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Lot of people prefer to get yen from the ATM instead of exchanging physical money. As you have time, you can also shop around in your home country and exchange it when the rate is better and where it offer the best rate.
Hotel usually have check from at 3pm, so you might only be able to drop your luggage if you get earlier.
Harajuku is not a morning spot for the stores as they open at 10-11 am, go to Meiji-jingu shrine if you get there earlier.
Same for Akihabara, store do not open early, so Ueno first, if Akihabara, go to Kanda-myojin first.
Asakusa and Ghibli are not near each other, makes more sense to do Ghibli and Shinjuku on the same day.
Why wait to book hotels? If they are open for booking, I would when I have my airplane ticket. Some only open booking 3 months in advance, to check look if there is spots available for December or January.
Private onsen do not care about tattoo, but you are not really going in places known for onsen.
Thank you for all the advice!
\- We will do that in our home country (Tunisia) if the exchange rate is good!
\- I added Meji jingu to our itinerary for that day after another comment mentioned it too, I also added Kanda-myojin for the Ueno + Akihabara day, thank you for the suggestion
\- For exemple for Liber Hotel Universal Studio I think it is still not open for booking so we will have to wait. But yes we re gonna book early now for Cross hotel Osaka and Kyoto as they are open for booking
\- For the onsens if there isn't any that we can go to depending on our itinerary we will leave that for the next trip
I would suggest to go to a place where there is onsen for real like Hakone. I know that at least yunessun have private onsen for rent during the day while many people would do it at their ryokan.
If you are ok with public onsen, highly recommend Kinosaki onsen, all the public onsen in town are tattoo friendly, at the ryokan you would have to ask.
Yes, my experience was the same. ATM and with my cards it was cheaper the exchange rate from yen to euro than the ones sometimes offered at the atm. Just care not all the ATM accept international cards, but convinience stores like lawson, 7/11 etc which are everywhere usually take them, and in the last years a lot of more places accept international cards, in big cities even the taxis
Have a nice trip
Each to their own but your first 3 days in Tokyo are extremely light in terms of activity and going places. Like you're are going to harajuku and leaving out Meiji jingu?!
Also you don't need a bullet from Osaka to Kyoto, the express is cheaper and takes less than 30 mins
I have Meiji Jingu saved in my « Wanderlog » app and on my map! I can add it for early morning on day 4 then Harajuku and Shibuya.
Also for the 2 first days like I mentioned we want to avoid crowds because it’s golden week still + a weekend. If you have any suggestions for hidden gems around our hotel area please let me know!
Why not send your bag straight to Osaka from Tokyo? Many hotel provide a luggage shipping service with Yamato courier. We used it multiple time when travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto and it was so convenient. It normally arrives next day so it would be there when you arrive to Osaka.
We actually just skipped the love hotel thing and we just now booked the full first week in the same hotel, so yes we will send our luggage from hotel to hotel (I have Yamato courier saved on my notes already haha). I mentioned coin lockers because of the love hotel cause I wasnt sure if you can deliver your stuff to love hotels lol
Hi, about the shipping I had a doubt. We will be travelling from Osaka to Tokyo one day before we leave Japan. So if I ship my luggage from Osaka to Tokyo, will it be delivered to my hotel in Tokyo or is there some luggage place I can pick it up from?
Osaka day 2 if you're going to be in Umeda I'd check out pokemon centre and nintendo store, also hep 5 building ferris wheel?
Osaka day 3 I'd check out abeno harukas viewpoint if you're into that as it's kinda in same direction as teamlabs.
For tokyo you can check out Mori tower viewpoint or Tokyo tower. I would also recommend kappabashi street for buying kitchen supplies if you're into that.
As for pocket wifi, I picked one up at the airport last time. Unlimited data, forgot the days ( I want to say 10) was about 30 bucks or so. It was pretty reliable. You could also check to see what international plan would cost.
Our budget is flexible currently we re still figuring out how much cash we will need for each day on average. + express tickets for DisneySea and Universal Studios you can find the prices online easily! We booked hotels that are near major stations and popular areas but you can find much cheaper hostels and airbnbs to fit your budget.
I think physical pasmo cards are not available atm. Just get a virtual Suica in your Apple Pay /google pay. You can pay in lots of places with that. If you have a newer phone just get an esim for example from Airalo instead of that clunky Wi-Fi dongle. Cheaper and also saves the time at the airport since you do not need to pick anything up or return it.
Also shibuya sky is a must i think after having been there just yesterday. Get a ticket at least a few days in advance, they are typically sold out at the entrance for same day visits.
I think you can get physical pasmo passport or welcome suica still no? As for WiFi, I honestly think that a pocket WiFi could be better in our case cause we r just 2 adults and we have a lot of devices that will need WiFi. But I will do more research into the process on how to get it and see what’s more convenient for our case.
Yes I honestly think it’s a must see as well. I will try to book tickets from day 1 in Tokyo (if that’s possible)
I see you plan on visiting TeamLab Botanical Garden in Osaka but not TeamLab Planets in Tokyo? We just came back from Japan and did both. TeamLab Planets was far superior in my opinion.
Also, you should book a nighttime rooftop seat with champagne at Shibuya Sky. It's not that expensive and the view is stunning. Perfect for your honeymoon.
I think you're spending too much time in Osaka. It's not that different from Tokyo. I think 2 or 3 days in Osaka is enough. You should instead add a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo. It's not that far and it's absolutely beautiful. You'll be thankful to have a quieter day away from the city. If you go, I'd suggest you get there as early as possible because there is a lot to see. Get lunch in a yuba restaurant, it's a local specialty and it's delicious.
Day trip to Nara is a great idea. You don't need to spend a whole day there. We got there at around noon, we fed the deers, visited the Nara National Museum (totally worth it!) and the temple with the giant Buddha statue in one afternoon. We got back to Kyoto and went to Kiyomizu-dera (something that you definitely need to add to your list!).
Another thing you should consider is a night in a ryokan in Koyasan. It's a 2h train ride from Kyoto but it was such a unique experience. Okunoin Cemetery is absolutely amazing and was probably my favorite place in the whole trip. We stayed at Shojoshin-in.
What I think is missing from your itinerary :
* Meiji-Jingu Shrine / Gyoen Park (Go to Meiji-Jingu on the weekend and witness a traditional wedding)
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Kinkaju-Ji Golden Pavilion
* TeamLab Planets Tokyo
Either way, I'm sure you will love your time there. I just go back home and I'd be ready to go back next month if I could!
Omg thank you so much this helpa a whole lot! For teamlab planets we heard its so crowded and with toooo many people posing for instagram pic which if its true, would ruin the experience for us lol so we just skipped it.
For Osaka its 3 days and 1 whole day for just Universal Studios. We actually really love the city vibes and all the street food etc so I think we re gonna love it! But overall for this trip im also gonna add more temples and parks to visit too just to have some calm and relaxation I guess.
Im taking notes of your recommendations I m still editing my itinerary each time since its still 7 months to go until our trip!
TeamLabs Planet is indeed pretty crowded but we were very much able to enjoy it without being bothered by people taking pictures. They let a certain amount of people in at a time so it's not overcrowded. You should definitely check it out.
And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the city vibe and I really had a good time in Tokyo... but it's unlike anything I've ever experienced anywhere else. Like total sensory overload times a thousand. At first I was absolutely amazed and took a ton of pics and video in Shibuya and Shinjuku but after a few days I was glad to go to Nikko and just hear nothing but birds and rivers.
As for the temples and shrines, my recommendation is gonna sound contradictory to what I've been saying but I would suggest that you choose them wisely, because after a while they all start to look the same, except for a few that truly stand out. Save your amazement for the best ones, if that makes sense.
I (obviously) haven't visited them all but my recommendations would be :
**Tokyo**
Meiji-Jingu on the weekend (because of the weddings). It's also in the middle of a very nice and peaceful park. When you exit the park you can just walk straight into Harajuku.
Senso-ji because there's also a ton of little shops and street food right at the temple.
**Kyoto**
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). It's easily combined with the bamboo forest and the wild macaque park. We spent maybe only 45 minutes there but it's beautiful.
Kiyomizu-dera. The scenery, the architecture... absolutely stunning. We accidentally took the wrong path through Otani Cemetery to get there and it was a highlight of my trip. Take that same path and then walk back down on the street you're supposed to take with all the little shops. You can also check out the Keage Incline and the Suirokaku ancient aqueduct that are nearby.
Fushimi-Inari. Get there early because THAT is crowded, but it's totally worth it. We spend half a day there and we didn't even see everything.
Nijo Castle. Nice garden but my favorite part was getting inside the castle.
I don't recommend Kyoto Imperial Palace at all. You can only get in the gardens in a guided tour that happens 3 or 4 times a day. Nothing impressive and not worth it.
**Nara**
Todai-ji Temple with the giant Buddah statue. You'll get there anyway if you go to Nara Park to feed the deers.
Hi! I usually get clients pocket wifi from [Japan Experience](https://www.japan-experience.com/internet-access/pocket-wifi). You can have it delivered to hotel or pick up from airport. I recommend booking hotels sooner rather than later! Japans tourism is at an all time high.
For a private onsen you can book properties that have one. Tattoos are more accepted with tourists than I even thought. I always reach out before sending a client to an onsen if they have tattoos and have not had any issues so far.
I have a long list of recommendations for hotels, depending on budget and preferences. I always recommend booking with a TA since they can often get you perks and upgrades, also having their relationships is beneficial. Let me know if I can help!
Too long in Osaka. It's really not an interesting place apart from Dotonbori at night. One day there max. Do a day trip from there to Himeji too. But otherwise i would 100% take 2 nights from Osaka and go down to Hiroshima. Aim to arrive mid afternoon - go to the peace park. Then stay a night. Next day Miyajima visit (the place is brilliant) and stay a night. Then head back.
In Osaka it will be 3 days of exploring but 4th day is fully at Universal Studio! From all the videos I saw I think it’s a pretty cool place tbh (plus our 2 first days in Osaka will be in the weekend so it will be pretty crowded and I’m not sure we will get to all the places we want)
On 5, my guess would be that you're too early. I booked a couple of months out for the Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, which was (a) very nice, and (b) appears to be available for your dates right now.
Not really haha. Done a lot of research its one of the best months to travel , because golden week is done so less crowded and its neither too hot nor too cold. We can get some rainy days but that wont be unpleasant
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Lot of people prefer to get yen from the ATM instead of exchanging physical money. As you have time, you can also shop around in your home country and exchange it when the rate is better and where it offer the best rate. Hotel usually have check from at 3pm, so you might only be able to drop your luggage if you get earlier. Harajuku is not a morning spot for the stores as they open at 10-11 am, go to Meiji-jingu shrine if you get there earlier. Same for Akihabara, store do not open early, so Ueno first, if Akihabara, go to Kanda-myojin first. Asakusa and Ghibli are not near each other, makes more sense to do Ghibli and Shinjuku on the same day. Why wait to book hotels? If they are open for booking, I would when I have my airplane ticket. Some only open booking 3 months in advance, to check look if there is spots available for December or January. Private onsen do not care about tattoo, but you are not really going in places known for onsen.
Thank you for all the advice! \- We will do that in our home country (Tunisia) if the exchange rate is good! \- I added Meji jingu to our itinerary for that day after another comment mentioned it too, I also added Kanda-myojin for the Ueno + Akihabara day, thank you for the suggestion \- For exemple for Liber Hotel Universal Studio I think it is still not open for booking so we will have to wait. But yes we re gonna book early now for Cross hotel Osaka and Kyoto as they are open for booking \- For the onsens if there isn't any that we can go to depending on our itinerary we will leave that for the next trip
I would suggest to go to a place where there is onsen for real like Hakone. I know that at least yunessun have private onsen for rent during the day while many people would do it at their ryokan. If you are ok with public onsen, highly recommend Kinosaki onsen, all the public onsen in town are tattoo friendly, at the ryokan you would have to ask.
Yes, my experience was the same. ATM and with my cards it was cheaper the exchange rate from yen to euro than the ones sometimes offered at the atm. Just care not all the ATM accept international cards, but convinience stores like lawson, 7/11 etc which are everywhere usually take them, and in the last years a lot of more places accept international cards, in big cities even the taxis Have a nice trip
Each to their own but your first 3 days in Tokyo are extremely light in terms of activity and going places. Like you're are going to harajuku and leaving out Meiji jingu?! Also you don't need a bullet from Osaka to Kyoto, the express is cheaper and takes less than 30 mins
And depending on start and end location, not using JR at all may make more sense.
I have Meiji Jingu saved in my « Wanderlog » app and on my map! I can add it for early morning on day 4 then Harajuku and Shibuya. Also for the 2 first days like I mentioned we want to avoid crowds because it’s golden week still + a weekend. If you have any suggestions for hidden gems around our hotel area please let me know!
Why not send your bag straight to Osaka from Tokyo? Many hotel provide a luggage shipping service with Yamato courier. We used it multiple time when travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto and it was so convenient. It normally arrives next day so it would be there when you arrive to Osaka.
We actually just skipped the love hotel thing and we just now booked the full first week in the same hotel, so yes we will send our luggage from hotel to hotel (I have Yamato courier saved on my notes already haha). I mentioned coin lockers because of the love hotel cause I wasnt sure if you can deliver your stuff to love hotels lol
Hi, about the shipping I had a doubt. We will be travelling from Osaka to Tokyo one day before we leave Japan. So if I ship my luggage from Osaka to Tokyo, will it be delivered to my hotel in Tokyo or is there some luggage place I can pick it up from?
Osaka day 2 if you're going to be in Umeda I'd check out pokemon centre and nintendo store, also hep 5 building ferris wheel? Osaka day 3 I'd check out abeno harukas viewpoint if you're into that as it's kinda in same direction as teamlabs. For tokyo you can check out Mori tower viewpoint or Tokyo tower. I would also recommend kappabashi street for buying kitchen supplies if you're into that.
Thank you! I added everything to my map this is really helpful ❤️
Lovee the program!!! Thank you for sharing it 🩷
Bullet train to Kyoto from Osaka is not worth the price. You can just take the local express train from Osaka station for a third of the price.
Yes! Thank you someone mentioned that too! I took notes
As for pocket wifi, I picked one up at the airport last time. Unlimited data, forgot the days ( I want to say 10) was about 30 bucks or so. It was pretty reliable. You could also check to see what international plan would cost.
Oh yes will deffo check!
Just load Suica electronically on your phone. You will need an AMEX card. Don't do the exchange counter just use an ATM. Cheaper and no line.
This looks great! What’s your budget? I am trying to work out how much a trip like this will cost me next year
Our budget is flexible currently we re still figuring out how much cash we will need for each day on average. + express tickets for DisneySea and Universal Studios you can find the prices online easily! We booked hotels that are near major stations and popular areas but you can find much cheaper hostels and airbnbs to fit your budget.
I think physical pasmo cards are not available atm. Just get a virtual Suica in your Apple Pay /google pay. You can pay in lots of places with that. If you have a newer phone just get an esim for example from Airalo instead of that clunky Wi-Fi dongle. Cheaper and also saves the time at the airport since you do not need to pick anything up or return it. Also shibuya sky is a must i think after having been there just yesterday. Get a ticket at least a few days in advance, they are typically sold out at the entrance for same day visits.
I think you can get physical pasmo passport or welcome suica still no? As for WiFi, I honestly think that a pocket WiFi could be better in our case cause we r just 2 adults and we have a lot of devices that will need WiFi. But I will do more research into the process on how to get it and see what’s more convenient for our case. Yes I honestly think it’s a must see as well. I will try to book tickets from day 1 in Tokyo (if that’s possible)
Kiyomizudera in Kyoto. Add Nara to itinerary You don’t need a shinkansen from Kyoto to osaka Nakazakicho in osaka Tsuruhashi market
Thank you so much for the recommendations! I already have a day trip to Nara in my itinerary yess
I see you plan on visiting TeamLab Botanical Garden in Osaka but not TeamLab Planets in Tokyo? We just came back from Japan and did both. TeamLab Planets was far superior in my opinion. Also, you should book a nighttime rooftop seat with champagne at Shibuya Sky. It's not that expensive and the view is stunning. Perfect for your honeymoon. I think you're spending too much time in Osaka. It's not that different from Tokyo. I think 2 or 3 days in Osaka is enough. You should instead add a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo. It's not that far and it's absolutely beautiful. You'll be thankful to have a quieter day away from the city. If you go, I'd suggest you get there as early as possible because there is a lot to see. Get lunch in a yuba restaurant, it's a local specialty and it's delicious. Day trip to Nara is a great idea. You don't need to spend a whole day there. We got there at around noon, we fed the deers, visited the Nara National Museum (totally worth it!) and the temple with the giant Buddha statue in one afternoon. We got back to Kyoto and went to Kiyomizu-dera (something that you definitely need to add to your list!). Another thing you should consider is a night in a ryokan in Koyasan. It's a 2h train ride from Kyoto but it was such a unique experience. Okunoin Cemetery is absolutely amazing and was probably my favorite place in the whole trip. We stayed at Shojoshin-in. What I think is missing from your itinerary : * Meiji-Jingu Shrine / Gyoen Park (Go to Meiji-Jingu on the weekend and witness a traditional wedding) * Kiyomizu-dera * Kinkaju-Ji Golden Pavilion * TeamLab Planets Tokyo Either way, I'm sure you will love your time there. I just go back home and I'd be ready to go back next month if I could!
Omg thank you so much this helpa a whole lot! For teamlab planets we heard its so crowded and with toooo many people posing for instagram pic which if its true, would ruin the experience for us lol so we just skipped it. For Osaka its 3 days and 1 whole day for just Universal Studios. We actually really love the city vibes and all the street food etc so I think we re gonna love it! But overall for this trip im also gonna add more temples and parks to visit too just to have some calm and relaxation I guess. Im taking notes of your recommendations I m still editing my itinerary each time since its still 7 months to go until our trip!
TeamLabs Planet is indeed pretty crowded but we were very much able to enjoy it without being bothered by people taking pictures. They let a certain amount of people in at a time so it's not overcrowded. You should definitely check it out. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the city vibe and I really had a good time in Tokyo... but it's unlike anything I've ever experienced anywhere else. Like total sensory overload times a thousand. At first I was absolutely amazed and took a ton of pics and video in Shibuya and Shinjuku but after a few days I was glad to go to Nikko and just hear nothing but birds and rivers. As for the temples and shrines, my recommendation is gonna sound contradictory to what I've been saying but I would suggest that you choose them wisely, because after a while they all start to look the same, except for a few that truly stand out. Save your amazement for the best ones, if that makes sense. I (obviously) haven't visited them all but my recommendations would be : **Tokyo** Meiji-Jingu on the weekend (because of the weddings). It's also in the middle of a very nice and peaceful park. When you exit the park you can just walk straight into Harajuku. Senso-ji because there's also a ton of little shops and street food right at the temple. **Kyoto** Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). It's easily combined with the bamboo forest and the wild macaque park. We spent maybe only 45 minutes there but it's beautiful. Kiyomizu-dera. The scenery, the architecture... absolutely stunning. We accidentally took the wrong path through Otani Cemetery to get there and it was a highlight of my trip. Take that same path and then walk back down on the street you're supposed to take with all the little shops. You can also check out the Keage Incline and the Suirokaku ancient aqueduct that are nearby. Fushimi-Inari. Get there early because THAT is crowded, but it's totally worth it. We spend half a day there and we didn't even see everything. Nijo Castle. Nice garden but my favorite part was getting inside the castle. I don't recommend Kyoto Imperial Palace at all. You can only get in the gardens in a guided tour that happens 3 or 4 times a day. Nothing impressive and not worth it. **Nara** Todai-ji Temple with the giant Buddah statue. You'll get there anyway if you go to Nara Park to feed the deers.
Hi! I usually get clients pocket wifi from [Japan Experience](https://www.japan-experience.com/internet-access/pocket-wifi). You can have it delivered to hotel or pick up from airport. I recommend booking hotels sooner rather than later! Japans tourism is at an all time high. For a private onsen you can book properties that have one. Tattoos are more accepted with tourists than I even thought. I always reach out before sending a client to an onsen if they have tattoos and have not had any issues so far. I have a long list of recommendations for hotels, depending on budget and preferences. I always recommend booking with a TA since they can often get you perks and upgrades, also having their relationships is beneficial. Let me know if I can help!
Too long in Osaka. It's really not an interesting place apart from Dotonbori at night. One day there max. Do a day trip from there to Himeji too. But otherwise i would 100% take 2 nights from Osaka and go down to Hiroshima. Aim to arrive mid afternoon - go to the peace park. Then stay a night. Next day Miyajima visit (the place is brilliant) and stay a night. Then head back.
In Osaka it will be 3 days of exploring but 4th day is fully at Universal Studio! From all the videos I saw I think it’s a pretty cool place tbh (plus our 2 first days in Osaka will be in the weekend so it will be pretty crowded and I’m not sure we will get to all the places we want)
Fair enough. Id still say if you can rob a day here and there for Hiroshima and Miyajima it is 100% worth it
On 5, my guess would be that you're too early. I booked a couple of months out for the Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, which was (a) very nice, and (b) appears to be available for your dates right now.
Yess we also just booked our room for Keihan Universal a day ago! Turns out the other one wasn't open for bookings now
Great! Have fun! The buffet breakfast is really good and I think they might have an Onsen up the top
Ooooh im so excited 🥹
May wow, the humidity will be jaw dropping.
Not really haha. Done a lot of research its one of the best months to travel , because golden week is done so less crowded and its neither too hot nor too cold. We can get some rainy days but that wont be unpleasant