Which order, time allocation and mode of transport would you recommend coming from Tokyo beforehand?
We will have luggage as well. I keep chopping and changing the order and time allocation. I’m finding transport hard to plan logically.
If that is too rushed, what would you drop?
Reasoning:
1.The Sumo tournament is on in Fukoaka mid to late November, whilst we are there. I want to include it with at least an overnight stay there, maybe 2, because I hear it’s something you should try to catch and that Fukoaka is a nice place. Should I? Is it a spectacle I should try to incorporate?
2.We want to do the Shimani – Kaido ride from Onimichi to Imabari or vice versa. I assume it doesn’t matter which way. It would take most of the day for me. (My travel partner, half a day. ) It is a must do in our eyes.
3.We are going to Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka as well. The plan is to hub in Kyoto and do the other two places with day trips or overnight perhaps for Hiroshima.
We start in Tokyo, and will spend two nights in Hakone, probably at the end of our Tokyo stay. My idea is to train back to Tokyo from Hakone and then fly to Fukoaka in one day as the start of this part. This is to get us to the Sumo tournament in the early part, figuring tickets will be harder to find near the end.
Btw we want to do Kanazawa (history) and Nagano Monkey Park (Monkeys, Onsen) on the way back to Tokyo. 3/4 nights allocated.
Thanks
2 comments
* Fukuoka
* Onomichi
* Shimanami Kaido
* Kyoto
This is confusing. How long are your entire trip, including Hakone and Kanazawa/Nagano? In what order are your plan currently? Are you using JR Pass?
Given my understanding, I would fly to Fukuoka (or just take the Shinkansen if plane ticket price is bad). Stay in Fukuoka. Then go to Hiroshima. Use Hiroshima as a base for doing Onomichi cycling (taking the bus back from Imabari). Then go to Osaka/Kyoto, onward to Kanazawa, Nagano, and back to Tokyo.
I would say it’s too ruch to do all of that in like 15-16 day. But 8 don’t have enough information about you to be able to say on what to cut.
Honestly, to make it less logistically challenging:
* fly from Tokyo to Matsuyama, while sending luggage to Hiroshima;
* do Shimanami Kaido from Imabari to Onomichi over 2 days, enjoy Temple Walk as a reward and move on to Fukuoka in the evening
* stay couple of days in Fukuoka
* move to Osaka/Kyoto via Hiroshima
* stay in Hakone on your way back to Tokyo
ANA/JAL’s visitor fare + JR West’s Setouchi Area Pass + paying fare between Kansai and Odawara makes more sense, then a 14-day JR Pass.
And if you have an open jaw ticket, then just go from Hakone to Haneda to Matsuyama (and then Setouchi Area Pass is even a better deal).