I’d appreciate advice on a tentative Tohoku itinerary for the first two to three weeks of November, arranged for a reasonable probability of intersecting with some major kōyō viewing locations around peak viewing conditions. The locations were chosen based on online information such as lists of top kōyō locations and the star ratings in the initial 2024 forecast.
30 Oct: Arrive HND mid-afternoon, take shinkansen to Aomori
Aomori (5 nights):
Activities:
- Visit Nebuta Warasse
- Visit Aomori Contemporary Art Centre
- Lunch at Furukawa Fish Market
- Day trip to Lake Towada and Oirase Gorge
- See Lake Towada [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 10/27～11/5, peak: 10/31. Dates here are mainly after the forecast peak date.]
- Hike along Oirase Gorge [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 10/30～11/7, peak: 11/2. Dates here are around the forecast peak date.]
- Day trip to Hirosaki
- Visit Hirosaki Castle
- Visit Tsugaru Clan Neputa Village
- Visit Fujita Memorial Garden
- Visit the Samurai District
- Possible visit to some temples/shrines (Zenringai, Chōshō-ji, Saishō-in)
- Day trip to Hachinohe
- Visit Mutsu Minato Station Morning Market
- Visit Kushihiki Hachiman Shrine
- Possible sake brewery tour
- Cycle along Tanesashi Coast
04 Nov: Train to Morioka
Morioka (3 nights):
Activities:
- Visit Morioka Castle Ruins Park and Sakurayama Shrine
- Visit Morioka Hachimangu
- Visit Morioka Handi-Works Square
- Visit Mitsuishi Shrine and Hoon-ji
- Day trip to Kakunodate
- Visit Samurai District and Merchant District
- Hike along Dakigaeri Gorge [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 11/2～11/11, peak: 11/5. Dates here are around the forecast peak date.]
07 Nov: Train to Hiraizumi
Hiraizumi (2 nights);
Activities:
- Visit Chusonji [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 11/8～11/19, peak: 11/12. Dates here are a bit earlier than the forecast peak date.]
- Visit Motsuji
- Visit ruins of Muryokoin
- Visit Takkoku no Iwaya
- Hike along Genbikei Gorge [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 11/5～11/13, peak: 11/8. Dates here are around the forecast peak date.]
- Boat tour on Geibikei Gorge [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 10/30～11/11, peak: 11/4. Dates here are quite a bit later than the forecast peak date.]
9 Nov: Train to Sendai
Sendai (4 nights):
Activities:
- Day trip to Yamadera [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 11/7～11/17, peak: 11/11. Dates here are around the forecast peak date.]
- Visit Akiu Great Falls [Kōyō forecast: expected best viewing period 11/4～11/14, peak: 11/7. Dates here are later than the forecast peak date.]
- Day trip to Matsushima
- Visit Zuihoden Mausoleum
- Visit Rinnoji
- Visit Osaki Hachimangu
13 Nov: Still unplanned
Questions:
- Comments and suggestions with respect to this itinerary outline would be appreciated. Does it look reasonable, with realistic amounts of time allocated at each location, and feasible day trip plans?
- The allocation of days above leaves an additional six days unaccounted for. Of those, we’ll probably aim for two nights in Tokyo, leaving four more that would either allow for an additional destination (e.g. in Fukushima or Niigata), or longer stays in some of the current destinations. Suggestions would be appreciated since we’re struggling to find any obvious choices of destination after Sendai.
- For example, we would like to have included Sakata in the itinerary (the coastal region is an obvious omission from this itinerary), but that didn’t seem to be possible without spending a lot of time making the detour from the central Tohoku route.
- Kōyō
- The first 2024 forecast was released in early September. Is the first forecast typically sufficiently accurate for itinerary planning? Subsequent forecasts will obviously be more accurate, but increase the risk that accommodation will be difficult to find.
- Constructing an itinerary that synchronizes with expected peak is very difficult due to the variation with both latitude and altitude: simply starting in the North and moving South is not a feasible strategy. I’ve tried to select the best kōyō viewing locations that are compatible with the trip dates, but any recommendations for not-to-miss locations that have been omitted would be appreciated, even if they would necessitate significant changes to the itinerary outline.
by kulahleudoti