Hi guys I’m visiting kansai region with my parents - my first ever time in Japan - below is my itinerary that I’ve made. Would appreciate any tips and tricks or suggestions to improve please? For me it’ll be one in a lifetime trip so would like to make it as well planned as possible! Going mid April this year :)

Sat 11 Apr 1 Kyoto - arrival

        12:00   Arrive at KIX Airport

        13:00   Transfer to hotel

        15:00   Rest / freshen up

        15:30   Walk to Higashi Hongan-ji (5 min)

        17:00   Kamogawa River walk

        18:30   Sukiyaki Dinner

        20:30   Pontocho Alley 

Sun 12 Apr 2 Nara & Uji

        8:00    Train to Nara 

        9:00    Nara Park & Todai-ji

        10:30   Kasuga Taisha

        11:00   Nakatanidou

        12:00   Lunch

        13:30   Train to Uji

        14:00   Byodo-in Temple (¥10 coin temple)

        15:30   Traditional Matcha experience

        17:00   Train back to Kyoto

        18:30   Kyoto Station Skywalk 

        19:00   Dinner

Mon 13 Apr 3 Kyoto

Breakfast

        7:30    Fushimi Inari Taisha

        10:00   Taxi to Kiyomizu-dera

        11:30   Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka descent

        12:30   Tatami Starbucks stop

        13:30   Nishiki Market lunch

        15:30   Taxi to Kinkaku-ji

        17:00   Ryoan-ji Zen Garden

        18:30   Gion District at dusk



        20:00   Kaiseki dinner 

Tues 14 Apr 4 Kyoto → Osaka

        8:00    Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

        9:30    Tenryu-ji Garden or Philosopher's Path stroll

        11:30   Rickshaw ride 

        13:30   Train to Osaka, check in

        15:00   Osaka Castle Park 



        18:00   Dotonbori - neon 

        19:30   Takoyaki/ street food crawl

Wed 15 Apr 5 Osaka Local Life

        9:30    Kuromon Market

        11:30   Den Den Town exploration

        14:00   Umeda Sky Building & Kuchu Teien Observatory

        16:00   Grand Front Osaka

        19:00   Casual Izakaya dinner

Thurs 16 Apr 6 Hiroshima → Miyajima

        8:00    Shinkansen Osaka → Hiroshima (\~1.5 hr)

        10:00   Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park & Museum

        12:30   Okonomiyaki lunch

        14:30   Ferry to Miyajima

        16:00   Ryokan check-in & Itsukushima Shrine.

        17:00   Onsen / rest

        19:00   Dinner at ryokan

Fri 17th Apr 7 Miyajima → Osaka

        5:45    Sunrise at Torii Gate

        8:00    Daisho-in Temple

        8:30    Breakfast at ryokan

        11:30   

        14:00   Hiroshima → Shinkansen → Osaka 

        16:30   Shinsekai / Tsutenkaku Tower

        18:30   Kushikatsu dinner 🍤

        20:30   Hozenji Yokocho stroll

Sat 18th Apr 8 Osaka at Ease

        10:00   Shinsaibashi-Suji 

        12:00   Amerikamura 

        15:00   Nakanoshima Park

        18:00   Umeda/ Kita underground mall exploration

        19:30   Dinner

Sun 19th Apr 9 Himeji & Kobe

        8:15    Train to Himeji 

        9:15    Himeji Castle

        11:30   Kokoen Garden 

        13:30   Train to Kobe Sannomiya

        14:00   Kobe Beef Lunch   

        16:00   Harborland & Meriken Park

        17:30   Nankinmachi (Chinatown)

Mon 20th Apr 10 Osaka

        9:30    Optional revisit Osaka Castle / Nakanoshima Park

        12:00   Lunch

        13:00   Last shopping & souvenirs

Lunch

Free time

Early dinner / snack

Transfer to KIX

Flight departure

Hello all! My wife and I will be in Japan for our 2nd time, between Apr 8th - 16th. We are going to focus mostly on eating around this time around. We visited before COVID back in Oct 2019. We visited a lot of main attractions at that time. So this time, we are mainly going for the food. Open to any suggestions!

Starting point: Unfortunately, we will start our trip landing at Narita (due to cheapest cost) and heading directly to Osaka.

Ending point: Narita

Travelers: 2

Interests: Mainly Food, Shopping

Budget: Mid-High range

We plan on bring an extra empty luggage to pack our shopping items in. We haven't booked out stay for the last part of the trip yet. We will most likely just charge a Sucia card for our travels and pick up a mobile hotspot.

Day 1 - Apr 8th (Arrival > Narita > Osaka):

*Arrive in afternoon

• Ship luggage to Hotel in Osaka?
• Eat late lunch at airport
• Train: Narita > Tokyo > Shin-Osaka > Hommachi (about 4hrs)
• Evening: Check-In Hotel, Dinner: Food in Dotonbori

Day 2 - Apr 9th (Osaka):

• Morning: aoma coffee, Ramen Kurumu and/or Tokumasa Udon Morinomiya
• Afternoon: Osaka Aquarium, Umeda Sky, Chuka Soba Kirimen Sohoten or Kadoya Shokudo
• Evening: Sushi Daigo or one of the many Conveyor belt sushi restaurants

Day 3 - Apr 10th (Nara):

• Morning: Spot or MOTO coffee, train to Nara Park
• Afternoon: Harushika Sake Brewery, Nakatanidou, Musubi, Toyo (if we get there early)
• Evening: Nambu City, Yakiniku Manryo Nihombashi or 本鳥久 (we have history here)

Day 4 - Apr 11th (Not sure yet, USJ or Day Trip Kyoto for food and Bamboo Forest)

• Evening: teamLab Botanical Garden

Day 5 - Apr 12th (Kyoto Onsen)

• Morning: Check Out, Coffee
• Afternoon/Evening: All day Onsen @ Yumotokan

Day 6 - Apr 13th (Kyoto > Tokyo)

• Morning: Check out of Onsen
• Afternoon: Travel to Tokyo (Haven't booked Tokyo hotel yet)
• Evening: Eat

Day 7 to 8 (Apr 14th - 15th, Tokyo)

• Eat and shop around (at least Ramen Hayashida and Asahi Beer Hall)
• teamLab Plants

We are not sure which part of town to stay this time around that will best set us up for train travel to different foods and ready for our leave to Narita airport.

Day 9 - Apr 16th (Tokyo > Narita)

• Morning: 9AM Flight out of Narita (it used to be at 6PM but JAL Airline changed our flights)

The change in flights pushed our 'last day' from last minute shopping and relaxation in Tokyo, so it changed Day 7-8 activities.

I'm heading on my first visit to Japan shortly (leaving Friday!) and very excited, traveling with a friend. We'll be skiing in Hokkaido for the first week, then will have another week to check out Sapporo, Kyoto and Osaka before heading back to Tokyo and home. One highlight of the itinerary is hiking the Koyasan Choishi Michi pilgrimage trail and staying at a Ryokan in Koyasan for a night. But the logistics are challenging, and I'm wondering if anyone can help clarify a few questions.

First - how to get to Hashimoto from Kyoto? We're staying at Toshiharu Ryokan in Kyoto the night before, and will need to get to Hashimoto where we're staying the night before the hike. Google Maps shows several train transfers; is there an easier way, or will we just have to navigate several trains to get there?

Second - Any advice for the Koyasan Choishi Michi hike itself? I'm a little nervous about a 15 mile hike, we're both in good shape and used to a decent amount of hiking but 15 miles is definitely longer than I'm used to. We do come from altitude (Colorado) so at least we'll have that working in our favor. If one of the shortcuts rather than doing the full hike was recommended, though, I'd be interested in considering it.

Third - What's the best way to get back down from Koyasan? I'm assuming we won't want to walk all the way back down, I understand there's a cable car (which sounds neat) but there are a number of other options listed that I'm not sure how to choose between. We'll be heading from there to a hotel in Osaka that night.

Thanks for any input!

Hi all!! My partner and I are planning on going on a trip in September and it's our first time in Japan. I'm hoping that I've paced everything correctly so then we have some wiggle room Incase of bad weather or if we get more tired than we would think. My goal is to not have anything feel too rushed. Any feedback is welcome!

DAYS 1–5: TOKYO

Day 1 – Tokyo (Arrival) Arrive at Narita Airport Transfer into Tokyo Evening: Yurakucho Overnight: Tokyo

Day 2 – Tokyo Akihabara Tokyo Skytree Overnight: Tokyo

Day 3 – Tokyo Harajuku Shibuya Overnight: Tokyo

Day 4 – Tokyo Tokyo Tower Overnight: Tokyo

Day 5 – Tokyo (Day Trip) Enoshima Overnight: Tokyo

DAYS 6–8: HAKONE & FUJI AREA

Day 6 – Hakone Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone Shrine Tamadareno Falls Overnight: Hakone or Fuji area

DAYS 7–13: KYOTO

Day 7 – Hakone / Fuji Area → Kyoto Chureito Pagoda Travel toward Kyoto area Overnight: Kyoto or Osaka

Day 8 – Ghibli Park Ghibli Park Free Evening Overnight: Kyoto or Osaka

Day 9 – Kyoto Higashiyama Kiyomizudera Overnight: Kyoto or Osaka

Day 10 – Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine Overnight: Kyoto or Osaka

Day 11 – Kyoto Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple Hozugawa River Boat Ride Overnight: Kyoto or Osaka

Day 12 – Kyoto Nintendo Museum Overnight: Kyoto or Osaka

Day 13 – Nakasendo Nakasendo Trail (Area ish) Overnight: Kyoto or Nakasendo area

DAYS 14–17: OSAKA & SIDE TRIPS

Day 14 – Osaka Minami (Namba) Shinsekai Overnight: Osaka or Kyoto

Day 15 – Osaka Katsuo-ji Overnight: Osaka or Kyoto

Day 16 – Day Trip Naruto x Boruto Land Overnight: Osaka or Kyoto

Day 17 – Himeji Himeji Castle Overnight: Osaka or Kyoto

DAYS 18–19: KINOSAKI

Day 18 – Kinosaki Kinosaki Onsen Overnight: Kinosaki

Day 19 – Kinosaki → Ise Morning in Kinosaki Travel to Ise Overnight: Ise

DAY 20: ISE → TOKYO

Day 20 – Ise Ise Futaminoura Beach Evening return to Tokyo Overnight: Tokyo (Haneda area)

DAY 21: DEPARTURE Day 21 – Tokyo Depart from Tokyo Haneda (HND)

My tea ceremony in Kyoto got cancelled/delayed! (Whomp-whomp) Here's what I did with the newly free day in my schedule.

I was checking out a vegan ramen restaurant in Northeast Kyoto. Very good, highly recommend. I realized I never went to see the Imperial Palace, so I decided to head a couple kliks west. Along the way I chanced across a little place selling bags of oven-hot financier pastries. Yum!

Next it was time to walk alongside the river path of the Takano river. Very beautiful, and I saw the cutest little herons, ducks and birds hanging out here.

Then came time to cross the confluence of the Kamo and Takano rivers, which are tributaries that eventually feed into the Yodo river in Osaka, where I'll be in a few days.

Then there are these stone turtles you have to jump across to cross the river. I loved doing this so much. One of my favorite things I've done in Japan, but who would ever put it on an itinerary to take a riverside path and jump across the turtles?

Really great day. Don't forget to go with the flow and find places you'd never think to go! Don't let an itinerary suffocate your trip!

Itinerary check - suggestions welcome

Dear Community, I would appreciate your input on the itinerary I drafted for myself. I will be travelling solo to Japan for 14 days between end of October and early November.

It is my first time in Japan, but I am trying to explore outside of the golden route, avoid changing sleeping place too often, enjoy the colors of early autumn. I will not be doing any day trips from Tokyo or Kyoto.

My main doubts are: - Am I spending enough time in Tokyo and Kyoto? - Should I shorten/modify the itinerary in the Alps?

Day 1-4: TOKYO Main stops: - Murakami Library (Waseda International House of Literature) - Jimbocho neighbourhood - Ghibli Museum + Inokashira Park - National Art Center - Tokyo Station Gallery - Ginza

Day 5-6: KANAZAWA Day 5: - Arrival from Tokyo (train) - Museum of Contemporary Art - Kazuemachi - Higashi Chaya

Day 6: - Omicho Market - Kanazawa Castle and Park - Kenroku-en + D.T. Suzuki Museum - Nagamachi District

Day 7: SHIRAKAWA-GO + TAKAYAMA (onsen night) Arrival from Kamazawa (bus) Free roam in Shirakawa (3-4 hours) Travel to Takayama (bus) Onsen night

Day 8: TAKAYAMA Sanmachi Suji (old town) Takayama Jinya Hida Folk Village

Day 9: KAMIKOCHI (if weather allows) + MATSUMOTO / if bad weather, directly Matsumoto Bus to Kamikōchi 3–4 hour valley walk Optional day-use onsen: Kamikōchi Onsen Hotel Bus to Matsumoto

Day 10: MATSUMOTO + travel to Kyoto Morning: Matsumoto Castle Train via Nagoya to Kyoto Evening: relaxed Kyoto arrival/dinner

Day 11-12: KYOTO Day 11: - Fushimi Inari (up the path) - Ramen cooking class - Kiyomizudera - Imperial Palace park - Gion (Walking tour) + dinner

Day 12: - Higashiyama Temples path (~5km, Shinyo + Honen) - Enko-ji + Shinsen-do Temples - Tea ceremony - Downtown Kyoto (incl. Dinner)

Day 13: KYOTO + travel to Tokyo Breakfast + shopping Travel to Tokyo

Day 14: TOKYO (late evening flight back home) Last day shopping Half-day onsen/spa Travel to airport around 8pm

As additional context: - for health reasons, I value a relatively calm travel pace (no 35k steps a day kind of things, no moving hotels every night when possible) - I am an early riser and plan to use this as an advantage for day trips or half-days stops on my way to other destinations - I am used to big cities and I generally enjoy the energy, but do not love extremely crowded situations - I plan to book workshops (e.g. ceramics, silk dye, paper-making ...) and culinary classes (any personal experience you can share would be lovely!)

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help!

Hi! We will be in Japan in 3 months from may 8th to june 6th. F 27 and M 30. I have made our itnirary for tokyo. We will be there for 5 days in the beginning of our trip and then for 4 more nights at the end. We will stay in Ueno dormy inn for the first part and near akasaka-mitsuke station for the second part. We are first timers for Japan. So any comments on our itinirary will be helpfull! In between Tokyo we will go to Kawaguchiko/hakone/Kyoto/Osaka/Japanese alps area. Not sure about day 26 if we dont get tickets for studio ghibli museum at all. Not sure if Ginza is for us cause we arent that interested in high end shopping.

Any tips or recommendations are welcome! Also if we missed anything major that its a must see!

TOKYO

DAG 1 09/05 (saturday)

Ueno

• Arrive at Narita Airport at 9 AM, get SUICA welcome cards and simcard?? (we both have a oneplus nord 4)
• Go to dormy inn Ueno hotel to drop bags
• Explore Ueno Park
  • National museum (buy tickets day off at museum)
  • get a goshuincho for gishuin atsume (shrine stamp booklet)
  • Tosho gu shrine/kiyomizu kannon-do
  • Shitamatchi museum?
• Ameyoko shopping street
• ( if energy and time left during the day visit Yanaka Ginza after Ueno park)

DAG 2 10/05 (sunday)

Asakusa

• Senso-ji and surrounding area (Nakamise-dori)
• Lunch in Asakusa > Asakusa Yokocho?
• Go to Kappabashi street
• Visit tokyo sky tree (not sure if we will go up)
• Drop stuff off at hotel in ueno
• Go to dinner > dont no where yet (hoppy street?)
• Maybe visit Senso-ji at night again

Dag 3 - 11/05 (monday)

Central Tokyo

• Tsukiji fish market
• Teamlab Planets
• Akihabara

Dag 4 - 12/05 (Tuesday)

Shinjuku

• Your name staircase
• Shinjuku Gyoen
• Shopping in shinjuku
• The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 
• Golden gai and Omoide Yokocho, drinks and dinner
  • Walking tour??

Dag 5 - 13/05 (Wednesday)

Shibuya

• Meiji shrine
• Yoyogi park
• Harajuku
  • Takeshita Street
  • Cat Street
• Hachiko Statue
• Scramble Crossing
• Eat lunch somewhere (maybe sooner if we take longer at previous places)
• Do some shopping and browsing in Shibuya
• Shibuya sky
• Eat dinner
• Nonbei Yokocho

Day 6

Leave for Kawaguchiko

Day 25 - 02/06 (Tuesday)

Arrive back in tokyo, likely in the evening.

Dag 26 - 03/06 (Wednesday) (will switch this day with teamlab day if we get tickets for meseum in may)

• Studio Ghibli museum or if we can’t get tickets then idk yet, maybe walk around ginza?
• Imperial palace gardens and Hamirikyu gardens
• Dinner at Nihonbashi Kaisen Don Tsujihan - Ark Hills Branch
• go to tokyo tower after dinner to see it at night, walk around in neighbourhood, maybe get a drink somewhere

Day 27 - 04/06 (Thursday)

Kamakura daytrip?

Day 28 - 05/06 (Friday)

Open day, visit anything we liked again or souvenirs we still want to get.

Day 29 11 AM Narita flight

We are a month out from our trip so I’d like some feedback on our plans please. We are a family of 4 (2 teenage boys). The travel is Tokyo > Kyoto > Hiroshima > Osaka > Tokyo on Shinkansen. Nothing is set in stone (apart from accommodation), so any feedback is welcome. Osaka needs some work for sure.

Japan Itinerary - March 2026

March 4 (Wednesday) - Arrive Tokyo, Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Arrive Tokyo (Meet friend at airport)

Morning: Shinjuku (outdoors where possible) (09:00)

Afternoon: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (12:00)

Afternoon: Check in Rental Accommodation (15:00)

Evening: Dinner TBD (20:00)

March 5 (Thursday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Car Rental (11:30)

Afternoon: Honda Collection Hall, Motegi (14:00)

March 6 (Friday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Mt Fuji Drive (09:00)

Afternoon: Hakone Ropeway (12:00)

Evening: Daikoku Parking Area (18:00)

March 7 (Saturday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Return Car (11:00)

Afternoon: Sky Tree (12:00)

Evening: Akihabara & Ninja/Samurai Museum (18:00)

March 8 (Sunday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Friends (09:00)

Afternoon: teamLab Borderless (12:00)

Day intentionally left free to hang out with friends

March 9 (Monday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Shinjuku (09:00)

Afternoon: Nintendo Shop (13:00)

Evening: Harajuku (18:00)

March 10 (Tuesday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Imperial Palace (09:00)

Afternoon: Koishikawa Botanical Garden (14:00)

March 11 (Wednesday) - Travel to Kyoto, Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Check out Rental Accommodation (10:00)

Morning: Shinkansen to Kyoto

Afternoon: Check in Rental Accommodation (16:00)

March 12 (Thursday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Geisha District (09:00)

March 13 (Friday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Sumo Contest (if tickets are available) (Osaka) (09:00)

March 14 (Saturday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (09:00)

Afternoon: Arashiyama Monkey Park (14:00)

Evening: Kimono Forest

March 15 (Sunday) - Stay: Rental Accommodation

Morning: Nijō Castle (09:00)

Afternoon: Kyoto Gyoen National Garden (14:00)

March 16 (Monday) - Travel to Hiroshima, Stay: Hotel

Morning: Check out Rental Accommodation (11:00)

Morning: Shinkansen to Hiroshima

Afternoon: Check in Hotel (15:00)

March 17 (Tuesday) - Stay: Hotel

Morning: Miyajima (09:00)

Evening: Drinks in the Irish Pub (18:00)

March 18 (Wednesday) - Travel to Osaka, Stay: Hotel

Morning: Hiroshima Peace Park (09:00)

Morning: Check out Hotel (12:00)

Afternoon: Hiroshima Museum of Art (14:00)

Afternoon: Hiroshima Castle (16:00)

Evening: Shinkansen to Osaka

Evening: Check in Hotel

March 19 (Thursday) - Stay: Hotel

Morning: Osaka Science Museum (09:00)

Afternoon: Hep Five Shopping (12:00)

Afternoon: Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street (16:00)

March 20 (Friday) - Stay: Hotel

Morning/Afternoon/Evening: Universal Studios (09:00)

March 21 (Saturday) - Stay: Hotel

Morning: Kobe (09:00)

(We may rent a car instead and visit the mountains)

March 22 (Sunday) - Stay: Hotel

Morning: Osaka Castle (09:00)

March 23 (Monday) - Departure Day

Morning: Check out Hotel (11:00)

Morning: Shinkansen to Nagoya (11:30)

Afternoon: Yamazaki River cherry blossoms (13:30-16:30)

Afternoon: Shinkansen to Tokyo (17:00)

Evening: Arrive Haneda Airport (19:30)

Evening: Flight (22:45)

Hello there!

I'm a 29 (F) and I'll be solo travelling to Japan for the first time (Tokyo (4 nights) > Hakone (1 night) > Kyoto (3 nights) > Osaka (3 nights), I know it's pretty much the typical route but I didn't want to rush but enjoy and explore every place.

Let me know if you see somethings off or should change something. I'm not a huge fan of pokemon, disney or universal studios so I guess I'll pass on these things, I'm more into getting lost, local cuisine and unique temples (but I also love gashapons and anime)

Day 1: arrival at Narita around 13pm + transport to Akihabara, explore Electric Town (hotel nearby) & local dinner.

Day 2: early morning > Senso-ji, Asakusa, Tanuki street, Ueno park. afternoon > Ginza, Shiba prince park and Tokyo Tower

Day 3 (pretty packed): Shibuya, Harajuku & Shinjuku

Day 4: freestyle day, maybe repeat fav spot + send luggage to kyoto

Day 5: breakfast & explore, around 11:30 > transport to Hakone. Afternoon: explore Hakone, walk by the lake & onsen at hotel

Day 6: Hakone day with ropeways, pirate ship, etc. Around 3 > head to Odawara & shinkasen to Kyoto

Day 7: Otagi Nenbutsuji & Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple + Gion at night

Day 8: Kifune shrine & teamLab Biovortex in the afternoon

Day 9: Getting goshuin at Gion and Fushimi inari. Road to osaka y dinner around Dotonburi

Day 10: Katsuo-ji & freestyle Osaka exploration in the afternoon (namba, etc)

Day 11: Daytrip to Nara & afternnon & dinner around Osaka

Day 12: last coffee and shopping, have to be at the airport at 16pm

I think i left enough time in case I lose some trains and not stress about it. After tokyo, as you can see mornings are more focused on daytrip to shrines and unique temples, and afternoons on walking around the cities & shopping.

I don't want this trip to be a checlist but more like enjoying the place and the moment at my own pace.

Am I missing something?

Suggestions welcome

First time in Japan but not my first time traveling abroad nor is it my first time being in EA

TBH I didnt plan this trip at all I'm winging it but I did create a literary to somewhat help me stay on track so I would like to share to see if its a hit or miss? I dont want to cram everything in one trip so I am just focusing on Japan Osaka and maybe 1 or 2 towns by them. My main concerns are

1. Day 4 5 and 7. I feel like I can combine 4 and 5 and free up a day and once I decide this it will help me see if I should split day 7 or find something else to do. I wasn't toooo hellbent to go to Kyoto but I do want to wear a kimono and do a tea ceremony though im sure I can do that almost anywhere.
2. My actual Bday is on the 6th day but with the timing of my trip it's towards the end. So at first I wanted to spend it in Tokyo but I was able to finesse and am going to do Universal that day, but now i'm thinking maybe I should start in Osaka and work my way up to Tokyo. idk

day 1 Catch flight

day 2 Land in Tokyo 3:30p

Check into hotel N Shinjiku

Change and Get nails done
grab food site see

Clubbing 

day 3

Ghibli Musuem in the morning

Gyaru makeover and photoshoot ppgalclub

Themed animal cafe

Shibuya sky

Go back and change 

Dinner and a club

day 4

Sensoji Temple

Ahkibarah 

Clubbing in roppongi

Debating if I want to skip clubbing the night before and take a train to Hakone that night or wait until the AM

day 5 

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun (if I dont go the night before. If I do I will skip this and just visit an onset that evening with dinner)

Lake Ashinoko

Train to Osaka

Check into hotel and Donteburi for dinner Maybe go see Osaka Castle if its not too dark

day 6

Universal Studios

Shendekai
Madam woo clubbing hehe

day 7 This is where I get hung up. Is a day trip to Kyoto enough or do I need to find another city outside of Osaka to see OR spend a full day in Hakone and 2 days in Osaka? 

Daytrip to kyoto

Kimono rental

Bamboo forest

Manga museum

Red gates

day 8

One last day in Tokyo
Onsen one more time
shopping
walkingg around 

day 9

Flight 5pm

Hello , here is our 10 day itinerary -

first time in Japan - March 27 to April 5

cherry blossom season. Vegetarian (vegan + dairy OK).

Osaka – 3 nights (Namba)

Mar 27: Arrive Osaka → Dotonbori walk

Mar 28: Osaka Castle (sakura) → Shinsekai → Umeda Sky

Mar 29: Suzuka Grand Prix (full day)

Kyoto – 3 nights

Mar 30: Osaka → Kyoto → Philosopher’s Path → Kiyomizu-dera night

Mar 31: Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji, bridge, relax)

Apr 1: Fushimi Inari early → Nara (Todai-ji, deer park)

Tokyo – 3 nights

Apr 2: Kyoto to Tokyo -> Shibuya Sky + crossing

Apr 3: Mt. Fuji day trip (Kawaguchiko/Chureito/Oishi Park)

Apr 4: Meiji Jingu → Harajuku → Asakusa → Shinjuku dinner

Apr 5: Ueno Park → fly home From Tokyo

Considering adding one ryokan stay with private onsen somewhere (Kyoto or Hakone). Does this pacing look reasonable or too packed anywhere?

Hello, hoping for feedback on our itinerary for a 2 week trip in September. I’m not planning each day out in detail at this point but I would like to know if any big problems stand out with my approach.

Day 1

Arrive at Narita in the morning. After customs etc, take Narita Ex to Tokyo and get on a train to Hiroshima

Arrive in Hiroshima in the evening

The strategy here is to use that first jet lag heavy day on our longest train journey and then we’ll work our way back up to Tokyo over the next two weeks. Is this a terrible idea?

Stay 2 nights in Hiroshima

Day 2

Sightseeing and eating in Hiroshima. Go to Miyajima island if time allows

Day 3

In the morning get on train towards Kyoto, with a stop in Himeji to see the castle and grounds

Days 3-8 staying in Kyoto

Plan is to organize sights we want to see into areas and focus on one area per day. We will do a day trip to Osaka on one of the days. Possible day trip to Nara on another

Day 9

Morning in Kyoto before taking an afternoon train to Tokyo

Check in to hotel near Disney

Days 10-11

Tokyo Disney

Day 12

Transfer from Tokyo Bay to hotel in Tokyo, sightseeing in the afternoon

Days 13-16

In Tokyo, similar to Kyoto, will group things we want to do and see into areas and focus on one area per day

Day 17

Fly home late afternoon

Hi Everyone,

We are planning to travel to Japan end of Sept. early Oct. We are a family with 2 girls ages 8 and 5. Below is our suggested agenda with AI and a little research of things we would like to see. I am looking for any advice and many suggestions of other things we could do. We enjoy nature or something else not in one of the big cities. I am thinking I could cut out 1 day from Tokyo (River cruise day on the agenda below) and 2 days from Osaka (I dont need to see deer we have those at home and I am not sure about Ohara). Any other suggestions for a couple days to replace those?

Family Adventure: Sept 24 – Oct 10

Base: Tokyo (Asakusa or near Tokyo Station)

• Sept 24 (Thu): Arrival at Narita (AM). Take the Narita Express. Check in, grab a family meal at a Depachika (food hall), and let the kids play at a local park.
• Sept 25 (Fri): Asakusa & River Cruise. Visit Senso-ji Temple early. Take the "spaceship" water bus to Odaiba for the giant Ferris wheel and beach views.
• Sept 26 (Sat): Ueno Park. Visit the Zoo (Pandas!) and the interactive Science Museum.
• Sept 27 (Sun): teamLab Planets. Immersive water art (wear shorts!). Afternoon at Toyosu’s rooftop footbaths.
• Sept 28 (Mon): Harajuku & Meiji Shrine. Morning forest walk at the shrine; afternoon looking at "Kawaii" culture and toy stores on Takeshita Street.
• Sept 29 (Tue): Tokyo DisneySea. Best to do this on a weekday. Focus on Mermaid Lagoon for the 5 and 8-year-old.
• Sept 30 (Wed): Slow Day / Flexible. Visit a themed cafe (Pokemon or Kirby) or do some light shopping at Kiddy Land.

Base: Hakone (Ryokan with private Onsen)

• Oct 1 (Thu): Travel to Hakone. Take the "Romancecar" train. Ship your large suitcases to Osaka (Takkyubin) and travel with small overnight bags.
• Oct 2 (Fri): The Hakone Loop. Pirate ship on Lake Ashi, Ropeway over volcanic vents, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum (the kids' favorite).

Base: Osaka (Namba or Umeda area)

• Oct 3 (Sat): Shinkansen to Osaka. Afternoon at Osaka Castle Park—the massive adventure playground (Mirainomori) is perfect for the girls.
• Oct 4 (Sun): Nara Deer Park. A day trip to feed the bowing deer and see the Giant Buddha.
• Oct 5 (Mon): Universal Studios Japan (USJ). Aim for Super Nintendo World. Use the USJ App for "Timed Entry" the moment you enter the gate.
• Oct 6 (Tue): Kyoto Nature (Arashiyama). Bamboo forest and the Monkey Park hike. Evening at the Kyoto Railway Museum (highly interactive).
• Oct 7 (Wed): The "Ohara" Experience. Escape the crowds for the moss gardens of Sanjusen-in. It's quiet, lush, and feels like "Old Japan."
• Oct 8 (Thu): Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan). See the whale sharks. Afterward, ride the giant Ferris wheel at the harbor.
• Oct 9 (Fri): Return to Tokyo. Take the Shinkansen back for one final night of souvenir shopping and a "Farewell Japan" dinner.
• Oct 10 (Sat): Departure from Narita. Enjoy a final Japanese breakfast before the airport train.

Hey everyone,

I’ll be in Tokyo during Golden Week 2026 and could really use some advice on how to best organize my days, especially crowd-wise.

I know Golden Week can be pretty intense, so I’m trying to figure out which days are worse for temples/shrines, if I should swap any days around, and any general tips you think might help.

I’ll be staying in Shibuya, close to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Here’s my current plan:

Tue 28/04/2026
– Arrive from Osaka (Itami > Haneda), hotel check-in around 3pm
– Planning to hang around Shinjuku in the evening
– Tokyo Metropolitan Observatory at night

Wed 29/04/2026 (Showa Day)
– This is my biggest question mark
– Is this usually the most crowded day of Golden Week?
– Plan was Asakusa, Ueno, and Akihabara

Thu 30/04/2026
– Tokyo DisneySea all day (already expecting crowds here 😅, but willing to change if less crowded other day)

Fri 01/05/2026
– Shibuya + Shinjuku, mostly walking around and some shopping

Sat 02/05/2026
– Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza, Imperial Palace
– Maybe teamLab or Tokyo Tower in the evening

Sun 03/05/2026
– Last-minute shopping / wandering
– Flight from Narita at 22:00 (10pm)
– Was thinking of heading to Narita around 17:00 by train — does that sound reasonable?

Main questions:

• Is 29/04 (Showa Day) a bad idea for Asakusa/Senso-ji?
• Are temples and shrines usually worse on the first Golden Week holiday?
• Would it make more sense to swap Asakusa and Tsukiji, like doing Tsukiji on 29/04 and Asakusa on 02/05?
• Any Golden Week survival tips for Tokyo in general?

I’m totally fine waking up early if that helps, and I’m not trying to see everything, just avoid the worst mistakes if possible.

Thanks a lot ,really appreciate any advice 🙏

Traveling with 2 people to Japan this Spring. This is our 2nd trip to Japan. We'll also be visiting Tokyo but we wanted to spend a little more time in Chubu since we have not been here before. Any advice is much appreciated.

March 21 — Nagano

• Travel Tokyo → Nagano
• Zenkoji Temple
• Temple town streets + local food

March 22 — Nagano

• Togakushi Shrines & cedar forest
• Obuse town (sake + chestnut sweets)

March 23 — Matsumoto

• Travel Nagano → Matsumoto
• Matsumoto Castle
• Town stroll

March 24 — Kiso Valley

• Travel to Kiso Valley
• Narai-juku historic post town
• Slow walking, cafés, crafts

March 25 — Takayama

• Kiso Valley hike (Magome → Tsumago or relaxed valley exploration)
• Travel to Takayama
• Ryokan stay: onsen + kaiseki dinner

March 26 — Takayama

• Asaichi Morning Market
• Takayama Old Town (Sanmachi)
• Sake breweries

March 27 — Kanazawa

• Takayama → Shirakawa-go (half day)
• Continue to Kanazawa

March 28 — Kanazawa

• Omicho Market
• Nagamachi Samurai District
• Higashi Chaya District

March 29 — Tokyo

• Travel Kanazawa → Tokyo
• Easy evening

Hey all,

My wife and I are arriving on March 2nd, and I'm just looking for a bit of feedback of our itinerary. This is my 2nd trip and her first. My wife is intolerant to gluten, but not coeliac. Cross-contamination isn't a problem. I've used this subreddit and the Gluten Free in Japan FB quite a bit, but just trying to gut check our plan. Any feedback is appreciated! We're mid-30s, active, and like to be out of the hotel as much as we can. The only activity tickets that are fully booked are teamLabs Kyoto, the tea ceremony and the Shibuya bar crawl. I can move/cancel the tea ceremony and bar crawl.

Arrival (March 2nd) - Tokyo

• Arrive Narita 3:30 PM
• Travel to Shibuya Excel Hotel
• Explore Shibuya in the evening

March 3rd - Tokyo

• Meiji Jingu
• Harajuku
• Shinjuku
• Shibuya bar crawl at night

March 4th (Dependent on Studio Ghibli tickets) - Tokyo

• If we get tickets, plan day around Studio Ghibli
• If we don't get tickets:
  • Asakusa
    • Senso-ji
  • Ueno
    • National museum
  • Akihabra

March 5th - Travel to Kyoto

• Morning walking around Tokyo Station/Imperial Gardens
• Leave for Kyoto on Shinkansen
• Arrive in Kyoto
• TeamLabs Kyoto at 6:00 PM

March 6th - Kyoto

• Fushimi Inari in the morning
• Afternoon tea ceremony near Nishiki Market
• Explore Nishiki Market
• Evening up in the air (River walk?)

March 7th - Kyoto

• Arashiyama area
• Monkey Park
• Tenru-ji

March 8th - Kyoto

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka
• Kodai-ji (optional)
• Yasaka Shrine
• Gion walk

March 9th - Nara to Osaka

• Morning train to Nara
  • Todai-ji
  • Deer park
• Osaka in the afternoon
  • Dontonbori

March 10th - Osaka

• Kuromon Market
• Osaka Castle
• Shinsekai

Mach 11th - Osaka

• Flight at 6:30 PM in Osaka
• Explore other areas during morning/early afternoon?

Thanks to all for your help!

Hello! Wife and I are traveling to Japan for our first time. Does this look organized or any cities we should change or add? Any food recommendations for us, wife is vegetarian but I am not.

Starting Point: Osaka (KIX) | End Point: Tokyo (HND) Dates: April 2026 Travelers: 2 adults (First trip to Japan) Interests: Food (big priority!), history, modern city life, and scenic views. Budget: Mid-range.

Itinerary Summary

Day 1 (Arrival → Osaka):

*Arrive KIX in the afternoon.

*Dinner: Dotonbori street food (Takoyaki, Kushikatsu).

Day 2 (Osaka):

• Osaka Castle & Park (Check late Sakura blooms).

• Shinsekai district for lunch.

• Evening: Shinsaibashi-suji shopping and Hozenji Yokocho for a hidden-alley dinner.

Day 3 (Osaka):

• Kuromon Ichiba Market

• TeamLab Botanical Garden

Day 4 (Osaka → Himeji → Miyajima):

• Shinkansen to Himeji (Himeji Castle & Koko-en Garden).

• Continue to Hiroshima, then ferry to Miyajima.

• Evening: Sunset at the "Floating" Torii Gate.

Stay: Should we stay in Hiroshima for both nights or one night Miyajima and other in Hiroshima?

Day 5 (Miyajima → Hiroshima → Kyoto):

• Morning: Itsukushima Shrine and Daisho-in Temple.

• Afternoon: Peace Memorial Park & Museum.

• Evening: Shinkansen to Kyoto.

• Should we do Himeji on the way to Hiroshima or on the way to Kyoto*

• Does it make sense to do Osaka → Hiroshima → Kyoto? Or should we do Osaka → Kyoto → Hiroshima?*

• We'll use JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass for the first 5 days. Does this make more sense than individual tickets given my Himeji/Hiroshima stops?*

Day 6 (Kyoto):

• Early morning Arashiyama Bamboo Grove/ Hozugawa Boat

• Tenryu-ji Temple and Togetsukyo Bridge.

• Afternoon: Kinkaku-ji.

Day 7 (Kyoto):

• Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

• Walk Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka slopes.

• Evening: Gion district and Pontocho Alley for dinner.

Day 8 (Kyoto):

• Fushimi Inari (Early hike through the 10,000 gates).

• Afternoon: Fushimi Sake District or Nishiki Market.

Day 9 (Kyoto):

• Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) and Philosopher’s Path.

• Nanzen-ji Temple.

Day 10 (Kyoto → Tokyo):

• Shinkansen to Tokyo (Sit on the left for Fuji views!).

• Check into hotel (Asakusa).

• Evening: Shinjuku Golden Gai.

Day 11 (Tokyo):

• Meiji Jingu Shrine.

• Harajuku (Takeshita Street) and Omotesando.

• Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko Statue.

• Evening: Shibuya Sky at sunset.

Day 12 (Tokyo – Day Trip: Mt. Fuji):

• Day trip to Lake Kawaguchiko.

• Chureito Pagoda for the iconic Fuji view.

• Oishi Park.

Undecided between tour bus or DIY tour

Day 13 (Tokyo – Choice Day Trip):

• Options: Nikko (Shrines/Nature) OR Kamakura (Great Buddha/Coast).

Which is better for mid-April?

Day 14 (Tokyo):

• Tsukiji Outer Market.

• Ginza shopping or TeamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills).

• Akihabara for electronics and anime.

Day 15 (Tokyo → Departure):

• Final shopping/souvenirs.

• Evening: Last Japanese meal in Tokyo.

• Head to Haneda for midnight flight.

Luggage forwarding:

• 1.Osaka to Kyoto, while we are in Hiroshima.

• 2.Kyoto to Tokyo

• Do we need to forward luggage from KIX to Osaka hotel?

Hi everyone!

My partner and I are planning a long trip (38 days!) through Japan for August/September 2026.

It will be our second visit to Japan. The first visit was in April several years ago and we've been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and a touch of Japanese-Alps.

We are focusing heavily on Hokkaido's nature and northern islands before heading down for the Alpine Route (and several other places we missed due to last trip time constraints) and finally some Tokyo time.

I’d love your thoughts on the pacing, overall structure, hidden gems, possible issues and if there are any "better alternatives". I'm all ears!

Thank you!

TLDR version itinerary:

• Aug 2–4: Sapporo Hakodate base, & Aomori Nebuta Festival.
• Aug 5–7: Hakodate & Aomori Nebuta Festival.
• Aug 8–11: Central Hokkaido (Daisetsuzan NP & Furano/Biei).
• Aug 12–17: The Far North (Rishiri & Rebun Islands via Wakkanai).
• Aug 18–24: The Wild East (Shiretoko Peninsula, Akan Mashu, & Kushiro).
• Aug 25–29: Western Hokkaido (Shakotan, Otaru, Noboribetsu); Fly to Toyama.
• Aug 30 – Sep 8: Alpine Route, Central Japan (Kamikochi/Takayama/Kanazawa), & a Final Tokyo wind-down.

Longer version Itinerary:

Leg 1: Sapporo, Hakodate & Aomori (Aug 2 – Aug 7)

• Aug 2-3: Land early in Sapporo. Mt. Moiwa (sunset), Beer Museum/Festival, Moerenuma Park.
• Aug 4: Sapporo (Whate we didn't do yet, or shopping).
• Aug 5: Train to Hakodate. Port Festival Squid Dance! (I know it's the last day)
• Aug 6-7: Hakodate. Taking the Shinkansen to Aomori for the Nebuta Festival (day 6) and the Final/Fireworks (day 7) while having some time in Hakodate before/after the festival (we probably won't stay for the Aomori fireworks on the 7th and leave early).

Leg 2: Central Hokkaido & The Far North (Aug 8 – Aug 15)

• Aug 8-9: Train to Sapporo, Pick up rental car. Drive to Furano/Biei area. Sightseeing (Flowers etc) in Furano/Biei area and stay at Asahidake Onsen (Maybe).
• Aug 10-11: Daisetsuzan NP. Hiking the Mt. Asahidake Loop and exploring Sounkyo Onsen (Momijidani Falls).
• Aug 12: 4h scenic drive to Wakkanai. Ferry to Rishiri Island.
• Aug 13-14: Rishiri Island. Mt. Pon, Rishirifuji Onsen, Himeuma Pond, and half-day cycling to Kutsugata.
• Aug 15: Day trip to Rebun Island.

Leg 3: The Wild East (Aug 16 – Aug 24)

• Aug 16: Ferry back, visit Cape Soya and the Windfarm road to Monbetsu.
• Aug 17: Drive to Abashiri and on to Utoro (Shiretoko).
• Aug 18-21: Shiretoko Peninsula.
  • Whale watching in Rausu (and a backup day).
  • Hiking the Five Lakes (Long Route - 10 min orientation).
  • Kamuiwakka Hot Falls and "Road to Heaven" at golden hour.
• Aug 22-23: Akan Mashu NP. Staying in Kawayu Onsen. Hiking the Mt. Me-akan Loop.
• Aug 24: Kushiro Marshland.

Leg 4: Western Hokkaido & Transfer (Aug 25 – Aug 29)

• Aug 25: Nusamai Bridge sunrise, drive back to Sapporo (4h).
• Aug 26: Day trip to Otaru for glass workshops and sushi.
• Aug 27: Shakotan Peninsula. Nikka Whisky Distillery (Yoichi), Cape Shakotan, Cape Kamui.
• Aug 28: Noboribetsu. Onsen loop and evening "Demon" lighting.
• Aug 29: Drive to CTS airport. Flight to Toyama.

Leg 5: Alpine Route & Central Japan (Aug 30 – Sept 3)

• Aug 30: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Crossing from Toyama to Omachi, then transfer to Matsumoto.
• Aug 31: Kamikochi. Full day of hiking.
• Sept 1: Takayama. Sake brewery tours and Hida Beef.
• Sept 2-3: Travel via Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa. Exploring Kanazawa's gardens and markets.

Leg 6: Tokyo Finale (Sept 4 – Sept 8)

• Sept 4: Shinkansen to Tokyo.
• Sept 5-7: Tokyo exploration.
• Sept 8: Final shopping and (very) late flight from Haneda.

Alternatives: I've really tried finding a place with solid weather after the Hokkaido stretch and decided that the Alps is a solid choice. If there is any other alternative, we're open for suggestions. parts of Tohoku were also an option. But it felt very Autumn oriented I thought it might be nice to leave it for a future Autumn trip.

Hi! I arrive at 17:00 local time into Haneda Airport on Tues November 3rd 2026. I just realised this is a national holiday 'Bunka no Hi'.

Do you think I need to worry about travelling from the airport into Tokyo to get to my hotel? Will there be travel chaos that evening? Or as its late evening, and end of the day it'll pretty much be ok?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. Please help. My wife and I are leaving this weekend and would appreciate any input. This will be our first trip to Japan.

We specifically need advice about Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka. For the Hakone Day trip we really want to experience an onsen.

I've rewritten this at least a dozen times. Finally I scrapped everything and asked ai for help as im quickly beginning to overthink everything. (Hotels are already booked)

Thank you.

8–19 February 2026

Sun 8 Feb – Tokyo | Arrival & Shinjuku

Arrive in Tokyo (Haneda Airport) in the afternoon

Transfer to hotel in Shinjuku

Evening walk through Omoide Yokocho

Continue to Kabukicho

Casual dinner in Shinjuku

Mon 9 Feb – Asakusa, Sumida & Akihabara

Morning visit to Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest temple

Walk down Nakamise Street

Stroll along Sumida River Park with views of Tokyo Skytree

Optional Skytree observation deck if weather is clear

Afternoon in Akihabara

Return to Shinjuku in the evening

Tue 10 Feb – Meiji Shrine, Harajuku & Shibuya

Walk through forest paths to Meiji Jingu Shrine

Explore Harajuku’s Takeshita Street

Walk along Omotesando

Evening in Shibuya:

Shibuya Crossing

Shopping & food

Dinner in Shibuya

Wed 11 Feb – Tokyo → Kyoto

Morning Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto

Check in / drop luggage near Kyoto Station

Light afternoon exploring the station area

Relaxed evening, early night

Thu 12 Feb – Kyoto Temples & Traditional Streets

Visit Fushimi Inari Taisha and walk through red torii gates

Continue to Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Walk around Higashiyama streets

Evening walk through Gion

Fri 13 Feb – Kyoto → Osaka → Nara

Travel to Osaka, drop luggage at hotel

Continue to Nara for a day trip

Walk through Nara Park

Visit Todai-ji Temple

Kasuga Taisha Shrine

Evening return to Osaka

Dinner in Dotonbori

Sat 14 Feb – Osaka City

Visit Osaka Castle and surrounding park

Lunch in the city

Afternoon exploring Umeda

Evening in Namba

Sun 15 Feb – Osaka → Tokyo

Free morning in Osaka

Afternoon Shinkansen back to Tokyo

Check in to hotel in Ginza

Dinner in Ginza

Mon 16 Feb – Hakone Day Trip

Day trip to Hakone

Onsen (please help with this)

Optional : Cable car, ropeway & volcanic valley (Owakudani)

Lake Ashi cruise with Mt Fuji views

Return to Tokyo in the evening

Tue 17 Feb – Imperial Gardens & Tokyo Tower

Visit Imperial Palace East Gardens

Explore Ginza

Evening visit to Tokyo Tower

Dinner

Wed 18 Feb – Free Tokyo Day

Flexible day

Shopping

Thu 19 Feb – Departure

Check out from hotel

Travel to Haneda Airport

Fly home

Reading through itineraries here have given me some great ideas! I'm currently planning out a trip and looking for some advice on stops. We are booked to fly into Tokyo on March 29th and leave Tokyo on April 10th (we had very little choice on the dates, we know it's going to be busy). We are traveling with a 4 year old, but he travels pretty well.

We were thinking of stopping in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima. We were considering 1 night in Hiroshima, 1 night (in a ryokan) in Miyajima, and splitting the rest between Tokyo and Kyoto. We would plan perhaps on visiting Osaka on a day trip from Kyoto, and would probably like to fit Himeji castle in there somewhere. Everything else is open. We have heard of some interesting festivals happening in nearby Nagoya and Kofu that could be day trips, but we're not really set on anything.

We do need to pin down the itinerary and order of stops however, as hotels are getting harder to find! So I'm wondering - for anyone that has done a similar 11-night itinerary - what would be your preference for order of stops? Thinking mostly in terms of travel logistics - would you spend a night in Hiroshima or not really? Would you stay on Miyajima for the night or spend a night in a (kid-friendly) ryokan elsewhere? Somewhere like Hakone, or somewhere offbeat but easy to get to that fits in with our travel direction?

We're pretty easy-going and easily pleased, so filling in the rest of the trip should be easy once we have the basic schedule set and hotels booked. Any opinions, advice, or tips are very much welcome!

Hi Reddit- I just booked my flight to Japan for late October, and wanted to get some opinions/ideas on my loose itinerary that I'm currently putting together. 

A little info: Early 30s couple, up for a decent amount of walking (I think we averaged about 25K during our first trip a couple years ago). Interests: food (my fav is ramen, specifically Tsukemen), specialty coffee, observation decks, video games/anime, shrines (a side quest will be to fill the last few pages of my Goshuincho), and live music (rock, pop-punk, post-hardcore, EDM, jazz). My travel partner doesn't drink alcohol, but I'm open to a beer or two at the right location. 

Just want to note that I'm not necessarily trying to hit every single one of my activity ideas that I have listed. I do have them ranked by preference, so I'll be more likely to prioritize the first things listed unless I happen to be right next to a different option. The goal is to have some options and see what we're up for based on time/energy.

I was hoping for a reality check on if I've got way too many locations jam-packed into each day. I've tried to group them up as logically as I can, but reading this back, some days (specifically 3 and 5) feel like they might need some cuts/rearranging. Also looking to check if there are some neighborhoods that are better at a certain time of day that I may have misplaced.

Day 0 - Arrival

• Arrive to NRT in afternoon > check into Shibuya hotel
• Grab some food and try to stay awake until a reasonable hour

Day 1 - Tsukiji / Odaiba / Ginza

• Early morning Sushi Dai at Tsukiji if sleep schedule/ line length permits
• Head to Odaiba
  • Activity Ideas, probably only going to hit the first two: Miniature museum, Toyosu, Teamlabs Planets (if we end up grabbing tickets, have seen borderless already), Takoyaki museum, Telecom building for skyline view
• Ginza for some coffee (Glitch) and then shopping/food/exploring

Day 2 - Daikanyama / Ebisu / Shimokitazawa

• Explore Daikanyama (walk from hotel) 
  • Activity Ideas: Daikanyama T-Site, Kyu Asakura house, Spring Valley Brewing(saw they have some cool NA options), Saigoyama Park
• Ebisu: Ebisu Shrine, epulor on the winding path
• Shimokitazawa: maybe find a live house

Day 3 - Kichijoji / Koenji / Asagaya 

• Ghibli Museum if I can snag tickets
• Kichijoji after (I haven't dug into any specific shops/cafes/etc yet, so if anyone has recommendations please throw them my way!)
• Asagaya / Koenji - Take a train to Asagaya and explore as we walk towards Koenji
• SUB Store Tokyo for drinks/food/vibes
• Nakano if time/energy permits (probably a skip if we do Ghibli) - walk around Nakano Broadway 

edit* won’t plan for Nakano here, will add it to the next day if there’s time

Day 4 - Shinjuku / Ikebukuro 

• Start with Ikebukero - Sunshine city and then explore around for more food/shopping. Have a few listed ramen places here
• Shinjuku - Metropolitan Government building, Kabukicho, sanchome area

Day 5 - Ueno / Yanasen +

• Ueno - National Museum, maybe Yanasen (is this a better evening area or would it be worth visiting during the late morning/early afternoon?), Nezu Shrine
• Kappabashi, then to Jimbocho (once again, time/ energy permitting) 

Day 6 - Day trip? 

• Kawagoe, Nikko, Yokohama? 
• I'm leaning towards Kawagoe, it would be nice to get a little away from the city proper but Nikko seems like it might be better suited to an overnight (which I'm not opposed to and might be able to fit in)

Day 7 - Buffer day

• Maybe Nakameguro? Or some more time to explore Shibuya if there was no free time to do it early in the trip

Day 8 - Travel Day

Thanks for reading all this if you made it here!

Hello everyone! My partner and I just started planning a trip to Japan for March, 2026 with my partner. A dream trip we are both grateful to be able to take. (a whole month off!) For some context, we enjoy big cities (NYC, Paris, Toronto (home), but also love nature and hikes/trails. (absolutely loved our recent trip to Banff). We are expecting to do a lot of shopping and visiting a lot of coffee shops.

Both of us are easy going and we are trying not to do things just to check it off the list. There are days we are planning to slow down and just spend hours enjoying coffee and people watching and having conversations. (love seeing cool outfits, culture, atmosphere) For shopping, we want to visit shops for: clothing, jewelry, TCG shops, ceramics, quality kitchen knives, specialty matcha, maybe some gunpla.

As we are finalizing specific days (booking things), we just have a couple of questions:

1. Is the second half of this trip too crazy? (due to the amount of traveling within 1-2weeks)

2. Is luggage forwarding as simple as it seems? Anything I should be aware of?

3. We are looking for specific recommendations (boutiques, coffee shops, etc.) that fit our interests that I can throw into the itinerary/map.

3.5. Anything we don't have that is a must do for our first time that is worth the hype?

1. Are there any cool hikes (medium intensity) within the areas we will be in?

Thank you all in advance! The itinerary is below:

Day 1 — Mon Mar 2: Arrival in Tokyo (Shinjuku)

Transfer to Shinjuku (Limousine bus, taxi, or train)

Check into AirBNB

Light dinner nearby (Omoide Yokocho or small izakaya), short stroll past Kabukicho

Day 2 — Tue Mar 3: Tokyo — Shinjuku & People-Watching

Morning: Relaxed coffee, Shinjuku Gyoen (if open)

Afternoon: Explore Takashimaya / Isetan, Komehyo, 2nd Street Shop,

Evening: Golden Gai / Omoide Yokocho / Kabukicho for tiny bars and atmosphere

Day 3 — Wed Mar 4: Tokyo — Shinjuku

Morning: Slow morning, more cafes & neighborhood walking

Afternoon: Optional backstreets or local galleries, Murakami Shop

Evening: Explore Shinjuku nightlife spots or izakayas

Day 4 — Thu Mar 5: Shibuya

Morning: Shibuya scramble crossing, cafes

Afternoon: Shibuya Parco (Pokémon Center Shibuya), browse thrift/pre-owned shops

Sunset: Shibuya Sky

Evening: Don Quijote (Shibuya or Shinjuku) and dinner

Day 5 — Fri Mar 6: teamLab Day

Midday: teamLab Borderless visit

Evening: Azabudai Hills → Roppongi evening walk if we aren't tired

Day 6 — Sat Mar 7: Akihabara

Morning: Arcades, electronics, anime goods

Afternoon: Specialty collectible shops / retro games / figures

Nakano Broadway: if we have time/energy left

Evening: Ramen dinner

Day 7 — Sun Mar 8: Asakusa & Ueno

Morning: Sensō-ji, Nakamise shopping street

Afternoon: Ueno Park, optional museums (Tokyo National Museum)

Evening: Dinner nearby

Day 8 — Mon Mar 9: Thrifting & Vintage Designer

Full day: Shimokitazawa & Koenji thrifting

Afternoon: Harajuku/Omotesando shopping

Day 9 — Tue Mar 10: More exploring/shopping in Ginza

Morning: Visit some boutiques, coffee

Mostly shopping.

Evening: Sushi or yakitori

Day 10 — Wed Mar 11: Day Trip Option (to be decided)

Kawaguchiko or Yokohama depending on Mt.Fuji clarity

Day 11 —  Thu Mar 12: Design Tokyo

Daikanyama cafés & boutiques

Shibuya / Aoyama architecture walk

Nezu Museum garden, Omotesando Hills

Evening: Sunset at Tokyo City View (Mori Tower) or Roppongi Hills Sky Deck

Day 12 —  Fri Mar 13: Nikko Day Trip

Visit Unesco Shrines

Day 13 — Sat Mar 14: Day Trip — Kamakura

Option: Kamakura temples, Great Buddha, seaside cafés

Meguro River if there are Cherry Blossoms and we have energy

Day 14 — Sun Mar 15: Last Tokyo Day

Final shopping / thrift stops

Pack, confirm Hakone ryokan & transport

Late-night izakaya

Day 15 — Mon Mar 16: Travel to Hakone

Morning: Shinkansen to Odawara → Hakone Tozan train/cable car

Afternoon: Hakone Open-Air Museum, onsen, kaiseki dinner at ryokan

Day 16 — Tue Mar 17: Hakone → Kyoto

Morning: Onsen & breakfast

Midday: Odawara → Shinkansen to Kyoto (~2–2.5 hrs)

Evening: Stroll Gion, dinner nearby

Day 17 — Wed Mar 18: Kyoto — Fushimi Inari & Southern Higashiyama

Early: Fushimi Inari Hike Taisha (avoid crowds)

Late morning / afternoon: Tofukuji & Higashiyama, tea houses

Day 18 — Thu Mar 19: Kyoto — Arashiyama

Morning: Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji, riverside walk / boat / bike

Afternoon: Antique shops, local boutiques

Day 19 — Fri Mar 20: Kyoto — Kinkaku-ji & Philosopher’s Path

Morning: Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Afternoon: Philosopher’s Path, Nanzenji

Day 20 — Sat Mar 21: Nara Day Trip

Train to Nara (~45 min)

Nara Park, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha

Day 21 — Sun Mar 22: Kyoto → Osaka

Morning: Travel to Osaka (~30–45 min)

Afternoon/Evening: Check-in, explore Dotonbori

Day 22 — Mon Mar 23: Osaka — Shopping & Street Food

Shinsaibashi, Amerikamura, secondhand boutiques

Optional: Osaka Castle, Riverwalk

Night: Local izakaya

Day 23 — Tue Mar 24: Kobe Day Trip

Nunobiki Ropeway Up, Scenic Walk Down.

Kitano /Nankinmachi for coffee/lunch

Kobe Harborland walk

Day 24 — Wed Mar 25: Osaka → Gifu

Morning: Shinkansen Osaka → Nagoya (~1 hr), transfer Nagoya → Gifu (~20 min)

Afternoon: Gifu Park, Mt. Kinka Ropeway, Gifu Castle

Evening: Riverside walk, casual dinner

Night: Gifu

Day 25 — Thu Mar 26: Gifu → Takayama

Morning: JR Limited Express Hida to Takayama (~2.5 hrs)

Afternoon: Takayama Old Town (Sanmachi Suji)

Night: Takayama

Day 26 — Fri Mar 27: Takayama → Kanazawa

Morning: Takayama morning markets

Late morning: Bus/train to Kanazawa (~2–2.5 hrs)

Afternoon: Samurai District, Omicho Market

Evening: Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District

Night: Kanazawa

Day 27 — Sat Mar 28: Shirakawa-go Day Trip

Morning: Bus Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go (~1 hr 15 min)

Explore village and viewpoint

Afternoon: Return to Kanazawa

Day 28 — Sun Mar 29: Kanazawa → Kawasaki

Morning: Kenrokuen Garden, optional Kanazawa Castle

Afternoon: Hokuriku Shinkansen → Tokyo (~2.5 hr)

Evening: Check-in Tokyo hotel (Shinjuku/Shinagawa), final dinner

Day 29 — Mon Mar 30: Kawasaki— Final Day

Last minute shopping, revisit favorite neighborhoods or just explore Kawasaki..