First time Japan, 16 days in October — detailed day-by-day itinerary, please help me refine it 🇯🇵
My spouse and I are visiting Japan for the first time this October. Mostly vegetarian couple (we eat eggs and chicken, willing to try some seafood), interested in culture, nature, art, food, and some shopping. We've spent months planning this — would love brutal honest feedback before we lock everything in.
Days 1–3 — Tokyo (staying in Nihonbashi)
Day 1: Starting with Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, walking Nakamise-dori, then heading to Ueno Park and Tokyo National Museum in the afternoon. Evening stroll around Nihonbashi.
Day 2: Full day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima. Plan is Kotoku-in (Great Buddha) in the morning, Hase-dera Temple, then walking the Daibutsu Hiking Trail back toward Kita-Kamakura.
Day 3: TeamLab Planets in Toyosu — booked the first morning slot. Afternoon in Ginza for shopping.
Days 4–6 — Sapporo, Hokkaido
Day 4: Travel day to Sapporo. Arriving afternoon, checking in, exploring Odori Park and Susukino in the evening. Dinner at Ramen Alley — trying miso ramen which Sapporo is famous for.
Day 5: Day trip to Otaru. Plan is the canal area, the old merchant warehouses, Sankaku Market for fresh seafood, and the glass and music box workshops on Sakaimachi Street. About 30 min each way by train.
Day 6: Day trip to Lake Toya — caldera lake with island in the middle, volcano views, and onsen town. Considering a boat ride on the lake and a short hike on Showa Shinzan. About 2 hours each way by train/bus.
Days 7–8 — Osaka (staying in Umeda)
Day 7: Arriving in Osaka. Checking in to hotel in Umeda, then heading straight to Dotonbori for the evening. Planning to explore Hozenji Yokocho alley for dinner.
Day 8: Himeji Castle in the morning — gardens and the castle museum. Evening at Shinsaibashi shopping arcade.
Days 9–11 — Kyoto (staying in Kawaramachi)
Day 9: Arriving by train from Osaka. Afternoon at Fushimi Inari — planning to go late afternoon into early evening to catch the torii gates in softer light. Evening walk through Gion — Hanamikoji Street around 6–8 PM for a chance of spotting a geisha.
Day 10: Undecided — this is where I need the most help. Originally wanted to do Ine no Funaya (the fishing village with boat houses) but it's 2.5 hours each way which feels like too much for a day trip. Considering staying in Kyoto for Philosopher's Path and Nanzen-ji. Open to suggestions.
Day 11: Arashiyama — bamboo grove very early morning (before 8 AM) to beat crowds, then Tenryu-ji garden, Togetsukyo Bridge. Considering adding Adashino Nenbutsuji in the afternoon — the moss-covered stone Buddha figures are supposed to be atmospheric. Is this worth the detour?
Days 12–13 — Mt. Fuji area (1 night ryokan)
Day 12: Travelling from Kyoto to either Hakone or Kawaguchiko — this is my biggest undecided point (more in questions below). Plan is to arrive by early afternoon, check in to ryokan, onsen, and soak in the Fuji views (weather permitting).
Day 13: Morning in the Fuji area — Chureito Pagoda if in Kawaguchiko, Hakone Open Air Museum or Lake Ashi if in Hakone. Then travelling back to Tokyo by afternoon.
Days 13–16 — Tokyo (stay mostly in Shibuya area)
Day 14: Recovering from travel. Shibuya in the afternoon — Shibuya Sky observation deck at sunset, then Shinjuku in the evening. Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) for dinner.
Day 15: Nakano Broadway for vintage finds and pop culture. Shimokitazawa for secondhand clothing and indie cafes. These two areas are quite different but both within reach — is this a good combination for one day?
Day 16: Catching a Nippon Professional Baseball game — October is the tail end of the regular season, so hoping to catch one at Meiji Jingu Stadium or Tokyo Dome. Any tips on getting tickets as a foreigner would be great.
Specific questions I'd love input on:
- Hakone vs Kawaguchiko for a 1-night Fuji ryokan stay — which gives better direct Fuji views and the more memorable onsen experience for a couple? Is there a third option I'm missing entirely?
- Is 2 nights in Osaka enough? Worried it's not doing the city justice. Should I cut it and redistribute to Kyoto or Tokyo, or is 2 nights sufficient to get the real Osaka experience?
- Day 10 in Kyoto — what's the best day trip or in-city experience for early-to-mid October specifically? Nara is the obvious answer but is it the best option for that time of year? Anywhere with early autumn colour?
- Sapporo day trips — are Otaru and Lake Toya the right picks for early October, or should I swap one for Noboribetsu or Jozankei Onsen? Which combination would you choose?
- Anything obviously wrong or missing? Especially for a first-timer in October — are we timing the foliage correctly?
TL;DR: First-time Japan, 16 days, Tokyo → Sapporo → Osaka → Kyoto → Fuji → Tokyo. Main open questions are Hakone vs Kawaguchiko for the Fuji overnight, whether 2 nights in Osaka is worth it, and what to do on the free day in Kyoto. Full day-by-day above. Please help me refine it 🙏
