I'll be visiting Japan for the first time in a few days. This is my first time planning a trip and going solo, so I feel a bit overwhelmed. I'm not sure if I'm cramming too much or not enough into each day, or if I'm missing any must sees. I'm also not sure if its worth going to Nara or if I should just stay an extra day in Kyoto instead. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! This is what I got:
Day 1 (Thu 8/28) – Land at NRT around 3:30pm. Taking the Narita Express to Shibuya. Plan is just to check into the hotel, walk around Shibuya, and see the crossing at night.
Day 2 (Fri 8/29) – Shinjuku day. Godzilla head, shopping/arcades, etc. At night planning to check out Omoide Yokocho for food, KFC Nishi-Shinjuku (for the JJK scene), and then Golden Gai. Might swing by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for the view.
Day 3 (Sat 8/30) – Anime/manga day. Nakano Broadway in the morning, then Akihabara in the afternoon.
Day 4 (Sun 8/31) – Shibuya/Harajuku. Meiji Shrine + Yoyogi Park in the morning, Takeshita Street in the afternoon. Probably head back to Shibuya to check out Parco and the Tokyo Character Street.
Day 5 (Mon 9/1) – Imperial Palace East Garden in the morning, wander around nearby shops/cafes. I’ve got tickets for Shibuya Sky at 5pm and want to stay until after sunset.
Day 6 (Tue 9/2) – Day trip to Kamakura. Great Buddha, Hase-dera, Komachi-dori street. Might try to squeeze in Yokohama if I have the energy.
Day 7 (Wed 9/3) – teamLab Planets in the morning. Then Odaiba for the Gundam statue and waterfront stuff.
Day 8 (Thu 9/4) – Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning. Debating whether to go straight to Nara for a half-day (Todai-ji, Nara Park, see the deer) or just skip it and start Kyoto earlier. Either way I’ll be checking into my Kyoto hotel that night.
Day 9 (Fri 9/5) – Kyoto city day. Planning the International Manga Museum in the morning (get a portrait done), then Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji, and Ryoan-ji.
Day 10 (Sat 9/6) – Arashiyama day. Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji, Togetsukyo Bridge, then hike up to Monkey Park. If I have time, maybe check out Gio-ji and Jojakko-ji.
Day 11 (Sun 9/7) – Fushimi Inari early morning, then Tofuku-ji and Daigo-ji. Head back to Tokyo in the evening and check into an Asakusa hotel.
Day 12 (Mon 9/8) – Asakusa in the morning (Senso-ji, Nakamise street), then go find the “Your Name” staircase at Suga Shrine. Last night in Tokyo, probably just hang around Asakusa.
Day 13 (Tue 9/9) – Final shopping in the morning. Flight out of NRT at 5pm.
by thename0fthewind