Japan Itinerary – 12 Nights – Tokyo & Kyoto

Hello,

Please give your thoughts on our Japan Itinerary.

My wife and I will be traveling early-mid November for 12 nights. It will start in Tokyo (Shinjuku), Kyoto (Shimogyo Ward), and then return to Tokyo (Ueno). We will be within 5 min of a large train station at each hotel. We don't have a 100% planned itinerary, but we tried to get a basic outline for each day. This is our first time traveling to Japan, so we do intend to hit popular tourist spots.

That being said, we'd love some less known suggestions as well to balance the trip out.

Please feel free to add items where available or nearby.

Tokyo (Day 1) – Arrival

  • Land 3:00pm NRT
  • Check in – Shinjuku
  • Dinner – Shinjuku

Tokyo (Day 2) – Sites + Parks

  • Tsukiji Outer Market
  • Hamarikyu Gardens?
  • Senso-Ji
  • Nakmisa Shopping Street
  • Kappabashi Street (Kitchen town)
  • Meiji Jingu Gaien
  • Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
  • Return to Hotel
  • Explore Shinjuku

Tokyo (Day 3) – Day Trip

  • Day Trip: Enoshima + Kamakura
  • Dinner – Shinjuku

Tokyo (Day 4) – Team Labs

  • Team Labs Borderless (morning)
  • Tokyo Tower
  • Shiba Park
  • Ginza Beer Hall
  • Imperial Palace Gardens
  • Return to Hotel

Tokyo>Kyoto (Day 5)

  • Meiji Jingu
  • Yoyogi Park
  • Takeshita Street Square after 11am
  • Check out (11am)
  • Train to Kyoto (evening)
  • Check in – Kyoto
  • Explore Kyoto

Kyoto (Day 6) – Shrines

  • Fushimi Inari
  • Philosopher's Path

Kyoto (Day 7)

  • Nara + Uji
  • Dinner – Kyoto

Kyoto (Day 8) – River Tour

  • River tour (2 hrs)
  • Bamboo Forest
  • Monkey Park
  • Moss Temple

Kyoto (Day 9)

  • Osaka (all day)

Kyoto>Tokyo (Day 10)

  • Something in Kyoto
  • Check out – (11am)
  • Check in – Ueno
  • Explore Ueno

Tokyo (Day 11) – Museum + Shibuya

  • Tokyo National Museum (1-2 hrs)
  • Shibuya Crossing
  • Shibuya Sky (sunset)
  • Shibuya Parco (gaming)
  • Hachiko Statue
  • Shibuya Center-Gai
  • Miyashita Park
  • Nonbei Yokocho (small bars)

Tokyo (Day 12) – Harry Potter

  • Harry Potter (3-4 hrs) – booked
  • Ueno Park
  • Jimbocho Book Town
  • Akihabara (Night)

Tokyo (Day 13) – Departure

  • Depart 10:25am HND

by Imaginary-Adagio-272