My girlfriend and I are traveling to Japan for the first time this summer for 17 days. We are aware that July is a hot and humid month and are attempting to mitigate that with some specific destinations. Both of us are less interested in the cities in Japan and more interested in relatively rural areas.
Theoretically Takayama and Hokkaido will be relatively cool compared to the major cities (?)
We prefer to have our days relatively flexible and plan maybe one or two activities for the whole day, rather than trying to cram a lot in. We are flying from Toyama to Hokkaido and then Hokkaido to Tokyo.
The general itinerary is:
\- July 6-7: Tokyo
\- Julu 7-11: Takayama/Kanazawa
\- July 11-20: Hokkaido (we are renting a car)
\- July 20-23: Tokyo
We are renting a car on Hokkaido and we may try to sleep in the car once or twice- for both convenience and cheapness 🙂
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Here is a detailed itinerary (the locations in parenthesis is where we would be sleeping):
* **July 6 (Tokyo):**
* Arrive in Tokyo (Haneda) in the evening
* Get bearings, eat and sleep near Shinkansen station
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* **July 7 (Takayama):**
* Take Shinkansen to Nagoya
* stop at Tokomane (via subway)
* continue on to Takayama in Gifu
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* **July 8 (Takayama):**
* Explore Takayama (morning market, etc)
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* **July 9 (Takayama):**
* I would really like to go to the Kiso Valley, but the transit options for getting there are not very appealing…
* Alternatively, head to Chubu-Sangaku National Park for the day via bus
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* **July 10 (Kanazawa):**
* Head towards Kanazawa via Shirakawa-go
* Kanazawa Castle
* Kanazawa garden
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* **July 11: (Hokkaido/Noboribetsu):**
* Train to Toyama
* Fly to Chitose airport on Hokkaido
* Secure rental car
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* **July 12 (Hokkaido/Noboribetsu):**
* Spend time at the hot springs and Shikotsu Toya
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* **July 13 (Hokkaido/Hakodate):**
* Lake Toya
* Hang out in Hakodate\*
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* **July 14 (Hokkaido/Sapporo):**
* Drive to Otaru for the day
* Continue on to Sapporo
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* **July 15 (Hokkaido/Sapporo):**
* Sights near Sapporo (brewery, etc)
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* **July 16 (Hokkaido/Furano/Biei):**
* Lavendar Farm/Farm Tomito
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* **July 17 (Hokkaido/Asahikawa):**
* Not sure yet…
* We might not stay in Asahikawa and continue on to Daisatsuzan this evening.
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* **July 18 (Hokkaido/Daisetsuzan National Park):**
* Susoiadaira
* Onsens
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* **July 19 (Hokkaido/Daisetsuzan National Park):**
* Hiking
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* **July 20 (Hokkaido/Sapporo):**
* Drive back to Sapporo
* Sapporo Art Park
* Other Sapporo stuff (Historical Village)
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* **July 21 (Tokyo):**
* Fly back to Tokyo
* Various Tokyo activities (Tokyo Museum, Akihabara)
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* **July 22 (Tokyo):**
* Do some Tokyo stuff (souvenirs etc)
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* **July 23 (Departing):**
* Fly back to US (from Haneda)
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Few things I am unsure about:
\- Are we going too fast when we first arrive?
\- Does it makes sense to drive all the way down to Hakodate from Noboribetsu? it would add significant travel time that could be spent elsewhere…
Would love any and all feedback! thanks!
1 comment
Hi!
Takayama is still very hot in July and so is Kanazawa. (I would assume Shirakawa Go is as well, but I’ve only been there in February.)
Kanazawa is a great city to visit, but it was very hot when we were there in late June, the same is true for Takayama. I felt like once the sunset and it got dark Takayama did cool off some, but it did take time.
Kamikochi in the Chubu Sangaku National Park was very cold, it also poured the two days we were there, so I don’t know what it would have been like in good weather.
Yes the Nakasendo trail is a long way from Takayama. You would need to take a day from somewhere else to add it. If you did you would go directly there from Tokyo, hike and then try to make it to Matsumoto for the night, and then take the bus from Matsumoto to Takayama, you could stop off in Kamikochi on the way.
Good luck!