Takeshita Street- animal cafes, souvenir stores, and endless snack stalls! ~ 1 hr here
Meiji Jingu Shrine- walk through the beautiful park and take in the peaceful nature as you arrive at Meiji Jingu. ~ 1.5 hr here
Walk the streets either side of the 305 and enjoy a variety of shops.
Tokyo plaza is at the Jingumae intersection and has a great view and a great food hall.
Shibuya Crossing- the busiest intersection in the world! You can get a great view from the Starbucks on the corner if you purchase an item.
Walk the streets of Shibuya at night to take in the lights, the people, and enjoy the shopping!
It’s a nice walk through small streets from Shibuya to Harajuku ~ 20 minutes/ .8 mile.
Shopping! You must go to the Muji store and Uniqlo, as they are staples to Japan. Most all the shops don’t open til 11 so don’t rush here in the morning. Big fancy shopping centers here.
Highly recommend booking a karaoke room!
Senso-Ji Temple- beautiful temple where you can pick your fortune (bring 100Y pp). Very busy in the middle of the day so be mindful when planning what time to go.
Nakamise-Dori- The street leading up to Senso-Ji Temple with lots of stalls for trinkets and food. Bring cash if you plan to shop here as some restaurants/ stalls don’t take card.
Tokyo Skytree- Nice to do at sunset/ night perhaps after the Senso-Ji temple. Pro book tickets online (same day ok) for great views of all of Tokyo. You only need about 1-1.5 hr here.
The perfect spot for vintage shopping and quiet streets! We spent one of my favorite nights here, just a few stops on the train from Roppongi, this was a good change of space.
Brooklyn roasting company, a great spot for coffee with a super cool vibe right under the train tracks.
Endless food options all over town.
Good to spend a couple hours here and most shops are open til 8!
This was the HIGHLIGHT of our trip! A small speakeasy vibe jazz bar. It’s ¥1500 pp cash or card and that gets you in and your first drink. The talent was beyond!! It’s small, VERY small like 20 people max so get there early and be prepared to be squished in.
Always a fun day! If you are a disney fan then absolutely go, but there is so much more to see in Japan. I would suggest this only if you needed a day to fill.
Perhaps one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at. Price, location, room size, amenities- perfect. If you are coming to Hiroshima and planning to visit the Peace Park and Bomb Dome, this is located all within walking distance. Only 20 minutes by bus from Hiroshima station, it makes getting here a breeze.
We were given complimentary snacks (more like mini meals) to enjoy on their rooftop and they have a great bar with incredible views! Super groovey and modern.
A delicious restaurant on the lower floor that also offers take out, breakfast, AND happy hour!
Great location! Be prepared for a small room but situated perfectly in the midst of it all, close to subway stations. Plenty of shopping and food all around so if you are looking for a bit of everything, Roppongi is a great spot to stay. Cedar- the restaurant inside, is fantastic!
This is the 'old Japan' you think about. You can spend an entire day wandering the streets of Gion, browsing shops, tea houses, and eating your way through! Its very busy in the middle of the day, so be respectful when taking photos and walking in the streets.
Food!!! Tons of food vendors cooking everything in front of you. There are lots of little shops in this market too, perfect for souvenirs to take home. You could spend about an hour and a half here.
1000 Tori gates: yes! This is a must see when in Kyoto. Be prepared for crowds, but the further you walk the less busy it gets. I suggest early in the morning (like 7am early) or later in the day. It’s magnificent to stroll through and take in the forest all around. If you get far enough you may even get a glimpse of the local cats sleeping on the side of the walkway. Plan to spend 2-3 hrs here after getting off the train at the Inari stop.
A must see when visiting Kyoto. The best part may even be the walk up the hill! Stroll the ancient streets and enjoy vendors selling food and drinks as you make your way up the hill towards the temple. Be prepared for a cash only entry ticket. You can visit this area in both the day and night, and I suggest both for great views of the city and quieter streets later on. It will be busy so expect plenty of people!
We booked this tea ceremony experience 2 days before and it was simply fantastic! They help you dress in authentic kimonos, do your hair, and guide you through a peaceful matcha tea ceremony. A MUST when in Kyoto!
We had set our sights on buying some quality knives when visiting and we found the perfect place! Yoshihada is the best little shop to buy Japanese knives, made with such craftsmanship. The shop owner doesn’t speak any English but they take card and she is super helpful! Best place we found and for the best price!
Miyajima island was one of the best days of our trip! About 30 minutes to the ferry station via train from Hiroshima, then a 10 minute ferry across and a day well spent!
You do NOT have to prebook your ferry, you just show up at the terminal and can buy a ticket there or tap on with your suica card. Super cheap, only a couple dollars each way. Ferries run every 15 minutes.
We arrived around 11am and left at 4 and it was the perfect amount of time.
Great shops, great food and plenty of snacks to purchase.
Lots of deer walking around.
Incredible temples that you can wander through.
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Eats & Drinks!!
Im vegetarian so these spots are all accommodating
Wow!!!! Must go when in Harajuku. Get the waffle- add ice cream or cream- you’re welcome. So trendy, super cool lower level coffee shop with great vibes. You would probably never notice it walking these back streets, highly recommend!
Obsessed!! Cash only. One of the few spots open early in the morning. The friendliest barista!! They make a delicious cappuccino, still thinking about this cute- literal hole in the wall!!
This place slayed! Menu was top notch, the drinks were top notch, the music was top notch and the bar tenders were fab!! Could have gone here multiple nights. Special mentions to the gin n tonic, the yellowtail sashimi, and the smoked fries… mmmmm
Killer sushi, for a great price! Suggest getting there just before 5 and adding your name to the list, then hang around til they call you. So good we went twice!
Vegan/ Gluten Free ramen! This place was great. Definitely on the pricey side compared to other spots we ate at but we were so impressed with their take on ramen. They also have vegan and GF snacks if you wanted to stop by for a treat!
Great vibe and great food! Their Mac n cheese was to die over.
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Getting around
Suica cards
Iphone users can easily add a suica card to their apple wallet before they arrive in Japan. This is the reloadable card to tap on and off for buses and trains throughout Japan.
Click the + in apple wallet.
Select the transit card and search for Suica. You can keep topping up the ¥ throughout your trip! We started with 3000 yen and then added more each time. Each trip is only about 150-350 yen.
If you land at Haneda, it’s very easy to take the train (no prebooking necessary) to get anywhere in Tokyo. This is the closest airport to Tokyo city center. We used our suica cards (preloaded) and Apple Maps.
Shinkansen- bullet trains
We prebooked all of of our bullet trains before the trip and used the SmartEx app. Very easy and highly recommend as your tickets will live in the app.
Get to the stations ~ 15 minutes before departure to see which platform it’s departing from and so you can find your reserved car/ seat. We did NOT book the oversized luggage tickets and we were ok with our checked bag going above us on the train. If you arent able to lift your bag above your head then book the oversized luggage ticket.
Good to knows!
-Outlets: Wall plugs are the same as North America the two prong
-Cash vs Card: for 2 people for 9 days, we pulled out 10,000 yen in cash and that lasted the whole time. We used card for pretty much everything except a couple spots in Kyoto specifically were cash only.
-Opening times: Most cafes and shops don't open til 11am. We noticed this in every location we visited. Do not rely on what time the map says things open as most things we tried before 11 were actually closed.
-Weather: Inside train stations its VERY warm so dress in layers for winter
-Walking: you will walk more than you think! We did about 20k steps a day and up and down lots of steps when riding the train. Wear comfy shoes!
