My first trip to Japan (3-weeks itinerary)

10 comments

1. You may need to find that you’re going to have to sprinkle in some slower days. All of this is doable and some busier than others, but unless you’re used to being out and about for 10-12 hours a day for 3 weeks straight, the days themselves might be possible, but stacked on top of each other it can add up.

2. What things most interest you about Japan? What are your favorite things to do while traveling? Do you like the bustling city environment or the calmness of the countryside? You & your spouse.

   That will dictate how long to spend where.

3. I’m thinking of a somewhat similar itinerary but instead thinking of starting in Hiroshima and making my way to Tokyo. Will do Hiroshima – Osaka – Kyoto – Kanazawa (not decided) – Tokyo <> Hakone

4. Looks like an amazing trip. How did you create this itinerary? Did you just google or use AI?

5. This is giving me post Japan holiday blues. I went to Japan last November from the 10th to the 29th with my partner.

   One thing I will say is try not to plan too much on the first day as tiredness may likely catch up with you. However you arrive in the mornings you may be ok. I underestimated how tired we’d be after an 18+ hour flight from the UK and ended up skipping part of our itinerary for that day.

   Whilst I didn’t go to Nikko, I’ve seen many people say a day trip is not long enough due to the travel time required.

   You’re in Tokyo for several days but don’t actually spend much time in Tokyo. There’s so much to see. I regret not staying longer. For Kamakura, you could try adding Enoshima instead of Yokohama as they’re so close together it makes perfect sense to go to both.

   Regarding Kawaguchiko, we stayed for one night in a Ryokan and wish we made it two because the area and the hotel was so nice we didn’t get to enjoy it fully due to the traveling and arriving in the afternoon later than expected. We hired bikes and cycled to the Maple Corridor the next day, which had a festival on at the time. Also, due to the poor weather, we couldn’t see Fuji and the 2nd day. So, prepare to be potentially disappointed.

   If you want to go to Miyajima (I’d recommend it, it was one of our favourite places) I’d recommend staying on the island for the night. The crowds were heaving. Staying on the island allowed us to take the ropeway without waiting for too long. When we came back down, the waiting time must have been for over an hour.

6. There is no way you will be able to do all of these things in a 1 days span unless you wake up at 4-5am which is not realistic because you need to rest due to the heat and walking 30k steps daily.

7. The travel time from Osaka to Takayama (via train) is pretty significant. To arrive “in the morning” will require an early rise!

   Double-check the hours on the places you want to visit. Lots of places – temples, castles, etc – are 0900 to 1700.

   Nov 30 is a Sunday, and it used to be that the rockabilly clubs hang out at the entrance of Yoyogi park in the late mornings / afternoon. Yoyogi and Meiji Jingu are right next to each other, so you might swap things around a bit.

   Osaka to Himeji to Miyajima and back to Osaka would be a lot. You’re looking ~3 hours by train to hope that the tide is up at Miyajima to get the best picture. Miyajima is nice, but I’m not sure if it is worth quite *that much* effort.

   It’s already been mentioned, but make your tier-list and give yourselves room to do things that strike your mood and energy levels. Presumably you aren’t a content creator, so slow down a bit and be a memory maker.

8. I would say Kawaguchiko is worth staying a night. There’s a lot to do there and the surrounding areas. The momiji festival should be happening during the time y’all are going too. There’s also the infamous pagoda shot with Fuji-san in the background nearby if you didn’t already know.

   Also, the ryokans on the Northside of the lake provide awesome views, especially the rooms with the private open air onsens. The private, open air onsens are a lot more expensive though; ~$400 per person, per night. I highly recommend those rooms if you have the budget for it. If you’re interested in the ryokans north of the lake, I have a list that I made when I researched it a few years ago.

   As for the day trip to Miyajima, I’d say go as early as possible because it takes ~2hrs to get to the island. I would say you’d want to get to the Island before 10 a.m. because the sun sets early in November and shops close around 5 p.m.

   One last thing I would like to say is to be as flexible as possible on your trip. Have your dates for your cities, but be open to not following your itinerary when you’re in those cities. Have a list of your spots you want to check out, but don’t be set on checking them out on a certain day. I think you’ll enjoy your trip more this way.

9. Way way way too many things planned, remove half the stuff if you don’t want to just run from one thing to another without enjoying

10. Just soak it all in, try everything (yes, even the convenience store snacks), and enjoy the ride. It’s a trip you won’t forget!

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