Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning our first trip to Japan for Spring 2026. We are huge fans of pop culture (anime, gaming, Disney/Universal), but we also want to experience traditional Japan, onsens, and some luxury dining.
We have an itinerary mapped out with times for transit and activities. We are heavy on Taxi use and Luggage Forwarding to try and keep things smooth.
Dates: March 30 – April 20, 2026
We would appreciate any thoughts on our itinerary and whether you think this will flow well or if we will run into any kind of logistical issues. All of our hotels are already booked, but outside of a few must do activities (Disney, USJ, Harry Potter Museum, Studio Ghibli, Teamlabs) we are pretty flexible day to day. Any suggestions/improvements are very much welcome.
Some specific questions we have:
- For the luggage forwarding from Tokyo (Shiodome) to Kinosaki Onsen: Is next-day delivery likely for that distance, or should we ship it 48 hours in advance to be safe?
- Is stopping in Inuyama for just one night worth the logistics of shipping bags and carrying backpacks? We really want to see the castle and cormorant fishing, but valid concern if it's too rushed before heading to Kinosaki.
- We plan to take a taxi from Odawara Station to Sengokuhara (Hiramatsu Resort) to avoid the bus crowds. Is there a reliable taxi stand at Odawara Station that will take us that distance (~45 mins), or do we need to pre-book a private car?
- We have a hard stop to reach Osaka Namba by 13:00 on Day 12. If we stay for the morning prayers and breakfast at Souji-in, is it realistic to catch a train that gets us down the mountain by then?
- For high-end spots like Tofuya Ukai and Teppanyaki Kamon, do reservations open 30 days out or 90 days out? We don't want to miss our window.
Day 1: Mon, March 30 (Transit)
07:10 AM: Flight Departs
Day 2: Tue, March 31 (Arrival in Tokyo)
04:55 AM: Arrive Haneda Airport (HND).
Morning: Relax/Freshen up at Izumi Tenku no Yu (Haneda Airport Spa).
15:30: Taxi from Haneda Airport (T3) -> Daiwa Roynet Nishi-Shinjuku Premier.
Cost: ~¥12,000.
17:30: Walk to Shinjuku East Exit.
Dinner: Gyukatsu Motomura Shinjuku Main Branch.
21:00: Walk back to hotel.
Day 3: Wed, April 1 (Tokyo – Disney Move)
06:30: Taxi from Daiwa Roynet -> Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.
Cost: ~¥14,000. Goal: Beat the rush hour trains with luggage.
08:00 – 22:00: Full day at Tokyo Disneyland.
Day 4: Thu, April 2 (Tokyo – DisneySea)
08:00: Monorail (Disney Resort Line) -> Tokyo DisneySea.
08:30 – 21:00: Full day at DisneySea.
21:00: Taxi from DisneySea -> The Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Shiodome.
Cost: ~¥9,000. avoiding Tokyo Station transfer.
22:00: Drinks at The Bar at Royal Park Iconic.
Day 5: Fri, April 3 (Travel to Inuyama)
08:30: Luggage Forwarding: Ship LARGE suitcases to Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei (Kinosaki). Keep backpack for Inuyama.
09:00: Train Shimbashi -> Shinagawa -> Nagoya (Shinkansen Nozomi).
11:45: Arrive Inuyama-Yuen Station (Meitetsu Line).
12:00: Walk/Taxi to Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden.
13:00: Sightseeing: Inuyama Castle & Castle Town Showa Alley.
Dinner: 鰻と釜めし九 (Unagi).
Evening: Kiso River Ukai (Cormorant Fishing).
Day 6: Sat, April 4 (Travel to Kinosaki Onsen)
08:00: Train Inuyama -> Nagoya Station.
09:00: Shinkansen Nagoya -> Kyoto Station.
10:30: Train Kyoto -> Kinosaki Onsen (JR Hashidate Express).
14:00: Ryokan Shuttle -> Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei.
Afternoon: Onsen Hopping (start at Goshonoyu).
Dinner: Kaiseki at Ryokan.
Day 7: Sun, April 5 (Travel to Kyoto)
11:00: Train Kinosaki Onsen -> Kyoto Station.
14:00: Taxi Kyoto Station -> Kyoto Brighton Hotel.
Cost: ~¥2,000.
16:00: Taxi to Gion / Hanamikoji Street.
Dinner: Ramen Muraji.
Day 8: Mon, April 6 (Kyoto – Arashiyama & North)
07:00: Taxi Hotel -> Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
Cost: ~¥3,500. Beating the crowds.
11:00: Lunch: Arashiyama Yoshimura (Soba).
15:00: Taxi Arashiyama -> Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion).
17:30: Taxi Kinkaku-ji -> GEAR Non-Verbal Theatre (Sanjo).
Dinner: Chao Chao Gyoza – Sanjo Kiyamachi.
Day 9: Tue, April 7 (Kyoto – Hotel Swap)
08:30: Taxi Hotel -> Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo (Drop bags) -> Kimono Tea Ceremony MAIKOYA Nishiki.
Afternoon: Walk Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka.
16:00: Walk to teamLab Biovortex Kyoto.
Evening: Kyoto Tower Sando Food Hall.
Day 10: Wed, April 8 (Kyoto – Fushimi Inari)
07:30: Train to Fushimi Inari Taisha (Senbon Torii).
Morning: Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum.
15:00: Train to Pokémon Center Kyoto & SUINA Muromachi.
18:00: Nishiki Market & Pontocho Park.
Day 11: Thu, April 9 (Travel to Koyasan)
08:30: Luggage Forwarding: Ship LARGE bags to Hiyori Hotel Osaka Namba. Backpack only for Koyasan.
09:00: Train Kyoto -> Osaka -> Namba.
10:00: Train Namba -> Gokurakubashi (Nankai Ltd Exp Koya).
11:40: Cable Car -> Bus -> Senjuin-bashi.
13:00: Check-in Souji-in Temple.
Sightseeing: Kongobu-ji & Danjo Garan.
Night: Okunoin Cemetery.
Day 12: Fri, April 10 (Travel to Osaka)
10:00: Descent: Koyasan -> Namba Station.
13:00: Walk to Hiyori Hotel Osaka Namba Station.
16:00: Subway to Nipponbashi Denden Town & Pokemon Center Osaka DX.
Evening: Tombori River Cruise & Kani Doraku (Dotonbori).
Day 13: Sat, April 11 (Osaka – USJ)
07:30: Train Namba -> Universal Studios Japan.
Day: USJ (Super Nintendo World, Harry Potter).
19:00: Train return.
Late Night: Bar Nayuta.
Day 14: Sun, April 12 (Nara Day Trip)
09:30: Train Namba -> Nara Station (Kintetsu Rapid Exp).
Sightseeing: Nara Park, Todai-ji, Mizuya Chaya.
Snack: Mochi at Nakatanidou.
17:30: Return to Osaka -> Shinsaibashisuji Shopping.
Day 15: Mon, April 13 (Travel to Hakone)
09:00: Subway Namba -> Shin-Osaka.
09:30: Shinkansen Shin-Osaka -> Odawara Station.
Action: Buy Wagyu Ekiben at station.
12:30: Taxi Odawara -> THE HIRAMATSU HOTELS & RESORTS SENGOKUHARA.
Cost: ~¥8,000. Bringing luggage with us.
14:00: Lalique Museum, Hakone (Tea in Orient Express Car).
18:00: Luxury French-Japanese Dinner at Hotel.
Day 16: Tue, April 14 (Hakone Loop)
09:00: Hakone Open-Air Museum.
Lunch: CIRCLE HAKONE.
PM: Relax at Resort / Private Onsen.
Day 17: Wed, April 15 (Return to Tokyo)
11:00: Taxi Hiramatsu -> Odawara Station.
12:00: Shinkansen Odawara -> Tokyo -> Shinagawa.
13:00: Store bags at Shinagawa. Visit Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa.
15:00: Taxi to The Blossom Hibiya (Move bags).
15:30: Subway to The Making of Harry Potter (Warner Bros Studio Tour).
19:00: Dinner: Ninja Tokyo (Otemachi).
Night: Kaiju Sakaba Shimbashi.
Day 18: Thu, April 16 (Mt. Fuji Day Trip)
07:00: Taxi Hotel -> Shinjuku Station.
07:30: Train Fuji Excursion -> Kawaguchiko.
Sightseeing: Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, Oishi Park.
Lunch: Tetsuyaki.
17:00: Train return to Shinjuku.
19:00: Taxi Shinjuku -> Roppongi. Dinner at GYOPAO Gyoza Roppongi.
Day 19: Fri, April 17 (Tokyo – Odaiba)
09:30: Taxi Hotel -> teamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills).
13:30: Train to Odaiba -> Miraikan (Science Museum).
16:00: DiverCity Tokyo Plaza (Gundam).
18:00: Taxi to Tofu Ukai (Shiba Park).
Day 20: Sat, April 18 (Ghibli/Anime)
08:00: Train Shimbashi -> Mitaka.
10:00: Ghibli Museum.
12:00: Nakano Broadway.
15:00: Sunshine City (Ikebukuro) & Akihabara Kotobukiya.
17:00: Shibuya Parco (Nintendo/Pokemon).
Dinner: Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka (Sushi).
Night: Shibuya Sky.
Day 21: Sun, April 19 (Tokyo Finale)
10:30: Pokemon Cafe Tokyo Nihombashi.
AM: Pokemon Center Tokyo DX.
PM: Shopping: Nishiginza Dept Store, Tokyo Character Street.
Dinner: Teppanyaki Kamon (Imperial Hotel).
Day 22: Mon, April 20 (Departure)
by CoffeyOG