Together with a friend I’m currently planning a two week trip to Western Japan this November. It’s my third time and my friend’s second time in Japan, but our first together (though we have travelled together before). Our starting and end point will be Osaka/Kyoto. We will primarily use public transportation.
Both of us want to enjoy nature and hot springs. My friend has tattoos that can’t be covered by stickers, so we have picked Onsen spots that are known for being open and great to guests with tattoos. We also enjoy art museums, temples, ruins, and I especially like modern art. My friend really likes studio Ghibli.
Plan
2 nights i Osaka – 1 night on Miyajima – 1 night in Hiroshima – 1 night in Matsuyama – 3 nights in Okayama – 1 night at Kinosaki Onsen – 5 nights in Kyoto.
Saturday & Sunday: Arriving to Osaka in the afternoon on Saturday. Eat some good food. Enjoy the jetlag and walk around Dotonbori. Do some light shopping (One piece, Muji, Pokemon centre) and visit the top of Tsutenkaku.
Monday: Osaka —> Itsukushima/Miyajima (train + ferry: 2h 30 min). Stay at a ryokan, and explore and hike to the top of the island.
Tuesday: Itsukushima/Miyajima —> Hiroshima (ferry + train: 1h). Have a nice long morning on Miyajima. Around lunch we travel back to Hiroshima. Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art and see the sunset at the top in Hijiyama park. Have okonomiyaki for dinner.
Wednesday: Hiroshima —> Matsuyama (train + ferry + train: 3h). Hiroshima peace memorial museum in the morning. Have some lunch on the train. In the late afternoon walk up to Matsuyama castle.
Thursday: Matsuyama —> Okayama (train: 2h 50 min). Experience Dogo Onsen in the morning. After lunch, travel to Okayama. Arrive in time for dinner. Early evening.
Friday: Visit Okayama Korakuen in the morning and leave for Kurashiki in time for lunch. Explore the historical quarters and if we feel like it, the Ohara museum of art.
Saturday: Daytrip to Naoshima. Rent bikes, and explore. Visit Benesse House Museum. Find a beach and take a swim if the weather is great.
Sunday: Okayama —> Himeji —> Kinosaki Onsen (train: 20 min + 1h 50 min). Visit Himeji castle on the way. Once in Kinosaki, stay at a ryokan and eat some great crab. Visit some onsens.
Monday: Kinosaki Onsen —> Kyoto (train: 2h 40 min). Onsen hopping, maybe go for a hike, and have some dinner before we get on the train.
Tuesday-Saturday: Kyoto. If we manage to get tickets we will do a daytrip to Ghibli park and visit the Nintendo Museum. Explore and see the autumn colors in the Arashiyama area one day and do TeamLabs as a evening activity. Spend one early morning walking around in Fushimi Inari. Flying home really late on Saturday.
Questions/feedback
- Is Naoshima doable as a daytrip or should we stay the night there? Is Teshima worth visiting as well?
- Will Okayama Korakuen be worth a visit in November? I visited Hirosaki in April last year, and while the park with all the cherry blossoms was absolutely amazing, the botanical garden wasn't much to see.
- This isn’t really a shopping trip for either of us, but I would love suggestions for markets where people sell handcrafted items. I went to Tokyo romantic market in Shibuya last time and really enjoyed it!
- As both of us have already been to Kyoto we are thinking of moving one or two of those nights. We’d like to spend at least one day hiking and see some great autumn leaves somewhere along our itinerary, and would love to hear some suggestions!
Thank you for your help!
by This-Green-1205