Fall Foliage in Tokyo and Kyoto

We purchased the JR Rail Pass for this trip and it was worth it with the back and forth between Tokyo and Kyoto. Many of the subway lines we ended up using in the city also used the JR Rail Pass.

Day 1

• Arrive at the Narita International Airport in the afternoon
• Pickup Pocket Wifi at the airport
• Take the train to Tokyo Station
• Walk to Karakasa Hotel and check in
• Dinner: T's Tan Tan at Tokyo Station Keiyo Street
• Explore around hotel area.

Day 2

• Mode of transportation today: Subway and walking
• Grab breakfast near the hotel
• Visit Shibuya Crossing in the am to see the work rush and explore shops while you head towards the Harajuku District
• Explore Cat Street (note things will be closed before 10am)
• Visit Meiji Jingu. A beautiful shrine and park. 
• Walk Takeshita-Dori Street and take in the unique Tokyo fashion and shops
• Lunch: Mominoki House
• Visit Reissue Cafe to get the cutest latte
• Go up to the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to get a great view of the city
• Explore East Shinjuku with a free tour from Tokyo Localized in the evening. They take you around to see the nightlife area and Godzilla!

Day 3

• Mode of transportation: Subway and walking
• Grab breakfast near the hotel
• Take the subway to a cooking class. There are many to choose from on Airbnb, we took this one and loved every minute of it. 
• Visit the Imperial Palace and enjoy a walk around the gardens. 
• Head to Odaiba Island. Ride across the bay in the above ground rail (that has no driver!) in to see the view. 
• Have fun at Joypolis Arcade and Teamlab Borderless 
• Dinner: Enjoy a surprisingly good pizza at To The Herbs in Aqua City on Odaiba

Day 4

• Mode of transportation: Subway, walking and train
• Grab breakfast around the hotel
• Head to Ueno Park to explore several Buddhist temples, a large lake and a zoo. 
• Check out of the hotel
• Have lunch at the Pokemon Cafe and take time to explore the gift shop. Make sure you book a reservation ahead of time. 
• Take the train to Kyoto 

Day 7

• Arrive in Tokyo around 3pm
• Check into Karaska Hotel
• Take the subway to Sunshine City Mall and visit the official Nintendo Store in Tokyo
• Walk to The Starbucks Tokyo Roastery. Have a cocktail while you wonder at the beautiful 4 story roastery.

Day 8

• Mode of transportation: Subway, walking, and train
• Take the subway to Senso-ji Temple and enjoy the sights and shops. 
• Have lunch at A Happy Pancake for the thickest stack of pancakes you've ever had
• Take the train to the airport
• Grab some snacks for the flight at the airport

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