Japan – 10 Days Tokyo to Kyoto
Detailed Itinerary/Sights
DAY 1/2: FLIGHT TO JAPAN
It was a long day of travel to get to Japan, which wasn't helped by the 14 hour time difference. However, it was much better (and 100% worth it) using extra airline miles to book a business class ticket. I left in the morning on New Year’s Day and arrived in Japan around 3:00 PM the next day.
Once in Japan, going through customs was easy. The flight attendants passed out customs forms before arriving. Once in the airport, the signs to customs and immigration were clear. Luckily I got through in less than 30 minutes, but depending on the time of day it can get busy. Once through I took the Airport Limousine Bus to the ANA Intercontinental Hotel, which was a few blocks from my aunt and uncle’s apartment in the Akasaka Neighborhood. The ticket counter for the bus was easy to find (a bright orange sign right after baggage claim) and was a relatively painless process (apart from just missing the hourly bus to that location). That company also has buses to other areas. Alternatively there is a train from the airport to Tokyo.
DAY 3: EXPLORING TOKYO (ASAKUSA NEIGHBORHOOD)
Sensō-ji Temple
After catching up on some sleep and eating breakfast we headed to the subway around 10 to catch the Ginza line to Asakusa, a historic neighborhood in Tokyo known for the Sensō-Ji Temple and quaint shops.
Note: Tokyo doesn’t come alive until 10 AM or 11. Most shops and restaurants don’t open until then.
We first headed to the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, which was across from Sensō-ji. They had a viewing deck on the 8th floor, which provided a nice view of the neighborhood and vendor lined streets leading up to the temple.
View of Sensō-Ji Temple from the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
The area was packed since it was one of the first few days of the New Year, when most Japanese head to their local temples and shrines. As is customary, we paid 100 yen to get our fortunes. At this temple, we had to shake a stick out of a metal cylinder. That stick had a number on it. We then took the fortune from a drawer with the same number. Sensō-ji was one of the only temples that had the fortunes in both Japanese and English. At Sensō-ji, if the fortune is bad, people tie it and leave it there.
Note: Many shops and restaurants are closed around New Year’s since it is an important holiday in Japan. During that time many people travel home or visit their local temples and shrines.
Exploring Asakusa
After seeing the temple, I set out to find some lunch. Since it was a holiday there were many food stalls selling anything from fish on a stick to takoyaki (fried bites of octopus covered in dough). I grabbed a matcha latte and some food and sat down to people watch.
After eating, I wandered around the small garden next to the temple and then weaved in and out of the streets nearby, which were filled with gift shops and food. My aunt pointed out one of her favorite paper shops that sold paper, cards and artwork.
Exploring Asakusa
Ramen Dinner in Akasaka
In the early afternoon I headed back to Akasaka to relax after experiencing some of the craziness of the New Year. For dinner we headed to a cute, little ramen shop around the corner from my aunt and uncle’s apartment. It was first-come, first-serve for the 10ish counter seats. Upon entering we placed our order from a vending machine. The chef then took our tickets to prepare our ramen. It was delicious! Following dinner, we walked around the neighborhood and passed by the small ice skating rink nearby. We also went into a tiny pet store to pet some of their adorable and tiny puppies.
DAY 4: EXPLORING TOKYO (AKASAKA AND SHIBUYA NEIGHBORHOODS)
Temple/Shrine Hopping in Akasaka
Today we spent most of the morning exploring Akasaka. In Japan you can buy stamps books to bring to temples/shrines. At most temples and shrines you can pay a few hundred Yen to have them stamp your book and write in calligraphy. Since I wanted to start one, we went to a few temples/shrines in the neighborhood.
We started at the Hie Shinto Shrine. Since it was still one of the first days of the year, the shrine was busy with people getting their fortunes and buying good luck amulets. After getting my book stamped we headed down the stairs lined with torii gates to the next shrine.
Our second stop was the Toyokawa Inari Temple. It was also busy with people visiting for the New Year. From there we stopped at the Japanese Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square store, which sold crafts from the various Japanese prefectures. It was neat to see the variety of beautiful items from across Japan. After browsing for a few minutes we walked to the Nogi Shrine.
By this time, it was after lunch, so we walked to Midtown and had a late lunch before continuing on. We ended our tour of Akasaka at the Hikawa Shinto Shrine, which was a quiet shrine that had an old world feel. We then relaxed before heading back into Akasaka for dinner.
Dinner in Akasaka
Most places in Japan don’t open for dinner until 5 or 5:30. We first tried to get gyozas, but the one restaurant was full so we headed to Aria, a cozy bar (that seats about 6-8 people). It was owned by the nicest Iranian man and his Japanese wife. We had delicious kebab sandwiches and a glass of wine.
Following kebabs we headed back to Champagne & Gyoza, a small restaurant that sells champagne and gyoza. Surprisingly, they were a delightful combination.
Shibuya Crossing
After dinner we took the subway to Shibuya to watch the famous Shibuya Crossing, which is one of the busiest intersections in the world. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad when we arrived. We walked by the Hachikō dog statue, which is a common meeting place. We then went across the famous intersection on our way to Tokyu Hands, a Japanese store that sells just about everything. After spending some time (and money) wandering around the various floors, we headed back to Akasaka.
Shibuya Crossing
DAY 5: TRAIN TOKYO TO KYOTO
Train to Kyoto
At 9 AM I headed to Tokyo Station. The station was massive and I had to make my way from the subway to the JR travel office (luckily there were a decent amount of signage and people to ask for directions). Once there, a clerk activated my JR Pass and reserved me a seat on the train to Kyoto.
Note: Getting the JR Pass is worth looking into if you will be traveling to a few cities in Japan. If you do decide to get one, make sure to order it before leaving for Japan since you cannot buy it in Japan.
I left for the station early in case I ran into any issues, so I had some time to kill before my 10:33 AM train. I went into a bento box store, where many people buy food to eat on the train. It was slightly overwhelming since the store was packed, there were 30+ bento boxes to choose from and almost none of the labels were in English. However, I finally made a decision and headed to the track my train was departing from. The platform listed where each train car boards from, which was helpful. I got in line and waited until the train arrived and was cleaned.
It was a 2 hour and 40 minute, uneventful ride to Kyoto. Once I arrived at the Kyoto Station I had to hop on the subway (with one line switch) to get to the Sanjo station, which was close to the AirBnB I booked. Luckily the AirBnB owners sent detailed instructions (with pictures), which made getting to their house easy. I spent the afternoon relaxing before wandering out for an early dinner.
Sushi Dinner in Pontocho
The AirBnb host recommended a delicious sushi restaurant, Sushi Tetsu, for dinner. I headed there early (around 5/5:30) so I could get seated before it got busy. It was located in Pontocho, a tiny street in Kyoto lined with traditional looking restaurants and bars. It was a neat place to walk down at night.
Most of the seating at the restaurant was at the counter, where the sushi chefs prepared sushi right in front of you. I ordered a sashimi sampler, which was delicious! After dinner I walked around the Gion District, which is known for the geishas. While I didn’t see any today, the area was quite packed and had a lot of tourist shops and restaurants.
Exploring Gion
DAY 6: TEMPLE/SHRINE HOPPING IN HIGASHIYAMA (KYOTO)
It was very easy to accumulate walking miles in Kyoto. In my case that happened to be over 14 my first full day. Granted, Kyoto does have a bus and subway system. However, when I travel I prefer to walk as much as possible. Although, I will be the first to admit I packed a lot into this day.
Nanzen-Ji Temple and Zen Gardens
I left the AirBnB at 8 and first headed to Nanzen-ji Temple, which was in area that had a lot of other temples. I passed through the sanmon gate (which you can pay to go up into to) and the main temple, before walking around the grounds. There was an old aqueduct that I checked out before paying a nominal fee to see the zen gardens.
Path of Philosophy and Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
Since I had a lot on my agenda for that day, I moved on to check the Path of Philosophy, which was a beautiful tree-lined walkway from near Nanzen-ji up to Ginkaku-ji. It was a beautiful walk. At the start of the path I stopped at the tiny Kumano Nyakuoji Shrine. Along the way I also checked out Honen-in Temple, which had beautiful grounds. I finally made it to Ginkaku-ji Temple, which is also known as the Silver Pavilion (despite the fact that it’s not actually silver). The grounds there were also beautiful, but were more crowded since it’s one of Kyoto’s popular sites. After a quick walk around, I headed out and grabbed a steamed beef bun to enjoy on my walk to the next temple.
Ginkaku-ji Temple
Shinnyo-dō to Heian Shrine to Chion-in Temple
I next headed towards the Shinnyo-dō Temple. Along the way I stopped at Okazaki Shrine and a beautiful cemetery and pagoda. I got sidetracked on the way and also ended up stopping at another temple which had a beautiful entrance gate.
From there I walked 15-20 minutes to Heian Shrine, which was very colorful and big. They supposedly have a beautiful garden, but I kept moving to head to the next stop, Chion-in Temple, a 15 minute walk away. Unfortunately the main shrine was under construction. However, they also supposedly have beautiful gardens that you can visit for a small fee.
Gate at the Heian Shrine
I then walked to Kodai-ji Temple, but did not feel like paying the small entrance fee so I moved on.
Exploring Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka
From there I hit a mob of tourists who were all exploring the quaint Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka streets. It was a beautiful area with old streets and lots of tourist shops and restaurant/cafes. I also saw a lot of people walking around in kimonos. By this point in the day I was exhausted so I opted to find a quick snack and tea.
Note: You can pay to rent a kimono to wear around for a few hours.
I first went into the Starbucks in Ninen-zaka that had some of the ambiance of an old Japanese tea house. It had tatami seating with tables and cushions on the floor. From there I stopped at a café/tea house recommended by my travel book, Kasagi-Ya. It was a cute place with 3-4 tables. I had powdered green tea and rice cakes.
Yasagi-Ya
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
With a new boost of energy I headed to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which had views overlooking Kyoto. The main temple was under construction but it was still worth paying the entrance fee. The temple grounds also had a famous waterfall split into three streams, each of which brings a different type of good fortune.
View from Kiyomizu-dera Temple
After exploring a little bit I walked back to my AirBnB for some rest before dinner. At 6:30 I headed to Tagoto Honten for kaiseki, which is basically a traditional meal with a set menu of small plates. It wasn’t my favorite dinner, but it was a unique experience.
DAY 7: EXPLORING KYOTO
After a busy day yesterday, I planned to take it easier today; key word being planned. I still ended up walking around 12.5 miles. However, I could have opted to take more trains/buses to decrease that amount.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
I left my AirBnB around 7 to head down to Fushimi Inari Shrine, which was famous for its thousands of torii gates. I was hoping to get there before 8 to avoid the crowds. However, after taking two subway lines and then the JR train, I ended up getting there around 8:15. It was fairly easy to get to. From Kyoto Station I hopped on the JR Nara line to Inari Station, which was right by the shrine.
Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine
There were still a decent amount of people there at 8:15. However, it was nowhere near as crowded as when I left 1-1.5 hours later. I definitely recommend going early! The torii gates were impressive and beautiful. There were thousands and thousands of them that line the trail up the mountain. It was a 30-40 minute walk uphill to an overlook of Kyoto. From there, there was a loop trail that lead to the top of the mountain (another 30-40 minutes). Since I had a lot to see I turned around after the overlook.
Before heading to my next stop, I popped into Vermillion Café, an Australian coffee shop with delicious coffee and yummy matcha ganache. From there I stopped at Tofuku-ji Temple, where once again I didn’t pay to walk around the gardens.
Note: It would have been nice to spend an extra day or so in Kyoto so that I could have spaced out the temples and spent more time exploring the grounds of each.
From there I walked to Kyoto Station to reserve my seats on the train to Yudanaka for the next day. Supposedly Kyoto Station has some cool architecture. However, I did not have time to wander to the main entrance.
Nishiki Market
From Kyoto Station I hopped on the subway and took it two stops to Shijo. From there I walked 10 minutes to Nishiki Market. The market used to be a wholesale market for fish and other goods. However, now it is mostly touristy with food stalls and souvenir shops. In the market there is also a famous knife shop, Aritsugu, where you can buy famous Japanese knives.
I grabbed some street food there for lunch before heading back to the AirBnB to rest.
Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion) and Ryōan-ji Temple
After some much needed down time, I headed to the Sanjo Station bus terminal to catch the bus (#12 or #59) to Kinkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. It was a 30 minute ride there. There was a small entrance fee to enter the grounds. It was by far the most crowded spot I visited while in Kyoto; I felt like herded cattle. However, the pavilion was spectacular. It was completely covered in gold and sat on a beautiful lake with surrounding gardens. Unfortunately they move you along fairly quickly so I didn’t get to soak up the views as much as I would have liked.
Kinkaku-ji Temple
From there I walked 20 minutes (I could have waited for the bus instead) to Ryōan-ji Temple, which is famous for its rock garden. It was a small fee to see the garden, which was neat but not super impressive. After walking around for a few minutes I headed to the bus stop to head back to Sanjo Station.
From there I walked around Gion again (particular down Hanami-koji, Shijo-dori and Shimbashi streets) and even saw a geisha. After grabbing a quick snack (of matcha ice cream), I went back to relax before dinner.
Wagyu Beef Dinner
I had an 8:30 reservation at Yakiniku Kiyamachi, a wagyu beef restaurant. I ordered one of their samplers, which came with a variety of beef cuts. Each table had a mini grill in the middle, which I used to cook my own meat. It was delicious and a lot of fun!
DAY 8: TRAIN KYOTO TO YUDANAKA
Most of the day was taken up with traveling from Kyoto to Yudanaka, a small mountain town near Nagano that is famous for its hot springs and snow monkeys. I was on a JR train from Kyoto to Kanazawa and from Kanazawa to Nagano. In Nagano, I had to leave the main part of the station and head down the escalators to catch the train to Yudanaka.
The portion of the trip from Nagano to Yudanaka was not on the JR line so I had to buy a separate ticket. There was some signage in the main station with directions to that train line (I also had to ask a few people for help).
I had contacted the owner of the ryokan before leaving, so he met me at the train station and drove me back to the inn. He was super nice and provided a few dinner recommendations and map of the town. The inn had its own hot spring and had traditional rooms with beds on the floor.
Note: Apparently the inn has a delicious breakfast and dinner. However, you need to book it in advance, which I unfortunately did not know to do.
After relaxing in the late afternoon I headed to Kozushi, for sushi. It was a tiny sushi restaurant that was delicious! After dinner I went into the hot springs before heading to bed.
Sushi Dinner in Yudanaka
DAY 9: SNOW MONKEYS AND HOT SPRINGS
Jigokudani Monkey Park
I woke up early and around 9 wandered around to find breakfast. Yudanaka was a pretty small town so not much was open. I did wander into a cute shop down an alley that served coffee and apple slices.
At 10, the inn owner graciously drove me up to the Jigokudani Monkey Park. It was a 5-10 minute drive from town. From the drop off point it was a 2-3 KM walk to the entrance of the park. The walk was nice but a little snowy and slippery at points so snow shoes are definitely recommended if you go in winter. It was an 800 yen entrance fee. Once through, it was a relatively small park. However, it was really neat to see the snow monkeys walking around and lounging in the hot springs. I even got to see an adorable baby monkey trying to climb the fence!
Snow Monkeys in Jigokudani Monkey Park
I stayed in the park for 20-30 minutes before heading back to town. I stopped at Enza Café, on the way for an early lunch of homemade apple juice (so good!), sushi and an apple cinnamon muffin.
Exploring Yudanaka
It was a lovely 30-40 minute walk from the park back in town, which included some views of the mountains. I stopped by a few temples and shrines, as well as, some of the town’s public hot springs. There were nine main ones, each of which are supposed to help with a certain area of health.
I found a path behind Takayakushi Temple, which went uphill a little ways and had nice views of the mountains. Following my mini hike (I don’t know if I can travel without finding a hike somewhere), I wandered back to town. Since it’s a small town a lot was closed.
View of Yudanaka
I stopped in a few shops and then walked over to the World Peace Kannon Statue before relaxing for the rest of the afternoon.
Around 6 I headed out to find dinner. I stopped by the Origami Gallery and then had homemade soba noodles with duck meat at Tamagawa. I then went in the hot springs again before bed.
DAY 10: TRAIN YUDANAKA TO TOKYO
At 9 the inn owner drove me to the train station so I could head back to Tokyo. I had reserved a 10 AM train from Nagano to Tokyo, so I ended up having to take a local train to Nagano, with one switch. I bought my ticket at the ticket machine. However, since I had bought the express ticket instead of the local one, the guy checking tickets refunded me 100 yen.
I made it back to Tokyo around lunch time and took the subway to Akasaka. I went back to Asakusa, which was much less crowded than a few days earlier (more of the tourist crowd instead of people visiting for the New Year). After exploring for a bit, I had a relaxing night.
Sensō-Ji Temple
DAY 11: DAY TRIP TO LAKE KAWAGUCHIKO TO SEE MT. FUJI
Today was supposed to be a clear day so I decided to try my luck with getting a good view of Mt. Fuji. I was torn between going to Hakone or to Lake Kawaguchiko. Hakone was farther away but had more activities in the town. I had a friend who did both last summer and recommended Lake Kawaguchiko since it is much closer and has beautiful views.
Lake Kawaguchiko
I woke up at 5 AM to head to Shinjuku Station to catch the bus to Lake Kawaguchiko (you can also take the train since the JR line goes part of the way). After getting a little lost I had to walk outside to the Sinjuku Station bus terminal (I should have gotten off at the Shinjuku Sanchome subway station instead of the Shinjuku subway station). Once there I bought a ticket (and the return) on the Highway Bus to Kawaguchiko (3500 yen roundtrip). I was on the 6:30 bus that arrived at 8:30. The bus dropped us off at the train station. There I bought a day ticket on the Sightseeing Bus, which had three lines around the various lakes in the area. The first bus didn’t start running until 9 so I hung out in the warm train station until then.
I first hopped on the red line bus, which went around Lake Kawaguchiko. I took it to Stop 22, which had beautiful views of Mt. Fuji. After admiring the view for a bit, I caught the next bus to the stop with the cable car to the top of Mt. Kachi Kachi. You can also hike up or down. However, since it was cold I opted for the cable car roundtrip. It had nice views of the lake and views of Mt. Fuji. However, I thought the views from Stop 22 were better.
View of Mt. Fuji from Lake Kawaguchiko
I grabbed some Mt. Fuji shaped cookies and waited for the next bus. It would have been walkable from many of the stops on the red line. However, with the cold I mostly took the bus. I got off at Stop 7, which was a transfer point to the green line.
Note: Usually winter is a better time to get clear views of Mt. Fuji. It’s also best to go early in the morning.
Aokigahara Forest
I took the green line around Lake Saiko to Stop 66, the bat caves. Unfortunately the caves were closed when I was there. However, there was a path into the Aokigahara Forest, which is considered haunted. It’s on old lava flow, which makes it a little unique. I didn’t walk too far into the forest. However, it was eerily quiet and peaceful.
From there I headed back to the station and caught an earlier bus back to Tokyo. I could have spent more time wandering around, but with the cold, I left in the early afternoon.
DAY 12: EXPLORING TOKYO
Tsukiji Market
For my last full day in Tokyo, I packed in a few different neighborhoods. I started the morning at Tsukiji Market. I did not wake up at 3 AM to stand in line for a ticket to the fish auction. However, I did spend a few hours walking around the outer market (with food stalls and shops) and inner market (where the wholesales happen). The inner market opened to the public at 10. At that point most of the hustle was done since all of the buying and selling had already happened. However, it was still neat to see the inner workings of the market and wander around amongst the trucks and stalls that sell fish and produce.
Tsukiji Market
Note: They are moving Tsukiji Market to a new location soon, which will be more modern and have less of the ambiance of the current location.
After wandering around I got a quick sushi lunch before heading to Ginza.
Walking around Ginza
It was a 20 minute walk from Tsukiji to Ginza, which is a famous shopping district with a lot of department stores and neat buildings. I first went into Ginza Six, which had a beautiful food court (most of which looked like art), a cool art installation and a gorgeous book store. Supposedly there is also a multiple story LED waterfall there but I forgot to look for it.
From there I walked to Hakuhinkan Toy Park, a four story toy store that would be any kid’s dream. I then walked to Itoya, a craft and paper store that I could have spent hours in. Each of its 12 floors had a different theme; it was any crafters dream!
Harajuku
After tearing myself away from Itoya, I hopped on the subway to head to Harajuku, a vibrant area known for its clothing stores and colorful outfits. I wandered around for a few minutes and then walked back to Shibuya to catch the subway to Akasaka.
Night Out in Akasaka
At 5:30 we left the apartment to get dinner in Akasaka. We ate at Gyoza IT, an international gyoza restaurant. We ordered a few dishes to share and even tried their gyoza gratin, which was surprisingly good.
Following dinner, my uncle took me to his favorite Friday night spots. We started at Country House, a small country bar with live music and line dancing from 7:30 PM – 9. Everyone there was having a blast and got into the country spirit. Around 8:15 we headed to Aria, where my aunt and uncle took me one of my first nights in Japan.
At 9, we headed to a tiny disco bar, which was located on the third floor of a random building behind an unmarked door. It was fun to watch people let loose straight after work. After listening to some disco music, we went to a tiny rock and roll bar in Akasaka. It also had live music and was set up like someone’s basement. All in all it was a fun night and it was neat to see another side of Japanese culture.
DAY 13: MORNING IN ODAIBA AND FLIGHT BACK TO THE U.S.
Exploring Odaiba
I had an evening flight back to the U.S. However, in the morning I got to see one more Tokyo neighborhood, Odaiba. We drove over the Rainbow Bridge to get there and even had views of the Tokyo Tower on the way. We had a quick breakfast and then walked around. Odaiba has Tokyo’s only beach (although you aren’t allowed to go swimming) and its own Statue of Liberty. We also saw a giant transformer statue outside of one of the malls before heading back to Akasaka.
I then took the 1:30 bus from the ANA Intercontinental Hotel back to Narita Airport.
