Planning to visit Hokkaido in June and propose to my girlfriend on the trip. She has been working in Japan for a year and has done most of the main tourist attractions. I’ve never been to Japan before. I was hoping to spend all of our time in Hokkaido since she hasn’t seen any of that before, but she insists I must see Kyoto and Tokyo as well, if only for a day. I worry there’s not enough time in Hokkaido to do it fully. What would you remove from the itinerary, and what would you do instead with that time? Also toying with where to propose–I want to do it early on in the trip, main contenders are Fushimi Inari, a less busy corner of TeamLab in Tokyo, in our Lake Toya ryokan’s private onsen right before the fireworks, or at Cape Kamui
Day 1: Osaka — Fly to Osaka, spend the morning, early afternoon seeing the city before meeting her in the evening in Kyoto hotel.
Day 2: Kyoto — Early morning Fushimi Inari full hike. Afternoon walk around Gion. Evening take shinkansen to Tokyo, sleep in Tokyo.
Day 3: Tokyo — TeamLab Borderless in the morning, see Shibuya crossing, Michelin star restaurant in the evening, +/- high rise bar, sleep in Tokyo
Day 4: Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Lake Toya — Early morning flight to Sapporo. Get rental car. Drive to Noboribetsu and see hell valley, go to a foot onsen. Drive to Lake Toya Ryokan in the afternoon
Day 5: Otaru — Drive 2-3 hours to see Cape Kamui + Otaru, sleep in Otaru or Sapporo
Day 6: Furano — Drive 2-3 hours to Furano, see the flower farms, blue pond, have lotsa dairy. Drive 1 hour to Asahikawa and sleep there.
Day 7: Daisetsuzan National Park — Drive 1 hour into park, hike Mt. Asahidake. Drive 2 hours to a hotel that’s halfway between Daisetsuzan and Akan Mashu national parks
Day 8: Akan Mashu National Park — Drive 2-2.5 hours to AKan Mashu National Park, hike Mt. Meakan, stay at a hotel near Lake Kussharo or Lake Mashu
Day 9: Shiretoko National Park — Drive 2 hours to Shiretoko National Park, do a kayak tour. Drive 1 hour to hotel near Shiretoko
Day 10: Drive 5 hours back to Sapporo, fly back home
by aguonetwo