I just got my plane tickets for Japan for end of March into beginning of April 2025 but it was a lot cheaper to add an extra day then originally planned, so I need to plan 2 nights somewhere. I'd leave Kyoto in the morning via train, spend the afternoon, the next day, and the following morning somewhere, before heading to Tokyo/the airport to fly home on my 6pm flight.
It will be at the end of a long 2.5 weeks of travelling, so I and my feet will be very tired, so I do plan to take wherever I visit slow. I love nature, hiking (6km or so at most), gorgeous views, pretty towns, beautiful sites, and I really want to be able to see lots of cherry blossoms, since it will be April 8-10th and hopefully still in bloom.
Preferably within 2 hours train from Tokyo/Haneda. I don't like long bus rides, so needs to be accessible mostly by train. I want to book early since I figured things would sell out as we got closer to cherry blossom time, plus I just like having hotels and trains booked in advanced for peace of mind.
I was originally floating the idea of Hiroshima, but I don't want to do a 4-hr train ride the morning of a 14-hour flight, not do I want to risk being so far away from the airport in case something happens. Same thing for staying in Osaka and visiting Himeji. Even a 3-hour train ride from Tokyo the same day as my flight seems risky to me.
I am currently debating between Lake Kawaguchiko and Kamakura/Enoshima but open to any other suggested place. I've read that Kamakura/Enoshima might be a little disappointing or repetitive after Hakone/Kyoto/Nara but also that it is worth visiting. It seems like there might not be a ton to do at Lake Kawaguchiko, but there is a cherry blossom festival, and I love walking around those kinds of things. But I might be too tired/my feet hurt too much to want to do much of any hiking. Plus, no idea how the weather will be (though rain never stopped me from having fun). I can also just stay in Tokyo and do a day trip to Kamakura/Enoshima, but it seems like it's best early in the morning and at night when day trippers leave. So, any help or advice is much appreciated. I think my brain is just getting tired of making decisions lol.
My current itinerary is… (sorry it's such a stereotypical route, but first trip to Japan and all lol)
- 1. Arrive in Tokyo mid afternoon
- 2. Disney
- 3. Disney
- 4. Disney
- 5. Disney to Hakone
- 6. Hakone
- 7. Hakone to Tokyo
- 8. Tokyo
- 9. Tokyo
- 10. Tokyo
- 11. Tokyo to Kyoto
- 12. Kyoto
- 13. Kyoto
- 14. Kyoto day trip to Osaka
- 15. Kyoto day trip to Nara
- 16. Kyoto to ???
- 17. ???
- 18. ???, then fly home 6pm
Thanks for any and all help and advice!!
by -lover-of-books-