My friend and I’ve got an upcoming trip from March 13 to 22, and the plan is to rent a car for the first leg of our trip. We will fly into and out of Osaka. First time doing a road trip in Japan and would appreciate any advice or recommendations!
DAY 1: Flight to Osaka
Arrive at Osaka airport at 3:40pm, train to Shin-Osaka (1 hour), Shinkansen to Hiroshima (1.5 hour).
Check-in to hotel and have dinner nearby (Okonomiyaki, oysters)
DAY 2: Hiroshima and Miyajima
Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum in the morning when it opens at 8:30am.
Take the 11am ferry to Miyajima, have lunch there and visit the Grand Torii Gate and Itsukushima Shrine. Take the 3:20pm ferry back and some light shopping at Hiroshima before dinner.
DAY 3: Matsuyama
Pick up the rental car and drive to Matsuyama (3.5-hour drive), with stops along the way:
– Cat Alley at Onomichi
– Lunch at Innoshima Island or Omishima Island
– Kirosan Park (observation deck)
Arrive at Matsuyama and visit Dogo Onsen and surroundings shops and restaurants.
DAY 4: Kotohira
Continue drive to Kotohira (2-hour drive) with stops and some possible short hikes along the way:
– Nakatsu Gorge
– Oboke Gorge with a 30-min boat ride
– Kotohira-Gu (Shinto shrine)
Arrive early at our ryokan to enjoy the experience.
DAY 5: Kobe, Nagoya
Drive towards Kobe, stopping to see Naruto Whirlpools (3-hour drive).
Lunch at Kobe before returning the rental car and taking the Shinkansen to Nagoya (1 hour).
Dinner at Nagoya (miso pork cutlet, unagi)
DAY 6: Ghibli Park
Spend the day at Ghibli Park (tickets booked) before returning to the city for dinner and light shopping.
DAY 7: Nagoya
Visit the Nagoya Caste and Tokugawa Art Musuem before heading back to the hotel to collect our bags and leaving for Kyoto via the Shinkansen at about 4pm. (34-min ride).
Arrive at Kyoto and check-in before having dinner nearby.
DAY 8: Kyoto
Visit Philosopher’s Walk in the morning, and then to Kiyomizudera to have lunch and explore the temple and shops in the area.
Head back to the hotel for our bags before leaving for Osaka via the Special Rapid line (28-min ride).
Arrive at Osaka and check-in before having dinner nearby.
DAY 9: Osaka
Free and easy day to explore the shopping areas: Namba, Umeda, Nakazakicho
DAY 10: Return flight from Osaka.
Last-minute shopping at Shinsaibashi before our flight at 5pm.
Some further context, both of us have been to Osaka and Kyoto previously, and have visited Arashiyama, hence we’re not planning a lot of time for these locations. We enjoy road trips a lot and while we know public transport is robust in Japan, we thought it might be nice to take a leisurely drive since we’ve never done it before, and try to hit areas that might be less easily accessible by train/bus.
We both visited Japan a few times and really enjoyed the cultural aspects, the scenery and the food. We also enjoy easy/moderate hikes and are hoping to find some good trails to explore.
And we’re aware we’re just missing the cherry blossoms season by a few days, but still hoping to catch some early blooms or other species like plum blossoms.
Appreciate any insights, recommendations, and any other relevant tips. Thank you!
by somer_saulter