18 day July itinerary shakedown! (First timers)
Hello! My husband and I will be arriving in Tokyo on 5 July and leaving on 22 July (18 days). We’ll get a 14 day JR pass and we love: (1) eating (2) nature (3) shopping in bustling cities and (4) culture (we get sick of temples after a while though).
I’d would love your feedback on where to add/cull days in our itinerary. I’ve included a number of optional day trips but these may become “free days” to avoid travel fatigue.
We’d love to do a few day hikes and 1-2 ryokan stays (not too expensive if possible) in beautiful country settings 🙂 I’ve included Kamikochi below but it looks like a pain to get to so any other recommendations would be most welcome. I’m pregnant but fit, so the hikes will be fine. Just devastated about all the sashimi I WON’T be eating ;(
Thanks in advance, this sub has been invaluable!
5 July – Arrive 8am and move to hotel in Koreatown (can cancel if location is crap❓). Activate e-sims. Tokyo West (Harajuku, Shibuya, Roppongi)
6 July – Tokyo East (Asakusa temple + market + Nakamise shopping st, Ueno park & museum, dinner in Shinjuku/Ginza)
7 July – Kamakura / Nikko day trip and hike 👣 (could make this overnight if worth it? Which location is preferable❓)
8 July – Matsumoto (worth stopping or straight onto Kamikochi?). Hike in Kamikochi 👣. MATSUMOTO/KAMIKOCHI ARE OUT OF THE WAY, IS THERE ANOTHER GOOD RURAL AREA CLOSER TO TOKYO/OSAKA WITH BEAUTIFUL HIKES/RYOKAN❓
9 July – Activate JR pass. Kamikochi to Kyoto (Kiyomizudera Temple, Gion neighborhood walking tour, ochaya tea ceremony/geisha, Hokanji/Yasaka pagoda sunset). Stay in Gion.
10 July – Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Taisha (early), Nishiki market lunch, pontocho alley)
11 July – Kyoto (Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (early), Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama monkey park views, Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple & tea house at the end, Zen garden (maybe). Move to hotel near Kyoto station OR stay in Osaka for day trips + better nightlife❓
12 July – Nara (day trip or overnight❓). [JR Nara Line from Kyoto to Nara Station 45 mins express, 20 min walk to park]
13 July – Himeji castle & Kokoen garden day trip [1hr shinkansen on JR, Nozomi not covered. 20 min walk/ $1 bus from station to castle]
14 July – Osaka – free day OR Kifune shrine to Kurama temple hike 👣 2-3 hr. Maybe Kurama onsen? [30 min train on Eizan Kurama Line from Demachi-Yanagi Station in Kyoto to Kibuneguchi Station, not covered by JR)
15 July – Osaka – free day OR shiyama Dera temple + Lake Biwa [15 min JR Tokaido Line to JR Ishiyama Station].
16 July – Osaka
17 July – Osaka – free day OR Okayama and Kurashiki if feeling energetic. Korakuen Garden, Okayama castle, Handayama botanical garden, Kurashiki canal streets) [90 min on Hikari JR from Kyoto, prob not far from Osaka]
18 July – Hiroshima (+Miyajima in the morning if good weather, Itsukushima + Tori gate). It might rain heavily in which case, is Miyajima skippable❓
19 July – Magome to Tsumago Trail 👣 (day trip from Osaka or stay overnight❓)
20 July – Osaka to Hakone (overnight Ryokan – recommendations welcome!❓)
21 July – Hakone to Tokyo (Shop in Shinjuku)
22 July – Tokyo (Imperial palace, Kitanomaru-koen park, yushukam museum, observation deck at Tokyo metropolitan government offices). Leaving 8pm.
1 comment
Not sure where you’re from but July is generally very hot and humid. Some of the day trips that you’re doing are three hours one way which is just like the same distance from Osaka to Tokyo and it is six hours round-trip
Why don’t you consider staying overnight at the nature hike location instead of Osaka since you’re not doing much there anyway. Perhaps you can skip a Hakome and spend the extra night in one of your day trips area