Day 1 (6/10): Tokyo
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Activities:
- n/a
Planner's Notes: n/a
Day 2 (6/11): Tokyo
The izakaya food tour is a great way to see parts of Tokyo that most tourist don't usually visit. The guide that we use for this tour is a sake sommelier, and he has an extensive knowledge of Tokyo's ramen restaurants (especially the Michelin-starred ones). I've only put this in for this day, since you guys are arriving in the afternoon. I thought it would be a great opportunity for you to speak with a food expert on your first day here, and also, this food tour is a group experience, and so it is a good way for you to have a nice social experience, immediately upon arriving.
Activities:
- Ueno Izakaya Food Tour
Planner's Notes: Flight arrives on flight # UA79 at 2:25PM.
Day 3 (6/12): Nikko
Nikko is just north of Tokyo, and the best way to get there is by train. There is a train that actually has a private cabin (which is pretty rare for Japan), and it's the most enjoyable way to watch the landscape change from modern, to countryside. Nikko is the resting place for the shogun who unified Japan. There is a shrine there in his honor, and it by far the most ornate of any shrine I've seen in the country. The first half of this day is best spent with a knowledgeable guide who can give you all of the history of Nikko, and the shrines so that you can best appreciate it. The shrine itself is planted right in the middle of a large cedar forest, which only adds to its majesty. After that, the next stop is more lighthearted. The Edo-era theme park isn't located too far from the shrine. I love visiting here, and they usually have to kick us out, because we typically stay until closing hours. There is so much to do, see and learn while visiting. There are impromptu sword fights, hidden ninjas in the streets, areas that teach you about the crafting process of katanas (it is insanely complex), and even stations where you can try your hand at creating your own daruma dolls. It is a lot of light-hearted fun, but I can definitely understand if it isn't exactly what you're looking for with this itinerary (especially with the giant obstacle course in the previous day). Please let me know what you think about it, and we can replace this with something else (Nikko has some onsen spots nearby that we could put into this day, and also some really nice nature hikes as well).
The giant maze, is... a giant maze. I thought that it may be a nice addition, since you guys mentioned that you enjoy doing escape rooms during our phone call. I want to keep it in tentatively as doing both this and Edo Wonderland may be a bit of a tight squeeze for this day, if you don't elect to leave early in the morning.
Activities:
- Nikko day trip
- Toshogu Shrine
- Edo Wonderland
- Grand Maze Palladium
- Restaurant Suggestion: Locale
Planner's Notes: I highly, highly suggest getting to Nikko as early as possible. The hotel that I've suggested for Tokyo is in Asakusa, and it is walking distance to the train line that I've mentioned above. There is a train that departs from Asakusa Station (Tobu Line station) at 6:30AM that will get you guys there at 8:25AM. I think that this is the best way to go to Nikko as it will give you plenty of time to explore.
Day 4 (6/13): Tokyo
I wanted this day to be more lowkey and relaxed, so I've planned somewhat shorter activities, to also allow time in between for spontaneous activities/experiences. Tokyo SkyTree is the tallest tower in Japan, and is the *best* way to get an idea of how massive the city really is. I've put Tokyo SkyTree at the end of this day during the sunset, for a few reasons. First, going there before sunset is a good way to see what the city looks like during the day, and at night as well. Secondly, Tokyo SkyTree is not far from the area where your hotel is, so it'd be convenient for you to go there last and then you can go back to your hotel, or explore the area around Asakusa at night. There are a lot of nice restaurants there, and so overall it would be a good, semi-relaxing day.
There are many other options for cooking other than ramen. There are candy-making lessons, wagashi sweets making lesson, tempura, or really anything that you can think of. Currently Day 6 has a fish market and sushi-making lesson in it, and so please let me know if this is overkill, and we can replace it with something else completely different. I've not mentioned TeamLab in the description, because everyone knows what it is at this point, but I will mention that there should be at least two different exhibitions available to you guys when you visit. The first is TeamLab Planets, and it is a very tactile experience compared to the other options, and it is my personal favorite:
https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en
The other major option is an exhibition that has just been reopened in Azabu after having been closed for a couple of years, TeamLab Borderless:
https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/borderless-azabudai/
Activities:
- Ramen cooking lesson
- TeamLab Planets visit
- Tokyo SkyTree (at sunset)
- Sanno Matsuri events
Planner's Notes: The previous two days have activities that take you outside of the city, and so I wanted to use this day to focus more on Tokyo proper, and give you a "break" from longer train journeys.
Day 5 (6/14): Tokyo --> Hachijojima
I would like to use this day to book the fish market tour and sushi making lesson. We typically combine these two activities together, so usually your guide of the fish market is a sushi chef, or the same person who will also be teaching you how to make sushi. The fish that you choose at the market is the fish that you will be using to make sushi with. Your guide/chef should tell you about how to choose a good fish, and what makes a good fish... good. Toyosu is the currently used area for the fisherman who sell fish wholesale, and is the biggest fish market in Japan. The market used to be housed in Tsukiji, but that area has been shut down, and the land was repurposed for the Olympics. The outer market area is still a very nice place to visit for food though. It is possible to see both places in a single day.
Activities:
- Free day to visit unplanned places
- Toyosu Fish Market
- Sushi-making lesson
- Sanno Matsuri events
- Overnight ferry to Hachijojima
Planner's Notes: Again, to be sure that you have a chance to fully do all of the things that you wish to do in Tokyo, I've left this day somewhat open, to add things that you feel may be missing in the itinerary for this leg of the trip. The fish market tour and sushi-making lesson usually starts around 6-7AM, and ends around 11AM, so it allows for plenty of time to add almost anything that you'd like to add to this day.
Day 6 +7 (6/15 - 6/16): Hachijojima
This is the main island that Lindsay and Elliot visited on their honeymoon. I took a look at their itinerary to see what the major highlights were for their time here, and I think that the items below were some of the most memorable on the list.
One of my friend's owns the ryokan that they stayed at (her parents do), and when Elliot and Lindsay went, we arranged for them to do a kaiseki cooking lesson with them. The ryokan is still operational to this day, but unfortunately the cooking lesson would not be possible, as the youngest family member who arranges those is currently in NYC working at a restaurant. Everything else is completely possible though. I'm going to copypasta what I planned for them years ago so you can have a look and see what stands out to you the most. In it, I make mention of a smaller island next to Hachijojima called Aogashima. This island is very difficult to get to, as the best way to go is by helicopter, so I don't know if I can suggest it for this trip since you only have a couple of days to visit this area, but I'll put that information in for your consideration.
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All of your travel on the island of Hachijojima will be done on go-karts (please remember to bring an international driving permit for both of you. If you don’t have one, we can assist you with acquiring them). The day will start off going to Hachijofuji, which is the biggest mountain on the island, for a short hike to the top. The tall grass, and the volcano inside of a volcano view is amazing, and one of the best I’ve ever seen in Japan. From there, you can race you way to one of the waterfalls in the middle of the island and then the beautiful ocean view onsen on the other side of the island. Of all of the hot springs onsen baths that I know of, this is most likely the most beautiful one I’ve ever been to. It is an open-air bath that overlooks the sea.
The accommodations themselves have really great food, so we can arrange for them to prepare dinner for you, however there is a restaurant down the street that is really popular with the locals. It is called Ryozanpaku, and it may require a call in advance before going. Both the accommodation and the restaurant will have excellent offerings, and if you like sashimi, this is one of the best spots for it on the entire itinerary.
Aogashima is the smallest village within the Tokyo prefecture and one of Japan’s smallest communities. Many people travel here for camping in the summer, and just to see the stars at night. It is literally within a volcano in the middle of the sea. The locals have fashioned small ovens outside on the volcano that uses its steam to cook meat and veggies outdoors. There are no restaurants on the island, but there are izakaya (Japanese-style bars) that prepare small food items, and you can also enjoy the islands shochu there as well. Your accommodations will prepare your meals for you, if you don’t want to bring anything to the island.
Activities:
- Go-kart rentals for island exploration
- Mt. Hachijofuji hike
- Sokodo black sands beach
- Traditional ryokan stay
- Ocean view hot springs (Miharashi Onsen)
Planner's Notes: !!BIG NOTE!! - Hachijojima is home to a very strange species of glowing mushrooms, and they usually only glow in June! If you do decide to use my friend's ryokan, they also let their guests rent the cars that they have, if you don't feel safe venturing into the woods using the go-karts. I highly suggest taking advantage of this. Here is an article on the mushrooms:
http://pinktentacle.com/2006/05/rainy-season-brings-glow-in-the-dark-mushrooms/
http://www.hachijo-vc.com/
The second link is to the island's visitor center, and they do offer free tours for people wanting to see the mushrooms!
You will arrive on the island early in the morning. This is meant to be a more slow-paced, relaxing stop on your trip. Hot springs that overlook the ocean, short hiking trips around the island's volcano (inactive), and good food and beach visits. The islands in this area are not heavily populated, so you may find that you guys are the only non-Japanese people there when you visit. There are things that you can do in the surrounding islands, and so if you do feel as though the itinerary is lacking something, we can look into making short trips to the surrounding islands for things like swimming with dolphins (the dolphins are completely wild, and not trained so it isn't an animal cruelty situation), or other notable/enjoyable experiences within the archipelago.
Day 8 (6/17): Kyoto
* 7-DAY JR PASSES SHOULD START ON THIS DAY *
This day will be a major travel day, and so I don't want to plan too many major activities for it. The earliest flight from Hachijojima back to Tokyo is only $78, and it leaves at 9AM. From there, taking a train to Kyoto should get you there around 1PM.
To keep things logistically feasible, and affordable, again I've chosen a hotel that is really nice, but also really affordable. It is also centrally located and within walking distance to a ton of really good restaurants. You can also walk to your kendo lesson from your hotel as well. The kendo lesson is one of the activities that is more "hands on". The dojo we use, typically hosts group lesson with travelers in Kyoto, so this would more than likely be a group experience. The lesson starts with an introduction to kendo as both a martial art, and a sport. Your instructors will fit you both in kendo gear, and then after teaching you guys the basics, they will conduct a small "tournament" between all of you guys! It's a very fun, and also informative experience, because entering and being in a dojo has a lot of cultural "rules" that you can learn about during the process.
At night, a good food tour is a great way to get to see Osaka when it lights up! Osaka is only 10ish minutes away by bullet train, and so it won't be too inconvenient to get there and back. Some of the food items that you can expect on this tour (should you elect to use the guides we normally use) are:
- takoyaki
- oden
- nikudofu
- kushikatsu
- yakitori
- ehire
- udon
- karaage
- taiyaki
Activities:
- Kendo Martial arts lesson
- Osaka Street food tour
Planner's Notes: Flight to Tokyo departs at 9AM, and arrives around 9:50AM (flight # NH 1892). This day is pretty packed. I initially wanted to put the activities in this day on another day, but it fit better in on this day, since there are so many other activities and experiences planned on your other days in this region. I think that the street food tour is a good way to try a bunch of really good Japanese staples in one go. Also, Osaka is almost single-handedly keeping "street food" alive in Japan. It's one of the best places in the country for it.
Day 9 (6/18): Kyoto
I wanted to plan a day that was sort of dedicated to the highlights of Kyoto and also the more traditional Japanese experiences. During our phone call the Japanese tea ceremony was towards the top of the list as far as traditional experiences go, so I've placed that in on this day, and ideally, it could be scheduled after your visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha, should you elect to go in the morning.
The Imperial Palace in Kyoto is a much better experience in my opinion than the Imperial palace in Tokyo. Kyoto is the older palace, and you can actually walk around the grounds there, whereas the location in Tokyo is mostly closed to the public. The buildings in Kyoto are ancient too, so it's a beautiful visit. Calligraphy is more than writing, it can also be a great way of looking into the psyche of Japanese people. The characters themselves have a rich history on how they evolved to their current day meaning. I thought that this may be a good experience before dinner on this day to round out a day of traditional highlights.
Activities:
- Japanese tea ceremony
- Fushimi Inari Taisha
- Imperial Palace visit
- Calligraphy lesson
- Restaurant Suggestion: Kichi Kichi Omurice
Planner's Notes: Fushimi Inari Taisha, is something that can be done either early in the morning, or later in the day at sunset, or even at night. I don't suggest going in the middle of the day, as this is Japan's most popular shrine, and so it is guaranteed to be crowded throughout the day. Although I know we may not be organizing your trip for you, I would still like to make suggestions for some of the organizers of experiences in your itinerary. The tea ceremony is one such experience. The monk who organizes some of our tours used to live in New York. Having someone who speaks English well during these experiences is invaluable, as you will be able to learn the history of the art in depth, and also have the opportunity to have questions answered as well. Since this was a more important experience for you, I figured I'd mention that.
Day 10 (6/19): Onomichi
When speaking, the Shimanami Kaido cycling route is something that you guys showed major interest in. This is the biking route that has bridges that go over the sea. You could do this one of two ways. We could keep the room reservation back in Kyoto, where you would leave your major things, and only take what is needed for this trip, or you could elect to stay at one of the hotels in Onomichi. Onomichi in and of itself is also a nice visit, so although it complicates the itinerary a bit, I do think that staying in Onomichi may be a nice way to spend the day. I've positioned the map for this day to give you an idea of the route (it mostly follows the major roadways in yellow). There are multiple options that you could plan for, depending on how intense or relaxed you wish for the journey to be. There are routes between the distances of 17km - 80km that you could arrange for. We could handle the bike rentals, and I do believe that we could also secure an e-bike to assist with the inclines if you are not comfortable with going uphill.
This would be best as a guided experience. I think that it would be best to do it that way so you don't have to worry about directions, maps, getting lost, etc. Also the guide will stop at nice places along the way for food, and also points of interest that are spread throughout the islands (like shrines, cafes, temples, etc.). The longer the journey you choose, the more places you'll be able to explore. I think that the longest route on an e-bike would probably be somewhere around 6+ hours.
Activities:
- Shimanami Kaido cycling route
Planner's Notes: Staying in Onomichi area overnight is my current suggestion for this day.
Day 11 (6/20): Nara + Osaka
I saved SpaWorld for this day, so that you guys can enjoy a nice spa day after the long cycling day in the inland sea. This is another one of the places that you guys rated quite highly when we spoke on the phone. Just to give you a quick reminder, SpaWorld is in Osaka and it is basically a giant building that has recreated "spas" from around the world. There are also massage services, and if you are feeling adventurous you can try the 'akasuri' body scrub, which is essentially a Korean body scrub. They scrub all of the dead skin off of your entire body using special "mittens". I've been to a few places in Tokyo, and the surrounding area for akasuri, and I have to say that SpaWorld is one of the best places for it.
The other plan that I had for this day is to visit Nara. The temple grounds of Todaiji will be the first stop, It is home to the largest bronze statue of the Buddha in the world, and it is also more famously known to be the home to many deer that roam the temple grounds freely. Visiting Horyuji, and Kasuga Taisha would be great as well (time permitting).
Activities:
- Nara day trip
- Todaiji Temple
- Kasuga Shrine
- Horyuji Temple
- SpaWorld
Planner's Notes: Staying at a hotel in Osaka would be the best bet for this day since you are going to fly out of Osaka the following day, and also it will give you a chance to further explore Osaka's nightlife, should you wish to.
Day 12 (6/21): Osaka
Day to be dedicated to Universal Studios Japan during the daytime, and a street food tour in Osaka during the night.
Activities:
- USJ visit (day)
- Osaka Street food tour (night)
Planner's Notes: USJ is pretty self-explanatory, but I do want to mention a few things, as the purchasing of tickets can become slightly confusing. If you guys wish to visit the Super Nintendo World, the best way to get guaranteed entry is to purchase a Timed Entry pass that includes entry to that part of the park. USJ has done a pretty bad job at making it clear which places you're guaranteed access to when purchasing a ticket, however if you go to the official website and add tickets to your cart, you'll be able to go to see that there should be the option to add Super Nintendo World timed entry tickets at either the "express pass" section, or the "extras" section. If you guys are going specifically for the Mario stuff, I just want to make sure that you guys are aware of that.
For the Osaka street food tour, we typically use the following vendor:
https://osakafoodtours.com/
They have a couple of different offerings, but we usually do the "Deep Osaka Food Tour" option for our guests, as they will also take you to a lot of Osaka's famous neighborhoods during the tour. It's also a pretty good way to meet other travelers since the tours are quite popular.
Day 13 (6/22): Tokyo
No activities planned on this day.
Activities:
- n/a
Planner's Notes: NH2178 (2:00PM Osaka --> Tokyo), then UA78 (5:15PM departure, Tokyo --> NYC).
