I plan on spending the month of November in Japan in late fall. For 9 of those days I will be with mates, for the remainder I'll be traveling solo. I enjoy nature, being active, and cultural immersion so the solo leg of the trip I'd like to prioritize walking in nature and hiking, cycling, historic sites, exploring urban areas, and living like a local. With mates, we will likely do classic tourism, sightseeing and various otaku type stuff.
- Tokyo: 8 days including day trips to surrounding areas like Kamakura and Hakone
- Fujikawaguchiko: 2 days for Fuji views and hikes, open to other options here. Was considering Yamanokako as well for cycling
- Tokyo: 4 days (with mates)
- Osaka: 2 days (with mates)
- Kyoto: 3 days (with mates)
- Kyoto: 5 days including day trips to surrounding areas like Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima
That leaves me with another 5-6 days and I'm thinking Hokkaido for all or part of that time. I would love to see Daisetsuzan national park, but I don't know if Hokkaido is worth it for the park alone. I could tack Hokkaido on either before or after the proposed itinerary, the only non-negotiable times are the days I'm traveling with mates. Feedback and suggestions are welcome!
Bonus: I am aiming to spend two weeks in Southeast Asia. Thinking about a week in Thailand and a week in Vietnam, but open to country suggestions! I'd like this leg of the trip to be a little more chill than Japan, but still get in some nature, activity, and historic sites. Any recommendations for doing that before or after Japan? If before, I would visit SEA and start Japan with mates and add the extra Tokyo days and Fuji after Kyoto. I'm a little concerned about doing the time in SEA after most likely adding another bag of luggage from shopping in Japan.
by mnimum-viable-player