Hello!
Me, my boyfriend, and a friend are heading to Japan in mid-October for 19 days (second time for us, first time for our friend).
On our first trip we did the classic route (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka + day trips), so this time we want to revisit Tokyo but also explore the central region. (We will be using public transport)
Here’s our rough plan:
We are going to stay for 6 days in Tokyo when we arrive and revisit many places we loved + adding some new neighborhoods we didn't get to explore the first time we went there.
Then we are planning on going to Nagano City for 2 nights, mainly to visit Togakushi Shrine. Arrive late, then wake up early to hike Togakushi Shrine, and leave the next day.
After Nagano city we are planning to go to Matsumoto for 2 nights as well. It looks really charming and I think we’ll enjoy the vibe.
After that we are planning on having 3 nights at Takayama. Explore the old town, visit the retro museums (Showa-style / retro exhibits), and do a day trip to Hida-Furukawa.
And after that Kanazawa. Many beautiful places to explore in the city. We were thinking of stopping at Shirakawa-go on the way.
The last few days we'll be back in Tokyo.
However, I need your input on the following:
- About Matsumoto: Originally, the reason I added a second night was to experience some rural Japan - visit Azumino and walk or cycle to the wasabi farm - (rice fields, countryside scenery, etc.), but I now know that’s not really what we’ll get there in that season.
However I am still considering visiting Daio wasabi farm. It looks very pretty and peaceful, but I’m unsure if it’s worth taking a day from the other places I will visit next (especially my original goal was a bit different, and I don’t even like wasabi 😅).
Are 2 nights in Matsumoto a good idea or should we just explore the city for the vibes and reduce to 1 night so that we can reallocate time elsewhere (in Takayama or Kanazawa)?
About Shiragawago: We would take the first morning bus, but will it still feel overcrowded? Is it worth it or should we skip it? (It's going to be a weekday)
For day trips from Kanazawa, I’m considering:
-Natadera Temple or
-Kakusenkei Gorge
Have you visited any of them? Which one do you think is a better day trip?
- Is the plan overall ok you think? I'm a bit worried it might be too much.
Oh, and one thing about the day trip ideas from Kanazawa: we’re trying to minimize time spent on transport and avoid anything too logistically complicated unless it’s really worth it, so we wouldn't want to go somewhere more than 2:30 hours away one way.
That's all! I would appreciate your thoughts or tips <3