Hello all its my first time planning such a big trip would love some insights if any. Some context: 3 guys in their 20s and never been in a winter country (2 first timer and 1 clueless guy who went multiple times) that are interested in anime, little bit of nature (e.g. going on a nature trail but not off road) and food. Not a big fan of temples, I feel that seeing 2 or 4 of them will make them kinda blend together; also avoiding anything with height as much as possible. Love to listen to live jazz performances but likely solo as my friends aren't. We don't really drink nor enjoy amusement parks. Why I added hokkaido even though its so far out of the way is bcoz I have never seen snow and would like to spend some days in somewhere with it and only shirakawago other than hokkaido in my plan has it
We also plan to buy the JR pass 21days and i know it hasn't been recommended since the price hike but seeing as how we're planning to travel to many different cities (osaka, kyoto, tokyo, hiroshima, hakodate, sapporo, otaru, shirakawago,). Plane tix are bought but our hotels that are currently booked is free to cancel.
Day 1 (Landing in KIX in december)
- Landing around late afternoon, get JR pass at airport.
- check in hotel and check out osaka xmas market at Midosuji Boulevard then if time allows Midosuji Illumination along the Midosuji Boulevard and Dojimahama
Day 2 (Start our journey to hakodate. The reason why we landed in KIX instead of going somewhere in hokkaido is because the price difference for our flight to hokkaido is the same to upgrade our shinkansen from 15 to 21days. Some may suggest flying domestic for cheaper flights but I'm not a fan of flying.)
Morning
- Train to tokyo via hikari from shin-osaka, followed by train to hakodate
Afternoon
- Redbrick warehouse
- Mt moiwa ropeway
Night
- hakodate xmas fantasy event
Day 3 (hakodate -> sapporo)
Morning
- go to sapporo and check in at the hotel
- ski at ban.k ski resort until late afternoon
evening/night
- german xmas market at odori park
Day 4 (sapporo)
Morning
- Tanukikoji Shopping Street
Afternoon
- shiroi koibito park
Night
- Miso ramen dinner (would love recommendations, currently planned sapporo junren)
Day 5 (day trip to otaru)
Morning – night
- sankaku market (breakfast?) we want to eat crab is otaru great or somewhere else in my itinerary?
- otaru music box museum
- otaru canal
- sakaimachi hondori street
- LeTAO Pathos
- Naruto Main Shop
Day 6 (sapporo-> Hakodate at night, staying here so that we can have lesser travel time to mt fuji the following day)
- Soup curry for breakfast (garaku or sama)
- genghis khan lamb for lunch
- Maruyama park (maybe)
- Either go hakodate early or stay in sapporo depending on which place we still want to explore more of
Day 7 (hakodate -> fujikawaguchiko)
- Not too sure what to do here yet just chill i guess and see mt fuji at our hotel; fuji view hotel. Rent a bike maybe or a car
Day 8- 14 (tokyo) I dont have time atm to flesh out tokyo but posting this to see if im somewhat on track
- shibuya
- crossing/sky
- harajuku
- Takeshita street
- Catstreet
- shinjuku
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
- Kabukichō
- Golden gai
- Shinjuku batting centre
- nakano
- nakano broadway
- nakano sun mall
- tokyo
- Meiji jingu gaien ginkgo avenue
- Koishikawa Korakuen
- Tokyo Dome City (xmas lighting)
- Teamlabs planets
- omotesando
- akihabara
- Animate Akihabara
- Mandarake Complex
- ueno
- asakusa
- temples, street food
- Sumida river walk
- roppongi
- ikebukuro
- Sunshine city
- ginza
- shinbashi
- Shimokitazawa
- shopping, live music
- Shin-okubo (korean town- maybe if we're bored)
Day 15 (shirakawago)
Morning
- Start travel from tokyo to nagoya then to takayama
Afternoon
- Store luggage at takayama train stn and take bus to shirakawago from takayama nohi bus centre
- Go up the scenic route to take photo of the village and buy local goodies, leave for takayama 3 1/2hours later
- Bus back to nagoya
Night
- Train to kyoto from nagoya
Day 16 (kyoto) I wanted arashiyama, and kinkaku-ji but they were a little too far from the other attractions.
Morning
- fushimi inari then breakfast at nishiki market (ps: would yall recommend kichi omurice if we aren't going out of our way for it?)
Afternoon
- kiyomizu-dera
- heian shrine
- tetsugaku no michi
Night
- Undecided.
Day 17 (osaka) – undecided
Day 18 (hiroshima day trip) – decided to go osaka day before so that we have lesser travel time in the morning
Morning
- Okonomimura
- atomic bomb dome, peace memorial park (just a quick walk, not going into museum)
Afternoon
- ferry to miyajima
- oysters and momiji manju
- Miyajima Omotesandō Shopping Street
- Momijidani Park
Evening
- Maybe dinner at hiroshima before heading back to osaka
Day 19-22 (osaka)
- Souvenir shopping
- dotonbori
- Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
- Umeda Sky Building (go at night if not buying pass)
- Santa maria day cruise and Aqua liner (if we do buy osaka amazing pass)
- shinsaibashi
- Flying off 🙁
Ending thoughts:
First of all, thank you for reading all this. I feel like there may be too many days in Osaka, what are your thoughts? Also I am looking for a hotel that can fit 3 people (sofa bed is fine if its long or futon) that has a view of tokyo tower. Currently considering Candeo hotels tokyo roppongi but it looks small in the pics but fits somewhat within our budget. (610usd/night) realistically how much do i need to increase? still a broke ass student :/
ps: local specialty foods/snacks recco are welcome!
Edit: We’re comfortable with the areas we are heading to, just seeing if it’s doable and if any recommendations to the places we are visiting.
by Plato2901