🌍 Tokyo to Seoul: A Journey of East Asian Wonders

Esther Danielle Arceo

8 Mar 2024

Embark on a 32-day adventure through Tokyo, Hakone, Nagoya-shi, Kyoto, Busan, and Seoul. Discover vibrant cities, ancient temples, bustling markets, and breathtaking landscapes. Join me as I explore the best of East Asia!

Trip to Tokyo

Get Your Guide

Viator

Day 1Tokyo Delights - Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu

$ 6

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

17 - 21 min

Directions

Large, public city park with lakes, fountains & forested areas with mature trees.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

17 - 26 min

Directions

Surrounded by forest, this venerable Shinto shrine features a seasonal iris garden.

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

Free

Day 2Serenity in Shinjuku - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden & The National Art Center

$ 9

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

10 - 12 min

Directions

This former estate is now a 144-acre park with diverse garden areas, grassy expanses & a greenhouse.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

17 - 21 min

Directions

Large, modern venue presenting temporary exhibitions of Japanese & international art.

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Day 3Sky-High Tokyo - Sunshine City & Tokyo Tower

$38

$ 9

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

23 - 28 min

Directions

Multibuilding mall with shops, eateries, an observation deck, aquarium, museum & indoor theme parks.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

21 - 26 min

Directions

Reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, this landmark features observation areas & other attractions.

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

$38

Day 4Majestic Tokyo - Imperial Palace & Tokyo Skytree

$38

$ 9

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

17 - 21 min

Directions

This site with scenic gardens & tours of the grounds is the main residence of the emperor of Japan.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

30 - 36 min

Directions

World's tallest freestanding broadcasting tower with an observation deck boasting 360-degree views.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

$38

Day 5Wild Encounters - Ueno Zoo & Kasai Rinkai Park

$20

$ 9

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

33 - 40 min

Directions

19th-century zoo with 400+ animal species, including pandas, a petting area & a 5-story pagoda.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

$20

37 - 45 min

Directions

Sprawling waterfront green space with a Ferris wheel, lush gardens, a BBQ area & pathways.

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Day 6Aquatic Wonders - Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa & Shiba Park

$50

$ 9

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

32 - 39 min

Directions

Sleek aquarium with illuminated tanks, penguins & seals, dolphin performances & a museum.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$50

19 - 23 min

Directions

Landscaped park that has an artificial gorge with a waterfall & is planted with ornamental trees.

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

Free

Day 7Unveiling Nature's Secrets - National Museum of Nature and Science

$25

$ 6

APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER

Depart from your stay 🏨

32 - 39 min

Directions

Sprawling museum with a 360-degree movie theater & exhibits on topics such as dinosaurs & evolution.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

$25

Budget breakdown: $645 In total

Activities & Food:$548

Transport:$97

Wow!

This user hasn't generated an itinerary for Hakone. Stay tuned 😁

Trip to Nagoya-shi

Get Your Guide

Viator

Day 1Tokyo Delights - Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu

$13

This restored castle originally completed in 1612 features artifacts & exhibits on the Edo Period.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$13

Day 2Serenity in Shinjuku - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden & The National Art Center

$20

Science museum with a large planetarium, as well as exhibits on weather, biology & electricity.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

$20

Day 3Sky-High Tokyo - Sunshine City & Tokyo Tower

$15

$ 3

Storied street featuring traditional wooden buildings & an unusual rooftop shrine.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

Free

10 - 12 min

Directions

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

•

$15

Day 4Majestic Tokyo - Imperial Palace & Tokyo Skytree

Leafy park flanked by city streets, with a manmade river, fountains, orchid garden & TV tower.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

Budget breakdown: $645 In total

Activities & Food:$548

Transport:$97

Trip to Kyoto

Get Your Guide

Viator

Day 1Tokyo Delights - Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu

$25

Iconic Buddhist temple on Mount Otowa known for the scenic views afforded from its sizable veranda.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$25

Day 2Serenity in Shinjuku - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden & The National Art Center

$13

$ 4

Palace complex & former Imperial family residence reconstructed in 1855, with gardens & gates.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

22 - 27 min

Directions

This iconic Buddhist temple is known for its 1,001 life-sized wooden statues of the goddess Kannon.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

•

$13

Day 3Sky-High Tokyo - Sunshine City & Tokyo Tower

$50

$ 8

Tower with an observation deck offering binoculars & touch-screen guides, plus a food court.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

$25

10 - 12 min

Directions

Historic Buddhist temple with a 5-story wooden pagoda & sculptures of deities from the 8th century.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

•

$13

34 - 41 min

Directions

Tours are offered of this iconic temple with a scenic pond & garden, plus a building with artifacts.

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

•

$13

Day 4Majestic Tokyo - Imperial Palace & Tokyo Skytree

$13

$ 4

Mountainside Shinto shrine dating from 711 A.D. featuring a path with hundreds of traditional gates.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

37 - 45 min

Directions

Historic, tranquil temple with a gold-leaf facade set amid landscaped gardens & a reflecting pond.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

•

$13

Day 5Wild Encounters - Ueno Zoo & Kasai Rinkai Park

$33

$ 4

Shrine with 10th-century origins featuring annual festivals to mark natural & historical events.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

$13

8 - 10 min

Directions

Built in 1603, this cypress-wood castle with extensive gardens was a home for the shogun Ieyasu.

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

•

$20

Budget breakdown: $645 In total

Activities & Food:$548

Transport:$97

Trip to Busan

Get Your Guide

Viator

Day 1Tokyo Delights - Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu

$ 2

Lively, sprawling marketplace with vendors selling street food, home goods & souvenirs.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

32 - 39 min

Directions

Free-admission cantilever walkway with a glass floor offering views of the sea & Oryukdo island.

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Day 2Serenity in Shinjuku - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden & The National Art Center

Vibrant, covered market featuring produce, local foods, clothes & street-food vendors.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

7 - 10 min

Directions

Bustling area featuring first-run movie theaters, street food & handprints of famous Korean actors.

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

Day 3Sky-High Tokyo - Sunshine City & Tokyo Tower

$14

World famous market for fresh fish & seafood to take away or eat at the informal stalls.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

12 - 18 min

Directions

Sweeping views are the highlight atop this 118-m. tower with an observation deck & cafe.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

$13

Day 4Majestic Tokyo - Imperial Palace & Tokyo Skytree

$ 2

Bustling indoor/outdoor marketplace selling fruits, veggies, seafood, meat & cooking ingredients.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

Free

36 - 44 min

Directions

Outdoor market famed for selling local specialty snow crabs, plus seasonal lobsters & oysters.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

Day 5Wild Encounters - Ueno Zoo & Kasai Rinkai Park

$43

$ 2

Family-friendly exhibits with a variety of sea creatures (most offer play areas & group packages).

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$38

16 - 20 min

Directions

Enduring Buddhist temple constructed in the 14th-century & offering sweeping views of the sea.

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

•

Budget breakdown: $645 In total

Activities & Food:$548

Transport:$97

Trip to Seoul

Get Your Guide

Viator

Day 1Tokyo Delights - Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu

$ 3

Vast, tree-filled park featuring a lake, bike path & roses, plus deer to feed & a butterfly house.

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

•

Free

15 - 18 min

Directions

This aerial tram takes passengers on a 3-minute trip in a glass cable car with panoramic city views.

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

•

Free

Day 2Serenity in Shinjuku - Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden & The National Art Center

$ 3

Sizable park with classic rides like a ferris wheel, plus a zoo, playground & grassy seating areas.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

16 - 20 min

Directions

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Day 3Sky-High Tokyo - Sunshine City & Tokyo Tower

$32

$ 3

Opened in 1980, this iconic tower offers panoramic views of the city & a revolving restaurant.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$32

13 - 16 min

Directions

Tours are offered of this large Joseon dynasty palace & its surrounding gardens.

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Day 4Majestic Tokyo - Imperial Palace & Tokyo Skytree

$ 3

Architectural-landmark events venue with futuristic design, a design market & food vendors.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

14 - 17 min

Directions

Historic palace in the heart of Seoul offering a popular Changing of the Royal Guard ceremony.

11:30 AM - 2:00 PM

•

Free

Day 5Wild Encounters - Ueno Zoo & Kasai Rinkai Park

$ 3

Village dating to the 14th century filled with narrow streets lined with restored traditional homes.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

24 - 29 min

Directions

Large, popular park on the river featuring scenic views, plus running paths & a swimming pool.

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Day 6Aquatic Wonders - Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa & Shiba Park

$ 3

Museum charting Korea's conflicts, with exhibition rooms, monuments & an outdoor vehicle display.

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

16 - 20 min

Directions

Free guided tours are offered of this large 14th-century royal palace with a museum & gardens.

11:30 AM - 3:30 PM

•

Day 7Unveiling Nature's Secrets - National Museum of Nature and Science

$94

Theme park rides, water flumes & marine life exhibits in a family centred 3-in-1 adventure park.

8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

•

$94

Budget breakdown: $645 In total

Activities & Food:$548

Transport:$97