I’ve spent many hours researching and reviewing an itinerary for my trip with my boyfriend. We are both in our 30s, we enjoy a well rounded trip including cultural / city and lots of outdoors / hiking / biking. Our focus: day hikes in the mountains or alternative outdoors activities, cycling, cultural exposure.
Questions that we’d appreciate feedback on:
1. General feedback on stops, timings, and if there are any we should drop or change or add
2. We have one day left to place, I was thinking an additional day in the alps (Matsumoto or Kanazawa or Takayama) or a stop somewhere between Hiroshima and Tokyo (Kobe or Himeji)
3. In the itinerary, everything is doable by public transport, but for the days in the Alps, we were thinking of renting a car for a couple days, is it worth it ? Would it be better in Kanawaza ?
Thanks in advance for your help.
\*\*Tokyo – 3 nights\*\*
\* Dates: Sept 27, 2024 to Sept 30, 2024
* Day 1 : Arriving on Sept. 27 in late afternoon from Canada to Narita airport, nothing planned except going to hotel (area TBD)
* Day 2 : full day in Tokyo
* Senso-ji temple
* Explore Asakusa
* Nakamise shopping street
* Tokyo skytree
* Day 3 : day trip to lake Kawaguchi or lake Ashi + Hakone (including Owakudani)
\*\*Matsumoto – 3 nights\*\*
\* Dates: Sept 30, 2024 to Oct 3, 2024
* Day 4 : Train from Tokyo to Matsumoto in the morning + Matsumoto castle in afternoon
* Day 5 : Kamikochi day trip
* Mount Yakedake hike
* Day 6 : Matsumoto full day
* Hiking in Matsumoto or cycling in Azumino
\*\*Nagano – 1 night\*\*
\* Dates: Oct 3, 2024 to Oct 4, 2024
* Take train in the morning to Nagano + explore city
* Look for baggage forwarding (or morning of day 8)
\*\*Kanazawa – 3 nights\*\*
\* Dates: Oct 4, 2024 to Oct 7, 2024
* Day 8 : Alpen route from Nagano (train or bus from end of Alpen route to Kanazawa + pick-up baggages)
* Day 9 : Explore Kanazawa (+ maybe a day hike)
* Kenroku garden
* Walk in Nagamachi district
* Day 10 : day trip to Shirakawa-go + stop in Takayama
\*\*Kyoto – 4 nights\*\*
\* Dates: Oct 7, 2024 to Oct 11, 2024
* Day 11 : early train from Kanazawa to Kyoto + afternoon in Kyoto
* Walking tour
* Kiyomizu-dera temple
* Shoren-in garden
* Chion-in temple
* Day 12 : full day in Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine in morning
* Arashiyama + Jingo-ji temple in afternoon
* Day 13 : day trip to Osaka
* Osaka castle
* Walking around the city (Tennoji and Shinsekai districts)
* Day 14 :
* Half-day trip to Nara
* Ginkaku-ji temple + around in the afternoon\\evening
\*\*Fukuyama – 2 nights\*\*
\* Dates: Oct 11, 2024 to Oct 13, 2024
* Day 15 : Late afternoon train from Kyoto to Fukuyama
* Day 16 : Shimanami Kaido cycling + bus back from Imabari to Fukuyama (we are good cyclists, 70km in one day is okay)
\*\*Hiroshima – 2 nights\*\*
\* Dates: Oct 13, 2024 to Oct 15, 2024
* Day 17 : early train from Fukuyama to Hiroshima + full day in Hiroshima
* peace memorial
* castle
* Orizuru tower
* Day 18 : Day trip to Miyajima
\*\*Day 19 (Oct 15 to Oct 16)
* 2 options :
* 1 night somewhere between Hiroshima and Tokyo (Himeji and Kobe ?)
* Add another night in Kanazawa for Kurobe Gorge railway or day hike\\cycling (maybe Hakusan national park or somewhere else around, possible only by renting a car)
\*\*Tokyo – 2 nights and departure\*\*
\* Dates: Oct 16, 2024 to Jul 24, 2024
* Day 20 : early train to Tokyo to enjoy the city
* Day 21 : full day in Tokyo
* Day 22 : Flight at 5:45PM
by jess013
