Hi all, my husband and I are traveling to Japan on 17th April and sort of planned our itinerary in the way below. We tried to cover most of the spots we are interested in and tried to keep some pockets of the day free to explore the cities on foot, or just rest in the hotel. Also my husband is a chef, so we will be spending time and money in stalls and restaurants.
Does any of this seem over ambitious/ not doable, or is there anything worth seeing that is missed
| City | Activities | Planned | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17/04/2026 | Flight to Tokyo | Tokyo | 7/11 grubs for the night and potentially later. | |
| 18/04/2026 | Tokyo | Team labs borderless(12pm) | – Toyoso, Tsujuki, team lab bordeless by 3 pm. go back to hotel for rest. food in ginza | |
| 19/04/2026 | Tokyo | – Imperial Garden in the morning, ueno zoo. evening is free. maybe food in ueno followed by nearby neighbourhood | ||
| 20/04/2026 | Tok -> Kyoto | 11 am in Kyoto (8.30 train) | – Kinkaju, Ryoan ji/ Nijo castle, Nishki market/ Gion. maccha house | |
| 21/04/2026 | Kyoto | Arishiyama start v early/ Kyoto | – Bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji Temple, Okochi Sanso Villa, Togetsukyo Bridge + Riverside, Gion | |
| 22/04/2026 | Kyoto | Nara | – Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nakatanidou mochi. evening quick rest, explore wherever. | |
| 23/04/2026 | Kyoto | Kyoto | – Kiyomizu dera, yasaka Shrine | |
| 24/04/2026 | Kyoto | Osaka | 1) Osaka castle morning 2) Izakaya toyo 3) Doguyasuji Street 4) Kushikatsu (Tengu), Ramen Hyoto/Ippuko (Dontonburi) . come back after dinner straight to hotel. | |
| 25/04/2026 | Kyoto | Kyoto (early start day) | Fushimi Inari, Gion, Hanamikoji, Pontocho Alley | |
| 26/04/2026 | Kyo -> Hakone -> Kawaguchiko | detailed plan in notes | ||
| 27/04/2026 | Kawaguchiko -> Tokyo | detailed plan in notes | ||
| 28/04/2026 | Tokyo | tea ceremony | Tea ceremony in Shinjuku u/10 amShinjuku, metropolitan govt observatory, | |
| 29/04/2026 | Tokyo | Ghibli Museum | – Shibuya, Meji Shrine, Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko statue, Ghibli Museum, itakara park near ghibli museum. | |
| 30/04/2026 | Tokyo | Asakusa, sensoji, nakamise, kappabashi street, lunch, milk flight, azumabashi bridge, skytree (maybe) | ||
| 01/05/2026 | Tokyo | |||
| 02/05/2026 | Flight to Sydney | 8.30 am |
by Automatic-Respond766
4 comments
I would recommend staying in Hakone for at least 1 night and not staying in Kyoto at all, maybe 1 night if you want to explore after hours as public transport doest work after midnight.
We just got back from a trip to the Tokyo area. I think my favorite things from our trip was a day trip we took to Kamakura and the shopping district and temples there but my absolute favorite thing was the Kenkonzan Nihon-ji Temple in Chiba. I think it is the most impressive temple in the Tokyo area and it seems like not many people make it out there and instead go to the temples in Kamakura. The food was amazing, you are in for a treat on that front.
Osaka as just one day trip is diabolical
Are you sure you’ll like Kyoto that much? You have a variation of the golden route but most of the time being spent in Kyoto is a little unusual
Surprising to see Ueno Zoo on an itinerary when everything you read on here is about how depressing it is. The Tokyo National Museum is right there next to it and much more interesting.
Screw the bamboo at Arishiyama, it’s literally just a crowded path of nothing. If you can handle a mild hike up a decent hill the monkey sanctuary nearby is a much better use of your time and will reward you with a great view of the city from the top.
If you’re going to do the Skytree, then there’s no reason to stand in line at the Metropolitan tower. Metro tower is worthwhile if you don’t end up wanting to wait/pay for Skytree however.
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