Hi Everyone,
It’s finally happening!! It’s been my dream to visit Japan for over 15 years and I’m (f33) finally financially stable enough to go with my bf (m33). Unfortunately I can only go during December but making the best of it.
I would like to see the country side as well as the big cities, some nature, ryokan onsen, traditional architecture as well buddhist and shinto temples, but not very used to travelling so trying to keep it at a relaxed pace. We checked and it won’t make sense for us to get a JR pass for any length of time.
Not sure when I’ll be able to get back there (might be once in a lifetime), so hoping to have an experience encompassing a little of everything.
**Day 1 – 11 December: Osaka (arrival)**
* Arrive in Osaka at 9 pm and check into airport hotel.
**Day 2: Osaka**
* Jetlag day (7 hour time difference with +-30 hours travel time)
* Travel admin (pocket wifi / sim etc)
* Check out of airport hotel and take the train to new hotel in the Umeda.
* Check out Sakai area (buy kitchen-knife)
* Explore the Dotonbori area and eat lots
*Any other places in Osaka we should def not miss? This is not the place I’m most excited for and would’ve skipped if not for the best flight into Japan.*
**Day 3: Osaka – Koya san**
*Send luggage to Kyoto*
* Explore osaka early morning
* Train-cablecar-bus to Koya san, sleep in temple, explore the area and rest
**Day 4: Koya san – Kyoto**
* Travel to Kyoto, check in at hotel (hopefully find luggage there). For the longer stays (Kyoto/Tokyo) we’re trying to find a place with a kitchenette and public laundry.
* Explore area around accommodation (hopefully close to Gion)
* For the rest of the days in Kyoto, we’ll try to see most of the spots trying to catch them early. Hopefully because of the cold it won’t be too busy, but nervous about walking around in the cold. *Would bikes be a good idea in the winter?*
**Day 5: Eastern Kyoto**
* Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its thousands of torii gates.Â
* Sanjusangendo Temple.Â
* Eat in Higashiyama District.Â
* Explore streets of Higashiyama District.Â
* Kiyomizu-dera Temple (late afternoon to avoid the crowds)
**Day 6: Western Kyoto**
* Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (before 8:00 a.m. to hopefully avoid the crowds).
* Tenryuji Temple
* For lunch in the Arashiyama area
* Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji Temple)
* Finish the day at Nijo Castle
**Day 7: Northern Kyoto**
* Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (early)
* Short train ride to the Ryoanji Temple
* For lunch – local restaurant in the Kinkakuji area.
* Daitokuji Temple complex(maybe do Zen meditation at one of the temples).
* Kyoto Imperial Palace OR Nishiki Market
**Day 8: Southern Kyoto**
* Fushimi Sake District
* Short train ride to Tofukuji Temple
* For lunch – local restaurant in the Tofukuji area.
* Gion District.Â
* Walk Philosopher’s Path
**Day 9: Kyoto – Magome**
*Should we send our luggage to Matsumoto or even Shibu Onsen from Kyoto? It wil be two or three days with light backpack then. As we’ll be spending more time inside/close to home it would be great to have all our stuff but not sure if the train/bus is too annoying with big bags.*
* Arrival in Magome (train-bus) after our last morning in Kyoto
* Explore Magome, check into Ryokan (Magomechaya)
**Day 10: Nakasendo (Tsumago to Magome)**
* Unfortunately there is no luggage shuttle during December between Tsumago and Magome so we’ll take the bus to Tsumago and walk the Nakasendo (with a stop at the tea house) back to Magome.
* Sleep at the same ryokan in Magome (Magomechaya)
**Day 11: Magome – Naraijuku – Matsumoto**
* Take train to Matsumoto and stop at Naraijuku on the way
* Should still have time to check out Matsumoto castle & Ukiyo museum
* Sleep in Matsumoto
**Day 12: Matsumoto – Shibu onsen?**
*It’s a big bucket list to stay at ryokan onsen and we’ll make the travel to any other onsen town that is recommended? We’ll splurge a bit (just a bit, we’re on the very weak ZAR rand) on a great experience. Trying to keep all accommodation affordable to spend a bit here. We’re not to keen to necessarily see the snow monkeys though. Any suggestions for other onsen towns or is Shibu Onsen great?*
* Travel to Shibu Onsen, check in and just relax
**Day 13: Shibu Onsen?**
*Send larger luggage to Tokyo*
* Chill the day away, onsen hopping.
**Day 14: Shibu Onsen? – Togakushi shrine – Tokyo**
*Most nervous about this day… Does it sound feasible?*
* Depending on the weather, we’ll check out early and make the 2.5 hour trip to Tugakushi shrine. In December there don’t seem to be a bus that will drop you at the shrine entrance, so extra 20min to the entrance – then make the hike to the top (1.5 hours?) We’re nervous if its going to snow and if the entire expedition is worth it?
* If we go – definitely eating Soba in the area.Â
* Travel back to Nagoya and take Shinkansen to Tokyo. *Is there someplace in Nagoya absolutely worth a stop?*
* Check in at Tokyo and explore the area (hopefully staying around Asakusa)
**Day 15: Tokyo – Akihabara**
* Akihabara!! The whole day.
**Day 16: Tokyo -** Asakusa and Odaiba
* Visit Asakusa area (Sensoji Temple and the Nakamise shopping street).
* Tokyo Skytree for panoramic views of the city.
* Take a train to Odaiba, Visit the Miraikan science museum or the TeamLab Borderless digital art museum.
**Day 17: Tokyo -**Â Shinjuku
* Morning: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
* Shopping
* Visit the contemporary art galleries (the Ota Memorial Museum of Art and Yayoi Kusama Museum)
* Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
**Day 18: Tokyo – Shibuya & Harajuku**
* Shibuya crossing & the Hikarie building (contemporary art exhibitions and shopping).
* Harajuku people viewing
* Togo Shrine
**Day 19 – 29 December: Tokyo – South Africa (departure)**
* Pack and travel to aiport.Â
Thank you very much for reading this far and any suggestions welcome!!
4 comments
Personally, I would advise forwarding your luggages to Matsumoto directly so you can fully enjoy the Nakasendo Trail. I managed to complete the walk from Magome to Tsumago and visit Narai all within a day (based jn Matsumoto) – though most of the stores were closed when I arrived at Narai around 3pm. Just FYI, in case you would like to save a day! (Maybe shirakawago?)
Wow you really like temples and shrines don’t you? Don’t most temples and shrines look pretty much the same? also It looks like you’re going to spend a lot of your time in trains and buses (except in Tokyo). You only have 12 hour days. My recent trip to Tokyo consisted of 4 nights, one hotel in Shinjuku with day trip to Shibuya and ginza. I wish I had more days to explore and try more food. I’ve decided I’m going to visit Japan at least once a year. Probably Osaka next year with day trips to surrounding areas. Tackle different major cities each year. Traveling long daily is not my cup of coffee. It’s too much work.
I’m not familiar with your places after Kyoto, but since it’s December, what about visiting the Snow Monkeys in Nagano? When we went there early this month, we did the trek up to there, then checked in in Yudanaka onsen area. did an overnight stay in a small but excellent ryokan then next day we went to Kusatsu onsen where we stayed one night. Those two were the highlights for our trip even though it was spring time.
We are planning on going Dec also, following along