Hi, We are spending 15 nights in Japan and want feedback on our tentative itinerary. We have been to Japan and visited Tokyo, Kyoto, osaka, Koyasan, Tsumago-Magome, Nagoya. We have to fly in and out of tokyo. We like eating, drinking, meeting people, visiting temples, shrines, gardens, taking walking/food tours, renting a car and getting off the beaten path. We will travel with carry on luggage only.
Fri Oct 27: Land at Haneda Tokyo @ 1pm from US. Take flight \~4 pm to arrive in Fukuoka \~6 pm.
Sat Oct 28- Wed Nov 1: Kyushu (I made separate post about days in Kyushu, but tentatively Fukuoka –> Kurakowa –> Beppu)
Thursday Nov 2: Train from beppu to Hiroshima. Afternoon walking around hiroshima. Food/walking tour for dinner
Friday Nov 3: peace park, Shukkeien Garden, eat somewhere good for dinner
Sat Nov 4: Day Trip to Itsukushima, dinner somewhere good in Hiroshima
Sun Nov 5:
\- option 1: Train from Hiroshima to Himeji, visit Himeji castle and Engyoji gardens. Stay night in Himeji or Kobe or
take train to Nara
\- Option 2: Train from hiroshima to Nara (skip Himeji and/or Kobe)
Monday Nov 6: Day in Nara (Temples, walking around, open to any ideas). Spend night in Nara
Tuesday Nov 7: Train from Nara to Tokyo. Spend 4 nights in Tokyo
Sat Nov 11: Fly home to US from Tokyo
I would love general feedback/alternative suggestions for any part of this. Some specific questions:
1. I am anxious about arriving from 12 hour flight to Tokyo, then getting back on a plane to Fukuoka. Is there another way that makes more sense to start trip in Kyushu? options:
1. Spend 1-2 nights in Tokyo, then fly to Fukuoka (or possibly another airport in Kyushu)
2. Spend 1-2 nights in Tokyo, then take train to Fukuoka (we do not have a JR rail pass, so it likely would be as expensive/more expensive to take train than fly)
2. Would it be less crowded to switch hiroshima days and do peace park on Saturday and Itsukushima on Friday? Not sure how crowded both these places get.
3. Is it too much to try to leave hiroshima and stop and Himeji and/or Kobe, then go on to Nara?
4. Is Nara worth 2 nights? Is there anywhere else sort of en route between hiroshima and tokyo that would be a good place to spend two nights?
Finally, I am not set on Kyushu and am open to other parts of the country that might make more sense with our trip.
Thanks everyone!
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