Hi All,
We husband and I are first-time visitors to Japan and plan to start our trip the first week of June 2025. The first two weeks are mostly planned, but I’m stuck on the last week. It would be great to be able to visit both Kanazawa /Nagano as well as Kamikochi/ Matsumoto, but I’m not sure how to do this without shortening my time in Kyoto or Tokyo.
I would love your help! Any feedback/advice/recommendations on the draft itinerary below would be very much appreciated 😊
Osaka
Day 1: Travel Day
Day 2: Arrive in the evening in Osaka; go to the hotel
Day 3: Spend day in Osaka recovering from jet lag; spend night in Osaka
- Osaka Castle
- Dotonbori
- Namba Parks
- Buy hiking poles somewhere
Kumano Kodo – Nakahechi Route
Day 4: Take train from Osaka to Tanabe; then bus to start of hike in Takijiri. Hike from Takijiri to Takahara
Day 5: Hike from Takahara to Tsugizakura-oji and spend night there
Day 6: take bus from Tsugizakura-oji to Hosshinmon-oji; walk from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine; take bus from Hongu to Yunomine Onsen
Day 7: short bus ride to Ukegawa; hike to Koguchi
Day 8: hike from Koguchi to Kumano Nachi Taisha; spend night in Kii-Katsuura
Day 9: train from Kii-katsuura to Shingu; travel to Kyoto
- Take train to Shingu; Visit Kumano Hayatama Taisha Grand Shrine and Kamikura-Jinja Shrine
- Take train back to Kii-katsuura; pick up luggage at the hotel/train station
- take train from Kii-katsuura to Kyoto; eat dinner at Honke Daiichi-Asahi for ramen, right next to train station
- spend night in Kyoto at Kyoto Granbell Hotel
Kyoto
Day 10: Downtown Kyoto
- Sleep in! Chill day…
- Nishiki Market
- After strolling through the market, head to WEEKENDERS COFFEE TOMINOKOJI for coffee and visit some nearby shops
- Go for a walk through Pontocho Alley
- Nijō Castle
- Eat at Chao Chao Sanjo Kiyamachi for gyoza
Day 11: Kyoto – Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, and Philosopher’s Path
- Take first train out to Arashiyama; From Kyoto Station, take the Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama station, then walk from Saga-Arashiyama to the Bamboo Grove; enter via the north exit of Tenryu-ji Temple
- Visit Okochi Sanso Villa. Take the free tea and treat they give you after visiting.
- lunch at Arashiyama (maybe just pack a picnic lunch to bring with us and eat at park)
- take taxi to Golden Pavilion
- From the Golden Pavilion, grab a taxi over to the Philosopher’s Path
- Dinner at nearby Omen Ginkaku-ji – Udon Noodle Restaurant
Day 12 – Kyoto – Historic Kyoto and Temples
- Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
- Kiyomizu-dera temple – visit the last two hours (4-6pm)
- Dinner – Monk, Sojiki Nakahigashi, or LURRA
Day 13: Fushimi Inari and Beyond
- Begin the day with the earliest train out to get to Fushimi Inari Taisha.
- walk over to Tōfuku-ji Temple
- Free Afternoon! Day trip to Nara?
Day 14: Travel from Kyoto to Kanazawa
- Take train from Kyoto to Kanazawa in morning
- Visit Kenrokuen Garden
- Spend night in Kanazawa
Day 15: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Early in the morning, travel from Kanazawa to Toyama and traverse the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route; spend night in Nagano
- Should we break this up into two days and spend the night in Murodo?
Day 16: Make a day trip to Yamanouchi to see the snow monkeys in Jigokudani Monkey Park.
- Is it worth visiting the Monkey Park in June? Most of the pics I’ve seen only show the park covered in snow.
Day 17: Nagano to Nikko. Lake Chūzenji; Lake Yunoko; Nikko Suginamiki Kaido
- I chose Nikko because it looked like it had a lot of fun outdoor activities to do, but would it be better to go straight to Tokyo? And then maybe do a day trip from there? I originally wanted to visit Hakone or the 5 Lakes area to see Mt. Fuji, but it seems like due to cloud cover trying to see Mt. Fuji in June isn’t going to work.
Day 18: Nikko to Tokyo
- Take train to Tokyo in the morning
- Shinjuku – spend night at Hotel Cen?
- Gracery Hotel to see Godzilla
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden???
- teamLab Borderless in Azabudai
- Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho and Golden Gai Food Tour
Day 19: Tokyo – Shibuya
- Breakfast at Katsuo Shokudo
- Shibuya Scramble
- Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience
- Azuki to Kouri – Kakigori shaved ice
- Tsutaya Books Daikan-yama
- Gotokuji Temple
- sunset at Shibuya Sky
Day 20: Tokyo
- Tsukiji Market for breakfast
- Nakamise
- Walk to Kappabashi Street via Hoppy Street
- Return to hotel and begin travel back home
Day 21: Home
by Sad-Chipmunk7369
