Planning a 15-night trip as a couple in mid-late May. Right now the rough outline looks like this:
* Tokyo 4 nights (Highlights: Meiji/Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Exploring Shimokitazawa/Koenji, Inokashira Park/Ghibli museum)
* Hakone 1 night (Stay at Ryokan. Tourist loop in the morning leaving bags at Ryokan. Continue to Kyoto once done)
* Kyoto 3 nights (One full day for exploring the city, One full day for exploring Arashiyama and then going out at night, plus the bookend-ing night and morning to fit anything else)
* Osaka 3 nights (One full day for exploring the city + food/sake tour, One full day for Nara day trip and then going out at night, plus the bookend-ing night and morning to fit anything else)
* Onomichi 1 night (Temple walk, views, taking it easy. Possibly stopping at Himeji castle or Naoshima between Osaka and Onomichi)
* Hiroshima 2 nights (First night just getting okonomiyaki and wandering, Full day to do peace park + Miyajima)
* Tokyo 1 more night before leaving (Will have until 9 PM the following day for our flight, so really this is another full day to explore Tokyo while we leave bags at the hotel)
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Main questions are:
1. Anything high-level reactions or recommendations?
2. Usually would not like to have such a city-focused trip, so have been looking for ways to incorporate Nikko or Takayama or some other more laid-back nature area. Any recommendations for how/where to do so? Only caveat is I don’t want to do it if the logistics of getting to/from turn what should be a laid-back portion into a stressful/tiresome portion … which is why I’ve been hesitant about the idea of Nikko as a day-trip, and even as an overnight trip since it’s the opposite direction from everything else. So … would it be worth it to cut anything from here to incorporate Nikko/Takayama/something similar? Based on other recs, Nikko actually seems more up our alley than Hakone, but just more difficult logistically, and the idea of a Ryokan post-Tokyo sounds nice to reset.
Thanks in advance for any help!
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