Finally! Autumn 2022 Itinerary | Full Nature Immersion (Scenic Towns, Rails, Roads)

Hello everyone, finally good news with the travel updates. I can really finalize travel plans & try to secure a visa!

Just a quick background. Last April, forecasting that Covid Situation would be better by Autumn, I made a risk and blindly booked flight tickets for a 11-day trip to Japan this November. I have been thinking of a way to propose to my long-time girlfriend, and for me, there’s no other way I can think of than to propose during a trip! So I decided to go with Japan. We both love nature and for this trip that’s the plan, explore Japan’s nature, parks, and scenic rails/routes, more than explore the cities. The plan is very free, relaxed & flexible, but we would still like to focus on central Japan, explore and see as much Autumn we can. I hope you can help suggest, comment, and improve on the itinerary I have prepared.

11 Day Trip Route:

Tokyo > Niigata > Tayoma + Gifu?> Nagano > Yamanashi “Mt Fuji Lakes”> Kanagawa”Hakone”> Ibaraki”Hitachi” >Tokyo

🔰 **Day 1 (Fri) : Tokyo>Niigata**

* Arrival Lunch Time @ Tokyo Narita Airport
* Dinner @ Den- Rent a car, Drive enroute Niigata prefacture.
* Visit Pinshukan Sake Museum, Explore the area, Dinner
* Overnight in the area

🔰 Day 2 (Sat) :

* Checkout Hotel, drive en route Kiyotsu George
* Lunch @ Sekiei Drive-in Restaurant
* Drive to Snow Monkey Park (Arrive past lunchtime)
* Drive to Tayoma City
* Check in @ Tayoma (Stay in Unazuki Onsen Town?)

🔰 Day 3 (Sun):

* Checkout Hotel
* Explore Karube Gorge Railway Japan Alps
* In the afternoon, drive en route Takoyama
* Explore Takayama @ Night
* Overnight in Takoyama

🔰 Day 4 (Mon):

* Checkout Hotel, Explore Shirakawago UNESCO Site
* Drive Enroute Tayoma Station, RETURN CAR to the area
* Start with Tateyama Alpine Route (Tayoma Station > Murodo) Need to be @ the station by 1 pm- Tateyama Station > Bijodaira > Murodo
* Overnight @ Hotel Tateyama or other hotels in the area

🔰 Day 5 (Tues):

* Checkout Hotel, Tateyama Alpine Route 2 (Murodo > Ogizawa)
* Murodo > Daikanbo > Kurobedaira > Kurobeko > Kurobe Dam > Ogizawa
* Arrive @ Ogisawa, Taira, Omachi, Nagano 398-0001, Japan ( Before Lunch Time)
* Rent a car- Visit Azumino National Park- Overnight Azumino Villa Yoshino

🔰 Day 6 (Wed):

* Checkout Hotel
* Drive en route Kamikochi
* Overnight around Kamikochi

🔰 Day 7 (Thu):

* Checkout Hotel
* Drive to Narai & explore(1 hour drive)
* Drive to Lake Kawaguchiko (2 hour Drive)
* Checkin Hotel & Explore
* Lake Yamanakako Cycling over sunset
* Overnight hotel with great Mt Fuji View

🔰 Day 8 (Fri):

* Checkout- Explore Mt Fuji Lake Kawaguchiko
* Fuji Hakone Izu National Park- Chureito Pagoda
* Mt Fuji Ropeway- Oishi Park.
* Drive to Hakone (1 hour Drive)
* Return Car
* Overnight in Hakone ( Hakone Yuryo?)

🔰 Day 9 (Sat) :

* Hakone Free Pass
* Bussride to (Teahouse since Ode Period)
* Old Tokaido (50 Minutes)- Shore of Lake Ashi, Mote Akone, Tori Gate
* Pirate ship Sightseeing Tour,
* Togendaiko, Hakone Zipline
* Owakudani
* Hakone Open Air Museum
* Train to Mito (Leave before 8 pm)
* Overnight @ Mito

🔰 Day 10 (Sun):

* Checkout
* Explore Fukuroda Falls
* Explore Hitachi Seaside Park
* Explore Orai Isosaki Shrine
* Go back to Tokyo via Train- Checkin @ Tokyo

🔰 Day 11 (Mon):

* Checkout
* Lunch @ florilège
* Shopping
* Flight Departure @ 8PM

I need expertise & help in the following items:

* As you can see, in the itinerary, a lot of routes will be done by driving, can you guys confirm if I am correct, that with such an elaborate schedule, driving will be the fastest & cheapest way to do this?
* There will be 2 x renting a car, 1 from Tokyo, then it will be dropped off to Tayoma, another one renting will be renting from Omachi, Nagano and dropping it in Hakone. Can I confirm if such arrangements are possible? (This is done so that we can also experience taking scenic train routes, is this okay?)
* I would really like to try Den in Tokyo but is having a difficult time finding a slot for it, in Day 10, going back early is not an option since Den is closed on Sunday, Day 11, we won’t be able to make it to our flight, Day 1 if we have dinner first, we’d lose that chance to experience sake museum. Any recommendations?
* If there would be any destination I should skip or combine, please do tell me 🙂

For this itinerary, we really tried to research as much as possible, but I’m sure it’s still not perfect. Would appreciate it if anyone can comment, suggest, to improve on it. Also if you can recommend any of the ff it will be very helpful:-

* Travel Agency that can help us with itinerary (the requirement for our visa)
* Car Rentals
* Hotels, Restaurants
* Ways to make itinerary more efficient & cost-effective (to save on rail passes?)
* and lastly, a photographer, than can help capture my proposal 🙂

Thank you very much for any help you can provide