Hi! My fiancé and I are traveling to Japan for our honeymoon the first time from 2/22/25-3/11/25 (2/22-23 are travel & arrival days, we are coming from the US). We decided want to hit the Nachi Waterfall area, as we both love nature and think it's worth fitting into our schedule. I've seen some say they can do it in a day from Osaka, and other recommend staying overnight in the area (which we are not opposed to). However, I wanted to see if I could get some help fitting that into our itinerary and where it makes the most sense.
My 3 ideas so far:
Leave Kawaguchiko in the morning, shinkansen to Osaka and head straight to Nachi Falls for an overnight and sightseeing the following day. Head to Osaka in the morning & continue our trip. (Pros: more direct, not as many detours, Cons: a VERY long travel day, basically wasting a whole day on the train)
Leave Kawaguchiko in the morning, head to Osaka, do Osaka that day. A different day, (want to do day trips to Hiroshima & Nara in between) Osaka to Nachi in the morning, see everything, stay overnight, head to Kyoto (our next destination) the next morning. (Pros: more time to breathe, not so much travel in one day, Cons: indirect, feels like
Leave Kawaguchiko in the morning, head to Osaka, do Osaka that day. A different day, (want to do day trips to Hiroshima & Nara in between) Osaka to Nachi in the morning, see everything, go back to Osaka the same day. (Pros: save time by not staying overnight, Cons: rushed and spending 8+ hours on the train in one day)
Along with a schedule recommendation, if we end up choosing to stay overnight in that area, does anyone have recommendations for accommodation? We're staying at a ryokan in Kawaguchiko already, and don't feel like we need more than one of that experience. I've heard about Temple stays, are there any in that area/relatively close? Or just a nice place for one night? We really want to do as much as possible (may be a once in a lifetime thing for us, but hopefully not!) without necessarily getting burnt out, so any advice on this area or itinerary is super appreciated!
by sweetophelia4