Hello,
I will be visiting Tokyo/Hakone/Kyoto/Osaka in March 2024 and would like some advice on my Kyoto/Hakone itinerary.
Day 1:
\- Travel from Tokyo to Hakone
\- visit the Hakone open air museum for 2 hours
\- enjoy hot springs/dinner at hotel
Day 2: Hakone loop
\- Take cable car from Gora station to Sounzan
\- take ropeway to Owakudani (see the Great Boiling Valley and eat a black egg)
\- take ropeway to Togendai which is the shore of Lake Aishi
\- Take pirate ship across lake Aishi to Hakonemachi-do
\- walk to Hakone checkpoint
\- take the old Tokaido road to Moto-Hakone-ko to see Hakone Jinja Shrine
\- end the day at Amazake Teahouse
\- reunite with luggage somehow and get started on path to Kyoto
Day 3:
\- Kiyomizudera Temple
\- Sannenzaka/Ninnenzaka
\- Yasaka Pagoda
\- Fushimi Inari (will be arriving around 4pm–option 1)
Day 4:
\- Arashiyama for bambook grove, Tenryu-ji temple, monkey park
\- Kinkaku-ji
Day 5:
\- Silver Pavilion
\- Philosopher’s path/nanzenji
\- Okazaki shrine
\- Shirakawa-minami dori
Day 6
\- Fushimi Inari (option 2)
\- Kyoto Imperial Palace Park
\- Daigoji? (not sure if this one is worth seeing)
​
Here are some specific questions I have:
1. Are the “must-see” temples in Kyoto the following : Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji (golden pavilion), Ginkaku-ji (silver pavilion)? And then also the Arashiyama area for bamboo forest and monkey park. I am concerned we may get templed out so am planning accordingly…
2. I will be staying in the Gora area for Hakone–do most hotels help you forward your suitcase over to Hakone Yumoto station or Odawara station? So that I don’t have to go back to the hotel to get luggage before departing for Kyoto?
3. How long do folks stay at the Hakone open air museum?
4. Is there stuff to do in Hakone at night or do people just go to the hot spring in their hotel?
5. Did I hit everything that is a must-see in the Hakone loop? I am unclear how long everything will take.
6. Do the Shinkansen trains from Odawara to Kyoto fill up? I’m traveling on a Wednesday and am debating if I need to reserve seats in advance.
Thank you!
by Wonderful_Bunny_888
