I'll land in Tokyo on the 25th of October. I thought i'd spend a week in Tokyo, then 8 days in the Japanese Alps before going down to Kyoto for 6 days. I was wondering if my Alps itinerary made sense and isn't a logistical nightmare. My main goals are to experience authentic architecture and culture, small mountain villages and onsen towns, try to avoid to crowds and do a couple of light to medium hikes as i love the outdoors.
Here's how i planned it out :
- Day 1 : Train from Tokyo to Matsumo in the early morning.
Visit the Castle in the afternoon
Walk around town.
- Day 2 : Early bus to Kamikochi.
Check in, walk around the city.
light hike along the river
Onsen
- Day 3 : Kamikochi – Full Hike day
Start early morning for a longer hike. ( haven't decided yet but Dakesawa trail looks promising, though a bit short )
Late afternoon bus to Takayama
Ryokan if i can find something that fits in my budget.
- Day 4 : Takayama – I just love the vibe here. I added an extra day to relax
Morning market strolls and taking it slow to explore the town
Restaurant and Onsen in the evening.
I hear a lot of things about Shirakawa-go, but from what i can gather, it is very small and often crowded. Don't know if it is worth checking it out in the morning.
- Day 5 : Takayama to Nakatsugawa on wide view train.
Bus to Magome after arrival.
Hike Magome to Tsumago.
Experience the small post towns by night, and onsen.
Either overnight in Tsumago, or continue on the Nakasendo to Nojiri. I hear it is quieter and less touristy, though i don't know about the accommodation options there.
- Day 6 : ( if overnight in Tsumago ) Hike to Nojiri, and on to Kyoto by train.
Now, i am aware this is pretty hectic, but i thought 6 days in Kyoto afterwards will balance things out and allow me to relax a little bit more.
As you can surely notice, there are only 6 days in this itinerary here. I have kept 2 extra days as bonus, to add wherever you see fit in order to space things out a bit better.
I have also been told that renting a car would make this itinerary much smoother, as buses can sometimes be erractic. I'm just hesitant about driving on the left side as i have never done that, and my preference would be to keep it to public transportation … But if it will really make things better, i am willing to consider it.
I could really use some help from the experts around here. What would you do differently ? What would you simplify, add, retract ?
Thanks a lot guys
by acutenugget