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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Londonberger on 2023-09-01 20:49:48.
Hi all! My wife and I (both mid 30s) are planning our first trip to Japan this fall and would love any feedback on some of the areas we are considering visiting. There is so MUCH to do it’s hard to cut back, but I know we can’t do all of it, so would appreciate any input on the below and what things we should cut / add / adjust.
The trip is 15 days from mid-late October.
Some info on us:
Interested in culture, food, history, nature, and hiking. I’m also pretty nerdy and plan to enjoy that stuff! Since it’s not likely we’ll be back anytime soon, we want to make sure we’re seeing “enough” of Japan, but not feel like we’re sprinting the entire time.
I haven’t figured out the exact sequence of the activities during the days below, but this is a list of the things we’re interested in. Some days/areas are not that populated yet, so definitely appreciate suggestions on what to fill up. Particularly curious on if our days 7-11 aren’t realistic // are too crammed with travel & exploring.
Thank you!
Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo
- Land at NRT at 4:15PM
- We have a reservation at 7PM at Denkushiflori - will we be able to make this or is that unlikely given our arrival time?
Day 2: Tokyo: “Traditional Tokyo on the east side”
- Asakusa
- Senso-ji Temple
- Kagetsudo Kaminarimon nearby serves recommended sugary buns with optional ice cream on top
- Asakusa-jinja Shrine
- Senso-ji Temple
- Ueno — park and museums
- Koishikawa botanical gardens
- Yanaka
- Tokyo station — lunch somewhere
- Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum
- Dinner in Shinjuku, Ginza, Marunouchi
- Sumo match
- Dinner TBD
Day 3: Tokyo: “Modern Tokyo on the west side”
- Meiji-jingu Shrine
- Nezu Museum (+ garden)
- Ghibli Museum
- Yoyogi Park
- Omotesando (higher end shopping)
- Harajuku (shop, explore, eat, people watching)
- Shibuya (+ lunch)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
- Roppongi (dinner, night life)
- Shinjuku Goyen Nat’l Garden(?)
- Cat street
- Dinner at Narisawa
Day 4: Tokyo → Kyoto
- Toyosu Fish Market
- Train to Kyoto
- Ginkaku-ji Temple
- Philosopher’s Path
- Nanzen-ji Temple
- Nijo-jo Castle
- Karamon gate
- Ninomaru Garden
- Cherry trees
- Gion Neighborhood
Day 5: Kyoto
- Tenryu-ji Temple
- Bamboo Forest
- Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
- Okochi Sanso Garden
- Lunch in Arashiyama
- Kinkaku-ji Temple
- Daitoku-ji Temple
- Ryoan-ji Temple — rock garden
- Dinner downtown
- Pontocho Alley
Day 6: Kyoto
- Kiyomizudera Temple
- Sannen-zaka Street and Ninnen-zaka Street
- Maruyama-koen Park
- Japanese-Style Starbucks
- Chionin Temple
- Shoren-in Temple and Garden
- Nishiki Market
- Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine - 5000 gates
- Dinner downtown
Day 7: Day trip to Nara and Osaka, sleep in Kyoto
- Is this too much for a single day?
- Hang out with deer in Nara, do other key Nara things TBD
- In Osaka we’re primarily interested in the Dotonburi area, though seeing Osaka castle might be nice too
- Open to other Osaka ideas
Day 8: Kyoto → Kanazawa
- • Kenrokuen gardens
- Higashi Chaya District
- Nagamachi
- Omicho Market
- Other things?
Day 9: Kanazawa → Takayama
- Old town area
- Hida Folk village
- Other things?
Day 10: Takayama → Hakone
- Stay at a Ryokan
- Spend time in Onsen(s)
- Hakone circuit? Do I have enough time for this?
Day 11: Hakone → Tokyo “Cultural Tokyo”
- Ginza
- Akihabara
- Don Quijote store
- Go to 7/11 and try everything
- Tokyo Tower
- Hamarikyu Gardens
- Kintsugi: Japanese Pottery Method?
- Kabuki-za Theater
Day 12: Tokyo: “Food and Fun”
- teamLab Borderless
- Mario Kart
- Shinjuku
- Golden Gai
- Kabukicho (Godzilla Tower)
- Hanazono
- Pokemon Café
- Jazz concert?
Day 13: Tokyo Day Trip: Nikko
- Visit Nikko
Day 14: Tokyo TBD?
- Anything we’re missing?
- Arguably we could spend another day elsewhere, or trim some things from other Tokyo days and put them here.
Day 15: Depart Tokyo in evening
- Flight from HND ~5:30PM
- No specific plans until then, open to ideas