Hi everyone, my girlfriend and I (mid 20s) are planning our first trip to Japan from the UK for 3 weeks this November. We’re aiming to explore as much as possible taking in all of the popular sights, food and culture whilst giving ourselves time to find hidden gems and get off the beaten track. This has been a lifelong dream for the two of us and this Reddit has been massively helpful in our plan so far so thankyou. Any feedback/suggestions/tips would be greatly appreciated!
For context, we’re interested in nature, history, and anything related to Onsen culture. We love any kind of food/wine experience too – if there’s a specific meal or restaurant you liked, we’d love to hear about it. Thanks in advance!
TOKYO -19/11 to 23/11
🏨Akasaka
Day 1 (19/11): Land at Haneda early AM, check into hotel and explore the local area (jet lag dependent)
Day 2 (20/11): (West Tokyo) Shibuya / Meiji Jingu / Shinjuku / Harajuku / Takeshita street
Day 3 (21/11): DisneySea
Day 4 (22/11): (Central Tokyo) Tsukiji market / Ginza / Tokyo Tower / Teamlabs Borderless / Imperial Palace / Roppongi
Day 5 (23/11): Chilled morning before bus to
Fujikawaguchiko ~Forward luggage to Kyoto~
FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO – 23/11 to 25/11
🏨 Fujikawaguchiko
Day 5 (cont): check in / Onsen evening
Day 6 (24/11): Maple corridor / Honcho street / Chureito Pagoda
Day 7 (25/11): Lake Kawaguchiko / Bus to Mishima before Shinkansen to Kyoto
KYOTO – 25/11 to 29/11
🏨 Gion
Day 7 (cont): Hotel check in / explore local area (Gion)
Day 8 (26/11): Arashiyama forest / Sagano train / Hozugawa river boat / Monkey park
Is this possible in one day with daylight hours?
Day 9 (27/11): Exploring & shopping / Maikoya tea house / Pontocho
Day 10 (28/11): Fushimi Inari gates (6am) / Sannenzaka / Kiyomizu-dera / Hokan-ji
NARA- 29/11
Day 11 (29/11): Aoniyoshi train to Nara / Nara park / Todai-ji / Mochi pounding / train to Osaka
Leave luggage at Nara station or forward luggage to Osaka from Kyoto?
OSAKA – 29/11 to 03/12
🏨 Shinsaibashi
Day 11 (cont): Hotel check in / Hozenji Yokocho
Day 12 (30/11): Namba Yasaka Jinja / Osaka castle / Nakazaki
Day 13 (01/12): Minoh park / Katsuoji / Dotonburi night
Day 14 (02/12): Universal Studios Japan
Day 15 (03/12): Exploring & shopping / Shinkansen to Katsuyama (Seidaiji temple) / Taxi to Kaga
KAGA -03/12 to 05/12
🏨 Yamanakaonsen
Day 15 (cont): Hotel check in
Day 16 (04/12): Onsen / Kakusenkei Gorge
Day 17 (05/12): Chilled morning / Shinkansen to Kanazawa ~
Leave luggage at Nagano station or forward luggage to Tokyo?
KANAZAWA- 05/12 to 06/12
🏨 Bakuromachi
Day 17 (cont): Hotel check in / Samurai District / Omicho market
NAGANO- 06/12
Day 18 (06/12): Kenrokuen Garden / Shinkansen to Tokyo via Nagano for Jigokudani snow monkey park
TOKYO- 06/12 to 09/12
🏨 Shinjuku
Day 18 (cont): Hotel check in / Golden Gai
Day 19 (07/12): (East Tokyo) Ueno / Kappabashi-dori / Tokyo sky tree
Day 20 (08/12): Disneyland
Day 21 (09/12): Final day shopping / Fly from Haneda late PM
📌Questions/considerations
1) What are the luggage storage facilities like at the train stations in Nara and Nagano? We can’t decide if we should forward our cases to the next destination or store them at the stations for our day trips.
2) It’s my girlfriend’s birthday while we’re in Osaka, is there anything stand out experiences or restaurants that you would recommend?
3) What’s the best way to get from Katsuyama (Seidaiji temple) to Kaga? Maps seems to suggest our options are a 2hr train ride or a 40 min taxi. Would a taxi be worth it?
4) My girlfriend is interested in the skincare and hair care products available over there. Are there specific brands/shops you would recommend?
5) I’m still not 100% confident on the transport network, feel free to correct my connections between destinations.
by Mossclo