18 days Draft Itinerary Check (November 2023)

Hi all,
I posted my itinerary last week here and got some valuable feedback, so this is my revision to our itinerary for November 2023, some key information:
- we are a couple in our 30s, first-time travelers in Japan
- interested in a mix of city life, and nature focus
- we want to avoid too stressful an itinerary, at the end of the day, we are on vacation :) I'm also a bit afraid we will be super jetlagged at the beginning that�fs why I planned a bit more time in Tokyo, so we can take things slowly

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Day 1 - Fly to Tokyo
Sleep in: Tokyo - Hotel
tbd what time do we arrive

Day 2 - Tokyo
Sleep in: Tokyo - Hotel

Day 3 - Tokyo
Sleep in: Tokyo - Hotel

Day 4 - Tokyo
Sleep in: Tokyo - Hotel

Day 5 - Tokyo
Sleep in: Tokyo - Hotel

Day 6 - Tokyo > Nikko
Sleep in: Nikko Town - Hotel close to train station
Estimated travel time (one way): 3h
Rough plan: Explore Nikko area (+ mini hikes)

Day 7 - Nikko (after breakfast) > Tokyo
Sleep in: Tokyo - 9hours sleep lab (capsule hotel - for the experience)
Estimated travel time (one way): 3h

Day 8 - Tokyo > Kawaguchiko
Sleep in: Kawaguchiko
Estimated travel time (one way): ~2h30
Rough plan: Mt Fuji

Day 9 - Kawaguchiko > Hakone (arrive early afternoon)
Sleep in: Hakone - Ryokan
Estimated travel time (one way): 3h
Rough plan: Ryokan and onsen

Day 10 - Hakone
Sleep in: Hakone - Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): N/A
Rough plan: explore the area

Day 11 - Hakone > Kyoto
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 2.5h

Day 12 - Kyoto
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel

Day 13 - Kyoto
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel

Day 14 - Kyoto > Osaka
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 30mins
Rough plan: Explore city & night life

Day 15 - Kyoto > Uji + Nara
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): ~1h
Rough plan: Uji + Deer Park

Day 16 - Kyoto > Osaka?
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): 30mins

Day 17 - Himeji OR Ghibli Park
Sleep in: Kyoto - Hotel
Estimated travel time (one way): tbd
Rough plan: If get the ticket, Ghibli Park

Day 18 - Fly back home from Osaka

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Questions:

- I�fm looking for advice, especially between day 6 - day 11. I originally planned to do Nikko > Hakone and then Kawaguchiko as a day trip from Hakone but I was told it was too much distance and it would be very tiring. I�fm aware that it�fs a lot of back and forth during this time of the trip, but I believe the rest we are quite stationary. What�fs your opinion?
- Day 8 - I�fm aware Mt. Fuji is not always visible, we won�ft be able to spontaneously choose to go/not to go because we need to book a hotel to sleep there. My question is: is it worth spending the day in Kawaguchiko if Fuji is not visible? Are there things to do or it would be a wasted day?
- Day 16 - Shall I plan a second day in Osaka, or can it be done in 1 day?
- Am I planning not enough time in Kyoto?
- Anything else I�fm missing that I should include in my trip?

Hi!

This is just what I think, couple of comments:

Hotel for Nikko - try Kanaya which is one of the "Classic Hotels" in Japan. Very nice, built in 1880 from memory. Big rooms, too.

Kawaguchiko - overrated and too expensive in my opinion though mt fuji is spectacular when you see it. If you go, visit the cafe next to the doll museum for the best hot dogs you will ever eat. That would be the only reason I'd go back. I'd save it for another trip.

Hakone - good choice, yes it is busy but it is popular for a reason. We stayed at Fukumuziro there which is walking distance from Hakone Yumoto, I really liked it but only one room has toilets in the room itself, the rest you have to go out to communal toilets.

Kyoto/Uji/Nara - personally I would stay overnight at Nara which is probably my favorite place in Japan. It is very nice for an early morning walk. A room at the Nara Hotel (original wing) is worth it for a splurge, and breakfast there is insanely good. Uji is a nice little town, good to have lunch in the restaurant over the river, maybe a 3 hour or so thing visiting there. The green tea icecream is better there than anywhere else IMO.

I would probably go to Hikone (just near Kyoto) rather than Himeji. It is closer and the castle is nice with great views. It isnt at pretty as Himeji, but I could never be bothered with the hour long lineup for Himeji so I've only ever seen it from the outside.

So essentially I'd cut out Kawaguchiko (maybe a daytrip to Kamakura and Enoshima instead), stay overnight at Nara on day 15 and see Uji on your eay back day 16, then on day 17 do Ghibli Park, but stop at Hikone on the way back to Kyoto to see the very nice little castle.

Regarding Osaka for me 1 day would be more than enough. I have been fir frequent business trips and staying over many WE. And as of now, I still need to find anything interesting to do in Osaka.

I think Uji + Nara and than back to Kyoto is a little bit rushed. I would reserve the whole day for Nara, staying over for night also doesn't sound bad. As for Uji I would join it with Fushimi Inari and Tofukuji visit + some other interesting places in southern Kyoto of your choice.

We�fre doing this exact same tour in December 2023. We�fre completely fresh to Japan�c no idea what to do at this point (but we have 12 months to research!). I�fll be watching this thread closely�c