Hi There!
I have two days in my Japan trip where I would like to travel somewhere from Tokyo to take a break from the city life. Somewhere more traditional would be nice but the tricky part is that I would like someplace that has enough things to explore for 2 days so I am not really interested in pure onsen resorts. A ryokan in a small city in the mountains or somewhere scenic would be ideal. Here are the options I am considering:
**Fujikawaguchiko** \– Has great views of Fuji. I am a bit concerned because there doesn’t seem to be much to do in this area and there is always the chance that the sky is not clear enough to see Fuji. I asked myself if I would be disappointed to be here if I could not see Fuji and the answer was yes because I don’t see much else to do. Chureito Pagoda would be nice but I don’t see enough thingshere that would be interesting for 2 days.
**Hakone** \– Alternate place to still somewhat catch views of Fuji. I understand the views of Fuji would probably not be as good as in Kawaguchiko but it seems like there is more to do in Hakone city itself. From the posts I’ve read, it seems like the city has an overall nice vibe albeit can be touristy.
**Takayama + Shirokawa-go** \– I like the vibe of Takayama and Shirokawa. I would ideally spend one night in Takayama and one night in Shirakawa-go. I am really into the traditional architecture of Takayama.
**Kyoto** \– I know its a bit out of the norm but my trip doesn’t include the usual Kyoto + Osaka due to some personal reasons despite this being my first trip to Japan. I’ve always wanted to go to Kyoto since I am really into the old school architecture but I am not sure if 2 days with 1 day including travel would be enough time for it, especially given that I’d be coming from Tokyo and then going back to Tokyo after.
Any input on any of these places would be much appreciated! I would also be open to any other cities not listed here as I am mostly looking for advice at this point. Thank you for your time.
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10 comments
Ooh Im planning to spend 3 nights in Takayama because I like slow days hehe and Im planning to visit Hida Takayama, and maybe even Gero from there 🥰
You could maybe also add Nagano to your options. This is a little bit closer to Tokyo (I think)
Takayama is too far to travel – it’s ~6 hours from Tokyo, so IMO not worth it unless you spend significant time in the area.
My recommendation would be Nikko. It has the architecture and the nature – easily enough to fill two days.
Take a look at Matsumoto in Nagano. Straight shot on the Super Azusa from Shinjuku station. No transfers, about 2 hrs 15-20 minutes, and enough to do in 2 days.
Ok, that’s a lot of different options. I have been to them in the past so a few ideas from me.
Kawaguchiko: easy to reach from Tokyo. A nice little town and there are a lot of surrounding places so you can definitely spend 2 days there. Personally I preferred Yamanakako which is another lake close by. Of course you can stay in Kawaguchiko and go by bus to Yamanakako.
There is also a Themepark (never visited it myself) close to Kawaguchiko and of course you should stop at Chureito Pagoda which is around 20 min by train and then a little walk from Kawaguchiko.
Hakone: a nice place but a little harder to reach compared to Kawaguchiko. You can definitely spend 2 days exploring the area when you use the cable car up to the volcano and then maybe cross the lake with the boat (both are included an an area pass if nothing changed). The view from the volcano to M Fuji is really nice if it’s not too cloudy.
Takayama: I stayed in Gero which is a nice little Onsen town which also has a kind of outdoor museum with historical buildings. You can explore the area by train and easily spend 2 days there. There are many historical towns in the area that you can explore. From Tokyo it will take quite a bit of time to go there I think. I went there from Kyoto which is far closer and still was a trip of a few hours (I think 4-5h if I remember it right).
Kyoto: I wouldn’t do that if I were you. It’s a 3h trip from Tokyo and even with a full 2 days (real 48h) I wouldn’t know where to start as there are far too many places to visit. Others might see it different but I would spend at least 5 days to a week for the first time in Kyoto and the area, preferably more.
There’s loads to do in Hakone, between nice short hikes and attractions, onsens, and getting all the various methods of transport around (Ropeway, Cable Car, Switchback train, Pirate Ship) is part of the fun too. I don’t think it feels overly touristy for how popular it is, it’s mostly domestic tourists.
I loved Kawaguchiko but it is sleepier, I found even fewer foreign tourists and most people were only on a day trip, but I spent three days there and just chilled out and did very little. Best thing to do is rent a bike and cycle around the lake, there’ll be lots of nice places to stop off and explore.
If it’s for Fuji views, I think Kawaguchiko is better because you can see it from many places. I got lucky with my second day and had stunning views of Fuji, but the next day it was impossible to see with fog so you can be unlucky!
Both are lovely though and a nice break from the busyness of Tokyo. Save Kyoto for another trip when you can give it the time it deserves. There’s so much to see there (and the sights are extremely busy!)
What do you think about the Izu peninsula? Spending some days in Shimoda or Ito/Atami to relax?
If you have two nights, perhaps Kanazawa? It looks far but has a direct bullet train there. We tried to do it with only one night and like 36 hours and felt rushed but two nights would have been perfect.
How about Kamakura &/or Enoshima Island? It’s close to Tokyo but along the bay where you might see Fuji on a nice day. I’m planning a trip to Japan next year and that will be my escape from the city. There hikes you can do that takes you to overlooks or between temples.
So, I’ve been to some of your options along with some of the other options people have mentioned, I’m going to do it related to cost/time-wise for travel.
Kawaguchiko: I’ve not been, it could be interesting if you want to visit the theme park, but I wouldn’t want to travel 2 hours just to see Mt. Fuji closer up. It is very popular though. There are trains and buses here.
Hakone: I’ve been multiple times, it is definitely touristy. It’s good if you enjoy taking different methods of transport, like onsen, like small museums. It’s very accessible from Tokyo, so can get crowded. Most people without any sort of pass go via the Odakyu line from Shinjuku.
Kamakura+Enoshima: I’ve never stayed overnight, but it would be easy enough to fill up two days there. It’s the cheapest to reach and there is plenty to do.
Nikko: Has a few different options to get there, from either private limited express, or paying for a Tokyo Wide Pass and using the shinkansen to Utsunomiya and then transferring to slower train. I’ve not stayed overnight, but there is a lot to do and I keep regretting it getting cut as a repeat destination.
Izu Peninsula: I keep cutting it, it’s not too expensive to visit and anywhere more expensive you might want to go I believe is covered by the Wide Pass. A lot of travel along the coast is by bus though, so you need to be aware of frequency. It gets a lot fewer foreign tourists
Matsumoto: I love Matsumoto. It’s super cute with its traditional Nakamichi district. I loved the small art museum and the castle.
Kanazawa: I love Kanazawa. It has a lot to do and is so easy to get to by shinkansen. You will need to get a Hokuriku Arch Pass since it is ~13,000 yen each direction. As of right now, that is not a pass that is going up on 10/1. [https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/hokuriku-arch-pass/](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/hokuriku-arch-pass/)
Kyoto: I really like Kyoto. It’s a big city though and it is 2+ hours in either direction. You’re also going to need to pay for it out of pocket so it’s more costly.
Takayama: I like Takayama, but I am putting it last of all the suggestions because it is 5-6 hours from Tokyo. It’s a really long trip for 2 days. you’re going to be spending most of day 1 going there and then a good portion of day 2 coming back. Shirakawa Go is like 1 hour north of Takayama, and at that point you might as well go to Kanazawa too, because it’s half between the two. This is not to knock Takayama, but I think it doesn’t work well as a 2 day place to explore from Tokyo. If you were coming from Kanazawa or Kyoto….
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Some new ideas.
Karuizawa (covered by the Tokyo Wide Pass) It keeps getting knocked from my itinerary, someone on Japan Guide loves it and there have been several articles about visiting Karuizawa.
[https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6037_kyukaruizawa.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6037_kyukaruizawa.html)
[https://www.japan-guide.com/blog/wild-japan/200703.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/blog/wild-japan/200703.html)
[https://www.japan-guide.com/chottozeitaku/190531.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/chottozeitaku/190531.html)
If you wanted to get a JR East Nagano Niigata Pass, you could combine 1 day in Karuizawa and then do 1 day in Matsumoto. You could also combine 1 day in Karuizawa and 1 day in Nagano. You could also look into 1 day in Karuizawa and 1 day in Obuse.
Nagano: Has a famous buddhist Temple. It has a cute shopping street near the temple. It’s about 1 hour away from Matsumoto and on a shinkansen line so it’s easy to do both.
Obuse is in the opposite direction as Matsumoto, but you could work out a way to do 1 day one place and 1 day somewhere else.
[https://www.japan-guide.com/chottozeitaku/230703.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/chottozeitaku/230703.html)
If you get a JR East Pass, you could do an overnight in Sendai. Sendai itself is a sort of ugly city, but it is an easy location to get to Matsushima, Yamadera, and Hiraizumi. You could also explore Sendai itself. (I have) but Hiraizumi is a lot more scenic and I really like Matsushima. It’s fun any season.
Good luck!
Izu Peninsula probably has what you want which is quite close to Tokyo. Either the seaside like Atami or you can also go into onsen towns like Shuzenji.
it’s a bit of a pain to get around by bus and train though, gotta switch a couple of times from Mishima station. Once you’re in, it’s quite nice and comfy.
it’s also not too far away (1hr ish) from Shizuoka if you want to explore another city or get some seafood.