hi everyone! think this was too detailed for JapanTravelTips, so posting again here with the caveat that it's very in flux and a little bare-bones right now.
my boyfriend and I are heading to japan in mid-october for our anniversary – it's his second time in japan, my first. we're both in our late 20s and relatively fit. this is my first draft of a sketched-out itinerary.
a few things to note:
- mostly keen to see some beautiful nature (bonus points if it has a nice body of water) and particularly landscapes that look like they've inspired a ghibli movie/are a bit otherworldly (like yakushima, which I'll do on a second trip). hoping to see "hidden gems", and ideally avoid places that are possibly overhyped and over-crowded.
- I will be fitting in some onsens and ryokans in here, but need to do some more research on that!
- I've structured this around getting to the kawagoe autumn festival on either the 19th or 20th october, so that part of the itinerary can only shift by one day maximum.
main questions:
- sports day occurs during these days – will everything shut down? do I need to factor that in?
- we have the kawagoe autumn festival and tokyo grand tea ceremony in here but I'd love another cultural show or event – baseball would've been great but I know it's out of season, so open to other recs!
- I want to fit nakasendo trail in here for a day trip (just the magome to tsumago section) but struggling to figure out how best to sneak it into the itinerary, without lots of backtracking or silly route planning.
- are kamakura and enoshima worth it / do I have too many day trips?
- other places I would've loved to fit in but couldn't: okunoshima, matsushima, funaya, wakayama, todoroki valley, mount takao, kamikochi. are any of them worth swapping in on any of these days?
TLDR: does the itinerary below seem reasonable, and suited to what we're looking for? I'd like to see quite a lot but recognise I don't want to exhaust us and ruin the fun…!
- Day 1: Arrival in Tokyo
- 15:00: Arrive at Haneda Airport. Check into accomodation.
- Evening: Chill evening. Wander Koenji, or maybe explore Shibuya/Akihabara/Shinjuku and then find dinner.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 2: Explore Tokyo
- Morning: Visit Meiji Jingu Shrine.
- Afternoon: Hama-rikyu Gardens? (or move to later Tokyo day)
- Evening: Explore Shimokitazawa, or Sangenjaya.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 3: Kyoto
- Morning: Travel to Kyoto (via Shinkansen), check into accommodation.
- Afternoon: Visit Iwatayama Monkey Park and Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple.
- Evening: Wander and find dinner.
- Accommodation: Kyoto.
- Day 4: Kyoto – Sagano Romantic Train and Ruriko-in Temple
- Morning: Ride the Sagano Romantic Train.
- Afternoon: Visit Ruriko-in Temple.
- Evening: Explore Gion District.
- Accommodation: Kyoto.
- Day 5: Uji and Byodo-in Temple
- Morning: Travel to Uji (20 minutes).
- Visit: Byodo-in Temple and Uji Tea Houses.
- Afternoon: Return to Kyoto, visit Philosopher’s Path.
- Accommodation: Kyoto.
- Day 6: Lake Biwa and Okishima
- Morning: Travel to Lake Biwa (40 minutes).
- Activity: Rent bikes and cycle around the lake. Visit Okishima Island.
- Evening: Return to Kyoto.
- Accommodation: Kyoto.
- Day 7: Nakasendo Trail Day Trip (does this fit here?)
- Morning: Travel to Magome (2.5 hours from Kyoto).
- Activity: Walk the Nakasendo Trail to Tsumago.
- Evening: Return to Kyoto.
- Accommodation: Kyoto.
- Day 8: Kanazawa and Kenroku-en Garden
- Morning: Travel to Kanazawa (2 hours).
- Visit: Kenroku-en Garden and Higashi Chaya District.
- Evening: Stay in Kanazawa.
- Accommodation: Kanazawa.
- Day 9: Kanazawa Day (our anniversary! any romantic recs welcome….)
- Day: Continue exploring Kanazawa. Maybe head to Hiyo Moss Garden? Or try and do either Shirakawa-go or Takayama?
- Evening: Nice dinner, find an onsen.
- Accommodation: Kanazawa.
- Day 10: Travel to Kawagoe
- Morning: Travel from Kanazawa to Kawagoe (4.5 hours).
- Day: Attend the Kawagoe Autumn Festival.
- Evening: Stay overnight in Kawagoe.
- Accommodation: Kawagoe.
- Day 11: Explore Kawagoe & Return to Tokyo
- Morning: Explore Kawagoe if we want, or just head straight back to Tokyo.
- Afternoon: Travel back to Tokyo (1 hour by train).
- Evening: Relax in Tokyo, and maybe head to Yanaka Ginza.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 12: Day Trip to Kamakura and Enoshima [cut and replace with a free day?]
- Morning: Travel to Kamakura (1 hour).
- Visit: Kamakura's temples, and then head to Enoshima Island (30 minutes).
- Afternoon: Explore Enoshima Island and its surroundings.
- Evening: Return to Tokyo.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 13: Sayama Hills
- Morning: Travel to Sayama Hills (1.5 hours).
- Activity: Explore Totoro's Forest.
- Late afternoon: Return to Tokyo, and rest.
- Evening: Explore Asakusa or other Tokyo areas.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 14: Nikko Day Trip
- Morning: Travel to Nikko (2 hours).
- Visit: TBC but something from: Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Kegon or Kirifuri Falls, Lake Chuzenji, Nikko National Park.
- Evening: Return to Tokyo.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 15: Free Day in Tokyo
- Morning: Relax or explore Tokyo. Could do Gotokuji Temple.
- Afternoon: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum?
- Evening: wander and find dinner, maybe Ebisu Yokocho.
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 16: Final Day in Tokyo
- Morning: Free time in Tokyo. Rikugien Garden or Inokashira Park?
- Afternoon: Last-minute shopping and exploring?
- Accommodation: Tokyo.
- Day 17: Departure from Haneda
- Morning: Catch the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony at Hama-rikyu Gardens if possible.
- Afternoon: Head to Haneda Airport.
- Late Afternoon (him)/Evening (me): Depart from Haneda Airport.
thanks in advance for any tips/comments!
by justchaoswalking