3-Week Japan Itinerary: Your Suggestions?

Hi everyone,

So happy to be back here !

I’m currently planning our first trip to Japan. We’ll be traveling with our two teens, aged 16 and 17. We’re doing a pretty classic loop, but I’d still love to hear your valuable input.

Here’s the itinerary we’re considering:

- Tokyo (5 full days) - Fuji Yoshida (1 night) - Matsumoto (1 night) - Kamikochi / Gokayama (1 night) - Kanazawa (1 night) - Ine (1 night) - Himeji - Kyoto (5 full days)

We’re thinking of renting a car for the Japanese Alps portion.

We’re planning a 3-week trip, so I still have a few days to allocate—maybe in the Japanese Alps.

What do you think of the itinerary? The detour to Ine might seem odd, but I really want to include a coastal part—any thoughts? Is renting a car in Japan a total hassle?

And finally, is it absolutely necessary to book all accommodations in advance if we’re traveling in August? Or can I leave some flexibility for the Kanazawa / Ine / Himeji portion? Maybe if we really love a place and want to stay longer?

Thanks in advance for your tips!!

See you soon,

Gwen

Hi Gwen,

On our site https://www.girardinphoto.net/girardinPHOTO/Accueil.html, I started a travel journal about our trip to Japan with our two teens. Unfortunately, it’s not finished, but you’ll find ideas for the Japanese Alps, info on renting a car, excursions to do with young people, and also an idea for the seaside, etc.

There are also more photos from our trip on the left side of the site: Photo Gallery - Travel - Japan 2019.

If you need more details, I’d be happy to help.

P.S.: Here’s a little tip about the timing: Japan was a beautiful discovery, but the heat 🥵 and high humidity kind of ruined the trip! If we were to do it again, we wouldn’t go back in the summer!

Otherwise, the road trip through the Japanese Alps and the Izu Peninsula was amazing! !

Hi there,

Use Google Maps to keep your route coherent.

Would you rent a car, and if so, from which city? Would you do a loop or a one-way trip? For the Japanese Alps, the bus is easy (but book in advance) to Shirakawa-go, from Takayama or Kanazawa.

Book flights and accommodations as early as possible.

Happy planning!

So... the tickets are booked and our route has changed quite a bit 😉

We’re actually arriving in Osaka.

Here’s the plan:

- Osaka (2 nights) - Kyoto (5 nights) - Kanazawa (1 night) - Noto (2 nights) - Japanese Alps (1 night in Takayama; 2 nights in Matsumoto) - Fuji Yoshida (2 or even 3 nights) - Tokyo (5 nights).

My biggest question is: how should we organize our stay in the Japanese Alps?

3 nights go by really fast. What do you recommend? We’re mainly looking for landscapes (we’ll probably do a short hike but nothing more).

Also: is 3 nights in Fuji Yoshida too much? And conversely, wouldn’t Kanazawa deserve 2 nights?

Thanks for your help—I’m totally lost on this part...