I’ve spent many hours researching and reviewing an itinerary for my trip with my boyfriend. We are both in our 30s, we enjoy a well rounded trip including cultural / city and lots of outdoors / hiking / biking. Our focus: day hikes in the mountains or alternative outdoors activities, cycling, cultural exposure.
Questions that we'd appreciate feedback on:
- General feedback on stops, timings, and if there are any we should drop or change or add
- In the itinerary, everything is doable by public transport, but for the days in the Alps, we were thinking of renting a car for a couple days, is it worth it ? Would it be better in Kanawaza ?
Thanks in advance for your help.
**Tokyo – 3 nights**
* Dates: Sept 27, 2024 to Sept 30, 2024
- Day 1 : Arriving on Sept. 27 in late afternoon from Canada to Narita airport, nothing planned except going to hotel (area TBD)
- Day 2 : full day in Tokyo
- Senso-ji temple
- Explore Asakusa
- Nakamise shopping street
- Tokyo skytree
- Day 3 : day trip to lake Kawaguchi or lake Ashi + Hakone (including Owakudani)
**Matsumoto – 2 nights**
* Dates: Sept 30, 2024 to Oct 2, 2024
- Day 4 : Train from Tokyo to Matsumoto in the morning + Matsumoto castle in afternoon
- Day 5 : Matsumoto full day
- Hiking in Matsumoto or cycling in Azumino
**Kamikochi- 2 nights**
* Dates: Oct 2, 2024 to Oct 4, 2024
- Day 6 : bus to Kamikochi + hike to Yokoo sanso lodge
- Day 7 : hike to Karasawa cirque + night in another lodge
**Nagano – 1 night**
* Dates: Oct 4, 2024 to Oct 5, 2024
- Mount Yakedake hike during the day
- Transport to Nagano in late afternoon/evening
- Look for baggage forwarding (or morning of day 8)
**Kanazawa – 3 nights**
* Dates: Oct 5, 2024 to Oct 8, 2024
- Day 9 : Alpen route from Nagano (train or bus from end of Alpen route to Kanazawa + pick-up baggages)
- Day 10 : Explore Kanazawa (+ maybe a day hike)
- Kenroku garden
- Walk in Nagamachi district
- Day 11 : day trip to Shirakawa-go + stop in Takayama
**Kyoto – 4 nights**
* Dates: Oct 8, 2024 to Oct 12, 2024
- Day 12 : early train from Kanazawa to Kyoto + afternoon in Kyoto
- Walking tour
- Kiyomizu-dera temple
- Shoren-in garden
- Chion-in temple
- Day 13 : full day in Kyoto
- Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine in morning
- Arashiyama + Jingo-ji temple in afternoon
- Day 14 : day trip to Osaka
- Osaka castle
- Walking around the city (Tennoji and Shinsekai districts)
- Day 15 :
- Half-day trip to Nara
- Ginkaku-ji temple + around in the afternoon\evening
**Fukuyama – 2 nights**
* Dates: Oct 12, 2024 to Oct 14, 2024
- Day 16 : Late afternoon train from Kyoto to Fukuyama
- Day 17 : Shimanami Kaido cycling + bus back from Imabari to Fukuyama (we are good cyclists, 70km in one day is okay)
**Hiroshima – 2 nights**
* Dates: Oct 14, 2024 to Oct 16, 2024
- Day 18 : early train from Fukuyama to Hiroshima + full day in Hiroshima
- peace memorial
- castle
- Orizuru tower
- Day 19 : Day trip to Miyajima
**Tokyo – 2 nights and departure**
* Dates: Oct 16, 2024 to Oct 18, 2024
- Day 20 : early train to Tokyo to enjoy the city
- Day 21 : full day in Tokyo
- Day 22 : Flight at 5:45PM
by jess013
