A 3 night stay between Kanazawa & Okayama

Hello again. I am still planning my next trip to Japan, my 6th. However I just cannot get the itinerary to settle down so I am open to your suggestions. I have hotels booked in Kanazawa & Okayama but am at a loss as to where to stop for three nights between March 22nd & 25th. I would like to go somewhere I have not been before which rules out Kyoto, Nara & Osaka. I will be travelling on a rail pass & will have my bicycle with me so wherever I go needs to be easily accessable. Thanks in advance

Hi Stan: from your profile it looks like you have already been to both Takamatsu and Takayama? SO, discounting them, suggestions I would have would then be:
1. maybe extend your time in Kanazawa, and head up to the Noto Peninsular: we did a one day bus trip up there and just loved it: Wajima, Sojiji Temple, coastal caves, beach: just a great day.
2. Shirakawago is awesome...well worth the bus trip there, and an overnight stay would be excellent as well.
3. Nagoya: I know its another big city, but we love it, with side trips to Inuyama (a bike would be VERY handy there to get to and from the garden near the castle)or the Ise Shrines.
Nagoya itself has lots to offer with a bike: its a fairly flat city......Noritake, Nagoya Castle esp now it has the new part opened: and in Cherry blossoms it is superb; Toyota stuff if you like cars....
Great food esp around the station....as i said, we are different to most and love Nagoya
There are no doubt a million other places.......and others will no doubt help!!
Not sure if this is helpful....enjoy your 6th trip!!

fmj. Thank you very much for your reply, it is very helpful as I dont just want to repeat previous visits. I do intend to cyle up to the Noto peninsula while in Kanazawa, it's one of the reasons I am going there :) Nagoya is an interesting idea as it would offer access to Ise or the Kiso valley which I would really like to revisit. I had never even thought of Inuyama and it does sound very interesting and is the sort of idea I was looking for.

Doitashimashite!!

Fukui is a nice place to stay. Fukui city itself has a few nice places, like Yokokan Garden and Ichijodani.

But Fukui City is convenient for visiting nearby places in the prefecture, such as Eiheiji Temple, Maruoka Castle (one of the originals, like Inuyama Castle), and the Tojimbo Cliffs.

Hikone is a nice place for a day to see the castle, museum, garden, castle town, etc.

You could take a ferry to Chikubushima Island in Lake Biwa to visit Hogonji Temple and Tsubusuma Shrine.

If you want to use your bike, Obama City has its own 8 temple pilgrimage that is popular to do by bike because the temples are a bit spread out.

The Kohoku area of Nagahama (Shiga Prefecture) also has a temple cycling route. It's only 5 temples and seems like it is not a difficult ride.

Asuka in Nara Prefecture is also a good place for biking if that wasn't part of your previous Nara trip.

Rabbityama. Thanks. I will look into info on Fukui. Part of my question was to see how long it would take someone to mention Hikone :) I stayed there last visit & was thinking of going back. It's a lovely place. I thouroughly enjoyed the castle & museum & Ryotan-ji was an unexpected treat.

Thanks again to both fmj & Rabbityama. I have decided to go for Nagoya and have mapped a nice little 115km bike ride from Inuyama up to Nagiso & Magome & ending at Nakatsugawa.

Oh I won! lol

I don't know what your Okayama plans are, but if you have an interest in the authentic castles, I do highly recommend Bitchu Matsuyama Castle in Takahashi. In terms of atmosphere, it's definitely above the rest. It's also literally above the rest, since it's the nation's highest castle...

I tried to ride there on my last visit but didnt make it. I gave up near Mt Myoken after doing 80km & turned downhill to Bitchutakamatsu. I will definately be having another go this time. Thanks again.