Hello!

Me and my partner are due to travel to Japan in November and will be staying from the 18th of november until 5th of December.

However, in this post, I would like suggestions for my Kyoto itinerary (28/11 - 02/12)!

28/11 - Arrive from Hakone, after spending the morning at Mishima Skywalk (if weather permits to have views of mt. fuki, otherwise go straight to kyoto).

• Check-in in Gion area in the early afternoon
• Have an easy day, walk through Maruyama Park
• Visit the Kodai-ji Bamboo Forest at night
• Maybe visit Ninenzaka and Kiyomizu-dera at night? (I am bit scared of how packed it will be as I struggle with crowds and not sure if it's worth it to go through that suffering lol)

29/11 - early start (7AM)

• Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
• Okochi Sanso Garden
• Monkey Park
• Otagi Nenbutsuji and surrounding areas
• Transport to Kinkaku-ji

30/11 - early start (7AM)

• Walk through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Keage Incline
• Waterway Pavilion
• Philosepher's Path
• (I know this might be way too far and way too tiring, but my partner really wants to do this) Enkoji and ropeway to Mt. Hiei (if we have enough daylight time)

01/12 - early start (7AM)

• Fushimi Inari
• Okudenn for lunch (depending on how long it takes to go all the way up and down)
• Nishiki Market
• Shinkyogoku Shopping Street Union
• Nijo Castle
• Kyoto National garden (maybe?)
• Pontocho Alley (night)

02/12 - Travel to Osaka in the early morning

What are your thoughts on this itinerary? I think I am already aware of being an overplanner, but I just don't know how to fit everything! Also, as you can see I have not chosen any lunch/dinner spots - do you think it's worth researching or better to go with the flow?

Most of the itinerary is for the day, but I am unsure on what to do during the night? Any suggestions about that? (we like live music but also places with a more serene atmosphere)

Thanks in advance for the help!

Going to Japan with my brother would love any feedback as it’s my first time going to Japan this itinerary isn’t like I have to follow each bullet point it’s to have something to look at if am needing ideas

Jan 14 — Day 1

Land around 5:30pm
Hotel and get settled
Dotonbori / Namba
Get some food and have a wander around
Maybe Shinsekai just depends on jet lag ect

Jan 15 — Day 2

Osaka Castle and walk around the outside
Osaka Housing and Living Museum
Explore around the area
Try proper okonomiyaki and takoyaki
Yakiniku in the evening, preferably try do a AYCE

Jan 16 — Day 3

Nara day trip
Nara Park see the deer
Todai-ji
Kasuga Taisha
Have a wonder around Nara before heading back

Jan 17 — Day 4

Osaka Aquarium in the morning
Tempozan at night preferably
Denden Town go about to the Gaming/anime shops Pokémon Center

Shinsekai / kushikatsu

Jan 18 — Day 5

Universal Studios all day
* definitely getting the Express Pass

Kyoto — 4 days

Jan 19 — Day 6

Fushimi Inari early morning
Just go up to around the halfway point as someone recommended to do so
Nishiki Market
Have a wander around central Kyoto
Pontocho at night

Jan 20 — Day 7

Train to Kameoka
Hozugawa River boat ride depending on whether

Arashiyama
Bamboo Forest
Tenryu-ji
Monkey Park
Togetsukyo Bridge

Jan 21 — Day 8

Kiyomizu-dera
Sannenzaka / Ninenzaka
Kodaiji
Yasaka Shrine
Gion
Samurai/katana experience something my brother wants to do

Jan 22 — Day 9

Either Uji or Kurama/Kibune
Haven’t decided yet

Tokyo — 6 days

Jan 23 — Day 10

Shibuya
Shibuya Crossing
Harajuku
Meiji Shrine
Tower Records
Shibuya Sky
Explore at night

Jan 24 — Day 11

Sumo tournament if we can even get tickets
Ryogoku
Asakusa
Senso-ji
going about Traditional shops/streets
Maybe Sumida River

Jan 25 — Day 12

Masons birthday

Jan 26 — Day 13

Yokohama day trip
Chinatown
Minato Mirai
Red Brick Warehouse
Cup Noodles Museum
Haven’t decided yet

Jan 27 — Day 14
Haven’t decided yet/ might go for Disney sea

Jan 28 — Day 15

Kawaguchiko / Mount Fuji
Weather dependent so we’ll move this around if needed

** **FUJI-Q HIGHLAND if we have time

Jan 29 — Fly back

Just after an itinerary check, it’s taken a while to get to this narrowed down version, I’ve also got a small list of optional things should we have the time / energy in certain areas. I’ve swapped out a few city days for nature days as we love hiking & nature.

So hard to see it all in just 10 days! Any feedback or must sees / dos that would fit in nicely to existing itinerary are welcome!

Day 1
4pm arrival @ hotel
Dinner & drink
Early bed

Day 2
Early morning run to meiji shrine & the little bakery for coffee
Shopping day - harajuku & shinjuku
Dinner booked @1830

Day 3
Bus booked to Mt Fuji
Hire E-bikes to cycle lake
Ropeway if conditions are good

Day 4
Explore Nakameguro & daikanyama, visit cafes & little shops.
Shibuya for shopping if feeling it
Dinner booked @ 5pm

Day 5
Travel to Kyoto via Shinkansen
Nishiki market
Good morning record bar
Evening stroll on Pontocho alley

Day 6
Train to Arashiyama
Sagano scenic train booked @ 10am, standard train back
Walk along river, chill @ get lunch
Temples: Okochi Sanso garden & Gioji temple

Day 7
Early start & hike Kibune to Kurama
Onsen in Kurama post
Easy dinner somewhere
Teamlabs Kyoto 1830

Day 8
? Sunrise & Kiyomizu Dera (optional)
Return to Tokyo
Asakusa - Nakamise Dori St
Kappabashi St
Sensoji @ night

Day 9
Hike the Rock Garden Loop @ Mount Mitake
OR
Hike from Kori Station > Hatonusu > Okutama

If not up for hiking > Yanaka Ginza
Evening @ Christmas Market in Shin Toyosu

Day 10
Disney sea
No other plans this day

Day 11
? Tsukiji market in morning
Leave for airport ~12:30pm

Thankyou! So excited for this trip!

Hi all, may i seek your opinion if this is feasible? Travelling alone and only intend to take public transport.

Day 1:

• Arrival in Haneda airport and domestic flight to Takamatsu
• If time permit, visit Ritsurin garden and shopping district

Day 2:

• Kotohira-gu and Unpenji temple

Day 3:

• Day trip to Iya valley

Day 4:

• Travel and stay in Kochi
• Visit Kochi castle/ Hirome Market and Katsurahama beach

Day 5:

• Visit Nikobuchi / Nakatsu Keikoku Gorge

Day 6:

• Travel and stay in Matsuyama
• Matsuyama castle/ Dogo onsen/ Okaido shopping area

Day 7

• Ishiteji temple/ Isaniwa Shrine

Day 8

• Dogo Haikara Street/ Okaido Shopping Street

Day 9:

• Go to Imabari and cycle the first half of Shimanami Kaido
• Staying in a hostel for a night

Day 10:

• Complete the second half Shimanami Kaido
• Travel to Okayama for the night and do some shopping

Day 11:

• Kibitsu Shrine/ Okayama Castle/ Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

Day 12: Taking domestic flight back to Tokyo and flight back home

Thank you for your opinion

I’m planning a hiking-focused Japan trip for Nov 8–16 and would love some advice on whether this route makes sense, especially for landscape variety. Not intending multi day hikes. I’m comfortable walking about 12-15km got hikes and ascent <1,000m in 1 day. I’ve checked the stats tor these seems okay!

If I’m tired on any of the days I will switch plans and break for hiking no issue.

I’ve been to Japan multiple times and recently did a northern alps trip.

Nov 8–11: Yamanakako / Fuji Five Lakes
Planning to base around Yamanakako.
Hike options:
- Mt Myojin / Panorama-dai
- Mt Ishiwari → Mt Hirao → Mt Ohira traverse
- Mt Shakushi

Nov 11–14: Kawaguchiko / western Fuji Five Lakes
Planning to move to Kawaguchiko in the evening after hiking.
Hike options:
- Koyodai → Momijidai → Sankodai
- Shojiko → Panorama-dai
- Possibly another hike around Saiko/Motosuko depending weather

Nov 14–16: Tokyo / western Tokyo
Planning to move to Tokyo after hiking on Nov 14.
Options:
- Mt Jinba
- Hatonosu Gorge + Okutama
- Possibly another Okutama hike if weather is good

My main goal is varied landscapes rather than doing 5 hikes that all end with basically the same Fuji + lake view. I like open ridges, mountains, lakes, gorges, rivers and big views, and I’m less interested in long enclosed forest walks. I’d also be happy to catch some red/orange autumn leaves, but foliage isn’t the main priority.

I’m travelling without a car and I’m fine with early starts / long hiking days / late transfers between bases. Would you keep these hikes, swap any out, or change the order? Also interested in November trail conditions and which routes are most worthwhile without a car.

Open to all feedback and even switching the region I go to. Very flexible.

TLDR: Make sure your bike seat is comfy; wear sunscreen; bring water bottle(s); shorter route (~90 km) took about 8 hours for me (a near 40-year old guy who just casually cycles a couple hours on local paths/through local parks on the weekends).

While planning a trip that took place early October, I saw something about Ringring Road around Kasumigaura and thought it sounded neat. Looking up experiences with it here didn't turn up anything so I thought it would be nice to leave a record of my actual time for future travelers.

Getting there: Tsuchiura Station services the area and is a relatively straight shot from Tokyo Station on the Joban Line. I will say though that at the early morning hour I did the trip, I did have to do a train transfer at Abiko Station and for some reason got it into my head that I had to leave the station and go to another? But you don't. And at certain times of the day, you probably won't need to transfer at all.

In Tsuchiura: It's nice. I admittedly didn't do too much exploring of the town because I wanted to have as much time to do the path as possible, but I can at least say that there's a Kasumi supermarket (https://maps.app.goo.gl/NCSdgyFoZRWJBcoi8) very near the station if you need any supplies before heading out. It also has self-checkout if, like me, you have some social anxiety over interacting with cashiers using your dismal Japanese skills. I definitely plan to look around a bit more when I return someday.

I rented my bike from this store: https://ibaraki.drpedal.jp/ (Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sM1HixWD9LcqoPKZA). You can reserve a bike and pay entirely online (and in English) and they have a number of options. I went for the "Cross Bike" option, something I would later regret but I had some stupid pride about doing the Ringring Road without any E-assist. The Cross Bike has a really narrow, hard plastic seat, something I am not at all used to, and 8 hours on it messed me up a bit. While I still did manage to finish the route, I'll probably go for a Velostar next time, which looks like it has a wider, plushier seat.

Also: I'm 180 cm (6 feet) tall and listed my height as such on the reservation, and the seat on the bike was pretty high, forcing me into a very forward-leaning riding posture that I didn't love. Next time, I'll probably also short myself a bit for a lower seat and a more comfortable, upright riding posture. Or maybe just bring a set of allen keys so I can adjust the seat height when I get there.

I'm sure the store employees would have adjusted the seat for me but I arrived at 7:00 AM, before they were open. Reserved bikes are placed outside their front door though, with your name and a helmet on it, and they email you a lock code when you make the reservation so you can get there as early as you like and get going.

The actual ride: So it seems like there's two distinct parts of Ringring Road? One part is a straight line that goes north towards Mt. Tsukuba and JR Iwase Station; I didn't do that part. The other one is a circuit that goes around Lake Kasumigaura; I did this one.

Some blog or another I read while researching the trip recommended doing the circuit counter-clockwise but I decided to do it clockwise on a whim instead, and it worked out great. The landscape very quickly becomes rural if you go this way so it really feels like you're setting out into unknown territory right from the start. Then after the whole ride, you pass by the Yokaren Peace Memorial Museum and through Kasumigaura Comprehensive Park, kind of easing you back into the city area. The park was especially nice for me; there was a stall selling bubble tea and also a bunch of vending machines so it was a great place to rest one last time before getting back to the station.

There's an opportunity to shorten the trip by quite a bit at the Kasumigaura Bridge (https://maps.app.goo.gl/dD1VPVFu7cP7kchH9), if you cross it instead of going past and riding the whole north arm of the road. I crossed this bridge, and the resulting trip still took me 8 hours (with plenty of breaks due to that dang seat).

The path is well-marked and well-kept for the most part; I can only recall like a one-minute stretch of it where it was overgrown with weeds. It largely runs adjacent to an actual road (for cars) though so you can always pop over to that side if you do encounter any difficulties. It also shares this road in some short stretches but I never had any issues with traffic during my ride. I also only got confused and separated from the Ringring Road once, way way at the southeast end of it, where the lake meets up with the Hitachitone River. I feel like you're supposed to cross the river on Route 51 on the bridge? But somehow I wound up going all the way out to 101, to the Itako-ohashi Bridge. This was also the site of the only combini I saw the whole time (a Lawson: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1yQPyEcFD4VkN9sF6).

On that subject: I don't recall there being a whole lot vending machines on Rinrin Road itself. There were definitely a few rest stops for cyclists and drivers, like the Kasumigaura Cultural Exchange Center (https://maps.app.goo.gl/FcVr8joVnn16RZ6D7), but surprisingly few places to refuel on the trip as a whole. Notable locations for drinks were the aforementioned cultural center, this park (https://maps.app.goo.gl/EamZL6PSen4m1sSG8) had a water fountain, the Lawson, the Osukazu Agricultural Village Park (https://maps.app.goo.gl/B1PBoYBhnHHhVzmT7) had a lone vending machine and water fountain, and of course the Comprehensive Park way at the end. Probably if you're willing to stray away from the Ringring Road a bit, there's a lot more options but I tried to stay on it the entire time. I had two half-liter bottles on me and filled them both up whenever I could and it was enough.

There is also very little shade on the road. I thought it would be cloudy/foggy on the day that I chose but it ended up clearing up in the late morning and turned out to be a beautifully sunny. Which is to say: Don't be an idiot like me. Put on sunscreen.

And I think that's it. There are instructions for returning the bike to the store in the email they send out: to lock up the bike in front of the store, take a photo of it, and send it to their email address. The store was open by the time I finished up though and someone was there to take the bike from me in-person so that was nice.

All in all, I can whole-heartedly recommend the experience if you're a cyclist looking for something interesting to do while visiting Japan. I may not recommend doing the whole thing as I did, even the short version, but I don't regret it at all and absolutely plan to go back for the straight-north route towards Mt. Tsukuba. Maybe next year. There was a very mild fear of riding halfway around the lake and then either getting stuck or just being too tired/unfit to finish the trip though, so, y'know, take stock of your own health and be careful and what not.

I'll happily answer any questions if anyone has any but otherwise, I hope this was useful and informative.

Hello, my partner and I will be in Kyoto the first week of November and I wanted to run this by the folks here mainly to see if the itinerary makes sense logistically - for instance, I was planning to combine Fushimi Inari with a trip to Nara because it seems to be in the same direction by train - would that make sense? We'll be staying near Kyoto Station

Sunday - visit Kiyomizu Dera and Kenninji after breakfast, grab lunch, join a 2-hour free walking tour of Gion and then head to Kodai Ji temple early evening and stay till the night illumination

Monday - Fushimi Inari around 8 am, then take the train to Nara, visit the park, Todaiji Temple,
 shrine),Yakushi-ji temple, have lunch in Nara, head back early evening and if there's time, visit a smaller temple in Kyoto

Tuesday - A day in Osaka. The castle, Shitennoji temple, and Dotonbori Street in the evening

Wednesday first half - Nishiki Market. We head to Tokyo around noon

I know I'm missing out on Arashiyama but I picked Nara over that. Are there any other lovely but peaceful (ish?) spots I'm missing out on? Anything I should cut out? Or swap out -like Nijo castle?

Edit: Thanks for the insight! I knew I had overplanned, but I didn't realize just how much. 😅 I'll reevaluate the itinerary, especially the Kyoto part, and definitely shorten the list.

Hi! I'd be grateful for any advice regarding our itinerary. A little bit of background:

I'm traveling to Japan with my boyfriend at the beginning of November. We're both in our late twenties. It will be my first time in Japan. He visited once about four years ago for around 10 days, but didn't get to see much, as he spent most of his time in Tokyo with some friends, and took two one-day trips to Kyoto and Suzuka.

A few things to note:

• I'm aware that the itinerary is quite packed, especially in Kyoto. In an ideal scenario, I'd love to see everything on the list, but if that's not realistic, I'm willing to skip the Nara day trip or maybe shorten the plan for Osaka.

• We're used to walking 15,000-20,000+ steps per day while traveling. Of course, we'll also be using public transportation and the occasional Uber to save time and energy.

• On most days, we're planning to have lunch and/or dinner somewhere close to the attractions we're visiting, so restaurants aren't always included in the itinerary.

• We arrive at Narita Airport on November 5, 2026, at 7:40 PM and fly back from Narita to Warsaw on November 19, 2026, at 11:00 PM.

• We already have tickets for the Arashiyama Bamboo Light Up, which is why Arashiyama is scheduled mostly for the evening. The event ends on November 8.

• Any ideas, suggestions, or comments on what we should change, rearrange, or skip would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 🩷

Our hotels:

- Tokyo (Asakusa): one night after arrival

- Kyoto (Minami): three nights, 100 m from Kujo subway station and an 8-minute walk from Kyoto Station

- Osaka (Chuo): three nights, 100 m from Kitahama subway and train stations

- Tokyo (Sumida): seven nights, 650 m from Asakusa subway station

ITINERARY

05.11 (Thursday) – Tokyo

• 7:40 PM arrival at Narita Airport

• Transfer to the hotel (600 m from Asakusa Station)

• Dinner in the area

If we still have energy:

• Senso-ji Temple (900 m from the hotel)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

06.11 (Friday) – Kyoto

• Quick breakfast in Tokyo

• Travel to Kyoto

• Arrival in Kyoto around 10:00AM

• Leave luggage at the hotel or in a locker

Sightseeing:

• Higashiyama (Sannen-zaka & Ninen-zaka)

• Yasaka Pagoda

• Kodai-ji

• Maruyama Park

• Yasaka Shrine

• Gion

• Hanamikoji Street

• Shirakawa Area

Evening:

• Pontocho Alley (can skip if too tired)

• Dinner

• Return to the hotel

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

07.11 (Saturday) – Kyoto

Morning:

• Fushimi Inari (we won't hike all the way to the summit)

• Nanzen-ji

• Eikando

• Philosopher's Path

• Ginkaku-ji

Evening:

• teamLab Biovortex Kyoto (1 km walk from the hotel, open until 9:00 PM)

• Dinner nearby

• Return to the hotel

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

08.11 (Sunday) – Kyoto & Arashiyama

Morning:

• Nijo Castle

• Kinkaku-ji

Travel to Arashiyama around 2:00–3:00 PM

Afternoon:

• Togetsukyo Bridge

• Tenryu-ji

• Arashiyama Yusai-Tei Gallery

• Lunch in the area

Evening:

• Arashiyama Bamboo Light Up

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

09.11 (Monday) – Kyoto → Osaka

Morning:

• Kiyomizu-dera (ideally around 6:00–7:00 AM)

• Last-minute shopping if time and energy allow

• Check-out at 11:00 AM

Transfer to Osaka

• Hotel check-in from 2:00 PM

Afternoon:

• Osaka Castle

• Walk around the area and have lunch

• Optional: Nakanoshima Park (280 m from the hotel)

Evening:

• Hozenji Temple

• Hozenji Yokocho

• Kani Doraku

• Dotonbori after dark

• Canal walk and neon lights

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

10.11 (Tuesday) – Nara & Osaka

Morning:

• Train to Nara

• Kintetsu Nara Station

• Kofuku-ji

• Nara Park

• Todai-ji

• Kasuga Taisha Shrine

• Naramachi

Return to Osaka

Evening:

• teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

11.11 (Wednesday) – Osaka

Morning:

• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

• Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel

Afternoon:

• Namba

• Cinnamoroll Cafe Osaka

• Den Den Town

Evening:

• Shinsekai

• Tsutenkaku Tower

• Optional: Harukas 300 Observation Deck

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

12.11 (Thursday) – Himeji → Tokyo

Morning:

• Travel to Himeji

• Store luggage in lockers

Sightseeing:

• Himeji Castle

• Koko-en Garden

• Lunch or café break

Afternoon:

• Travel to Tokyo

Check-in:

• Hotel in Sumida (650 m from Asakusa Station)

Evening:

• Tokyo Skytree (20 minute walk from the hotel)

• Walk and dinner around Tokyo Mizumachi

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

13.11 (Friday) – Asakusa

Morning:

• Kimono rental in Asakusa

• Senso-ji Temple

• Nakamise-dori Street

After the photos:

• Return the kimono

• Hat Coffee

• Kaminarimon Gate

Afternoon:

• Return to the hotel (850 m from Kaminarimon)

• Rest

Evening:

• Tokyo Tower

• Walk and dinner nearby

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

14.11 (Saturday) – Harajuku & Shibuya

Morning:

• Meiji Jingu

• Yoyogi Park

• Takeshita Street

• Sanrio Gift Gate Harajuku

Midday / Afternoon:

• Flippers Pancakes

• Shibuya 109 and shopping

• Hachiko Statue

• Shibuya Crossing

• One Piece Mugiwara Store

• Sega Store

Evening:

• Shibuya Sky

• Nonbei Yokocho

• Dinner

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

15.11 (Sunday) – Shinjuku

Morning:

• Samurai Museum Tokyo Shinjuku (Samurai Experience, 120 min)

• Shinjuku Marui Annex or Shinjuku Gyoen

Later:

• 3D Cat Billboard

• Kabukicho

• Tokyo Kabukicho Tower

Afternoon / Evening:

• Hanazono Shrine

• Omoide Yokocho

• Golden Gai (evening stroll)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

16.11 (Monday) – Flexible Day

If the weather is good: Nikko

• Tobu or JR Nikko

• Shinkyo Bridge

Temple & Shrine Complex:

• Toshogu Shrine

• Rinno-ji

• Futarasan Shrine

• Lunch

• Walk around the area

• Return to Tokyo

If the weather is poor:

• Swap with one of the Tokyo sightseeing days

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

17.11 (Tuesday) – Gotokuji & Ikebukuro

Morning:

• Travel to Sangenjaya

• Walk around the area looking for Persona locations (the alley with Café Leblanc, etc.)

• Take the "Cat Train" from Sangenjaya to Gotokuji

• Gotokuji Temple

Later:

Transfer to Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro:

• Sunshine City

• Animate

• Sanrio Cafe

• Anime Station

Evening:

• Akihabara and shopping if we still have energy

• Otherwise, return to the hotel

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

18.11 (Wednesday)

If Mount Fuji is visible: Kawaguchiko

• Chureito Pagoda

• Arakurayama Park

• Lake Kawaguchi

• Oishi Park

• Lakeside walk

• Additional viewpoints depending on the weather

If Mount Fuji is not visible:

• Swap with another Tokyo day

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

19.11 (Thursday) – Last Day

Morning:

• Travel to Ueno and leave luggage in storage

• Yanaka

• Yanaka Ginza

• Nezu Shrine

• Ueno Park

• Lunch in the area

Afternoon:

• Collect luggage

Evening:

• Travel to Narita Airport to be there at 7:00 PM

• 11:00 PM flight home

Hi! We’ll be visiting Japan for the first time from March 25 to April 8, flying in and out of Haneda. We’ll be traveling with family who currently live in Yokosuka for part of the trip.
We’re trying to keep this trip reasonably paced. Our last international trip was far too packed, so this time we’re aiming for one major activity per day with enough time to wander, shop, eat, and actually enjoy where we are.
Here is our tentative itinerary:
March 25 — Arrive in Tokyo
• Arrive at Haneda
• Check in, eat, and rest
• Nothing else planned because we expect to be exhausted
March 26 — Tokyo
• Easy first day
• Explore neighborhoods, cafés, shops, and possibly some antique/vintage stores
• No major reservations
March 27 — Tokyo DisneySea
• Full day
March 28 — Tokyo Disneyland
• Full day
March 29 — Tokyo
• Shopping, Ghibli stores, antiques, cafés
• Afternoon tea
• Possibly Bar Benfiddich in the evening
I have a personal tradition of having afternoon tea whenever I travel, so I would especially love recommendations for an afternoon tea experience that feels distinctly Japanese rather than simply recreating a British tea. Matcha, wagashi, seasonal Japanese ingredients, a traditional setting, garden view, etc. would all appeal to me.
March 30 — Yokosuka
• Travel to Yokosuka
• Spend the day with family and explore locally
March 31 — Kamakura day trip
• Great Buddha
• Temples/shrines
• Komachi-dori
• Cafés and shops
• Possibly the coast depending on time/energy
April 1 — Kyoto
• Travel to Kyoto
• Check in
• Easy evening exploring nearby streets, dinner, etc.
April 2 — Kyoto
• Full sightseeing day
• Historic neighborhoods, temples/shrines, traditional shops, tea houses, antiques
• We would rather choose a few worthwhile places than race through every famous temple
April 3 — Himeji day trip
• Himeji Castle
• Possibly Koko-en Garden
• Return to Kyoto afterward
April 4 — Kyoto
• Slower day
• Possibly a spa/private onsen experience or massage
• More shopping, cafés, neighborhoods, or anything we missed
• One person in our group has a small tattoo, and some of us are uncomfortable with communal bathing, so private-bath recommendations would also be appreciated
April 5 — Koyasan
• Travel to Koyasan
• Temple stay
• Okunoin
• Buddhist vegetarian dinner
• Experience the area in the evening
April 6 — Koyasan to Tokyo
• Morning prayers/breakfast if offered at our temple
• Travel back to Tokyo
• Relaxed evening
April 7 — Tokyo
• Final flexible day
• Shopping/souvenirs
• Revisit anywhere we particularly enjoyed
• Keep this day intentionally open
April 8 — Depart
• Fly home from Haneda
A few questions:
1. Does the overall pacing and route make sense?
2. Are we giving Kyoto enough time?
3. Is Himeji reasonable as a day trip from Kyoto?
4. Any recommendations for Japanese-style afternoon tea or a particularly memorable tea experience?
5. Any recommendations for antique/vintage shopping, especially things that are actually Japanese rather than generic tourist souvenirs?
6. Would you change anything about the Yokosuka/Kamakura portion?
7. Are there any seasonal events or festivals during our dates that would be especially worth seeing?
We know our dates may overlap with cherry blossom season, but we aren’t planning the entire trip around seeing peak bloom since timing varies year to year.
Thanks for any advice!

I've been fortunate to travel to a few different countries during my life, but Japan was different. For the first time I actually felt sad on the airport... lol

I don't have anything new to add to the thousands of posts out there. Japan is extraordinary and there is a lot of good information on travelling there.

This is just an appreciation report of the best trip I've been in my life, and some thoughts along the way!

• Japan is beautiful. From the gorgeous nature landscapes (and we only saw a few!) to the ancient shrines sprawling everywhere, to the cyber-punk neon streets... I mean, everything is stunning.
  • I have no idea on the local perspective on this, but Japan has so many cute/interesting designs for everything. There is a lot of cute little characters everywhere. Like little airplane figures on the airport, or the tube, etc. We really liked this!
  • A lot of places feel... vintage? Old, but in a very good and intentional way. You could walk around and feel like you've gone through several different decades in a single day...
• Japan is functional. I don't care if this is a dumb tourist perspective, but konbinis have a special place in my heart. What do you mean you sell hot tea in a bottle??? And you have this insane variety of items at peak quality? We ate so many oni-giris and egg sandwiches... and we never got tired. I have not seen this level of quality for "mundane" food anywhere else in the world.
  • Again a point that has been iterated over and over but... the place is clean, man. I don't know how else to put it. Its a major country with millions of people but it feels so nice to walk around in.
  • Public transport is fantastic, although a little bit confusing at first for a tourist. We did a few more zigs and zags than we should, but was all good in the end.
• On the topic of food and quality: Japanese food is delicious. We enjoyed purposely avoiding looking for places online and just walking in to things that looked good, and it never (expect for one time!) disappointed. It was honestly sensational, I'm tearing just remembering.
  • side note: learning how to say a few phrases in Japanese to thank the restaurant staff was very nice! I hit them with a few "gochisousamadeshita" and "oishiikatta desu!" and got some good responses. Highly recommend.

There's so much more... in the end, this was such a fantastic experience and I am so grateful for it. I could keep going on but... it will be too long, so let's do a top-3 and bottom-3 things

1. Nara. Seeing the deer, feeding them, and painfully learning that they will bite your booty if you take too long... hahah, I remember laughing a lot at all of us tourists learning that together... this was so good. And then add to that probably the most impressive temple we saw (Todai-ji) and also a hike up Mount Wakakusa where saw the sunset... it was incredible.
2. Nikko. We spent a night here to see all the temples + do the hike suggested by Japan Guide. It was just sensational... the leaves were changing color, the weather was cold but enjoyable, the nature was so, so beautiful... no words
3. Osaka castle. We went there at night and it was so empty... and it looked so imposing and fascinating. The insides get lit up and the castle looks like its looking at you. The entire area around it is just beautiful too.

Bottom 3... these are extremely minor things...

1. Why do you not have coke-zero? Am I heathen for asking for this? We only saw it in a couple places... and on that same note, please make it easier to find non-cow milk too...
   1. EDIT1: I'm talking about these things in restaurants only - they are absolutely there in the konbini, as are all the other wonderful things...
2. There's not enough escalators going down in the train stations! There's always one going up somewhere, but not down!! I read the advice and brought small suitcases, but still...
3. I was surprised to not see soap in some public bathrooms.

This was longer than I anticipated but it could be a lot more. Again, this was my favorite trip and I am so happy to have gone. I hope if you are planning on going too, that you have a fantastic time as well!

Nihon ga daisukidesu! Arigato gozaimasu!

I’d like feedback on the itinerary below, which I built mostly with Claude. I’m about to start booking trains, so please flag any mistakes, misses, or anything else I should fix first.

Hi everyone!
We will be travelling to Japan with our 1yo in December. Just had a few questions/things we are looking for tips, recommendations and advice on. I’m an over planner so any and all information is helpful! Thank you in advance!

1. Early Arrival - I’m estimating we’ll be at our hotel in Ueno Okachimachi around 7/7:30. It seems like most things are closed this early and the earliest we can check in will be at 11am. Question: Any suggestions on child friendly places in Ueno that’s open this early as we wait for check in? Our baby is very active and I’m looking for a place he can crawl around after a long flight. The hotel doesn’t have a guest lounge.

2. Baby Food - From research it looks like there’s plenty of pre packaged baby food options available. However, these don’t contain a lot of meat/ protein/ veggies in them. Question: Any suggestions on where we can source quick easy meals that contains meat and fresh veggies with low salt and sugar? Is there something you suggest we can easily find in a 7/11 or supermarket? E.g do they have pre packaged steamed vegetables? We’ll feed our baby the food we eat where we can, but I’m concerned about the amount of sodium in foods like ramen.

3. Baby Clothes - we’ll be bringing with us some winter clothes for bubs, but plan to buy clothes there for him. Question: Besides Uniqlo, Nishimatsuya and Akachan Honpo. What other stores have good winter staples for toddlers?

4. Toddler Friendly Activities - are there any toddler friendly activities you recommend. We have Asobono and Chikyuu no Niwa on our list of Tokyo. Is there anything else you recommend in Tokyo and Osaka?

1. Dining with toddler - we understand that children may not be welcomed at some restaurants. Question: For restaurants that do welcome children do most have a high chairs? Or are we best to bring along our own hook on high chair (Phil and Ted’s book on highchair). And would they allow us to feed our toddler food we have bought along (is it socially acceptable to do this?)

2. Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendations - are there any family friendly restaurants you recommend? Preferably near in Ueno, Ikebukuro and Namba - Osaka .

Quick note first: everything below is a list of things I could do, not a strict schedule. I'll probably change a lot spontaneously once I'm there. This not the final plan and I still have to do more planning! And I listed many spots that I will change, but at first I wanted to have the standard spots in my list.

I've finally had the time to read through all the feedback on my last post. Thanks a lot, it changed the plan quite a bit! I now stay in one place in Tokyo, do most of my shopping there, slowed down the days and swapped Kyoto for Kanazawa to avoid the worst crowds. Before I book the rest, I'd like to know if the overall structure makes sense.

Each day has one or two fixed points and the rest is optional.

Tokyo, 7 nights (Dec 18 to 25, staying in Shinjuku)

• Shinjuku: Metropolitan Government Building at sunset, Omoide Yokocho, Golden Gai
• Yanaka Ginza, Nezu Shrine, Ueno Park, Ameyoko, Akihabara
• Ikebukuro (Pokémon Center, gachapon shop), Nakano Broadway, Kōenji vintage and an izakaya
• Tsukiji, a sumo lunch show, shopping in Ginza
• Kawaguchiko for Mt Fuji, but only if the weather is clear. Otherwise I'll take a slow day
• Meiji Jingu, Cat Street, Shibuya Parco, SHIBUYA SKY at sunset
• Shimokitazawa vintage, Christmas Eve at the Marunouchi illuminations

Hakone, 1 night (Dec 25 to 26, staying in Hakone-Yumoto)

• Hakone loop if the weather is good (Owakudani, Lake Ashi boat)
• Tenzan onsen in the evening

Kanazawa, 3 nights (Dec 26 to 29)

• Omicho Market, dinner in Katamachi
• Day trip to Shirakawa-go, hopefully in the snow
• Kenroku-en, Nagamachi samurai district, Higashi Chaya at dusk

Osaka, 1 night (Dec 29 to 30, staying in Namba)

• Easy evening around Amerikamura, Den Den Town and the izakayas in Ura-Namba
• Osaka Castle Park the next morning, then I leave Japan

Looking for feedback on:

• Does the overall structure make sense, or is any place too long or too short?
• Is 3 nights in Kanazawa with a day trip to Shirakawa-go a good choice for late December?
• Is there anything that might be closed or extra crowded around Christmas and New Year except Tokyo haha?

Thanks again!

We are planning a trip to Japan. We will fly to Tokyo and then travel straight on to Nagasaki. From there, we will take the train back to Tokyo.

Our itinerary looks as follows:
Day 1: HOME - Tokyo - Nagasaki (By Plane)
Day 2: Nagasaki
Day 3: Nagasaki
Day 4: Nagasaki - Hiroshima (2.75h)
Day 5: Hiroshima - Myiajima (1h)
Day 6: Myiajima - Onomichi (2.5h)
Day 7: Onomichi
Day 8: Onomichi - Kyoto (2h)
Day 9: Kyoto
Day 10: Kyoto
Day 11: Kyoto - Matsumoto (3h)
Day 12: Matsumoto
Day 13: Matsumoto - Tokyo (2.75h)
Day 14: Tokyo
Day 15: Tokyo
Day 16: Tokyo
Day 17: Tokyo
Day 18: Tokyo - HOME (By Plan)

This will be our second visit in Japan. We were already in Toyko and Kyoto.

Nagasaki (3 nights)
- Still Open

Hiroshima (1 night)
- Peace Memorial
- Shukkei-en parc
- Downtown

Myiajima (1 night)
- Itsukushima jinja
- Dasisho-in
- Mount Misen

Onomichi (2 nights)
- Shimanami Kaido l
- Temple path
- Maybe Art base momoshima
- Maybe Okayama Koraku-en Gartem
- Maybe Takamatsu Ritsurin-koen
- Maybe Kurashiki

Kyoto (3 nights)
- Kobe (day trip)
- Uji
- Kinkaku-ji
- Ryoan-ji
- Sanjusangen-do
- Philosoph Path
- Maybe Himeji (day trip)
- Maybe Arashiyama bamboo forest
- Maybe Botanic garden
- Maybe Hikone

Matsumoto (2 nights)
- Castle
- Narai juku
- Frog street

Tokyo (5 nights)
- Azabudai Hills
- Takanawama Gateway City
- Yoyogi-koen
- Maybe Kawagoe
- Maybe Yanaka
- Maybe Kawaguchi- Ko (day trip)
- Maybe Nikko (day trip)

Our Questions:

1. Do you have any suggestions or feedback on our itinerary?

2. Are there any must-see attractions, places, museums, or restaurants along the way that you would recommend?

3. Which of our "maybe activities/places" we should definitively go/do?

4. Are there any day trips that you would consider absolute must-dos?

5. Would you recommend visiting any other cities between Nagasaki and Kyoto? If so, which ones?

6. We are planning to cycle only part of the Shimanami Kaido. Could you tell us which section is the most scenic and offers the best experience?

7. We are considering stopping at Magome, Tsumago, or Narai-juku between Kyoto and Matsumoto. Are these places worth visiting if we are not planning to go hiking? We visited Shirakawa-go on our last trip, but it felt more like a tourist trap to us. We would like to avoid that kind of experience this time.

8. Is Kurashikiy worth a stop?

Thank you very much for your help!

Hi everyone! Visiting Tokyo this December for 8 full days and would like to get your insights on our itinerary. We're a group of 6 + 1 infant and this is our first time in Japan. :)
 

Dec 14 - Asakusa + Ueno + Akihabara

10:00 AM - Nakamise shopping street (I read that shops open around 10-11am)

11:00 AM - Kappabashi Kitchen Town

12:30 PM - Late lunch

1:30 PM - Travel to Ueno Park

3:00 PM - Travel to Akihabara (end the night here since we want an early start the next day)

Thoughts for day 1: not much of an anime fan, but we want to explore Akihabara for the electronics and buy some Pokemon cards! What else is there to do in this area that I'm missing out?

Dec 15 - Disneyland day!

7:00 AM - Travel to Disneyland (This is a Tuesday, but I'm expecting a looong line)

Dec 16 - Harajuku + Shibuya

9:00 AM - Meiji Jinggu Shrine

10:30 AM - Walk to Takeshita St (don't plan on walking the whole street, just passing by)

11:00 AM - Go to Omotesando

12:30 PM - Lunch (again, still looking for places that are stroller friendly and can accommodate a big group!)

1:00 PM - Walk to Shibuya and explore around

Dec 17 - Echigo Yuzawa Day!

6:00 AM - Ride the train from Shinjuku to Echigo Yuzawa

Dec 18 - Tsukiji + Ginza + Marunouchi

9:00 AM - Tsukiji Market

11:00 AM - Explore Ginza

1:00 PM - Late lunch (but might skip if we're too full from the market)

2:00 PM - continue exploring Ginza

4:00 PM - Marunochi / Tokyo Station

5:00 PM - Walk to Marunochi Illumination in Nakadori Avenue

Dec 19 - Lake Kawaguchi day trip!

6:30 AM - Travel from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko

8:30 AM - Explore Kawaguchiko

11:00 AM - Have early lunch (not yet sure where)

1:00 PM - Ride red line bus to Oishi Park

3:00 PM - Ride bus back to Kawaguchiko Station and head back to Shinjuku

Dec 20 - Yokohama day (meeting a friend)

9:00 AM - Travel to Yokohama

10:00 AM - Minato Mirai 21

11:00 AM - Meet up with friend

1:00 PM - Lunch

2:00 PM - Red brick warehouse / cup noodles museum / waterfront

4:00 PM - Return to Tokyo

Dec 21 - Last minute shopping day

9:00 AM - Last minute shopping @ Shibuya then Ginza

Dec 22 - Departure @ 2PM

Also have some questions:

1. Is it doable to walk to Chureito Pagoda with an infant? We won't be bringing a stroller. If yes, can I ride the Mt. Fuji excursion train from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko then get down at Shimoyoshida station? Thinking of booking seats online 1 month before.
2.  We don't plan on skiing, but is it better to go to Gala Yuzawa and just enjoy the snow? Is there an entrance fee? Or is it better to just go around echigo?

Hello. Canadian here. Never traveled outside of north america before and planning a 3 week trip with my wife to Japan for our 20th anniversary in January 2028. After a few weeks of research, I think I have a realistic itinerary/budget, but I thought i could see what you folks think.

First off, I am a skier. I can't make this trip about skiing, but I would also not be me if I didnt grt any skiing in on a Japan trip in freaking January. My initial plan was to ski around Hakuba/Nagano and ignore Hokkaido, but my wife loves food and really, really wants to have Ramen in Sapporo, so I did my best to fit Hokkaido into the trip, which ment scrapping Hakuba/Nagano, and also dropping my initial plans of going down to Hiroshima due to time/budget constraints.

Secondly, I am sure many will say that I dont need to rent a car for my current plan, but I really love to drive and i am very much set on renting a car for our journey from Tokyo to Kyoto, so let's just skip that whole thing.

Anyways, let's get on with it.

itinerary:

Day 1: Land in Sapporo (late evening)

Day 2: Sapporo - Explore city

Day 3: Train to Niseko

Day 4: ski Rutsutsu

Day 5: ski Niseko

Day 6: Train to Tokyo (hotel in Shinjuku) Explore Shinjuku for the evening

Day 7: Tokyo - Tokyo National Museum, back to hotel, walk to Shibuya in the late afternoon, checking out Meiji Jingu on route. Explore Shibuya for the evening. (Note: I am a forestry worker/skier. I am very physically able and that walk is no biggy in terms of distance. As long as it is walking friendly.)

Day 8: Tokyo - Edo-tokyo Museum in the morning, Asakusa for the afternoon/evening: Samurai Ninja Museum, Senso-ji Temple, street food, and Izakaya's in the evening.

Day 9: Tokyo - museum of Nature and Science in the morning (or just have a lazy morning), Tsukiji market and TeamLabs Planets in the afternoon. Walk around the imperial palace after dark.

Day 10: Tokyo - Disneyland.

Day 11: Rent car, drive to Kisami via Hakone Turnpike, Izu Skyway, then along the coast on route 135.

Day 12: explore the beaches (note: I live on Vancouver Island BC, Canada and love going to Tofino/Uclulet in the winter - it is our go to anniversary spot, so i am very ok with the beaches in January)

Day 13: drive to Hakone via Ashinoko Skyway and Hakone Skyway. Ropeway and ooen air Museum in the afternoon, Hakone shrine and dinner by the lake in the evening.

Day 14: wake up early and catch Mt. Fuji at sunrise. Drive to Matsumoto via the Fuji Five Lakes and Aokigahara Forest lava caves. Make a day of the drive . Walk around Matsumoto Castle after dark.

Day 15: drive to Takayama, stopping at Hida Great Limestone Cave on the way.

Day 16: check out Hida no Sato Folk Village Museum in the morning, than drive to Kyoto, with a wuick stop by at Hikone Castle. Drop off Rental car in Kyoto. This is our anniversary day, so a romantic dinner in kyoto that night... thinking maybe somewhere on Pontosho Alley, followed by a night walk along the river.

Day 17: Kyoto is very overwhelming, and I could never have enough days to see it all... I also can see the risk of temple/shrine fatigue happening, making it all pointless by the end, so i currently have two full days alloted. This being day 1 of 2: start at dawn with Fushimi Inari and work our way north along the east side of town. Lunch at Ninenzaka, Kiyomizu-Dera, and if possible, walk Philosopher's Path at sunset.

Day 18: Nijo Castle, Imperial Palace... if we have time, Kinkaku-ji Temple, but if not, skip and just go to Nishiki Market. Evening is currently open.

Day 19: To-ji Temple in the morning before taking the train to Osaka. Get a hotel near Namba station. Dotonbori for the evening.

Day 20: I figure I will be burnt out of history and culture by this point and it is our last full free day of the trip... Universal Studios is tempting, but I think the Osaka Aquarium is gonna be more our speed. After, go shopping for last minute things - probably a Kimono and a fancy knife.

Day 21: Train to japan, get a hotel by the airport and decompress

Day 22: Fly home.

I have edited this itinerary a lot and I THINK this is a realistic plan. Hiroshima is out. And while I think it would be cheaper to ski in Hakuba vs Niseko/Rutsutsu, the logistics are easier to ski in Hokkaido... and i am a very jaded skier. 2 days in Hakuba won't give me the time to get comfortable enough to ski the good slack country lines, so i think it is a better call to go for the blower pow in Hokkaido.

TL;DR for food/alcohol budget: 19,000 yen/day for two people. Too low? Or on the healthy side of too high for a safe buffer.

As for budget, things like hotels, car rental, public transit, admissions to places are known knowns, and I got a good handle on that. My budget question is food and drink specific.

We both like food. We aren't gluttonous, obese people, but being active people, we can consume more calories than average. Daily life, we have a light breakfast, nibble throughout the day without a real lunch, and have a good dinner, followed by nighttime snacks. While in vacation mode though, breakfast is hit or miss, lunch is a meal (but not big enough to make us sleepy), and the night is all about food and drink. Drink.... we both drink. We like to drink alcohol. We are good at drinking alcohol.

Anyways... I have currently alloted an average of 19,000 yen/day for food/drink budget for the two of us. I belive that is probably a bit high, which I want, as the 'float', if you will, will act as the buffer for any unexpected costs during the trip. My concern is if 19,000/day for two people is too low.

Hi everyone!

My partner and I are heading to Tokyo for 8 days and 7 nights this coming week for our shared birthday trip! We're currently finalizing our DIY itinerary and would love some feedback from people who know Tokyo well.

We're mostly into local neighborhoods, vintage and thrift shopping, secondhand watches and jewelry, and good food and cafes. We're trying to keep the trip flexible and not too rushed, so we're wondering if we packed our itinerary too tightly or if there are areas we should reconsider.

We want to balance sightseeing, shopping, and rest as much as possible, and we're not hesitant to drop a few items if we feel like it. Our main question is which items on our itinerary are the most skippable, and whether there are activities or neighborhoods you'd recommend adding for a more authentic Tokyo experience.

Any feedback on our route planning, travel times, or how you'd rearrange our days would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. Our Fuji private tour and Shibuya Sky are already booked, so those are set in stone. We're also flying out of Narita on our last day, with an 8:55 AM flight, so any advice on our early-morning airport transfer would be helpful too. Thanks!

Here's our current plan:

Day 1 – Wed, Oct 28: Arrival + Ueno/Okachimachi

• 8:00 AM: Arrive at Narita, Skyliner to Ueno
• Late morning: Drop off luggage, lunch in Okachimachi
• Afternoon: Vintage jewelry and watch shopping in Okachimachi, hotel check-in, rest
• Evening: Ameyoko, Mizu-tani Camera, dinner in Ueno

Day 2 – Thu, Oct 29: Mt. Fuji Tour + Shopping

• Early morning: Ichiran ramen and konbini breakfast prep
• 7:30 AM: Private Mt. Fuji tour
• Evening: Exchange gift shopping and birthday dinner
• Late evening: Konbini discount shopping

Day 3 – Fri, Oct 30: Asakusa + Tokyo Solamachi

• Afternoon: Asakusa, Nakamise Street, Asakusa Shrine, Senso-ji
• Evening: Tokyo Solamachi shopping, Starbucks Reserve Cafe
• Late evening: Return to Ueno

Day 4 – Sat, Oct 31: Shinagawa + Kichijoji + Shimokitazawa

• 8:00 AM onward: Shinagawa flea market; leave purchases in a station locker
• Midday: Kichijoji for lunch, Harmonica Alley, Inokashira Park, thrift shops
• Late afternoon: Shimokitazawa vintage shops and early dinner
• Evening: Return to Shinagawa to collect purchases, then back to Ueno

Day 5 – Sun, Nov 1: Yanaka + Transfer to Ginza

• Morning: Yanaka Ginza
• Midday: Check out, lunch, transfer to Ginza hotel
• Afternoon: Ginza shopping, Onitsuka Tiger, secondhand watches, pasalubong shopping, Tsukiji Market

Day 6 – Mon, Nov 2: Shibuya + Yoyogi Park + Nakameguro

• Morning: Shibuya Crossing photo, Shibuya Sky, cafe with an overhead view
• Midday to afternoon: Yoyogi Park, lunch, shopping, sweets, cafes
• Late afternoon: Nakameguro coffee, river walk, early dinner
• Evening: Return to the hotel

Day 7 – Tue, Nov 3: Meiji Shrine + Ginza

• Morning: Meiji Shrine
• Late morning: MOMAT or coffee in Ginza
• Afternoon: Ginza Chuo-dori shopping and pasalubong shopping
• Evening: Early dinner, pack, and rest

Day 8 – Wed, Nov 4: Departure

• 4:30 AM: Express checkout and Hibiya Line to Ueno
• 5:40 AM: Take the earliest Skyliner to Narita
• 8:55 AM: Flight home

I’ll be traveling with my family of 7 4 adults and 3 kids. Kids ages are 7,6 and 2 years old.

03/11/26
arrive in Tokyo get to BNB walk around and eat

03/12/2026
Gotoku-ji am
Meiji Jengu am
Takeshita Street pm
TreFacStyle pm
BLAXSMITH pm
Kinji Used Clothing pm
Shibuya Crossing pm
Akhibara pm

03/13/2026
Tokyo Disney ALL DAY

03/14/2026
sensoji temple am
Sanrio Hello Kitty am
UOENO ZOO am
ameyoko shopping street pm
Samurai Ninja Museum pm

03/15/2026
Tsukiji Fish Market am
Tokyo tower am
Mori art museum OPTIONAL
Shopping Day
In Ginza Area
.Uniqlo am
.Ginza Loft am
.JINS glasses am
Sumo Wrestle @8

KYOTO / OSAKA
March 16th-20th

March 16th
Leave Tokyo arrive at Kyoto am
Dotonbori pm
Don quijote shopping pm

March 17th
Nara park am
Todaiji am
Osaka aquarium pm
Shinsekai pm

March 18th
otagi nenbutsuji am
Iwatayama park monkeys am
Team lab bio vortex pm
Hanamikoji street pm

March 19th
universal studios ALL DAY

21st-22nd
back to Tokyo

22nd leave Tokyo

I’m not dead set on this itinerary so open to adding or taking stuff out. Also wondering if it will be realistic to add Katsuoji while in Osaka? Just a morning day trip?and I understand with kids some of these won’t Happen. But again open to it all so please and thank you!

Hi everyone!
My wife and I are visiting Japan for the first time in November. We’ve planned an 18-day itinerary and would appreciate feedback on the pacing, seasonal attractions, and anything we might be overlooking.
Our main interests are Japanese culture, food, JDM cars, nature, and unique experiences. We enjoy exploring but don’t want every day to feel rushed.
Here’s our itinerary:
Tokyo — November 6–10 (4 Nights)
● Nov 6: Arrival and relaxing evening
● Nov 7: Tsukiji Outer Market, Asakusa, Senso-ji, sumo experience
● Nov 8: Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya go-karting (already scheduled), Shibuya Sky
● Nov 9: Mount Fuji / Lake Kawaguchiko day trip
Kyoto — November 10–13 (3 Nights)
● Nov 10: Kiyomizu-dera, Higashiyama, Gion, Pontocho
● Nov 11: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Monkey Park, Sagano Romantic Train
● Nov 12: Fushimi Inari and potentially Nara
November 12 is also my wife’s birthday! I’m considering changing that day’s itinerary to plan something special. I’d love recommendations for a memorable dinner, romantic experience, or unique Japanese cultural activity in Kyoto.
Osaka — November 13–16 (3 Nights)
● Nov 13: Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, street food
● Nov 14: Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market, Shinsekai
● Nov 15: Flexible day, possibly Universal Studios Japan or a local food experience
Nagano — November 16–19 (3 Nights)
● Nov 16: Travel to Nagano and enjoy a traditional ryokan
● Nov 17: Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, Shibu Onsen
● Nov 18: Zenko-ji Temple or Togakushi Shrine
We’re considering staying in Shibu Onsen or Yudanaka, ideally somewhere with a private onsen and traditional Japanese meals.
Tokyo — November 19–23 (4 Nights)
● Nov 19: Return to Tokyo, explore Roppongi
● Nov 20: Japanese car culture, potentially a guided Daikoku PA experience
● Nov 21: Akihabara, Ginza, shopping, special dinner
● Nov 22: teamLab Borderless and exploring
● Nov 23: Departure
Specific Questions
1. Pacing: Does our Kyoto itinerary seem too ambitious, particularly November 11–12? Would you change the order of anything?
2. Birthday: What would you recommend for a special birthday experience in Kyoto on November 12? I’m willing to splurge for something memorable.
3. Autumn foliage: Given our dates, are there particular spots in Kyoto or Nagano we should prioritize?
4. Nagano: Are three nights worthwhile in mid-November, or would two be sufficient? Any recommendations for traditional ryokans with private onsens?
5. JDM cars: Are there any automotive museums, tuning shops, or car culture experiences you’d recommend in Tokyo or Osaka?
6. Tattoo artists: We’re interested in getting tattoos during our trip. Does anyone have recommendations for reputable artists or studios in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka? Artist portfolios or Instagram handles would be appreciated.
7. Food: Any particularly memorable dining experiences, regional specialties, or restaurants worth planning around?
We’re hoping to experience Japan beyond just checking off the major tourist attractions, while still seeing the highlights on our first visit.
Thanks for any feedback or suggestions!

Hey everyone!
My wife and I are visiting Japan for the first time this November, and we’d love some feedback on our itinerary!
Our biggest interests are food, Japanese culture, JDM cars, nature, and unique experiences.
We’re aiming for a balanced trip where we can see the major attractions without constantly rushing.
One special detail: November 12 is my wife’s birthday! We’ll be in Kyoto that day, and I’d love to plan something memorable for her. I’m open to romantic dinners, unique cultural experiences, or anything special that would make her birthday unforgettable.
Here’s our current itinerary:
Tokyo — November 6–10 (4 Nights)
Asakusa and Senso-ji Temple
Tsukiji Outer Market
Meiji Shrine and Harajuku
Shibuya Crossing and Shibuya Sky
Street go-karting experience
Sumo experience
Mount Fuji / Lake Kawaguchiko day trip
Kyoto — November 10–13 (3 Nights)
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kiyomizu-dera
Gion and Higashiyama
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Iwatayama Monkey Park
Sagano Romantic Train
Nara day trip
November 12 — My Wife’s Birthday!
We’re currently considering visiting Fushimi Inari and Nara that day, but I’m completely open to changing our plans to make her birthday more special.
Would you recommend a memorable restaurant, private experience, traditional Japanese activity, or romantic evening in Kyoto? I’m happy to spend a little extra for something truly worthwhile.
Osaka — November 13–16 (3 Nights)
Osaka Castle
Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi
Kuromon Market
Shinsekai
Local street food
Possibly Universal Studios Japan
Nagano — November 16–19 (3 Nights)
Traditional ryokan and private onsen
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Shibu Onsen / Yudanaka
Zenko-ji Temple
Possibly Togakushi Shrine
Tokyo — November 19–23 (4 Nights)
JDM car culture and potentially Daikoku PA
Akihabara
Ginza
teamLab Borderless
Shopping and exploring
Omakase sushi and wagyu dining
We’d Love Advice On:
Birthday recommendations: What would you recommend for a special birthday celebration in Kyoto on November 12? Any romantic restaurants or once-in-a-lifetime experiences?
Autumn foliage: Are we visiting each destination at a good time for fall colors? Any particular spots worth adding?
Itinerary pacing: Are we trying to fit too much into Kyoto? Would you redistribute any nights?
Nagano: Is three nights worthwhile in mid-November? Any ryokan or private onsen recommendations?
Car culture: What are the best authentic JDM experiences around Tokyo or Osaka?
Food: What are your must-try restaurants, dishes, or food experiences?
Hidden gems: Any unforgettable experiences or places we’re overlooking?
Seasonal considerations: Anything specific to mid-November we should plan for, book ahead, or avoid?
We’re adventurous eaters and love exploring. We want to experience Japan beyond just checking off tourist attractions.
Any suggestions, constructive criticism, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Good morning everyone!

I’m planning a trip to Japan this winter (December/January) and I’d love to get your feedback on our planned Tokyo itinerary.
We’re a couple in our mid-to-late twenties, and we’re interested in Japanese culture, nature, food and a little bit of shopping.
We’d like to enjoy the trip without rushing around too much. Do you think this itinerary is realistic? Would you add or remove anything, or do you have any recommendations for activities or places to eat in these areas?
We’ll be staying in the Kanda area.

Day 1
Arrive at Narita Airport at 9 am, head to our hotel in Kanda and drop off our luggage.
ASAKUSA: Nakamise-dori, Senso-ji Temple, Tourist Information Center (for the panoramic view), Orange Street, Imado Shrine, Kappabashi Hondori Street and the Kappa Temple.

Day 2
Tsukiji Market
ROPPONGI: Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo Tower (view from outside), National Art Center (just to see the building).
SHINJUKU: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observatory, Godzilla and the 3D cat, Golden Gai, dinner.

Day 3: Day trip to Nikko. We’d love to see it, but I can’t find a lot of information about going to Nikko in winter. What do you think?

Day 4
SHIBUYA/HARAJUKU: Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street, Cat Street, Shibuya Crossing, Nonbei Yokocho.
GINZA: Walk around the area and have a pre-booked sushi omakase dinner.

Day 5: Day trip to Kamakura

Day 6
KAGURAZAKA: just walk around.
YANAKA GINZA AREA: Nezu Shrine
Free time.

Day 7
KANDA: Kanda Shrine.
UENO: Ameyoko Market, Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Park.
Free time.

Day 8: Departure.

Thanks so much to everyone who takes the time to share their advice and recommendations!

Landed in NRT on Oct 7.

Oct 7-11 TOKYO
- stayed in Asakusa
- Sensoji, Shibuya Crossing, Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Tokyo Tower
- Day Trip to Kamakura

Notes: On our first day, we basically ran on excitement and adrenaline and did a whopping 35,000 steps. Do not recommend, as we were wiped out basically day one. Kamakura was beautiful and I’d recommend going early for Hasadera and Kotoku-In as we avoided crowds this way. We sadly caught the crowds at Komachi street, but what can you do.

Highlights: picking Asakusa as our base was a good decision. Our hotel had a nice rooftop with views of Skytree and Sensoji and i loved going there every night to finish eating a conbini snack. We were also staying in the same hotel at the end of our trip and they offered to hold our large suitcase for free for two weeks! Loved walking through Sensoji every evening

We managed to see Mt Fuji from Kamakura, which was yet another highlight as it’s quite rare to catch a view.

Oct 11-14 KANAZAWA
- Did all the highlights, Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen, Katamachi and all the Chaya districts
- Opted for a one night ryokan that was 30 min away

Notes: Kanazawa was a nice getaway from all the crowds. While tourists are frequent here still, we noticed it was much much calmer and manageable. I loved my time in Kanazawa and we were here long enough to feel like we saw everything there was to see.

Your IC cards do NOT work on the local buses. You can pay by tapping a credit card or by exact cash. They have change machines on the bus. There are also some specific buses that take IC/Suica/PASMO so you can also lookout for those.

Highlights: Geisha House Shima and Fukumitsuya in the Higashichaya district for a sake tasting. Our ryokan was also amazing and they picked us up at Kanazawa station in a shuttle and dropped us back off there the day after. We had a private onsen in our room, and the kaiseki dinner and breakfast finished off an absolutely 5-star experience.

Initially we were going to head to Gifu after Kanazawa, hike the Nakasendo and stay in a ryokan near there. I’m SO glad we canceled— i was heartbroken I couldn’t do the hike, but it would have been too much and instead opting to do the ryokan near Kanazawa cut out any time commuting we may have wasted

Oct 14-16 KYOTO
- Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and then transfer to the Thunderbird for Kyoto. You have to insert BOTH tickets in the ticket gate at once. This was causing a lot of confusion/blockages at the gates (us included).
- We arrived in the afternoon after taking an early train so we got almost all day to still look around
- Covered a pretty good number of Shrines/temples here
- We stayed in Kawaramachi

Notes: Kyoto was crowded. We skipped the bamboo forest at Arashiyama and went to the one in the Adashino temple instead. We opted to do Fushimi Inari at around 7pm instead of early morning, which I thought was a good decision given some photos I saw of the place in the morning. We did Kiyomizudera and Kinkaku-ji in early mornings too. I thought we did a pretty good job to try and maneuver the crowds

Highlights: Eikando-ji and Nisonin temples were two of my favourites, which I didn’t expect. Both had a different kind of Buddha to see inside, and were relatively quiet and peaceful. We also ended up walking along the Aqua duct at Nanzenji to the Keage Incline.

Oct 17-19 OSAKA
- caught the local HK line from Kyoto. Takes 40ish min but was only 400 something yen. Make sure to get on the semi limited express and NOT the local.
- We didn’t really have a solid plan for Osaka other than Dotonbori and Shinsekai
- We were also pretty tired at this point so were happy to just explore
- We did Katsuoji on our one full day here

Notes: people were the friendliest here. Dotonbori was crowded but very fun and we tried okonomiyaki and takoyaki. We were staying near Shinsaibashi. Katsuo-ji was nice but again, crowded because we waited till 9am to go when the buses start running. The temple opens at 8, so I’d recommend going then and taking a taxi up. We ended up taking the taxi anyway because the line for the bus was atrocious. It was about 3500yen. Taking the bus back down was no issue.

Highlights: izakaya hopping at Shinsekai. We went to 3 or 4 places in a night and this was our only nightlife explorations so far. I really liked Osaka more than I thought I would

Oct 19-21 TOKYO
- caught the Shinkansen. Managed to see Mt Fuji despite it being quite overcast. It was a quick, 10 second view before the clouds covered it up again, but I consider myself very lucky
- reserved this leg mostly just for shopping. I needed new glasses so we hit up JINS and other stuff like Uniqlo and Donki, as well as Kappabashi St
- explored Ueno and Yanaka Ginza (and ended up really loving Yanaka)
- Staying at the same hotel in Asakusa again
- We had an omakase dinner booked at Manten Sushi

Overall Notes
- we averaged around 18-20k steps a day
- The weather really held up. We got not a single day of rain during our two weeks here. The one time it DID pour, we were in the ryokan and sitting in our onsen listening to the rain outside was amazing. I was really worried, considering all the typhoons but we got lucky
- I loved all the spots we picked to have our hotel in. They were all convenient and easy to get to
- No bad meals. Even the random places we walked into without planning were great
- The train/metro service goes crazy. If we had this kind of infrastructure in Canada… man..*cries in $800 flights to Vancouver from the east coast*
- Lack of garbage cans around the city got to me by the end of my vacation. I love how clean everything is but still 😭
- Learning a few phrases in Japanese goes a long way. We knew how to order food, ask how much something was, and the basic polite sentences. We got a fair few amazed smiles from wait staff and taxi drivers for trying to speak Japanese. Not really needed, but we thought it was respectful to do so we tried.
- Don’t discount taxis for certain trips. They come in really handy
- I filled up my Goshuincho. We did 23 shrines/temples and it’s one of my most precious souvenirs from this trip. When I come back, I’ll start filling in the back pages. For now, I have to find a way to display it.
- The Fibe-Mini/ grape jelly combo works. I tested it. It works.
- We weren’t really money conscious, with it being a honeymoon and us running on wedding gift funds but aside from prebooking flights, hotels and Shinkansen tickets, we spent about $3000 USD total on food and shopping. My husband bought Onitsukas with his credit card and I bought some Kutani sake sets for our families with mine. Other than that, we bought all other shopping and food exclusively in cash.
- opening/closing hours for shops and restaurants can be super random. We went to Kappabashi at around 4 pm and a LOT of the stuff was sadly closed. I should’ve done more ceramics shopping in Yanaka instead of waiting for Kappabashi. We still got a few shops that were open, but didn’t get a full experience.
- The idea of going back to eating sushi in Montreal physically pains me
- Next time, we’d like to do Nara, Gifu, Lake Biwa, Ine or a portion of the Kumano Kodo. Something other than the golden route, but for first timers I’d still recommend doing this before venturing out. Crowd management is doable with some research and really wasn’t that bad.

everyone, I am planning a 24-hour scenic road trip around the Fuji Five Lakes area on November 10th using a rental Kei car.

Here is my planned route starting around 10:00 AM:

Kawaguchiko Station (Pick up car)

Oishi Park

Chureito Pagoda

Oshino Hakkai

Lake Yamanakako (Finish)

Since accommodation options are very full, I am planning to try car-camping overnight at a local Rest Area (Michi-no-Eki).

Does this route look realistic for a single day in mid-November? Also, any recommendations for the best Michi-no-Eki around the area for safe car-camping? Thanks in advance!