Hi Beautiful People on the Internet,
I will be solo travelling Japan for the first time this September. I’d love to hear any feedback and recommendations on what to add/remove or whether it's too loaded/rushed.
Any suggestions on cost savings are also welcome!
7-Day Japan Travel Itinerary
Day 1 (September 1) – Tokyo Arrival & Cultural Foundation
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:45 AM | Arrive Haneda Airport | Tokyo Haneda | – | Flight |
| 7:30 AM | Airport Express to Tokyo | Haneda → Tokyo | ¥570 | Keikyu Airport Express |
| 8:30 AM | Check-in & luggage storage | CITAN Hostel Nihonbashi | ¥2,760/night | Store main bag |
| 10:00 AM | Senso-ji Temple | Asakusa | FREE | Japan's oldest temple (645 AD) |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch break | Asakusa area | ¥1,500-2,500 | Traditional Japanese |
| 2:00 PM | Meiji Shrine | Harajuku | FREE | Peaceful shrine experience |
| 4:00 PM | Maid Café experience | Akihabara | ¥2,000-3,500 | Café or Maidreamin |
| 6:00 PM | Dinner | Near hotel | ¥2,000-3,000 | Local restaurant |
| 8:00 PM | Night Shibuya Crossing | Shibuya | ¥500-1,000 | Iconic night views + observation |
| 10:00 PM | Shibuya nightlife | Shibuya | ¥2,000-4,000 | Bars/entertainment |
Day 2 (September 2) – Tokyo Cultural Deep Dive & TeamLab
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Studio Ghibli Museum | Mitaka | ¥1,000 | MUST book in advance |
| 11:30 AM | Harajuku exploration | Harajuku | ¥1,000-2,000 | Takeshita Street anime culture |
| 1:00 PM | Lunch | Harajuku | ¥1,500-2,000 | Youth district food |
| 2:30 PM | Tokyo National Museum | Ueno | ¥1,000 | World-class exhibitions |
| 4:30 PM | Ueno Park exploration | Ueno | FREE | Multiple shrines & sites |
| 6:00 PM | TeamLab Borderless | Odaiba | ¥3,200 | ⭐ Digital art immersion |
| 9:30 PM | Dinner in Odaiba | Odaiba | ¥2,500-3,500 | Waterfront dining |
| 11:00 PM | Return to hotel | Odaiba → Hotel | ¥400 | Late train back |
Day 3 (September 3) – Tokyo Finale & Epic Akihabara Evening
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 PM | Luggage forwarding | Tokyo Station | ¥1,650 | Send to Kyoto hotel |
| 5:00 PM | EPIC AKIHABARA EVENING | Akihabara | ¥4,000-8,000 | ⭐ Extended otaku experience |
| 5:00 PM | – Radio Kaikan (8 floors) | Akihabara | Included | Anime figures & collectibles |
| 6:30 PM | – Mandarake complex | Akihabara | Included | Rare manga & vintage items |
| 7:30 PM | – Themed dinner | Akihabara | ¥2,000-3,000 | Anime-themed restaurant |
| 9:00 PM | – Arcade gaming | Akihabara | ¥1,000-2,000 | Multi-floor game centers |
| 10:30 PM | – Final electronics shopping | Akihabara | ¥1,000-3,000 | Late-night tech stores |
Day 4 (September 4) – Tokyo to Osaka & Cultural Exploration
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast & checkout | Tokyo | ¥800-1,200 | Quick breakfast |
| 9:30 AM | Shinkansen to Osaka | Tokyo → Osaka | ¥13,320 | 2h 30min direct journey |
| 12:30 PM | Check-in & lunch | Khaosan World Osaka | ¥3,000/night | Namba area |
| 2:00 PM | Osaka Castle | Osaka Castle Park | ¥600 | Historical landmark |
| 4:00 PM | Sumiyoshi Taisha | Sumiyoshi | FREE | Ancient shrine, red bridges |
| 5:30 PM | Dotonbori district | Central Osaka | ¥2,000-3,000 | Iconic neon lights, street food |
| 7:00 PM | Takoyaki & okonomiyaki | Dotonbori | ¥1,500-2,500 | Authentic Osaka specialties |
| 8:30 PM | Osaka Variety Act Show | Dotonbori | ¥1,000 | Bilingual entertainment |
| 10:00 PM | Osaka nightlife | Shinsekai | ¥2,000-4,000 | Nostalgic district |
Day 5 (September 5) – Osaka Cultural Immersion & Studio Ghibli Concert
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Breakfast | Namba area | ¥800-1,200 | Local breakfast |
| 10:00 AM | DenDen Town exploration | Nippombashi | ¥2,000-4,000 | Anime/electronics shopping |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch | DenDen Town | ¥1,500-2,000 | Themed cafés |
| 1:30 PM | Kuromon Ichiba Market | Namba | ¥1,500-2,500 | Food culture exploration |
| 3:00 PM | Osaka Museum exploration | Central Osaka | ¥600-1,200 | Cultural museums |
| 4:30 PM | Rest & preparation | Hotel | – | Prepare for concert |
| 6:00 PM | Pre-concert dinner | Near venue | ¥2,000-3,000 | Light meal |
| 7:30 PM | 🎼 CANDLELIGHT CONCERT | Osaka venue | ¥4,100-8,750 | ⭐ Studio Ghibli music |
| 10:00 PM | Post-concert celebration | Dotonbori | ¥2,000-4,000 | Celebration drinks |
Day 6 (September 6) – Osaka to Kyoto & MAJOR Temple Circuit
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Early checkout & travel | Osaka → Kyoto | ¥560 | 45min journey |
| 9:00 AM | Check-in & luggage | Kyoto Hana Hostel | ¥3,000/night | Store bags immediately |
| 9:30 AM | Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) | Northwestern Kyoto | ¥500 | Early arrival = no crowds |
| 11:00 AM | Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) | Northern Kyoto | ¥500 | Zen gardens |
| 12:30 PM | Philosopher's Path walk | Northern Kyoto | FREE | Scenic connecting path |
| 1:00 PM | Lunch | Gion district | ¥2,000-2,500 | Traditional area |
| 2:30 PM | Fushimi Inari Taisha | Fushimi | FREE | Thousands of vermillion torii |
| 4:30 PM | Kiyomizu-dera Temple | Eastern Kyoto | ¥400 | Wooden temple, city views |
| 6:00 PM | Gion District exploration | Central Kyoto | FREE | Geisha spotting, traditional streets |
| 7:30 PM | 🎭 GEAR Performance | GEAR Theatre, Kyoto | ¥6,000-8,000 | ⭐ Robots + dance finale |
| 9:00 PM | Traditional Kyoto dinner | Pontocho Alley | ¥4,000-6,000 | Riverside dining celebration |
Day 7 (September 7) – Relaxed Kyoto Morning & Departure
| Time | Activity | Location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Leisurely breakfast | Hotel area | ¥1,000-1,500 | Final Japanese breakfast |
| 9:30 AM | Final Kyoto shopping | Kyoto Station area | ¥2,000-4,000 | Souvenirs, local crafts |
| 11:00 AM | Express to Tokyo | Kyoto → Tokyo | ¥13,320 | 2h 15min journey |
| 1:30 PM | Travel to Narita | Tokyo → Narita | ¥3,020 | Narita Express (1 hour) |
| 2:30 PM | Early airport arrival | Narita Airport | – | 4h 25min before departure |
| 4:00 PM | Airport check-in deadline | Narita Airport | – | International departure prep |
| 6:55 PM | International departure | Narita → | – |
by AxlBlaze369