Getting Around & Transportation Tips

– Add a Suica card to your Apple Wallet before or when you arrive.

– The Green Car on the bullet train is worth it. If you book 21 days in advance on the SmartEX app, you can get a discount.

– Kyoto transportation warning: it’s not like Tokyo. There are fewer trains, buses are often very crowded, and trips can take much longer than expected.

– Hakone tip: check the Hakone Free Pass website to make sure the ropeway is running. Also plan your departure carefully—we left on the Romancecar at 4:30 pm and it still took an hour to get back to the station. We wish we’d budgeted more time.

Where to Stay

– Stay at a hotel within walking distance of a train station and a 7-Eleven—it makes a huge difference.

Beating the Crowds

If you want to see popular spots without crowds, go early (8:00–10:30 am):

Fish market

Popular shrines

Skytree

Bamboo forest

– Arashiyama Bamboo Forest: don’t plan your entire trip around it. Worth seeing if you go early, otherwise skippable. We wouldn’t consider it a forest, it’s only a single path

Kyoto Must-Sees

– Fushimi Inari: go early and know that reaching the top is a real hike. We were sweating in jeans and coats.

– Yasaka Shrine & Kōdaiji: visit at night—beautiful and less crowded.

– Do your shopping in Kyoto rather than Tokyo.

Shopping Tips

– Kappabashi Street: lots of mass-produced items (it reminded us of HomeGoods).

– Instead, go to Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka in Kyoto for:

Better shopping

Great street food

More unique items

– Don Quijote: fun for the experience, but crowded and overpriced. Buy essentials at smaller local stores.

Food & Experiences Worth It

– TeamLab: absolutely worth it—give yourself 2–3 hours.

– 0 Second Lemon Sour: Korean BBQ with all-you-can-drink lemon sours. Make a reservation.

Onsen Etiquette

Onsens do not allow swimsuits. Full

nude, gender-separated.

Fun Extras

If you want to collect stamps, download Stamp Quest to find locations and bring your own notebook.