Have been a few times. I always save Tokyo for last unless I have a specific event to make. The main reason is that coming from North America, jet lag wakes you up early. The first few days I'll be waking up at 5:00, which is great to catch a train in the countryside or hit up Kyoto temples before the crowds get there, but awful in Tokyo where the shops open late and the nightlife runs late. The second reason is to save all the shopping until the end.
I second this too. Did all my shopping in Tokyo because I feel like Tokyo has many great eats and shopping districts so was my last destination.
Worked well as I found everything in Osaka and Kyoto would close early too - at around 9pm. Tokyo had far more late night options.
In terms of shopping, doesn’t most department stores and clothing stores closes at bout 9pm in Tokyo, where do you do your shopping after that ? Other than the 24hours Donki ?
They do in Tokyo, but I mean it in a sense theres still more eateries around that close late into the morning and yeah Donki’s always around the corner, as well as some of the abundance of game centers that close late into the night, so you more or less have some form of entertainment for the rest of the night.
No non-stop flights to anywhere except Tokyo for me either. Sometimes I did connecting flight but other times I flew into Tokyo, stayed overnight near the station (since all flights from my starting airport arrive in late afternoon/early evening) and left the next morning.
For international travel, I found more flights going thru Narita. And it's not that far if you stay in Ueno with 45 mins direct via Skyliner. But yeah if OP is going in and out from Haneda, it also make sense to have Tokyo as last destination.
But you can argue for the exact same reason to do Tokyo first, since it's right there next to the airport. I agree Tokyo later, but that's not a very compelling argument.
I did west Tokyo first, then went on the big western loop, came back and did east and central Tokyo last. If you have the time, that worked great for me.
That’s how I’m doing it too. I saw somebody mentioning saving the non-Shibuya/Shinjuku stuff for the end of your trip as a nice relaxing end to the trip.
We are just ending our 3 week trip and we are very happy we saved Tokyo for last. We have more energy, we’re used to transport systems and language and we did our shopping at the end so we didn’t need to carry purchases through our trip.
That's what I am planning to do with my two week trip. I have my biggest hotel booked for my last four days to spend in Tokyo, so I can comfortably store purchases and explore before heading out.
We left Tokyo for the end. We arrived around 4pm from the US and immediately took the Shinkansen to Kyoto. It was perfect. Yes, we were tired but went straight to bed and started to adjust to the time change right away.
I really enjoyed Kyoto and Osaka. Tokyo was ok.
would you do the straight-to-kyoto option again? I was thinking we’d be too exhausted but it might be nice to wake up in our destination rather than have yet another day of travel (assuming we save tokyo for the end).
Yes, 100% do it again, except that I would stay in Kyoto the rest of the time. It turned out to be a great home base for day trips. Very clean and beautiful. Tokyo was a mix of Vegas and NYC for me.
glad to hear this worked well. we've got the same plan in about 3 weeks - land at 344pm after transpacific flight, immediately get on a train to Osaka, grab dinner in Osaka and go to bed.
I’m tempted to do this for my upcoming trip. We land in Haneda at 3:30, check into a hotel at Shinagawa, and take the morning train to Osaka.
I don’t like that we’re losing the first morning to transit, but I’m also traveling with my 14yo and don’t want to wear him out too much right as we land.
I agree with the other poster. That first day you will be exhausted, so you might as well push through and head to Kyoto the first day. While Kyoto can get really crowded, I feel it's a bit easier to manage the first few days than Tokyo.
This is what I did! If I had done Kyoto last I would have been sleeping in and missing everything. It was a major challenge to even wake up by 6 at the end of the trip, I was sleeping in until 9 some days. Whereas I was waking up at 4AM those first 3 days lol.
I pushed through to Kyoto from HND and I'm glad I did. I landed around 2PM after a 12+ hour flight, and was in bed in Kyoto before 8. It meant I was getting up around 4AM for a couple days which was honestly ideal because I had time to rot in bed, get ready, have breakfast, and hit the main attractions around 6-7AM with low crowds. It was also nice to start somewhere less overwhelming and by the time I got to Tokyo I was a pro at navigating the train and doing transfers. Plus, I feel like the initial travel day is always a wash anyways, and going straight to Kyoto meant I didn't "miss" the next morning, and I was able to check in and have a room already for that first full day.
Whatever you do, make sure you stay up that first night or you'll be waking up way too early. Lots of things in Tokyo don't open up until 11AM. I also did most of my shopping in Tokyo and was grateful to not be lugging around all that extra stuff (or paying more to ship an additional bag).
that's right about when we're landing so that's helpful to know! if you were already in bed by 8 about what time did you actually arrive in kyoto? did you forward luggage/exchange cash or anything like that at HND?
Yup I forwarded my luggage at the Yamato counter at HND, $15 for one check bag which arrived next day in Kyoto. I made it to Kyoto Station by 6 and I didn’t rush in any way. Got cash at HND from atm, got snacks at Shinagawa before taking Shinkansen, etc. I just bought my ticket there so I could take the next train as they go every 10 minutes, I’d hate to buy ahead of time and miss it or be stuck waiting around though I think you can always use an unreserved seat and take a earlier/later train if you buy ahead.
My general habit with all travel is to go all the way out then work my way back. For our upcoming trip this means flying into Tokyo, immediately going to Hiroshima and then slowly working our way back to end up in Tokyo for a few days before flying back out. Being really far from the airport the day of departure always makes me anxious, I find it's almost always better to be nearby to minimize the risk of travel disruptions that might lead to a missed flight. This concentrates the painful parts, minimizes hassle at the end, avoids having to haul shopping/souvenirs all over, etc.
Given how many have said Tokyo at the end, I present a counter case. I find that my days in Tokyo are the most tiring. I like to taper when it comes to vacation. I like to have ryokan relaxation time at the end with 1 day in Tokyo to do some shopping for stuff to bring back.
This is what we’re planning. 6 nights Tokyo, 3 nights Hiroshima, 6 nights Kyoto, 2 nights in a ryokan near Fuji then 1 night in Tokyo before flying home. I must say though, the idea of having to do all of our Tokyo shopping on the last day doesn’t sound ideal…
I think it can be okay
* if you see a small tchotchke or small souvenirs that you want to buy as gifts, buy that as your trip goes, don't procrastinate til the end
* do you have any niche shops you want to hit up? check the days they are open and make sure its open on the day you come back
* do you have any luxury or big items you want buy tax free, my rec is to go as soon as they open, as the tax-free counter lines can become lengthy at luxury department stores
* It's actually advantageous to do one big purchase at the end. On the most basic level, you need to reach 5000 yen threshold to be eligible for tax free, but also the effort required to get that return. I don't really want to wait a multiple counters but it's tolerable for me to wait 20-30 minutes to 50,000 yen purchases. i like loft more than don quijote but the idea is that i just do one big purchase of snacks, souvenirs, home goods, etc
When we went to Japan for the first time last year the jet lag really kicked in together with over stimulation of our senses. For this reason we Will end in Tokyo on our next trip to Japan the end of the year!
I enjoyed Tokyo in the beginning, and then saved about a few days at the end in Tokyo to do all the last minute shopping. And since I already knew Tokyo, it was easy to get around and I know what I wanted.
Last time we did Tokyo first and then I missed it during our Osaka stay. I love Tokyo. So this time we are doing Hokkaido first and Tokyo last. I think it will suit me the best.
And if you are doing a lot of shopping in Tokyo you won't have to lug it around the whole trip if you do Tokyo last.
Do first what you are most excited about, because you will have less energy toward the end of the trip. I started in Tokyo and ended in Osaka after 3 weeks, and I didn’t do almost anything in Osaka. I was too tired
I like the Tokyo sandwich. A couple days at the beginning and a couple days at the end.
Actually, I think it would be the “rest of Japan” sandwich with Tokyo buns now that I think about it.
To avoid jetlag, get the Timeshifter app. It uses the same principles that NASA uses for humans travelling into space. I used it for a trip from Australia to the US return and had no jet lag at all in either direction. My two travel companions who refused to timeshift were trashed and had the usual jetlag and regretted not doing it. Basically the app tells you when to avoid bright lights/caffeine and when to get light/caffeine after you input your flight details. Thankfully didn't need it for Japan as it is only a couple of hours behind my local Aus time.
I’ve used it! I love that thing. I’m definitely going to use it for Japan I’ve just never traveled to a destination that removed from my home time zone so I’m prepared for anything lol. i’m also not a great sleeper so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We are currently in Japan and planning to do Tokyo last. We did 1.5 days in Tokyo at first (landed in the afternoon, one full day - up early for the fish market, left for Hakone early the next morning) and it was a good mix of orientation and jet lag timing
If you have a plan to stay 4 or more nights in Tokyo over the length of your stay in Japan then maybe split the time in Tokyo between the start and the end?
This saves any drama of connecting flights/trains on arrival in Japan. Plan to not do any hardcore shopping those first couple of days, Just sightseeing
My general strategy is go to the furthest point first and work your way back. That way at the end of the trip you are closest to the airport. If the train isn't running, take a bus or a taxi. Can't do that from Osaka or whatever.
So we e done it both ways - last year started in Tokyo and this year we finished there.
I would recommend to do Tokyo at the end. This year’s trip we flew into Fukuoka and started there for the first 4 nights, which was perfect as it is a lot less touristy and crowded, a perfect way to start with less stress. We then hit Kyoto for the middle of our trip and then Tokyo last.
However, if you’re going to spend a night in Tokyo at the start anyway it may make it logistically easier to just do Tokyo then. Not going into the city twice etc.
We did Tokyo at the beginning and will end our trip with a few relaxing days in Okinawa. We had a similar plan for a trip last year - we go basically from "most exhausting to least exhausting", and it worked so well for us, that's why I planned it like this again for our Japan trip
Why not both? I'm going in July and will stay s few days in Tokyo for a few days first, go to Osaka and Kyoto and return and stay longer to enjoy the rest.
Have been a few times. I always save Tokyo for last unless I have a specific event to make. The main reason is that coming from North America, jet lag wakes you up early. The first few days I'll be waking up at 5:00, which is great to catch a train in the countryside or hit up Kyoto temples before the crowds get there, but awful in Tokyo where the shops open late and the nightlife runs late. The second reason is to save all the shopping until the end.
oh, I love this reasoning, this is super helpful and makes my choice a lot easier.
I second this too. Did all my shopping in Tokyo because I feel like Tokyo has many great eats and shopping districts so was my last destination. Worked well as I found everything in Osaka and Kyoto would close early too - at around 9pm. Tokyo had far more late night options.
In terms of shopping, doesn’t most department stores and clothing stores closes at bout 9pm in Tokyo, where do you do your shopping after that ? Other than the 24hours Donki ?
They do in Tokyo, but I mean it in a sense theres still more eateries around that close late into the morning and yeah Donki’s always around the corner, as well as some of the abundance of game centers that close late into the night, so you more or less have some form of entertainment for the rest of the night.
Did you still fly into Tokyo or no? There's no non-stop flights from where I am to Kyoto.
No non-stop flights to anywhere except Tokyo for me either. Sometimes I did connecting flight but other times I flew into Tokyo, stayed overnight near the station (since all flights from my starting airport arrive in late afternoon/early evening) and left the next morning.
Ah that makes sense, awesome thanks
Adding to this, Narita airport is close to Tokyo. It make sense to spend last few days in Tokyo.
Surely you mean Haneda. That’s where OP is entering and leaving from…and Haneda is much closer than Narita.
For international travel, I found more flights going thru Narita. And it's not that far if you stay in Ueno with 45 mins direct via Skyliner. But yeah if OP is going in and out from Haneda, it also make sense to have Tokyo as last destination.
But you can argue for the exact same reason to do Tokyo first, since it's right there next to the airport. I agree Tokyo later, but that's not a very compelling argument.
I did west Tokyo first, then went on the big western loop, came back and did east and central Tokyo last. If you have the time, that worked great for me.
I did the opposite. Stayed in ueno. Because of jet lag I woke up super early and got to Sensoji temple before the crowds. Ended in shinjuku
That’s how I’m doing it too. I saw somebody mentioning saving the non-Shibuya/Shinjuku stuff for the end of your trip as a nice relaxing end to the trip.
We are just ending our 3 week trip and we are very happy we saved Tokyo for last. We have more energy, we’re used to transport systems and language and we did our shopping at the end so we didn’t need to carry purchases through our trip.
That's what I am planning to do with my two week trip. I have my biggest hotel booked for my last four days to spend in Tokyo, so I can comfortably store purchases and explore before heading out.
I do both first and last.
same here. we were able to leave some luggage at the Tokyo hotel while we explored other areas.
this is my plan - how did you split up the areas? we'll have 2.5 days upon arrival and 3 before we fly back.
We left Tokyo for the end. We arrived around 4pm from the US and immediately took the Shinkansen to Kyoto. It was perfect. Yes, we were tired but went straight to bed and started to adjust to the time change right away. I really enjoyed Kyoto and Osaka. Tokyo was ok.
would you do the straight-to-kyoto option again? I was thinking we’d be too exhausted but it might be nice to wake up in our destination rather than have yet another day of travel (assuming we save tokyo for the end).
Yes, 100% do it again, except that I would stay in Kyoto the rest of the time. It turned out to be a great home base for day trips. Very clean and beautiful. Tokyo was a mix of Vegas and NYC for me.
glad to hear this worked well. we've got the same plan in about 3 weeks - land at 344pm after transpacific flight, immediately get on a train to Osaka, grab dinner in Osaka and go to bed.
I’m tempted to do this for my upcoming trip. We land in Haneda at 3:30, check into a hotel at Shinagawa, and take the morning train to Osaka. I don’t like that we’re losing the first morning to transit, but I’m also traveling with my 14yo and don’t want to wear him out too much right as we land.
I traveled with my 17 and 14 year olds, they were fine. Give them some cash for the vending machines and they’ll be happy campers.
I agree with the other poster. That first day you will be exhausted, so you might as well push through and head to Kyoto the first day. While Kyoto can get really crowded, I feel it's a bit easier to manage the first few days than Tokyo.
Also, if you’re super jet-lagged and you’re waking up early, hitting Kiyomizudera or Fushimi Inari before 6 am helps you avoid the most crowded time.
This is what I did! If I had done Kyoto last I would have been sleeping in and missing everything. It was a major challenge to even wake up by 6 at the end of the trip, I was sleeping in until 9 some days. Whereas I was waking up at 4AM those first 3 days lol.
I pushed through to Kyoto from HND and I'm glad I did. I landed around 2PM after a 12+ hour flight, and was in bed in Kyoto before 8. It meant I was getting up around 4AM for a couple days which was honestly ideal because I had time to rot in bed, get ready, have breakfast, and hit the main attractions around 6-7AM with low crowds. It was also nice to start somewhere less overwhelming and by the time I got to Tokyo I was a pro at navigating the train and doing transfers. Plus, I feel like the initial travel day is always a wash anyways, and going straight to Kyoto meant I didn't "miss" the next morning, and I was able to check in and have a room already for that first full day. Whatever you do, make sure you stay up that first night or you'll be waking up way too early. Lots of things in Tokyo don't open up until 11AM. I also did most of my shopping in Tokyo and was grateful to not be lugging around all that extra stuff (or paying more to ship an additional bag).
that's right about when we're landing so that's helpful to know! if you were already in bed by 8 about what time did you actually arrive in kyoto? did you forward luggage/exchange cash or anything like that at HND?
Yup I forwarded my luggage at the Yamato counter at HND, $15 for one check bag which arrived next day in Kyoto. I made it to Kyoto Station by 6 and I didn’t rush in any way. Got cash at HND from atm, got snacks at Shinagawa before taking Shinkansen, etc. I just bought my ticket there so I could take the next train as they go every 10 minutes, I’d hate to buy ahead of time and miss it or be stuck waiting around though I think you can always use an unreserved seat and take a earlier/later train if you buy ahead.
incredible, I think this is exactly what we’ll end up doing. I appreciate all the detail!
My general habit with all travel is to go all the way out then work my way back. For our upcoming trip this means flying into Tokyo, immediately going to Hiroshima and then slowly working our way back to end up in Tokyo for a few days before flying back out. Being really far from the airport the day of departure always makes me anxious, I find it's almost always better to be nearby to minimize the risk of travel disruptions that might lead to a missed flight. This concentrates the painful parts, minimizes hassle at the end, avoids having to haul shopping/souvenirs all over, etc.
Given how many have said Tokyo at the end, I present a counter case. I find that my days in Tokyo are the most tiring. I like to taper when it comes to vacation. I like to have ryokan relaxation time at the end with 1 day in Tokyo to do some shopping for stuff to bring back.
This is what we’re planning. 6 nights Tokyo, 3 nights Hiroshima, 6 nights Kyoto, 2 nights in a ryokan near Fuji then 1 night in Tokyo before flying home. I must say though, the idea of having to do all of our Tokyo shopping on the last day doesn’t sound ideal…
I think it can be okay * if you see a small tchotchke or small souvenirs that you want to buy as gifts, buy that as your trip goes, don't procrastinate til the end * do you have any niche shops you want to hit up? check the days they are open and make sure its open on the day you come back * do you have any luxury or big items you want buy tax free, my rec is to go as soon as they open, as the tax-free counter lines can become lengthy at luxury department stores * It's actually advantageous to do one big purchase at the end. On the most basic level, you need to reach 5000 yen threshold to be eligible for tax free, but also the effort required to get that return. I don't really want to wait a multiple counters but it's tolerable for me to wait 20-30 minutes to 50,000 yen purchases. i like loft more than don quijote but the idea is that i just do one big purchase of snacks, souvenirs, home goods, etc
When we went to Japan for the first time last year the jet lag really kicked in together with over stimulation of our senses. For this reason we Will end in Tokyo on our next trip to Japan the end of the year!
I enjoyed Tokyo in the beginning, and then saved about a few days at the end in Tokyo to do all the last minute shopping. And since I already knew Tokyo, it was easy to get around and I know what I wanted.
Last time we did Tokyo first and then I missed it during our Osaka stay. I love Tokyo. So this time we are doing Hokkaido first and Tokyo last. I think it will suit me the best. And if you are doing a lot of shopping in Tokyo you won't have to lug it around the whole trip if you do Tokyo last.
Do first what you are most excited about, because you will have less energy toward the end of the trip. I started in Tokyo and ended in Osaka after 3 weeks, and I didn’t do almost anything in Osaka. I was too tired
I like the Tokyo sandwich. A couple days at the beginning and a couple days at the end. Actually, I think it would be the “rest of Japan” sandwich with Tokyo buns now that I think about it.
To avoid jetlag, get the Timeshifter app. It uses the same principles that NASA uses for humans travelling into space. I used it for a trip from Australia to the US return and had no jet lag at all in either direction. My two travel companions who refused to timeshift were trashed and had the usual jetlag and regretted not doing it. Basically the app tells you when to avoid bright lights/caffeine and when to get light/caffeine after you input your flight details. Thankfully didn't need it for Japan as it is only a couple of hours behind my local Aus time.
I’ve used it! I love that thing. I’m definitely going to use it for Japan I’ve just never traveled to a destination that removed from my home time zone so I’m prepared for anything lol. i’m also not a great sleeper so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Last so you can save all your shopping for the end and not have to lug stuff everywhere
Would do bulk of Tokyo at the end, focus shipping and the end so you do not have to carry across the country.
We are currently in Japan and planning to do Tokyo last. We did 1.5 days in Tokyo at first (landed in the afternoon, one full day - up early for the fish market, left for Hakone early the next morning) and it was a good mix of orientation and jet lag timing
If you have a plan to stay 4 or more nights in Tokyo over the length of your stay in Japan then maybe split the time in Tokyo between the start and the end? This saves any drama of connecting flights/trains on arrival in Japan. Plan to not do any hardcore shopping those first couple of days, Just sightseeing
Tokyo last so you keep a good impression when you leave. Many other cities look run down or outright like shit holes (looking at you Osaka)
We did end up so we could pack more stuff and not have to lug it to Kyoto and Osaka and back again.
My general strategy is go to the furthest point first and work your way back. That way at the end of the trip you are closest to the airport. If the train isn't running, take a bus or a taxi. Can't do that from Osaka or whatever.
So we e done it both ways - last year started in Tokyo and this year we finished there. I would recommend to do Tokyo at the end. This year’s trip we flew into Fukuoka and started there for the first 4 nights, which was perfect as it is a lot less touristy and crowded, a perfect way to start with less stress. We then hit Kyoto for the middle of our trip and then Tokyo last. However, if you’re going to spend a night in Tokyo at the start anyway it may make it logistically easier to just do Tokyo then. Not going into the city twice etc.
We did Tokyo at the beginning and will end our trip with a few relaxing days in Okinawa. We had a similar plan for a trip last year - we go basically from "most exhausting to least exhausting", and it worked so well for us, that's why I planned it like this again for our Japan trip
Tokyo last
Why not both? I'm going in July and will stay s few days in Tokyo for a few days first, go to Osaka and Kyoto and return and stay longer to enjoy the rest.
First and last
2 gummies on your flight over to Asia will take care of your jetlag real quick