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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/sci_fi_wasabi on 2025-06-07 04:33:55+00:00.
Hi! I've been planning a first trip to Japan for a couple months now. I agonized a lot about this route, and finally feel like I have a good mix of activity and rest.
About me: Early 40s nurse, have not traveled internationally before, average about 12.5k steps a day but am ramping up slowly in preparation for this trip. I like to walk. I'll be packing minimally with just a 35L backpack.
Interests are: small local museums, nature, shotengai, Showa-era stuff, history in general, and drinking/eating outside (opportunities for people-watching especially)
Day 1: Tokyo arrival
Arrive at Narita @ 3:35pm
Customs Things - then Skyliner to airbnb in Nezu
Explore neighborhood - walk Snake st. to Yanaka Ginza; Yuyake Dandan at sunset
Stop by a conbini or grocery store for easy dinner, pick up some snacks for later
Day 2: Yanesen and West Tokyo
Nezu shrine
Breakfast in neighborhood cafe
Yanaka cemetary and Asakura sculpture museum
Train to Meiji Jingu
Boutique shopping around either Cat st/Omotesando/Aoyama, OR the other direction towards Daikanyama/Nakameguro
Shibuya shopping (Tower Records, Punyus)
Lost bar
Shibuya crossing as it gets dark
Day 3: Akihabara/Ueno
Ueno Park
Shitamachi Museum
Ameyoko Market/Aki-oka Artisan center
Akihabara - camera stores and Mandrake
Afternoon: Kanda River cruise (2hr) from Nihonbashi bridge
Early dinner/beer at Hitachino Brewing on the river
Day 4: Free Day/Ikebukuro
Lazy morning - possible plan to ride the Toden Arakawa streetcar from Minowa to Waseda University, hopping off at Sugamo and Asukayama park on the way there
Ikebukuro shopping trip at the end of the tram line (Otome road)
Just chill in the local neighborhood some more - possible visit to Yayoi illustration museum near Ueno Park
Day 5: Shibamata
Shibamata neighborhood exploration - Tora-san museum, shotengai, Taishakuten Sando
Retro shoujo manga themed cafe
Yamamoto-tei teahouse; take Yagiri no Watashi ferry if it's running and not too busy (only remaining old-school ferry boat across a waterway in Tokyo)
Walk along the Edogawa river if it's nice; end at Mizumoto park
Day 6: Matsumoto
Azusa limited express on the Chuo line to Matsumoto (2.5hr)
Ishii Miso brewery - hopefully take a tour and have lunch
Matsumoto castle
Wander around Frog street and Nakamachi-dori
Check in and dinner at hotel
Day 7: Kamikochi
Early-ish transport to Kamikochi via Matsumoto Electric Railway and Alpico bus (2hr) - need reservations
Leave bag at hotel
Kamikochi hike - Taisho pond to Myojin bridge loop
Check in and dinner at Nishi-ito-ya mountain lodge; night walk afterwards
Day 8: Kamikochi/Hirayu onsen
Morning hike to Dakesawa Hut - looks like you can eat there, but will bring snacks just in case
Bus to Mozumo onsen ryokan; spend rest of day relaxing in onsen; Hida beef kaiseki dinner
Day 9: Takayama
Ryokan breakfast, then bus to Takayama
Historic downtown, Showa retro museum
Staying at Hotel Wood Takayama - free local sake tasting
Day 10: Takayama/Kyoto
Hido no Sato open air museum
Ogle the HQ of international cult Sukyo Mahikari, which is apparently located in Takayama near the folk museum
Hida Wide View train to Kyoto (transfer to shinkansen at Nagoya) (4hr)
Check in at Ace hotel Kyoto - probably will only have energy to eat pizza at the hotel restaurant, but will maybe check out Nishiki Market and/or Sanjo-kai shotengai (both near the hotel) to stretch legs after the train journey
Day 11: Fushimi Inari/West Kyoto
Fushimi Inari early morning (like 6am - the only super-early day on this trip)
Higashiyama and Ryozen cemetary and museum - Bakamatsu/Meiji Restoration stuff (bail if too crowded)
Afternoon: Abbreviated version of Philosophers Path focusing on waterworks around Keage canal, maybe Nanzen-ji and the hills behind it
There's honestly too much to see in the area - will probably just wander around until I get tired
Day 12: Kyoto Arashiyama
Arashiyama morning hike - start at bamboo forest, see a handful of shrines/temples (Gioji, Adashino Nenbutsuji, Otagi Nenbutsuji, Jingo-ji) as well as Saga Toriimoto preserved street on the way to Takao, hiking along Kiyotaki river
Lunch at restaurant overlooking river in Takao
Kazan-ji temple
Bus back to hotel to rest
Evening walk - Pontocho, Kamo river, Gion; fancy dinner/bar
Day 13: Kyoto Free Day
Possibly super tired this day?
Kamogawa Delta picnic and rest if I need it
Day trip of some kind if not tired - possibilities are Omi-Hachiman, Fushimi sake district, Yamanobe no Michi trail, and Osaka pilgrimage to see kofun
Day 14: Nakasendo - Nakatsugawa to Magome
Train to Nakatsugawa (2hr)
Walk Nakatsugawa to Magome-juku (9km)
Explore town; guesthouse stay
Day 15: Nakasendo - Magome to Nagiso
Walk Magome to Nagiso, exploring Tsumago-juku along the way (12km)
Either walk additional 3km to Hostel Yui-an guesthouse along trail, or be lazy and arrange pickup from Nagiso station
Day 16: Nakasendo - Nagiso to Nojiri/Tokyo
Hike from Hostel Yui-an to Nojiri station along Yogawa trail (about 8km)
Poke around very small town of Nojiri, then catch train to Tokyo (4hr)
Check in to Hotel 1899 in Shimbashi
Tokyo Tower at night maybe?
Day 17: Tokyo departure
Hamarikyu garden
Narita by 3pm
This is busier than I would have liked, but it's not as bad as it looks at first - the Nakasendo days, in particular, will literally be just walking from one location to another with no actual "activities" planned. There was originally even more hiking! All hotels are already booked - it's super hard to book anything in Magome/Tsumago by the way, for anyone thinking about it. I booked in early May and almost everything was already full for October. My one big regret is not having more rural/inaka places - but that's for next time, I suppose.