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Three Weeks in Kansai/Kinki Region 2017/1/19 04:15
I am currently starting to plan for a three weeks journey to the Kansai / Kinki region. I am very interested in Japanese arts, architecture, historic gardens, history and nature and not to forget Japanese food. This will be my third journey to Japan, with my first two I visited Tokyo. Beside that I am kind of a "slow traveler" who prefers not to hurry from on place to the other but taking time for really seeing and understanding.

So far I plan:

Arrival: Around May 8 (after the Golden Week, hoping that Kyoto will then be a little bit less crowded), stay until around May 28.
Flight: to Tokyo (Narita)
Transportation in Japan: use JR pass (21 days)
Hotel: Use Hilton Osaka as my base camp (am a Hilton Honors member and can use points and get acceptable prices by that)

Most of the time I plan to spend in Kyoto visiting the most important temples, shrines, gardens and museums (8-10 days) and Nara (2 Days). The other ten days I would like to use for trips of one or two days to:
- Ise
- Wakayama - Nachkatsuura - Kumano - the train line surrounding the Kii peninsula
- Himeji
- Uji and Otsu
-Koyasan
-Miyajima
-Hiroshima
- one or two days of trekking in the Kii mountains

I am afraid this is already too much for the three weeks but would like to ask you,
- whether this plan makes sense,
- whether I should skip and replace some things
- which part of the Kumano Kodo you would suggest fro trekking?
- does it make sense to have my base camp in Osaka?

Many thanks in advance

P.S.: If you read or speak German I have written a detailed report about my last visit to Tokyo in Nov/Dec 2015, which also includes about 300 pictures mainly from the historic gardens in Tokyo:
http://www.vielfliegertreff.de/reiseberichte/90468-hundert-ansichten-v...

by Mantegna  

Re: Three Weeks in Kansai/Kinki Region 2017/1/19 11:26
The Ostu/Biwako/Shiga region needs a few days to see everything. Since this region is away from your other planned regions and you haven't allow enough time to vist. I'd drop it so you have enough time for everything else.
by hakata14 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Three Weeks in Kansai/Kinki Region 2017/1/19 16:30
If you are interested in castles,
Himeji castle, Osaka castle, Nijo castle, Hikone castle are
my recommendation.

You can use the volunteer guide service with low rate, though you have to make reservation beforehand.
http://www.hikoneshi.com/en/
by biwakoman rate this post as useful

Re: Three Weeks in Kansai/Kinki Region 2017/1/19 19:13
For a starter like me, I enjoyed the Osaka Museum of History followed by Osaka Castle Museum, in that order since those 2 are facing each other. I appreciated both locations much more I felt that they were a complement. I was not expecting the grandeur yet fulfilled about the history behind Osaka as we know it today.

If you are going as far as Hiroshima and Miyajima, might as well visit Okayama and Himeji. Himeji houses one of the 12 original castles in Japan. You might as well combine the visit of Himeji Castle and its famed Koko-en Garden.

Okayama, as far as I see here in Japan Guide, houses one of the top 3 great gardens (I hope you are familiar with the 'Top 3' or 'Top everything' as designated or concurred in Japan).

Check on the 'Top 3' in Japan then for sure you'll have any idea where are they located during your travel while in Kansai.

Japan Guide has elaborated Kyoto as much as possible so check them here. I know there's so much to see there but you may be "templed-out" during your travel there.

I do also have qualms regarding your use of 21-day JR Pass. While 21-day JR Pass will not be an absolute answer, sure you can't use that or have to combine that with any other pass or separate tickets including going to Koyasan and most likely going to Kumano Kodo.

Plan your travel well.
by stikiting rate this post as useful

Re: Three Weeks in Kansai/Kinki Region 2017/1/19 21:28
I would leave Hiroshima & Koyasan for next time. But I would visit Hikone castle & Korakuen in Okayama instead. If you like castles then Bitchu Matsuyama castle is great. The hike from the station up to the castle would be glorious in May.
by Stan Norrell rate this post as useful

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