I’m planning to visit Japan in April 2024, for the cherry blossom season.
I am interesting in cherry blossom, temples, and historical/ruin areas.
I posted my itinerary draft #1 in the early Sept, unfortunately, no I did not receive any recommendation. So as I continue work on my trip/route plans, I have modified my itinerary multiple times. I think this is my final one.
I haven’t purchase any flight ticket (waiting for my manager to approve my vacation leave) nor booking hotels (not available for April yet).
I guess depend on the booking situation, I may need to modify my itinerary again. However, right now, this is my “final” itinerary (I think).
Please make and advice, or any sugesstion.
**Day 1: Land Narita around 4pm.**
\- Withdrawal cash from 7-11
\- Get Suica Card
\- active e-sim card
\- Take Train to Shinjuku station
\- Check in Hotel
**Day 2 Tokyo**
\- Meguro River: Meguro River Cherry Blossoms Promenade
\- Shibuya Scramble Crossing
\- Yoyogi Hachimangu and Yoyogi Park
\- Meiji Jingu
\- Suga Jinja
\- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation room
**Day 3 Tokyo**
\- Chiorigafuchi park
\- Sensō-ji
\- Sumida Park: Tokyo Skytree View
\—> take Tokyo Cruise at Sumida park to HamaRikyu Gardens Pier
\- Small Worlds Tokyo (SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum)
\- The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
\- Unicorn Gundam Statue
\- Rainbow Promenade / Odaiba Beach
**Day 4 Tokyo->Nikko->Tokyo**
\- Shinkyo Bridge
\- Nikko Toshogu Shrine
**Day 5 Tokyo –> Kawaguchiko**
\- Arakurayama Sengen Park
\- from Tenjoyamagokoku Shrine hiking up to kawaguchiko Tenjozan Park, then take Mt.Fuji Panoramic Ropeway down
\- Ensoleille Excursion Ship Pleasure Boat Kawaguchiko
**Day 6 Kawaguchiko –> Nagoya**
\- Ghibli Park
**Day 7 Nagoya —> Kyoto**
\- Ghibli Park
later afternoon go to Kyoto
**Day 8 Kyoto**
\—- one day Kyoto Subway and bus pass
\- Kinkaku-ji
\- Haradani Garden (if open)
\- Kiyomizu-dera
\- Fushimi Inari Taisha
\- Nijō Castle
**Day 9 Kyoto–> Nara –> Kyoto**
\- Kintetsu-Nara Station
\- Kōfuku-ji Temple
\- Kasuga Taisha Shrine
\- Nara Park
\- Tōdai-ji
**Day 10 Kyoto–> Koyassan**
\- Okunoin Cemetery
\- Temple Lodging (Shukubo) (stay overnight at temple)
**Day 11 Koyassan –> Osaka**
\- have pray in the early morning then have breakfast, then leave around 11 or 12
\- Harukas 300
\- Tsūtenkaku
\- Shinsekai
**Day 12 Osaka**
\—- Mostly walking
\- Namba Yasaka Jinja
\- Kuromon Ichiba Market
\- Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street
\- Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
\- Tonbori River Cruise
**Day 13 Osaka –> Himeji Castle –> Hiroshima**
\- Himeji Castle
\- Hiroshima Castle
\- Shukkeien Garden
\—- I’m not really interseting in the inside of castle, but I believe the cherry blossom with castle will be beautiful. If there is time to go inside, I will have a quick view. If there is long line to wait, I properly just walking round and take pictures.
\—- Or, should I just skip the one of the Castle?
**Day 14 Hiroshima –> Miyajima –> Hiroshima**
\- Atomic Bomb Dome
\- Itsukushima Jinja
\- Daishoin
\- Mount Misen Observatory
**Day 15 Hiroshima –> Kurokawa Onsen**
\- Onsen
**Day 16 Kurokawa Onsen –> Kumamoto**
\- drop off luagge in hotel
\- Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine (for Hotarubi no Mori e)
\—- Transportation consumed a lot time, unable to go other place
**Day 17 Kumamoto –> Tokyo**
\- Hotel to Aso Kumamoto airport to store luagge
\- Kumamoto Castle
\- Sakura no baba Josaien
\- Katsuretsu Tei Shinshigai
\- Later afternoon \~5pm Return Tokyo, via flight
**Day 18 Tokyo**
\- Tsukiji Outer Market
\- Ghibli Museum
\- Akihabara
**Day 19 Tokyo —> US**
Flight back to US.
5 comments
> April 2024 cherry blossoms
When in April? Tokyo peaked in mid/late March this year, and more generally peak blossoms seem to be shifting earlier these days, so depending on the timing of your trip you may need to completely overhaul things and head north if cherry blossoms are the top priority.
Himeji Castle [peaked on 3/30 this year](https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura_yosou.html?&ba=28) and “normally” peaks in early April, so going on Apr 13 or later is almost certainly too late.
Similar comment for Kyoto. Haradani Gardens are known for late-blooming sakura, so if it’s peaking there then it will be well past peak at Kiyomizudera for example. You could consider adding the Osaka Mint which is also known for late blooming sakura.
> castles
Unless you are collecting stamps or extremely interested in feudal history, I suggest only visiting one castle. If you only visit one castle, make it Himeji. Hiroshima and Kumamoto are both reconstructions and Himeji is an original.
> Ghibli Park
Not sure why you are going twice on Days 6 and 7?
> Kurokawa Onsen
Unless this specific onsen has very significant meaning to you, I strongly encourage to cancel this – it takes up far too much travel time and makes travel to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine (which seems very important to you) too complicated. Just sleep in Kumamoto an extra night or visit Fukuoka or something.
> Nikko
Shift this to the end of your trip as there’s no real need to waste a potential peak sakura day in Tokyo by going here
> day 8
This looks impossible and is not optimized for crowd avoidance. Start at Kiyomizudera (aim to arrive before 7am since it has the earliest opening time), shift Fushimi Inari to the Nara day as it’s on the way and 24/7 so you can get an early start.
Bring comfortable shoes
1. Book your hotels as soon as possible. I’m going in early March and already some of the places I was eying were fully booked and had to go with my second, sometimes third, picks. Not to mention the price hicks during that time period.
2. If you haven’t booked your ticket yet consider getting a multicity trip. Meaning you land in Tokyo but leave from another location within japan. Mine is landing in Haneda airport but leaving from Kansai in Osako so no need to waste time and money going back to tokyo.
3. The Ghibli museum requires a one month advance booking. Don’t place it in your Itinerary so soon since you don’t know what day a ticket will open up. Same for the Kirby cafe and Pokemon Cafe if you’re interested.
4. If you’re traveling with luggage consider using the “hands free” service. Meaning they’ll take your luggage to the hotel for you be it from airport to the hotel or from one locations to another (tokyo to kyoto in my case). Doesn’t really cost much and you are free to explore that day without having to check-in to your new hotel the minute you arrive at a location…. or arrive at that location a day later because you decide to hop on a plane and explore an island for a day while your suitcase travels to your hotel. They’ll even ask you what time you want it there so no surprises.
Your Kyoto day is PACKED. You’ll have to eliminate at least one thing since you’ll end up spending more time on a bus or train getting from place to place than actually enjoying each spot. Maybe two. Look at where they are on a map and while maps can be deceiving (a lot of sites in Higashiyama/Gion are much closer together than they look) you may realize you’re jumping all over the city instead of simply enjoying where you are. Also, the Kyoto one-day bus pass has been discontinued, check into changes for travel passes closer to your trip date because they’re trying to mitigate over-crowding in certain high-tourist areas by making local transportation less attractive.
Kumamoto is also very packed, if you can do at least one thing when you arrive in the evening, do it. We spent only one day in Kumamoto and literally only got to see the castle and the Luffy statue downtown – seriously, nothing else. The castle is worth it I think: it’s lovely inside, and visiting the castle helps put money toward the earthquake reconstruction efforts. A lot of outer walls and turrets are still heavily damaged, and I found it valuable to witness what an earthquake can do and what they’re doing to restore it. The castle town below is also excellent for souvenirs and delicious food. But once you do all that, you may only have time to go to the garden and then it’s after dark and attractions will close.
This goes for Miyajima, too – always always look up opening/closing times for castles, temples, and other attractions. Temples open early but usually close paid entry by 4. Lots of places don’t open till 10. You don’t want to hoof it from city to city to try to cram in three attractions and then they all close by 4-5pm so you only actually get to one. We were able to do the Peace Park and Museum in the morning and get to Itsukushima before it closed, but only because we were staying on the island, we didn’t have to budget our trip back into Hiroshima until the morning. And, we also didn’t do Mt. Misen. There would not have been time.
The hotel situation is really true. Thank you for your advice.