Hi all, I'm travelling to Japan on my own in September and am currently trying to plan my itinerary for a 3 week trip. I have a rough idea of...
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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Odd-Mind-5060 on 2024-08-02 21:20:55+00:00.

Hi all, 

I’m travelling to Japan on my own in September and am currently trying to plan my itinerary for a 3 week trip. I have a rough idea of the cities/towns I want to go to and have done the itinerary based on that. But it’s still quite rough in terms of each day with a bit more research needed from myself.

I have nothing booked at the moment other than accommodation for the first 4 nights in Tokyo, so I’m happy to move things about if the below doesn’t work. 

Day 1 - Tokyo; Accommodation in the Asakusa area

  • Arrive at about 7am to Haneda Airport
  • Asakusa exploration

Day 2 - Tokyo; Accommodation in the Asakusa area

  • Day trip/organised trip to either Fuji Five Lakes or Hakkone

Day 3 - Tokyo; Accommodation in the Asakusa area

  • Team Lab Planets
  • Shibuya
  • Shibuya Sky Tree in the evening

Day 4 - Tokyo; Accommodation in the Asakusa area

  • Day trip to Kamakura. Also maybe to Yokohama

Day 5 - Kanazawa

  • Train from Tokyo to Kanazawa
  • Explore the city

Day 6 - Kanazawa

  • Kanazawa castle
  • Trip to Shirakawa-go?? (maybe not needed if going to Hida no Sato from Takayama)
  • Explore the city

Day 7 - Takayama

  • Early train from Kanazawa
  • Sakurayama Shrine
  • Matsuri Yatai Kaikan
  • Hida no Sato (old town)

Day 8 - Kyoto

  • A few hours in the morning in Takayama - Miyagawa morning market
  • Train from Takayama

Day 9 - Kyoto

  • Bamboo forest
  • Kinkaku-Ji Temple
  • Walking tour (If I can find one)

Day 10 - Kyoto

  • Day trip to Nara

Day 11 - Kyoto

  • Kiyomizu-dera (temple)
  • Fushimi Inari Taisha (gates)
  • Or, include these in day 8/9 and go to Kobe for a day trip instead?

Day 12 - Hiroshima

  • Hiroshima dome
  • Explore the city

Day 13 - Hiroshima

  • Day trip to Mirajima

Day 14 - Osaka

  • Settle in and explore

Day 15 - Osaka

  • Universal Studios (specifically Nintendo world)

Day 16 - Osaka

  • Walking tour
  • Maybe food/drink tour

Day 17 - Osaka

  • Osaka castle

Day 18 - Nagano

  • Monkey Park
  • Senko-Ji temple

Day 19 - Tokyo

  • Akihabara
  • Shopping

Day 20 - Tokyo

  • Other areas I haven’t managed to explore yet

I guess the main things I’m unsure of are;

  • whether the order of my journey works, or is there a route that is much better
  • for the day trip from Tokyo, any recommendations between Fuji Five Lakes or Hakkone
  • Is it worth going to Shirakawa-go if I’m going to Takayama
  • Is there anywhere that is recommended instead of Nagano? This was an addition due to a spare day, but it’s not a must.
  • I did think of looking for a beach resort for a few days but it would mean reducing a day in Osaka and Kyoto, and dropping Nagano. Maybe could go to Kamakura for a few days, or I read that Izu is a nice place as well

Any suggestions are welcome as it is quite overwhelming trying to make the decisions when there are so many great places to see.