We fly out from NZ end of February 2024, and return 1 April, hoping to have at least one occasion of Cherry Blossoms while we’re there, and experience Japan to it’s fullest. We love to cycle, drink coffee, eat as much Japanese food as possible (I’m pescatarian, husband eats all), collecting stamps and train adventures. Also very keen to try all the street food and local snacks from each town.
Questions:
1. Booking accom/activities from NZ, is it best to soldier through Japanese site or try use a booking service (like booking.com) or extra website? Unsure of any price differences and also unsure how to check if they can do luggage sending service.
2. Where is a good hub for Tokyo for both the start of the trip (getting around Tokyo) and end (day trips out of Tokyo)?
3. What to do in our last week, between Nikko and our last bit in Tokyo? Could do more day trips from Tokyo. We aren’t going more North than Nikko as think it’ll be too cold to do much, but maybe we’re wrong in thinking that?
4. Travelling internally within all these cities – do we need loads of different cards? Is there a more efficient way to travel internally?
5. Are our days too relaxed? Our next step is to find some good Michelin star places and add to itinerary, so I’m sure we’ll find other bits to do, but also are happy to jump around places to optimise based on advice.
6. Any hotels you’d recommend close to our main attractions for the rest? We’re going to try shuttle luggage directly as much as possible, so prefer staying with those types.
7. Any ryokans outside of the big cities to try?
8. My work gives me free roaming travel costs, do we often have to give a number for bookings that may cause issues if it’s an international one?
Day 1 – 23 Feb – Tokyo
Arrive 5pm local time, check-in to accommodation, quick dinner from local convenience store, sleep early to get into our new timezone.
Day 2 – 24 Feb – Tokyo
– Uniqlo trip for warm gear/clothes on trip (likely bringing one whole empty bag)
– Starbucks Roastery
– Relax into time zone
– Asakusa area
– Tokyo sky tree
Day 3 – 25 Feb – Tokyo
– Tokyo National Museum
– Ueno Cherry blossom Park
– Nezu Shrine
– Akihabara area
Day 4 – 26 Feb – Tokyo
– Shinjuku gyoen (national garden park)
– Gotokuji temple
Day 5 – 27 Feb – Tokyo
– Disneyland! Get there early, use day to the fullest (first theme park for both of us ever)
Day 6 – 28 Feb – Tokyo
– Studio Ghibli museum – likely all day (big fans)
– Cat cafe – Temari no ouchi
Day 7 – 29 Feb – Tokyo
– Teamlabs – borderless (re opened one)
– Small worlds
– Gundam base
Day 9 – 1 Mar – Tokyo > Hiroshima
– 4 hour train to Hiroshima
– Hiroshima castle
– Shukkeien Garden
– Okonomimura – dinner
Day 10 – 2 Mar – Hiroshima
– Peace memorial museum
– Atomic bomb dome
Day 11 – 3 Mar – Hiroshima
– Ferry out to Itsukushima Jinja
– Pavilion
– Maple tree island
– Miyajima ropeway and island
– omotesando street shopping – deer?
– ferry back
Day 12 – 4 Mar – Hiroshima > Onomichi > Imabari
– Send bags to Osaka for 5 Mar arrival
– Train from Hiroshima to Onomichi, pick up e-bike and cycle the Shimanami Kaido
– Arrive Imabari around 6pm, return e-bike, hotel and rest
Day 13 – 5 Mar – Imabari > Osaka
– Leave early morning and bus back to Onomichi, and train to Osaka
– Osaka castle
– Orange stree shopping
– Snacks at Dotonbori
– option 1 for Teamlab Botanical
Day 14 – 6 Mar – Osaka
– Universal Studios
Day 15 – 7 Mar – Osaka
– Universal Studios
(us nerds want to experience Harry Potter world and Mario area as much possible, and don’t see us ever coming back to a Universal Studio)
Day 16 – 8 Mar – Osaka
– Osaka Aquarium
– Afternoon pottery class by locals
– option 2 for Teamlab Botanical
Day 17 – 9 Mar – Osaka
– Cup noodle museum
– Minoh falls
– maybe Duskin museum if time
– option 3 for Teamlab Botanical
Day 18 – 10 Mar – Osaka > Kyoto
– take Kyo-train garaku (weekends only)
– Kyoto national museum
– Studio Ghibli shop
– vintage kimono shopping
– night time Yasaka Pagoda spot?
Day 19 – 11 Mar – Kyoto > Nara > Kyoto
– Deer park
– Manyo Botancial gardens
– Nakatanidou mochi + other shops
– Omizutori temple festival – 7pm
Day 20 – 12 Mar – Kyoto
– 6am Arashiyama bamboo grove
– Tenruyi temple
– Gioji temple
– Tenryu-Ji
– Tofu specialty lunch – Yudofu Takemura
(maybe hire bike for the areas above?)
– Kyoto botanical garden
– Kinkaku-ji
– Option 1 KichiKichi dinner
Day 21 – 13 Mar – Kyoto
– 6am Fushimi inari shrine
– Raku museum
– Nishiki market
Day 22 – 14 Mar – Kyoto
– Higashiyama
– Philosophers path
– Nanzenji Temple
– Kaege incline
– Shoren-in Temple
– Shogunzuka Mound
– Option 2 KichiKichi dinner
Day 23 – 15 Mar – Kyoto > Kayabuki No Sato
– 6am Yasaka Pagoda photo spot
– possible 9am Hirobun ramen place
– pick up car > drive to Hisaya (a thatched house town)
– local museum of town – Kayabuki No Sato
Day 24 – 16 Mar – Kayabuki No Sato > Ine
– Continue driving North
– Amanohasidate Viewland
– Kamiseya Rice Terraces
– Cycle tour of small sea side town?
– Ine Bay boat township accom
Day 25 – 17 Mar – Ine > Hakone
– Drive back to Kyoto, drop off car
– Train to Hakone, pick up another car
– open air museum
– Hakone Shrine
– Hakone Komagatake ropeway
Day 26 – 18 Mar – Hakone > Mt Fuji
– Hakone ropeway
– Drive to Mt Fuji – check in to glamping place
– hope for good weather, cycle around Lake Kawaguchi
– baths in evening
Day 27 – 19 Mar – Mt Fuji
– Drive up Mt Fuji, take in views
– Lunch and stores up the mountain
– Drive down – possibly Chureito Pagoda if weather is good/back up cycle afternoon
Day 28 – 20 Mar – Mt Fuji > Yokohama
– back up cycle/Chureito Pagoda morning
– Drive to Yokohama, drop off car
– Ramen Museum
– Sankeien gardens
Day 29 – 21 Mar – Yokohama
– Zoorasia – love zoos, will spend whole day here
Day 30 – 22 Mar – Yokohama
– Cosmoworld
– Red brick warehouses
– Chinatown
Day 31 – 23 Mar – Yokohama > Nikko
– Train to Nikko
– Rinnoji Temple
– Kanmangafuchi Abyss
– Toshogu Shrine
– Botanical Gardens
– Kegon Falls or Kirifuri falls
Day 32 – 24 Mar – Nikko > ???
– Edo Wonderland
– Strawberry picking
TRAVEL TO SOMEWHERE, STAY TILL 26 MARCH???
Day 33-34
Day 35 – 27 Mar – Mount Takao
– Stay in Tokyo, day trip to Mount Takao
– Money park walk
– Yakuoin temple
Day 36 – 28 Mar – Kawagone
– Day trip to Kawagoe
– Honmaru Goten
– Candy alley
– Kurtazukuri
– Train track strip of cherry blossoms
Day 37 – 29 Mar – Tokyo
– Back to Ueno Cherry Blossom park to experience difference
– Imperial palace grounds
Day 38 – 30 Mar – Tokyo
– Pokemon centre
– Nakimise street
– Secondhand shopping area
Day 39 – 31 Mar – Tokyo
– final Cherry blossom hunting and sonsuming all the treats and snacks
– Fly out 6.35pm back to NZ
Thanks for reading this far if you managed to get through it all 🙂