I’m going to Japan for my first time this Autumn! I’ve organized the dates in hopes of catching the best fall foliage in Tokyo and Kyoto, I understand it’s hard to time and I accept the possibility the things won’t line up perfectly so I won’t be too heartbroken.
But besides that I was wanting feedback on my itinerary below! The only thing I’ve recently changed is I’ve added an extra day to Kyoto even though I was advised 4 was more than enough. I got a really good hotel points redemption rate and a 5th day ended up being free lol
Day 1 – Nov 22 (Sat)
Arrive Tokyo (~3 PM) → hotel → lazy evening stroll
Day 2 – Nov 23 (Sun)
Tokyo light intro: Shinjuku, Harajuku, or Shibuya
Day 3 – Nov 24 (Mon)
Tokyo full day: Asakusa, Skytree, Ueno or Ginza
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Hiroshima + Naoshima
Day 4 – Nov 25 (Tue)
Shinkansen to Hiroshima → Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Dome
Day 5 – Nov 26 (Wed)
Miyajima Island day trip → return Hiroshima night
Day 6 – Nov 27 (Thu)
Hiroshima → Ferry/train to Naoshima → art museums & installations → evening train to Osaka → Dotonbori food crawl + neon nightlife
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Osaka + Kyoto & Nara (6 Nights, Dec 1 Centerpiece)
Day 7 – Nov 28 (Fri)
Day trip to Himeji: Himeji Castle & Koko-en Garden → return Osaka evening → Kuromon Market dinner + Shinsekai retro stroll
Day 8 – Nov 29 (Sat)
Morning Osaka flex (Sumiyoshi Taisha or shopping in Namba) → afternoon train to Kyoto → evening Fushimi Inari + Gion stroll
Day 9 – Nov 30 (Sun)
Higashiyama Walk: Ginkaku-ji → Philosopher’s Path → Kiyomizu-dera → Yasaka Shrine
Day 10 – Dec 1 (Mon)
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove → Tenryu-ji → Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)
Day 11 – Dec 2 (Tue)
Nara day trip (Todai-ji, Deer Park, Kasuga Taisha) → return Kyoto
Day 12 – Dec 3 (Wed)
Kyoto flex day (extra temples, tea ceremony, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Station shopping, or Uji Byodo-in)
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Japanese Alps Route (Rearranged for Geography)
Day 13 – Dec 4 (Thu)
Kyoto → Kanazawa (Kenrokuen Garden, samurai district, seafood market) → Kanazawa night
Day 14 – Dec 5 (Fri)
Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go (half-day) → Takayama evening → old town stroll
Day 15 – Dec 6 (Sat)
Takayama: Showa Era Museum → afternoon Shinhotaka Ropeway → Hirayu Onsen overnight
Day 16 – Dec 7 (Sun)
Hirayu Onsen → Matsumoto (castle) → Nagano → Shibu Onsen night
Day 17 – Dec 8 (Mon)
Jigokudani Snow Monkeys → Nagano flex (Zenko-ji, town stroll) → evening Shinkansen to Tokyo
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Tokyo Finale (5 Days)
Day 18 – Dec 9 (Tue)
Tokyo re-entry: Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ginza evening
Day 19 – Dec 10 (Wed)
Tokyo free day: Odaiba, Akihabara, Ghibli Museum, etc.
Day 20 – Dec 11 (Thu)
Tokyo deeper dive: teamLab, museums, or day trip (Kawagoe, Kamakura, Nikko)
Day 21 – Dec 12 (Fri)
Tokyo shopping + wrap-up
Day 22 – Dec 13 (Sat)
Tokyo last full day: cafes, strolling, last bites
Day 23 – Dec 14 (Sun)
Tokyo departure day
Thanks!
by ecosludge