Hello!
I’m a little unsecure about my itinerary and I would like some advices. Sorry about my English but I’ll try (I’m brazilian).
I’m going to Japan with my husband and 23-year-old daughter on November 2023. We are a young couple and very active.
My husband’s only request was to include Okinawa in the itinerary (he wants to know where his father was born). I already bought the tickets to Naha (November 15th to 20th) but I don’t know if I did it right, because I didn’t have time to research and I just found out that those beaches I saw on Instagram are not on the main island.
I wanted to take advantage of Koyo’s calendar (which has already changed), I didn’t want to go to Okinawa at the beginning because I want Okinawa as a break to relax in the middle of the trip (everyone said that the Jr pass was essential and before the price increase I bought it without thinking much. Even though I didn’t save money by buying a 14-day JR pass, I bought 2 7-day JR Passes, so I could go to Okinawa in the middle of the trip and try to see some places with the autumn foliage at the end of November). I don’t know if it’s possible to do some activities in Okinawa in November (I love beaches and diving, but that would be a bonus, since we would go anyway because of my husband’s request). We can’t rent a car as Brazilian tourists and I’m worried since I found out that public transport is bad and we only have this transport to get around. 5 days is too much in this situation? Cause I think it´s possible to reschedule the return flight.
I saw a lot of recommendations for Zamami and I didn’t have time to research nearby beaches to visit.
I intended to visit Kawaguchiko because of Koyo’s foliage, now I don’t know if I’ll change some cities from my itinerary since the date I chose is too early for Koyo. I’d like an opinion.
At first my itinerary was:
\- 11/6/23: arrival in Tokyo via Haneda in the afternoon/evening. Time to rest and eat something nearby
\- 11/7: Tokyo (I have a list of places I’d like to go but I’ll go depending on the mood)
\- 11/8: we wanted to spend the morning in Hadano (Kanagawa) in the park where I met my husband 25 years ago and show it to our daughter (she has never been to Japan). Continue the trip to Kawaguchiko
\- 11/9: Kawaguchiko Region (I’ll see how I’ll distribute the attractions between the days 8th and 9th if I have time: Iyashi no Sato, Chureito Pagoda, Momoji corridor, Lake Kawaguchi by bike, Ropeway).
\- 11/10 – 14: return to Tokyo and go to Takayama/Kanazawa: visit Hida Furakawa; streets from old town; I´d like to go to Shirakawago but if I visit Iyashinosato, I probably won´t because they are similar villages (I’m going to choose one or another); Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen garden, 21st museum
OR
go from Kawaguchiko to Shizuoka to visit a dear friend and I was excited to know Okouikojo Station and Yume no Tsubari but it seems to be complicated to get there. So, I don’t know what to choose (I love photograph and it would be amazing to to mix this trip with nature, historical places, beach, food…)
\- 11/15: return to Tokyo and take a flight to Okinawa from Narita at 16:00 on Peach Airlines (I only have the Aquarium, Gyokusendo cave, Kokusai dori on my list and I really want to go to some beautiful beach)
\- 11/20: flight back to Osaka in the afternoon/evening. Dotombori maybe?
\- 11/21: Osaka (haven’t decided yet)
\- 11/22: day trip to Nara and go to Kyoto to stay until 11/27
\- 11/27 – 30: Tokyo
\- 1/12: flight home
I thought about including Kinosaki Onsen or Ine (Funaya) in the itinerary but I don’t know if it would be too tight for that 5 days in Kyoto. I have several places/suggestion to go but nothing has been decided yet. I don’t like crowds, but my daughter really wants to go to Kyomizudera, Fushimi Inari (or any place that has a tori corridor anywhere in Japan), Arashiyama (I’m going to skip the corridor bamboo due to the crowd) and Gion.
Do you think that those 5 days at the end of the trip in Kyoto is enough to include Kinosaki Onsen or not?
Am I being crazy? I know it’s a lot of cities but It’s a dream to return to Japan and I’d like to book the hotels (many of them aren’t available anymore). I appreciate if you help me.
Thanks!
2 comments
It looks fine, Takayama/Kanazawa are lovely so I guess whether you pick that or the Shizuoka stuff depends on the importance of seeing the friend in person.
Verify the foliage forecast for Kawaguchiko before you go to momiji corridor as everything is shifted late this year.
Possibly controversial but I don’t think Kinosaki Onsen is super great for a straight couple/family since so much of it is split up in the gender baths and waiting around for those of the “other” gender to emerge, and the town intentionally de-emphasizes private onsen in ryokan to encourage use of the public baths. Depending on your daughter she also may not want to be naked in front of parent(s) which is required for onsen.
We visited Shizuoka and Shimizu for two nights during our month-long trip in Japan in May, and it was a high point, especially Shimizu. We stayed at the traditional, somewhat worn but charming Hagoromo Ryokan, which is right off the beach (no views of the sea from hotel). We walked along the historic Miho No Matsubara beach fringed by pines (with a stunning view of Mt. Fuji), took a ferry to the port, enjoyed the sushi street at S-Pulse Plaza, took a bus to the small Hiroshige Museum, took in the views of the port from Nihondaira Yume Terrace (with Fuji views on clear days), saw the Kinozan Toshogu Shrine — the first burial place of Tokugawa Ieyasu — and had a pleasant walk around Shikuoka Castle. On clear days, you can see Mount Fuji from various spots around the city. We enjoyed our time there immensely. It was uncrowded, relaxing and low key.