We’re planning 23 days trip to Japan in April/May. This is third time in Japan for me, and first time for my wife, so we have to do most “must-see” places, but I’d love to see something new as well (the new things on the list would be Nikko, Hiroshima, Yufuin, Nagasaki, Koya, Kanazawa, Ise, Magome and Nakasendo trail, Matsumoto).
Then there is this elephant in the room: Golden Week. Both time I’ve been to Japan before (2016, 2018), it was during Golden Week and frankly it wasn’t that bad (I may have not much comparison, my stays were 2 week long). I stayed in Tokyo, but also in Kyoto and other parts of Japan during those Golden Weeks, traveled a lot. I haven’t had any problem with trains, did Philosophers Path on 5.05.2016 walking along it almost alone, visited famous Okayama Garden on 3.05.2018 without crowds and so on. Some places like Miyajima and Kamakura were really crowded, but for most of the time it was bearable. Has this changed since? I asked in weekly thread and got answers that it will be “extremely”, “unbearable” crowded in Kyoto… perhaps this has changed since? I’ve checked hotels in Kyoto for my original plan dates and there’s plenty of choice.
Anyway I did alternate version of itinerary that puts Kyoto before Golden Week. I still like the first one better because it has 2 longer stays separated by short stays periods, but perhaps staying out of Kyoto/Nara during Golden Week is worth it (but on the other hand Yufuin/Beppo can be packed and the special trains in Kyushu may be full – then again, I rode some of those trains during Golden Week in 2018 and it was OK).
Format here is date / from / to / (day trips)
Any comments/suggestions are welcome!
### Version 1
18 4 Tokyo
19 4 Tokyo Tokyo
20 4 Tokyo Tokyo
21 4 Tokyo Tokyo (Nikko)
22 4 Tokyo Tokyo
23 4 Tokyo Tokyo
24 4 Tokyo Hiroshima
25 4 Hiroshima Hiroshima (Miyashima)
26 4 Hiroshima Yufuin
27 4 Yufuin Nagasaki
28 4 Nagasaki Nagasaki
29 4 Nagasaki Osaka (Himeji)
30 4 Osaka Osaka
1 5 Osaka Osaka (Koya)
2 5 Osaka Kyoto
3 5 Kyoto Kyoto
4 5 Kyoto Kyoto
5 5 Kyoto Kyoto (Nara)
6 5 Kyoto Kyoto
7 5 Kyoto Kyoto (Kanazawa)
8 5 Kyoto Ise
9 5 Ise Magome
10 5 Magome Tsumago – Nagiso – Matsumoto
11 5 Matsumoto Matsumoto
12 5 Matsumoto Tokyo
### Version 2
18 4 Tokyo
19 4 Tokyo Tokyo
20 4 Tokyo Tokyo
21 4 Tokyo Tokyo (Nikko)
22 4 Tokyo Tokyo
23 4 Tokyo Tokyo
24 4 Tokyo Kyoto
25 4 Kyoto Kyoto
26 4 Kyoto Kyoto
27 4 Kyoto Kyoto (Nara)
28 4 Kyoto Kyoto
29 4 Kyoto Kyoto (Kanazawa)
30 4 Kyoto Hiroshima
1 5 Hiroshima Hiroshima (Miyashima)
2 5 Hiroshima Yufuin
3 5 Yufuin Nagasaki
4 5 Nagasaki Nagasaki
5 5 Nagasaki Osaka (Himeji)
6 5 Osaka Osaka
7 5 Osaka Osaka
8 5 Osaka Ise
9 5 Ise Magome
10 5 Magome Tsumago – Nagiso – Matsumoto
11 5 Matsumoto Matsumoto
12 5 Matsumoto Tokyo