21 Days in Japan for a Budget-Minded Couple

Day 1 - Mon, Nov 2

Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo and airport transfer

03:00 PM

Tokyo airport to hotel

Check in and rest

05:00 PM

Budget hotel in Asakusa or Ueno

Evening walk around Senso-ji and Nakamise area

06:30 PM

Senso-ji, Asakusa

Cheap izakaya or ramen dinner

07:45 PM

Asakusa

Day 2 - Tue, Nov 3

Tokyo

Ueno Park morning walk

08:30 AM

Ueno Park

Tokyo National Museum

09:30 AM

Tokyo National Museum

Budget lunch in Ameyoko

12:30 PM

Ameyoko, Ueno

Akihabara browse and arcade stop

02:00 PM

Akihabara

Sunset river or neighborhood walk back near hotel

05:30 PM

Asakusa or Ueno

Casual dinner

07:00 PM

Near hotel

Day 3 - Wed, Nov 4

Tokyo

Meiji Jingu

08:30 AM

Meiji Jingu

Harajuku and Omotesando walk

10:00 AM

Harajuku

Budget lunch in Shibuya

12:30 PM

Shibuya

Shibuya scramble and Hachiko area

01:30 PM

Shibuya

Evening in Shimokitazawa or back to hotel area

04:30 PM

Shimokitazawa or Asakusa

Dinner near your chosen evening area

07:00 PM

Tokyo

Day 4 - Thu, Nov 5

Tokyo

teamLab Planets TOKYO

09:00 AM

Toyosu

Toyosu market area lunch

11:30 AM

Toyosu

Odaiba waterfront walk

01:00 PM

Odaiba

Tokyo Skytree at dusk

04:30 PM

Tokyo Skytree

Budget dinner in Solamachi or Asakusa

07:00 PM

Skytree area or Asakusa

Day 5 - Fri, Nov 6

Tokyo, Kamakura

Train to Kamakura day trip

08:00 AM

Tokyo to Kamakura

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

10:00 AM

Kamakura

Lunch on Komachi Street

12:00 PM

Komachi Street, Kamakura

Great Buddha at Kotoku-in

01:30 PM

Kamakura

Yuigahama beach stroll

03:30 PM

Kamakura

Return to Tokyo for dinner

06:30 PM

Tokyo

Day 6 - Sat, Nov 7

Tokyo, Kyoto

Shinkansen to Kyoto

08:30 AM

Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station

Hotel check-in or luggage drop

12:00 PM

Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha

02:00 PM

Fushimi Inari

Simple dinner near Kyoto Station

06:00 PM

Kyoto Station area

Short evening station-area wander

07:30 PM

Kyoto Station

Day 7 - Sun, Nov 8

Kyoto

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove early visit

07:30 AM

Arashiyama

Tenryu-ji garden area

09:00 AM

Arashiyama

Lunch or snack near Togetsukyo

11:30 AM

Arashiyama

Riverside and bridge stroll

12:30 PM

Arashiyama

Nishiki Market and downtown Kyoto walk

03:00 PM

Central Kyoto

Dinner downtown

06:30 PM

Shijo/Kawaramachi

Day 8 - Mon, Nov 9

Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera

08:30 AM

Higashiyama

Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka walk

10:30 AM

Higashiyama

Lunch in Higashiyama

12:00 PM

Higashiyama

Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park

01:30 PM

Gion/Higashiyama

Gion evening stroll

04:30 PM

Gion

Casual dinner in Gion or Kawaramachi

06:30 PM

Kyoto

Day 9 - Tue, Nov 10

Kyoto, Nara

Train to Nara day trip

08:00 AM

Kyoto to Nara

Nara Park morning walk

09:30 AM

Nara Park

Todai-ji area

11:00 AM

Nara Park

Lunch near Naramachi or park edge

12:45 PM

Nara

Naramachi wander

02:00 PM

Naramachi

Return to Kyoto for dinner

06:00 PM

Kyoto

Day 10 - Wed, Nov 11

Kyoto

Northern Kyoto temple morning

08:30 AM

Kinkaku-ji area

Ryoan-ji

10:30 AM

Ukyo Ward

Simple lunch near Kitano or central Kyoto

12:30 PM

Kyoto

Kyoto Imperial Palace Park or Kamogawa rest walk

02:00 PM

Central Kyoto

Downtown dinner

06:30 PM

Karasuma/Kawaramachi

Day 11 - Thu, Nov 12

Kyoto, Osaka

Train to Osaka and luggage drop

09:00 AM

Kyoto to Osaka

Check in near Namba or Umeda

11:00 AM

Osaka

Osaka Castle outer grounds

01:00 PM

Osaka Castle Park

Dotonbori canal walk

04:00 PM

Namba

Street-food style dinner in Namba

06:30 PM

Namba

Day 12 - Fri, Nov 13

Osaka

Kuromon Market breakfast walk

08:30 AM

Kuromon Market

Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku area

10:30 AM

Shinsekai

Casual lunch in Shinsekai

12:00 PM

Shinsekai

Umeda sky-area wander

02:30 PM

Umeda

Evening back in Namba

05:30 PM

Namba

Dinner near hotel

07:00 PM

Osaka

Day 13 - Sat, Nov 14

Osaka, Himeji

Train to Himeji day trip

08:00 AM

Osaka to Himeji

Himeji Castle

10:00 AM

Himeji

Koko-en Garden

12:00 PM

Himeji

Lunch near Himeji Station

01:30 PM

Himeji

Return to Osaka for easy evening

05:30 PM

Osaka

Day 14 - Sun, Nov 15

Osaka

Slow morning and laundry/reset time

09:00 AM

Osaka

Sumiyoshi Taisha or local neighborhood temple stop

11:00 AM

Osaka

Lunch in a local shopping street

01:00 PM

Osaka

Cafe break or riverside walk

03:00 PM

Osaka

Dinner near hotel

06:30 PM

Osaka

Day 15 - Mon, Nov 16

Osaka, Tokyo

Shinkansen back to Tokyo

09:00 AM

Shin-Osaka to Tokyo

Check in to Tokyo hotel

01:00 PM

Tokyo

Shinjuku Gyoen area or neighborhood walk

03:30 PM

Shinjuku

Budget dinner in Omoide Yokocho area or local station zone

06:30 PM

Shinjuku

Day 16 - Tue, Nov 17

Tokyo, Nikko

Train to Nikko day trip

07:30 AM

Tokyo to Nikko

Shrine and temple area

10:00 AM

Nikko

Local lunch

12:30 PM

Nikko

Bridge or riverside walk

02:00 PM

Nikko

Return to Tokyo for dinner

07:00 PM

Tokyo

Day 17 - Wed, Nov 18

Tokyo

Tsukiji outer market morning

08:30 AM

Tsukiji

Ginza walk

10:30 AM

Ginza

Cheap lunch in Yurakucho or basement food hall

12:30 PM

Yurakucho/Ginza

Tokyo Station and Marunouchi area

02:00 PM

Marunouchi

Evening near hotel or neighborhood sento option

05:30 PM

Tokyo

Dinner near base

07:00 PM

Tokyo

Day 18 - Thu, Nov 19

Tokyo

Asakusa deeper morning

09:00 AM

Asakusa

Sumida riverside walk or short boat-area wander

10:30 AM

Sumida River

Lunch in Kappabashi or Asakusa side streets

12:30 PM

Taito City

Kappabashi kitchen street browse

02:00 PM

Kappabashi

Sunset at a free city-view option or local neighborhood walk

05:00 PM

Tokyo

Dinner in your preferred Tokyo neighborhood

07:00 PM

Tokyo

Day 19 - Fri, Nov 20

Tokyo, Yokohama

Train to Yokohama day trip

09:00 AM

Tokyo to Yokohama

Minato Mirai waterfront

10:30 AM

Yokohama

Lunch in Chinatown or station area

12:30 PM

Yokohama

Yamashita Park and harbor stroll

02:00 PM

Yokohama

Return to Tokyo for dinner

06:30 PM

Tokyo

Day 20 - Sat, Nov 21

Tokyo

Flexible autumn-color day in Tokyo parkland

09:00 AM

Tokyo

Neighborhood browsing and souvenir time

11:30 AM

Tokyo

Lunch wherever you shop

01:00 PM

Tokyo

Afternoon cafe or rest break

03:00 PM

Tokyo

Nice-but-still-reasonable final full-night dinner

06:30 PM

Tokyo

Day 21 - Sun, Nov 22

Tokyo

Light local morning

09:30 AM

Tokyo

One favorite-area revisit

11:00 AM

Tokyo

Lunch in favorite neighborhood

12:30 PM

Tokyo

Pack and rest at hotel

03:00 PM

Tokyo

Easy dinner near hotel

06:30 PM

Tokyo

Day 22 - Mon, Nov 23

Tokyo

Short bonus day for nearby museum, park, or shopping

10:00 AM

Tokyo

Budget lunch

12:30 PM

Tokyo

Last neighborhood wander

02:30 PM

Tokyo

Farewell dinner

06:30 PM

Tokyo

Day 23 - Tue, Nov 24

Tokyo

Final pack and check-out

08:30 AM

Tokyo hotel

Airport transfer

10:30 AM

Tokyo to airport

Depart Japan

01:00 PM

Tokyo airport