[Itinerary Check] 10 Days Mid-March 2023

7 comments

1. Spending a full day with the Nara deer is definitely possible. The park is quite big, you can walk to the outer parts and it will be less crowded for more peaceful deer time. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby so you can break the day up too.

   I will say that I went to the monkey onsen park a couple of weeks ago and was seriously underwhelmed. It’s such a common bucket list activity in Japan but it’s like a tiny zoo, except the only animals they have are monkeys. Not even a zoo, the monkey area is more like a car park with a single small pool in the middle. The walk through the forest to get there is nice enough, and if there’s still snow around it will be kinda pretty. But if that’s your main reason for going to Nagano, I would honestly seriously consider skipping it. And not to be too much of a downer, but the monkeys getting into the onsen isn’t even a natural thing – the staff lure the monkeys down from the mountains each morning with food, and some days there aren’t even monkeys there at all. You’d honestly have more fun just going to Ueno zoo in Tokyo.

2. Nara can easily be a day trip from Osaka, but if you really want to stay there because of the deer, then just be ready to carry your luggage a bit inside of Nara. From what I can see, there is accommodation really close and even inside of Nara park.

   Your itinerary does not seem to especially take any transport pass into consideration. You would likely save money if you use the 7 days JR Pass and it would allow you to go to places like Iwafune using the shinkansen without having to pay more for it.

   In general, I find that you are doing a lot of train. Even if the train is quiet, it is also time that you cannot use to visit things. So at the end of the day, you might spend as much time in the train than visiting stuff.

3. (4) I recommend you skip Osaka entirely if you are just going to the aquarium. And who cares about the Pokémon cafe? Come back when you have kids and your range of motion is limited!
   Instead of going to Osaka you should stay in Matsumoto longer. Izumiya Zenbe Onsen is reasonably priced but superior onsen with a view of the Alps. 湯宿 和泉屋善兵衛 Also,
   try to get to Nara earlier and spend as
   much time there. It is a great area with much to explore. Slow it down!

4. Not trying to be a downer, but this draft of the itinerary so far does not seem ideal or comfortable for you guys based on what you’ve told us so far. There is a LOT of zig-zagging around the country and the transit will take MUCH longer than you think (not bc travel times are inaccurate, but navigating the stations & terminals). This is your first trip to Japan, right?

   1.) Is Nagano a must? As others have said the monkey park is pretty underwhelming & this is adding a lot of travel time. You can find more animal parks & activities closer to the Tokaido stretch of Tokyo-Osaka/Nara/Kyoto.

   2.) Ryokan with private onsen are rarely near other stuff to do bc they are considered getaway spots where you just relax so I will admit that is very tough to work in considering your limitations. Some Western style hotels do have baths with local hot spring water pumped in, but that is not the ryokan experience & again hard to find totally private.

   3.) As far as you know, are you planning on this being your only trip to Japan for next decade or so? Do you think you will go back? That can help trim down the zigzagging. I personally like to just focus on one region during a trip to cut travel time & have time to enjoy things.

   4.) Sensory issues are a challenge & I think you absolutely must put a lot of thought into how you’ll handle them because your trip will become a nightmare. Trains, especially bullet trains/expresses with reserved seats are your friend – buses are not. Idk where you live, but if you are not used to huge multi-line stations with large crowds this will be a challenge. Even if you are fluent in Japanese, or the station has a lot of English signage, it will be tough to navigate in the beginning. If crowds are very triggering, try to avoid the rush hours at all costs. Feel free to DM me if you like, I have auditory sensory issues & have traveled all over Japan with friends with other sensory issues. Am very happy to share any tips or experiences that might help you.

   5.) Personally, I would nix Nagano & Osaka. Put those days towards Nara and possibly Uji or Kyoto.
   Uji gives you a unique temple (Byoudoin, which is on the 10 yen coin), rarely crowded, and lets you have a chill day. You can even make it to Fushimi Inari Temple in Kyoto on the same day if you want, but Inari gets crowded so go super early in the morning or late evening (one of the only temples that never closes).

   6.) Last day is super packed so I’d make that the Yokohama day if you can manage or maybe the Odaiba day. Generally, this is a good day to tie up loose ends like try a food/restaurant you didn’t get to try yet or buy that item you were dithering on or visit that cool place that was near your hotel that you didn’t yet check out.

   Whatever you end up doing I hope you have an amazing time & make a ton of great memories!

5. Highly recommend Nishiki market when you’re in Kyoto

6. To me, the Osaka and Nara days are really stretching it. You’re even skipping Kyoto, which I feel is a more interesting city than Osaka. I would suggest focusing this trip on either the Kanto or Kansai region, not both. Remember, these are massive cities with tons of history and attractions… I could spend 2 weeks just in Tokyo and still not run out of things to do.

   I don’t want to frighten you off, but if both of you have sensory issues, just be aware that Tokyo is the very definition of sensory overload. Public transport is not quiet. The shinkansen is peaceful, but the stations and all the connectioning local trains are really hectic (in Tokyo at least). The off-peak periods there can be busier than many other cities’ peak periods. Not to mention, the major suburbs like Shinjuku or Shibuya will be bright, bustling and noisy until quite late at night.

7. Day 3 might have a bit too much on depending on how long you stay at the park and if you like walking. You can definitely do it with your suggested times but if you enjoy walking then consider walking from Yudanaka or Shibu Onsen to Jigokudani. It takes around an hour but its a nice stroll through the Onsen towns. Also both towns have a number of public onsens that you may want to visit.

   If you are arriving early on day 1 then maybe consider going directly to Matsumoto, seeing the castle and staying overnight. Day 2 can be Nagano and travelling to the Yudanaka/Shibu. Day 3 is the monkey park and transiting to Osaka.