Hey everyone, just hoping to get some thoughts on my 36 day trip all over Japan. we’re in our early to mid 20’s. I really like nature and culture and so the whole trip will be trying explore as much of Japan as i can. The goal is to follow the autumn foilage. Some days are a little bit more intense then others but I would love feedback on anything and everything. The total budget **(located at the very end)** of this trip has come around 24k (AUD) for both of us combined. That price is all in Australian dollar and includes all the expected expenses for 2 people.
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**Japan: 36 days**
Okinawa-3 days
Hokkaido – 5 days
Kanto – 6 days
Chubu -4 days
Mount Fuji- 3 days
Kansai -7 days
Chugoku – 3 days
Shikoku – 3 days
Kyushu- 2 days
​
**Okinawa (3):**
**Day 1:**
Land at Narita Airport at 5:40 pm
Catch flight to Okinawa at 7:50pm
Land at Naha Airport at 11pm
Hotel: Staying at a cheap hotel around $70
**Day 2**:
Visit Zamami Island
Hire scooters and enjoy the beach
Return to Okinawa
Pick up rental car
Hotel: Beachside Hotel around $100
**Day 3**:
Visit Aquarium (45m, 32km) at 8:30
Visit Blue Cave (1h 20, 60km)
Return Car (1h 45km) at 2:30
Catch flight at 3.30pm
Land at Sapporo Airport at 6.30pm
Take bus to Jozankei
Hotel: Onsen hotel that looks over the river- around $200
​
**Region: Hokkaido**
**Day 4**:
Explore Onsen and canoe the river
Take bus to Sapporo (1h)
Pick up Rental car from Sapporo around 11am
Drive to Blue Pond Biei (2h45m, 145km)
Drive to Asahidake Onsen (1h, 52km)
Hotel: Onsen Hotel – around $200
​
**Day 5**:
**Explore**
Mount Kurodake
Taisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway
Daisetsuzan Sōunkyō Kurodake Ropeway (not open while we’re there?) (2h, 97km)
Drive to Sounkyo Onsen
Hotel: Onsen Hotel with valley views -around $230
​
**Day 6**: **(Relax Day)**
Drive to Noboribetsu Forest (5h, 345km)
Explore Oyunuma River
Lake Shikotsu
Hotel: Cheap hotel around $100
​
**Day 7**:
Explore Noboribetsu onsen (45min, 53kms)
Explore Hell valley
Hotel: Onsen hotel -around $300
​
**Day 8**:
Check out of hotel
Explore Lake Toya (1h10m, 70km)
Return rental car (2h, 134km)
Fly to Osaka at 5:30
Hotel: Cheap hotel around $100
​
**Region: Shikoku**
**Day 9:**
Pick up rental car
**Explore:**
Himeji Castle (1h 15m, 95km)
Otsuka Museum of Art (1h 40m, 122km)
Monet’s Garden Marmottan in Kitagawa Village (3h 21m, 209km)
Hotel: Ryokan with views -around $180 (3h20m, 175km)
​
**Day 10:**
**Explore:**
Kashiwa Island
Shimonada Station (1h, 56km)
Iya Valley (3h, 155km)
Iya Valley Vine Bridge
Hotel: Room that overlooks the valley with open air bath in room – around $350
**Day 11:** **(Relax)**
**Explore:**
Chichibugahama Beach
Ritsurin Garden (1h, 50km)
Okayama Korakuen Garden (2h, 88km)
Hotel: somewhere to stay before hiroshima around $100
**Region: Chugoku**
**Day 12:**
**Explore:**
· Explore Hiroshima City (1h, 54km)
· Peace Park
· Hiroshima Castle
· Shukkenien Garden
· Itsukushima Shrine
· Itsukushima Floating Torii Gate
Cheap hotel in hiroshima – $100
**Day 13:**
Explore:
· Miyajima Sandankyo Gorge (1h, 58km)
· Rurikoji Temple ((1h45, 125km)
· Akiyoshido cave
Hotel: Ryokan with views -around $230 (3h,197km)
​
**Region: Kyushu**
**Day 14:**
Explore:
· Beppu Onsen
· Beppu Ropeway
· Hells of Beppu
· Takegawara Onsen
Hotel: Something cheap -under $100
​
**Day 15:**
**Explore:**
· Amanoiwato Shrine (2h30, 106km)
· Takachiho Gorge (20m, 10km)
· Takachiho Shrine
Hotel: Nothing booked yet
**Day 16:**
**Explore:**
· Tsunoshima Ohashi
· Omi Island (36km, 45m)
· Beppu Benten Pond/Fishing (32m, 25km)
· *Adachi Museum of Art (4h20, 243km)*
*Return Car Rental*
Hotel: Something cheap around $100
**Day 17:**
**Explore:**
Universal Studios
Dotonbori
Take train to hotel
Hotel: in shizuoka around $100
​
**Chubu Region**
**Day 18:**
Pick up rental car
**Explore**
· Yume no Tsuribashi (1h45, 66km)
· Kiyotsu Kyo Gorge (6h, 376km, arrive before 3.30pm
Hotel: Something nice $150
**Day 19:**
Explore
· Nishikigoi Village
· Kurobe Gorge Train
· (2h11, 153km)
· Shirakawago (1h30, 120km)
· Shinhotaka Ropeway (2h, 100km)
Hotel: Something nice around $100 2h30, 124km)
​
**Day 20:**
Explore
· [Kenrokuen](http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kenrokuen/e/index.html)
· [Myoryu-ji ](http://www.myouryuji.or.jp/en.html)
· Kakusenkei Gorges (1h30, 60km)
· Eihei-ji Temple
Hotel: Onsen with views – $140
​
**Day 21:**
Explore
· Fukui Dinosaur Museum (34m,27km)
· Heisenji Hakusan Shrine (15m, 8km)
· Monet’s Pond (2h, 104km)
· Ryujin Falls (2h, 122km)
hotel: Hotel with views of mount fuji from the room around $260 (3h, 228km) (Booking.com)
​
**Kanto Region**
**Day 22:**
Explore Okutama
Cheap hotel in tokyo -$100
**Day 23:**
Still stay at same hotel $100
· Disney
· Toyko at night
​
**Mount Fuji**
**Day 24: (Relax Day)**
Take train to Mount fuji (2h30)
· Arakurayama Sengen Park
· Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
Hotel: lake front hotel with mount fuji views and in room open air bath with fuji views -around $800
​
**Day 25: (Relax Day)**
· Oshino Hakkai
· Fuji Five Lakes
· Momiji Corridor
Hotel: Room with fuji view around $300
​
**Day 26: (Relax Day)**
· Shira-Ito Waterfall
· Matsumoto
· Yamanakako Hanano Miyako Koen
Hotel: Fuji view hotel with open air bath around $400
​
**Kanto Region**
**Day 27:**
Explore:
· Sumida Hokusai Museum
· The Japanese Sword Museum
· teamLab’s Planets
· Shunkaen Bonsai garden
· Ueno Zoo
Hotel: Cheap hotel in tokyo -$100
​
**Day 28:**
· Sankeien Garden
· Gibli Muesem
· Shibuya Crossing
· Cat Café
· Shibuya Loft
Same hotel as the day before
​
**Day 29:**
· Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
· Meiji Shrine
· Inokashira Park
· Nezu Museum
Hotel: Cheap hotel in osaka around $100
​
**Region: Kansai**
**Day 30:**
· Sakai Home of Japan’s Knife Tradition
· Minoh Waterfall
· Hoshida Park
· Osaka castle
Hotel: A nice hotel in kyoto around $250
​
**Day 31:**
· Toji
· Eikan-dō (Zenrin-ji) Temple
· Togetsukyo Bridge
· Nishiki market
Hotel: Ryokan with river view and open air bath – $550
​
**Day 32:**
**Explore**
· *Hikone Castle*
· Okunoin Temple
· Kinkakuji Temple
· Arashiyama (Monkey Park and Bamboo Forest)
· Saiho-ji
Hotel: Something cheap in nara around $80
​
**Day 33:**
Pick up rental car
**Explore**
· Nara deer park
· Akame 48 Waterfalls*(1h, 44km)*
· *Mount Yoshino (1h30, 57km)*
· Nakakoshinotsuri Bridge
Hotel: Ryokan with river view -$180
​
**Day 34:**
**Explore:**
· *Dorokyō Valley/ Totsukawa Village,*
· Kumano Nachi Taisha (3h15, 147km)
· Fudonanae Waterfall Observation Deck,
· Odaigahara
Hotel: Not booked yet
**Day 35:**
· Wakayama Castle
· Kongobuji Temple
Drop off rental car
Hotel: Cheap hotel in tokyo $100
​
**Toyko**
**Day 36:**
· Ginza Itoya
· Flippers pancake
· The National Art Center, Tokyo
· Snoopy Museum Tokyo
​
**Budget for 2 people**
Flights: $1952 (Inlcudes flights from australia return and to Okinawa, Hokkaido and Osaka)
Hotels: $6700 (Roughly $180 per day)
Activities: $2000 (All the activities listed plus an additional $250 each)
Car rental: $1706 including express way passes
Public transport: $300 (Any buses/taxis/local trains
JR PASS 21 days each: $1214 (The price of doing all the jr trips individually was a bit more expensive than the JR PASS)
Travel Insurance: $600
Food: $3400 (budgeting $45 per person per day, is that too much?)
Fuel: $450
Spending Money: $4000 (2000 each (sucker for souvenirs and looking to get some film camera lenses)
Rent:$1570 (5 weeks of rent back home each )
**Total:** $24K ($12 000 each)
9 comments
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You’re missing tolls and parking cost and they will be quite high.
Also some/a lot of these days are straight up impossible. You’ll have to find parking, you’ll be in traffic, you’ll have to wait in line cause it’s busy, you have to walk from the parking lot etc.
that is 33 hotels in 35 nights, Hopefully your are packing light bet even still unless you plan on carrying everything with you at all times you should also add coin lockers to your budget.
Hello, I’m Japanese and have a lot of suggestions.
1. Go to Hokkaido first. Mid October is almost the end of its autumn foliage season. The earlier you go there, the better. And usually, it starts snowing at the end of October. That’s another reason that you want to go as early as you can.
2. In terms of Shikoku, Himeji and Okayama are not in the region. I would include Dogo Onsen and Sanuki Udon day trip if I was you. Driving a car in Shikoku would be doable, I think, but I’m not sure how experienced you are as a driver.
3. As for Chugoku, this is where you want to include Okayama and Himeji. Technically, Himeji is in Kansai area, but that’s okay as they are close to each other. Do NOT drive a car unless you know those cities quite well. I’m from Okayama, and wouldn’t recommend driving in there. I don’t think it’s safe.
4. I don’t get why Universal Studio and Dotonbori show up on Day 17.
5. If the goal is to follow the autumn foliage, I will go in this order. Hokkaido, Mt. Fuji, Chubu, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa and Kanto. From north to south as well as from cooler to warmer is the way you need to go. I put Kanto last as you want to explore the urban area according to your itinerary. Honestly, you may not see much autumn foliage in the main island, Shikoku and Kyushu. It usually starts at the end of November and lasts until the beginning or middle of December depending on how warm or cold it is.
Hope it helps.
Your budget has me thinking I am seriously underestimating food costs and spending money for my trip later this year. I guess it’s time to write out an actual budget to be sure I am allowing enough for the trip. Thank you for sharing the details!
I’m pretty sure the JEP Pass hasn’t come back on-line yet, since Japan Guide’s link to the website doesn’t work anymore. It might be a victim of Covid.
Without a JEP, you are sort of screwed for passes, because you can’t get a KEP (Kyushu Pass, assuming that comes back up, it’s still not back) in Kansai, and you can’t pick one up once you get to Kyushu because you’re not renting a car there. (As just an example.) It seems like only some of the driving passes have come back post Covid.
Hokkaido (HEP)
Tohoku (TEP)
Central Nippon (CEP)
Sanin’ Setouchi (SEP) comes back 4/3/23, does not include any bridges
The SEP Pass will cover some of your trip, but you can only get it at a SEP inclusive area.
Pre-Covid, I got a TEP Pass. I had to go into Tohoku to get it, I couldn’t just go to Omiya and pick it up, because you must be in that area.
I think you are underestimating fuel costs. Japan is very strict about what is considered returning a car full of gas and gas is considerably more than where I live (and I live in a HCOL area in the US, I don’;t know what gas prices are like in Australia.)
Assuming JEP comes back up, you would have to start somewhere it is valid and that is not an interchange in Osaka.
I’ve not personally driven in Osaka, but I was in a taxi last trip and I honestly don’t know how that driver managed. So much construction and traffic.
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Good luck!
Why so many different hotels? I feel like checking in and out repeatedly will be such a huge inconvenience.
Don’t be afraid to check out Local Sentos in every town you are staying in. Read up on the proper etiquette, and make it a daily thing. These are so easy to get addicted to, they put you at such a peaceful mindset, it’s no wonder the Japanese Live forever.
If you are Brave, and able to (health wise), while at the Sentos, some have a thing called “Denki Buro” or an Electrified Hot Tub. These are hot tubs with a super low electric current running through them. Ease into them starting in the center and slowly gets closer to the wall till you find a sweet spot. Don’t wear any Jewelry or Locker Keys when you go in one though. These and the cold tubs are my favorite, definite restorative properties to both, and should not be passed on.
$45/day on food does mean you’re not going to have any really nice meals, as you’ll clear ~$45 AUD just doing low-end to mid-tier restaurants.