- 1. Introduction
- 2. What to See in Japan?
- 3. When to Travel to Japan?
- 4. How to Prepare Your Trip to Japan?
- 5. The Must-Visits in Japan
- 6. 3 Travel Itinerary Ideas for Japan
- 7. Travel Itinerary #1: Classics + Shikoku
- 8. The Itinerary
- 9. Summary in 7 Photos
- 10. Travel Itinerary #2: Classics + Japanese Alps
- 11. The Itinerary
- 12. Summary in 7 Photos
- 13. Travel Itinerary #3: Road Trip in Wakayama
- 14. The Itinerary
- 15. Summary in 7 Photos
- 16. And plenty of other ideas!
Introduction
After our third trip to Japan, and following your numerous questions, I decided to summarize our 3 travel itineraries in Japan here. On the menu: classic spots and some more unusual ones, but always typical! From Tokyo to Hiroshima and Miyajima, passing through Kyoto, Hakone, the Japanese Alps, as well as the Wakayama region and the island of Shikoku... Great discoveries in terms of culture, traditions and modernity as well as nature. Shall I take you along?
What to See in Japan?
The question that has so many answers that it ends up with none! When I traveled to Japan for the first time, I really became aware of the grandeur of this country, its richness, and its variety! I didn't think Japan was so vast and so interesting from one end to the other.
While our first trip was made under the impetus of an impulsive decision spurred by a great flight promotion, with the idea that it would probably be our only trip to the Land of the Rising Sun... we left with the certainty that we would return more than once and that it would take us months, even years, to hope to see it all!
And that's also why I'm writing this article! Many of you have asked me for advice on places to see in this beautiful and vast country... and as you can see here, the answer cannot be summed up in 3 lines!
When to Travel to Japan?
Another question without a definitive answer, because all answers are valid! The second realization that struck me during my first trip to Japan was that the Japanese love their country in all seasons. The cherry blossoms are in bloom in spring? It's a celebration! The Japanese maples turn red in autumn? It's another celebration! And I won't even mention the beautiful landscapes covered in a white blanket during winter or the traditional festivals in summer...
So far, we have traveled to Japan in winter (late February 2016), in spring (early June 2017), and at the beginning of autumn (in September 2017). I'm unable to say which trip or season was my favorite! But one thing is for sure: I want to return at least once when the maples are brilliantly red (during the Momiji season) and another time when the cherry blossoms are in bloom (Hanami).
To immerse you in the atmosphere and landscapes of our first trip, here's the video we created: >.
How to Prepare Your Trip to Japan?
Should everything be anticipated? Prepare a detailed program? Book all accommodations? If Japan certainly requires more planning than South America, this does not mean that a tightly scheduled program is essential. I mentioned in this article: traveling to Japan is not complicated.
Here's how we operate. We establish a few key points of our trip, essential spots in our itinerary. We book our first night in Tokyo... and that is generally all! Sometimes we book rooms in certain places where accommodation is more limited (or more sought after on specific dates). And once in Japan, we book two days in advance... or even on the same day! Thus, when we arrive at the hotel, we already have a reservation waiting for us, even if it was made just a few hours prior. This makes it easier for interaction with the receptionist. And this last-minute booking system has already allowed us to enjoy wonderful discounts in luxurious hotels. A nice way to treat ourselves while traveling! By the way, if you want to know where to sleep in Japan, I highly recommend reading my article on this subject.
The Must-Visits in Japan
While some travelers choose to limit their exploration area to one or two cities, like Tokyo or Kyoto, others prefer to try to see more. I am not an advocate of the >: an impossible challenge that can put a lot of pressure on travelers. Ultimately, it's all about taste and choice! If you depart for one, two, or three weeks, you can just as easily decide to fully soak up the atmosphere of one locale or, conversely, to explore a bit more of the country.
The most classic route starts from Tokyo, continues to Kyoto, and proceeds to Hiroshima to visit the island of Miyajima just across, then returns to Tokyo by passing through Osaka, for example. During two of our three trips, we pretty much followed this route... except that we enriched it with less touristy areas and more >.
So here are the itineraries from our various trips to Japan with our impressions.
3 Travel Itinerary Ideas for Japan
Travel Itinerary #1: Classics + Shikoku
For our very first trip, we had 3 classic goals: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Miyajima. And a more > goal was added: the island of Shikoku. We discovered this name by chance thanks to a book detailing the most beautiful hikes in the world. Within it, the Shikoku pilgrimage and, alongside it, a photo of a suspension bridge. This island quickly captured all our attention!
The Itinerary
So concretely, here's how it turned out.
- Tokyo: 2 days
- Kyoto: 4 and a half days
- Nara: half a day (round trip from Kyoto)
- Hiroshima: 2 hours
- Miyajima: 1 day (and 1 night)
- Shikoku: 3 days (including our first experiences of ryokans and onsens)
- Osaka: one night on the way back to Tokyo
- Hakone: 1 day (under the rain, so we saw nothing and made up for it later!)
- Tokyo: 2 days
Summary in 7 Photos
A few related articles to this trip:
- Tokyo: first steps in Japan and awe
- Japan, an unexpected favorite
- Kyoto in 5 favorites + Kyoto practical information and good addresses
- Fushimi Inari, a journey between two worlds in Kyoto
- Staying in a ryokan: immersion in Japan's traditions
- Kazurabashi, or how to be Indiana Jones in Japan
- Bathing history: encounters and discoveries at the sento
Travel Itinerary #2: Classics + Japanese Alps
As a second travel itinerary idea based on classic foundations, here's the one we followed during our third trip. We set off with François's parents, for whom it was their first trip to Japan (and without the idea of ever returning). We thus > and added new destinations and experiences to vary the pleasures from one trip to another. A good balance!
The Itinerary
- Tokyo: 2 days
- Hakone: 1 day (and 1 night)
- Japanese Alps (Telmo, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama): 2 days
- Kanazawa then Komatsu, to stay in the oldest hotel in the world: 1 day
- Kyoto: 4 days
- Nara: 1 day (and 2 nights)
- Koya: 1 day (round trip from Nara)
- Miyajima: 2 days (and 2 nights)
- Hiroshima: 2 hours (short visit on the return from Miyajima to Tokyo)
- Tokyo: 2 days
Summary in 7 Photos
A few related articles to this trip:
- Visiting Miyajima in 2 days... and wishing to stay forever
- Climbing Mount Misen in Miyajima: quite an adventure!
- 7 places to discover around Kyoto
- From the bamboo forest to the monkey mountain in Kyoto
- A day on Mount Koya, in a fairy tale
- Staying in the oldest hotel in the world: the ultimate ryokan experience!
Travel Itinerary #3: Road Trip in Wakayama
This third itinerary corresponds to our second trip. I present it last, as it is perhaps the least classic of all. With a friend whom we brought along on the adventure, we combined a week of train travel and four days of road trip in the Wakayama region.
The Itinerary
- Tokyo: 2 days
- Kyoto: 4 and a half days
- Nara: half a day (and 1 night)
- Start of the road trip from Nara:
- Mitarai Valley Park and Yunomine, then overnight in Tanabe
- Temple and waterfall of Nachi, overnight in Nachikatsuura (in a ryokan on an island with an onsen with ocean view)
- coastal road of Kushimoto and overnight in Wakayama
- Nara: return by car, train to Kyoto (1 night)
- Tokyo: 2 days
Summary in 7 Photos
A few related articles to this trip:
- Road trip in Japan: 4 days off the rails
- Renting and driving a car in Japan: beginner's guide
- Tokyo in 3 days: survival guide
- Tokyo in 10 unusual typical activities
And plenty of other ideas!
In June, we are heading out for our 4th trip to Japan... and we are just as excited! Between the temptation to revisit places and atmospheres we love (like Kyoto), to explore more of a barely touched region (like Shikoku), or to set out to discover a completely new area... the choice is going to be tough!
We could head towards Tottori and Shimane, in the great Tohoku region or even go further north to Hokkaido, or conversely all the way south to Fukuoka and the Kyushu region, or simply explore the Kanto region while staying around Tokyo, which we barely know... For now, we have so many ideas that we still don't have a precise one for our future itinerary!
It will surely be a last-minute surprise, depending on our inspiration. With plane tickets and the Japan Rail Pass in hand, along with a few key points that will determine our map route: that's all we need! For the rest, we will let the rails, our mood, and why not your suggestions, carry us away!
To continue reading
- Traveling in Japan: demystification and practical information
- Getting around Japan: plane, train, bus, or car?
- Traveling by train in Japan (impressions + information)
- To immerse yourself before departing to Japan: 5 movies and 5 animes to watch