Trip Planning
Travel Dates
September 19 – October 2, 2027 · 14 days in Japan
Plans are a work in progress!
The daily activities listed below are just suggestions to get the conversation started — nothing is booked or decided yet. This page will be updated as the group makes decisions. Check the Forum to share ideas!
Sept 19DepartureFly to Tokyo
Sept 19–26Tokyo7 nights
Sept 26ShinkansenTokyo → Osaka
Sept 26–Oct 2Osaka6 nights
Oct 2ReturnFly home
Tokyo(6 days)
Osaka(5 days)
Travel Day
Travel DayKey Day
Departure — Fly to Tokyo
- DaytimeDepart from home airport
- In flightCross the Pacific — long haul, get some rest!
- NoteFlight crosses the international date line — you arrive Sept 20
TokyoKey Day
Arrival in Tokyo
- MorningLand at Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND)
- MorningClear customs & immigration — pick up IC cards and pocket WiFi at the airport
- MiddayTrain into central Tokyo — check in to hotel
- AfternoonEasy first afternoon — explore the neighborhood, find a konbini
- EveningWelcome dinner together — ramen or izakaya
3
Tokyo
Asakusa & Old Tokyo
- Early morningSenso-ji Temple at dawn — before the crowds
- MorningNakamise shopping street for souvenirs
- AfternoonExplore Ueno Park and museums
- EveningAkihabara — anime, gaming, and electronics
4
Tokyo
Shibuya & Harajuku
- MorningMeiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
- MiddayHarajuku — Takeshita Street and Omotesando boutiques
- AfternoonShibuya Crossing and Shibuya Sky observation deck
- EveningDinner in Shibuya or Shinjuku
5
Tokyo
teamLab & Odaiba
- MorningTsukiji Outer Market breakfast — fresh sushi and tamagoyaki
- MiddayteamLab Borderless or Planets — pre-booked tickets required
- AfternoonOdaiba waterfront — views back to the city
- EveningGolden Gai, Shinjuku — tiny bars, big atmosphere
6
Tokyo
Day Trip — Kamakura or Hakone
- MorningEarly train out of Tokyo
- All dayKamakura: Great Buddha, coastal temples, and hiking trails — OR — Hakone: Mt. Fuji views, hot springs, open-air museum
- EveningReturn to Tokyo
7
Tokyo
Tokyo Disneyland & Shopping
- All dayTokyo Disneyland — book tickets well in advance
- NoteAlternative: Shimokitazawa vintage shopping, Ginza luxury stores, or Nakano Broadway
- EveningLast night dinner in Tokyo — make it count
Travel DayKey Day
Shinkansen — Tokyo to Osaka
- MorningCheck out of Tokyo hotel — send luggage ahead via Takuhaibin
- MiddayBoard the Tokaido Shinkansen at Tokyo Station
- ~2.5 hrsBullet train to Osaka (Shin-Osaka Station) — sit on the right side for Mt. Fuji views!
- AfternoonCheck in to Osaka hotel — explore Dotonbori
- EveningFirst Osaka dinner — takoyaki and okonomiyaki
9
Osaka
Osaka City Day
- MorningOsaka Castle and grounds
- AfternoonKuromon Ichiba Market — Osaka's Kitchen
- Late afternoonShinsekai neighborhood and kushikatsu
- EveningDotonbori at night — neon lights and canal
10
Osaka
Day Trip — Kyoto
- MorningEarly train to Kyoto (15 min by Shinkansen)
- MorningFushimi Inari — thousands of torii gates, best before 9am
- AfternoonArashiyama bamboo grove, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), or Gion district
- EveningReturn to Osaka
11
Osaka
Universal Studios Japan
- All dayUniversal Studios Japan — Super Nintendo World, Harry Potter, and more
- NoteBook tickets and Express Passes well in advance — they sell out fast
- EveningDinner near the park or back in Dotonbori
12
Osaka
Day Trip — Nara
- MorningTrain to Nara (45 min from Osaka)
- All dayNara Park — free-roaming deer, Todai-ji temple, Kasuga Taisha shrine
- AfternoonNaramachi historic district
- EveningReturn to Osaka — sake tasting or Dotonbori
13
Osaka
Kobe & Last Full Day
- MorningDay trip to Kobe (30 min by train) — Kobe beef lunch, harbor views, Chinatown
- AfternoonReturn to Osaka — last-minute shopping and souvenirs
- EveningFarewell group dinner — celebrate the trip!
Travel DayKey Day
Departure — Fly Home
- MorningCheck out of Osaka hotel
- MiddayTransfer to Kansai International Airport (KIX)
- AfternoonDepart Japan — sayonara!
- NoteFlight crosses the date line westbound — you arrive home the same day or next day depending on routing