Autumn Trip to Japan (Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto): 2 Weeks Itinerary

When people ask us how we liked our vacation in Japan, we say, “it was interesting”. We also use words and phrases like “educational”, “culture shock”, “takes getting used to”. Tanya and I debated how we would describe our experience to others for the entire 2 weeks. We finally agreed that it was one of the most unusual trips and a true adventure.

We don’t regret going to Japan at all, but we’ve learned on this trip not to be too confident in our ability to travel on our own in the new country, especially one so different as Japan. Despite spending more time to plan this vacation than we ever have, we did make some very basic, rookie mistakes (see The Top 10 Things that Went Wrong on our Trip to Japan).

About This Itinerary

We went to Japan in late November of 2019. We knew that it was the second busiest time of the year because of amazing foliage (the busiest is cherry bloom in April). While we hate crowds, we realized that it was something unavoidable. We were still surprised by just how many people were there at the top tourist attractions. Over time, we learned how to beat the crowds or at least minimize their dreadful impact.

After extensive research (as I mentioned, we spent a lot of time planning this trip, see top resource we used), we finally landed on the three home bases: Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Kyoto. As always, we didn’t want to move every day, so we allocated enough time in each location. The weather threw a few wrinkles into our schedule and having additional time allowed us to adjust our plans to work around it. We saw most of the top tourist sights but had more fond memories from less popular places like Kurama, Uji and Monkey Park in Kyoto.

At the end of the trip, we spent a few lazy days on Lake Biwa to prepare ourselves for going back to work. Overall, the itinerary worked well, although we could have spent less time in Kanazawa (or have done it as a day trip from Kyoto).

Days 1 and 2 – Getting There

The story of our trip to Japan started two days before we were supposed to leave. On the week prior to our vacation, Tanya had to go to a conference in San Diego. This was a bad idea. While she had a great time in California, she came back with the cold. We were leaving on Monday, and on Saturday she woke up and said, “You are going to kill me, but I am sick.” And then she added, “Happy anniversary!” because twenty-some years ago we had gotten married.

We had a morning flight to Tokyo with a connection in Atlanta. The flight was long (14 hours), but the plane had a lot of empty seats, including the one next to us. Tanya was able to lay down, which was good given that she was still not feeling well. I spent the entire time reading a book on Kindle instead of watching movies – much better for the eyes. Since we didn’t fly through the night, we weren’t as much tired when we landed as we typically would after traveling to Europe.

Flight information screen, still almost 5 hours to go

We left on Monday morning, but landed on Tuesday afternoon, so basically lost 2 days getting to Japan. The customs at Narita airport were quick.

Tip: Don’t forget to fill out the customs forms on the plane.

We had bought the Japan Travel Pass (JR Pass) voucher in advance, so right after getting out, we looked for the place to get our passes. There were many agents everywhere to help with directions. We didn’t have to ask anybody because we saw the sign showing that we had to go downstairs to JR East Travel Center. After getting our passes, we also reserved the tickets for the next train to Tokyo. Another alternative is to take the bus, which takes about the same amount of time. Both are covered by JR Pass.

Our first impressions of Japan: everything is very clean and everybody is very quiet. When the train pulled to the station, people got off and the cleaning crew got on to do a quick sweep. They were done in 5 min, even managed to do some vacuuming.

We instantly liked the signs on the platform indicating where your car would stop, so you don’t have to guess and then run to another side. We later saw these helpful signs everywhere, some even showing where people should line up to wait (Japanese are very organized and polite, they form lines everywhere, it is amazing to see).

Our hotel, Courtyard Tokyo Station (highly recommend) was only a short walk from the station, but we had a little trouble finding the right exit. We stopped to look at the map on my phone, and immediately an agent rushed to us to help with directions. She even gave us a paper map since we had to make a couple of turns. During our trip, we were constantly impressed by how helpful people were when we got lost.

We were hungry when we arrived at the hotel (it was 2 am in the US time, but only 4 pm in Japan). At the reception, we asked for a good place to have some ramen, and they recommended the Ramen Street back at the Tokyo Station. Yes, it is the whole street underground filled with ramen restaurants.

We were a bit overwhelmed and slightly confused by all the choices there. Some places had lines (and probably better food for refined taste), but we figured that it’s hard to go wrong with ramen on Ramen Street in Tokyo. In the end, we choose Soranoiro Nippon, the place with the English menu on the ticket machine. And it had no line! You have to first pick the dish and pay at the machine, and then go inside and sit down. The ramen didn’t disappoint – in fact, it was absolutely perfect. We came back there a couple of times while in Tokyo.

After the meal, we took a stroll through the underground mall filled with food and shopping options. We checked out elaborate displays and bento boxes at Daimaru Department Store, making a note to pick up food there before getting on the train next time. Despite getting a few hours of sleep on the plane, we were exhausted by 7 pm and went to bed early.

Day 3 – Tokyo

Of course, we woke up early as well, probably around 4 am. Since breakfast at the hotel started at 6:30 am, we had time to do last-minute planning for the day. Tanya was still feeling ill, so we couldn’t be too ambitious.

After breakfast, we jumped on the subway for the Tokyo highlights: Shibuya Crossing, Harajuku bridge, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita street, Jingo Gaien Ginkgo avenue (fall colors) and contemporary architecture walk.

When my Fitbit announced that we passed 10k steps and Tanya admitted that she needed rest and food to refill her quickly evaporating strengths, we stopped for lunch at the excellent and affordable dumplings place, Harajuku Gyoza Lou. Feeling a bit better, but still in need of a break, we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap.

I thought that Tanya wouldn’t be able to get up, but she impressed me (or maybe she felt bad about holding us back).

We finished the day with the quick trip to Akihabara, which was interesting at night with brightly lit buildings and somewhat trashy girls trying to get you into one of the maid cafes. Spoiler alert, we didn’t partake, didn’t’ stay there for long either – headed back to Tokyo Station for another taste of ramen.

READ MORE: Tokyo in a Day (Autumn Highlights)

Day 4 – Kamakura

We needed a break from the big city, so we planned a trip to Kamakura on our second full day in Tokyo. Getting to Kamakura from Tokyo is super easy, less than an hour train ride. Tanya was feeling better, so we loaded up our backpack with a small pharmacy and headed out. Out of consideration to me and to the rest of the people around her, Tanya started to wear a face mask, which is not weird at all in Japan. She even convinced me to do the same, especially in crowded places like trains. When in Rome…

At Tokyo station before leaving for a day trip

We liked Kamakura instantly. There is a short, pretty walk from the station to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu-gu shrine. Plenty of women were dressed in traditional Japanese fashion, some to take pictures but others just going about their business. After taking plenty of pictures, we visited three more shrines, including the one with the famous Great Buddha.

We had okonomiyaki for lunch, which we prepared ourselves (with some help from a professional). Feeling adventurers, we attempted a hike, but got lost and had to turn back. We later found out that all the hiking routes were closed due to fallen trees – the result of the recent typhoon.

READ MORE: Kamakura Day Trip from Tokyo.

Day 5 – Nikko

After a successful trip to Kamakura, we were ready for some more trains, shrines and beautiful foliage.

Nikko is the World Heritage Site, and for a good reason.

While we ran into annoying tour groups at the main temple complex, just steps away we found peaceful gardens and quiet alleys with vibrant colors and green, moss-covered walls.

Our side trip to the waterfall was spoiled by rain, which started to fall heavy when we got there. Plus, the leaves were gone already at high elevation, leaving bare trees to fight rising fog. We nibbled on a small grilled fish, sold at the top and hurried back.

Back in Tokyo, I finally got to taste sushi in Japan and loved it. Even Tanya, who regards any raw food with suspicion, tried a piece of my salmon (it was melting in the mouth) and found the food quite acceptable. This wasn’t any special sushi place at Tokyo Station, just the one with no lines. We had ramen after, of course.

Days 6 and 7 – Kanazawa

It was raining when we woke up on the day after our trip to Nikko, which was fine by us since we were leaving Tokyo for Kanazawa. We didn’t reserve the train, and it turned out that all reserved seats were already sold for the morning. Luckily, since the train originated in Tokyo, it was relatively easy to get the seats in a non-reserved car. We did get to the station a bit earlier (about 30 min before departure).

A cleaner is bowing to the train as it arrives

When we got to the platform, people were still waiting for the train scheduled to arrive before ours. We learned later about First and Second Departure lines, so we messed up and just queued at the end. When everybody boarded, we simply stayed behind. This was against the rules – we were supposed to wait in the Second Departure line. Nobody protested our intrusion, and we were one of the first people on board.

We arrived in Kanazawa in the early afternoon. The city was different from what we expected. Granted, we came on Saturday, so people were out and about. We were surprised by crowds, traffic and large modern streets with malls, shops, and hotels. I guess, based on what we have read, we imagined a sleepy old city.

We also made a tactical error with our accommodations, which were a bit out of the way, small room, slightly depressing. It was past lunchtime, so we headed to the famous Omicho Market to get something to eat. Of course, it was extremely busy with the locals buying their weekly supplies and the tourists snapping pictures everywhere.

We did like the castle (we came back on the next day) and caught the night performance at the castle garden, which was mystical and beautiful.

Evening concert at Kanazawa Castle Garden

After an unsuccessful attempt to get into any restaurant for dinner (weekend, long lines), we discovered the beauty of the food sections on the basement level of the major department stores. We never went hungry in Japan after that.

Hurray to waking up early! We knew that Kenrokuen Garden (one of the top four gardens in Japan!) was going to be crowded, but we had an advantage over other tourists – we were still not caught up with Japan time. Hence, on the next day, we were up before 6 am and one of the first at the garden’s gates when it opened at 7.

From that point, our second day in Kanazawa shaped up a lot better than the first. We loved the garden, took a walk around the castle grounds and went inside for a bit (could totally skip it).

After, we had a nice lunch in the park (sushi from our now favorite department store), spent a lot of time in Nagamachi Samurai District and finished the day in Higashi Chaya-Gi, geisha district although all the geishas were gone by the time we got there.

A young couple on a photoshoot in the samurai district

By the end of the day, even Tanya made peace with Kanazawa, which was good because we weren’t leaving yet.

Day 8 – The Noto Peninsul

For the next day, we booked the car to drive around the Noto Peninsula. We read that it was rugged and wild, and we were looking forward to escaping away from crowds and cities. The forecast called for rain, and we almost didn’t go. After much deliberation, we decided to stick with our plan after all, although forgetting the passport at home and having to come back nearly upset the course of the day again (see more on this and other misadventures in The Top 10 Things That Went Wrong During Our Trip to Japan post).

We left Kanazawa around 11 am when rain was still going strong. Tanya was worried about my driving on the different side of the road – spoiler alert, I managed to avoid an accident. By the time we reached Chirihama Nagisa Driveway (the beach where you can drive a car), the weather had improved. We drove on the beach for a few minutes, got out to take pictures, and didn’t even need the umbrellas.

Short drive on the beach – Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

The Noto Peninsula would have made a greater impression on us if not for the gloomy weather. Still, its raw violence and beauty were on full display at the Ganmon “Gate Rock”. We could have spent a lot more time watching the waves, especially when we were there on our own, for a little bit until a tour group showed up.

We made a stop at Sojo-Ji Temple, but more than half of the grounds were closed for repairs after the recent hurricane. We also didn’t make it to the morning market at Wajima and got to Senmaida rice terraces shortly before dark, so didn’t stay long (super windy, too).

At the end of the day, we managed to get back to Kanazawa and return the car before the rental place closed at 8 pm.

Tanya declared that we could’ve skipped Noto. I disagreed.

Day 9 – 12 Kyoto

We spent 4 days in Kyoto, and this was definitely our favorite city in Japan. Here, we will only mention a few highlights, read our post 4 Days in Kyoto for more.

We managed to see most of the touristy sites, some of them even without the crowds (again, hurray to waking up early!).

We received a full dose of beautiful temples and mind-blowing foliage.

We stayed in the great hotel – Hyatt Regency, highly recommend. The hotel’s excellent concierge suggested that we also visit some off-the-bitten-track places.

We wanted to have a real onsen experience, and Kurama Hot Springs delivered it in the unique mountain setting, together with a nice, easy hike to a cluster of shrines, ranging from a small shack to a full monastery complex.

The quiet city of Uji, which is a World Heritage Site was another pleasant surprise. While we liked Byodoin Temple, we also enjoyed the walk along the river and a quick stop for ramen with matcha noodles.

And finally, what can be better than hanging out with hundreds of wild snow monkeys on the hill with outstanding Kyoto city views?

READ MORE: 4 Days in Kyoto

Days 13 and 14 – Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa is not on the list of the top tourist attractions in Japan. It is very popular with the locals, but virtually invisible in all the guide books and travel blogs, which we had read. For us, this was a good sign and the perfect place to spend our last couple of days in the country.

We stayed at Lake Biwa Marriott, which is close enough to Kyoto (about 30 min train ride plus 15 min on the hotel shuttle), but far enough so most tourists find its location inconvenient for everyday trips to the major sights. Since we’ve already seen everything we wanted to see, we spent two days relaxing, walking around and soaking in the hotel’s onsen.

On the second day, we took the hotel’s bicycles and rode along the lake on the excellent (and flat) bike roads. It was a sunny Sunday, and people were out and about, riding bikes, watching local soccer and baseball games, flying kites and simply enjoying the day.

We even liked browsing the stores at the local mall (walking distance from the hotel). This was a good opportunity to buy souvenirs much cheaper than in Kyoto or Tokyo.

Maybe we’ve gotten more comfortable in Japan after two weeks or maybe we simply didn’t want this vacation to end, but we were sad leaving Lake Biwa. We still had a day left in Tokyo and another free breakfast at Courtyard Tokyo Station. Thinking about that kept our spirits up.

Days 15 and 16 – Tokyo and Flying Home

We reserved our bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo, so we didn’t have to be stressed about getting the seats. On the train, we planed our last hours in Tokyo while watching the cities and the villages running past us at the speed of 200 miles an hour.

The weather forecast called for rain in Tokyo, and we were inclined to stay at the hotel and catch up on some sleep. In the end, we decided to venture out. As always, our motivation had something to do with being hungry. I read about an excellent ramen restaurant near Sensoji Temple, so we went to check it out and to get the last fix of the Japanese shrines (together with the reliable tourist crowds). It was a rainy afternoon, so we hoped for fewer people. We should have known better, haha.

We probably had the best ramen of our trip at Ippudo ramen, which is a chain, but consistently gets the top reviews at TripAdvisor. Big plus: English menus!

On the next day, we still had the whole morning free – our flight was at 5 pm. During our time in Tokyo at the start of the trip, the foliage hasn’t reached its peak yet. Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue is the best place to see foliage in Tokyo, so we headed there for our last stroll of the city.

Just a short and easy walk from Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue is Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This is another place, which is overlooked by the tour groups and feels very authentic. The colors were in full display, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the local photo enthusiasts.

Of course, we had to conduct a short photo shoot as well. Luckily, the model was very photogenic and required only one take.

I mentioned that by that time, we felt more comfortable in Japan. We knew how to use the train and buses. We mastered shopping for food and ordering at restaurants. Still, we always appreciated the extra helpful instructions posted everywhere. After all, one can get lost in the public restroom without a map.

Helpful map and instructions in a park’s public restroom

This lazy morning at the park was a perfect conclusion to our vacation. We recounted our adventures while watching mothers with strollers and school groups on nature trips. The sun was out, and for the first time since we set foot in Japan, we were able to get rid of multiple layers of clothes, which had become our regular attire.

We took a Narita Express bus from Tokyo Station to the airport. It was an easy and cheap ride. Typically, it would have been covered by JR Pass, but we were over 14 days period and our beloved passes lay in my pocket completely useless. Our flight back home was delayed by 5 hours because of the mechanical issue, and we ended up missing the connection and spending an extra night in Atlanta. This was our last misadventure of the trip, which made it even more memorable.

Highs and Lows

Highs

Monkey Park in Kyoto
Food, especially ramen and sushi
Bicycle ride on Lake Biwa
Onsen in Kurama
Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa (early morning)
Rainbow at Kiyomizu-Dera Temple in Kyoto

Lows

Tour groups at the major attractions
See more in the post The Top 10 Things that Went Wrong on our Trip to Japan

Japan Travel Planning Resources

When we started planning our trip, we knew very little about Japan. My parents went there 20 years ago with an organized tour. My brother-in-law with his wife spent two weeks in Japan in November 2009 and wrote this excellent post. We picked some ideas from them. Finally, somebody we knew went to Japan shortly before us and didn’t like their experience at all. I mention this here because word-of-mouth is a powerful source of information, especially when you know people and their travel tastes. In our case, we had a few opinions to consider as we were contemplating our itinerary.

The travel guides are typically our second “go-to” source. For Japan, we relied heavily on the Lonely Planet Japan book, which has in-depth descriptions of the top destinations as well as off-the-beaten-path suggestions. It also has nice recommendations for the food options on different budgets (including our favorite department stores).

Aside from reading the Lonely Planet guide, we did most of our planning online by looking at the travel blogs.

Japan

Tokyo

2 thoughts on “Autumn Trip to Japan (Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto): 2 Weeks Itinerary”

Александр Френкель says:

January 25, 2020 at 6:27 pm

Не просто “нравится”, но очень интересно, познавательно и красиво. Страсть к путешествиям у тебя, Артур, конечно, от родителей.
1. Art says:
  
  January 25, 2020 at 8:13 pm
  
  Thank you very much for reading our blog, glad you found it interesting!

Comments are closed.