Sample Itinerary: Japan 12 Days

Want to know what Omakase Travels look like? Here’s one of the itineraries I’ve planned. My husband and I traveled to Japan with our friends and their family in February, 2024. This trip was for 7 adults and 1 toddler, 5 of whom were traveling to Japan for the first time. I put together a 12-day itinerary around their favorite activities: snowboarding and good food.

Day 1-2: Tokyo (Shinjuku, Marunouchi)

Using Shinjuku as our base, we strolled through the streets of Shinjuku and Marunouchi. Knowing that our snowboarding adventure was starting on the day 3, we took it easy for the first 2 days, enjoying shopping and indulging in conveyor belt sushi and yakiniku (Japanese BBQ).

Shinjuku Station

Shinjuku is the perfect place to stay in Tokyo. It has multiple train lines and excellent access to the airport. Also it’s a great place for shopping and has lots of places to eat.

Conveyor belt sushi experience at Sushiro

Wagyu beef yakiniku on the left, Abura Soba (brothless ramen) on the right

Day 3-5: Hokkaido Snowboarding Trip

The highlight of our trip. We left our luggage at the Shinjuku hotel and flew from Haneda Airport to Sapporo. From Sapporo, we took a train to Tomamu Ski Resort, where we stayed at Hoshino Resort Tomamu for 3 nights, enjoying snowboarding and delicious local food.

Hoshino Resort Tomamu

Hoshino Resort Tomamu is the perfect family-friendly resort, with a hotel located right in front of the slopes and a wide range of activities and restaurants.

Top left is the breakfast buffet at the hotel, and top right is the soft-serve ice cream I had at a cafe in the resort.

The bottom left is the cloud (cotton candy) soda sold at a cafe at the top of the slope, and the bottom right is the yuzu ramen I had in the resort.

Day 6-8: Kanazawa Trip

Wanting to incorporate traditional Japanese culture and history into our trip, I chose Kanazawa as our next destination. We flew from Hokkaido to Kanazawa and stayed in the city for 2 nights. We explored Kenrokuen Garden and Higashi Chaya District, and enjoyed sake tasting and an omakase sushi experience. From Kanazawa, we took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

Omakase sushi dinner at Sushi Haru

Everything they served was fresh and delicious! The sushi chef was friendly and he made our dinner even more enjoyable.

Fresh sashimi platter we had at an Izakaya in Kanazawa on the left, local Japanese rice wines on the right.

The bottom left is matcha served at the Geisha House Shima in Higashi Chaya district. The bottom right is a fatty tuna sushi we ate at Sushi Haru.

Day 9: Hakone Day Trip

One of our friends loves unagi (freshwater eel), so I couldn't miss taking them to my favorite unagi restaurant. We took a day trip to Hakone via the Odakyu Romancecar train from Shinjuku. Although the weather was not in our favor, preventing us from exploring the Hakone hot spring town, we enjoyed the 90-minute Romancecar ride each way and, of course, the unagi.

Odakyu Romancecar train ride from Shinjuku to Odawara

Unagi (freshwater eel) on rice, was so good!

Day 10-12: Tokyo (Ginza, Shibuya, Harajuku, Omotesando, Ochanomizu, Ningyocho)

For the last 3 days, we once again stayed in Shinjuku as our base to explore Tokyo. We dedicated one day to Harajuku and Omotesando, spending the entire day shopping. Throughout Tokyo, we savored ramen, tonkatsu, tempura, soba and sukiyaki, satisfying everyone’s taste buds.

Tempura and Soba Kaiseki

From the top left, pickled mackerel, shrimp tempura, fish tempura and soba.

Sukiyaki dinner at Ningyocho Imahan

We ended our trip with this perfectly marbled wagyu beef. The meat was so tender and melted in my mouth! We also like the ambiance of this restaurant and the service is always top notch.

Final Thoughts

This 12-day journey in Japan had a perfect blend of adventure, cultural immersion, and culinary delights. From the bustling streets of Tokyo to the snowy slopes of Hokkaido, the historic charm of Kanazawa, every moment was filled with unforgettable experiences.

To see more of our adventure, check out the YouTube video that my husband documented the entire trip. You'll get a glimpse of the breathtaking landscapes, the vibrant city life, and, of course, the mouth-watering food that satisfied everyone's refined tastes. Watch the video here and relive the journey with us.

Thank you for following along, and I hope this itinerary inspires your own travel to Japan!