A little late, but here's our trip report. For more context and to get a sense of what our initial plan was, check out my itinerary check post prior to visiting Japan. The below mostly just sets out what we did rather than what we thought of it. This was the best holiday we've ever had, so you can assume it was good unless specified otherwise. Places we strongly recommend are in bold and italics.
Average kilometres walked each day: 18. Itinerary only suited for active travellers.
Average inter-city travel time: 3.3 hours on travel days, 1.7 hours averaged across all days. Not bad at all, in my view, considering we visited 16 different places in just 19 days.
Total cost: $12k Australian Dollars (~1.248m JPY), average exchange rate of around $1 AUD to 104 JPY. Of this, just under half was spent on flights, accommodation and trains – with the remainder (on average $315 AUD / 32-33k JPY) going on activities and food.
General travel tips for japan
- Check whether your desired activities require a booking or whether last admission is significantly earlier than closing time AT LEAST one day in advance – we missed out on a couple of activities because we did not check this
- Most stores are happy to accept large cash notes for small purchases
- Smaller cities, outer suburbs, and temples/shrines often only accept cash. Pretty much everywhere else accepts card
Itinerary
Day 0 – Tokyo – Friday 24 May 2024
- Land in Tokyo around 7pm
- Settle in, transit to hotel in Shinjuku
Day 1 – Tokyo (day trip to Lake Kawaguchi)Â – Saturday 25 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 12.7)
- Wake up early and take highway bus to Lake Kawaguchi
- Fuji Shibazakura Pink Moss Festival (got baited by this one – it was the second last day and most of the flowers were dead, so it was not worth visiting. Definitely look up whether the flowers are still blooming prior to your visit!)
- Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum (European architecture, classical concerts, Dali sculpture, hilarious and weird vibe)
- Oishi Park and nice view of the lake
- We got unlucky and there was no clear view of mount Fuji, very cloudy.
- Return to Tokyo for dinner (yakitori, was fine)
- Didn’t have time for: ropeway, Chureito Pagoda or Arakurayama Sengen Park
- Wow moments: N/A
Day 2 – Tokyo – Sunday 26 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 25.8)
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Park – beautiful and underrated
- Explore Harajuku, including Teamlabs exhibit at the Galaxy store
- Meiji shrine and Yoyogi Park (definitely skippable)
- Explore Shibuya, including Shibuya crossing and Tower Records. Rooftop drinks at rooftop lounge MAG8 was great
- Explore Shimokitazawa, thrift shop and hipster area, including great little snack pancakes from Flippers. Cool area.
- Dinner: Soba house konjiki hototogisu. Michelin ramen. Freshness burger draft beer a big hit
- Wow moments: N/A
Day 3 – Tokyo (day trip to Nikko) – Monday 27 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 20.1)
- Wake up early (pre 6am) and take train to Nikko
- All the main historical sites in central Nikko (Toshogu, Taiyuin, Rinnoji, Shinkyo bridge)
- Lovely Goshuincho available at some of the main sites in Nikko
- Kanmangafuchi abyss walk
- Kegon waterfall (water flow was pretty low/slow the day we went) and view of Lake Chuzenji
- Return to Tokyo
- Dinner: Kakekomi Gyoza. All was pretty good, but the honey mustard gyoza were amazing
- Didn’t have time: Tamozawa villa and boat ride on Lake Chuzenji
- Wow moments: honey mustard gyoza
Day 4 – Tokyo – Tuesday 28 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 18.2)
- Teamlabs Planets
- Explore Ginza area
- Lunch: Grill Bon, premium wagyu sandwich
- Lion beer hall
- Celtic cocktail bar with lots of fairy dust (Tir na nÓg)
- Dinner: Chinese near the baseball game
- Baseball game (Tokyo Dome), Giants vs Carps
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck and night light show (v. cool)
- Golden Gai with fellow Aussies and bartender from Okinawa, plum wines and Taiko songs
- Wow moments: Grill bon premium wagyu, Teamlabs Planets (esp. the light room)
Day 5 – Tokyo to Kanazawa – Wednesday 29 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 10.6)
- Take train to Kanazawa
- Stay at a Ryokan, Utaimachi in the Higashi Chaya district. Small townhouse, perfect blend of modern and traditional
- Explore Higashi Chaya Geiko / Geisha district
- Dinner: Barrier (amazing experience and presentation, average food)
- Wow moments: ryokan accommodation
Day 6 – Kanazawa – Thursday 30 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 14.2)
- Castle grounds and nearby gardens / shrines
- Kenrokuen, one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan
- Lunch: Omicho fish market, kaisendon (tuna sashimi rice bowls)
- Explore Nagamachi district including samurai and ashigaru residences
- Gold leaf soft serve
- Gold leaf workshop (designed and made a chopstick pattern)
- Dinner: Busaku. Arguably the best meal I’ve ever had, fine dining 6-7 course set menu watching the chefs prepare everything in front of you. Counter seating of 8-10. If the menu was a la carte, I would've recommended people to come to the restaurant specifically to order the first dish – it was that good. Then I thought the same about the second dish. And the third. And the fourth. Dipped slightly from there, but still delicious and well presented.
- Wow moments: Busaku dinner
Day 7 – Kanazawa to Takayama – Friday 31 May 2024 (Kilometres walked: 15)
- Luggage transfer to Kyoto
- 9am bus to Shirakawa-go, very scenic
- 4 hours exploring Shirakawago folk village, lovely small village with traditional thatch-rooved houses. Heritage museum was both quiet and quaint
- Lunch: amazing curry rice at Ochuudo / Ochiudo
- Explore Takayama old town (pretty dead, everything closed by 4)
- Dinner: Sakurajaya. Great meal watching the chef prepare everything in front of you. Counter seating of 8-10, very chill vibes
- Drinks: Japanese Pub YU, cocktails. A bit expensive (relatively) but very tasty
- Didn’t have time for: Showa-kan museum
- Wow moments: Exploring Shirakawa-go
Day 8 – Takayama to Kyoto – Saturday 1 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 21.1)
- Morning walk around Takayama
- Miyagawa morning market, including incredible wagyu hida beef sushi
- Train to Kyoto
- National garden / imperial palace (not worth visiting, though the palace was closed so can't comment on the inside)
- Explore Hiyagashima district and Gion
- Dinner: Pontocho, lots of options. We had very local ramen with drinks beforehand
- Didn’t have time for: Nijo Castle, admissions close an hour before closing, so we just missed out on entry. Needed to plan further ahead to make it.
- Wow moments: hida beef sushi
Day 9 – Kyoto (West) – Sunday 2 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 21.4)
- Wake up early and head to Arashiyama
- Bamboo forest (with no people around, not as cool when we walked by later in the morning and it was packed)
- Gio Ji moss garden (fine)
- Otagi Nenbutsu-ji temple (awesome, lots of statues, super peaceful)
- Okochi Sanso gardens
- Tenryuji temple and neighbouring gardens
- Lunch: Bread, Espresso and Arashiyama Garden. Nice panini, matcha cheesecake, delicious adjoining bakery
- Coffee: %ARABICA (best coffee of Meggie’s life, first coffee I ever liked)
- Monkey Park and observation deck
- Kinkaku-ji (golden pavilion)
- Dinner: katsukurra (best pork cutlet I’ve had, but price scales faster than quality)
- Didn’t have time for: Hozugawa river boat cruise, couldn’t get into Kokodera as you needed to book it at least a day in advance
- Wow moments: Bamboo forest, monkey park, %ARABICA coffee, Kinkaku-ji
Day 10 – Kyoto (East) – Monday 3 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 20.4)
- Head to the East side and explore main temples and gardens there
- Eikan-do (great)
- Kiyomizu Dera (fine)
- Sanjusangendo (great)
- Kennin-ji (cool dragon ceiling, but not as good as…)
- Nanzaen-ji (amazing dragon ceiling)
- Philosopher's Path (fine)
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver pavilion, amazing)
- Coffee: %ARABICA again, as there is one in the Geisha district
- Dinner: Kizahashi. Worst dinner of my life, fine dining seafood set menu, but everything is EXTREMELY fishy and intense seafood flavours, no masking or combination with other flavours
- Wow moments: Ginkaku-ji, %ARABICA coffee again
Day 11 – Kyoto to Osaka (Nara day trip) – Tuesday 4 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 23.6)
- Organised to send luggage to Osaka
- Wake up early and head to Fushimi Inari. Hiked about 70% of the way up, didn’t have time to go all the way
- Day trip to Nara
- Main gardens and historical sites around Nara park
- Nakatannidou mochi pounding (lasts about 20 seconds and very crowded, couldn’t see, not worth)
- Feed the deer
- Lunch: Château D’or Bakery. Part bakery part café, café had amazing pizza and sandwiches. Bakery had nice treats
- Daibutsuden hall giant buddha
- Head to Osaka
- Dinner: Blue Birds Rooftop Terrace (NOT sky dining), amazing BBQ (an actual BBQ) on a rooftop overlooking Osaka castle at night with unlimited drinks
- Didn’t have time for: Toji, Nara hikes
- Wow moments: feeding the deer, giant Buddha, Rooftop drinks and meal overlooking Osaka castle
Day 12 – Osaka – Wednesday 5 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 16.9)
- Universal studios during the day, 7 attraction express pass (not worth going without the express passes)
- Best ride: flying dinosaur. Harry Potter and Despicable Me AR/VR rides were great too
- Explored Dotonbori at night, great fried food dinner overlooking the river and street art
- Treat: Pablo cheese tart
- Wow moments: N/A
Day 13 – Osaka to Koyasan – Thursday 6 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 10.6)
- Organise for luggage to go to Okayama
- Breakfast: Café Annon (souffle pancakes, best pancakes of my life)
- Travel to Koyasan in the early afternoon
- Daimon gate
- Check-in at temple lodging
- Okunoin cemetary hike and main temples, lantern hall
- Saw Takeda Shingen and Katsuyori’s graves
- Dinner: Shunsai Kameya. suuuper lovely servers, delicious karaage
- Didn’t have energy for: Cemetary night walk
- Wow moments: Café Annon pancakes, lantern hall at the end of Okunoin cemetary
Day 14 – Koyasan to Osaka – Friday 7 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 20.1)
- Temple morning prayers
- Visited the main shrine
- Short morning walk along women’s pilgrim trail
- Return to Osaka
- Lunch: Wagyu Idaten. Deliiiicious beef rice bowls
- Osaka castle
- Brief stroll through Amerika-mura
- Dinner: Gyoza-Oh! Gyoza were probably the best we’ve had, regret ordering other things too instead of more gyoza
- Dessert: Cheese tart bombomy temma ogimachi, not as good as Pablo cheese tart
- Take late train to Okayama and check-in to hotel
- Wow moments: food in Osaka
Day 15 – Okayama (Hiroshima & Miyajima day trip) – Saturday 8 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 18.2)
- Okayama will be the base for several day trips.
- Wake up early and head to Hiroshima
- Ferry to Miyajima
- Floating Torii gate at high tide (waay better than low tide)
- Walk through Momijidani park and watch the deer
- Ropeway up then further hike to the top of the mountain, incredible views
- Hiked down the mountain (regret, took longer than expected and the scenery was nothing special. With the amount of walking we did each day, our tired legs could've done without this)
- Daishoin temple
- Peace museum and atomic bomb dome
- Return to Okayama
- Dinner: Teppan Ku-Ya Okayama. Delicious set menu meal.
- Wow moments: views from the top of Miyajima
Day 16 – Okayama (Naoshima day trip) – Sunday 9 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 18.5)
- Korakuen garden (top 3 in Japan)
- Head to Naoshima island and explore
- Benesse House, like a Bond Villain’s lair, art was just fine. Not much explanation, mostly quite abstract
- Saw most of the art house projects, they were pretty cool
- Limited food options outside of designated lunch times
- Dinner: back in Okayama, JBBQ where we couldn’t read the menu, but was still good
- Naoshima is definitely skippable unless you really love contemporary art. We are casual art fans and in hindsight would rather have done something else (the only place we can say that for from our trip).
- Didn’t have time: Chi Chu museum as we needed to book in advance
- Wow moments: N/A
Day 17 – Okayama to Kobe (Himeji day trip) – Monday 10 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 22)
- Organise for luggage to go to Tokyo
- Wake up early and head to Himeji
- Himeji castle
- Kokoen garden, perhaps my favourite garden of all
- Head to Kobe in the afternoon
- Lunch: Yoshiya. Incredible udon noodles, carbonara was insane
- Explore kitano ijinkan, European architecture district
- Dinner: Royal Mouriya. Ate Champion-grade A5 Kobe beef
- Explore the harbour area at night, see Kobe tower
- Wow moments: Himeji castle, udon noodles, champion Kobe beef
Day 18 – Kobe to Tokyo – Tuesday 11 June 2024 (Kilometres walked: 14.8)
- Train to Tokyo, check-in at hotel near Ueno
- Explore Ueno Park and surrounding area
- Explore Akibahara, play some arcade games, duty free shopping at Don Quijote
- Dinner: Mantensushi Marunouchi. Delicious sashimi
- Dessert: sake ice cream from SAKEice, surprisingly alcoholic
- Wow moments: N/A
Day 19 – Tokyo – Monday 12 June 2024
- Senso-ji
- Brunch: Benizuru for souffle pancakes
- Fly home
- Wow moments: pancakes
Happy to answer any questions.
by krdoroc