Hello,
I’m planning my third trip to Japan with my parents and sister. We’ll go together in either October or November around the Kanto-Chubu area. Generally, it is a family vacation with two goals: rediscovering Tokyo and having an off-beaten autumn excursion at a comfortable pace.
Here’s a little background on our previous trips to understand the itinerary:
* We visited the Kanto region (Tokyo/Hakone) on our first trip. We had a great time! But it was too rushed—we spent only five days in the area. We felt we didn’t capture the spirit of Tokyo, and due to the weather, we didn’t see Mt. Fuji.
* We visited the Kansai region (Osaka/Kyoto/Shiga) on our second trip. Learning from our mistakes, we went on a more leisurely, relaxed, and casual journey. We only visited the main sightseeing spaces, not rushing from one location to another (at least 2 sightseeing areas per day). It was one of the best vacations we had.
Repeating the same pace from our last trip, here’s my proposed itinerary for the third trip:
* **Day 1 to 3. Tokyo (3 nights).** We’ll start our trip to Tokyo by rediscovering the city more leisurely. We wanted to prioritize spending more time on places we’ve missed— (Minato City: Tokyo Tower, Asakusa: Sensoji-Temple/Nakamise Street). We may include activities like a dinner cruise along Odaiba or visiting teamLab. We plan on clustering locations to avoid too many travels within the day.
* **Day 4 to 5: Fujikawaguchiko (2 nights).** On Day 4 morning, we’ll travel to Fuji Five Lakes and arrive in the afternoon. We aim to finally see Mt. Fuji while planning to stay in a ryokan with onsen. While in the area, we were thinking of visiting the Panoramic Ropeway, Oishi Park, Arakuyama Sengen Park, and Oshino Hakkai. We’ll be skipping Fuji-Q.
* **Day 6 to 7: Matsumoto (2 nights).** On Day 6 morning, we’ll head to Matsumoto and expect to arrive around the afternoon. We’ll first check-in in a ryokan with onsen again and plan to tour the city and visiting Matsumoto Castle after arriving. The next day, we would like a dedicated day trip to Kamikochi (to explore the area, not to hike). We’d like to visit Daio Wasabi Farm or Shirahone Onsen if time allows. One particular reason we chose this place is that it serves as a good base for:
* **Day 8 to 9. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (1 night).** On Day 8 morning, we’ll check out from the hotel and head to the Alpine Route, entering from the Nagano side. We’ll only do the round trip (not going to Toyama). We’re planning to stay at Murodo overnight. We heard that stargazing is a must-do when you’re in the area, and we want to try it out. On Day 9 afternoon, we’ll return to Tokyo – expecting to arrive around the evening/nighttime.
* **Day 10: Tokyo (1 night).** We’ll spend the day doing any last-day shopping before leaving in the afternoon.
Do you think it’s a good itinerary overall? Does it feel rushed? I think the trip can be improved by adding another day at Fujikawaguchiko or Matsumoto. Should I spend more time in Fujikawaguchiko or Matsumoto?
Some other concerns:
* Does it already snow at Murudo in early November? We need to plan if we need to bring bulky clothing.
* In addition, I have a concern about luggage transportation. We don’t want to repeat our previous experience transporting luggage between accommodations using public transport (FYI: really tough especially when transferring between multiple stations during rush hours). I’ve heard of takuhaibin (like kuroneko). My initial plan is to use the service between Tokyo-Fujikawaguchiko, Fujikawaguchiko-Matsumoto, and Matsumoto-Tokyo. We’ll only carry a day backpack on our alpine journey. This will be my first time using it, and I would like to know your experience for those who have used it. I saw a video saying you must send it two days before you leave the hotel to ensure it reaches your next accommodation the same day you check-in. Is that true? Can you specify what date the luggage should arrive?
Thanks for reading – really appreciate if you’ll respond. Hope you’re having a great day!
by YuuShin73