Hi All! I have been stalking this subreddit and it is finally my time to post! Really appreciate this sub and all the great info. Thank you in advance!
TL;DR: itinerary at end of post. Please critique!
Edit: a word and formatting
I’ve assembled a two week trip itinerary below that would take place over the Christmas/winter holidays sometime in the next two years. We’re booked for this year, but remain flexible. I should note that this is our first time visiting Japan and we are trying to hit as much as possible without it being too overwhelming or rushed. 🙂
Love the idea of visiting Japan in winter, however I’m concerned about the amount of travel time we’re spending to get to some of the sites laid out here, trying to find a way around having to go to Nagano (not skiing), and closures due to the winter holidays.
Any thoughts or suggestions on the trip outline below and/or modifying our trip plan is much appreciated! Especially for other areas that might be more of interest or things you enjoyed you doing during your travels. Looking for a good mix of activities and primarily interested in site seeing, experiences, food, mix of city/nature.
Flying into HND, out from KIX.
Day 1-5: Tokyo
– food, food, more food (cliche but maybe some Christmas KFC)
Day 6: Hakone/Mt Fuji
– Booked one night hotel with private onsen
Day 7: Nagano, to facilitate visits to the area and using JR pass from Tokyo to Nagano
– purpose is to use this as a stopover instead of traveling for 6+ hours in a day. Is there a better way of getting to this area?
Day 8: Nagano to Matsumoto to Takayama, stay in Takayama (is this doable?)
– very interested in Matsumoto and Takayama visits, although not sure how much time worth spending in either location
Day 9-10: Takayama, day trip to Shirakawa-go
– Ideally could make this day trip happen, but would cut out if gave us more time for other sites that aren’t so difficult to get to
Day 11: Takayama to Kyoto
Day 12-13: Kyoto over NYE/NY
– really would like the full experience here, if you have any favorite guides to spending NYE/NY in Kyoto!
Day 14: Osaka
– spend some time here before flying home
21 comments
its good you are going to nagano its very nice. I always want to get people to go off the tokyo to kyoto path its sooooooooo overdone.
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on a side note make sure you can get a refund on any plans you make. Who knows how long this corona thing will last. Maybe it will heat up again this winter so you might not be able to come.
I’m super stoked for your trip and everything sounds super fun, but please keep yourself safe. I was talking to a nurse at the hospital the other day, and they are expecting the coronavirus to have a resurgence during the flu season as well as during the colder months. Japan is a country that takes this situation very seriously, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they closed a lot of things around this time. It sucks, but it might be best to be patient.
There is a bus from Matsumoto to Takayama so day 8 would be doable if you time it right. If you planning on mainly seeing the castle then half a day in Matsumoto would be ok.
I will give you some advice the Christmas kfc food is more of a preorder and it sells out fast, also a lot of stuff closes for the new year holiday so between the 1st and the 4th-6th depending on when New Years falls it could be very barren. Also stuff in Kyoto tends to close a lot earlier in the evening so do take that into account. If you have flexibility in the days you are in places I would probably put Kyoto at the front end of the schedule. Maybe fly into Osaka and out of Tokyo
A lot of smaller places close down after the new year, last time I went durning the winter break to visit my brother a lot of restaurants and places where closed for family time. It’s not a deal breaker but something to keep in mind.
These are just personal advice, so take what you will from it.
Tokyo: I personally like Tokyo but not for 5 days. If you are just there for food then it isn’t worth it. Japan is very regional with its food. You go to Osaka for takoyaki (octopus balls) etc. The food is amazing in Tokyo but the food everywhere is amazing. If you want the special Christmas KFC menu you are going to have to pre-order somehow, it sells out fast. Depending where you are coming from you might need a day or 2 to recover from the flight (I’m from the UK and day 1 I’m a zombie)
Hakone/Mt Fuji: Lovely idea. Enjoy the onsen!
Nagano: Shinkansen (bullet train) using the JR pass is the best way.
Matsumoto: We’ve never been but I’m guessing you want to see the castle? If it is just the castle then a long morning/afternoon is all it takes. There will be other places to go if you want to spend longer in the area.
Takayama: There is definitely be some business hotels at the very least. They might not be fancy but they will be clean. Same as Matsumoto We’ve never been so not 100% on what to do or how long to spend.
Shirakawa-go: We want to go here so badly! If it is snowy we bet it will look amazing. We would keep it. Kanazawa is a cool city and has one of the top 3 gardens in Japan if you want to stay there to make this day trip easier with moving onto Kyoto.
Kyoto: We’re not party people so we go the more traditional route of visiting a shrine at midnight. We went to Gion one year, to Yasaka shrine, and it was packed. We had to wait outside on the street for about 2 hours before getting into pray. I loved it though, they shut the street to cars, thousands of people queuing with a pleasant (non-party or drunk people) atmosphere. Fushimi Inari is really popular too but that will be even more waiting.
Most Japanese people spend NYE with family watching the variety shows and then go to a shrine within the first 3 days of January. I would suggest you go to a shrine at midnight though, just copy how everyone else prays at the shrine if you’re worried.
We’ve never been to kinkakuji (the golden temple) in winter but I’ve heard it is amazing with snow. However snow isn’t super common in Kyoto city so you’ll be lucky to get that. There are so many places to go in Kyoto that aren’t the super tourist temples/shrine. Personally we love Arashiyama (not the bamboo forest), go up the hill from there and you can have a great view of the river or walk along the river to a little rock beach on the river and eat your lunch there watching the odd boat go by.
Osaka: If you want food, this is the place to go. I know I said Japan is very regional with its food but Osaka is often seen as the place for foodies. There are some really nice places to visit too. Osaka castle will nice and a pretty walk if you’re lucky with snow.
Overall we would cut down some time in Tokyo and spend an extra day in Osaka or in middle, but that is just my opinion.
Let us know any questions and have an amazing trip!
I would add in a few things:
Hakone is amazing and the loop takes pretty much full day, if you can do two nights it is worth it!
From Tokyo I would do a day trip to Nikko, well worth it.
For Kyoto I would recommend adding 1 more night if you can. We loved Kyoto and were there for 5 nights and still want to go back. Booking extra time there was the best decision we made. Also a day trip to Nara from there is very worth it.
Was in Osaka/Tokyo over new years bc my mom came to visit. I live in a pretty rural area near-ish to Takayama so I’m used to things being closed early/inaccessible and stuff, but being in a big city made it WAY more obvious how closed everything is during that time. EVERYTHING was closed. Convenience stores, karaoke, restaurants. I had never spent new years in one of the big cities so I was super surprised. My mom was extremely disappointed. I tried to explain that new years works a bit differently in Japan, but I think she still expected the party atmosphere with fireworks and excitement, not the more somber shrine thing. So just be sure you know what new years entails to avoid similar disappointments as my mom experienced.
Also, keep in mind that the museums and stuff close DAYS before the new year holiday start, and they stay closed a LONG time. Get any museum-going done as soon as possible. Shrines and temples will remain open.
Also as others have said, the KFC Christmas meals/Christmas cakes tend to be preorder only. Idk about KFC specifically, but my local grocery store allowed cake orders up until 12/24 so it might be possible!
**edit to add** I’ve heard Nagano has some decent skiing too! Idk if you’re into that but that could make that stopover worth it! It’s in more remote areas though so factor in a bus ride
Also personally I would stay in Osaka and travel to Kyoto. Kyoto is pretty expensive, and in Osaka you can find cheaper hotels/airbnbs. Kyoto is only like 30-45(?) Minutes from downtown Osaka, too. What’s more, shrines/temples close at 5 (most stop letting people in around 4:45) so staying in Osaka instead could mean u get the Kyoto experience in the day, and can enjoy Osaka nightlife at night instead of your fun having to end when Kyoto closes. That’s just my personal opinion tho, so feel free to disregard!!
ALSO while in Kyoto see if you can get into some tea ceremony classes or something if you’re into that! My sister did one on a vacation to Kyoto and really enjoyed it.
Things do not really close around Christmas, but more after new year, so not much worry for Nagano part.
From Hakone to Nagano, it’s not that long to go by Shinkansen, about 2h30. If you are not so much interested in Nagano itself and just want to go as a stop to go to Matsumoto, then I would personally do something else. What I would consider is to spend some days in Tokyo go to Hakone and return to Tokyo for a night (If you use the Hakone Free Pass, your round trip to Tokyo is covered). And from Shinjuku, Matsumoto is only 2h40 on the limited express that pass trough Yamanashi. You could take the train in the morning, visit afternoon and next day you can take the bus to Takayama. This would give you a bit more time in Matsumoto than your actual plan, and even one more full day for something else.
Actually it depend on the train and bus schedule, I think it might be possible to do as you planned on day 8 if you mainly focus on seeing the castle.
I personally spent one day in each Matsumoto and Takayama, and I think that it’s enough to cover the major location within the city. More time would be good if you plan to go a bit outside.
Did a good part of this itinerary exactly 4 years ago.
5 days seems too long in Tokyo.
Matsumoto castle is worth a visit. Only takes a morning or afternoon.
Shirakawa-go is phenomenal. Well worth it.
Takayama is pretty cool. We rented bikes and cycled around the town. We visited the old government building (major tourist attraction in the city).
I would recommend checking out Kamakochi as a day trip if you are heading through this part of Japan anyway. Very beautiful scenery.
We went from Takayama through to Kanazawa and visited the beautiful gardens.
From there we went on to Kyoto which was incredible. So many amazing sights there. I would reallocate 2-3 of your Tokyo days for Kyoto instead.
Did not get to Osaka but we went to Nara (biggest wooden building in the world apparently, and lots of friendly deer). We also traveled further south and went to Koya-San which was serene and picturesque.
Honestly Japan is the best. I’m sure you’ll have fun whatever you do.
No problem, it caught me off guard too, most stuff closed between 1600-1800. Even Tokyo is eerily quiet on NYD, Shibuya scramble on NYE is insane and there is plenty to do in Tokyo. The only other thing I wold think about is costs when it comes to around new year all of the accommodations are ridiculously marked up. So if your not dead set on being there for Xmas or New Years it would be cheaper to either come after the 4-6 of Jan.
I would reiterate what people said about everything being closed during New Years. We were in Fukuoka during this period in 2018/19 – and there was pretty much nothing to do. Restaurants, bars, everything will be closed for a couple of days.
Overall, this sounds like a lot of travelling for a short period, especially in the middle – but that might be okay. It looks rushed to me. I would definitely recommend Hakone for a night or two – do the loop. There’s not much to Nagano (we barely left the station), but you can visit the snow monkeys if you’re interested in that (this takes time though). As someone else mentioned, Kanazawa is a cool place to visit too – haven’t been to Matsumoto or Takayama.
I would also spend another day in Kyoto. There’s so much to see. You can visit Osaka from there very easily – probably worth visiting to see Dotonbori and maybe the castle alone. The aquarium is brilliant – but it’s an aquarium – you know what to expect!
What have you booked so far? Is it your first time?
Cut down the number of places. Honestly just Tokyo + Kansai is easily enough to fill 2 weeks. This itinerary is more like 3 weeks worth of stuff crammed into 12-14 days.
2 days in Kyoto is very short–especially if those days are over New Years. I would do at least 2 more before New Years so you have time to see the city before it gets nuts. New Years is very festive in Kyoto, but you will absolutely not be able to do normal sightseeing after during New Years. I usually also consider Nara (especially) and Himeji unskippable on any visit to Kansai–you’re skipping both. That would bring your total up to 6 days without even considering Osaka, which is a city the size of New York.
If this is your first trip, I would pick ***MAYBE ONE*** of Nagano/Matsumoto, Takayama/Shirakawa-go, and Hakone/Fuji ***AT MOST.*** You could have an extremely full trip without the addition of any of them, but if you really must do something outside of Kanto and Kansai, I would really limit yourself so you minimize time and energy wasted just running around. Also keep in mind that weather could interfere with these plans–especially where Shirakawa-go is concerned–and the opening times of some things might be affected by the holiday season.
>Day 6: Hakone/Mt Fuji – Booked one night hotel with private onsen
>Day 7: Nagano, to facilitate visits to the area and using JR pass from Tokyo to Nagano – purpose is to use this as a stopover instead of traveling for 6+ hours in a day. Is there a better way of getting to this area?
>Day 8: Nagano to Matsumoto to Takayama, stay in Takayama (is this doable?) – very interested in Matsumoto and Takayama visits, although not sure how much time worth spending in either location
>Day 9-10: Takayama, day trip to Shirakawa-go – Ideally could make this day trip happen, but would cut out if gave us more time for other sites that aren’t so difficult to get to
This makes no sense to me whatsoever. Nagano is not on your way in any sense. I don’t understand why there needs to be any 6+ hour trip. Matsumoto is a cool castle, but there are other castles that are just as cool (arguably cooler) that are more convenient to get to (hell, Hikone is literally right on the way to Kyoto with barely any detour required–you can see it from the Shinkansen). And even if you’re going directly to Matsumoto, it’s less than 6 hours from Hakone to there…and Nagano/Matsumoto is not really on the way from Hakone to Takayama–certainly not from Hakone. And then Shirakawa-go is half-way to Kanazawa, so you almost might as well make the trip there…but that would be yet more time.
So again, this doesn’t make sense to me. It’s rushed, the route involves a lot of inefficient travel, and its inclusion means that you’ll be severely rushing Kansai to do it. Edit: I feel like you looked at a map and planned things as the crow flies–without considering that there are mountain ranges in between things, and that the train lines are very circuitous.
Also, for this trip I do not see a JR Pass being worth it unless you’re taking the Shinkansen back to Tokyo after Osaka, but then you’d need at least a 14 day pass to cover your itinerary, so it might still be a close call.
Me and my husband will also be traveling to japan around the holidays! Do you mind sharing the private Onsen you’ll be visiting?
This is more general thoughts.
If you plan to visit over the New Years period. Mentally prepare for most places to be closed. You can use this time to visit some off the beaten path places, explore towns, etc. If you get joy from visiting restaurants, being around people, and other community events – you may need to plan a bit more.
The huge pro to this is you get to see a lot of traditions(New years markets, lucky bags, shrine visits etc!) and most places within *cities* will be quite empty.
A heads up that if you do plan on any shinkansen travel during Dec 27th or so(or whenever most places close down), be prepared to get creative with seat reservations. Trains tend to sell out but it’s not entirely gridlock.
This is VERY similar to my own trip. I went for 1 additional week and squeezed in a couple other sites but your timing is realistic and similar to my own.
Now, in my opinion, cut Tokyo by 2 days (and don’t stay in Roppongi, my experience there was very lackluster) and shave 1 day from Takayama/Shirakawago and put them on (in order of my preference):
1. 3 extra days in Kyoto and the surrounding sites. This was BY FAR my favorite city in the trip and had the most unique and memorable sites.
2. 2 days more in Tokyo and 1 day for travel and stay in Hiroshima. The Dome gave me goosebumps and there are many neat historical sites and museums to look at.
Takayama and Shirakawago were beautiful places, but we found ourselves looking to see and do new things after a day. Hiking the nearby mountains will suck in the winter in Takayama without proper gear if you go on a moderate to arduous trail.
Osaka is nice and has awesome food but it feels like a city still. Tokyo has the traditional culture blended with modernity and is better in my opinion.
But what you have now would still be a great trip!
Check out Ichiran Ramen in Shibuya and if it’s convenient Chinyu Ramen in Kyoto. I haven’t been to Japan in years but I remember the names of these two restaurants for a reason!
I have a few recommendations for Tokyo and food. Firstly, my favorite part is Asakusa, it is a fantastic place with lots of old and new culture, relatively fair prices to stay, lots of local stores and just a generally really nice vibe. Plus it’s very accessible via the subway, make sure to get your pasmo or suica card! If you like I can send you a dm with my favorite food places in Tokyo 🙂
Im going to go against the grain and disagree that five days is too long in Tokyo. My friends and I were in Tokyo for seven days and never ran out of things to do. We could’ve stayed for three more weeks and still gone home with stuff we didnt get to do. Though I suppose it does depend on your hobbies
– We went to the two Pokemon centers they have
– Saw all of Sunshine City (stores, aquarium, ibservatory)
– Animate stores in different parts of Tokyo
– a shit ton of time in Akihabara
– An entire day in Nippori buying fabric and notions
– Teamlab Planets in Odaiba
– Various shopping and eating in Shinjuku and Shibuya
– Deathmatch in Hell, an amazing horror/metal bar rin by a fantastic person. Definite recommend.
Etc
What percentage of ya’ll think international travel to japan will be allowed in dec? I honestly feel like it’s 50-50 at best.. 🙁
I plan on visiting to hopefully next year now as this one seems a write off. All the info is appreciated here