Hello!
I am (hopefully!) heading to Japan from October 20th – November 20th.
I have almost fully planned out my entire trip, including accommodation.
At the moment, my plan is:
Oct 21st – Oct 26th TOKYO (get orientated, hit the Golden Gai!)
Oct 26th – Oct 28th HAKONE (ropeway, hiking etc)
Oct 28th – Oct 31st OSAKA (with day trips to Nara and Kobe)
Oct 31st – Nov 1st KINOSAKI ONSEN (am staying in a ryokan!)
Nov 1st – Nov 3rd MIRAJIMA (again, staying in a ryokan)
Nov 3 – Nov 4th MATSUYAMA (to see Dogo Onsen)
*Nov 4th – I am cycling the shimanami kaido (I am quite fit so excited to try and do it in a day)*
Nov 4th – Nov 7th KYOTO (with day trips)
Nov 7th – Nov 8th KOYASAN (staying with the monks!)
8th Nov – 10th Nov KYOTO again
**10th Nov – 13th Nov KANAZAWA**
**13th Nov – 15th Nov TAKAYAMA**
**15th Nov – 16th Nov MATSUMOTO**
16th Nov – 21st Nov TOKYO again!
I am pretty happy with my itinerary, except for the part in bold.
I really love hiking and nature and would like to spend a day/evening somewhere in the Japanese Alps (i.e. kamikochi) but can’t quite work out the best way to do it! I am thinking that I might sacrifice a day in Takayama.
But am I better going from Kanazawa to Kamikochi then to Takayama? Or is it better to go from Takayama to Kamikochi and then on to Matsumoto?
Thanks so much! Any help is greatly appreciated! And please let me know if you have any recommendations for where to stay.
S&T x
8 comments
I would do Koyasan from Osaka rather than from Kyoto as it is much closer, like you can take the Nankai train directly at Namba station. Than can easily save you an hour of train both days.
What you can do between Kanazawa and Takayama is take the bus and stop by Shirakawa-go. Also between Kinosaki and Hiroshima, I would stop by Himeji (as you will have to change train there anyway) to see the castle.
It does make sense to do it in the order you indicated. You only have to stop by Kamikochi on the way to Matsumoto, even if you do not spend a night in Kamikochi. There is actually a discount ticket called Mitsukoshi Kaidou Tree-Star road that exist that does exactly that. The only thing I think it does not cover is the bus from Hirayu onsen to Kamikochi.
[https://option-ticket.mitsuboshi-kaidou.com/](https://option-ticket.mitsuboshi-kaidou.com/)
[https://highway-buses.jp/mitsuboshi/](https://highway-buses.jp/mitsuboshi/)
One thing that must be taken into account is that Kamikochi shuts down on 15 November, and frankly – it’s not that appealing in early November anyway (peak autumn foliage in mid- to late October).
I would probably skip Matsumoto for conveniance (and as far as original castles visit either Himeji or Hikone) and start with Takayama and then go to Kanazawa for somewhat more convenient travel.
Also note that while Okuno-in is iconic – all things considered you are losing at least two half-days to travel to visit Koya-san. If you want experience *shukubo*, then there are plenty of options in Kyoto that are much cheaper.
I second that Kamikochi is probably not going to be great on your schedule and suggest you consider something else.
As for that something else, might I recommend the [Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html)? It conveniently connects Takayama and Matsumoto (sort of.. you’ll have to return to Toyama from Takayama). Once you reach Tateyama, you can go out for some small circular hikes that are honestly quite nice. Then, you can continue on the route which is quite scenic regardless and naturally involves some walking across the dam. As long as you get an early start, you should very easily be able to do the whole thing in a day even while taking your time at Tateyama.
Going to Kamikochi is ALWAYS better than not going to Kamikochi.
Regardless of time of the year/ season/ weather, it’s just amazing.
I rained a lot (A LOT) the day I visited and I still find it one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to.
About Golden Gai it’s very overpriced and most of the time you’ll have to pay a cover charge to even get a seat and drink. So keep that in mind, I had a better time at the bars in Hoppi Dori in Asakusa, mingling with the locals.
Have you looked at Hotel Cycle in Onomichi? Favorite place to stay when I go cycle the shimikaido on vacation 🙂
5 days in tokyo to start off – i’d recommend combining it with your last days and give yourself more time to explore other places.
Golden Gai is a tourist trap; since ur heading south, try Hakata for a better experience at the local yatais than Golden Gai
My only suggestion is that Kanazawa is like a smaller Kyoto. I love Kanazawa as its a small walkable city with plenty to see but going Kyoto to Kanazawa might end up with Kanazawa feeling a bit underwhelming.