janh0038

Hello everyone
Many thanks in advance for your advice!
I have been to Japan 11 years ago and did the typical golden route (Tokyo with Hakone, Osaka with Kyoto and Nara).

For my upcoming trip I want to see some of it again and the central alps.
I’m mostly interested in food, the traditional culture and places (old villages, old houses, castles, Samurai, …), nature, some relaxation (onsen and temple stay), manga & anime, and crazy city with neon lights.
I'm arriving directly after the golden week.


Day 1-3: Tokyo

• Maybe day trips to Nikko and/or Hakone (or at end of trip).
  
• At end send luggage to Kyoto.
  

Day 4: Temple stay (Nara)

• Traveling to temple close to Nara. Staying in temple (already booked - was the only night I could find in a good-rated temple. At the beginning, I planned for Koya-san, but it's impossible to get a decent-prized room for May there).
  

Day 5-8: Kyoto

• Traveling to Kyoto.
  
• Two full days in Kyoto.
  
• Day trips to Nara (Mochi place, garden, temple) and Osaka (aquarium, Dotonbori and surrounding).
  
• At end send luggage to Matsumoto.
  

Day 9: Tsumago

• Traveling to Magome. Hike from Magome to Tsumago.
  

Day 10-11: Matsumoto

• Travel to Matsumoto. Stop in Yabuhara on the way to hike the Toriitoge pass to Narai.
  
• Visit castle + Nakamachi quarter + Ukiyo-e museum.
  
• At end send luggage to Takayama.
  

Day 12: Okuhida hot springs

• Travel to Okuhida hot springs.
  
• Hike Kamikōchi
  

Day 13-14: Takayama

• Travel to Takayama
  
• Visit morning market, old quarter, hida not sato, traditional houses. Hida cooking class.
  
• At end send luggage to Kanazawa.
  

Day 15-17: Kanazawa

• Travel to Kanazawa. Stop in Shirakawa-go on the way.
  
• Visit DT Suzuki Museum, Kenroku-en, Higashi Chaya District, Omichi, Myoryuji temple, Ninja weapon museum, castle, Nomura house, Samurai quarter, museum of traditional crafts.
  
• Maybe a trip to an onsen.
  

Day 18-21: Tokyo

• Travel to Tokyo.
  
• If not done yet, day trips to Nikko and/or Hakone (maybe with onsen).
  

Questions:

1. Does the itinerary in general make sense? Are there some awesome places I missed on the road? Or are there some places I should spend more or less time? E.g., I'm not sure if the part from Tsumago to Kanazawa is a bit rushed and I should plan 1 or 2 days more there.
   
2. Is Kyoto worth it? I really liked it 11 years ago but this time I will see a lot of less-travelled places with temples and gardens as well. I'm a bit worried that I will have enough of temples at some point.
   
3. Is it possible to send the large luggage in the way I think it is? The information on the internet were not conclusive (e.g., Yamato): Tokio -> Kyoto (possible), Kyoto -> Matsumoto, Matsumoto -> Takayama, Takayama -> Kanazawa, Kanazawa -> Tokyo
   
4. Otherwise I would highly appreciate suggestions for some cultural experience & tours (cooking class, mochi-making class, handcraft class, food tour...) and food places along my route.
   

Thank you very much!

HappyTrvlr

We used the luggage forwarding. Check how long it will take to get to its destination for each shipment. Sometimes our luggage took an extra day or wasn’t there when we arrived but showed up later in the day.
It was a joy riding the trains without luggage.
Absolutely loved Takayama! The Hida Cooking Class was fun and I learned a lot too.

plambers

we are doing a half day e bike tour with satoyama experience and will visit a local market with them this May. Very excited for this.

peolsolutions5684

Itinerary Assessment: Your itinerary seems well-planned, balancing traditional and cultural experiences with nature and relaxation. Consider adding more time in Kanazawa for a deeper exploration.

Kyoto Consideration: Kyoto offers unique cultural experiences beyond temples, such as traditional neighborhoods and tea ceremonies. Given your varied interests, it`s still worth visiting.

Luggage Handling: Yes, it's possible to send large luggage using courier services like Yamato. Ensure you confirm the specific locations and timings for drop-off and pick-up to avoid any inconvenience.

Cultural Experiences: Look into participating in traditional tea ceremonies, pottery classes, or local food tours in each destination to enrich your experience further. Also, explore lesser-known eateries for authentic cuisine.

mrwunrfl

Questions:

1. Does the itinerary in general make sense? Are there some awesome places I missed on the road? Or are there some places I should spend more or less time? E.g., I'm not sure if the part from Tsumago to Kanazawa is a bit rushed and I should plan 1 or 2 days more there.

It ~does make sense. Yes, you could spend more time in Kiso Valley

1. Is Kyoto worth it? I really liked it 11 years ago but this time I will see a lot of less-travelled places with temples and gardens as well. I'm a bit worried that I will have enough of temples at some point.ll

Not really. You could wap Osaka and Kyoto in your Day 5-9 plan.

1. Is it possible to send the large luggage in the way I think it is? The information on the internet were not conclusive (e.g., Yamato): Tokio -> Kyoto (possible), Kyoto -> Matsumoto, Matsumoto -> Takayama, Takayama -> Kanazawa, Kanazawa -> Tokyo

Yes. The luggage leap-frogging works.

ParisMetro

Hello,
In response to question 3, I found the link which must be helpful, unfortunately I can't paste it because I am not allowed to post links because I have less than 10 posts.
You find this service with following keywords:
[Travel without worrying about carrying your luggage, Yamato Transport, Round Trip TA-Q-BIN, Japan]
You will surely end up on this site!

janh0038

Thank you very much for all your answers, especially the itinerary assessments! They are very helpful!
Satoyama looks very cool and I put it on my list as well. I also put the Hida cooking class from my maybe list to my must-do list.

Some follow-up questions:
Do you have a special website to find cultural experiences (except tripadvisor and airbnb)? I found activityjapan.com via google, but don't have any experience with it.

peolsolutions5684 About spending more time in Kanazawa: I would have about 2.5 days there now (or nearly 3.5, if I leave to Tokyo in the evening on the last day). Would you say it's better to plan more time there?

mrwunrfl I think it's a good idea to leave the onsen in Kanazawa out and put Hakone with onsen therefore at the end. I'm also thinking about leaving Nikko and Nara out. Or maybe visit Nara just on the way to the temple stay shortly to go to the viral mochi place.
About spending more time in Kiso valley: I planned to arrive from Kyoto early to hike from Magome to Tsumago. Then sleep in Tsumago. On the next day I would do the Toriitoge pass hike and go in the evening to Matsumoto. Where would you recommend to spend more time?

progol

I noticed you’ve planned to visit the “Okuhida Hot Springs” on Day 12. Do you have a specific place in mind? Okuhida is a group of 5 “towns” and not a central location. We didn’t explore the area after getting dropped off at the bus stop, but we didn’t see a town center anywhere nearby. The bus stop at Hirayu Onsen is located just off the road. I’ve read that there are public baths in Hirayu Onsen but it’s not in any obvious location near the bus stop. I stayed in a ryokan in the region (Yarimikan) but needed to take a separate bus from Hirayu Onsen that took about 20-25 minutes and our ryokan was not far from the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway.

To get to Kamikochi, you’ll need to take a bus from Hirayu Onsen that takes about 25 minutes.

mrwunrfl

>> . Then sleep in Tsumago. On the next day I would do the Toriitoge pass hike and go in the evening to Matsumoto.
ok, i didn't understand your days 9-10

Am guessing your day 12 involves hiking down from Shin-Hotaka Ropeway to Kamikochi. Where will you stay that night?

tatamifan3556

My friend had signed us up for Tatami making in Kyoto by Yamada Tatami shop.. walking distance from Kitano Tenmangu shrine.
We have heard good reviews and it is an authentic experience not widely known..
We had fun getting to know about tatami and interacting with the tatami craftsmen at the shop.
Something to consider in Kyoto, perhaps.

Other than that, another place to consider might be Shiga - Lake Biwa - very underrated.
Biwako valley had really good views of the whole lake. It was amazing.

janh0038

Thanks again for all the answers!
progol & mrwunrfl Good point with the accomodation in Okuhida. I didn't look at specific places to sleep yet but will definetly consider the additional bus. Maybe I will go directly to Takayama, if the hotels in Okuhida need a bus as well. Or do you have a recommendation how to do it best?

tatamifan3556 Cool hints, thanks! I put it on my list as well

progol

We stayed in Yarimikan, a very lovely ryokan which is on the bus route toward Shin-Hotaka ropeway. The outdoor onsen was really heavenly, too. The ryokan has a shuttle and can take you to the ropeway as well. We also took their shuttle to the nearby bus stop which did go directly to Takayama.

janh0038

Thanks progol . I'm a bit envy of the natural onsen.
I had a look at accomodations around the area and decided to sleep directly in Kamikochi instead of in Okuhida because of the additional travel distance and the closed ropeway.

progol

That makes sense. Kamikochi looks beautiful and a great place for walking (and pretty photos!).

Is the ropeway still closed? That was one of our few disappointments - the ropeway was open only to the first landing, but I thought it was supposed to be reopened after it was worked on.

janh0038

I found this information:
So yes, apparently they close it again for a couple of month.

janh0038

HappyTrvlr How did you book the Hida cooking class? I sent an email to the email address I found on tripadvisor a couple of days ago. But didn't get a reply yet.