Hello everyone, I was hoping for some feedback on an itinerary I made for my upcoming trip. Any advice is welcome, but I am mainly trying to figure out if my city-to-city plan makes sense. Thank you!!!!
(JST TIME) Arrive Dec 22th, 2022 3:10PM
At the airport, get mobile hotspot, get an IC card, get 21 day JR rail pass (but don’t activate). Or have JR pass shipped beforehand?
Take train to airb&b – Make sure this is close to a station
Explore area, depending where we stay
Things to do in Tokyo…. Yokohama full sized gundam/diver city, Akihabara, Ghibli museum (need reservations)?, Shibuya, asakusa, ueno, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Dec 23nd – Full Day Tokyo
Dec 24rd – Full Day Tokyo – Activate JR rail pass in morning
Dec 25th – Full Day Tokyo
Dec 26th – Tokyo, Day trip to Nikko – keep same hotel Tokyo
2 hour train ride from tokyo arrive at 10am or so
Shinkyo Bridge, other temples and waterfalls, Senjogahara marsh
2 hour Train ride back to tokyo
Dec 27th – Tokyo to Hakone, Overnight in ryokan
2 hour train ride to hakone that morning, rest of day in hakone
Hakone Shrine, Hakone Open-Air Museum, Onsen, Owakudani (via ropeway), Lake ashi
Overnight stay at ryokan
Stuff to do in Kyoto… Fushimi Inari Taisha, Higashiyama and Gion, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Arashiyama Iwatayama Monkey Park, Nijo Castle
Dec 28th – Hakone/Kyoto – Temples/Shrines
Take the shinkansen to Kyoto, 3 hours. Arrive at noonish
Stay at a hotel/airb&b in downtown kyoto. Rest of day in kyoto
Dec 29th – Full day kyoto – Temples/Shrines
Dec 30th – Day trip to nara
45 min train ride, spend day in nara
Kōfuku-ji, Todai-ji, Kasuga-Taisha, Nara Deer Park; Shrines/temples
45 min train ride back to kyoto
Dec 31st – Full day kyoto
Shrines/temples
Jan 1st – Kyoto/Mount koya
Spend morning/day in kyoto, temple visit
Train ride to Mount Koya is like 3 hours. Leave at 12pm or so. Take cable car up mountain
Jan 2nd- Mount Koya
Temple lodging, Okunoin Temple, Kongobuji Temple. Spend morning/day at Koya
Head to Osaka that afternoon 2 hours 30 mins by train
Jan 3rd – Full day Osaka
Stuff to do in Osaka… Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle, Shitennoji Temple, Shinsekai, Kuromon Market, Minami/Dotonbori; Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Osaka Castle, Takoyaki, savory pancakes, Minami
Jan 4th – From Osaka, day trip to Kobe
30 min train ride
Kobe beef, Ropeway up Mount Rokko, Nada Sake Museum, gardens, Arima Onsen
30 min train ride back to hotel
Jan 5th – Osaka/Okayama – Stop at Himeji Castle then day in Okayama
45 min train ride from Osaka to himeji castle, spend a couple hours there in the AM
Another hour to get to okayama. Arrive at 12pm
Stuff to do in Okayama…. Okayama Castle, Korakuen Gardens, Kibiji Cycling Road; Kurashiki canal area
Jan 6th – Day trip to Onomichi from Okayama
Take first 2 hour train ride from Okayama to Imabari
Shimanami kaido back to Onomichi. We would have 8 hours or so for 40 miles plus breaks and lunch… doable… may take the ferry halfway?
Need to figure out what to do with luggage here… maybe ship luggage to hotel in Hiroshima
Take train from onomichi to hiroshima, 1 hour
Jan 7th – Hiroshima – Full day
Stuff to do… Atomic Bomb dome, peace park, hiroshima castle
Jan 8th – Full day Hiroshima
Full day Hiroshima… may leave early for Miyajima for another day in Kanazawa or spend another day in Osaka
Jan 9th – From Hiroshima, day trip to Miyajima
30 minute train ride, keep hotel from hiroshima
Itsukushima Shrine – Supposed to be done with renovations by then
Other temples, Cable car to mount Misen
Jan 10th – Train ride to Kanazawa from Hiroshima
4 hour train ride from Hiroshima, arrive at noonish or so
Kenrokuen, Ninjadera, other temples and stuff
Jan 11th – Full day kanazawa, leave for Takayama
Spend morning in Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District
Leave for Takayama in the afternoon, about a 2 hour train ride
Check into hotel/ryokan
Jan 12th – Full day in Takayama
Old Town, Hida Folk Village, Higashiyama Walk, etc..
Stay another night at a ryokan?
Jan 13th – Shinkansen back to Tokyo in morning
May have a little bit of time in Tokyo here…
Flight out at 5:35pm
I tried my best to plan around New Years by picking only temples/shrines and outdoorsy activities during that time. Let me know what you think! Right now these days have me the most worried:
– Jan 1st. I know there will be a lot of traffic in Kyoto in the morning… but I wonder if it will be bad when heading to Mount Koya. Also, I need to book this temple stay soon as I bet it will book up soon
– Jan 6th. I feel like this is possible but luggage is my biggest concern.
– Jan 7th. Might cut Hiroshima here as I am having trouble finding things to do… thoughts? Might add to Osaka or Kanazawa
Thank you!!!!