Last year, my friends and I flew to Tokyo for a little over a week. We went around the city and visited the usual and not-so-usual places. We have been to Tokyo in 2015 and individually in the following years, so we did not aim to see everything this time. We carefully planned our itinerary, but we also kept it open and flexible.
In the last few weeks, I shared with you under the Tokyo 2023 blogs the places we visited for this trip: Roppongi, Yokohama, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Gotokuji, Ginza, Asakusa, Ueno, Shinjuku, Odaiba, and Tokyo Disneyland. I also shared with you how we completed a do-it-yourself day trip to Fujikawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji from Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko Station, and Lake Kawaguchiko.
Today, I will share with you details and photos of the remaining places we have been to on this trip to Tokyo. I hope you can look forward to photos of the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Hie Shrine, Harajuku, and Omotesandō.
Plane Tickets
My friends and I scored ₱1 base fare ticket to Tokyo during Cebu Pacific Air’s anniversary sale in March 2023. We got our tickets for ₱7,116.72 roundtrip each. We got the fare bundle, including a complimentary standard seat and 20 kilograms of checked luggage.
I wrote about our Cebu Pacific Air flights to and from Tokyo: 5J 5056 Manila to Tokyo Narita and 5J 5055 Tokyo Narita to Manila. I hope you can find time to read these flight posts.
Accommodation
My friends and I stayed for all 10 nights at Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel. We got a private twin room with toilet and bath for the first night and eventually transferred to a 6-bed mixed dormitory when another friend joined us.
I elaborated on Imano Tokyo Ginza Hostel in one of the recent hostel of the day features. I hope you can check out that hostel feature and find out why this instantly became my new favorite Tokyo hostel.
Going Around Tokyo
Going around Tokyo can be intimidating and challenging, given its complicated metro and subway system. Subway and train lines normally overlap, and train stations have an unending number of exits. My friends and I overcame the city’s confusing train system and managed to reach our planned destinations and go back to our hostel every single day.
We did not avail of any subway or metro passes. Instead, we used our IC cards on every train ride. With the help of Google Maps, we took either the fastest or the most economical route on every journey.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter
Opened in June 2023, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter walks you through behind the scenes of the Harry Potter series. It features iconic movie sets like those of The Great Hall, Platform 9 ¾, Diagon Alley, The Forbidden Forest, and The Ministry of Magic. It also has interactive areas like the Quidditch, the moving stairs, the living portraits, and the spell areas. Lastly, the tour also features real props and materials used, as well as original costumes worn by the cast during filming.
My friends and I got our tickets three months in advance from Klook and paid ₱2,270.25 each after discounts. We took our time and finished the whole walkthrough experience in a little over 4 hours.
Nearest Train Station: Toshimaen Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Oedo Subway Line)
Hie Shrine
Hie Shrine is a tree-covered Shinto shrine located on top of a hill in Nagatachō district. The shrine is the starting point of Sannō Matsuri, a famous summer festival in Tokyo.
Nearest Train Stations: Tameike-sannō Station (Ginza and Namboku Subway Lines) and Akasaka-mitsuke Station (Ginza and Marunouchi Subway Lines)
Harajuku
Harajuku is a famous fashion and colorful youth shopping and entertainment area in Shibuya Ward. The area’s main street, Takeshita Street, is full of vintage shops, unique cafes and stores, cosplay shops, and dessert places.
Nearest Train Stations: Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line) and Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Subway Lines)
Omotesandō
Omotesandō is one of Tokyo’s upscale and luxury shopping districts. The area has several fashion flagship stores and beautifully designed architectural buildings. It is also a vintage shopping hotspot where you can find small local vintage and artisan shops. The area also has small bars, restaurants, and cafes. Omotesandō is one of the best places for retail therapy when in Tokyo.
Nearest Train Stations: Omote-sando Station (Chiyoda, Ginza, and Hanzomon Subway Lines) and Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin Subway Lines)
This wraps up our Tokyo 2023 trip! It was all good memories, tired feet and crying wallets. Nevertheless, my friends and I will never get tired of visiting Tokyo.
Have you been to Tokyo or to the places shown above? How was your trip or experience? Do you see yourself going back to Tokyo in the future? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. Do you have questions about Tokyo or anything mentioned above? You may send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Thank you for joining me in this Tokyo 2023 series. We have been to a lot in this trip and we still have a lot left to see! I hope you can look forward to more Japan content in this website in the future.
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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.