Hi everybody. I have been lurking for a bunch of weeks and have learned a lot. Now ready to post my itinerary for feedback! We are going from May 3 – May 17.
There are 6 of us going, all celebrating our 60th. We are looking to minimize time in museums and not super interested in shrines or temples, aside from the major ones. We are very interested in local culture, food, and definitely nature and the outdoors. We do have a preference for having fewer hotel switches but was hard to eliminate any. Eg, thought of day tripping to Hiroshima but after looking at trains, realized it would just be too limiting to be tied to the train and seemed better to just change hotels. We will pack light!
Please share any and all suggestions. Thank you so much!
Eric
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**May 3rd: Departure from NYC**
**May 4th – May 8th: Tokyo**
* **Day 1**: Arrival / Explore Shinjuku: Visit Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, explore Omoide Yokocho.
* **Day 2**: Visit Studio Ghibli Museum, explore Shibuya including the famous Shibuya Crossing and Nonbei Yokocho.
* **Day 3**: Day trip to Suntory’s Hakushu Distillery located in the forested mountains of the Japanese Alps.
* **Day 4**: Visit Tsukiji Fish Market, explore the Ginza district.
* **Day 5**: Attend a baseball game in Tokyo Dome or Meiji Jingu Stadium.
**May 9th – May 10th: Hakone**
* **Day 1**: Travel to Hakone, start the Hakone Loop including Open Air Museum, Hakone Ropeway, and Owakudani Valley. Overnight in a ryokan.
* **Day 2**: Complete Hakone Loop with Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine. Another night in the ryokan.
**May 11th – May 14th: Kyoto**
* **Day 1**: Travel to Kyoto. Visit Nijo Castle and explore the Gion district.
* **Day 2**: Visit the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery in the morning. Spend the afternoon in Kyoto, visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
* **Day 3**: Take a day trip to Miyama to see the traditional thatched-roof houses and experience rural Japan.
* **Day 4**: Walk the Philosopher’s Path and explore other parts of Kyoto.
**May 15th – May 16th: Hiroshima**
* **Day 1**: Travel to Hiroshima. Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, try Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki.
* **Day 2**: Explore Hiroshima more or take a ferry to Miyajima Island to see the famous Itsukushima Shrine (even if you’re not into shrines, the island itself is picturesque with roaming deer).
**May 17th – May 19th: Osaka**
* **Day 1**: Visit Dotonbori, attend a baseball game in Osaka Dome.
* **Day 2**: Visit Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building.
* **Day 3**: Consider a day trip to Kobe, explore the Sake breweries, and enjoy Kobe beef.
**May 19th: Return to Tokyo and Departure**
4 comments
I’d recommend checking out Himeji for the castle and garden. It’s an original (Osaka is a reproduction) and is really spectacular to visit. You could do it on the way to or from Hiroshima, or as a day trip from Osaka/Kyoto.
I also hate changing hotels. I had the same dilemma as you are facing regarding the time involved going to Hiroshima. I solved it in a slightly crazy way by just not checking out of our Kyoto hotel (we got a ridiculously low nightly rate), and essentially having two hotels for the one night we stayed in Hiroshima. Allowed us to leave all our luggage in our room in Kyoto, and just packing an overnight bag for Hiroshima. Cost us an extra 100$ that I don’t regret.
Osaka and Kyoto are also close enough that you could use one or the other as a base, rather than change hotels. From what you’ve mentioned, I feel like you could easily go back and forth from Kyoto, especially if you pick a hotel close to a train line.
Do take advantage of luggage forwarding. As an example, send your bags from Tokyo to Kyoto, and just pack a smaller overnight bag for Hakone. Makes it way easier to not have to worry about storage lockers and lugging around large suitcases on the trains. Just talk to the reception at the hotel to organize it for you.
Another suggestions would be to do a tea ceremony and /or a kimono rental. Both experiences that you won’t find outside of Japan.
There is a free audio guides for the Imperial palaces (same official app covers both Tokyo and Kyoto). They also do English guided tours, but didn’t manage to snag a spot when I was there.
Have fun!
Make sure you spend time knowing when the buses run to and from Miyama and when the buses run within Miyama if you are not planning to get there via rental car. I would look up actual bus schedules, do not rely on Google Maps.
Unless you are fascinated by the siege of Osaka Castle (which is interesting but it has to be something that specifically interests you.) then I would skip Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle is a great museum about Osaka in the early 1600s, shaped like a castle.
Make sure you know how to enter the lottery to get tickets for the Suntory Tour and how to get there:
[https://www.suntory.com/factory/hakushu/access/](https://www.suntory.com/factory/hakushu/access/)
Japan also has very strict laws involving alcohol and driving, I would not want to get on the wrong side of those, if you were planning to rent a car.
Be aware you are unlikely to want or to use a JR Rail Pass, as the rates are going up on 10/1 and it will be very hard to make the new rates work for most trips to Japan.
None of your Osaka days seem to involve late nights in Osaka. you could stay the whole time in Kyoto and ask your Kyoto hotel to hold any larger luggage for you while you go to Hiroshima. Many hotels will. You would not then need to pay for nights in Kyoto you are not using. I stayed in one of my Tokyo Hotels the night of June 30th. They then held my two check in sized bags until July 5th, when I checked back in, and I took just two small carry on sized wheelies and my daughter’s violin around Tohoku from the nights of the 1st through 4th.
Good luck!
Hi! Congratulations to you all for #60!! Hope you enjoy your stay in Japan!
Regarding whisky factories, both seems to ask for reservation, and
– Hakushu factory only accepts booking through phone call…haha
– Yamazaki factory only accepts booking online, for May visit, that should start at top of April
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I used to be a Kyoto tour guide, and from that perspective,
I would recommend [this place](https://nijyojinya.net/english/) for May 11, if you’re interested. This place was used as an accommodation for local samurai’s coming to the castle to greet to the Shogun, therefore the structure is like a ninja house, many tricks everywhere. Although you need a JP speaker with you, it is worthwhile visiting. If I’m around I might be able to be a guide there haha
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Regarding baseball, Koshien stadium can be your alternative for May 17. Koshien will celebrate 100th anniversary, regarded as the origin of Japan baseball. Hanshin Tigers is playing really well this year and their fan’s passion (including me haha) is known as the best in Japan.
Anyway, for the latest schedule and the access info, I think you can ask [them](https://www.japansportsticket.com/) for info and help, quite helpful.
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! All are appreciated. We have decided to extend the stay in Kyoto and not stay over in Osaka. We are not late night people. And great suggestion to leave bags behind in Kyoto when going to Hiroshima. Thank you and please share any additional ideas!