Second Trip: 17 Days solo in October (Tokyo > Tōhoku > Hokkaido > Honshu)

Hi everyone,

I visited Japan 6 years ago and now I’m planning my second trip for this October. I think I’ve narrowed down my itinerary, but wanted to get a sanity check to see if this was realistic.

 

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**Tokyo** (4 nights)

Day 1
>Arrival at NRT / Half Day

Days 2 – 4: Full Days
>Asakusa, Shinjuku / Omoide Yokochō, Shibuya / Harajuku, Akihabara

>Attractions: Ghibli Museum (If I get tickets), TeamLab Planets (Borderless is closed?)

 

**Nikko** | Tōhoku (2 nights) – Train from Tokyo | ¥4,090

Day 5
> Half Day / Rest

Day 6: Full Day
> Nikko National Park / Shinkyo Bridge

 

**Sendai** | Tōhoku (3 nights) – Train from Nikko | ¥9,030

Day 7: Half-Day / Rest
> Asaichi (Morning Market open until 6PM)

Day 8: Full Day
> Loople Tour of Sendai (Day Pass)

Day 9: Day trip to Yamagata
> Ginzan Onsen — Worth it? Approx 2 hours Train + 40 min Bus from Sendai

> Alt: Yamadera (Godaido Hall) or Kitakami (Tenshochi Park)

 

**Sapporo** | Hokkaido (3 nights) – Flight from Sendai | $80 CAD

Day 10: Half Day
> Odori Park, Sapporo TV Tower, Ramen Yokocho Alley

Day 11: Full Day
> Morning: Sapporo Fushimi Inari Shrine & Mount Moiwa Observation Deck

> Afternoon: Jozankei Onsen (Day Onsens) or Nakajima Park

> Night: Susukino (Entertainment District)

Day 12: Otaru (Approx 1 hour)
> Otaru Canal, Tenguyama Observation Deck, Yunohana Otaru Onsen

 

**Nagoya** | Honshu (2 nights) – Flight from Sapporo | $80 CAD

Day 13: Half Day / Rest
> Ghibli Park?

Day 14: Full Day
> Magome-juku (Nakasendo) – Hike from Magome Pass to Tsumago-juku (Approx 2-3 hour hike).

> Explore Magome & Nagiso. Return from Nagiso Station to Nagoya

> *This hike looks amazing and would prefer to keep it.*

 

**Back to Tokyo** (2 nights) – Train from Nagoya | ¥11,100

Day 15: Half Day

Day 16: Last Full Day
> Missed sights, shopping

Day 17: Departure

 

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**Trip Budget**: $5000 CAD (Approx ¥545,950) for 16 Nights (17 Days)

* Flight tickets: $1300 international (*Purchased*)
* Public Transit & Domestic Flights: $700 (¥76,433)
* Accommodations: $1000 (¥109,190)
* Food: $500 (¥54,595)
* Misc (Attractions, Shopping, etc): $500 (¥54,595)

 

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**Trip goals**

A good mix of city life and cultural areas. I’m traveling solo and will be opting for hostels wherever I can. I won’t be renting a car, and would prefer things to be as walkable/transit friendly as possible. I’d like to experience an onsen (missed it the first time). I would like to stay at a ryokan, but it seems most places will eat into 1/3 of my accommodation budget, so I’m looking into day onsens instead.

**Regarding Hokkaido**

I currently live in Alberta, Canada. So long mountain road trips to Kananaskis, Banff, Jasper, etc are pretty usual for me, which is why I’m trying to keep a good balance of city life here. I keep reading that Hokkaido is known for its natural scenery, but I’m wondering if it will be a bit too similar to Western Canada if I dedicate a longer time there.

**Flights vs Shinkansen**

Are local domestic flights ok for this trip? It looks like it’s an 8 hour ride via train for Hokkaido, which is why I’m opting for the flights, however I haven’t done open jaw flights within another country before. Any experiences using Peach Aviation airline?

**Skip the JR Pass?**

I understand that prices are being raised for the JR Passes in October, but looking at my current itinerary, it doesn’t seem like it’s worth it in my case. I looked at JR East pass, but it seemed limiting with the 5 consecutive days, especially since I’m returning to Tokyo from Nagoya. I’m planning on grabbing a Suica card after I land (Not sure if my old Pasmo card from 6+ years is still going to work). Does this seem like the best option for my case?

Thank you for reading, if you made it this far. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!