Itinerary ideas

Hey all,

Am hoping to visit Japan next year and am hoping for some thoughts on the following.

This will be November 2024.

Kyushu- One Week

Head to Okayama/Naoshima 3 days

Kinosaki Onsen 2 nights

Nagoya 2 nights

Tokyo 4/5 nights.

This feasible. Any other suggestions that could work please?

Hi! My few bob's worth...

I dont know if you have been to Japan before. If you havent, I'd probably pull it back a bit as you are covering a lot of territory and missing out some good stuff in between the bottom to the top. also I reckon Kyushu isnt a super easy place to visit, personally I would visit more of Honshu first, eg some of the mountain parts which will have nice autumn colours in early November.

I would caveat that though by saying I would avoid Kyoto mid to late November. We have been a number of times and spent the third week of November there, it was insanely busy with crowds everywhere, it was like being stuck in a theme part for a week. Not my cuppa at all, I will never go again at that time.

Second, personally I wouldnt go to Kinosaki Onsen unless you are happy to go onsen hopping with the locals. It isnt a massively interesting place (pretty, not extraordinarily so), the attraction is the public onsens and if you arent up to nuding up with the locals you are wasting your effort going there.

But otherwise if the places you have picked scratch itches you have and you are keen to see them, I dont see any dramas with the plan

Re. onsens, Kyushu has plenty to offer in that line. You could skip Kinosaki and spend an extra 2 days in Kyushu?

If you're catching the train on to Okayama from Kyushu, you could stop by in Kokura and visit the Toto toilet museum.

Hello! I can't advise regarding the other parts of your itinerary, but I'll try my best to add some suggestions to help enhance your pre-existing itinerary for Kyushu and Okayama, since I've visited both in November, albeit in different years.

If you're looking to catch autumn foliage, I would suggest going in the north-to-south direction (i.e. Kyushu being last). There was barely any autumn foliage when I visited Kyushu in mid-November 2023, but the same can't be said for Okayama when I visited in mid-November 2019. Of course, this is merely based on my experience.

You can consider visiting places like Okayama Castle, Korakuen, Kibitsu Jinja, and Kurashiki (and the Bikan Area) within a day without rushing too much, so I think that the time allocated is alright.

As for Kyushu, 7 days may not be enough to cover the whole of the region, but if you're thinking of only visiting the northern half (i.e. no Kagoshima and Miyazaki), 7 days should be rather ideal. You can consider buying the 7D JR Kyushu Northern Kyushu Pass, which covers the Shinkansen lines from Hakata to Nagasaki, and from Hakata to Kumamoto. Consider visiting places like Dazaifu, Mojiko, and Yanagawa in Fukuoka Prefecture, Yoshinogari and Yutoku Inari Jinja in Saga Prefecture, Nagasaki City, Kumamoto City and Mt Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, Yufuin and Beppu in Oita Prefecture, and even Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture (the aforementioned pass covers up to Shimonoseki).

Hope that helps :))

A week is a good amount of time for Kyushu. As already mentioned, there is more on the island than you can see in a week. There are more sights in the northern half, but you may be choosing to be more eclectic. If you want to thoroughly see a region and will return to Kyushu someday, then concentrating on one region makes more sense; but if not, you can take the bullet train quickly and conveniently to see Kagoshima. Kyushu is no more difficult to see than other areas, but if you have a car you have a lot more options and can see a lot more good places conveniently.
https://goo.gl/Q843Bg

I'd also say you could omit Kinosaki if you want since it's really out there. And if you don't, one night is enough - there is very little new that you'd get with a second night there. There are many great hot spring areas in Kyushu, and Arima in Kobe is much closer to get to if you want one in Kansai.

Not sure how set you are on visiting Nagoya. You might consider visiting Kanazawa instead.

Thanks for your suggestions and help so far :)

I was wondering for now, and quite open to ideas of anywhere to stay between Fukuoka and Okayama for one or two nights please?

I have done Hiroshima before.

You could visit Yamaguchi - Hagi, Akiyoshido & Akiyoshidai, and cross over into Shimane a bit to see Tsuwano, if you like. The limestone cave is simply mind blowing.

Keen to get a few more thoughts on the following please:

Fukuoka- 3 nights

Nagasaki 2 nights

Kunamato 1 night

Kagosgima 2 nights

Beppu 2 nights

Ferry to Matsuyama- then 2 nights.

3 nights in Okayama (day trip to Naoshima)

2 nights Nagoya

3 nights Fuji Five Lakes Area

4 nights Tokyo.

Keen for any thoughts anyone has.

Overall looks good. Only question what do you do 3 nights in Fuji area? Hiking? Camping? Fishing?
It�fs a nice area but most tourists will run out of sights in a day.

Thanks @Likebike

With Fuji maybe seeing some key sights and easy walks.

Is there anything on the way from Nagoya to Fuji Five Lakes worth staying for a night perhaps?

Bump.

Is there anything on the way from Nagoya to Fuji Five Lakes worth staying for a night perhaps?

Izu peninsula
Hakone
Tokyo
Would come to mind

Rural Shizuoka with the tea fields can be nice but you�fd need a car there.