Hi everyone,
I know there have been a lot of itineraries with pandemic restlessness…. but I’d like to throw my hat in the ring! Long post following 🙂
I’m planning a two-week trip for myself and my partner (both 30F) in 2022. My plan is 4 days in each Tokyo, Kyoto, and Wakayama/Kii Peninsula on the Kumano Kodo. Though it’s a ways off, I know some places on Kumano Kodo fill up very far in advance, and also it’s fun to plan. But I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a wall with my planning and would like to take it to the experts (aka r/ japantravel).
We live in NYC and are used to crowds, walking a lot, and riding public transit. As for season, I would love to do early April but I have terrible tree pollen allergies, so I am leaning toward late Oct/early Nov.
**INFO**
I’ve never been to Japan, while my partner visited Tokyo, Kyoto, and the Iwate region as a teenager. We’re both set on Tokyo and Kyoto, but we also wanted to do something totally different from what she has done and the Kumano Kodo (Nakahechi route) fit the bill.
I originally had Kanazawa between Tokyo and Kyoto, but cut it for more time to hike. I feel I can get a good taste of history in Kyoto. Does that sound reasonable?
TRAVEL STYLE/INTERESTS: We like to explore neighborhoods and gardens, try cafes and bars, pop in shops (books, vintage, pottery, fabric), see art, take hikes, and see a mix of urban and rural life. We’re not really into aquariums, zoos, theme parks, manga or anime, video games, or big-brand shopping. I’d like to hear a symphony or catch live music at a bar, and love train travel. Also, I’ve planned to travel at a moderate pace and spend a good amount time at each destination rather than rushing to check off sites.
**ITINERARY**
While the trip is far away, I know this sub requests detail for good reason. I’ve come up with a basic itinerary for us that can be changed as needed:
**Tokyo (4 days):**
*Day 1:* arrive Tokyo, accommodations hopefully near Nakameguro. Walk through Shibuya and Yoyogi Park if it’s early; Shinjuku and night view at Metro Gov Building
*Day 2 (Western Tokyo):* leisurely day. walk around Nakameguro and Daikanyama, maybe Contemporary Sculpture Museum. Kichijoji in afternoon; stroll (a lot of strolling in this trip, yes) Inokashira Park; Harmonica Yokocho
*Day 3 (Central Tokyo):* Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza Grand Food Hall, Hamarikyu Gardens to boat dock (I love a ferry) for boat to Asakusa. Explore Asakusa, see Ueno park (or alternatives?); Akihabara at night; bar/music
*Day 4 (Central?):* Meiji Shrine, Nezu Museum, symphony in evening – still working this day out.
**Kyoto (4 days):**
*Day 5 (Tokyo > Kyoto):* Shinkansen to Kyoto. Nishiki Market for treats of all kinds (pickles!!); walk along canal to Gion and Yakasa shrine; Pontocho alley in evening
*Day 6 (Western Kyoto):* morning in Arashiyama/Sagano (Jōjakkō-ji Temple, Gio-ji Temple and moss garden, Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, Nenbutsu-ji shrines); lunch at a tofu restaurant; maybe Kinkaku-ji. head back into the city and explore or rest.
*Day 7 (Central Kyoto):* through Gion and up to Kiyomizu-dera in morning; Nanzen-ji Temple and Philosopher’s Path; Orinasu-kan textile center. Would love to do a Buddhist vegetarian (shojin ryori) lunch or dinner
*Day 8 (Kyoto)*: to be planned! Has anyone been to the Miho Museum? Is it not at all cult-y, just a little cult-y, worth going to even if you might join a cult, etc.?
**Wakayama (4 days)**
*Note: We don’t have much interest in the super strenuous parts of the path, so I’ve split it up into small hikes with busses in between. We’d be using luggage service between ryokans and can grab a taxi or bus if weather is bad.*
*Day 9 (Kyoto > Wakayama*): train from Kyoto to Kii-Tanabe arr. before lunch. Catch bus to Takijiri and start Kumano Kodo by walking the short but steep trail (2 miles) to first stop, Takahara/Kirinosato inn
*Day 10* (*Kumano Kodo*): walk from Takahara to Chikatsuyu (6 miles/9.5 km) and visit Nakahechi Museum of Art. Bus to Yunomine Onsen or Kawayu Onsen (any recs on one or the other?) for the night
*Day 11* (*Kumano Kodo*): early bus to Hosshinmon-oji; hike to Hongu Taisha grand shrine and Oyunohara (5 miles/7.5km). Bus to Shingu accommodations, Hayatama grand shrine if time
*Day 12 (Kii Peninsula)*: Shrine in Shingu if we didn’t get a chance on Day 11. Quick bus to Kii-Katsuura, walk Daimon-zaka trail (1 km) up to the final Kumano grand temple (Seiganto-ji) and Nachi falls. Walk along beach, explore the coast etc.! Night in Kii-Katsuura
**end stretch**
*Day 13:* leave Kii-Katsuura in early AM. I’d like to take train to Nagoya so that we don’t have to backtrack on same train ride we came in on, but I’m not sure if we should stay there or move on. I also thought of doing shinkansen to Odawara, but not sure if that makes sense time-wise – should we just go to Tokyo?
*Day 14:* fly home? flights to NYC are more expensive from Osaka and most have a layover in Tokyo… so Tokyo it probably is ! Could also do an extra day if needed since, you know, we’re already here and what’s one day.
**alright! so my main questions are:**
1. does this itinerary makes sense travel-wise? should i switch the order, is there too much travel, are there better ways to get places?
2. if you have any recommendations of alternative or additional destinations near the places I’ve listed, incl. Kumano Kodo (would love anything you’ve got! tips, places you loved, good food, nice ryokans or hotels)?
3. is autumn the best time for this plan?
other potentially relevant info:
FOOD: I’m a vegetarian at home but eat fish while traveling. Not concerned about stuff like cross-contamination in fryers (also, the Kumano Kodo travel website is amazing and I have found many places that have options w/o red meat and poultry). My partner has no restrictions and likes all types of Japanese food, especially curry. We both love coffee, tea, regional treats and snacks.
BUDGET: very flexible! Not looking for the height of luxury; fine with spending on decent accommodation and fast trains over hostels and busses. I have done a lot of super budget travel and I now appreciate that time and comfort are also valuable.
MISC: other random interests/hobbies include photography, watercolor painting, soccer, theater, film…. also, as a lesbian couple we’d love your best gay recs but aren’t overly concerned about safety and know to avoid PDA.
Thank you so much for any suggestions!
9 comments
[deleted]
I can’t comment on a lot of your itinerary, but specifically, I worry Tokyo Day 3 is a bit packed. It depends on how long you take being leisurely with things…. Generally, I’d consider highlighting your priorities, and so you can flexibly skip things if you run out of time.
Hamarikyu is lovely, and the boat to Asakusa is fun!
Usually, arrival from NY should be in afternoon (if it’s not, you should take one that get you there in afternoon, will be much easier on jetlag). You can really focus on Shibuya on first day, Skip Yoyogi, it’s just a park and unless it’s the weekend and you want to look at people doing activities, I would personally pass. You can also change Gov Building by Shibuya sky building (but it’s not free), or maybe you would prefer Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, that also have an art museum.
An by the way, if you really want to do Yoyogi park, then do it the same day as Meiji shrine, they are next to each other.
Have you compared the price of returning to Tokyo compared to the price of spending the night for example in Wakayama and flying out of Osaka (KIX) ? Just the train will cost about 10 000 yen more to go back to Toyko and it will take longer. So if the multi-city ticket is less than 10 000 yen more expensive, I would really consider. Then even if there is a layover, it’s up to you if you prefer spending more time in the train or doing one more flight.
If you do return to Tokyo, changing train at Odawara does not really make sense.
A small recommendation for Day 8 if you are not going to Miho Museum, can consider a day trip to Amanohashidate, the journey to and back is kinda long but the view is amazing
Jojakkoji was a very nice temple, and if you’re looking for a tofu place specifically for lunch on Day 6 (as you noted), Shoraian is right in that are. A little more expensive, but boy was it delicious. Definitely recommend.
I found Yunomine Onsen much more attractive than Kawayu Onsen. It has a much nicer atmosphere, and the Tsuboyu, a World Heritage bath right on the river. The bath is private; you buy a ticket from a vending machine that you exchange for a numbered ticket, which is your place in the “queue”. You get 30 minutes in the bath once it’s your turn. The places themselves aren’t timed nor set at certain times, so you need to go straight to the bath and see how far down the queue you are (you might be able to walk right in; you might be behind three other groups). You don’t have to remain waiting at the bath for your turn, but if it comes up and you’re not there you’re out of luck – can’t jump in after the person behind you! It’s a lovely bath inside and quite a unique experience; you even get a certificate saying you’ve bathed in a World Heritage bath!
I stayed at Yoshinoya Ryokan in Yunomine, which was absolutely lovely and also had its own outdoor private onsen.
Awesome itinerary!! Looks like you’re gonna have a super fun time ^.^
Just a heads up for a fellow east coast homey, as a Jerseyan and someone who loves/is very familiar with NYC, Shibuya felt the most NYC-like to me while I was there. Shinjuku is what really gave me that “oh damn, I’m in Tokyo!” vibe (in terms of an ultra-modern setting), whereas with Shibuya I was like “oh, I’m in New York but in Japan!”.
I definitely agree with the other person about combining yoyogi park with the meiji shrine! Also it’s a lovely stroll to the shrine through the forest, I’d definitely recommend it!
I also agree that day 3 might be a tad packed, if you’re looking to remove something and you’re not into anime/manga/video games you could definitely skip akihabara! You’re gonna get the same feel from other parts of Tokyo too, you won’t be missing out on much!
I would def recommend Shinjuku Gyoen national park if you’re looking to add another lovely park/stroll to the list! Very beautiful park with multiple gardens, including a French one and a British one.
As stroll people you’re going to LOVE Kyoto! You’ll have to make a plan for the temples because they have closing times, but shrines are open 24/7 so you can explore them on your own time and night exploring in that city is the coolest. You can just wander the districts and you’ll naturally come across dozens of shrine complexes that you can explore on your own and virtually alone, from dark and mysterious ones tucked away in little patches of trees to large and lit up ones next to busy intersections. Definitely an explorer/wanderer’s paradise!
Hope you both have a blast, I’m sure whatever your final plan looks like your trip is going to be unforgettable!
[deleted]
I think you have a quite sensible itinerary.
First – in terms of Kanazawa – it is a wonderful town and one of my favorites in Japan. However – it makes sense to give it up in favor of Kumano Kodo during your first Japan trip since – as you noted – you will already have a taste of history in wonderful Kyoto. Regardless of all the criticism concerning over tourism – Kyoto is a classic and fantastic destination to not miss.
In terms of Kumano Kodo – I walked both Nakahechi and Iseji Routes. The first days hike is – as you noted – short but very steep (leading to Takahara). I think it is the second most difficult section along Kumano Kodo route. Kiri no Sato is a wonderful choice – you will adore the morning fog over the mountains. I suggest that you book them well in advance as they are very popular and have limited number of rooms. Will you be using the luggage forwarding service? You pay extra for your luggage to be forwarded between your accommodations along Kumano Kodo allowing you to walk with a lighter back. I highly recommend it.
I have been to Yunomine Onsen twice but never to Kawayu Onsen so I can only talk for Yunomine. It is a great little town with one of the oldest onsens in Japan (if not the oldest)- Tsuboyu. You are likely not to be disappointed. During the day – some of the onsen hotels allow non-staying visitors to use their onsen facilities with a small fee if you have extra time to try more than one onsen.
Enjoy your trip.