JAPAN

Travel from airport to your hotel in Tokyo. If flying into Haneda, we highly recommend taking the Monorail. It takes less than 30 minutes to get from Haneda to Shinagawa station on the rapid line; and you will see some of Tokyo along the way. If flying into Narita, there is also a train, but you could consider a private transfer using a Limousine Transfer service. Cabs are very expensive in Japan and Uber doesn’t save you money.

You will be tired and jet-lagged on your first day in Japan. Drink lots of water and resist the urge to sleep. Consider strolling through the Tokyo Imperial Gardens and/or a Tour of the Tokyo Imperial Palace if time permits. We took removed our shoes/socks and “grounded” at the Imperial Gardens shortly after arriving. It helped our jetlag.

If staying near the Ginza district in Tokyo, consider taking a stroll along the Chuo Dori (main drag). The street is closed to pedestrians only on the weekends. Ginza is one of Tokyo’s top shopping districts. Many cocktail and sushi bars can be found in this district.

Try some Ramen on Tokyo Ramen Street near Tokyo station. Many shops have vending machines. You order from a vending machine, and it provides you a ticket. You then hand the ticket to a waiter, who will put in your order and seat you. Tokyo Station’s exterior was modeled after European architecture and is very beautiful.

One of our favs in Odaiba is TeamLab Planets. It can be described as an interactive modern art museum. You must walk bare foot through the attraction. There are areas where water comes up about a foot, so be prepared to roll up your pants. Click the image below for tickets. Book early because the tickets sell out months in advance.

Check out the Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market. It is closed on Sundays. We enjoyed the Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Culture Walking Tour.

Check out Small Worlds Tokyo. Small worlds Tokyo is considered the largest indoor miniature theme park. Get your tickets here.

Take a walk to the Fuji TV building and go up to the observation deck for great views of Tokyo. There is a small fee to get up to the deck.

Visit The Soho. This is a modern building with colorful doors and is a great place for photo ops.

Take the Yurikamome line from around the Fuji TV building area back to Shimbashi station. At Shimbashi, switch to the Toei, (A)Asakusa line. Get off at Asakusa Station to explore the Asakusa area.

You will pass through the Kaminarimon Gate on your way to the temple. This area is bustling with lots of tourists and has street food and souvenirs.

Consider booking one of these interesting activities in the Asakusa area

Explore the Senso-ji temple.

If you wish to immerse yourself in Japanese tradition, consider dressing in traditional Japanese kimono and stroll through the charming streets of Asakusa. You can find kimono rentals here.

Walk to the Tokyo Skytree observation tower which is the second tallest building in the world. We recommend buying advance tickets here. You can buy same day tickets on the 4th floor but may have to wait in long lines. Views from the top are amazing. There are two decks. The Tembo Desk is at 350 meters, and the Tembo Galleria is at 450 meters. You can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day.

To finish off your day with a reward, walk to the Asahi Super Dry Corp HQ beer tasting hall. The building is a strange black box with a gold cloud on top. Go inside and take the elevator to the beer hall. There can sometimes be a long wait, so be prepared. There are nice views of the area from the top, but in our opinion, the views are not as spectacular as from the Skytree deck.

Jump back on the Toei, Asakusa line back to your hotel. If you have time and wish to explore, stop by the Akihabara area off the Asakusa line. The Akihabara area is known for electronics retailers. If you enjoy arcade-like atmospheres, this area will be fun. Anime/manga is popular in this area also. Consider dropping into a maid cafe for a snack. Maidreamin was our favorite cafe in this area.

Book a Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku at least one month before your trip. It will give you a chance to explore the well-concealed back-alley bars of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district that is tricky for outsiders. This tour was a highlight of our trip.

After getting off at Kokuritsu-Kyogijo Station, make your way to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and explore the grounds.

If you like shopping, explore the Takashimaya (Times Square Building). i It has 15 floors of shopping.

Go up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for great views. It is free to the public. You can buy drinks and snacks at the observation deck. Visitors can play the piano before the crowd. We heard amazing pianists while eating ice cream and enjoying the spectacular views. From this vantage point, you can see the Japan National Stadium used for the 2020 Olympics.

If you are near Shinjuku station, go inside and find the location of the JR lines. On the morning of the 5th day, you must go to this area of the station to board the Fuji Excursion train that brings you directly to Fuji. There are more details further below. We found it helpful to locate the JR lines beforehand – it made our travel day less stressful. Shinjuku Station is the busiest train station in the world so it can be overwhelming. It has an average daily passenger throughput of 2.7 million people!

Check out the Shinjuku Golden Gai on your own before the food tour. The tour takes you through this area at a quick pace, so if you want to spend more time exploring, now is the time to do it. This area has ~ 200 stores crowded together. There are many retro buildings and signages. Dining options in this area includes curry, izakaya menus, ramen, Japanese-style Western food, Italian, and French.

Sign up for a Go-Kart tour in Shibuya. You will drive the carts through the famous Shibuya Crossing dressed up in a character costume and feel like a celebrity.

In the morning, walk to the Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu). This shrine is in the middle of a dense forest. The park is beautiful.

Spend the rest of your morning to early afternoon in the Harajuku district of Shibuya. Harajuku is known for street art, fashion, cosplay shops, and vintage clothing along Takeshita Street. Omotesando Avenue has more trendy bars and restaurants. Find a purikura photobooth where you can photoshop yourself and create fun pictures. Laforet Mall is a multi-story mall that has a focus on HaraJuku Fashion. This ranges from maid/college girl to high fashion to grunge/punk. There are many Instagram food/cafes in this area where you can taste giant rainbow cotton candy and elephant shaped ice cream.

Go to the rooftop viewing area at Magnet by Shibuya 109 (store). Enjoy a beer, coffee or lemonade at the top and look down onto Shibuya crossing. This is a great spot to take a video of the famous crossing.

Wrap up your day with the Shibuya Night Bar Hopping Walking Tour

Get to Shinjuku station plenty of time before your train to Fuji departs. Shinjuku station can be overwhelming. Look for the JR lines and make your way to platform 9 or 10 (read the monitors for Fuji Excursion) You can also ask at information booth to confirm. Keep all your train tickets because you may be asked to show them while on the train.

Once you arrive at Kawaguchiko station, look to purchase discount passes for the Fuji/Hakone area. This allows you to utilize the buses, ropeways, boats, and some trains in the Fuji/Hakone area. Determine the best one for you. You will not be traveling back to Tokyo, so make sure you tell them that. Kawaguchiko station is very crowded!

Travel to your hotel via cab or local bus or take a bike ride around lake Kawaguchiko. This bike shop is a short walk from the Kawaguchiko train station. They will store your luggage while bike ride. We highly recommend staying in the Lake Kawaguchiko area for ease of transportation on the red bus line or via cab. Lake Kawaguchiko Area

Drop your luggage at the hotel and do the bike ride (bike shop) around lake Kawaguchiko. Stop at Oishi Park on the north side of lake Kawaguchiko along your bike ride. This is a great place for views of Fuji, the lake, and to grab some delicious ice cream.

Take the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway for amazing views of Fuji and the Fuji area. We recommend doing this during your bike ride as the entrance to the ropeway is very close to the southeast part of the lake.

Take the red bus or cab early to Kawaguchiko station. Ask where you get the bus to Fuji Subarui Line 5th station. These buses typically run once an hour, so know in advance when you can get the bus. It is about a 1-hour ride to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji. You can opt for a more relaxed and private experience by booking Fuji Private Tours.

Once at the 5th station, take time to explore. You can either make a full day out of it and hike higher towards the summit or spend an hour or so and then take the bus back down. Read more about the 5th Station.

Once you arrive back in Kawaguchiko station take the blue bus to Fuketsu (Wind Cave). After you’re done with the wind cave, take a walk on the Takai Nature Trail that connects the two caves. Alternatively, you can book Ice Cave tours before you leave on your Japan trip. This option provides private transportation to the cave.

After you arrive back at your hotel, arrange for taxi transport from Fuji to your hotel in Hakone. See Hakone Hotels

The cab ride from Fuji to Hakone costs about $150-$200 USD. We thought it was worth it. The cab driver was professional and prompt. The cabs are super clean and spacious. The other alternative is to use local buses which take 3 to 4 hours.

Begin your day by getting on the Tozan Railway in the village of Gora. The funicular railway will bring you up Mt. Kami. You will eventually transfer from the funicular to a cable car. The cable car will bring you to the top of the mountain where you will see great views of Fuji and the sulfur vents. Stop and taste a famous black egg at the top of the mountain.

You can then get on another ropeway which continues down the mountain giving way to great views of Lake Ashi.

Once at the bottom, make your way to the “pirate” sightseeing ships that cross Lake Ashi. The journey takes about 40 minutes. Venture to the top of the boat for great outdoor views.

After debarking the boat, take a walk through the Old Hakone Checkpoint. This checkpoint was used by the Shogunate government in 1619 to control the flow of weapons and trade.

Leaving the checkpoint walk along Cedar Avenue. This is all that remains of the ancient road today. Towards the end of this “avenue”, you can see lovely views of a Japanese shrine against the lake and mountains.

Catch a bus from Motohakone-ko station to Kowakien via the Hakone Tozan Bus (H). From Kowakien, walk to the Open-Air Museum. This is about a half mile walk, but it is all downhill. This mostly outdoor museum houses over 1,000 pieces. There are approximately 120 sculptural works on permanent display across the park.

We highly recommend Hotel Indigo for your stay in Hakone. It is very close to Gora station and a 20-minute walk from the open-air museum. It provides free transportation to Odawara station (~ a $60 USD value). Their restaurant has delicious food (best Wagyu beef we ate on our trip) and an outdoor footbath that can be enjoyed while sipping a coffee, wine or other tasty beverage on the outdoor deck overlooking the river.

Check into your Kyoto Hotel.

Depending on your choice of accommodation, you can relax at your hotel or if feeling energized, head to Nijo Castle and/or to Kinkaku-ji (a Buddist Temple and top attraction in Kyoto). These are about 1 mile from each other. Here are some great tour ideas in Kyoto.

The bamboo forest is free and has many areas to explore. There is a Japanese garden that provides great views of Kyoto once you make it to the top. There is a nominal fee for the garden.

After exploring the bamboo forest, make your way down to the Katsura River. Stroll along the river. You can rent various watercraft in this area. Check out the Arashiyama Monkey Park across the river.

After the monkey park, cross the bridge again and stroll along the streets for great Japanese street food. From here go back to Saga-Arashiyama Station and take the train back to Kyoto station. From Kyoto station walk to the Kiyomizu-dera which is an iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa.

The next part of your journey brings you to the Sannenzaka Path (Higashiyama district). This is a bustling pedestrian street lined with souvenir stalls and traditional Japanese architecture.

If your schedule permits, walk to Philosopher’s path, a quaint area with pedestrian paths along a small stream. This is a great area to grab something to eat. It is not as crowded as the Sannenzaka Path.

Embark to Fushimi Inari Taisha early in the morning. Board the JR West at Kyoto and head towards Nara. Disembark at Tofukuji Station. This is only one stop from Kyoto. (Do not get on an express train or you will miss your stop at Tofukuji Station). Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous for its thousands of torii gates. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and athleisure wear to hike the upward trails through the gates.

From here, venture back to your hotel to pick up your luggage and make your way to Nara. Alternatively, you can choose to stay in Kyoto and take the train to Nara. If choose to stay in Nara, we recommend the JW Marriott. It is truly the best value for your money. They offer free transportation from Nara station to their hotel. Contact the hotel for exact pickup times. In our experience, they are very prompt.

After checking into your Nara hotel, walk to the Todaiji Temple. From here, you can also walk to the Isuien Garden near the Tojaiji Temple.

On your way back from the Todaiji Temple, go to the Nara Park. Take a relaxing stroll through the park and see the many deer. This will be a jam-packed day by many standards. You deserve some down time. If staying at the JW Marriott, have Japanese cocktails or tea at the lobby bar. The hotel architecture is amazing.

A great place to start is the Umeda Sky Building or Kuchu Telen Observatory for great views of the city.

Venture to Osaka Castle, featured in the recent FX Shogun miniseries. This was the site of key moments concluding the Japanese civil wars of the Sengoku Jidai.

Check out the Dotonbori. This is the canal side entertainment district. Here you will experience large, illuminated signboards. The most interesting signboard is the image of a runner crossing the finishing line, which is seen as an icon of Osaka within Japan.

Depending upon your preference of staying in the same hotel for a few days or jumping from one hotel to the next, you could stay in Osaka since it is closer to your final stop of Hiroshima. If you stay in Osaka for one night, we recommend Courtyard by Marriott. This hotel is conveniently located to Osaka station, which will easily get you on the Shinkansen the next morning.

Travel from Nara or Osaka on the Shinkansen to Himeji. Himeji Castle is about a 20–30-minute walk from the train station. The castle can get crowded. We recommend getting an early start to avoid the crowds. There are many steep stairways in the castle so be prepared to climb.

Next, venture to the Kokoen garden of Himeji Castle. The gardens feature a pond with a waterfall, a pine tree garden, a bamboo garden, a flower garden, and a tea garden where you can enjoy Japanese green tea.

After spending your morning in Himeji, grab lunch, pick up your luggage, and jump on the Shinkansen to Hiroshima.

We recommend staying at the Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel. The hotel is conveniently located adjacent to Hiroshima station. Consider relaxing at the hotel for the rest of the evening or taking a walk to the Hondori shopping street for dinner.

Travel from Hiroshima station to Miyajima via the JR San-yo line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station. Take a 5-minute walk from Miyajimaguchi Station to the Miyajimaguchi Pier where you catch a short ferry ride to Miyajima Island. Alternatively, you can find Miyajima tours here.

At the Miyajima pier, walk closer to the Itsukushima shrine to snap photos of this iconic spot. Next, make your way to the Daisho-in Temple and walk through the small Momijidani Park.

From the park, venture up the hill to reach the boarding station for the Miyajima ropeway. The views from the top are spectacular. You can then board a second ropeway which brings you higher up and offers more great views. You can walk down the mountain instead of riding back down, but the trails are fairly steep. We took the ropeway back down.

After you have taken in the views and returned down the mountain, start the journey back to your hotel.

Once back at the hotel, depending on when you leave Hiroshima the next day, either relax or venture to Hiroshima Peace Park. This is the site of the atomic explosion during WWII.

Hiroshima Tour Ideas is a great place to look at options for your day. We recommend exploring the Hiroshima Peace Park.

After exploring the park, head to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. There is a small entrance fee.

If time permits, head to Hiroshima Castle and then to Skukkeien Garden. From Skukkeien Garden, it is a short walk to pick up your bags at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Hiroshima

Grab lunch at the hotel or Hiroshima station and then depart on the Shinkansen to Shinagawa Station (Tokyo). From Shinagawa Station you can take the Keikyu line to Haneda which is a 20-minute ride. Or, if flying out of Narita, take the Narita Express from Shinagawa Station. If staying at Haneda airport, you can consider taking the monorail or Keikyu line into Tokyo for a final Japanese meal after checking into your hotel.