Itinerary check! Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagano in April

Background:
– 18 days total
– Travelling from 31st march (fly to osaka) – 18th april (fly from tokyo)
– Priority to catch cherry blossom festivals
– Buying 21 days Japan wide JR pass
– Been to tokyo, kyoto and osaka before
– Fan of nature > cities
– Big foodies

Day 1 (31/3, Fri) – Osaka/sleep in Osaka

– 1.15pm: Reach kansai airport
– 3pm: Check in osaka hotel
– Explore osaka

Day 2 (1/4, Sat) – Hiroshima/sleep in Osaka

– 9am: Leave for Hiroshima
– 11-2pm: Explore atomic bomb dome, museum + lunch (Iizuka Izumo Soba)
– 2pm-dinner: Miyajima island
– Dinner: Try hiroshima okonomiyaki
– Head back to osaka

Day 3 (2/4, Sun) – Himeji/sleep in nagoya

– 9am: Leave for Himeji? (**Not much plans yet…)**
– Explore himeji castle
– Lunch in himeji
– Dinner in nagoya or osaka?
– Leave for Nagoya
– Check in nagoya hotel

Day 4 (3/4, Mon) – Nagoya, aichi/sleep in nagoya

– 9am: Breakfast at some cafe
– 10am: Osu food street
– 11pm: Leave nagoya for Studio ghibli theme park
– 12-3.30pm: Studio ghibli theme park – grandwarehouse
– 3.30-4pm: Walk to totoro exhibit
– 4-5pm: Studio ghibli theme park – totoro
– 7pm: Dinner unagi
– 9pm: Supper chicken (furaibou)
– Stay in Nagoya N2

Day 5 (4/4, Tue) – Nagoya day 2/sleep in nagano

– 9am: Explore Nagoya city (not much plans yet…)
– After dinner: Head to Nakatsugawa
– Check in at Ryokan 0 at Nakatsugawa

Day 6 (5/4, Wed) – Kiso valley (Magome, Tsumago)/sleep in matsumoto

– 9am: Check out & Breakfast
– Train from hotel to magome
– Trek from magome to tsumago (2h)
– Nagiso Azaleas Festival (near nagiso station)
– Lunch nearby
– Atera Valley (if time permits)
– Dinner nearby or near hotel
– Head back to hotel to collect luggages
– Head to matsumoto
– Check in matsumoto hotel

Day 7 (6/4, Thurs) – Kiso valley (miyanakoshi)/sleep in matsumoto

– 9am: Breakfast
– Train to miyanakohsi (2h)
– Explore Miyanokoshi-juku Honjin area (cherry blossoms)
– Lunch nearby
– Explore Narai-juku area
– Dinner nearby
– Head back to matsumoto

Day 8 (7/4, Fri) – Matsumoto & kami kochi/sleep in matsumoto

– 9am: Head to kami-kochi (Replace with day 9 plans if not opened & explore matsumoto city on day 9)
– Explore kami-kochi
– Head back to matsumoto

Day 9 (8/4, Sat) – Matsumoto & shimaya onsen/sleep in shimaya onsen

– 9am: Breakfast
– Explore lake sawa, Tateishi Park **(**your name)
– 1pm: Leave for shimaya onsen
– Check in shimaya Onsen by 4pm
– Chill, enjoy onsen & dinner

Day 10 (9/4, Sun) – Nozowa/Liyama (Ski)/sleep in nozowa

– Visit snow monkey
– Leave shimaya onsen
– Head to nozowa
– Check in near nozowa ski

Day 11 (10/4, Mon) – Ski/sleep in nozowa

– Breakfast
– Ski
– Enjoy onsen
– Dinner (yakiniku)

Day 12 (11/4, Tues) – Takada/sleep in takada

– Check out & Head to takada (2h)
– Check in takada airbnb
– Lunch in takada
– Explore takada castle & Kasugayama Castle Ruins
– Dinner

Day 13 (12/4, Wed) – Sado/sleep in sado

– Ferry to sado island to ogi port(Reach in Sado by 10am)
– Pick up car
– Breakfast & explore ogi area of sado (folk museum, tub boat, King crab buffet, gold park, Sado Island Taiko Centre – drum)
– Check in Sado rosen
– Dinner nearby

Day 14 (13/4, Thurs) – Sado/sleep in sado

– Breakfast
– Explore Chokokuji temple
– Lunch at oyster bar (Akitsumaru)
– Explore Senkakuwan Bay
– Explore north of sado (Hanesaka)
– Dinner

Day 15 (14/4, Fri) – Sado/sleep in tokyo

– Ferry to niigata from ryotsu port (Reach niigata by 12pm)
– Lunch in niigata
– Niigata fruit farm
– Dinner in niigata
– Leave for tokyo
– Check in Tokyo hotel (ikkeburko)

Day 16 (15/4, Sat) – Tokyo/sleep in tokyo

– Head to Totoro forest
– Explore totoro forest
– Totoro Fund – Kurosuke’s House (before 3pm)

Day 17 (16/4, Sun) – Tokyo/sleep in tokyo

– (not much plans yet…)

Day 18 (17/4, Mon) – Tokyo/sleep in tokyo

– Nabezo buffet lunch
– Shopping in tokyo
– Dinner

Day 19 (18/4, Tues) – Tokyo

– Check out & breakfast
– Head to Narita airport
– Reach airport by 1pm. Flight at 4pm.