I apologize in advance for being too wordy here. My previous post was removed as it only had my itinerary so i’m filling in all of the blanks here. 90 days is an awfully long time so i’ll try to be as brief as possible while still fulfilling the rules of this amazing subreddit.
I have been to Japan before, but that was \~12 years ago so perhaps much has changed. Back then, i had spent roughly 8 days in tokyo and 4 in kyoto. It left such a lasting impression on me, that i’ve decided to return and soak up more of it’s culture. I realize that there is a LOT to see and experience, but there’s so very little time. I generally enjoy traveling slow, but i’m attempting to compromise a bit on this trip to see as much as possible without feeling too rushed. With that being said, i’ve attempted to throw in a good mix of relaxation and exploration, and making sure to separate weeks with a lot of traveling far apart. i’ll be taking advantage of 宅急便 services so that my suitcase will never be a burden. I’ll also carry with me a backpack large enough to carry clothes good for a few days while i’m without my luggage.
I suppose that providing a little bit of detail about me might help you all with recommendations and such, so here it goes: Solo, introverted traveler in my 30s. I love nature but can also appreciate modern conveniences as well as advanced technology. I very much appreciate temples especially after having researched the landmarks’ history and significance, though i am a bit apprehensive of getting burnt out on them. I’d like to experience what it’s like living in a modern city, thus the long stays in Tokyo and Osaka. I’d like to be a regular at a convenience shop or maybe even a coffee house (though i don’t understand why so many open so late). I used to enjoy walking around late at night where i’m from here in San Francisco, but with the rise in violence, homelessness, etc, it’s something i haven’t done in a while so i’m very much looking forward to experience the night activites anywhere possible — live music venues, izakayas, random exploring through quiet neighborhoods. My favorite part of the day are the moments right before and after sunset because i like the way things appear as they bathe in softer (this word appropriate?) light. If ever i feel overwhelmed, or things are moving too fast and my energy is being depleted, i plan to simply find a peaceful place to read my books like going to a park. For this reason, i’ve also spaced out many onsen opportunities (do i have too many?).
Obviously i’m missing many interesting places of interest. I’d like to know if there are places i should omit/add, extend/shorten. I welcome any and all recommendations/critiques and I promise to keep an open mind! If there are lesser known regional cuisines that are ‘must haves’, i’d like to hear them. My budget for food is 100 dollars a day. I’m sure that’s enough to experience a handful of Michelin star restaurants, bib gourmand/michelin recommended, snacks at the conbinis and everything in between. I absolutely love ramen, so i’ll be having a ton of inexpensive meals to offset the costs of the pricier restaurants.
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**October 7 – 12:** Sapporo with side trips to Otaru, Ookeikyo Onsen, and possibly Lake Toya. Starting my trip off in Hokkaido! Since i won’t be renting a car and relying solely on public transportation, most of Hokkaido will be out of reach for me.. so i know it’s a shame. But still, i wanted to experience dining on the seafood that the region is known for as well as munching on regional specialties like Jinghis Khan and their style of ramen. Otaru looks like a quaint little town that would be worth exploring. In this leg of the trip, i get to experience my first onsen experience. I’ll also be riding a horse for my first time hopefully.
**October 13:** Hakodate. I’ll be passing through here, so i may as well stop by to pick up a Kaisendon right?
**October 14-15**: Aomori. Main highlight here for me will probably be Oirase stream/gorge
**October 16-18**: Nikko. Most itineraries i’ve seen are either 1/2 days here, so i wonder if I’m spending too much time? I’ve no interest in Edo Wonderland as it looks a bit touristy trappy but would consider if still if people say it’s worth it. Senjogara and the surrounding nature areas look amazing. Not sure if it’s possible to walk there late at night because I’ve actually never seen a sky full of twinkling stars due to light pollution. I’m thinking this is my best bet on my trip here in Japan
**October 19:** Kinugawa Onsen. Ryokan/Kaiseki meals/Onsen
**October 20 – November 14:** Tokyo with side trips to Yokohama, Kamakura/Enoshima, Kawagoe, Mount Takao, Mitake. I’ll be staying in Shinjuku for the entirety of my stay in Tokyo.
**Osaka November 15 – December 1**: Osaka with side trips to Nara, Mount Koya, Kyoto. Making my homebase in Osaka to explore the Kansei area. I will be dedicating a longer stay in Kyoto in early/mid december once the crowds die down a bit, but i can’t help but want to visit while the autumn colors are at their peak.
**December 2 – 4**: Hiroshima/Miyajima
**December 5 – 6:** Kurashiki, Okayama, Naoshima. Still contemplating on whether Naoshima will be something i enjoy. I can appreciate art, but it’s not usually something i go out of the way for. Kurashiki can be enjoyed for a handful of hours, so i figure i’d stop by on my way to Okayama.
**December 7**: Himeji/Kobe. Himeji during the day/afternoon, and then Kobe at night. I’m mostly just going to Kobe to enjoy the night view of the city.
**December 8 – 13**: Kyoto I’d like to explore by bike as much as possible. Separate days for exploring S. Higashiyama/Gion, N Higashiyama, Northwestern area, a few flex days to explore less popular areas. I want to do Arashiyama on the very last day here — hopefully they’ll start their Christmas illuminations.
**December 14-15:** Kinosaki Onsen. More onsen. looking forward to eating a ton of crab
**December 16-17:** Takayama/Shirakawago. The ride from Kinosaki Onsen to takayama is a long one. not sure if i will be spending enough time here.
**December 18-19**: Kawaguchiko: 2 days in case i decide to visit Fuji-Q
**December 20 – January 4:** Currently the plan is to go back to Tokyo (staying in Ginza), but i’m leaving it flexible in case there are areas i want to return to, or if i feel like exploring new areas. A friend of mine recommended the Izu peninsula, but aside from the ocean views, there doesn’t seem to be much else through my own research.
15 comments
Is this 2020 or 2021? Japan is closed to foreigners atm with no current mention of a date to allow entry again
If it were my trip I’d cut some time off Tokyo to explore deeper in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and near Takayama/Shirakawa-go/Matsumoto. Especially Hokkaido, Sapporo is a nice & chill city but there is not much special there vs going to the national parks elsewhere in Hokkaido.
Personally I love Izu Peninsula, it’s not just ocean views but also lots of historic ryokan and tourist attractions (wax museums etc), really the “Florida” of Japan. But in your case, given the season — if you want a summer vibe in autumn head to Izu, but otherwise I think I’d rather detour somewhere like a ryokan in Aomori Prefecture or to see autumn leaves at Matsushima…
And I’m curious why Kinugawa, when it’s known as one of Japan’s ugliest onsen, lol! Maybe Noboribetsu or Oku-Nikko/Chuuzenji ryokan is more amenable? If you want an ’80s’ experience specifically, I would recommend Atami over Kinugawa.
All in all though, great plan, bet you will have a blast.
Holy moly. Yeah I get it’s 90 days but you’re literally moving every 2-3 days and that’ll get exhausting. For 90 days you’d be better off giving yourself a week at each place respectively with maybe (a) day trip.
For the amount of time you have (if it even happens) you should spend time maximizing your stay to really explore a single area rather than changing scenery every other day Leaving you with barely anytime to do the highlight attraction per city.
I’m not going to tell you what you should cut or not but I do think you should try to make sure you give at least everyplace a week so that you’re spending more time off the trains than on them. You have 90 days. Why spend it “passing through” everywhere.
Sounds like one hell of trip. I wish I had the time to do one that long.
At 100$ a day on food, for sure there is no problem. On average, I’m pretty sure I would have been under 30$ a day if excluding kaiseki at ryokan.
For regional cuisine, just a bit of research can easily get you local dish options, I’ll name some I know.
Hakodate, yes, kaisendon, but more specific, Ika odori don, so rice bowl covered by freshly cut squid and salmon roe. The thing is, they have aquarium with live squid, it’s so fresh that the legs are still moving. Should be easy to find at Asaichi market next to Hakone station. Personally, I think it’w worth stopping for the night just to have the night view from the mountain, one of the best in Japan.
I would consider cutting some days in Tokyo or Osaka to stop in Sendai for 2-3 days, to see Yamadera and Matsushima.
Nikko I think is totally worth more than one day. Check to eat yuba and maybe stop to a ryokan that have a onsen, even if there is no meal included (might actually be better not to have them included for 3 days). You actually plan to stay 4 days, so might be a bit much for Nikko depending on what you want to do.
Kawagoe you have to try sweet potato based things, including ice cream.
Hiroshima is of course okonomiyaki, Miyajima oyster and momiji manju.
Personally I would make a stop in Onomichi for some good ramen, on the way to or back from Hiroshima. With the total time you have, it should be possible.
Kobe, I found that sobameshi is a local dish, I liked it.
Planning 2 nights in Kinosaki ? Honestly, there is nothing to do in Kinosaki, I would personally get there in mid afternoon enjoy some onsen before eating, some more after, next day if you want to stay for the longest you can get dinner and back to Kyoto later, going to Takayama from Kinosaki is a bad idea, it will take a lot of time, you can save that long travel by changing the order.
I would say from Okayama, go to Himeji in the morning/early afternoon, then take the train to Kinosaki (can be done in 2 hours), followed by Kyoto, then Takayama. Kobe can be done as a trip from Osaka.
One less visited place in Kyoto is Uji, have to try some matcha flavored things.
From Takayama, Kawaguchiko will be relatively long to reach as its not “on the way” to Tokyo. I would personally do it as a side trip from Tokyo, like check out of the hotel and ask them to keep the luggage for 1-2 day, and return there after. Kawaguchiko you have to try local udon called hoto, they have relly large noodles.
Izu is actually a onsen spot too.
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Actually, you have 3 onsen in your list, that is not that much for 3 months, I’ve been to 2 in 2 weeks last year.
If you don’t mind me asking but what’s your overall budget? Japan is on my bucket list
>October 14-15: Aomori. Main highlight here for me will probably be Oirase stream/gorge
>October 20 – November 14: Tokyo with side trips to Yokohama, Kamakura/Enoshima, Kawagoe, Mount Takao, Mitake. I’ll be staying in Shinjuku for the entirety of my stay in Tokyo.
I usually recommend taking things slower, but 6 weeks (over the course of the entire trip) is a lot of time to spend in Kanto, and a lot of the country will be going through peak fall foliage at this time. Maybe consider adding something like a night in Kakunodate after Aomori and then cutting up to Akita to take the scenic Inaho train down the western coast to Niigata, followed up with some time in Nagano and/or Hokuriku (either before or after Kanto).
Also, if you were to stay in one place for this long I would choose Kansai over Kanto. Kanto is great, but I feel like there’s even more to see Kansai and it’s more laid-back. It also has lots of areas nearby worth doing on bicycle (not just Kyoto) if you’re looking to make some cheaper, more free-form days.
>October 16-18: Nikko. Most itineraries i’ve seen are either 1/2 days here, so i wonder if I’m spending too much time? I’ve no interest in Edo Wonderland as it looks a bit touristy trappy but would consider if still if people say it’s worth it. Senjogara and the surrounding nature areas look amazing. Not sure if it’s possible to walk there late at night because I’ve actually never seen a sky full of twinkling stars due to light pollution. I’m thinking this is my best bet on my trip here in Japan
If you’re comfortable with renting a car, Nikko National Park is gorgeous and you could pretty easily fill a few days there. Otherwise spending the night is not a bad idea, but I think you’ll see most of what there is to see around the town in a single day.
>Osaka November 15 – December 1: Osaka with side trips to Nara, Mount Koya, Kyoto. Making my homebase in Osaka to explore the Kansei area. I will be dedicating a longer stay in Kyoto in early/mid december once the crowds die down a bit, but i can’t help but want to visit while the autumn colors are at their peak.
For a stay this long, I would definitely split it up between Osaka and Kyoto, with the greater bulk of the time in Kyoto–especially because late-November is the height of fall foliage there. Don’t miss the night openings and illuminations around this time at many sights around the city (especially temples in Higashiyama), and don’t skip Kobo-san on the 21st and Tenjin-san on the 25th (especially the latter–Kitanotenmangu is gorgeous in autumn).
>December 2 – 4: Hiroshima/Miyajima
>December 5 – 6: Kurashiki, Okayama, Naoshima. Still contemplating on whether Naoshima will be something i enjoy. I can appreciate art, but it’s not usually something i go out of the way for. Kurashiki can be enjoyed for a handful of hours, so i figure i’d stop by on my way to Okayama.
I would move one Hiroshima day to Onomichi (or add another day) and I would do Himeji Castle+Koko-en (do not skip this) on the way between Kobe and Okayama.
>December 8 – 13: Kyoto I’d like to explore by bike as much as possible. Separate days for exploring S. Higashiyama/Gion, N Higashiyama, Northwestern area, a few flex days to explore less popular areas. I want to do Arashiyama on the very last day here — hopefully they’ll start their Christmas illuminations.
Good idea as far as the bicycle exploration is concerned, but I would spend more time in Kyoto earlier both for the fall foliage and because it’s not as cold. I would do more time in Osaka/Kobe/Nara/Koya/other day trips (there are lots of potential ones). In addition to Arashiyama Hanatouro, you might consider going to the Kobe Luminarie.
>December 16-17: Takayama/Shirakawago. The ride from Kinosaki Onsen to takayama is a long one. not sure if i will be spending enough time here.
I would add a day or two in Kanazawa (the bus routes run from Takayama->Shirakawago->Kanazawa and the reverse, so whichever order you do them, Shirakawa-go should be in the middle) and maybe consider some additional day trips from Takayama or a night at Gero Onsen.
>December 20 – January 4: Currently the plan is to go back to Tokyo (staying in Ginza), but i’m leaving it flexible in case there are areas i want to return to, or if i feel like exploring new areas. A friend of mine recommended the Izu peninsula, but aside from the ocean views, there doesn’t seem to be much else through my own research.
Wherever you decide to go–look up what’s going on for new year in your area. Go do Hatsumode and Joya-no-kane, perhaps try to find a nice place to see the sunrise.
Hokkaido: If you are not renting a car, my advice would be to skip Hoheikyo area entirely, and add time to Hakodate (day trip to Onuma-koen) as reaching and getting back from Hoheikyo would be pretty painful.
Nikko: You can spend easily 5-6 days in Okunikko, if you are into hiking. Note that if you are reaching beyond Lake Chuzenji, realistically you have to base yourself in Lake Chuzenji area rather than Nikko itself.
Tokyo: While it is easy to spend a month in a Tokyo area itself and not run out of things to do, my advice would be to cut about 15 days total from your Kanto stay and delve into Japanese Alps, possibly visiting Kanazawa, Takayama/Shin-Hotaka area, Nagano/Matsumoto and Kiso Valley. This would be a better timing for the visit than after Kinosaki Onsen.
You could also base yourself for 4-5 days in Sendai to visit Geibikei Gorge, Matsushima Bay, Hiraizumi and Yamadera.
Kansai: Himeji and Kobe are easy day trips from either Osaka or Kobe. Note that I would probably cut 3-4 days to better time other parts of your trip.
Okayama/Kurashiki/Naoshima: I would extend your stay in this area to ~5 days and add Takamatsu (with Ritsurin), which is better base to visit art islands. Between Hiroshima and Okayama area, you can stop at Onomichi.
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Like some of the other redditors say, moving every few days is going to exhaust you fast. I spent 6 weeks in Japan at a time and mainly focussed on a handful places. I find that on the days you travel from one place to the next, I couldn’t really find much energy to do the explorations I planned to. That said, it’s really up to you and your experiences travelling.
One recommendation I do have is for Kobe. You said you are mostly there to enjoy the night view of the city, can I tempt you into exploring Nunobiki falls whilst you are there? As you are into nature, Nunobiki is a short trip from the centre of Kobe and it’s a very nice walk up to the waterfalls.
Say hello to the new year by greeting the year’s first sunrise in Isosaki-jinja in Oarai, Ibakari. 🙂 you’ll understand why once you look up pictures of the place.
Might as well stay in Oarai for a couple of days to get some quiet time that will prepare you for the approaching end of what looks like a wonderful trip 🙂
I’m gonna go with a really unpopular opinion here.
90 days as a traveler is too much, and you will get bored.
There, i said it.
I live in Japan and I LOVE my life here, I love japan, don’t get me wrong.
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But my main rule as a traveler was and is always gonna be : “Don’t over-extend your stay”
Too much sweet is gonna tire you, many of these rural places are different in many regards but will look the same, after a while you will have a lot of fatigue, another temple, another quaint house, another this, another that…
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I feel your trip is too hectic, too many stops, and too many days in places like osaka where in 5 days you will run out of stuff to do.
I’ve meet people who can travel to japan and will stay in their hotels/hostels for 3 or 4 days, and for them going to the conbini is traveling..
If you are that way, go for it.
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Other than that, I think you should consider do a month in japan, a month in china and a month in korea/SE asia
My own itinerary for this trip would be to visit Sapporo in December for the snow festival, and Hiroshima area earlier. I liked Fukuoka myself if that could be added. Two weeks in Osaka seems long, so I’d spend more time in Kyoto even with the additional time allocated later.
I would personally spend more time in Hiroshima, it is a rather large city as well.
Miyajima is a really cool island, but the floating torii will be under renovations for years. I hit it last year a month or two before. I would still spend at least a day there though. I spent a day there and still felt like there was more places to go, and shops to see.
Maybe this is personal preference but I would also hit up Sendai on your way out of Hokkaido (idk if you said you’re flying everywhere or driving). Sendai had some really beautiful fall colors too.
And personally I didn’t love Osaka a ton. I like it, and I LOVE the castle there. But the city is a totally different feel than Tokyo. It’s a little more dirty and gritty, or at least at night it was. You actually would see trash around too. And walking around at night out felt a little seedy and sketchy at times. I can’t decide if I think Osaka or Okinawa is Japan’s redneck side.
Also… unpopular opinion, I find Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki to be vastly superior to Osaka’s.
There are lots of places I’ve went to in Japan that I enjoyed but didn’t fully live up to the hype. But there are still so many places I want to see as well.
Between Osaka and Kyoto is the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery. If you have any interest in that, they have a tasting room where you can try some pretty rare whiskeys of theirs for pretty cheap.