22-Day Itinerary Check – Tokyo, Takayama/Shirakawa, Hiroshima, Osaka

Hi all, my partner and I are heading to Japan in February/March 2024 and would love some advice on our trip and any suggestions for must-see things to include. Some background info is that my partner will be going to Hakuba for 6 days with her friends so I will be on my own for that time, but she has already been to Japan before and I haven’t, so I will be ticking off some of my solo bucket list things that she does not want to do again.

Just want to know if we are on the right track. I feel like I am doing a lot of back-and-forth travelling within my solo trip (Osaka to Tokyo to meet my partner, then back to Osaka with her, then back to Tokyo to fly out), but I am not sure of any better way to fit in everything I want to do so I might just have to cop it. I don’t mind travelling, could give me some needed rest from all the walking we will be doing.

Any suggestions on how to improve the trip would be amazing! We have a list of things/places/attractions/foods to eat while we are in each city but would still love any recommendations!

Our rough itinerary is as follows. Not much has been booked in yet, but the dates that we are in Osaka and Tokyo are set in stone.

**Day 1:**
\- I fly in on my own
\- Narita Express to Shinjuku
\- Stay the night in Shinjuku

**Day 2:**
\- Explore Akihabara and Nakano Broadway
\- My partner arrives at night, grab some dinner, have a look around and then stay in Shinjuku

**Day 3:**
\- Day trip to Yokohama
\- Cup noodle museum
\- Possibly Nissan Heritage Collection if we can book tickets

**Day 4:**
\- Tokyo Disney Sea Day

**Day 5:**
\- Undecided Tokyo Day

**——– Begin Solo Section ——–**

**Day 6:**
\- My partner leaves for Hakuba in the morning
\- I take the train to Nagoya
\- See some sights around Nagoya, grab dinner and sleep

**Day 7:**
\- Train to Takayama
\- Explore Takayama then stay the night

**Day 8:**
\- In the morning, grab a bus to Shirakawa-go
\- Explore the village for the day and then bus back to Takayama
\- Train from Takayama to Hiroshima (this is quite long, unsure if this is the best way?)
\- Stay the night in Hiroshima

\*\*\* This is the part I am most unsure about. Would I be better to grab a late train from Takayama that night to Hiroshima, or stay another night in Takayama and grab a morning train to Hiroshima? The second option may work better so that I am not trying to check into a hotel in Hiroshima super late at night. Suggestions here would be amazing!

**Day 9:**
\- Explore Hiroshima, Peace Museum/Park, etc.
\- Stay the night in Hiroshima

**Day 10:**
\- Day trip to Miyajima Island
\- Stay the night in Hiroshima

**Day 11:**
\- Train from Hiroshima to Himeji
\- Explore Himeji
\- Train to Osaka
\- Stay the night in Osaka

**——– End Solo Section ——–**

**Day 12:**
\- Explore Osaka/Denden Town
\- Train to Tokyo
\- Meet back up with partner
\- Daikoku Parking Area tour at night
\- Stay in Tokyo

**Day 13:**
\- Tsukiji Market
\- Pokemon Centre & Cafe
\- Ginza

**Day 14:**
\- Undecided Tokyo Day

**Day 15:**
\- Undecided Tokyo Day

**Day 16:**
\- Hire a car and drive to Mt Fuji
\- Explore Mt Fuji area
\- Check into AirBnb

**Day 17:**
\- Drive car back to Tokyo to return it
\- Undecided Tokyo Day
\- Train to Osaka
\- Stay the night in Osaka

**Day 18:**
\- Universal Studios Day

**Day 19:**
\- Undecided Osaka Day

**Day 20:**
\- Undecided Osaka Day
\- Hopefully able to book a Sumo Tournament this night

**Day 21:**
\- Undecided Osaka Day

**Day 22:**
\- Train back to Tokyo
\- Fly out that night