Hello Everyone,
I am taking my first trip to Japan in early February 2026. Below is what I currently have planned for my itinerary. I think I've done a good job with pacing, but happy to hear suggestions for things I shouldn't miss or what could be cut from my trip. My hotels are already booked, the first two nights in Tokyo are close to Tokyo Station, 1 night in Kyoto, and the last chunk in Tokyo is closer to Shinjuku Station (planning to explore these areas during the night for dinner/drinks). Day 5 and 6 are a bit of a rough idea so far, open to suggestions, but currently planning on just seeing where the city takes me. Also curious about whether I should visit Akihabara? I'm not really into anime, which seems to be the big draw, but maybe there's more there, and it would be worth visiting. Thanks for your guidance in advance!
Day 1 Tokyo:
- Land at Narita in late afternoon
- Take train to Tokyo Station and drop off luggage at hotel
- Sumo Dinner
Day 2 Tokyo:
- Disneyland and DisneySea
Day 3 Kyoto:
- Morning train to Kyoto
- Spend day exploring:
- Nikishi Market,
- Gion & Higashiyama (Gion Kagai Art Museum Performace),
- Kiyomizu-dera
Day 4 Kyoto:
- Morning tea ceremony
- Honmaru-goten Palace
- Afternoon
- Possible quickish trip to Nara (Nara Park and Todai-ji)
- Or more exploring in Kyoto (To-ji Temple and Fushimi Inari Taisha)
- Evening train back to Tokyo
Day 5 Tokyo:
- Morning go to The National Art Center
- Afternoon/Evening Harajuku and Meiji Jingu
Day 6 Tokyo:
- Explore Shibuya Morning/Afternoon
- Shibuya Scramble
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Possibly Shibuya Sky)
- Evening Further Explore Shinjuku (Hotel is in this area, so I figure I will have time during the nights to explore as I see fit)
Day 7 Tokyo/Hakonne:
- Romancecar to Hakone
- Relax at an Onsen
- Maybe go and see volcano via Ropeway
- Romancecar back to Tokyo
Day 8 Tokyo:
- Tsukiji market in the morning
- Sensoji Temple afternoon
- Maybe go to Akihabara or Teamlabs Planets (I’ve been to Meowwolf and a different digital art exhibit before, so it’s not a top priority)
Day 9 Tokyo:
- Imperial Palace in the morning
- Head to Narita in afternoon for departing flight
by TXguy2468