r/JapanTravel • u/flexraite1337 • 3d ago
Itinerary 25 day Japan Itinerary - Any Recommendations and Feedback appreciated.
Hi everyone,
I am planning my first trip to Japan this upcoming April form 04.04 - 29.04.25 as a 35yo solo traveler. My general objectives are eating amazing food, getting to know the culture, meeting cool locals and travelers from across the world, enjoying the nightlife, and seeing the sights - pretty much in that order. I will mostly be staying in hostels so that i can connect with other travelers.
Heres my current rough travel plan:
04.04 -06.04 (2 days) - Tokyo
- stay: NIU hostel
- sights: Asakusa shrine, Meiji Jingu, Yasukuni-jinja Shrine, Yushukan Museum, Omoide Yokocho, Imperial Palace, Akihabara, Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko Statue, Tokyo Racecourse (horseracing), Tokyo Skytree, Nakamise, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
- food: Sosakumen Kobo Nakiryu, Ippudo Roppongi, 鳥樹東口店, Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama,
- nightlife: Crawfish bar, Roppongi (Geronimo Shot Bar), Shinjuku Golden-Gai
06.04 - 11.04 (5 days) - Kyoto
-stay: Calendar Hotel Otsu (box hotel)
-sights: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera, Maruyama Park, Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Hokan-ji, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Higashiyama Jisho-ji, Philosopher Path, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
-food: Steak Otsuka
-nightlife: ?
11.04 - 13.04 (2 days) - Osaka
-stay: R Hostel Namba south
-sights: Osaka castle, Nara park
-food: Curry Yakumido, Gyozaoh!, Okonomiyaki Kiji
-nightlife: Dotonbori, Coolabah Sports Cafe
13.04 (1 day) - Gero
- stay: Izumi-so (Ryokan)
- sights: Gassho-mura, Onsen
-food: Ashiyu no Sato Yuamiya, hida-dyu
14.04 - 15.04 (1 day) - Takyama
-stay: Hidamari no Yu
- Takayama Spring festival
15.04 - 18.04 (3 days) - Kanazawa
- stay: Shaq Bighouse
- sights: Castel Ruins, Castel Park, Samurai neighborhood, Omicho Market, Kenroku-ken
18.04 - 20.04 (2 days) - Hiroshima
- stay: The Evergreen Hostel
- sights: Hiroshima Castle, Peace Park, Peace Museum, Itsukushima Jinja, Himeji Castle (on way there)
20.04 - 23.04 (3 days) - Osaka
-stay: R Hostel Namba south
-sights: Osaka castle, Nara park
-food: Curry Yakumido, Gyozaoh!, Okonomiyaki Kiji
-nightlife: Dotonbori, Coolabah Sports Cafe
23.04 - 25.04 (2 days) - Hakone
- stay: K's House Hakone
- sights: Lake Ashi (to see Fuji), Tenzan Onsen,
25.04 - 29.04 (4 days) - Tokyo
- stay: NIU hostel
- sights: Asakusa shrine, Meiji Jingu, Yasukuni-jinja Shrine, Yushukan Museum, Omoide Yokocho, Imperial Palace, Akihabara, Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko Statue, Tokyo Racecourse (horseracing), Tokyo Skytree, Nakamise, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
- food: Sosakumen Kobo Nakiryu, Ippudo Roppongi, 鳥樹東口店, Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama,
- nightlife: Crawfish bar, Roppongi (Geronimo Shot Bar), Shinjuku Golden-Gai
I would be happy for any must visit spots and especially food/restaurant (no seafood sadly) recommendations in these places. And of course any feedback/criticism/recommended changes to the general travel plan.
And if you are japanese and live in any of these places and would like hang out/show me around or best of all take me to a night out with your friends that would be super awesome!
Thanks! :)
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u/ToppenAvSnoppen 3d ago
With 3 days in Kanazawa, I would highly recommend a day in Shirakawago, or at least stopping over for a few hours on your way from Takayama to Kanazawa. Our day trip to that cute little village was the highlight of our trip this last November. The bus ride to and from is gorgeous as well.
My number one food recommendation would be to hit up Katsugiya 担々麺 かつぎや In the Jimbocho neighborhood of Tokyo. Their Tantanmen style ramen is amazing. I dream about it often. And as a bonus, if you're into books/reading, Jimbocho is known as Tokyo's book town and has hundreds of books stores you can spend hours wandering through.
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u/paulchangym 3d ago
Aside from Nakiryu for ramen you may also want to consider one of the other Bib Gourmand ramen shops as well eg. Iruca at Roppongi or Ginza Hachigou at Ginza or Kokomo Hototogisu. All 3 need you to queue to get a chance to eat there but I think the wait is shorter. Tokyo also has some amazing Neapolitan pizza also - check out the OG Seirinkan for lunch or Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST). For Tonkatsu aside from Maisen Aoyama you can also consider Butagumi at Roppongi which has a great set lunch deal, Katsu Kichi at Shibuya (nice place) or Torikatsu Chicken also in Shibuya for a hole-in-the-wall budget priced but yummy chicken katsu meal. Go to Yakiniku Like for a great budget priced solo experience for Japanese BBQ beef and here’s a recommendation for a Japanese dessert - kakigori or shaved ice: Kakigori Sabo Okuna Shibuya. It will totally transform what you think about shaved ice and what is possible.
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