benjy

Hi everyone,
I will be travelling to Japan in hanami season (late March to April). Would appreciate any comments, advice, suggestions etc. regarding my itinerary!

- 4 days in Tokyo, with 1 day to Kamakura
- Tokyo to Kyoto: 5 days in Kyoto, with day trips to Nara, Enryaku-ji
- Kyoto to Osaka: A trip to Himeji, ending in Osaka
- Osaka to Mount Koya: 1 day in Koyasan
- Koyasan to Gero: Gero-onsen
- Gero to Takayama: 2 days in Takayama (for the Sanno Matsuri)
- Takayama to Tokyo: Matsumoto heading back to Tokyo
- Tokyo to Nikko: 1 night in Nikko
- Nikko to Tokyo: Tokyo

I'd appreciate especially suggestions regarding the latter part of my trip, i.e. after Koyasan. Is Gero a good place to spend a night before heading up Takayama? I've booked my hotel in Takayama so that part is fixed. Also, I'm not sure if it's feasible to visit Matsumoto while travelling from Takayama to Tokyo, all within a day. Thanks everyone.

benjy

Hi, sorry, forgot to include a bit of the itinerary. I'd actually be travelling to Hiroshima from Koyasan. Then 1 day in Miyajima, before heading to Gero from Hiroshima. Thanks.

gard

Hi

I'm not sure I can help you out. But my wife and I went to Japan in May 2005 and I have posted a trip report with some pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm . Maybe you can find some general useful information there

regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

benjy

Hi Gard, thanks for your website. It is really useful - I've bookmarked it for reference !

lilipad

hi,
it would be a bit of a hastle to do takayama-tokyo via matsumoto as u would have to take the bus. the scenery is nice but let's put it this way - if u have seen the mountains in the US/Canada out west, or any of the european alps, it's pretty much the same. as for matsumoto - the highlight is the castle which is great BUT, if you've seen Himeji, you r all set with japanese feudal castles as well .

i suggest drop the hastle and do the train from takayama to tokyo with the one change over! it's beautiful scenery that way too and i hear the inuyama castle is lovely too and more along the way

someotherguy

The bus trip from Takayama to Matsumoto is spectacular, even if you've already been to the European Alps and Western US. You can leave Takayama in the morning, stop off half way into the trip and visit Kamikochi, which is a very attractive national park in the Japanese Alps, and arrive in Matsumoto in the early evening (make sure to do this part of the trip in daylight--the road clings to the side of a cliff with most impressive views, straight down).

It'd be difficult to combine Kamikochi with sightseeing in Matsumoto on the same day. Of the two, I'd recommend Kamikochi.

Check out the really excellent guides here (you want the Nagano one for this area):
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/index.html

benjy

Hi everyone, here's my revised itinerary:

- 3 days in Tokyo, with 1 day to Kamakura, and 1 night in Hakone
- Tokyo to Kyoto: 5 days in Kyoto, with day trips to Nara, etc.
- Kyoto to Osaka: enroute to Osaka, a stop in Himeji
- Osaka to Mount Koya: 1 day in Koyasan
- Koyasan to Hiroshima
- 1 night in Miyajima
- Miyajima to Kyoto
- Kyoto to Takayama: 2 days in Takayama (for the Sanno Matsuri)
- Takayama to Tokyo
- Tokyo to Nikko: 1 night in Nikko
- Nikko to Tokyo: Tokyo

benjy

I've decided to forgo Matsumoto (and Kamikochi too), because it is rather out of the way and I have limited time!

mrwunrfl

Are you spending one night in Hiroshima and one night on Miyajima? Or just one night on Miyajima. I've traveled from Miyajima to Takayama and did not enjoy it. This was two days after another long travel day. Your travel is similar, except for the overnite in Kyoto which I think makes it somewhat worse.

I went to Sanno Matsuri last year. Staying in Gero Onsen is a great idea. You could stay there the Thursday night before the festival. But I think it is better to wake up in Takayama that day.

Leaving Takayama late afternoon (4-6PM) on Saturday for a night in Gero would be a very good idea. Then on to Tokyo on Sunday afternoon.

Good to drop Matsumoto.

mrwunrfl

The onsen bath at the Green Hotel in Takayama is nice. This is good instead of or in additon to Gero.

On Sunday, you could leave Takayama and stop at Gero for a soak and then continue on to Tokyo.