Hi all!
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to post. It has been very helpful! This is my first post. Hope I’m doing it right. 🙂 Would truly appreciate your help/advice.
I am 65 woman, traveling first time in Japan with my uber fit outdoorsy 40 year old son. We have 4 days in the middle of our trip and the Japanese Alps is quite appealing. We are mainly interested in food, nature, at least one night in an onsen and rural charm for this portion of our trip. We will see plenty of shrines and temples in other parts of our trip.
This itinerary is four “one night stands” which I don’t normally like, I prefer at least two nights in a hotel. However, we’re traveling light and want to get a taste of the area. So maybe this is possible?
Is this itinerary crazy?
* Day 1 – Tokyo > Kanazawa – arrive Kanazawa by noon via bullet train (3 hrs), get hotel by train/bus station, spend afternoon & evening sightseeing – SLEEP KANAZAWA
* Day 2 – Kanazawa > Shirakawago – morning sightsee in Kanazawa take afternoon bus (1.25 hr) to Shirakawago, spend afternoon & evening sightseeing, would love to experience this place after all the tourists leave – SLEEP SHIRAKAWAGO
* Day 3 – Shirakawago > Kamikochi – this is where it gets extra tricky. 7am bus Shirakawago > Takayama Station (1 hr), private tour leaves station at 9am takes us to both Shinataka ropeway and Kamikochi, drops us at our in onsen near Kamikochi at 4pm – SLEEP ONSEN NEAR KAMIKOCHI
* Day 4 – Kamakochi > Magome – taxi Kamakochi > Shiojiri (rome2rio says it’s 50min $140-170 but is it hard to get a taxi in this area?) Train to Nakatsugawa (1 hr 10) – bus (25 min) to Magome. Arrive Magome early afternoon. Walk the Nakasendo trail Magome to Tsumago. Bus back from Tsumago to Magome – SLEEP MAGOME
* Day 5 – Magome > Tokyo – Bus Magome to Nakatsugawa 25 min – Train Nakatsugawa to Nagoya 1 hr – Shinkansen Nagoya to Tokyo Station 1 hr 42 min
I have read posts, books, researched and watched youtube videos till my eyes are now permanently crossed I fear ha ha.
Greatly looking forward to any and all feedback!
Thanks in advance!
Susan
by NutsToTravel