Hi All, I am planning a trip in mid-May for 3 weeks to Japan flying into and out of Tokyo. My spouse and I have never been to Japan, but we love meeting new people, eating, drinking, learning about other cultures. Almost everything in this itinerary can still be moved around. I am so grateful for this thread and hope there are some of you out there to give me some feedback :).
We have traveled to many American and European areas and rented cars. I love to rent a car and have freedom to see more off the beaten areas. I would love help deciding where it makes sense to rent a car vs use trains.
**Day 1-4: Tokyo (stay Shinjuku)**
* Day 1: Land at Haneda airport 1:00 pm
* Train to Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku (refundable)
* Use luggage forwarding from airport to hotel
* Day 2 (Saturday):
* 11:00 am Tsukiji Market tour from magical tours
* Afternoon: walk around Ginza , Hamarikyu gardens
* 5:30 pm teamlab planets\*
* Day 3: Explore Harajuku and Shibuya
* Day 4
* 12:00 Ghibili museum
* 6:00 pm: Shinjuku bar hopping tour (magical tours)\*
**Days 5-9: Kyoto (stay airbnb downtown)**
* Day 5:
* Morning: train from Tokyo to Kyoto (luggage forwarding?)
* Arrival at Kyoto station: SKy tree, lunch somewhere
* Afternoon: Fushimi Inari, maybe other nearby shrines/temples? (would forward luggage or store at train station)
* Late afternoon: explore downtown around our Airbnb
* Day 6:
* 6:00 am: Kiyomizu-dera
* Morning walk through sannelizaka, eat breakfast/lunch
* 2:00 pm: Show at Minamiza theater
* Day 7: Northern/western Kyoto
* Morning: Arashiyama (bamboo grove, Saiho-ji, Tenryu-ji)
* Afternoon: Kinkaku-ji
* Day 8
* Morning: Gion
* 1:00 pm: Lunch Reservation at Kaiseki place
* Day 9 (saturday): Possible day trip to Nara or explore more neighborhoods in Kyoto
**Day 10 (Sunday): Koyasan (stay in temple lodging)**
* Leave Kyoto early for Koyasan via train or rental car?
* Public transit is 5+ transfers and I like the idea of having own car here. But please tell me if this is a horrible idea 🙂
* Rental Car options:
* Pick up in Kyoto near airbnb (probably terrible idea)
* Taxi/train to location outside city center
* Arrive noonish Koyasan: walk to temples
* 5pm: Dinner at temple lodging
**Day 11-12: Osaka (stay in hotel near Namba station)**
* Day 11: Koyasan –> Osaka
* Morning: see any other temples, cemetery, experiences in koyasan we missed
* Early afternoon: train or rental car to osaka
* Evening checking out osaka
* Day 12 – osaka
**Day 13-14 Kanazawa**
* Day 13: Train from osaka to kanazawa
* Day 14: Kanazawa
**Day 15-16 Takayama**
* Day 15: Kanazawa –> Takayama
* Pick up rental car in kanazawa
* Drive to visit Ainokura thatched houses
* Drive to Takayama
* Day 16: sightsee in takayama (possibly drive to kamikochi to hike)
**Day 17: Ryokan in Tsumago**
* Day 17: Takayama –> Tsumago
* 8:00 am: Leave Takayama
* 11:00am -12:00am : arrive Tsumago, park car, get bus/taxi to magone
* 1-5pm: walk magone pass from magone to Tsumago
**Day 18-21: Tokyo (Stay: Near tokyo station) –> home**
4 comments
My advice to you is to not go now. Just got back and it was pretty unenjoyable compared to 5 years ago. The number of tourists and the effect that has on the Japanese populace really ruined many aspects of the trip.
I would recommend taking [a direct highway bus](https://japanbusonline.com/en/AreaSearch2/5261009/5303445001/20230428) from Kyoto to Koyasan. Because even if you drive, you will still need to walk to Okunoin from the parking lot, and there is no parking near the Daimon Gate. Within Koyasan, I recommend taking local buses and/or walking.
Also, you will be able to enjoy the Gokurakubashi cable car station on your way back to Osaka. It’s pretty cool after its recent renovation.
[https://www.fun-japan.jp/en/articles/12971](https://www.fun-japan.jp/en/articles/12971)
(search for the word “Gokurakubashi”)
Public transportation is very good in Japan .
Consider a rail pass for at least past of the 21 days.
Tourist day excursions are also good !
I’m renting a car for a majority of my 36 day trip, if you do take train and bus you can ideally visit 2/3 things on the that day but if you drive it’s 4/5 things. But with driving it’ll be more expensive, car hire/ fuel/ tolls/ if you don’t wanna pay too much on tolls it’s better to get an express way pass. And also the stress of driving around cities and navigating a foreign country isn’t also easy with a different language. You just gotta weigh the pros and cons. For me the convenience of driving outweighs public transport as you go by your own schedule and not needing to finish visiting somewhere because the train is going to come and the free to do more as well.