Hi! I visited Japan back in 2019 and am finally planning my second trip. Last time I visited Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka -> Miyajima -> Hiroshima. I want to spend a decent amount of time in Tokyo/Kyoto again to visit some of the same places and some new ones, but also want to visit some more nature-surrounded places with cool scenery.
Some specific questions:
* Want to catch the autumn leaves in Tokyo/Kyoto, so thinking of flying out mid-Nov and back early Dec (meaning I’d be in Kyoto 24-28th ish and not in Kyoto over the weekend haha). Is this a good time, or should I look at a little earlier?
* Is Takayama -> Okuhida -> Shirakawago -> Kanazawa a good choice considering the time of year (too cold? not as pretty? travel difficult?), and is the way I’m going about it sane (including the luggage drop-off plan)
* Unsure about having an extra day in Tokyo (to make 4.5 days not counting the first) or doing another day trip (e.g. Himeji from Kyoto). A bit worried if I leave it at 3.5 days I won’t have enough time to shuffle bits around – e.g. last time ended up pretty much spending a full day just in Akihabara
* Best places in Kyoto for autumn leaves/illumination?
* Anything huge I’m missing out?
* I’ve intentionally left the half days empty as not sure how to split the activities yet – will think about that later!
Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Day 0:
* Fly out
Day 1: Tokyo
* Arrive in Tokyo
* Early check-in at hotel within walking distance of Tokyo/Shinagawa station and nap until midday
* Something light/easy?
* Tokyo station shopping
* Early bed
Day 2: Takayama
* Tokyo -> Takayama
Day 3: Takayama
* Miyagawa morning market
* Old town
* Yatai Kaikan (matsuri museum)
* Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine
* Higashiyama walking course
* Hida folk village (craft workshop)? Not sure if worth it considering Shirakawago
Day 4: Okuhida
* Leave suitcases in Takayama station (coin lockers?) – buses only come once per hour, don’t want to drop suitcases at the hotel in Okuhida then wait to catch the bus to the ropeway
* Takayama -> Okuhida
* Shinhotaka ropeway
* Stay overnight at a ryokan with onsen
Day 5: Shirakawago
* Okuhida -> Shirakawago
* Pick up suitcases
* Bus to Shirakawago
* Gassho-zukuri Minka-en
* Shiroyama viewpoint
* Stay overnight in a gassho-zukuri farmhouse
Day 6: Kanazawa
* Shirakawago -> Kanazawa
Day 7: Kanazawa
* Kenrokuen
* Kanazawa castle
* Ninjadera / Nishi chaya district
* Nagamachi
* Higashi chaya district
* Museums?
Day 8: Kyoto
* Kanazawa -> Kyoto
Day 9: Kyoto
* Eastern Kyoto day (move some things to yesterday)
* Philosopher’s path and nearby temples/shrines
* Ninnenzaka and sannenzaka streets
* Kiyomizudera (temple) (night illumination)
Day 10: Kyoto
* Arashiyama day
* Bamboo groves
* Tenryuji
* Saga-toriimoto preserved street and temples along the way
* Sagano scenic railway?
Day 11: Kyoto
* Fushimi inari
* Tofukuji (temple)
Day 12: Nara
* Kyoto -> Nara
* Nara park
* Todaiji
* Nara -> Kyoto
Day 13: Day trip somewhere else (Himeji) or extra day in Tokyo? (leaning toward extra day in Tokyo)
Day 14: Tokyo
* Kyoto -> Tokyo
* Team labs?
* Shinjuku wandering / shopping
* Karaoke
Day 15: Tokyo
* Rikugien
* Ghibli museum
* Ikebukuro shopping (Sunshine aquarium?)
Day 16: Tokyo
* Asakusa / Akihabara day
* Senso-ji
* Tokyo skytree?
* Akihabara shopping
Day 17: Tokyo
* Harajuku / Shibuya day
* Meiji jingu
* Harajuku / Ginkgo avenue
* Shibuya shopping
Day 18:
* Fly home
by synthe-stitch