Hi guys! Thanks in advance for everything this community makes!
My girlfriend and I will be in Japan from Feb 15 to March 15, 29 days, and we are, of course, dealing with our itinerary. We have this rough idea and wanted to see if we aren’t missing anything important, and of course any recommendation you can make. Our main idea is to enjoy the typical attractions but also have a laid back trip and deciding some places to visit on the go.
## WIP Itinerary
### Feb 15 – 20: Tokyo (5 days)
* Arriving Tokyo from Narita airport
* Must-see places (TBD)
* Full day trip to Nikko
### Feb 21, 22: Kanazawa (2 days)
* Tokyo to Kanazawa, some early train
* Kanazawa and surroundings
### Feb 23, 24: Takayama (2 days)
* Kanazawa to Takayama, some early train
* Takayama and surroundings
* Trip to Shirakawa-go
### Feb 25 – March 1: Kyoto (5 days)
* Arriving from Takayama
* Must-see places (TBD)
* Maybe spending a couple of days in some rural nearby town ryokan?
### March 2, 3: Hiroshima (2 days)
* Arriving from Kyoto, some early train
* Knowing the city
* Trip to Miyajima
### March 4 – 7: Fukuoka (4 days)
* Arriving from Hiroshima
* Knowing the city and surroundings
* Some trip to Nagasaki
* Some trip to Beppu
* Maybe some trip to Kumamoto?
### March 8 – 10: Osaka (3 days)
* Arriving from Fukuoka, some early train
* Knowing the city
* Universal Studios day
* Trip to Nara
### March 11, 12: Hakone (2 days)
* Arriving from Osaka, some early train
* Visit Mount Fuji
* Maybe some excursion
### March 13 – 15: Tokyo (2 days)
* Arriving from Hakone
* Probably some last time Shoppping
* Flight back home
## Questions
1. Do you think it may be too many places?
1. May we be spending too many or too few days at some place? Generally speaking.
1. JR Pass: at first it seems convenient as we will be travelling so far as Fukuoka, but even with the 21 days pass we won’t be able to use it on every trip. Should we but it anyways?
1. Does it make sense to book some of our hotels when reaching the place?
Thanks in advance!
Edit: more questions
5. Baggage may be a problem going from here to there with big suitcases. What alternatives do we have to moving with our suitcases everywhere?
4 comments
1. Depends on your travel style. I think it’s fine.
2. For Takayama I think one day is enough to experience everything. You can also visit Shirakawago on your way to Kanazawa. There’s luggage storage there, saves you time from backtracking. If you are heading to Kyushu I recommend you spend more time there. Hire a car and explore Kurokawa Onsen, Mt Aso, Takachiho Gorge and various Shrines. That was my highlight of my 4 weeks trip.
3. There’s a website that calculates all the cost and tells you whether JRail is worth it or not. Generally if you travelling long distances and often I say it’s worth it especially the 3 week pass.
4. Book everything in advance for cheaper prices. Most booking site have free cancellation so you still have flexibility if you decide to change plan.
Check out Miyama for a cute little town near Kyoto to stay for a night
I know some hotels have service that allows you to travel ‘hands-free’, they send your suitcases to the other hotel you’d be staying at. Someone else who recently used service and lurks in this sub might provide more information but it is def an option!
>Kanazawa to Takayama, some early train Trip to Shirakawa-go
Instead you can take the bus to Shirakawa-go, then the bus to Takayama. You just saved time in the bus between the two.
For 4 days in Hiroshima and planning 3 day trips… nah, sorry by Fukyoka and Nagasaki are really worth more than a day each.
Answers
1. Are you an experienced traveler ? Just knowing how much to pack, and having a good plan, I think it’s doable. But some people will tell you that there is way too much places, way to much hotel changes (my average is likely around 1.5 night by accommodation), so for me it’s doable.
2. I would say that appart from the many day trips from Fukuoka, it’s a good amount of time in each place to at least get an over view of what they have to offer.
3. Convenience does not matter, the only thing that matter is to save money or not. Calculate the cost of individual long distance train rides, so JR limited express and shinkansen, and compare to the cost of the pass. If the past is cheaper, get it. So what if you cannot use if for some parts of the trip ? If you still save money for the trips you do with the pass, it make sense. Just use whatever train outside of the pass if they make more sense. As long as you save money on the pass, it’s all fine.
4. If you ask me, no. You have more choice if you book in advance, so that mean more selection of price range too. And if you get to a place during a popular event (you might not even know) there might not be a single room available, or just at crazy prices.
5. … No, you could forward luggage, but the problem with that is that it’s not same day, do it can be hard to sync shipping luggage in a fast paced trip. So you would have to send it one or two stop ahead. Or just don’t travel with a big suitcase… like bring a minimum of stuff, minimum of clothes and do your laundry, like maybe bring 5 changes of clothes. Do not bring any “maybe in case” items, no game console… Moving with a backpack or light suitcase will be much easier to manage with many stops