Length: 18 full days. December 26 (evening fly in) – January 14 (evening fly out), from Tokyo Haneda for both.
Who: 3 people including myself. I have been to Japan twice already, one has gone once, and the other is their first time.
Places we want to visit: Tokyo\*, Kyoto\*/Nara\*, Osaka\*, Kobe\*/Himeji, Hiroshima/Miyajima, Sendai, Sapporo/Niseko
Considerations:
We wish to participate or experience Shougatsu / Hatsumode.
We want to spend the last week in Tokyo to do a lot of shopping and not have to lug all our stuff around.
Will be getting a JR Pass. 7 or 14 day.
\*Two of us have already spent considerable time in Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo on previous trips and are looking to just hit the major tourist stuff for our new friend.
In terms of interests, I enjoy hiking, nature, scenery, asthetics, Another enjoys more city stuff, the third values experiences/activities more.
What I am thinking:
26th. **Tokyo**. First evening we arrive we hit up some bars or izakayas in Tokyo to wind down.
27th. **Tokyo to Osaka**. We take our time in the morning and maybe visit some morning markets or walk around shinjuku/shibuya for a bit. We get on the Shinkansen to Osaka (\~3hr trip) and plan to arrive in the evening to do more bars/izakayas in the Dontonburi area. Maybe visit Shinsekai.
28th. We do **Kobe** and **Himeji** as day trips from Osaka. **Should we return to Osaka to spend the night, or continue to Hiroshima (1-2hrs) and spend the night there?** We will be visiting a bunch of major cities and doing night stuff like in Sendai, Sapporo etc. So I’m only planning to shotgun the local specialties (okonomiyaki, takoyaki, kushikatsu etc) and bars.
29th. **Stayed the night at Hiroshima/Osaka to Hiroshima**. Tour the Museum(s) and the various landmarks, try the local food. Stay the night at Hiroshima. I want to be in Hiroshima before the 30th as the A-Bomb museam would be closed by then.
30th. **Miyajima to Kyoto**. Visit Miyajima in the morning, I’m not exactly sure on what the hype is but it seems to be popular. After we take the Shinkansen to Kyoto (\~2hrs) and spend the evening/night in Kyoto, maybe try the river side resturants and bars. Maybe use the evening to walk around. Would like to visit Yamazaki Distillery in Kyoto at some point but not sure on their holiday closures.
31st. **Kyoto.** Walk around Kyoto hitting up Gion and the closer temples in the area. In the evening visit the shrines / temples (thinking of Fushimi Inari) and spectate/experience Hatsumode or watch the first sunrise.
1st. **Kyoto to Tokyo**. Day trip to Nara, might skip because I’ve heard there are deer on Miyajima as well. Slow Day, Rest Day. Return to Tokyo. **(\~3hrs) Should I possibly skip tokyo and just go straight to Sendai and push the rest of the schedule up one day and not hotel hop too much? (\~5hrs)** Or alternatively, stretch the earlier parts of the schedule to give more time to breathe.
2nd. **Tokyo to Sendai.** Visit tsukiji area for some fish in the morning, head over to Sendai (\~2hrs) Spend the next two days in sendai, thinking about possibly renting a car to check out the 2011 tsunami damage, wineries, etc. Visit the Sendai bars and resturants.
3rd. **Sendai**
4th. **Sendai to Sapporo**. Early flight to Sapporo, Spend 2 days in Sapporo
5th. **Sapporo**
6th. **Sapporo to Niseko**. Early train to Niseko, Skiing and onsens.
7th. Niseko
8th. **Niseko to Tokyo.** Train back to Sapporo, Flight to Tokyo
8th-13th Spend the last week exploring tokyo or possibly doing day trips to Ooarai, Yokohama, Kamakura, Enoshima etc.
14th. I plan on booking a hotel till the 15th and just early checking out around the evening as our flight out leaves at night. Which lets us just chill and relax.
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I haven’t really put much thought yet on the 2nd week of the trip. But the first part of the trip looks the most packed and chaotic, is it doable? Is there anything I should change, cut, rearrange, or reconsider?
Reccomendations for things to do in Himeji, Kobe, or Hiroshima that might warrant staying longer in those areas?