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Day 1 - Tokyo
After a little rest and a nice shower to get your energy back after the long trip, let's start exploring Tokyo!
If you decide to visit Japan during the cherry blossom season (highly recommended) head first to Shinjuku Gyoen Park to admire the beautiful cherry trees in full bloom (make sure you pick the right week by checking out the cherry blossom season forecasts on the web here). Then continue to Chiyoda Park to visit Yasukuni Shrine, the Imperial Palace and its gardens. Once the sun goes down, go and discover the Akihabara district for a show of lights and colours.
If you are interested in visiting Japan while the cherry trees are in bloom, take a look here.
Day 2 - Kamakura, Tokyo
Spend half-day in Kamakura, about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Tokyo. Kamakura is a coastal city with a beautiful beach and many temples, also known as the little Kyoto. I recommend taking the earliest available train from Tokyo (around 6:50am) to make the most of the day. Once there, visit the Hasedera Temple, the Kotoku-In Temple with the Big Buddha, and the Hokoku-Ji Temple, nestled in a Bamboo forest. As I said, Kamakura is full of temples so let's say it was not easy to decide which one to see first!
Once back in Tokyo, in the afternoon visit the Shibuya district, the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Shibuya Park and the surrounding areas including the Shibuya Crossing, the most famous and busiest crossing in the world, 15 minutes from Shibuya's Yoyogi Park (the best view of the crossing is from the Starbucks if you want to see it from above). Also, if you know the story of Hachiko, better known as Hachi from the movie Hachi-ko, (if you love dogs you have to watch it, and get some tissues ready), stop at the dedicated bronze statue right in front of the station exit by the Shibuya crossing.
Day 3 - Nikko
Go and visit Nikko, about 2 hours by train from Tokyo central station. Nikko is a complex of temples in the mountains of northern Honshu that is absolutely worth visiting. You will find a unique atmosphere and you will be surrounded by temples immersed in the forest. Once in Nikko, I recommend the Kegon shrine, Lake Chuzenji and the Kegon waterfall (for the waterfall make sure to check the forecasts as we found fog and snow in April and couldn’t even see the waterfall itself ☹). Cover up well because the temperature will be lower than in Tokyo due to the higher altitudes. For the day, buy the Nikko World Heritage Pass online or at the Tourist Center at Asakusa station in Tokyo. Tickets from Asakusa to Nikko and vice versa, as well as buses in Nikko are included in the pass price. After a beautiful day in Nikko, head back to Tokyo for a walk along the Nakameguro area, by the Meguro River and call it a day. If you have more days, I recommend spending another day in Nikko and taking advantage of the 2-day pass and also spending a few more days in Tokyo to see everything at a more relaxed pace.
Day 4 - Tokyo
Visit the Ueno District. From Asakusa station, Sensoji Temple is just a few minutes away, the one with the giant lantern. Don't miss the Asakusa Kannon Temple as well. After lunch, head to Ueno Park to rent a little boat by the lake, surrounded by cherry blossom petals. In the afternoon continue to the district of Akihabara, the electronic city of anime (typical Japanese cartoons). If you are interested in something extravagant, try one of the many Maid Cafes in the area. It is a kind of themed place born for fans of comics and animation, a fun and bizarre experience to try. End the day with a visit to the Tokyo Skytree (at 350 meters) to see Tokyo from above. We decided to go in the evening to see the city by night. However, I would advise going around sunset to see both Tokyo by day and night at the same time. You can also book in advance online and skip queues.
Day 4 - Mt Fuji and Cherito Padoga
Wake up early and take the first bus to Mt Fuji. There is one that leaves at 7:10 from Shinsen-Shinjuku Station and arrives at 8:50. Once there, start making your way to the area of Cherito Padoga and Arakura Fuji Sengen Jinja, for the most breathtaking views of Mt Fuji and the village below. After that, visit Kitaguchi Hongu Sengen Shrine, forest with Shrine and Oshino Hakkai springs, springs surrounded by ancient Japanese houses. Remember that the last bus to return to Tokyo is at 20:30 (bus frequency approximately every 30 min), so keep an eye on the time.
Day 6 – Odawara Castle and Hakone
Change of city, and departure for Hakone. Before arriving in Hakone, you will have to stop in Odawara for a train change where you can visit Odawara Castle, a few minutes walk from the station (if you have luggage with you, you can leave it at the luggage storage at the station while you visit the castle).
As for the visit to Hakone, I would recommend purchasing the Hakone Pass (can also be bought directly in Odawara at the station). With the Hakone Pass, you will be given a detailed map of the area with everything there is to see and how to get there using the different modes of transport included in the Pass. Little curiosity: With the Hakone Ropeway, in 8 minutes you will be arriving at the top of Mount Owakudani where you can taste ‘black eggs’ cooked in the volcanic sulphury waters of Mount Hakone, apparently each egg will give you 7 more years of life when you eat it (in theory 😊). Once you are done eating your miraculous eggs, head down (15-minute cable car descent), to Lake Ashi for a small cruise on a real Galleon, also included in the Hakone Pass.
Day 7 – Nagoya to Kiso Valley
Consider purchasing the Japan Rail Pass for the rest of your trip in Japan. This pass will allow you to use the Shinkansen (the super-fast bullet train) at cheaper prices compared to a single trip. The pass is a little expensive but worth it as it will allow you to make the most of your time in the country. From Tokyo to Kyoto, for example, the total trip with the Shinkansen train is only about 2 hours (just to give you an idea, with other trains it would be about 7-8 hours of journey or about 1 hour by plane!). All information about the Japan Rail Pass here.
Get ready for one of the most beautiful places you have ever seen! The breathtaking Kiso Valley and the small postal villages of Magome and Tsumago. The Kiso Valley was of historical significance during the Edo period thanks to the famous Nakasendo Route, once one of only two roads connecting Tokyo (or Edo at the time) to Kyoto. The valley was one of the most difficult parts of the journey due to the dense forests and hills. Therefore, 11 post stations were created to allow those travelling along the Nakasendo route to rest, most of them are still intact today and you can truly experience a typical Japanese atmosphere everywhere in the Kiso Valley. The trek is about 8 km (more or less 3-4 hours) and it’s truly wonderful! You will be retracing a section of the ancient road and go through small villages, forests, waterfalls and the postal villages of Magome and Tsumago. More info on the Kiso valley here.
To get to the valley from Hakone, return to Odawara station ready for the Tokaido Shinkansen, using the Japan Rail Pass, which will take you all the way to Nagoya (about 2 hours). From Nagoya, take the JR Shinano Line train to Nakatsugawa, the best spot to visit the Kiso Valley.
If you are travelling in a group, I highly recommend staying in a typical Japanese house. We spent the night in Nakatasi, a family-run place with typical Japanese breakfast and dinner included in the price. Check it out here. This place made our Kiso Valley experience very unique and they also have a gorgeous little Onsen!
Day 8 – Magome to Kyoto
Enjoy another peaceful morning in the Kiso Valley (or relax in the Onsen if you choose to stay in Nakatasi) before getting back on the Shinkansen to Kyoto (approx. 35 minutes), Japan's cultural capital. Start exploring Kyoto from Nijo Castle, one of the few fortifications in Japan. After the castle, visit the Nishiki Market (get off at Shijo station), open from 9:00 to 18:00, it is the largest in Kyoto and you can really find everything in here. About 30 minutes walk from the market you will also find the Kyoto Imperial Palace and its gardens.
Day 9 – Kyoto
Wake up early and go visit the ancient district and center of Kyoto, Gion. It's about 15-20 mins from Kyoto Central Station, and everything in the district is just as it used to be back in time. Around Gion you will find lots of little traditional shops and you will also be able to rent and wear a traditional Kimono (for the Kimono rental have a look here, it can also be rented for the entire day). Gion is a really unique place thanks to the architectural perfection of ancient Japanese buildings and the sight of elegant Maikos (geisha apprentices) dressed in traditional clothes on their way to work. Make sure you don’t miss the Machiya Starbucks either, a Starbucks in a traditional Japanese house where you can enjoy a coffee sitting in a typical Japanese-style living room.
Dressed up with your traditional Kimono, continue visiting Hanami-Koji, Higashi -Oji Street where the famous Yakasa Shrine or Gion Shrine is located, Gion Shirakawa area, Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, and finally the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, famous for its particular structure on wooden stilts, overlooking the valley with magnificent views of Kyoto. South of Gion there is also a very beautiful Zen temple, Kenninji Temple (closes at 4.30pm) if you want to add it in your daily tour. They are all very close to one another so you should have enough time.
Day 10 - Kyoto
Visit the Northwest part of Kyoto. After breakfast, departure to Arashiyama and the bamboo forest. Arashiyama is also a pleasant district on the outskirts of Kyoto, accessible via the famous Togetsukyo wooden bridge, from which you can admire Mount Arashiyama. You can also take a boat ride on the canal, going towards the Iwatayama monkey park, where you can spend some time with some ‘friendly’ monkeys (there is a bit of a climb to get to the top of the mountain though). The entrance to the park is about 20-minute walk from the bamboo forest. For the afternoon visit the Golden Pavillion Temple, the Kinkakuji Temple and then continue towards Ryonaji and Jinkakuji with the most famous Zen gardens in all of Japan.
Day 11 - Fushimi Inari and Nara
Wake up early to avoid the crowds and make your way to Fushimi Inari (2 km tunnel of red towers) right at the exit of Inari station. The place is one of the most famous Shinto shrines in the country and is open 24 hours, we were a little late and unfortunately we were only able to see in the evening, but considering that it’s practically immersed in a forest, I would definitely not recommend it at night unless you want to have some strange encounter with bears or some other creatures as we did! The shrines (red towers) are located on a hill and form a tunnel of about 4km. It takes about 1.5 hours to get to the top of the hill, then it will take you about 50 minutes to get down. On the top, there are also many souvenir shops and places to eat if you get hungry.
Get back to Inari station and from there take the JR to Nara. Nara was the first capital of the country, the cradle of Japanese art and culture. It is located about 1 hour from Fushimi Inari, and is famous for its many parks where deer live in freedom and will bow at you when you offer a biscuit (but make sure you only feed them the round biscuits sold by the kiosks, our food is not for deers and you might hurt them). Outside the station you will find the tourist office where you can take a handy map for free (hold on to it, a deer actually ate mine :P). From the station, after a 20 minutes walk, you will arrive at the unmissable Todai-ji (closing at 17:00), with a huge wooden Buddha statue. In the adjacent forest are the Hokkedo and Nigatsudo temples, worth seeing if you have some time left. But don't miss the Kasuga Taisha, you will get there following a road in the forest, surrounded by beautiful stone lanterns.
Day 12 - Osaka
Spend the day in Osaka (Osaka-Kyoto journey is 20 min by Shinkansen) where you can visit the Osaka Castle, the Umeda Sky Building and Dotonbori street, in the Namba district, to try some typical Japanese cuisine for cheaper prices. Return to Kyoto for the night.
Day 13 - Kyoto
Go visit some temples in the eastern/northern hills of Higashiyama, walk the path of the philosophers and visit some of the most enchanting Zen temples such as Eikando, Nanzen and Ginkakuji. Make sure to book a traditional tea ceremony, an ancient rite, still practised today, behind which a real philosophy of life is hidden. For more information have a look here. To book go to Getyourguide or Viator and choose the option and location that suits you best.
Day 14 – Tokyo and Departure
Day of departure. To save money, even though we were in Kyoto, we booked our return flight to Europe from Tokyo. With international travel, you can often save quite a bit by booking your return flight from the same airport you arrive at. After saying goodbye to Kyoto, we returned to Tokyo by Shinkansen (about 2 hours), and spent a few more hours around the city before heading to the airport. You can safely leave your luggage in almost all stations around Tokyo, they usually have huge lockers (large enough for big suitcases) for just a few yen, ideal if you are checking-out in the morning and your flight is late in the evening as it was for us.
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