Hi everyone! First time poster here, first of all thank you for all the useful information you collected in this subreddit!
I planned an itinerary for 2 weeks in Japan in the middle of May, just after Golden Week. We are a couple in our early 30, used to medium-fast paced vacations (i'd say 15-20k steps/day). We wanted a somewhat "standard" first time in japan itinerary, but with some non negotiable options both from me and my girlfriend.
Here is the itinerary, if you have any suggestion it will be highly appreciated!!
Day 1 (May 8) – Tokyo
- AFTERNOON: landing at 16:00 (Narita Airport) → check-in (Asakusa area) at 18:00/18:30 (ish?)
- EVENING: get our bearing in Asakusa (Senso-ji with lights)
Day 2 (May 9) – Tokyo
- MORNING: Ueno (Ueno park, Ameya yokocho market)
- AFTERNOON: Senso-ji, Tokyo Skytree (booked at 18:00-18:30)
- EVENING: free time
Day 3 (May 10) – Tokyo
- MORNING: Akihabara (Radio Kaikan, Kanda-jinja)
- AFTERNOON: Tokyo tower (view from Shiba park or Tokyo tower-dori street), Free time (choose from, Atago shrine, Chuo-dori, Nijubashi gardens Hibiya park, Tsukiji Fish market, Yurakucho, Diver city, or just resting)
- EVENING: free time (maybe omakase)
Day 4 (May 11) – Tokyo
- day trip to Kamakura (Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, shopping street, Myohonji temple, Hasadera temple, Kotoku-in Temple, cape inamuragasaki
Day 5 (May 12) – Shuzenji Onsen
- ~3h to get there.
What to see (if we have time): Shuzenji temple, bamboo grove, Tokko no Yu, Hie shrine
- Ryokan check-in at 16:00/17:00, onsen + dinner
Day 6 (May 13) – Kyoto
- MORNING: get to Kyoto (3,5 – 4 hours).
Northern exit → look at Kyoto Tower
Hotel check-in (Kyoto station area)
- AFTERNOON: walk around Kyoto Central (Nishiki Market, Shijo-dori, Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, Izumo no Okuni statue)
- EVENING: Pontocho
Day 7 (May 14) – Kyoto – Heaviest day, be well rested
- MORNING: Fushimi inari (at 06:00, takes 2-3h), Higashiyama (Kiyomizu-dera, Sannen-zaka & Ninen-zaka, Yasaka Koshindo)
- AFTERNOON: Higashiyama (Kodai-ji → Nene’s path, Kennin-ji [closing time at 16:30!!], Gion Tatsumi Bridge + Shirakawaminami-dori (Shimbashi), Yasaka Shrine)
- EVENING: Gion
Day 8 (May 15) – Kyoto
- MORNING: Aoi Matsuri (arrive at Kawaramachi-dori around 10:30 (plenty of time to sleep)
- AFTERNOON: Kinkaku-ji + free time (in arashiyama or eastern kyoto)
- EVENING: early sleep
Day 9 (May 16) – Kyoto
Osaka day trip
- MORNING: Katsuoji temple [1h30 total, leave around 08:00)
- AFTERNOON + EVENING: Namba (Namba Yasaka Shrine, Hozenji Yokocho, Hozenji temple, Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, back to Kyoto)
Day 10 (May 17) – Hiroshima
- MORNING: get to hiroshima [2h] and check-in, Peace Memorial Park
- AFTERNOON: peace memorial museum
- EVENING: dinner at Okonomimura
Day 11 (May 18) – Hiroshima
Miyajima day trip
- MORNING: get to miyajima (hiroshima station →[30min] → miyajimaguchi station → JR miyajima ferry → [10min] → Miyajima ferry terminal [TOT 1h])
Itsukushima shrine + grand torii gate + Omotesando street (shopping, eat momiji-manju, unagi e oysters)
- AFTERNOON: free roaming in Miyajima, options: mt. Misen (ropeway closed at 16:00), Shishiiwa observatory, Rekaido hall (eternal flame), Daisho-in temple, 1000 jizo, Henjo cave, Momiji-dani-koen, Taho-to
- EVENING: back to Hiroshima (last ferry after20:00)
Day 12 (May 19) – Tokyo
- MORNING: get to Tokyo (4h30) → check-in Shinjuku
- AFTERNOON: Free time + Shopping,
- EVENING: Kabukicho, Golden Gai
Day 13 (May 20) – Tokyo
- MORNING: Meiji shrine, Takeshita street, Harajuku/Omotesando, Shopping
- AFTERNOON: Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Sky
Day 14 (May 21) – Tokyo
- MORNING: last free time
- AFTERNOON: fly back (departure at 18:00)
Just a couple of points:
– yes i know that Day 7 and Day 9 are insane, but those are some of the non-negotiables i was talking about.
– do you have any recommendations on where to eat on Day 2 after tokyo skytree? It will be my girlfriends birthday and i would like something more "upscale" than an izakaya, but i fear that the omakase may be too much.
Thank you for your help!!!!
by inserire