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3 week honeymoon - advice welcomed 2017/1/28 05:01
Hi. We are planning a trip to japan in april after our wedding. It is our first time going to japan. We are keen on seeing a mix of things (culture, nature, food, cities). Unfortunately we are only able to arrive at the earliest on 12th April. So I feel the first few days may be a rush to see some cherry blossoms and festivals. Let me know what you think. I really appreciate any advice in advance.

12th april: land osaka kansai international at 9am. Travel to osaka, leave bags, go straight to yoshino for festival. Back to osaka overnight.
13th: osaka to takayama.
14th: takayama festival. Head to kanazaw in evening.
15th: kanazawa. (Possibly day trip to shirakwago)
16th: kanazaw to kyoto.
17th: kyoto
18th: kyoto
19th: kyoto (day trip to nara or koya san)
20th: kyoto (day trip)
21st: kyoto to Hiroshima to miyajima. Say overnight near miyajima.
22nd: miyajima to kyoto.
23rd: kyoto to hakone/ fuji five lakes
24th: hakone; fuji five lakes. Then to tokyo.
25th, 26th, 27th: tokyo (and day trips)
28th, 29th: maybe head somewhere north.
30th: fly back from tokyo.

Anything missing? I would be especially keen to hear whether it will be okay to get to yoshino after landing by about midday/1pm? Will we miss the parade? Is it still worth going.

The rush to takayama is because we only found accomodation on the 13th. None on the 14th or 15th. And it would be nice to be there for the festival.
by James het (guest)  

Re: 3 week honeymoon - advice welcomed 2017/1/28 11:18
The first thing that pops up is that you are keen to see the cherry blossoms, but for some things your dates are fixed, so that could be a problem. Preliminary forecasts say that this year the blooming will be following the average of bloom times, but of course nature sometimes throws a curve ball. You should take a look at the various popular places as well as when they come out.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_when.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html
You should also check out these forecast sites from time to time in February & March.
http://sakura.weathermap.jp/
http://www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng/index.php
http://www.rurubu.com/season/spring/sakura/
You should be able to see some blossoms somewhere, even going further north to Sendai or somewhere at the end of your trip. I would suggest you don't just stop there though. The shibazakura are worth seeing as well.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6919.html
And since you will be in Japan at the end of April, you have a chance to see the wisteria, which are just breathtaking. The best place to see it in your area is the Ashikaga Flower Park, and while the crowds will begin to swell with the start of Golden Week (a major holiday period), it is still absolutely worth it.
https://goo.gl/EvSI3v
The Hitachi Seaside Park is another gem you two would likely love.
http://en.hitachikaihin.jp/

As to anything missing, your itinerary looks pretty packed, but if you want alternatives, you should absolutely include Nara, and if you can, Himeji is very good as well. Miyajima is also a good choice, and while accommodations there are higher, there are some good Japanese inns (ryokan) there you should try at least once for the experience. Once the day trippers leave, the whole area gets very peaceful.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LcPcmoSg-iCNZ6AdsKGUB-HPKNxP1...
Also just a bit beyond Miyajima is Iwakuni and it is also a secret cherry blossom gem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0COOZXi66mM

I do hope you realize that to go from Osaka to Takayama takes about 4 hours on trains, and it would be 2 more hours to go to Kanazawa. I suggest you stay in Shirakawago overnight at a farmhouse - you would probably find it a memorable experience.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5950.html
For Hakone & the Fuji 5 Lakes, look at one of the Odakyu passes.
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/
You can also find some good ryokan in the area.
www.ryokan.or.jp/
www.japaneseinngroup.com/
www.japaneseguesthouses.com/
http://selected-ryokan.com/ryokan
https://www.tsunagujapan.com/10-tokyos-accommodations-to-experience-ja...
Also since it is your honeymoon, try to stay at some love hotels. They are not expensive, they are generally large sized, and each one has its own theme and a great place to make some memories.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2031.html
https://www.tsunagujapan.com/10-phenomenal-luxury-love-hotels-in-tokyo...
Finally look at the various rail passes and see which one suits your final plans best:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html
You can see regular fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
http://www.hyperdia.com
Under "More Options", be sure to uncheck the Nozomi box since you can't ride that train using the pass.

by Ken (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: 3 week honeymoon - advice welcomed 2017/1/28 20:39
Thank you for your reply. Some very useful advice and I really appreciate it.

I was wondering actually, is it worth rushing to takayama on our second day for the festival? Or might takayama be better to visit a few days later when it is quieter, cheaper and perhaps more cherry blossoms (I read that average full bloom is around 20th april)?

I will have a few alternative itineraries with provisional hotels booked so that we can switch routes at a later date.
by James Het (guest) rate this post as useful

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