We are a couple in our mid 60's. First time to Japan. Our typical international travel plans involve booking a cruise for 12 or 14 days, and adding on days in the embarkation and disembarkation ports to explore them. This trip started over a year ago with us booking a 12 day "Best of Japan" cruise for October 2024. We booked our own air and tacked on a full week ahead of the cruise to do some land-based sightseeing. Then the cruise line made several disagreeable changes to the cruise itinerary and we decided to bail on the cruise and pivot to doing a land trip based on our existing air reservations. We've never done such a long international land trip before. I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions. We especially enjoy history, museums, and exploring. We're open to new experiences but are not drinkers so not into bar scenes. Please let me know what you think of our plans so far. And please make restaurant suggestions too.
Also, we both have iPhone 14 Pluses. I know you can put a digital IC card on our phones. I saw in another thread that someone recommended using a physical card instead, apparently to conserve phone battery. Do you agree with this suggestion?
Day 1: Arrive Haneda at 3:30 pm. Taxi to Hyatt Centric Ginza. Check out Ginza Namiki-dori area.
Day 2: Tokyo -6 hour private guided walking tour that includes some orientation followed by exploring Shinjuku, visiting Omoide Yokocho, restaurant alley then Harajuku and Meiji-jingu. Walk to Omotesando.
Day 3:Â From Tokyo – Day trip to Nikko. Visit the Toshogu Shrine complex. Futarasan-jinja Shrine. Tinno-ji Buddhist temple. Tobu line from Asakusa station to Nikko Tobu 1 hour 50 minutes
Day 4: From Tokyo – Day trip to Hakone’s hot springs, Hakone Open-Air Museum and boat cruise on Lake Ashi
Day 5: Tokyo – Ueno park/zoo/national museum. If time, Senso-ji Temple
Day 6: Tokyo – Open.
Day 7: Train from Tokyo to Takayama (4 hours 45 minutes) Can go via Nagoya or via Toyama? Stay at Ryokan. Dinner this night at 6 pm at the RyokanÂ
Day 8: Takayama Old Town. Hida no Sato Open Air Museum (folk village). Â Showa-kan Museum. Stay second night at ryokan.
Day 9: Kanazawa. Train from Takayama to Kanazawa. Bus ride is 2:15 long to Kanazawa station. Stay at Hyatt Centric Kanazawa. Check schedule for Autumn Illuminations on Friday and Saturday nights at 6 pm at Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park
Day 10: Kanazawa – Kenrokuen Garden, Nagamachi Samurai District, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.
Day 11: Train from Kanazawa to Kyoto. Stay at Hyatt Regency Kyoto.
Day 12: Kyoto – 4 hour private walking tour. Start near Sanjo-dori St and walk to Shoren-in Temple, then Pure Land Temple of Chion-in, Maruyama-koen Park and Yasaka-jina Shrine. After tour ends go to Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Day 13: Kyoto – Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion.
Day 14: Kyoto – Day trip to Himeji & Hiroshima
Day 15: Kyoto – Fushimi Inari Taisha, Ginkakuji Silver Pavilion, Is the Samurai Ninja Museum worthwhile?
Day 16: From Kyoto, Day trip to Nara with private guide. Visit Nara Deer Park, Todai-ji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine.
Day 17: Train to Yokohama. Stay at Hyatt Regency Yokohama. Kawasaki Factory Night View Cruise?
Day 18: Yokohama – Red Brick Warehouse, Cup Noodles Museum, China Town
Day 19: Departure Day. Take train or bus from Yokohama to Haneda airport. Flight is at 5:30 pm
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by Bellflower12