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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/bigWrist415 on 2025-01-05 03:15:58+00:00.
Hi everyone, I had a 14 day 13 night whirl wind tour of Japan last summer with my wife and two kids (13, 18) last summer. It was our first trip to Japan, although family members and co-workers had visited recently. By all regards it was a very ambitious trip and not for everyone one, but it worked out well for us. Both kids like anime, my son likes history, my wife likes culture and nature. I tried to plan things that teenagers would like (instagram worthy) and that were cultural.
Day 1: Flew from CA on ZipAir to Narita arriving 8:00 p.m. Cleared customs, picked up portable WiFi, and took Keisei Skyliner to Ueno Station, transfer to Ginza line, got off Asakusa Station - visit 7-11, stayed at The Gate Asakusa. was tricky to navigate Keisei Skyliner for the first time - internet said it was a straight shot to Asakusa, but someone told me I needed to get off and transfer and I’m glad I did. I was very happy with the hotel. It was recommended on some travel blogs and I’d stay again, because of its proximity to Senso-ji temple, Ichiran, Gyokatsu motomura, and famous japanese kitchenware stores.
Day 2: , at the crack of dawn, my wife and I walked around the temple before the flock of tourists could descend. We had the temple to ourselves and it was great. Once the kids woke up, it was a quick visit to Senso-ji Temple and then subway toShinjuku to make our 1:00 p.m. reservations at Gyokatsu Motomura. I had a hard time finding the restaurant, because it was on a sublevel of a large building and there wasn’t much signage. It was raining and it was a bit of a disaster, but we had our first meal and the kids had fun. We were still tired, it was still raining, but we hit Don Quixote and I was worrying about my 7:00 p.m. Shibuya Sky tickets. It was raining most of the afternoon and I would have cancelled my tickets if I had web access AND I remembered my password, but I didn’t cancel the tickets and around 6:00 p.m. the rain stopped and the sun came out :) It was like a tiny miracle. We got up to Shibuya Sky and it was exceptional! The kids were running around the roof and I just marveled at the Tokyo skyline. We were up there around 90 minutes, then we descended and took subway back to Asakusa. Made it just in time to get into Ichiran in Asakusa with only a minimal wait - 15 minutes, but we got in 30 minutes before closing. very much enjoyed the experience.
Day 3: we checked out of our Asakusa Hotel - send our luggage to the Royal Park in Kyoto, then spent the morning at TeamLab Planets in Odaiba. We all enjoyed TeamLabs and then we visited the original fish market, visited the Gundam/Diver City and then checked into our Ginza Hotel for one night.
Day 4: check out and head to Hakone to hopefully see Mt. Fuji and stay at the Green Plaza Hotel. I bought Romance Car train tickets and was all prepared to do Hakone Free Pass, but it continued to rain and the Gondola was shut down - messing up our access to the hotel. We had to pivot and take a city bus to Green Plaza Hotel and I was in a foul mood. The rain stormed all afternoon, but I enjoyed our stay at the Green Plaza. Yes, it is a bit outdated, but I thought it was a good value and we got to experience their onsen and we enjoyed the buffet dinner.
Day 5: check out of Hakone; the sun is out, and the Gondola is back in action. We take Gondola, make a quick stop at Owakudani to see the sulfur valley and buy four black eggs. Took local train to Odawara Station and then Shinkansen to Kyoto Station (I bought my tickets online weeks earlier and we rushed to make the connection - I think I could missed my train and just taken a seat in an unreserved car, but the four of us were traveling together and I wanted to sit together). We get to the Royal Park at 3:30 p.m. but we had dinner reservations for 5:00 p.m. at Teppanyaki Tavern in Kyoto - place I heard about on youtube. Walking through Gion to the restaurant, i couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Kimonos, beautiful traditional houses…it was magical.
Day 6: we hit Arashiyama for a river cruise, bamboo grove, and the monkey park. The good news was that it stopped raining for the river cruise, the bad news was the sun came out and it was HOT. The 20 minute walk up to the top of the Monkey Park was tough and people were conked out on benches - trying to get the energy to get to the top. I enjoyed the monkeys, well worth, the effort and price of admission. Back in Kyoto, we had an appointment for my daughter to make her own ring at Glinta. If you know, you know.
Day 7: my son and I hit Fushimi Inari at the crack of dawn. We had the whole place to ourselves and it was great. That afternoon, we visited Nishiki market and a Pokemon store. Dinner was at Kura Sushi. It may not be top quality, but it was a lot of fun.
Day 8: kids and I visited Kiyomizu dera in the morning and explored Gion. Thought about visitng Shoren-Temple and Chion-In Temple, but we were all temple’d out and we called it aday. Afternoon, kids rested or shopped.
Day 9: leave Kyoto, head to Hiroshima Museum, then sleep in Miyajima. For all the people who insisted on sleeping in Miyajima - thank you…you’re right. Miyajima is so beautiful. Wish we spent more than one night here, but places to go.
Day 10: leave Miyajima and train to Kanazawa. The rain came back this afternoon, but this was essentially a rest day.
Day 11: explore Kanazawa Castle and the market.
sent two pieces of luggage directly to Narita (though we aren’t flying out for 4 days)
Day 12: check out of hotel and take bus to Shirakawa-go, spend the night.
Day 13: leave Shirakawa-Go, back to Kanazawa then bullet train to Tokyo
Day 14: last morning in Tokyo then Narita Express to Narita, pick up luggage delivery, head home.
Luggage Delivery saved the day!! Two big thumbs up. Family members and close friends said this itinerary was too hectic, but in the end it wasn’t … for us. The kids still had plenty of free time and I got to show them Miyajima, Kanazawa, and Shirakawa-go – places I’m not sure they would visit, if we didn’t do it now. The kids didn’t complain about the pace and they had a good time. The above itinerary sacrificed time in Osaka an some time in Tokyo, but I thought that could be done in a subsequent trip.
Making a long post…even longer. trip #2 is next week. Winter in Japan. 16 nights: 3 nights in Osaka, 7 nights in Kyoto, 6 nights in Tokyo. A leisurely trip focused on my 18 year old - who just wants to shop for 16 nights and hit Universal Studio Japan. I’ll post more about this trip, if there is interest.
Hope this helps someone and wasn’t a bore to read.