Couple in our early 30s, on our first trip to Japan. Looking for any advice on our general itinerary before we start locking down reservations. We’re looking forward to the food, temples, craft goods, gardens/bonsai, history, and the quirky unique things Japan has to offer!
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We are definitely planning on getting the JR pass BEFORE the October rate hike, but the only hard and fast plans we currently have are our flights into and out of Tokyo.
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**Tokyo for 5 nights**
Fly in at 4:30 pm. Then 3 full days of Tokyo and 1 day of Disney Sea
Leave for Hakone early
**Hakone 1 night**
Do most of the loop first day and stay at an onsen in Gora, open air museum the next morning
Leave for Kyoto early afternoon
**Kyoto 5 nights**
About two full days in Kyoto
Half-day trip to Nara
Half day trip to Otsu
Day trip to Kurama-dera and Kibune
Leave early for Koya
**Koya-san 1 night**
Temple stay
Leave afternoon for Osaka
**Osaka 2 nights**
Full day of Osaka
Leave Early for Hiroshima
**Hiroshima/Miyajima 1 night**
See Hiroshima Peace park/Museum then head to Miyajima Island to stay the night
Leave early afternoon for Nagoya
**Nagoya 1 night**
See a couple sights (essentially just staying a night on way to Nikko), not sure how best to take advantage of this
Leave around noon for Nikko
**Nikko 2 nights**
Onsen stay
Leave mid-afternoon for Tokyo
**Tokyo 2 nights**
Day for final souvenir shopping
Flying out 5pm
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We know the trip to Nikko at the end doesn’t make the most sense logistically, but we hear that it is worth going later in October to catch the fall colors.
How does this itinerary look? Enough but not too much? Please share with us any recommendations of things to do, food we can’t miss, and affordable accommodations! Thank you!
1 comment
I would cut Nagoya and go straight from Hiroshima to Nikko if you are not very interested in Nagoya and are not seeing any “unique” attractions in Nagoya (ghibli park, Toyota stuff, flight of dreams). End-October is brilliant foliage on the Lake Chuzenji / Yumoto side and the road going up there will be incredibly congested. Getting an early start – facilitated by sleeping in Nikko – vastly improves your travel experience, it also lets you do one long travel day rather than two half-days.