Off-the-beaten-path itinerary for our second trip to Japan

Hi there! After a wonderful trip in 2024, we’ll be heading back to Japan at the end of July 2026 to reunite with our daughter, who will have been there for a few months.

Last time, we did a route: Tokyo – Japanese Alps – Kyoto – Osaka – Hiroshima. This time, we’ll have 10 days to ourselves before our daughter joins us for a full week. We’re thinking of spending 2 days in Tokyo and 1 day at the end of the trip for shopping.

We’re looking for ideas for a route (by train and bus) that’s a little off the beaten path, especially avoiding the most touristy spots like the best-known temples in Kyoto. Our favorite spots in 2024: Kanazawa, Takayama, and Miyajima Island. We love temples, gardens, and would love to explore the nature, which looks incredible.

Thanks in advance for your tips and suggestions!

Hi Vanessa,

If you haven’t already, the Fuji Five Lakes region is absolutely stunning! We also really loved the Izu Peninsula!

If you're looking for some info, you can check out our site here to see our travel journal—it’s unfortunately not finished yet, but for the two regions I mentioned, you can find some photos under "Photo Gallery - Travel".

Hello,

I recommend the official tourism website. Keyword: JNTO.

It’s very comprehensive and has a French version.

If you’d like more info, I’ve got a whole list of reliable sites I’ve used many times.

Best regards,

René

Hello after a wonderful trip in 2024, we’ll be returning to Japan at the end of July 2026 to reunite with our daughter, who will have been there for a few months. We did a route: Tokyo - Japanese Alps - Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima. We’ll have 10 days before our daughter joins us for a full week. We’re thinking of spending 2 days in Tokyo and 1 day at the end of the trip for shopping. We’re looking for ideas for routes (by train and bus) that are a bit off the beaten path and away from ultra-touristy areas like the most famous temples in Kyoto. Our highlights in 2024: Kanazawa, Takayama, and Miyajima Island. We love temples, gardens, and would love to discover the nature, which seems extraordinary. Thanks in advance for your tips and suggestions!

Hi there,

Head north to the Tohoku region—it’s easy to access from Tokyo. Here are some ideas off the top of my head: Yamadera, Okama Crater, Mount Haguro, Morioka, Lake Tazawa or Towada, Sakata, Aomori, Kakunodate, Sendai, Ginzan Onsen, Miyako, etc. There’s a great train pass you might find useful: https://www.jreast.co.jp/fr/multi/pass/eastpass_t.html