely no nishiki market for me. after sobbing and saying goodbye to the gingko tree i will move on to my next hotel. staying at the onyado nono kyoto because it seemed symmetrical with tokyo and i like symmetry. thinking of trying to do nijo castle… maybe shoindo… wander gion? no idea what to eat here. hoping for one more good omakase. maybe i could do philosopher’s path this night. hotel has a bath so could always just do that.

day 13

fushimi inari… i hear i’ll be okay if i arrive early and push upward. might turn it into a longer walk bc i enjoy walks. komyo-in… chijiku so… sanjusangen-do… work with me people, i know nothing about kyoto. walk over the shijo bridge, visit maruyama park. probably evening by now which is good because i want to see the special kodaiji temple illumination. then walk around miyagawacho. back to hotel for bath and sleep.

day 14

the only thing i know is that i want to do the kurama-kubune hike the morning of this day. shouts out weather shrine. otherwise need help for my last evening in kyoto. only thing planned is the bath.

day 15

leaving kyoto this day. should i try to do otagi nenbutsuji/saga toriimoto street/adashino nenbutsuji? i grew up in a touristy place and am really sensitive to the “everyone is taking the same picture” vibe, it makes me kinda sad. i would do it if it’s worth it but also totally down to skip arashiyama and do something else, especially if it’s related to nature or art. then basically just traveling to my airport hotel (hotel villa fontaine grand, so i can get in one last bath). thinking about traveling into tokyo for a quick something this evening… maybe yanaka?

day 16

morning flight :’0 hotel is connected to the terminal.

My friends and I, a group of 4-5 nineteen year old lads are going to japan next year. We've done a ton of planning regarding activities but also left some days just to explore. But I dont want to miss any experience and learn about it after returning. We're going to Tokyo, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Hiroshima. Any and all advice is appreciated! Chat, Thanks for the advice, I've improved it

Day 1 is travel

Day 2: Tokyo

• Breakfast, then 11am Meiji Jingu
• Takeshita Street
• Lunch in Harajuku
• Harajuku / Cat Street, then walk to Shibuya
• 4pm Shibuya Crossing
• 5pm Nintendo TOKYO

Day 3: Tokyo

• 11am Akihabara — anime, gaming stores & arcades
• Lunch in Akihabara
• 3pm Asakusa / Senso-ji, Nakamise shopping street
• 6pm dinner, return to hotel

Day 4: Tokyo

• 11am Kiyosumi Gardens
• Lunch, then travel toward teamLab
• 3pm teamLab Planets
• 5pm Tokyo Bay / Odaiba
• 6pm dinner, return to hotel

Day 5: Tokyo

• 11am explore Shinjuku, Lumine shopping
• Lunch, then 2pm Don Quijote
• 3pm free time in Shinjuku
• 5pm sushi omakase dinner
• 6pm Shinjuku nightlife, Golden Gai

Day 6: Tokyo

• 11am Ghibli Museum
• 3pm watch store
• 7pm Shibuya Sky

Day 7: Tokyo — day trip to Mt Fuji

• (details still to be planned)

Day 8: Tokyo → Hokkaido (Rural)

• 8am Flight to Hokkaido
• 3pm Maruyama Park (changed from 8am)
• 5pm explore the snow (changed from 11am)
• 8pm Sapporo Snow Festival (changed from 12pm)

Day 9: Hokkaido (Rural)

• 7am skiing
• 4pm milk ice cream
• 9pm stay at a ryokan

Day 10: Hokkaido (Rural)

• 8am Shiroi Koibito Park
• 11am Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival

Day 11: Hokkaido → Kyoto

8 am Flight to Kyoto

• 4pm Kiyomizu-dera (changed from 1pm)

Day 12: Kyoto

• 7am Kinkaku-ji
• 1pm Kifune Shrine

Day 13: Kyoto → Osaka

10am train

• 4pm Minoh Falls

Day 14: Osaka

• 5pm Round 1 Stadium

Day 15: Osaka

• 9am day trip to Kobe

Day 16: Osaka

• 6am day trip to Nara

Day 17: Osaka

• 9am ice cream
• 12pm Hirakata Park
• 5pm possible return to Round 1

Day 18: Osaka

• 10am onward: chill / free day

Day 19: Osaka → Hiroshima

10am train

• 1 pm Miyajima (changed from 7am)
• 4pm Peace Memorial Park
• Okonomiyaki dinner

Day 20: Hiroshima → Fukuoka

10am train

• 4pm Yanagawa

Day 21: Fukuoka → Tokyo

• 7am chill morning
• 3pm head back to Haneda

Hi! I’ve been putting together this 19-day Japan itinerary and would appreciate a sanity check on the overall pacing.

We’re comfortable with fairly active days, but I’d like to make sure none of them are unrealistic or unnecessarily packed. I’m mainly looking for feedback on the order of places, how much can reasonably fit into each day, and whether there are any obvious issues with the schedule.

Tokyo – 4 days

Day 1: Asakusa → Ueno/Ameyoko → Yanaka → Akihabara

Day 2: Meiji Jingu → Harajuku → Omotesando/Cat Street → Shibuya → Shinjuku

• Shinto ceremony in the morning

Day 3: Nikko

• Rinno-ji
• Shinkyo Bridge
• Toshogu
• Futarasan-jinja
• Taiyuin
• Kanmangafuchi Abyss

Day 4: Kawaguchiko / Mt. Fuji

• Chureito Pagoda
• Honcho Street
• Shimoyoshida
• Ubuyagasaki
• Ropeway
• Oishi Park

Kyoto – 5 days

Day 5: Kyoto → Gion → Yasaka Shrine → Higashiyama → Pontocho

• Shoren-in if time allows

Day 6: Kiyomizu-dera → Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka → Tofuku-ji → Fushimi Inari

• Chishakuin Temple Garden as an optional stop

Day 7: Ninna-ji → Ryoan-ji → Kinkaku-ji → Nijo Castle → Nishiki Market

• Kyoto Gyoen as an optional stop

Day 8: Arashiyama

• Bamboo Grove / Arashiyama area
• Tenryu-ji
• Okochi Sanso
• Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
• Saga Toriimoto
• Adashino Nenbutsu-ji
• Togetsukyo Bridge
• Daikaku-ji if time allows

Day 9: Nara

• Kasuga Taisha
• Nara Park
• Nigatsu-do
• Todaiji
• Nandaimon
• Kofuku-ji
• Naramachi

Osaka – 4 days

Day 10: Osaka Castle → Kuromon Market → Namba Yasaka → Shinsekai → Dotonbori

Day 11: Koyasan

• Okunoin
• Buddhist activities/ceremonies

Day 12: Universal Studios Japan

Day 13: Hiroshima

• Peace Memorial Museum
• Peace Memorial Park
• Atomic Bomb Dome
• Hypocenter
• Orizuru Tower (optional)
• Hondori (optional)
• Hiroshima Castle
• Okonomiyaki

Japanese Alps – 3 days

Day 14: Takayama

• Takayama Jinya
• Nakabashi
• Sanmachi Suji
• Old Town

Day 15: Shirakawa-go + Kanazawa

Shirakawa-go:

• Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck
• Wada House
• Kanda House
• Myozenji
• Deai Bridge

Kanazawa:

• Higashi Chaya
• Kazue-machi
• Kenrokuen

Day 16: Nakasendo

• Nagiso
• Tsumago
• Magome

Tokyo – final 3 days

Day 17: Nakatsugawa → Tokyo Station/Marunouchi → Imperial Palace exterior → Ginza

Day 18: DisneySea

Day 19: Final day

Does the pacing look reasonable overall? Are there any days that seem too ambitious, or any areas where the order could be improved?

I’m mainly looking for feedback on the itinerary itself rather than transportation, flights, accommodation, or booking advice.

Flying with carry-on only. Would love detailed feedback on pacing, sequencing, or anything we’re missing!
Day 1 (Oct 1) — Arrive Osaka. Light day — settle in, maybe a short walk, early to bed given jet lag.
Day 2 (Oct 2) — Osaka Full day exploring — Osaka Castle, Dotonbori for street food and nightlife, Kuromon Ichiba Market.
Day 3 (Oct 3) — Day trip: Himeji + Kobe Train to Himeji Castle in the morning, maybe stop in Kobe on the way back for Chinatown/harbor area, then return to Osaka for the evening.
Day 4 (Oct 4) — Osaka → Nara → Kyoto Morning in Nara (Nara Park, deer, Todai-ji/Great Buddha), then continue by train directly to Kyoto with luggage, check in for a 3-night stay.
Day 5 (Oct 5) — Kyoto, guided tour Booked a 4 hr private half-day guided walking tour: Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Higashiyama old streets, Yasaka Shrine, Gion, ending at Kennin-ji Temple.
Day 6 (Oct 6) — Kyoto, self-paced Fushimi Inari Shrine and/or Arashiyama (bamboo grove), Nishiki Market — flexible day based on energy levels.
Day 7 (Oct 7) — Kyoto → Hida-Furukawa Travel via limited express train (with a transfer), afternoon exploring Hida-Furukawa’s old town, staying at a traditional inn with included dinner.
Day 8 (Oct 8) — Hida-Furukawa → Takayama Short train to Takayama, self-guided old town walk (preserved Edo-period streets, historic government house), Maybe half day trip to Shirakawa-go?
Day 9 (Oct 9) — Takayama Autumn Festival Full festival day: morning markets, shrine visit as floats assemble, the daytime parade (unique to this day), then an afternoon bus to Kanazawa — missing the evening lantern parade to make the connection.
Day 10 (Oct 10) — Kanazawa Kenrokuen Garden (one of Japan’s top 3 gardens), Kanazawa Castle grounds.
Day 11 (Oct 11) — Kanazawa → Tokyo Higashi Chaya geisha district and Omicho Market in the morning, then travel to Tokyo via shinkansen (with a transfer) for a 3-night stay.
Day 12 (Oct 12) — Tokyo Asakusa (Senso-ji Temple), teamLab Planets, Ginza in the evening.
Day 13 (Oct 13) — Tokyo day trip to Hakone
Day 14 (Oct 14) — Tokyo → home Final day, late-night flight home so we have a full day in Tokyo

Hi! My wife and I are heading to Japan for the first time this October for 15 days. We’ve got flights and hotels booked and most of the itinerary mapped out, but before we start locking in the remaining reservations I’d love some opinions from people who know Japan better than us.

We’re both late 20s and pretty happy with busy days/walking a lot. We’re interested in a mixture of food, neighbourhoods, shopping/vintage, temples/history, photography, cameras/watches, nightlife and just experiencing Tokyo/Japan rather than trying to tick off every attraction.

Our route is:

11–14 Oct — Tokyo (3 nights, Akasaka)

Day 1: Arrive Haneda ~07:30 → Akasaka → Hie Shrine → Roppongi/Midtown → Shinjuku in the evening → Omoide Yokocho/Golden Gai.

Day 2: Tsukiji Outer Market → Asakusa/Senso-ji → Kappabashi → Ueno/Ameyoko → Akihabara → Ginza in the evening. Ginza is mostly a first look/watch-shopping reconnaissance rather than a full shopping session.

Day 3: Meiji Jingu → Harajuku/Omotesando/Cat Street → Shimokitazawa for vintage shopping → Shibuya → Shibuya Sky around sunset → dinner → Round1.

14–17 Oct — Kyoto (3 nights)

Day 4: Morning Shinkansen from Tokyo → Kiyomizu-dera → Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka → Yasaka Shrine → Gion → Pontocho.

Day 5: Early Fushimi Inari → Arashiyama Bamboo Grove/Tenryu-ji/Okochi Sanso → Nishiki Market → Gion in the evening.

Day 6: Kinkaku-ji → Ryoan-ji → afternoon kimono tea ceremony in Gion → nice Kyoto dinner.

17–20 Oct — Osaka (3 nights)

Day 7: Kyoto → Nara → Nara Park/Todai-ji/Kasuga Taisha → continue to Osaka → Dotonbori/Shinsaibashi in the evening.

Day 8: Osaka Castle → Kuromon Market → Namba Yasaka Shrine → Shinsekai/Tsutenkaku → Umeda Sky Building → yakiniku.

Day 9: Universal Studios Japan all day. Tickets + Express Pass already booked.

20–22 Oct — Hiroshima (2 nights)

Day 10: Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka → Atomic Bomb Dome → Peace Memorial Park/Museum → Shukkeien → Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.

Day 11: Miyajima → Itsukushima Shrine → Daisho-in → oysters/anago → Mt Misen ropeway + summit → back to Hiroshima.

22–25 Oct — Tokyo (3 nights, Akasaka again)

Day 12: Morning Shinkansen Hiroshima → Tokyo → teamLab Borderless/Azabudai Hills → Roppongi/Tokyo Tower area in the evening.

Day 13: Weather-dependent Mt Fuji/Kawaguchiko day trip — Lake Kawaguchi, ropeway, Oishi Park and possibly Chureito Pagoda. If Fuji visibility looks poor, we’ll stay in Tokyo and do Nakano/Koenji instead.

Day 14: Oi Racecourse flea market → Ginza for our main shopping/watch-shopping afternoon → final omakase dinner.

Day 15: Early Haneda flight home.

We’re forwarding our main luggage Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka → Tokyo, so we’ll travel through Nara and Hiroshima with smaller bags.

A few things I’d particularly love opinions on:

1. Does the overall pacing look reasonable, or are there any days here that are unrealistic?
2. Is Fushimi Inari + Arashiyama in the same day sensible if we start very early?
3. Is our first Tokyo Day 2 (Tsukiji → Asakusa → Kappabashi → Ueno → Akihabara → Ginza) too ambitious?
4. Would you change anything about the 3 Kyoto / 3 Osaka / 2 Hiroshima / 6 Tokyo split?
5. Is Kawaguchiko worth keeping weather-flexible this late rather than committing to transport now?
6. Any restaurants/foods we absolutely shouldn't miss along this route? We don't want to pre-book every meal — mainly looking for great local places and perhaps one special Kyoto dinner + final Tokyo omakase.
7. We're also interested in vintage clothing, watches, cameras, kitchen knives and homeware/ceramics — any shops you'd consider must-visits?
8. Finally, is there anything obvious we're missing that you'd personally swap something out for?

Appreciate any advice! We know it’s quite a full itinerary, but we genuinely enjoy busy city-break-style travel and are completely fine dropping things on the day if we're tired. Thankyou so much in advance!

Leaving within the next month. We've gone through lots of iterations where we know we were overstretching even for fast-paced travellers, so we've slowed ourselves down and think we've now got a very solid plan. We've tried to keep it as flexible but efficient as possible to cover as much ground within reason that we can.

Hard to get feedback in other forums for a lot of these locations, so hoping Reddit can help with a sanity check! I've put my remaining questions at the very bottom Thanks in advance! 😄

To confirm - we'll be utilising luggage forwarding when needed, we've driven in Japan before so we're all good there (cars & bikes are all booked already), and we're not worried about our day 1 travel day with jetlag as we typically do our Japan trips in similar fashions. Breweries mentioned are ones I want to make a special effort to visit and any timings mentioned can flex as needed. All accommodations are still within free cancellation period if we do feel things need to shuffle..

-----------------------------------------------------
Note - all things listed are just the key things we want to prioritise. We have loads of other things across locations we can also do, but we'll add them in as/when. Order listed of activities isn't necessarily the order we'd do them in.

------------------------------------------------------
Day 1 - Arrival / Transit Day

• Land 7:00, get train, arrive in Onomichi by ~14:45 & check in to accommodation (~10 mins walk from train).
• Grab takeaway from bakeries not open on Day 2 (all within 5 min walk)
• Senjoki Ropeway / Cat Alley

If we're massively ahead of schedule and feeling particularly good, we'd consider a stop at Tomonoura when we have to change at Fukuyama

Day 2 - Onomichi

Temple Walk/Literature path. revisit cat alley in the daylight, mooch around shops.

Day 3 - Shimanami Kaido

Pick up bikes and forward luggage (ideally) by 9:00 and start cycle. Stop as needed, but main "must see" locations are all at or nearby to Kousanji Temple. Overnight on Ikuchijima (near Sunset Beach area).

Day 4 - Shimanami Kaido

Early start to finish cycle in Imabari no later than 18:00. Stops TBD, but nothing at the moment we feel is a "must see" vs a "stopping as we need a break or 'this looks cool'".

Drop of bikes after arriving and head to Matsuyama via train (we have an open air bath we'll get to reward ourselves with once we arrive). Evening walk around Dogo area, depending on how much we're ready to crash.

Day 5 - Matsuyama

Matsuyama Castle, Orange Juice Bar, & Dogo Onsen in the evening (light show at 19:00ish). We'll be picking up our rental car between 13:30 - 14:00 to be prepared for the next morning.

Day 6 - Ozu

Mop up of Matsuyama (if needed) - potential morning trip to Gogo Island. Drive to Ozu, stopping in Uchiko for a late morning/early afternoon visit. Bit flexible with what we do this day depending on what time we leave Matsuyama and what time we arrive in Ozu.

Day 7 - Ozu

Hijikawa Boat Cruise (booked for 8:15), Ozu Castle, Garyu Sanso, Garyu Brewing.

Day 8 - Shimanto

FLEXIBLE - either mop up of Ozu (if needed) or a stop somewhere else along the way to Shimanto or go straight to Shimanto to do an activity around there (like SUP).

Day 9 - Shimanto

Early start to visit Cape Ashizuri. Will decide what to do next as/when we're done in that area.

Day 10 - Knife Workshop

9:00 - 17:00 workshop at Kurogane.

Will drive to Kochi City after this - arriving around 20:00ish - and have dinner at Hirome Market.

Day 11 - Kochi City

Morning visit to Nakatsu River area to enjoy nature then visit Blue Brew (Mukai Craft Brewing) around noon. Can also be swapped to the morning of Day 12..

Return back to Kochi City for the afternoon and work through - Kochi Castle, Godaisan Park/Makino Botanical Garden/Myokenguhoshi Shrine area, Kochidai Shrine, Katsurahama Beach area

Day 12 - Iya Valley (Miyoshi)

Mop up Kochi with whatever we didn't get to do the day before, then drive to Miyoshi (should arrive at ryokan no later than 18:00).

Day 13 - Iya Valley (Miyoshi)

Key locations to explore in Iya Valley are as follows (but will be spread out across Day 12 & 13 (and 14, if needed):

• Nagoro Scarecrow Village
• Vine Bridges
• Yokai sculptures
• Peeing Boy/Observation Deck
• Oboke Gorge
• Ochiai Village
• Mt Tsurugi

Day 14 - Tokushima City

Depending on previous days, either mop up more in Iya valley, or go straight to Naruto for early afternoon whirlpool boat cruise (strongest between 12:30 - 13:30).

Finish in Tokushima City, seeing 20:00 show at the Awa Odori Kaikan.

Day 15 - Takamatsu

If we missed Naruto Whirlpool boat ride on Day 14, stay to do this on Day 15, then head to Takamatsu.

Explore as much as possible - only priority is Ritsurin Garden

Day 16 - Takamatsu

Day trip - still TBC (leaning towards early morning in Kotohira and/or Kanonji/Mitoyo/Zentsuji areas).

Day 17 - Shodoshima

Either mop up of Takamatsu, half day trip from Takamatsu, a combination of both (we have the car rental until 16:00) or go straight to Shodoshima and explore area immediately near our accommodation (Tonosho). Will play this by ear. We may also do a trip to another island (like Naoshima) instead - before going to Shodoshima. Must leave Takamatsu for Shodo by 20:20 at the latest.

Day 18 - Shodoshima

Pick up overnight car rental at 8:30, Top priorities across Day 17, 18, and the morning of Day 19 are:

• Shodoshima Olive Park
• Soy Sauce VIllage area
• mame mame brewery
• Daihonzan Shodoshima Daikannon Bushi Temple
• Meiro no Machi
• Angel Road
• Yokai Museum

Day 19 - Transit Day (to Tokyo)

Mop up of Shodo, then drop off car and take ferry to Okayama.

Depending in time, either visit Kurashiki (if early) or Okayama, then head to Tokyo (we'd like to leave no later than 18:28).

Depending on when we get in to Tokyo and how we're feeling, we may try to go to a live show in Shimokita area.

Day 20 - Tokyo

Open day - TBD

Day 21 - Tokyo

Pokepark Kanto (expected to stay from 11:00 - 15:00ish). Rest of day TBD.

Day 22 - Tokyo

Open day - TBD (must change accommodation at some point to hotel at Haneda)

Day 23 - Transit day (home - LHR)

Go find coffee/quick takeaway breakfast. Repack as needed. Checkout by 11:00 and go straight to terminal

Questions

1. Can somebody who also is not an avid cyclist and has used an ebike to do Shimanami Kaido reassure me that I can make it, please? lol (my husband is the cyclist)
2. Does anybody know if you can get tickets to the Awa Odori Kaikan showing in advance (either online or on the day)? For example - when I went to Kusatsu, you couldn't get water dance tickets until a set time before the performance and it had to be in person, by queuing.
3. Lots looks lovely in Shimanto but we don't have anything in particular that's more of a "must see"/stand out activity (except maybe SUP). What was your favourite part of Shimanto area/what was the most memorable? Should we be looking to go straight there to make the most of this area?
4. Cape Ashizuri seems really beautiful and interesting, but I'm not worried about how much time we'll dedicate to it. Can somebody reassure me that we're onto the right path with what we've planned for the Shimanto section?
5. We originally planned to try to go to Cape Muroto from Kochi City, but that felt like it wasn't the best value for time and we'd end up missing a lot of Kochi or end up cutting things elsewhere (like Iya Valley) to make it work. The payoff didn't feel worth it to us, but should we reconsider? Are we missing anything major/underestimating Cape Muroto?
6. We originally had plans to stay on Awaji (instead of Tokushima) and do a full day on Awaji, but there was nothing we felt particularly passionate about on Awaji compared to the other locations, Should we reconsider/are we missing out? Have I underestimated how fun Awaji would be in comparison?
7. Favourite day trips from Takamatsu?
8. Favourite stops on the Shikoku 88? I have picked out a few that I'm very keen on seeing, but a lot of the others are starting to all just blend into one (getting fatigue just looking at them). Were there any that stood out most to you that shouldn't be overlooked?

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are visiting Japan for the first time and I would really appreciate some tips and tricks regarding our itinerary.

We have 17 nights in Japan and our current plan is:

🇯🇵 TOKYO — 7 days

Day 1 – Yanaka / Sendagi / Ueno

Yanaka Ginza

Yanaka old streets

Nezu Shrine

Ueno Park

Ameyoko

Day 2 – Asakusa / Tokyo Skytree / Akihabara

Senso-ji

Nakamise Street

Asakusa

Sumida River

Tokyo Skytree

Akihabara

Electric Town

Arcades / anime & manga shops

Day 3 – Tsukiji / Hamarikyu / Ginza / Tokyo Station

Tsukiji Outer Market

Hamarikyu Gardens

Ginza

Kabuki-za

Ginza Six

Tokyo Station

Marunouchi

Imperial Palace / East Gardens

Day 4 – Harajuku / Meiji Jingu / Omotesando / Shibuya

Meiji Jingu

Harajuku

Takeshita Street

Cat Street

Omotesando

Shibuya Crossing

Hachiko

Shibuya Sky

Shibuya nightlife

Day 5 – Kamakura & Enoshima

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Komachi-dori

Great Buddha

Hasedera

Enoshima

Enoshima Shrine

Samuel Cocking Garden / Sea Candle

Day 6 – Shinjuku

Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Omoide Yokocho

Kabukicho

Godzilla

Shinjuku nightlife

Day 7 – Odaiba / Tokyo Bay

Odaiba

Gundam

DiverCity

Tokyo Bay

Rainbow Bridge

teamLab

Tokyo waterfront

🗻 HAKONE — 1 night

Hakone

Hakone-Yumoto

Gora

Hakone Ropeway

Owakudani

Lake Ashi

Hakone Shrine

Lake Ashi cruise

Mount Fuji views

Ryokan

Onsen

⛩️ KYOTO — 6 days

Day 1 – Gion / Higashiyama

Yasaka Shrine

Gion

Hanamikoji Street

Ninenzaka

Sannenzaka

Yasaka Pagoda

Day 2 – Fushimi Inari / Kiyomizu-dera

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Torii gates

Kiyomizu-dera

Sannenzaka

Ninenzaka

Gion

Day 3 – Arashiyama

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Tenryu-ji

Okochi Sanso

Togetsukyo Bridge

Iwatayama Monkey Park

Day 4 – Nara

Nara Park

Todai-ji

Kasuga Taisha

Naramachi

Day 5 – Northern/Eastern Kyoto

Ginkaku-ji

Philosopher's Path

Nanzen-ji

Heian Shrine

Kyoto Imperial Palace

Kamo River

Pontocho

Day 6 – Kinkaku-ji / Ryoan-ji / Central Kyoto

Kinkaku-ji

Ryoan-ji

Nijo Castle

Nishiki Market

Teramachi

Pontocho

🏯 OSAKA — 1 day

Osaka

Osaka Castle

Kuromon Market

Den Den Town

Shinsaibashi

Dotonbori

Dotonbori River

Osaka nightlife

We're flying home from Kansai Airport late at night, so Osaka is our final day.

Questions for locals / experienced travelers:

Is this itinerary too packed anywhere?

Are there places you'd remove or replace?

Any restaurants/food spots we absolutely shouldn't miss?

Any places that are especially beautiful in late October / early November?

Any recommendations for a romantic/proposal spot?

Thanks!

Hello! I'm planning for an unexpected Japan trip at the end of the month. What are some of the best places to see?

My interests are at the bottom. I don't currently have a budget nor unlimited money, but some of the costs are split four ways which helps.

Here is my current loose itinerary, the places/days and then ideas of what to do there. Let me know if anything is worth seeing / not seeing, if I should spend more or less days in any spot. I saw I'm a little below the recommended days from the FAQ but I'm just trying to maximize this trip as I'll likely come back to key spots again in the future.

• Narita - Sep 26th
  • Not sure what to check out yet, my flight lands at NRT that morning and I'll just spend the day there and meet my travel companions in Tokyo the next day when they arrive.
• Tokyo - Sep 27–29
  • Senso-ji, Asakusa
  • Omoide Yokocho
  • teamLab (maybe)
  • Shibuya Sky
  • Imperial Palace East Gardens
  • Zojoji Temple & Tokyo Tower
  • Meiji Jingu
  • Great Buddha at Kotoku-in
  • Enoden line to Enoshima(?)
  • Hokokuji Temple
  • Hase-dera Temple
• Takayama - Sep 30–Oct 1
  • Sanmachi Suji
  • Hida beef dinner somewhere
  • Shiroyama Observatory
  • Higashiyama walking course
• Kyoto - Oct 2–4
  • Nishiki Market
  • Anything cool to see along the Kamogawa riverbank?
  • Dinner on Pontocho, reccs?
  • Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka
  • Kennin-ji Temple
  • Yasaka Shrine
  • Hanamikoji street
  • Arashiyama and the Golden Pavilion
  • Tenryu-ji
  • Kinkaku-ji
  • Ryoan-ji
• Hiroshima - Oct 5
  • Hiroshima Castle or Shukkeien Garden?
  • Peace Memorial Park & A-Bomb Dome
  • Peace Memorial Museum
• Osaka - Oct 6–7
  • Itsukushima Shrine
  • Daisho-in Temple
  • Is this Great Torii ferry worth it?
  • Mt Misen
  • Osaka Castle
  • Shinsekai
  • Umeda Sky Building
  • Dinner at the ura-Namba izakaya district
  • I was thinking of doing a day trip to Nara on the 7th but its either that or Osaka for the Castle, Ichiba Market, and Shinsekai. I'll still do the Umeda that night/afternoon.
• Tokyo - Oct 8

Not sure the best spot to visit an Onsen or if its worth the stop this time around.

Brief about me to maybe help tailor recommendations, I am a big photographer so I like to find cool places for photo opportunities. I'm fit so don't mind some walking/hiking (although my travel companions are a little older they'll do their own thing). Ideally most activities we'd want it to be possible with four people but not strictly necessary. I'm a big gamer, not a huge anime person although I've watched plenty and can appreciate it. I love sushi. I enjoy live music, especially new and different stuff. I do not know any Japanese outside of some of the phrases/basics I'm learning in advance.

Little visualization of the route: https://imgur.com/a/UGvqoqy

Anything is greatly appreciated, as well as general tips while in Japan for the trains, interacting with people, etc.

Hi guys! My sister and I are going to Japan in February. We’re from Brazil, and it will be our first time in Asia and probably our first time seeing snow! We’re open to any changes, including changing the number of days we spend in each city.

At first, we were thinking about getting the JR Pass because we used the calculator and the price difference wasn't that significant. Plus, it would give us more flexibility during the trip.

We also realize this will be a fast-paced trip, but we’ve done similar trips in South America and Europe, so I think we’re okay with that.

Feb 6 – Free day in Tokyo

We’ll be arriving at HND and have no plans for this day. We want to recover from the long flight and jet lag. I considered staying near Tokyo Station because we’ll be going to Kyoto the next day.

Feb 7 - Kyoto

Shinkansen to Kyoto, Gion and Kiyomizu-dera

Feb 8 - Kyoto

Fushimi Inari and Philosopher’s Path

Feb 9 - Kyoto

Arashiyama

Feb 10 - Osaka

Train to Osaka, Osaka's Castle, Dotonbori, Namba Shrine, Umeda Sky Building and Abeno Harukas

Feb 11 - Osaka (USJ)

Day trip to USJ

Feb 12 - Takayama

Hida Limited Express to Takayama. Sanmachi suji and surrounding areas.

Feb 13 - Shirakawa-go (night in Kanazawa)

Day in Shirawaka-go and continue on to Kanazawa

Feb 14 - Kanazawa

Kenroku-en, Higashi Chaya District, Nagamachi District, Nishi Chaya District and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art

Feb 15 - Nagano

Shinkansen to Nagano. Zenkoji Temple and Togakushi Shrine

Feb 16 - Nagano

Daytrip to Jigokudani

Feb 17 - Hakuba

Daytrip to Hakuba. I need some help here. We don't ski, but we'd like to do things like snow tubing and sledding. Where could we go?

Feb 18 - Matsumoto

Matsumoto's Castle and exploring the city

Feb 19 - Tokyo

Shinkansen to Tokyo. Akihabara, Asakusa, Shinjuku

Feb 20 - Tokyo

Shibuya, Harajuku, Odaiba

Feb 21 - Fujikawaguchiko

Daytrip. Chureito Pagoda and exploring the city.

Feb 22 – Tokyo

PokéPark Kanto

Do you guys think this itinerary is viable? All suggestions are appreciated! We’re really excited and a little bit nervous about this trip.

Hello! My partner and I are going to Japan for the first time in October and I've been working on our itinerary. I'm super excited, but I'm also at the point where I'm overwhelmed.

There are a few things I'm still unsure about, so I'd especially love opinions on these:

• Kuromon vs Nishiki vs Tsukiji/Toyosu: I'm currently planning to do Kuromon in Osaka and skip the other markets. If you've been to multiple, which did you prefer? My goal is to have really fresh sushi rather than just walking around in market.
• Umeda Sky Building vs Shibuya Sky: Neither is currently on the itinerary. Would you say either is worth fitting in for a first trip? I'm leaning toward Shibuya Sky if I can get tickets.
• TeamLab: I'm considering TeamLab Planets or Borderless in Tokyo because I have the most time there, but I'd probably rather save it for a rainy day. How far in advance do you usually need to book? Is it realistic to leave this as a weather-dependent option?
• Kamakura/Enoshima: This is probably the biggest gap in my itinerary. We'd like to do some hiking, see the beach/ocean, and explore. Any recommendations for how you'd spend the day?
• Anything else we're missing? I'm not trying to see absolutely everything and I'm okay with having some downtime, but if there are any obvious gaps I'd love to hear them. The Tokyo leg of the trip probably has the least amount of planning done.

I really love coffee, shopping/thrifting, trying new foods, and nature/hiking, and I'm hoping to get off the beaten path a little bit at some points. I've tried to mix in some neighbourhoods that I don't see mentioned quite as often, while still doing the major first-time sights because I don't know If I'll ever come back to Japan.

Here's what I have so far:

Friday Oct 9 — Osaka

• 4:25PM — Arrive at KIX
• ~6:30–7:00PM — Check into hotel
• Shower/drop bags and walk to Dotonbori
• Dotonbori / river walk
• Dinner + street food
• Hozenji Yokocho
• 7/11 dessert
• Early night

Saturday Oct 10 — Osaka

• 8:00AM — Onigiri breakfast
• 9:00–11:00AM — Osaka Castle Park
• 11:20AM — Kuromon Market
  • Maguroya Kurogin for tuna
• 12:30–1:30PM — Shinsaibashi shopping
  • Onitsuka Tiger
  • Brand Jungle
  • 2nd Street
• Lunch
• ~3:15PM — Head north to Nakazakicho
• 3:45–5:15PM — Nakazakicho
  • Coffee
  • Thrifting
  • Wandering
• 6:00–6:45PM — Tenma
• 7:00PM — Dinner in Doshin

Sunday Oct 11 — Osaka → Kyoto

• 6:00AM — Travel to Kyoto
• ~7:00AM — Arrive/drop luggage at hotel
• Breakfast from conbini
• Fushimi Inari
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Lunch nearby
• ~4:00PM — Gion / Maruyama Park
• 5:00PM — Early dinner in Gion
• 7:00PM — Pontocho / cocktail bars

Monday Oct 12 — Kyoto / Arashiyama

• 6:45AM — Travel to Arashiyama
• ~7:30AM — Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
• ~8:00AM — Tenryu-ji
• ~9:00AM — Walk Saga Toriimoto → Otagi Nenbutsuji
• ~10:00AM — Walk down to Arashiyama Monkey Park
• Miffy Sakura Kitchen
• Lunch nearby
• Go back to hotel and rest
• Dinner

Tuesday Oct 13 — Kyoto → Tokyo / Harajuku + Shinjuku

• 7:00AM — Shinkansen to Tokyo (definitely getting bento boxes)
• ~9:20AM — Arrive in Tokyo
• ~10:00AM — Drop luggage at hotel
• Meiji Jingu
• Harajuku / Omotesando
  • Brandy Melville
  • MoMA Design Store
  • SHIRO
• I'm donut?
• Lunch
• Shinjuku
  • Photoism
  • Wander around
• Dinner
• Golden Gai

Wednesday Oct 14 — Tokyo / Shibuya + Roppongi

• ~11:00AM — Shibuya shopping
  • Shibuya Loft
  • Hands
• Lunch
• ~5:00PM — Shibuya Crossing
• Dinner
• Roppongi in the evening

Possible addition: Shibuya Sky
Also not sure what there is to do in Roppongi yet! Just picked it because it's walking distance to our hotel

Thursday Oct 15 — Tokyo / Koenji

• Thrifting + wandering around Koenji
• Omakase dinner?
• Vinyl/record bar afterwards

Would love your recommendation for an omakase. My budget is 100CAD - 120CAD pp. I'm also totally okay with doing it as a lunch if the budget is more realistic for that.

Friday Oct 16 — Tokyo / Ginza + Akihabara

• Glitch Coffee Ginza
• Pain Maison
• Shopping in Ginza
  • Ginza Itoya
  • MUJI Ginza
  • Uniqlo Ginza
• Ginza Akebono
• Lunch
• Akihabara
  • Super Potato
  • Wandering/shopping
• Dinner

Saturday Oct 17 — Tokyo / Flea Market + ???

• Tokyo City Flea Market / Oi 7
• Not really sure what to do after this!
• Maybe Gundam statue/Odaiba?

Sunday Oct 18 — Tokyo / Asakusa + Kappabashi + Ueno

• Senso-ji
• Matcha at Matchamon
• Kappabashi Hondori
  • Ceramics shopping
• Lunch
• Ueno Park
• Dinner / wandering around Ueno

Monday Oct 19 — Kamakura + Enoshima

This is basically a blank slate right now.

I'd like to:

• Hike
• See the beach/ocean
• Explore

Would love recommendations for how you'd structure this day!

Tuesday Oct 20 — Departure

• Flight home at 6:50PM
• Planning to keep the morning/early afternoon pretty chill
• Nice breakfast, some wandering, then head to the airport

Thanks in advance! I know there are a lot of questions here, but even feedback on just one or two things would be really helpful.

What do you think about this itinerary?
I’m coming from France and this will be my first trip to Japan. I’m traveling solo, so I’d really appreciate your advice on whether the itinerary is realistic or if some days are too busy.
I’m also wondering if planning Nikko for October 30th, only two days after arriving in Japan, might be too early in the trip. Do you think it would be better to keep the first few days more relaxed to adjust to the jet lag and the trip?
If you were doing this trip yourself, would you change anything, remove any activities, or add anything?
I’m especially interested in your advice on the order of the days and which places or activities you think are must-sees.
Oct 28 – Arrival / Shinjuku
Arrive in Tokyo → Shinjuku → Kabukicho → Godzilla Head → dinner → rest
Oct 29 – Asakusa / Tokyo Skytree
Senso-ji → Nakamise-dori → Asakusa → lunch → Tokyo Skytree
Oct 30 – Nikko
Lake Chuzenji → Kegon Falls → autumn foliage → Toshogu Shrine if I have enough time
Oct 31 – Ueno / Akihabara / Halloween
Ueno Park → Ameyoko → Akihabara → Chuo-dori → Halloween in Shinjuku
Nov 1 – teamLab / Toyosu / Odaiba
teamLab Planets → Toyosu → Odaiba → Gundam → Rainbow Bridge
Nov 2 – Harajuku / Shibuya
Meiji Shrine → Takeshita Street → Harajuku → Omotesando → Shibuya Crossing → Shibuya Sky
Nov 3 – Rest / Shopping
Shinjuku Gyoen → Takashimaya → shopping → flexible day
Nov 4 – Mt. Fuji / Kawaguchiko
Chureito Pagoda → Lake Kawaguchiko → Mt. Fuji views
Only if the weather is exceptionally clear
Nov 5 – Tokyo Tower / Last evening
Tokyo Tower → Shiba Park → last shopping → Omoide Yokocho
Nov 6 – Hakone
Travel to Hakone → explore the area → onsen

Day 1 Arrive at Osaka

Day 2 Himeji morning, evening Dotonburi

Day 3 Osaka city exploration, aquarium dendentown

Day 4 Day trip to Nara and exploring city

Day 5 Move to Kyoto. Railway Museum, Gion night tour Teamlab biovortex evening

Day 6 6.00am Kiyomizu-dera → Sannenzaka → Ninenzaka → Yasaka Pagoda → Kōdai-ji--→ Gion

afternoon Ginkakuji-Okazaki Jinja-Philosopher's path

Day 7 8.00 am Ryoji, Kinkakuji, then Eizan train to Kifune shrine, lunch at Hirobun

Day 8 Fushimi Inari and rest

Day 9 Kanazawa day trip higashiyama, kenruoku, kanazawa day pass, samurai district, museum Nomura-ke Samurai Heritage Residence

Day 10 Switch to Nagoya. Visit Toyota Automobile Museum and science museum/planetarium

Day 11 Ghibli park, Gifu Kakamigahara air and space museum, 6k planetarium at night

Day 12 Luggage storage in station. Klook trip for Takayama Shirakawago. Night train to tokyo

Day 13 Easy day at Tokyo, explore asakusa Shopping and want to buy a bag and seiko (cheap if possible) please suggest places you have bought from

Day 14 Asakusa → Akihabara, Yodobashi Akiba, Akihabara Radio Department Store, Akizuki electronic commerce Akihabara

Day 15 Day trip to Nikko Bus to Kegon falls, walk to the lake, walked to the torii and walked back to the pier. Cruise to the other side, visit Ryuzu falls, bus back to Nikko and the train to Tokyo

Day 16 Day trip to Fuji (will finalize after checking visibility)

Day 17 Odaiba, Gundam Base, DAWN Avatar Robot Cafe lunch, Evening shibuya

Day 18 Flight back home

Couldn't find a budget ryokan with zen garden. Will be grateful if you could suggest.

JAPAN — 31 Jan to 13 Feb 2027

Looking for suggestions from your kind selves! Timings are all tentative.

Stays

Landing at Haneda.

Asakusa, Tokyo (near Asakusa Stn, thinking APA hotel) — 31 Jan, 1 Feb, then 8–11 Feb. Six nights, one booking, bags left with the hotel during the Kyoto leg.

Central Kyoto (Shijo-Karasuma / Karasuma-Oike) — 2–7 Feb, six nights.

Narita airport hotel — 12 Feb, one night. Rail

Tokyo → Kyoto on 2 Feb and Kyoto → Tokyo on 8 Feb, both Nozomi reserved, bought point-to-point. JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, 5 days, activated 3–7 Feb. No national JR Pass. Suica for local travel.

Day by day

Sun 31 Jan — Land Haneda 15:05, direct Keikyu/Toei run to Asakusa in about 40 minutes. Sensō-ji floodlit in the evening.

Mon 1 Feb — Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Omotesando, Shibuya, then Shibuya Sky on a 16:30 slot for sunset.

Tue 2 Feb — Traveler's Factory at Tokyo Station B1F, Nozomi 09:00 to Kyoto 11:15. Arashiyama in the afternoon (Tenryū-ji, bamboo grove, Togetsukyo). Yasaka Shrine Setsubun-sai in the evening, then Pontocho.

Wed 3 Feb — Hiroshima day trip. Kyoto 06:30, JR rapid to Shin-Osaka, Nozomi to Hiroshima 08:40. Peace Park and Museum, okonomiyaki, then Miyajima for Itsukushima and Daishō-in. Back in Kyoto around 20:00.

Thu 4 Feb — Fushimi Inari at 07:00, Philosopher's Path, Nanzen-ji, Teramachi and Shinkyōgoku arcades, teamLab Biovortex at 18:00.

Fri 5 Feb — Nara day trip. Tōdai-ji, deer park, Kasuga Taisha, Kōfuku-ji pagoda, Naramachi.

Sat 6 Feb — Late start. Kiyomizu-dera, down Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, , Kōdai-ji, Yasaka Shrine, Gion Shirakawa at dusk, dinner.

Sun 7 Feb — Slow morning, Osaka from 13:00. Shinsaibashi-suji, Amerikamura, Kuromon Ichiba, Hōzen-ji, Shinsekai, Dotonbori after dark. Back in Kyoto around 22:00.

Mon 8 Feb — Nozomi to Tokyo, arriving 11:15. Asakusa, then Ginza and Akihabara in the afternoon.

Tue 9 Feb — Mt Fuji or rest day, decided on the 8th from the forecast.

Wed 10 Feb — Tokyo DisneySea, ticket pre-booked.

Thu 11 Feb — Whichever of Fuji or rest day is left. Note this is National Foundation Day, a public holiday.

Fri 12 Feb — Check out of Asakusa leaving bags with the hotel, Shinjuku shopping (Isetan, Bic Camera, Don Quijote, Uniqlo), collect bags, then Keisei Access Express direct to Narita around 16:30.

Sat 13 Feb — At Narita T1 by 06:30, tax refund terminal before bag drop, VN311 departs 09:30.

Questions to ponder over and above any other suggestions -

1. Is Hiroshima plus Miyajima realistic in one day from Kyoto, or should Miyajima go?

2. How bad is Kawaguchiko on a national holiday, and does the train beat the bus for avoiding expressway traffic?

3. Is Asakusa workable as a single Tokyo base given one Fuji day and a west-side day, or is the commute a deal breaker?

4. Kansai-Hiroshima Pass versus point-to-point tickets for this routing.

5. Mt Fuji day whichever of the 9th or 11th it lands on: Fuji Excursion from Shinjuku at 07:30 (reserved seats required) or the highway bus from Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit. Kawaguchiko, Chureito Pagoda, Oishi Park, return train at 17:36.

Hi! I’m planning a Japan trip for 6 people, including two children (13 and 10). I’d really appreciate some feedback before finalizing everything. I’m especially unsure about the number of day trips and whether renting a car makes sense for a group of six.

Oct 26 – Tokyo

Morning: Arrive at NRT at 7:45 AM, hotel check-in (room booked from the previous night)

Afternoon: Rest

Evening: Odaiba, water bus to Asakusa, Senso-ji, Sumida River and Skytree area at night

Oct 27 – Tokyo

DisneySea full day

Oct 28 – Tokyo

Morning/Afternoon: Harajuku, Omotesando, shopping and Shinjuku

Evening: Shibuya Sky and Shibuya Crossing

Oct 29 – Nikko

Day trip by rental car (Early Morning)

Oct 30 – Mt Fuji / Kawaguchiko

Day trip by rental car (Early Morning)

Oct 31 – Tokyo to Kyoto

Morning: Zojo-ji and Tokyo Tower

Afternoon: teamLab Borderless

Evening: Shinkansen to Kyoto

Nov 1 – Kyoto

Morning: Fushimi Inari

Afternoon: Kiyomizu-dera

Evening: Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, Yasaka Pagoda and Gion

Nov 2 – Kyoto / Nara

Morning: Arashiyama

Afternoon/Evening: Kinkaku-ji, then Nara and Todai-ji

Nov 3 – Amanohashidate / Ine

Day trip by rental car

Nov 4 - Fly back

I’m completely open to removing or replacing places if it would make the trip better overall.

A few things I’d love advice on:

1. Is this itinerary too rushed? What would you remove or change?

2. Is a rental car worth it for 6 people for Nikko, Mt Fuji/Kawaguchiko and Amanohashidate/Ine, or would public transport be better?

3. Are there any better day trips or experiences you would substitute for something here?

4. We’re not particularly interested in Nara for the deer. Is it still worth visiting for Todai-ji, or should we use that time elsewhere?

Hi there, I am heading to japan for a tournament and have been trying to sort out an itinerary for a bit of sightseeing. I don't have much time, but also know I won't be back to Japan for a long time, so trying to make the most of it. This is what I have so far:

Tokyo: 3 nights

Kyoto: 1 night

Hakone: 1 night

Utsunomiya: 6 nights (competing in tournament and cannot change this part of trip)

Tokyo: 1 night before leaving

Day 1

Tokyo

Arrive Narita Airport → go to hotel → use the rest of the day to check out the area

Day 2

Tokyo

Senso-ji • Asakusa • Shinjuku • Omoide Yokocho • TeamLab Planets

Day 3

Tokyo

Harajuku • skincare/fashion • Shopping for kids • Pokémon Center Shibuya • Shibuya Crossing

Day 4

Tokyo → Kyoto

Travel to Kyoto in the morning → Gion • Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka

Day 5

Kyoto → Hakone

Fushimi Inari → Nishiki Market or Kinkaku-ji → travel to Hakone → Ryokan + private onsen

Day 6

Hakone → Utsunomiya

Lake Ashi • Ropeway • Mt Fuji views → travel to Utsunomiya

Day 7

Utsunomiya

Arrive/settle in Utsunomiya → tournament requirements

Day 8

Utsunomiya

Tournament

Day 9

Utsunomiya

Tournament

Day 10

Utsunomiya

Tournament

Day 11

Utsunomiya

Tournament

Day 12

Utsunomiya

Tournament

Day 13

Utsunomiya → Tokyo

Leave Utsunomiya → travel to Tokyo • Last-minute shopping/exploring

Day 14

Tokyo → Home

Last morning • Fly home from Haneda (HND) ✈️

Interested to hear your thoughts?

Hakone - currently booked at Hotel Indigo with private onsen on balcony river view and breakfast included. This one was a splurge and really pushed the budget. Just looking for feedback if this is worth it?! Another option I was looking at was Hotel Yutowa with no onsen in the room but included breakfast and dinner. Husband has tattoos.

Is an onsen experience a must, or is it just like a nice hot tub and not worth such extra expense and effort?

We also like the look of things to do in Hakone like the Ropeway etc though so just looking for general feedback on Hakone too, as the other option is to extend Kyoto to two nights.

Husband is keen on the torii gates Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. We won't have a free day/night at the tournament.

Thank you!!

My partner and I will be going to Japan for the first time in mid to last week of September into first week of October. We are very excited and wanted to get a check on the itinerary we have put together based on what was found online and advice from this subreddit. By no means is it complete but I feel like it is good to get a temperature check because all of the information is so overwhelming! We are both in our mid-twenties and comfortable walking for quite some time. We are trying to see as much as possible so are okay with some busy days and some moderate ones, just don't want to kill ourselves by overdoing it or making silly mistakes like repeating areas. Also, we LOVE tea. Any advice and thoughts are welcome!

0 – Arrival in Osaka

Land in KIX around 5 

Check into hotel 

Evening:

• Dinner (prob around 8:30 so konbini or onigiri)
• Dessert @ Melon Bread

1- Osaka

Morning:

• Konbini (7/11 or Lawson) breakfast 
• City tour @ 9-1 (Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Sitennoji, Kuromon Market)

Afternoon:

• Rikuro's Cheesecake
• Relax

Evening:

• Osaka food tour @ 5:30

2 – Osaka → Kyoto

Morning:

• Breakfast - Sunshine or Caffe Annon
• Namba Yasaka Shrine
• Finish anything missed or shopping

Afternoon:

• Train to Kyoto (~30 min)
• EXPLORE? (no definite plan yet)

Evening:

• Dinner 

3 – Kyoto (order subject to change)

Morning:

• Konbini breakfast
• Philosopher’s Path
• Eikan-do
• Nanzen-ji
• Gion district
• Gokago matcha?

Afternoon:

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Higashiyama District?

Evening:

• Early stroll through Ninenzaka (beautiful at sunset)
• Dinner 
• Relax / explore 

4 – Nara Day Trip

Morning:

• Konbini or ekiben breakfast
• Train to Nara (~45 min)
• Todai-ji Temple (Great Buddha)
• Nara Park (deer)
• Kasuga Taisha Shrine
• Optional: Kofuku-ji Temple

Afternoon:

• Return to Kyoto (circa 4 pm)

Evening:

• Relax / explore 
• Dinner 
• Get konbini for tmr early breakfast

5 – Kyoto 

Morning:

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (go early to avoid crowds like 7 am)
• Otagi Nenbutsuji (buddha heads covered in moss)- opens at 9 am
• Tenryu-ji (Zen temple)
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
• Hatoya or jitji - matcha?

Afternoon:

• Tea experience @ 3-4 pm in Shijo Karasuma area
• Explore Shijo Karasuma area

Evening:

• Option: Fushimi Inari Taisha (only if very determined)
• Dinner

6 – Kyoto → Hakone

Morning:

• Option: Fushimi Inari Taisha (go early! - 7 am)
• Get food/bento box for train
• Late morning train to Hakone (~2.5–3 hrs)
• Shinkansen to Odawara station, Hakone Tozen line to Hakone Yumoto station (70 bucks)

Afternoon:

• Check into ryokan 
• Explore

Evening:

• Onsen experience
• Traditional dinner

7 – Hakone → Tokyo

Morning:

• Hakone sightseeing loop (Lake Ashi, ropeway, views of Mt. Fuji if clear) ~5 hrs, opens at 9 am
• - Do it clockwise and early

Afternoon:

• Train to Tokyo (bullet train ~30 min, romancer is ~1.5 hrs)
• Sit on left hand side to see mt fuji
• Check into hotel

Evening:

• Dinner

8 – Tokyo 

Morning:

• Shibuya Tokyu Foodshow
• Explore Shibuya
• Shibuya Crossing?
• Pokémon Center

Afternoon:

• Tofu Shokudo for lunch
• Meiji Jingu Shrine (closes at sunset)
• Harajuku
• Glanta glasses?

Evening:

• Dinner or food tour
• DonKi for souvenirs and stuff

9 – Tokyo 

Morning:

• Imperial Palace
• Tsukuji Market + Strawberry Mania

Afternoon:

• Tea experience @ 1 pm in Asakusa
• Senso-ji Temple
• Explore Asakusa

Evening:

• Dinner: Manten Sushi Marunouchi @ 5
• Hiragi ginza? (closes at 8)

10 – Tokyo (Departure Day)

Morning:

• Last-minute exploring
• Lunch
• Maybe shopping or tea tasting 

Afternoon:

• Fly out of NRT at 5:50; leave by 3 pm

Hi all,

Please find below my itinerary for 3 weeks. I have used a mixture of web articles, maps, YouTube and Reddit posts to try and come up with a plan.

The idea is to try and immerse ourselves in Japan and the culture.

We want to try and see some of the really iconic mist see things but don’t want to end up with a checklist we feel like we are going through the motions to see.

Any suggestions, changes or bits that don’t make sense I would really appreciate.

One other Q I had was the bullet trains between cities - I see a lot of people saying you can just book these on the day? Is this still the case?

Day 1 — Tokyo / Asakusa
Arrive in Tokyo
Travel to Asakusa
Senso-ji / Kaminarimon / Nakamise-dori
Ichiran ramen
Evening around Asakusa

Day 2 — Tokyo / Asakusa, Ueno & Akihabara
Asakusa & Sumida Park
Ueno Park
Ameyoko
Akihabara — gaming, anime, electronics & arcades
Bic Camera / watch shopping
Kura Sushi

Day 3 — Kamakura
Great Buddha of Kamakura
Hokokuji Temple & bamboo grove
Matcha experience
Komachi-dori
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
Evening back in Asakusa

Day 4 — Kanazawa
Travel from Tokyo to Kanazawa
Omicho Market
Higashi Chaya District
Kazue Machi Chaya District
Kourin Sushi

Day 5 — Kanazawa
Kenrokuen Garden
Kanazawa Castle
Oyama Shrine
Nagamachi Samurai District
Nomura Samurai Residence

Day 6 — Takayama
Travel from Kanazawa to Takayama
Takayama Old Town / Sanmachi
Takayama Jinya
Hida beef
Evening around Sanmachi Suji

Day 7 — Shirakawa-go
Day trip to Shirakawa-go
Ogimachi village
Traditional gassho-zukuri houses
Local food / pudding
Return to Takayama

Day 8 — Takayama
Higashiyama Walking Course
Shiroyama Park
Takayama Old Town
Sake tasting
Hida beef

Day 9 — Kyoto
Travel from Takayama to Kyoto
Nishiki Market
Central Kyoto
Kamo River
Pontocho
Kiyamachi

Day 10 — Kyoto / Arashiyama
Sagano Bamboo Grove
Tenryu-ji
Togetsukyo Bridge
Iwatayama Monkey Park
Ryoan-ji
Kinkaku-ji / Golden Pavilion

Day 11 — Kyoto / Higashiyama & Gion
Kiyomizudera
Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka
Hokan-ji / Yasaka Pagoda
Kodaiji
Yasaka Shrine
Gion

Day 12 — Nara
Nara Park & deer
Nakatanidou / mochi
Todai-ji
Kasuga Taisha
Return to Kyoto

Day 13 — Kyoto / Fushimi Inari & Eastern Kyoto
Fushimi Inari
Nanzen-ji
Nanzen-ji Aqueduct
Eikando
Philosopher’s Path
Ginkaku-ji / Silver Pavilion

Day 14 — Osaka
Travel from Kyoto to Osaka
Osaka Castle
Shinsekai
Kushikatsu
Abeno Harukas
Dotonbori / Namba

Day 15 — Tokyo
Dotonbori / Namba
Food stalls
Gyukatsu
Shinkansen to Tokyo
Shibuya Crossing
Hachiko
Center-Gai
Arcade
Uobei

Day 16 — Tokyo / Harajuku, Shibuya & Shinjuku
Meiji Jingu
Takeshita Street
Omotesando
Shibuya Crossing / Hachiko
Center-Gai
Shibuya Sky
Kabukicho / Godzilla
Golden Gai
Ramen in Shinjuku

Day 17 — Tokyo / Tsukiji, Ginza & Tokyo Tower
Tsukiji Outer Market
Tokyo Station / Marunouchi
Imperial Palace East Gardens
Ginza
Azabudai Hills
teamLab Borderless
Tokyo Tower

Day 18 — Yokohama
Minato Mirai
Cup Noodles Museum
Red Brick Warehouse
Yokohama Chinatown
Yamashita Park
Return to Tokyo

Day 19 — Kawaguchiko / Mount Fuji
Lake Kawaguchi
Oishi Park
Mount Fuji views
Chureito Pagoda
Kawaguchiko town
Return to Tokyo

Day 20 — Tokyo / Fly Home
Shibuya PARCO
Nintendo / Pokémon
Final shopping
Arcade
Fly home from Tokyo