Review of the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Transport from London with Viator | London, England Travel Tips

May 31, 2025

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I’m SO excited to review this tour. First of all, I’d describe myself as a middle-of-the-road Harry Potter fan. I’ve read all of the books and I enjoy watching the movies about once a year in the fall, but by no means am I a super fan. I love the magic of Harry Potter and the whimsical creatures in the films. I love Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape. But when planning my trip to London, this tour was sort of at the end of my to-do list. It was in the back of my mind as something we could do if we “got around to it”. But it ended up being one of the highlights of our entire trip!

My husband and I spent 15 days in England, 10 of which were spent hiking the entire 103-mile Cotswold Way trail. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of content coming for that whole experience. We weren’t sure if we were going to be too tired at the end of our journey to spend half a day on a Harry Potter tour outside of the city. But as the end of our trip was coming to a close, I wasn’t looking forward to going back into the busy city after a lovely and peaceful hike in the Cotswolds. Getting out of the city on a quiet bus ride actually sounded kind of nice. So, I booked the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Transport from London for the very last day of our trip. I’ve heard people talk about this tour selling out but somehow we got lucky! Our bus was completely full so maybe we got the last two spots! Though I think Viator books the buses on demand, so I’d just recommend booking at least a week in advance to make sure to secure your spot.

Ok, where do I begin! It was so much better than we expected! I’d read quite a few of the reviews and everyone seemed to think it was amazing, especially if you were a Harry Potter fan. But I was seriously questioning whether it was really going to be that great. Were we going to be bored? Were we going to feel out of place as 36-year-olds amongst young families and children? Was is going to be lame? But it was none of those things! We went on the early morning tour at 8:15am and got back to London around 3:00pm. After about an hour long bus ride, we were given from 9:15am to 2:00pm to do the full Harry Potter experience. Can you believe that we wished we had more time?! But I’ve been raving about this tour to everyone I know since we got home, so I’d be more than happy to go on it again if we ever go back to London with friends or family.

Now, one of the things some people complain about when it comes to this tour is that it is not a “guided” tour. Yes, the bus ride is simply a bus ride. There is no tour guide to talk to you on the bus ride and hype you up about the experience. It’s just a bus ride. Honestly, I enjoyed a nice and quiet bus ride. I put my headphones in and closed my eyes for an hour, which was much needed after our 10 day hike. When you get to the Warner Bros. studio, we were handed our tickets into the building and were told to meet back at the bus at 2 pm. There is no specified tour guide throughout the experience so you’re pretty much on your own. But we preferred that, as we were exhausted from our hike and just wanted a calm and quiet day. Once you get inside though, you realize that you’re about to go on an epic journey. There’s a huge dragon hanging from the ceiling right as you walk in! And if you’re parched or starving, there’s a little cafe with Butterbeer lattes and lots of snacks so I was immediately stoked. I’m glad we didn’t grab anything right away though because you aren’t allowed to bring drinks with you into the experience, so I’d recommend holding off until the cafeteria midway through the experience. Don’t worry, you can get your Butterbeer latte there too!

We waited in a small line for a few minutes before being ushered into a room where there was an introduction video into the experience. So while it’s not necessarily “guided”, the whole experience is set up to keep you moving throughout the entire thing. You start off in the Great Hall where you get to see the magical hanging candles, the long wooden tables, and real clothing and props worn by the characters. I wished we could have stayed in this room a little longer but the next tour group was coming in behind us so we were pushed out a little quickly. However, after this room, the rest of the day was fully at our leisure. We weren’t pushed along anymore and could take everything at our own pace.

Now, I don’t want to ruin or spoil the experience for you because part of why it was great was because I wasn’t expecting it. I’ll just include a handful of photos and let you experience it for yourself and be surprised along the way! But let’s just say you will be fully immersed in the world of Harry Potter. You will get to walk through Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest. You’ll see thousands of incredible props. You’ll learn about the insane attention to detail and the great lengths the cast and team went through to make the movies magical. I will say this, don’t stop and read every single plaque or you’ll run out of time! There’s SO much to see and do. Just do your best to keep moving along at a normal pace so that you can see everything. Once you’ve made it to the cafeteria, you’re about midway through. We ate our lunch relatively quickly because I was anxious to keep moving along and I’m so glad we did. At the end, we were rushing a little bit because I wanted some time in the gift shop. Unfortunately, my husband is extremely slow and wanted to read every single sign and plaque, so we ended up with only about two minutes in the gift shop. I was the last one back on the bus after buying a few wands and treats for my friends and family back home. Luckily, the line at the gift shop moved quickly. Oops… sorry to anyone riding on our bus if you had to wait for me!

SO, WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS TOUR?

Umm, YES!!! It was an absolute blast. I came home wanting to watch documentaries about the making of Harry Potter because I just didn’t realize how much work went into making them. Somehow, this whole experience made me an even bigger Harry Potter fan. And I never felt bored, lame, or embarrassed for going on the tour either. There were people of all ages from all over the world on the tour. And honestly, not as many kids as I would have expected. Just genuine Harry Potter fans of all ages. And! I finally got to try Butterbeer and even got a Butterbeer cupcake AND a Butterbeer doughnut. It was nice that the cafeteria had vegan and vegetarian options as well. I got a vegan burrito and it was actually pretty good! While it seemed a little pricey when we first booked it, I now realize WHY it costs about $150 a person. Warner Bros. has worked extremely hard to make the experience magical for everyone and I will never forget it. I’m so glad they have forever encapsulated the incredible props and history behind the making of these films. Plus, it was so nice that I didn’t have to worry about finding my own transportation out to the studio. Just as a tip though, make sure you click through the app all the way through to your ticket to find out the exact gate to meet at the train station. When we got to the Victoria bus station we didn’t realize how gigantic it was and we were wandering around for a while trying to find our bus. But once I looked at the final ticket on our app, I saw the gate number and was able to find our bus. We almost missed it though, so just make sure you know the gate number! And give yourself an extra half hour when traveling to the bus station, just in case.

WERE THERE ANY CONS TO THE TOUR?

The only thing I’d say is that I wish we had more time! I think if the experience were just one hour longer we would have been able to enjoy those last few rooms a little better and would have had more time in the gift shop. But at the same time, it left me wanting more and I kind of love that. It wasn’t too long that I got bored and tired. It was exciting the whole way through and I never wanted to leave! Other than that, there was truly nothing negative about the experience! It was incredible.

I’m also bummed that I missed out on the Sorting Hat experience at the end because there was a line and I was rushing to the gift shop. But I’ve been playing the amazing Hogwarts Legacy video game (a GREAT gift idea for the Harry Potter fan in your life) and according to the Sorting Hat on there, I’m a Slytherin, which I’m kind of proud of. :) I’ve just always been obsessed with Draco!

If you’d like to book this exact tour, you can find it here or check out all of my recommended tours on my Viator shop page! If you’re planning on booking this for a large group, I’d make sure to book decently far in advance just to make sure it doesn’t sell out. If you’d like to see more photos from this tour, you can see more here on my travel blog, C’est Le Brie, that I run with my sister! If you have any questions/comments/thoughts please feel free to leave them below! I’ll be posting a full video about this tour soon too, so stay tuned!

Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

Review of the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii from Rome in a Full Day Tour with TripAdvisor | Rome, Italy Travel Tips

April 10, 2025

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.)

I’m about to head off to Europe again soon and planning our trip has brought back so many memories from our trip to Italy. We spent time in Tuscany, Montepulciano, Pienza, Florence, Rome, and of course, the Amalfi Coast. Is it even a vacation if you don’t get to spend time on a beach at some point?!

Where do I even begin when it comes to the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii from Rome in a Full Day Tour… This was, by far, one of the most beautiful, memorable, and efficient tours I’ve ever been on. We saw so much in one day. We spent a few hours touring the stunning ruins of Pompeii with a view of Mount Vesuvius in the background, stopped for lunch in the adorable town of Positano (where we actually met up with my sister!), and ended with a stroll through the gorgeous coastal town of Amalfi and a limoncello tasting! This doesn’t include all of the stops for photo ops and the cute pit stops for snacks and coffee. It was an incredible, jam-packed day. I dragged my parents along for the ride too, and by the end of the day, my dad was best friends with both our bus driver and our tour guide (this is not an exaggeration…). I’m pretty sure they even exchanged phone numbers. There is so much to share from our day, but I’ll start with how we ended up on this specific tour in the first place! Oh, and if you’d prefer to watch, rather than read, you can check out my YouTube video about our day on the Amalfi coast here! Or you can read more about my international adventures on my travel blog that I host with my sister, here!

Before we even started booking our trip to Italy, as a photographer, I knew I needed to plan a day trip to the Amalfi Coast. However, I was traveling with my brother, father, and husband who are all huge history buffs and maybe not so into seeing “gorgeous views”. When I saw that there was a tour that included a guided experience at Pompeii and a visit to the Amalfi Coast, it seemed like the best of both worlds. Then I saw that this tour also included a stop in the town of Positano, where my sister and her now-husband were honey-mooning! It seemed like fate. We had all just spent a week in Tuscany for their wedding at the beautiful Borgo Tre Rose Hotel (you can check out the whole wedding week on my YouTube channel here!), and then we all parted ways after a group day in Florence. My sister and her husband headed off on their honeymoon while we went on to Rome to visit the Colosseum and eat lots more pasta. We took an amazing tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum too, but I’ll save that story for another day. :) I definitely recommend taking a walking tour like this one while you're in Rome, though. There is so much history and so much to see. Plus, it’s nice being in a tour group and not having to worry about waiting in line for entry tickets at all of the various sites. The tour groups are let right in so you can start your tour right away. Trust me, this makes a difference when traveling with stressed out family members! You can read more about the tour we took in Rome here.

Okay, back to our day tour on the coast of Italy! We started the day bright and early at 7:00 am, but it was nice because this specific tour included hotel pick-ups and drop-offs, so we didn’t have to worry about getting lost at 7 in the morning trying to find the meeting point. I’m not going to lie though, we were all exhausted after spending a week celebrating my sister’s wedding in Tuscany (you can watch her whole wedding day here). As soon as we stopped for an espresso at a small convenience store, we all started perking up, and before you knew it, we were chattering all about the wedding to the bus driver, tour guide, and the other guest on the tour. We specifically booked this tour also because it was for a small group. There was only one person on the tour who was not in my family, but she was adorable and we were all one big, happy family by the end of the day. She even joined us in our family photo in Positano! It was also nice that we were in a smaller minivan instead of a huge bus. It felt more intimate and allowed for easier conversation with the tour guide. We learned so much about Italian culture and they were extremely informative about the sites we were visiting.

POMPEII

Our first stop was Pompeii. Our tour guide handled the entry tickets and we were in right away. We were introduced to another tour guide for this portion of the day, just because they worked directly for Pompeii. They took us throughout the ruins, explaining the history behind each of the buildings and locations we walked through. It was crazy to see 2,000 year old structures still standing in such pristine condition after being buried in a volcanic eruption. Even though the history of Pompeii is mind-blowing, I snuck away from the tour group after a while to take a few photos because the sites were truly visually inspiring. After a couple of hours, I was grateful when we had to head back to the van because the sun had started beating down on us. I’m so glad we went to Pompeii in the morning before it got too hot, because there wasn’t a whole lot of shade on the pathways through Pompeii. Plus, I was ready to see the coast!

We stopped for a few panoramic views before heading into the town of Positano. We were lucky to have a clear day and plenty of sunshine. I took so many photos, it was incredibly difficult deciding which ones to use for this post!

POSITANO

Once we got to Positano, It was a bit of a walk from the top of the hill to get down to the beach. This is just because there are no direct roads to the bottom of the hill so our driver had to park in a lot at the top of the town. If someone in your group has trouble walking, this part of the day might not be ideal for them, because you have to trek back up the hill when it’s time to leave. But there were so many adorable shops selling souvenirs, gelato, clothing, and snacks along the way that you can enjoy if you don’t want to walk all the way to the bottom. It was hard not to get distracted because we only had about two hours before we needed to head on to the next stop. We found my sister and her husband, and all enjoyed a deliciously light lunch at Ristorante La Pergola. We had plenty of time leftover to snap a bunch of photos together on the beach, capturing the picturesque cliffs and pastel-colored houses in the background. Ugh, it was so stunning. I was so sad when we had to leave! I told myself that my next trip to Italy will have to include a few quiet days on the coast.

AMALFI

Our next stop was the town of Amalfi. The sun was starting to set so the town looked particularly beautiful in the golden lighting. I couldn’t believe our day was already ending, but we had about an hour to wander the town, pop into a few shops, take a shot of limoncello together, and enjoy watching the boats go by from the marina. You definitely need to catch a glimpse of the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea while you’re there and wander some of the side alleys for photo ops. It’s a super small town though, mainly focused around the main square, the Piazza del Duomo, so an hour is plenty of time to see everything.

After Amalfi, we hopped back in the van for our trip back to Rome! But of course, we stopped along the coast for some stunning sunset views before heading home.

The only downside to the day was that there was quite a bit of driving involved, but I wouldn’t change a thing because we got to see so much. I can’t imagine trying to do all of that in a day on our own. I love taking day trips with a tour guide because they push you along and make sure you see everything you need to see. If it were just me trying to push my family along, we would have never left the ruins of Pompeii! I have so many lovely memories from the day and I can still taste the freshness of the limoncello in Amalfi. It was an experience that everyone deserves and should enjoy. This tour is great for all ages, though I’d say it might be a bit much for someone who has trouble standing or walking for long periods of time. My parents are in their late 50s/early 60s and they were totally fine. Plus, it was probably good for them to get a little exercise. ;)

Would I take this tour again?

Absolutely!!! While there were a few moments of slight carsickness due to the twisty, winding roads along the coast, it was broken up by quite a few stops for photo ops and views. As someone who gets carsick pretty often, this tour wasn’t as bad as the Road to Hana or the winding roads in the highlands of Scotland. Those pit stops make all the difference in the world just getting out of the car for a few minutes. I would definitely recommend taking a Bonine in the morning before hopping in the van, just to be safe. I prefer Bonine over Dramamine because it makes me less drowsy and irritable. Just a tip!

I hope that this review has given you some insight into this tour! It was a long, full day but it was totally worth it. Even now, my family reminisces over the memories from this tour almost every time we get together. These are the moments in life that I live for.

If you’re interested in taking the same tour, you can find it here! Or you can check out some of the other tours I recommend in Italy here.

RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN ROME

Budget: Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon

Affordable Luxury: Pantheon Iconic Hotel

Airfare & Hotel deals with Expedia

Feel free to leave any questions/comments/thoughts below!

Have a magical day!
<3 Myles Katherine

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15 Must-see Photo Locations in Japan | Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Nara, & Kamakura from a Photographer's Perspective

March 14, 2025

I still dream about my trip to Japan daily. It was such a magical, memorable, beautiful country. It surprised me in so many different ways. I remember everything vividly too, probably because it was unlike any other country I’ve visited. It was as though Japan was my long lost sister. I felt so comfortable there, like I was meant to be there all along. The food was incredible. The people were insanely kind and generous. The sites and experiences we had were entirely unique. It was just… perfect. I miss it every day!

I took some of my favorite photographs during my trip to Japan and I wanted to share 15 Must-See Photo Locations that you absolutely cannot pass up while you’re there. Our trip was 11 days long, which allowed us to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Nara and Kamakura. We squeezed a lot into our trip but it truly never felt rushed somehow. I’m hoping to put together a travel guide for Japan soon to help you out with planning if you’re interested in traveling there! The Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto made it extremely easy to travel between those two cities. And the trains between the smaller cities were surprisingly easy to navigate too. We booked the JR (Japan Rail) Pass, which allows you to choose a railway pass based on how long you’re planning on staying in Japan. You could also book a super cheap flight between Tokyo & Kyoto if you prefer flying!

1. Sensō-ji Temple - Tokyo

The Sensō-ji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo, and also one of the most beautiful. We actually stayed in the Asakusa district so the Sensō-ji Temple wasn’t too far of a walk for us. There are many different beautiful structures to look at when visiting the temple and tons of delicious street food and shops around it. You could spend a whole day over here taking photos, eating food, shopping, and exploring Asakusa. It’s a lovely, quiet part of Tokyo. One of the reasons we decided to stay in Asakusa was to be close to this temple. And also because I typically try to stay somewhere that is a little off the beaten path. If we go back to Tokyo, I will definitely stay in Asakusa again. You can easily access any other part of the city by metro. The hotel we stayed in doesn’t exist anymore, unfortunately, but if I were to go again, the OTHER SPACE Asakusa Hotel is typically the kind of place we’d choose. We are budget travelers but we also like to stay in places that are clean, highly rated, and close to various sites. :) Honestly, every single hotel and hostel we stayed in during our trip to Japan was exceptionally clean, lovely, and safe. I slept like a baby on our trip!

You can check out my YouTube video about our day exploring the temple Sensō-ji Temple here!

2. Fushimi Inari Shrine (Kyoto)

The Fushimi Inari Shrine is a truly magical place. It is a shinto shrine dedicated to the Inari god and known for its paths of thousands of bright red gates. The messengers for the Inari god are thought to be foxes, which is why you will see fox masks for sale along the path to the Inari shrine. I was lucky enough to go during the off-season (mid-February) so there weren’t too many tourists. I’ve heard the shrine can get incredibly crowded, but just make sure you get there bright and early, or head further down the path before taking your photos. There are lots of different paths and directions so you can easily find a corner to hang out in that isn’t filled with people. If you’re up for a challenge, you can hike to the top of the shrine. It’s about 2.5 miles to the top. We hiked part of the way up to see a view of the city, but decided to save our energy for exploring Kyoto for the rest of the day. I took tons of photos here. Even on a slow day, I had to be patient and wait for other tourists to pass before taking photos, but it was absolutely worth it. You could book an early morning tour like this one to avoid crowds and if you’d prefer to be guided, as I will say it was a bit of an adventure getting to the Shrine from the center of Kyoto.

Check out my YouTube video about our visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine here!

3. Owakudani Mountain (Hakone)

Owakudani Mountain is a perfect spot to get a clear view of Mount Fuji. Some people might opt for a Mount Fuji specific tour like this one to get a closer view of the mountain, but I was content with the view that I got from Owakudani mountain. We were extremely lucky to have a clear view that day! Owakudani is an active volcanic valley with beautiful views of Hakone. You might have heard of this place before because it’s known for it’s black eggs. They boil eggs right there in the natural spring water of the mountain. Apparently, you will have 7 years of good luck if you eat one of the eggs! I ate two for good measure, but maybe they cancelled each other out? I’d stick with just one next time. :) There is also a super cute tourist center at the top of the mountain and we ate one of the most delicious curry buns from our entire trip right there at the tourist center. Honestly, Owakudani Mountain was one of the most memorable parts of our trip. If you’re staying in Hakone, you absolutely need to stop by here for an hour at least! We rented a car, which made getting around super easy. The roads weren’t crowded at all and the landscape was stunning. I’d definitely rent a car again if we went back! You can check out some rental car options here.

Watch our YouTube video about our day on Owakudani Mountain here!

4. Robot Restaurant (Tokyo)

I’m sure you’ve heard of this one. The Robot Restaurant is known around the world for its incredible performances, insane interior design, and overall quirky and enjoyable entertainment. It’s a dinner show filled with music, dance, monsters, ninjas, drums, robots, and anything else you can think of. I’ve heard some people say the show is overrated, but my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, Personally, I’d recommend eating dinner elsewhere beforehand because the food and drink options are limited. I just remember my husband and I glancing back and forth at each other throughout the whole show because everything happening was so insane. We’ve already decided to go back there again next time we’re in Tokyo. Before the show, we stopped by the famous Cat Cafe that Katy Perry visited in her documentary, and that was another epic highlight of the night. There is truly no shortage of entertainment in Tokyo!

You can catch a glimpse of the Robot Restauarant in my YouTube video here!

5. Onshi Hakone Park (Hakone)

One of the reasons I was most excited to visit Japan was to go to the gardens and see some of the beautiful plants and flowers that Japan is known for. While we were a bit early in the season for cherry blossoms, I still greatly enjoyed every aspect of the Japanese gardens we explored. Onshi Hakone park is located on the edge of Lake Ashi, a stunning crater lake that offers boat rides and sightseeing cruises for views of Mount Fuji. Looking back, I wish we had taken the Pirate cruise, just to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji again and to see a bit more of the lake. But we wandered around Onshi Hakone Park for hours and walked away feeling relaxed and in touch with nature. As usual, I took a million photographs. There is an amazing view of the lake from the top of the park too! You could also choose to take a tour like this one, that includes a boat ride on Lake Ashi and a visit to Owakudani Mountain that I mentioned above!

You could spend a whole day at the lake if you’d like, there is plenty to do around the lake, from shrines, to museums, to aquariums, to gardens, to boat rides. It’s a lovely place to visit if you’re looking for a day of serenity. As I mentioned, I would recommend booking a rental car if you’re staying in Hakone. We booked our rental car in Odawara after taking the train there from Nara. We kept the car for a few days and traveled to Kamakura and then dropped it off at the Tokyo airport on our way back home. I’m planning to put together a full itinerary from our trip to Japan soon, so make sure to check back!

Watch our YouTube video about our day in Hakone here!

6. Hakone Open-Air Museum

I remember my time in Hakone as being extremely peaceful and reflective. I had been looking forward to visiting the Hakone Open-Air Museum since we’d started planning our trip, so I was bummed when it turned out that the weather was dreary that day. But for some reason, wandering around in the open-air museum in the rain was even better than I could have imagined. The museum was empty except for a few random tourists, but we had practically the whole museum to ourselves. It was oddly meditative and calming. We stuck our feet in the hot spring water foot bath and looked out over the sculpture garden. We meandered through at a pace that didn’t feel rushed and we thoroughly enjoyed all of the art and sculptures. I’m always on the hunt for sculpture gardens when I visit new cities. As an artist, I always leave feeling inspired and interested in the world and the people around me. While we were in Hakone, we stayed at the Irori Guesthouse Tenmaku, which was incredibly stunning and inspiring too.

Watch our YouTube video about our day in Hakone here!

7. Nara Park

If you google Nara, Japan, the first thing you will see is a park filled with wild free-roaming deer being fed little round cookies by tourists. And that’s exactly what it is. On the edges of Nara park, you’ll find street vendors selling “deer cookies”. There are crunchy wafers that the deer will follow you around for. I’m not gonna lie, some of the deer would get a little aggressive for a cookie, but we had a blast feeding the deer and took so many photos. It was a strange and exciting experience. I live in Virginia, so I’m used to seeing deer every day. But getting this close to them and having them not be afraid of me, was a new experience. It was super silly and a fun way to start the day on the way to visit the Tōdai-ji Temple. I’d recommend booking a tour like this one that includes a walk through the park, as well as entrance into the temple.

You can check out our YouTube video about our day in Nara here!

8. Tōdai-ji Temple (Nara)

The Tōdai-ji Temple is the main temple that Nara is known for. It is one of the oldest wooden structures in the world and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It difficult to capture it’s grandness in a photograph, but it’s a stunning place and house s a giant Great Buddha statue. It’s a bit of a hike to get to the Temple, but because of that, there are beautiful views of Nara next to the temple. This was one of my husband’s favorite places we visited on our trip, because he was obsessed with how old the temple was - it was constructed in 752! The fact that that is even a year that existed, blow my mind. If you don’t want to walk all day through Nara, you could try this bike tour of the city! I’d definitely recommend this if you've already been walking around Tokyo or Kyoto for a few days.

You can check out our YouTube video about our day in Nara here!

9. Chion-in Temple (Kyoto)

There isn’t a single spot in Kyoto that I didn’t want to photograph. Kyoto is an incredibly beautiful city. I also found it peaceful, calming, and filled with nature and beauty. The Chion-in Temple Sammon was right outside of our hotel, The Kyoto Hana Hotel, so we couldn’t help but explore it. There were so many picturesque buildings and meditative corners. We spent hours looking at the architecture and taking in the history. As a photographer, I was in heaven in terms of photo locations. There weren’t many tourists so I had practically the whole place to myself to take photos and fully capture every building, wall, garden and staircase.

You can check out our visit to the Chion-in Temple in our YouTube video here!

10. Gion District (Kyoto)

One of the most magical moments of my life happened in the Gion district of Kyoto. You can read my book, Temporary Beauty, to find out exactly what that was! :) The Gion district is known as the “geisha district”, where you’ll find lantern-lit streets, traditional teahouses, historic wooden buildings, winding alleys, and delicious authentic food. It feels like stepping into another world. If you’re in Kyoto, you absolutely need to wander through this area and take in the true culture of Kyoto. One of the things I loved most about Japan was that you could wander aimlessly and never run out of things to see or do. There is never a lack of food or snacks or street vendors to try out. We like to joke that we basically just had a “food vacation” because we ate everything we could find. They even have vending machines on the street filled with hot coffee and hot green tea! Obsessed. We stayed in the Kyoto Inn Gion The Second and loved it. The breakfast was ridiculously cute and we had such a lovely time in the Gion district.

You can watch our YouTube videos about our time in Kyoto here or here!

11. Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

We actually stumbled upon this garden on the way to Honke Owariya, the oldest noodle house in Kyoto, Japan, founded in 1465! All of the noodles are made in-house and it is known specifically for their soba noodles. We had a bit of time to kill before we were hungry for our lunch at Honke Owariya, so we looked at the map and saw this giant park, the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden, which we discovered was Kyoto’s national garden. We ran into a few early blossoming cherry blossoms trees which absolutely thrilled me. It was a gorgeous place to meander through and as a photographer, it was the perfect off-the-beaten path location to snap some photos. It’s a huge park with plenty to see, including the stunning Kyoto Imperial Palace, known for it’s gorgeous architecture, gardens, and long history. This tour includes a visit to the Imperial Palace if you’re interested in having a guided tour of Kyoto.

You can watch our YouTube video about Honke Owariya and the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden here!

12. Kotoku-in Buddhist Temple (Kamakura)

One of my goals on our trip to Japan was to see as many giant Buddha statues as possible. The Kotoku-in Buddhist Temple is known for its giant copper Buddha statue. We ate a delicious lunch at a vegetarian restaurant called NatuDeco right outside the gates of the temple, and apparently Barack Obama had eaten there once too! It ended up being one of my favorite meals in Japan because the presentation was so beautiful and the matcha was incredible. The Kotoku-in Temple isn’t very big so you don’t need to stay there more than an hour I’d say. We wandered around some of the local neighborhood streets nearby afterwards and imagined what it would be like to live in Japan. I can’t say I’d need to revisit the Kotoku-in Buddhist Temple but I’m glad I checked it off my bucket list, and we did truly enjoy experiencing the local food and seeing the gorgeous homes and families that lived nearby. There are also walking tours of Kamakura that include other temples we didn’t get a chance to see, so if we ever make it back, I’d consider going on one just to see more!

Watch our YouTube video about our time in Kamakura here!

13. Shibuya Crossing (Tokyo)

I’m sure you’ve heard of Shibuya Crossing, also known as the Shibuya scramble. It’s a giant intersection in Tokyo where you can watch hundreds of people cross paths on their way to work in the grand city of Tokyo. To me, the Shibuya Crossing is a little overrated. I prefer less people and more nature on my travels, but it is something to cross off the bucket list if you’re visiting Tokyo. The area is a bit like the Times Square of Tokyo, but we actually found that there wasn’t that much to do in that area of Tokyo. We did eat at a delicious izakaya but we were happy to head back to our hotel in Asakusa once we were done with the big city vibes. I’d recommend finding a good spot to people watch like the Shibuya Sky deck. If I ever make it back to Shibuya, I will definitely be doing the Go-Cart tour. We saw so many people riding these Mario-Kart style go-carts through the city and it looked like so much fun!

Check out our YouTube video about our time in Tokyo here!

14. Harajuku (Tokyo)

If you’re on the hunt for good shopping and Japanese fashion and culture, Harajuku is the spot. There were tons of clothing shops, food vendors, and quirky bars. We didn’t spend as much time here as I would have liked because it was a bit crowded, but it was super fun to check out. I bought a few clothing items that I’m still obsessed with. I do remember even the metro being jam-packed with people, so next time I’ll be sure to do some research to figure out a good time to visit Harajuku when it’s not crazy busy.

You can see more of our time in the Harajuku district in our YouTube video here!

15. Kamakura Zaimokuza Beach

I’m always on the hunt for the ocean. It seemed only right to see the ocean at least once on our trip to Japan, considering Japan itself is technically an island nation! We stayed at the Kamakura Prince Hotel, and spent our day walking up and down the beach, taking photos, picking up seashells and watching surfers. It was a perfect way to end our trip to Japan. We ate a delicious dinner at Moana Makai. While I don’t remember there being a whole lot to do near the beach, it was the off-season technically so I’m sure it picks up there in the summer time. This tour includes a visit to the beach, as well as all of the other important landmarks in Kamakura.

Watch our YouTube video about our time in Kamakura here!

BONUS IDEAS:

There are so many places I didn’t get a chance to visit that are on my list for next time, like the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto, teamLab Borderless: MORI Building Digital Art Museum, and of course, the new Studio Ghibli theme park is definitely on my bucket list. I do think we did a pretty good job seeing as much as we did in 11 days, but another trip to Japan in (hopefully) in the works for next year. Maybe I just won’t come home next time though. :)

I hope this list helped you out in some way with your planning! I can tell you one thing, you will NOT regret your trip to Japan. It was life-changing for me. I can hardly wait to go back!