Hi community!
A friend and I are flying to Japan in mid-to-late October.
We would appreciate any feedback / recommendations for alternatives to our itinerary.
Introduction
In general, we would like a relaxing holiday. To avoid stress, we plan to visit only one to two destinations per day. We would like to go on lots of nature trips and eat good food (we will consult Tableog reviews to find restaurants). We would also like to see some classic sights, such as the Torii Gates and Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, the Shinto Shrine in Nikko and TeamLab in Tokyo. As we don't like crowds, we will try to visit these destinations on weekdays, either very early or very late.
We have two additional questions:
- Are there any lesser-known alternatives to the destinations we have chosen that are still beautiful and not so crowded? We love doing fun things and would like to see autumn leaves for example.
- We are considering skipping Hakone and spending an extra day in Kyoto, Nikko and Tokyo instead. What do you think?
This is our itinerary so far:
Kyoto (11–16 October)
- On arrival, we will relax after the 20-hour flight at our house in Fushimi Ward.
- Day trip to Uji and the Senbon Torii.
- Day trip to Nara
- Day trip to the bamboo forest and national or botanical garden
- Day trip to Lake Biwa
Hakone (16–18 October)
- Relax in Hakone – the house is near Deto Park.
- Day trip to Lake Ashi and the Hakone Ropeway.
- Bathing in onsen/hot springs
Nikko (18 to 23 October):
- Arrival: relax at Hotel in Tokonoro (Mariott Tochigi Nikko).
- Day trip: Visit shrines (Toshogu, Rinnoji and Tamazowa Villa) and the Kanaya Hotel History House.
- Day trip: Hike to the Kanmangafuchi Abyss.
- Day trip: Kirifuri Falls
- Day trip: Lake Chuzenji
- Bathing in onsen/hot springs
Tokyo (23rd to 31st October – my friend is leaving on the 25th).
- Arrival: We're not sure which part of the city we want to stay in yet, but probably Shinagawa as we're leaving via Haneda.
- Day trip: Imperial Garden/Palace + Hama Rikyu
- Day trip: Akihabara
- Day trip: Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree and Rikugien
- Day trip: Climbing gym and Shinjuku Garden
by EldoFlaton