Hi all! Looking to get some feedback on the following itinerary for Late Summer this year.
Day 1 – Arrive + Meal
* Arrive HND ~4PM
* Dinner in Tokyo (Omakase Sushi Bar in Nihombashi)
* Stay with friends in Tokyo
Day 2 – Hakone Loop (weather permitting)
* Train Tokyo to Odawara
* Odawara Castle
* Hakone Tozan Railway/Cable Car to Gora
* Sengokuhara Susuki Grass Fields **
* Eat black eggs in Owakudani Valley
* Ropeway to Lake Ashinoko
* Hakone Sightseeing cruise
* Hakone Tozan Bus to Odawara
* Train Odawara to Tokyo
* Dinner in Tokyo
* Stay with friends in Tokyo
Day 3 – Fukushima Prefecture
* Train to Koriyama (2 hr from tokyo station 1)
* Get rental car
* Goshikinuma (5-color ponds)
* Cherry Trees along Kan-non-ji River **
* Shidahama Beach biking **
* Higashiyama Onsen Geisha performance
* Stay at Mukaitaki Ryokan
Day 4 – Aizu-Wakamatsu
* IImori Hill, last stand of white tiger corp **
* Tsurugajo castle
* Oyakuen Gardens (medicinal gardens) **
* Samurai Houses **
* Kamishiroya restaurant Buckwheat Soba
* Aizu Sauce Katsudon **
* Aizu Black Hair Wagyu
* Agemanju (deep-fried bean paste sweet) **
* Suehiro Sake Brewery
* Hotel New Palace
** **Plan A – Sendai** **
Day 5
* Kitakata Ramen (on the way out) **
* Risshakuji Temple (Yamadera)
* Akiu Great Falls
* Check into hotel by Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi
* Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Baseball
* Rakuten STAY x EAGLES
Day 6
* Matsushima Bay Hot air balloon bay view
* Morning market **
* Daikannon Colossus Statue **
* Zuihoden Temple (Masoleuom of Date Masamune) **
* Matsushima Bay Grilled Oysters **
* Drive back to Koriyama to return rental car
* Train back to Tokyo
** **Plan B – Niigata Prefecture** **
Day 5
* Drive to Niigata
* Kiyotsu Gorge
* Bijin-bayashi (Beauty Forest) **
* Hoshitoge Rice Terraces
* Takada Castle
* Stay in Jōetsu
Day 6
* Kōya-ike Hütte
* Naena Falls
* Itoigawa Beach (Jadite Beach) **
* Oyashirazu Beach
* Return Car in Nagano
* Train to Tokyo (2hr)
** **Back in Tokyo** **
Day 7
* Giants Baseball @ Tokyo Dome
* Imperial Palace and East Gardens**
* Asakusa Mini Pleasure Cruise**
* Corridor Gai (Kokappo Ohashi Ginza) OR an Izikaya
Day 8
* Sumo Tournament
* Head to Airport/Depart
“**” Denotes an “if time allows” — we can skip these if we are not feeling it at the time
Things we like – Food, History, Sports, Castles, Temples, Nature/Hiking
We will *not* have a fluent Japanese-speaking person with us.
Questions:
Sendai or Niigata?
Food or hotel recommendations?
Are we crazy?
Something we’re missing on the route? Bogus activities that we could skip?
Alternatives if there is poor weather in Hakone?
If we have 3 people, can we stay at a Ryokan?
Thanks for all your contributions to this wonderful subreddit. It has helped immensely! Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!
