4 nights in Tokyo → 3 nights in Nagano → 4 nights in Osaka + Day trip to Nara → 4 nights in Kyoto → 5 nights in Tokyo + Day trip to Yokohama and Mount Fuji.
I spent 3 weeks in Japan and wanted to share my Japan Itinerary with you guys!
J A P A N T I P S
- Carry cash with you (highly recommend a coin purse for all of the loose change that you might use at a gacha store (capsule toys).
- You won't be able to find a trash can.. bring an extra bag just for trash in your bag.
- Wear comfy shoes (recommendation: Nike Air Forces).
- You don't need to tip.
- JR Passes is a must if you are travelling from city to city.
- Get used to bowing (especially greeting people).
- Stand/walk on the correct side of the streets, escalators, stairs etc (varies between cities).
- Do not eat while walking.
- A lot of places don't open until 10:30AM - 11AM.
- Expect to wait in long lines (cafes, restaurants, historical places etc).
- Suica is best for public transportation and convenience stores (can be loaded on your phone).
- Pre-book experiences ahead of time (Shibuya Sky, teamLab, Disneyland etc, they do sell out quickly).
- Leave some luggage space for any shopping or souvenirs (trust me, you will need it.. the shopping is insane).
- Learn some basic phrases:
- "Hello" | Kon'nichiwa | kohn-nee-chee-wah | (こんにちは)
- "Thank you" | Arigato gozaimasu | ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mahs | (どうもありがとうございます)
- "Excuse me" | Sumimasen | soo-mee-mah-sen | (すみません)
- "Please" | kudasai | koo-dah-sigh | (ください)
- "Good bye" | Sayōnara | sah-yoh-nah-rah | (さようなら)
A P P S
- Google Maps - essential
- Google Translate (or Papago) - essential
- Suica - to use public transport in Japan
- Ubigi - for e-SIM mobile data plans
- Disney Resort - buy tickets, fast pass
- Tablelog - restaurant reservations
- Wanderlog - for itinerary
TOKYO 4 NIGHTS
DAY 1 (6,266 steps - 4.51km)
- Arrival at Narita Airport
- Take NRT Express train to Tokyo (1 hour journey)
- Check-in The B Akasaka-Mitsuke Hotel
- Dominos takeaway for a late dinner (11:50pm)
DAY 2 (15,599 steps - 10.96km)
- Breakfast at FamilyMart (seaweed onigiri)
- Exploring around Nagatacho area (Hie Shrine) and Kanda Ogawamachi area - sports goods district
- Lunch - rice and curry (forgot the name of the place)
- Shopping and exploring around Harajuku area
- Dessert - ANGEL Harajuku Crepe
- Exploring and shopping in Shibuya area
- Dinner - Disney Harvest Market
DAY 3 (19,746 steps - 13.85km)
- Breakfast at FamilyMart
- Disneyland - was able to get tickets through the DisneyResort app. Spent around 7 hours at Disneyland. Winnie the Pooh ride was closed due to maintenance and Beauty and the Beast ride had over 2.5 hour wait time (fast passes were sold out). Try the Curry popcorn!
- Dinner - CoCoICHI Vegetarian Curry
- Explored Shibuya at night - Shibuya crossing, Disney store, Loft etc
DAY 4 (12,592 steps - 8.51km)
- Breakfast at 7-Eleven konbini
- Exploring and shopping Asakusa area
- Senso-ji Hozomon Gate - buddhist temple
- Senso-ji - buddhist temple
- Nakamise-dori Street
- Lunch near Asakusa - vegetarian ramen
- Sanrio Gift Gate Store - Asakusa
- Flower Miffy - Asakusa
- Tokyo Sky Tree - observation deck
- Dinner - CoCoICHI Vegetarian Curry
- Pack for Nagano
NAGANO 3 NIGHTS
DAY 5 (5,077 steps - 3.69km)
- Breakfast at 7-Eleven konbini
- Check out and go to Tokyo Station
- 2 hours from Tokyo to Nagano via Shinkansen
- 1.5 hours Nagano to Hakuba via bus
- Check-in Airbnb
- Hire snow gear from Rhythm Japan Hakuba
- Dinner - The Pub Hakuba
DAY 6 (13,417 steps - 9.47km)
- Snowboarding at Hakuba
DAY 7 (8,728 steps - 6.29km)
- Skiing at Iwatake
- Pack for Osaka
OSAKA 4 NIGHTS
DAY 8 (6,187 steps - 4.39km)
- Check out and go to Nagano station
- 3.5 hours from Nagano to Osaka via Shinkansen
- Check-in The Rise Osaka Kitashinchi
- Dinner somewhere near the hotel
DAY 9 (19,444 steps - 13.76km)
- Breakfast at Lawson - konbini
- Universal Studios Japan - recommend Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride
- Lunch - Shake Shack
- Super Nintendo World - can book a timed entry slot once you enter the park
- Rest at hotel
DAY 10 (20,702 steps - 14.84km)
- Breakfast at Lawson
- Exploring and shopping at Namba Parks
- UMEDA sky building
- Exploring Dotonbori street - running man
- Dinner - Halal Ramen Naniwaya
DAY 11 (8,270 steps - 5.71km)
- Breakfast at Lawson
- Rest at hotel - I was feeling unwell all morning
- Shopping at HEP FIVE
- Shake Shack for dinner
- Pack for Nara
KYOTO 4 NIGHTS
DAY 12 (11,876 steps - 8.36km)
- Breakfast at Lawson
- Check-out hotel
- 45 minutes from Osaka to Nara - we took the regular train
- Left luggage in lockers at Nara station
- Exploring around Higashimuki shopping street
- MOS Burger for lunch
- Kofukuji temple
- Feed the deers - you can purchase the treats via street vendors
- Nara to Kyoto (45 minutes via train)
- Check in Airbnb - RESISTAY
- Kyoto ENGINE Ramen for dinner
- Ben's Cookies for dessert
DAY 13 (17,068 steps - 11.90km)
- Breakfast at Coffee Smart
- Exploring and shopping around Kyoto Shijo-Kawaramachi area - loft, tower records, Disney Store, kiddyland
- Back to Airbnb for a quick break
- Kyoto ENGINE Ramen for dinner again!
- Ben's Cookies for dessert again!!
DAY 14 (21,524 steps - 15.03km)
- Breakfast at Airbnb
- Fushimi Inari Taisha
- Kiyomizu-dera
- Lunch somewhere near Kiyomizu-dera
- Back to Airbnb for a quick break
- Kyoto ENGINE Ramen for dinner yes again - 3 times in a row!!
DAY 15 (16,652 steps - 11.51km)
- Breakfast at Airbnb
- Shopping at AEON Mall Kyoto - due to the rain
- Lunch at Korean restaurant Yunke-no-shokutaku - bibimbap
- Exploring and shopping around Kyoto Shijo-Kawaramachi area
- Laduree for dessert
- Korean BBQ vegetejiya Shijo-kiyamchia for dinner - tteokbokki and kimchi pancake
- Pack for Tokyo
TOKYO 5 NIGHTS
DAY 16 (11,575 steps - 8.26km)
- Check-out RESISTAY Airbnb
- 2.5 hours from Kyoto to Tokyo
- Check-in Koto City Airbnb
- Train to Odaiba
- Dinner at Kua'Aina
- Shopping at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza
- Watch the Unicorn Gundam light show
- Back to Airbnb
DAY 17 (20,180 steps - 14.35km)
- Breakfast at Monnaka Coffee
- Disneysea - arrived around 1pm, less crowded than Tokyo Disneyland - try the matcha-white chocolate popcorn! Spent around 7 hours at Disneysea.
- Dinner somewhere near koto city
DAY 18 (12,459 steps - 8.84km)
- Breakfast at 7-Eleven (konbini)
- Train to Yokohama
- Lunch at MOS Burger
- Exploring and shopping at Queen's Square Yokohama
- Gundam Factory Yokohama (now has been permanently closed down)
- Dinner at CoCoICHI - vegetarian Curry
DAY 19 (9,280 steps - 6.72km)
- Hire car for Mount Fuji
- 2 hour drive to Mount Fuji
- Break/snack stop at Expasa Ebina
- Exploring around Lake Kawaguchiko
- Lawson at Kawaguchiko Station
- Stopped at Narusawa area to take photos of Mount Fuji - before it was hidden again behind the clouds
- Lunch at Bronco Billy Fujimotoichiba
- Back to Tokyo
- FamilyMart for dinner
- Tokyo Tower - infinity diamond veil light up
DAY 20 (18,174 steps - 12.32km)
- Tully's Coffee for breakfast
- Exploring and shopping at Akihabara area - lots of electronic stores and arcades
- Exploring Ginza
- Lunch at EATALY in Ginza Six
- Exploring and shopping in Harajuku
- Dinner at Shake Shack
- Last night exploring and shopping in Shibuya: Shibuya crossing, Loft, Mega Don Quijote
- Back to Airbnb to pack
DAY 21 (14,773 steps - 10.35km)
- Check-out Koto City Airbnb
- Left luggage in lockers at Tokyo Station
- Train to Shinjuku
- Drink stop at Blue Bottle Coffee Shinjuku
- Breakfast at eggslut
- Shopping and exploring in Shinjuku area
- Godzilla Head Shinjuku
- Back to Tokyo Station
- Head to Narita Airport
I recommend watching vlogs and joining Japan Travel Facebook groups (even reddit) to find places to go and bookmark them on Google Maps!
F O R N E X T T I M E
- Shibuya Sky
- Tokyo Tower
- C-pla Shibuya
- Prince Shiba Park
- Gōtokuji Temple
- Jimbocho Book Town
- Hakuhinkan Toy Shop
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest - Kyoto
- Kinkaku-ji - Kyoto
- Nintendo Museum - Kyoto
- Hōkan-ji Temple
- Nagoya Castle
- Osaka Castle
- Sanrio Puroland
- teamLab Planets
- Ginza Itoya
- BEAMS Japan
- Niko and ... TOKYO
- HANDS Ginza
- LE LABO (Tokyo exclusive city perfume - citron 28)
- Diptyque (Tokyo exclusive city candle)
- Chawanzaka
- Honcho Street (Mt Fuji View)
- Chureito Pagoda (Mt Fuji View)
- Makaino Farm Resort
- Sunshine City
- Cat Street
Food Places/Cafes
- The Matcha Tokyo
- Pizza Marumo
- Itasoba Kaoriya Ebisu
- Matsubayasaryo
- i'm donut?
- Godaime Hanayama Udon Ginza
- Cafe Kitsuné
- Henry's Pizza
- The Little Bakery Tokyo
- Tokyo Juice
- Misojyu
- Kyūshū Jangara Ginza
- Age.3 Ginza
- Fukujuya
- Café de Raak
- Banana Juice Factory
- Annorum Café
- Mitsuya
- Trois
- AFURI Harajuku
- Vegan Sushi Tokyo
- Vegan Bistro Jangara
- Tsukemen Zuppa
- Dandelion Chocolate, Factory & Co
- Kichi Kichi Omurice - Kyoto
- Arashiyama Miffy Sakura Kitchen - Kyoto
- Arashiyama Rilakkuma Tea House - Kyoto
- Gion Komori - Kyoto
- Oudon Izakaya Mannanka Tsururu - Kyoto
- % ARABICA Kyoto
- Walden Woods Kyoto
What's your favourite trip you've ever been too?
♡
