2nd time travelling to Japan and did the golden route initialy+koyasan/nara/fuji/nikko/shimanami during my 1st trip
Travelling for 18 days between late Oct-early Nov; solo trip
Interests include – shrines/trekking/onsens/anime; want to also explore fall but I know it may be early
Food – Ramen (vegetarian)
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General Plan as below –
Day 1 Fukuoka
Rent a car, travel around kunisaki peninsula
Yufuin
Drive to near Takachiho and stay the night nearby
Day 2
Takachiho gorge
Kurokawa onsens
stay overnight in Fukuoka
Day 3 Ishigaki
Flight to ishigaki (land mid afternoon)
Explore ishigaki ?on cycle beaches (not sure what to do here as only have half a day)
Day 4
Booked a full day dive
Finishes around 1600, catch a ferry to taketomi
explore taketomi and spend overnight here
Day 5
Catch early morning ferry to ishigaki; then from ishigaki to hatoma
Explore hatoma / beach / snorkelling
Catch a ferry to Uehara port (iriomote)
Stay on iriomote for 3 nights
Day 6 Iriomote
Some trips planned but not booked yet –
Pinaisara trek + kayak
Day 7
Seakayaking and snorkelling tour
Rent a scooter, explore overnight (try to stargaze, not sure where the best spots are but moped just sounds fun)
Day 8 (kinda free day)
Either do a half day tour on iriomote or head back to ishigaki and explore
Flight to Osaka at ~1800
Reaching late but travelling to kyoto from here to accomodation (est arrival in kyoto 2300)
Day 9 Kyoto
Nijo castle
Other shrines nearby not sure which is the most recommended of these –
Daitoku Ji / Ryoan Ji / Ninna Ji
Kinkaku Ji (if I have time)
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Day 10 Kyoto
Get up early and stroll around Kyoto streets / Sannenzaka
Tofuku Ji
Tenjuan / Nanzen Ji
Eikando
(Ginkakuji en route if I have time)
Shisendo + Enko Ji
Day 11 Kyoto
Katsura Imperial villa (Gintama anyone?)
Saihoji (reserved for this day)
Tenry ji
(Ive done arashiyama before, anything nearby recommended?)
Fu fu no yu onsen
Catch shinkansen in the evening head to Nagoya (staying overnight here)
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Day 12 Nakasendo trail
Head to Nakatsugawa
Trek to Magome à Trek to Tsumago  (not sure if nakatsugawa à magome is recommended and I know this is slightly long but have the whole day anyway)
Tsumago to Nagoya
Shinkansen to Tokyo
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Day 13
Daytrip to fujikawaguchiko
Relax in all the day onsens here (checked quite a few nearby, rent a moped if this is available)
Nothing else planned
Return to Tokyo
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Day 14-18 (5 days in Tokyo; flight home leaves late evening so technically 4.5 days)
I was planning 3 days in Tokyo for shopping visiting places
2 days
-?overnight trip to Tsuru no Yu in akita and back just to experience the onsens and Im told fall there is nice. Could also rent a car and explore around kakunodate
-alternatively do the okunoin onsen which would take 1 day and give me 1 spare day
Open to suggestions
Apologies for the long read and looking forwards to hearing from you all!
by jackalxhyena