Hey all, I asked a similar question a few months ago, but have been really busy so am reviewing plans once again and can’t seem to access my previous post.
I’m planning a trip to Japan (April 1st to April 13th 2023) and had a few questions about certain aspects of my itinerary, which although is very basic, is as follows:
4/1: Arrive in Tokyo, take train to Kamakura Airbnb, and rest for most of the day.
4/2: Explore Kamakura (visit temples such as Hasedera, Hokokuji, etc.)
4/3: Travel to Magome, explore town and stay in Ryokan.
4/4: Hike the Nakasendo tail to Tsumago, then travel to Airbnb in Gujo.
4/5: Explore Gujo, then travel to Takayama
4/6-4/7: Stay in Takayama Ryokan
4/8: Travel to Koyasan, do a temple stay.
4/9-4/12: Travel to Airbnb in Kyoto, spend several days exploring city and surroundings. (day trip to Nara and Uji on 4/11)
4/13: Travel to Tokyo and depart.
Apologies for the itinerary’s simplicity, but I’m still in the early planning stages and am trying to figure out where to go before I fully decide the specifics.
My primary question is the title: do you think it’s worth visiting Tsumago/Magome, Gujo, and Takayama back-to-back? Obviously they’re different in many ways, but seem quite similar in some.
Especially since I’m going to be visiting Koyasan afterwards, do you think it’s visiting all three places is worth it, or might I get burnt out front seeing so many old towns? Based on your experiences and knowledge, might it be wiser to replace 1 or 2 of those towns with something different?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I’ve been dreaming of going to Japan for years and want to make this trip truly special 🙂
1 comment
It’s hard to say without knowing what you’re into personally. But for me that’d be too much.
For example, I’ll go once a year to Japan and do one of these in the middle of my trip to break it up a bit. That is, to get away from the concrete forests and into the mountains.
Each one is amazing so I cannot say what to cut out. It also sounds like you’ve been to Japan before since you’re only spending a day in Tokyo. So if you’re completely over the cities, do it all. Otherwise do the 1-2 of the most convenient to your current itinerary and spend more time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc.