Itinerary advice in August for 10-12 days

My partner and I would like to travel to Japan in mid August for 10-12 days from Australia.

Does anyone have suggestions for an itinerary which is not too fast a pace? Would like to start in Tokyo and maybe visit Osaka and anything in between. Interested in everything to suit 55-60 year olds.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400_tokyo_10.html

Don't know what you are interested in, but maybe see if the above itinerary interests you? (The above assumes you fly in and out of Narita airport.) Enjoy planning!

Note that in August it will be pretty hot and humid, and coming from winter in Australia you should be well prepared for the heat :)

Yep Jobb I'm from Oz too, and summer in Japan is like nothing I've experienced on the Gold Coast - maybe Melbourne or Adelaide in a heat wave.

I'd suggest stay out of the cities which tend to be hotter IMO, and Kyoto gets really hot, and try for some places that are a bit cooler along the mountainous areas, eg Nikko, Karuizawa, Kamikouchi on to Takayama and Shirakawa, then maybe Kanazawa then back from there to Kyoto (well you cant miss it completely) and Nara, maybe Hiroshima and Miyajima.

Check those places out on this site and let us know if that is your thing then people could help you out with a decent travel plan.

You could always go further north of Tokyo, or up to Hokkaido, but I've never been in 10 trips, so I cant help you with what is good.

Thank you both for your suggestions. We will definitely look at the places you suggest to avoid as much of the heat as possible and will keep you posted.

We've experienced the Gold Coast heat and don't find it too bad. I hear that it is humid so I wonder if it's more like the heat in the tropics. I find the heat in Melbourne to be more a dry heat. Nevertheless I'm sure we will cope.

Yeah I wouldnt stress. I've been in late June a few times and in September a couple as well, and those trips have been excellent once we were out of the cities. And it can get drizzly as well that time of year which cools it down.

Really good time of year for food, as well.

It is crazy hot and humid on those days, as Lazy Pious has indicated.

I suppose that there hold many fire works in Japan as not to recognize it is too hot.

Kyoto is really hot those days.

So kyoto resident go out of doors, or go north to Kibune to have luch dipping their legs in the stream called Kawadoko.

Please visit cooler areas for your health.

Thanks Lazy Pious and biwakoman.

We would like to stay at a Ryokan which has Onsen (would it be too hot at this time of year to consider bathing in Onsen?) If worthwhile, where would you suggest?

We are currently investigating how many days we should stay in Tokyo maybe do the Western Tokyo full day itinerary as suggested on this site and also maybe a day trip to Nikko? Still planning.

I reckon it is never too hot to hop into an onsen. In fact after a sweaty day there is nothing better than scrubbing up for 10 minutes then relaxing in an onsen.

If I was going that time of year, I'd go to Nikko for sure. There are onsens up there, we stayed at Kanaya Hotel (awesome) which has a private bath from memory, and then there is another part of the hotel near the lakes which we didnt get to.

If you wanted to go to Karuizawa (on the Nagano shinkansen line) then we stay at Tsuruya Ryokan which would be a brilliant place for a first ryokan experience because they really cater well to foreigners. They have nice baths there.

But where I reckon you'd do best is to go to the Onsen Hotel at Kamikouchi. It is a great hotel and they are used to Aussies because the workers go off to Hakuba during the snow season (which is riddled with aussies). They have an outdoor bath there with overhanging trees and the odd monkey, and the food is excellent with an emphasis on local veggies. Really worth a stay for a night or two. Kamiouchi is easy to get to, Tokyo to Matsumoto then a little train ride followed by a bus ride.

There are baths at Takayama as well, and Hakone near Tokyo. The baths at Hakone have a strong sulphur smell, but if you can tolerate that they make your skin feel good.

Thanks Lazy Pious.

I've been looking at all the places you suggested and all look lovely. Currently I am a tad overwhelmed. I was thinking 2 days and maybe 3 nights in Tokyo - 1 day doing the Western Tokyo full day walk and then do a day trip to Nikko. What would you advise on transport to the places you suggested and how many nights we should stay as well as day trips to some of them. Some of the places seem close to each other and don't feel like staying at a different place each night. Mode of transport would certainly determine whether we need to buy a JR pass.

This site is really handy for transport options, look at the links to the places. Also check out hyperdia.com for planning train trips.

Other people are much more savvy than me for train and bus travel though I manage to muddle through, so this is how I would do it ;

tokyo to Nikko can be bus or shinkansen from Tokyo to Utsanomiya (sp?) then a local train up to Nikko (which is a fun trip) though you have to get the connections right or it can be long.

Tokyo to Karuizawa is easy - about an hour on the Nagano/Kanazawa shinkansen line. Bessho Onsen is another place nearby (get off at Ueda then take a local train up to Bessho Onsen) that is nice for an overnight stay and there are some cheap ryokans there, like about $100 per night per person including awesome food. It also has some interesting temples etc.

Karuizawa can be reached by going by train from Shinjuku to Matsumoto (nice castle in town) then train and bus (it is easier than it sounds). Or if you have gone to Karuizawa or Bessho Onsen (or Nagano), then you get off at Nagano and take a train from there to Matsumoto which is a nice trip, actually.

You can get from Matsumoto to Kamikouchi to Takayama by a combination of trains and buses which is supposed to be easy, though I havent done it. Look at this site which might help http://www.kamikochi.or.jp/english/

I hope this helps. Only suggestions mind you based on what we like which is more rural stuff, but touristy enough to make it easy. I've just picked some cooler places where I would go in summer.

Thanks again for your advice.

We will look into this and all suggestions will help us make a decision.

Bessho is one of the best places i have ever been in Japan. Highly recommended!

The heat and humidity in Japan in August is comparable to the tropics. I live in SE Asia and the humidity was uncomfortable even for me. Try to bring an umbrella. It is perfectly normal for the locals to walk around with umbrellas.

Thanks hey. I did think that the humidity would be similar to that in the tropics. Good idea about an umbrella!