Advice regarding 6-wk itinerary

Hi all, I am planning a trip to Japan from March-April and I have a rough itinerary planned out.

I'm travelling on a budget (but I know skiing/diving will be expensive)

Would appreciate advice from resident Japanese and/or seasoned travellers! Note that I have to be in Tokyo to meet a friend on the dates listed

A few questions:

- How do I travel most efficiently in terms of money first and time second?
A combination of JR pass(es), buying bus tickets as I go, and maybe the Willer Express bus pass? I don't mind taking night buses, especially for long journeys to minimise travelling during the day

- I would like to stay in a temple on Koyasan, not sure where would be possible to squeeze it in

- Which pilgrimage trail would you recommend in terms of logistics and aesthetics, I am semi-fit but have only done medium difficulty hikes for leisure to date (and how do I get there?)

- Would it be better to leave out Hiroshima? The end is a bit squished :(

Thanks for the help!


- 22 F Arrive Haneda (1 night in Tokyo)
- 23 S Chidorigafuchi in morning. Bus to Hakuba (skiing 4 nights + Jigukodani)
- 27 W night bus to Kyoto?
- 28 T Kyoto 4 nights
- 01 M Osaka 2 nights
- 04 T Nara (Mt Yoshino day trip)
- 05 F Nara
- 06 S (Inuyama Festival, Aichi Prefecture) 1/2 nights
- 08 M Kumano Kodo 3/4 nights
- 12 F Tokyo 4 nights
- 15 M (Akagi Nanmen Senbonzakura day trip (maybe))
- 16 T Stay Mt Fuji area
- 18 T Tateyama-Kurobe Trail (arrive night before)
- 19 F Kanazawa? 2 nights
- 21 S Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (day trip?)
- 22 M Hiroshima 1 night 2 days
- 23 T Kyoto/Osaka (see Himeji Castle on way?)
- 24 T Kyoto/Osaka (Naoshima day trip?)
- 25 T Diving in Okinawa (flight from Osaka (to be booked)) 5 nights

Because of your length of stay. The JRPs wont work.

Also have a look at a map. Some of your locations are out of sink. And you are zigzagging across the country. Costing you more dollars in travel costs.

Hi hakata14, thanks for your reply. So it's not possible for example to get a 5-day Takeyama-Hokiriku pass while I am in Takeyama if I am staying for 6 weeks?

They're out of SYNC because the OP must go to Tokyo on those days.