coral22

We were talking to another couple about doing a 2 week tour to Japan in 2025. They are used to luxury travel and were insistent on doing a particular, very expensive tour and going in the peak of cherry blossom season. We are lucky that we could afford the tour but we don't think such a structured tour is for us. We don't want to spend a long time in a place we don't enjoy and if we love a place, we don't want to have to leave to board the bus. I also know we would be annoyed by the stragglers.

They have bowed out, but we are still considering going but in a more hybrid version. We have always been ones to do it ourselves, but at our age, we a little more timid and overwhelmed.
We are lucky that our children have preceded us to Japan, but they were on a tight budget so they journey was different.
They did comment that getting off the flight and having to get on the train during rush hour was challenging, so maybe a driver there.
My daughter also thought going to Hakone with a driver would be nice.

We like nature, light hiking, gardens, history, art, local specialties, and cultural experiences. We will treat ourselves to some fine dining, but we can be happy with a bowl of ramen some nights, too.We don't always want to be on the go but this probably will be the only time we go to Japan, so we would like experience a nice sampler. We love to do a lot of research and make dinner reservations, but then we go with the weather, the crowds and our energy level to adjust the day. And what you just happen upon, is the best. There are already a lot of wonderful trip reports here, so thanks to all of you already!

I am hijacking the itineraries from several tours and trying to map it out.
Considering Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama/Kanazawa, and Kyoto.
Are Osaka and Hiroshima worthwhile?
Is cherry blossom season worth dealing with the crowds?

We would love to hire private guides for a couple full days and a couple of half days.
We would also be open to going on some small group tours for a half or full day and might enjoy the camaraderie.
We would rather get more moderate accommodations than that tour offered and use the savings for hiring drivers.
We would be using the subway some, but we really don't want to spend that much time in Tokyo.
And of course, we would use the bullet trains.

Any itinerary suggestions or places to avoid?
I know that this is a very common itinerary, is there anywhere different that you loved that was off the beaten path?
There are a billion tours and drivers, any recommendations?
Thank you!

HappyTrvlr

We went to Japan in the spring landing in Tokyo as the cherry blossoms had just faded. After Tokyo, we traveled north to Hakone and then over to Takayama, my favorite place on the trip! The mountainsides were covered with cherry blossoms as well as the town. Magical! And no real crowds either. We left the U.S.on 4/15.
In Tokyo, hire Yukari Sakamoto to take you on a fabulous food tour of Tokyo. Born in Japan, raised in the U.S. and returned to live in Japan. Her company is FoodSakeTokyo.com. Book well in advance.
Hiroshima is very worthwhile to visit, don’t miss it! It is now a city of peace and its symbol is the shite dove of peace. While staying there take a boat over Miajima to see the huge Torii.

valgalchi

If you haven't already I'd suggest spending some time on the Japan Guide site (https://www.japan-guide.com/). It's a great resource for a first time trip to Japan.

valgalchi

You might want ot see one of the 12 original castles like Himeji or Matsumoto. Those can be done as day trips or as stops along the way between bases (for example we stopped in Matsumoto on our way.from Tokyo to Takayama). Some people prefer to overnight though. Those are considered to be two of the best but you could also do a day trip via ferry from Hiroshima to Matsuyama (if you decide to include Hiroshima). Hiroshima is worth it especially if you like history (WWII). Osaka you could always do as a day trip from Kyoto if you aren't that into big cities.

For food Tabelog (https://tabelog.com/en/) will be a great resource. It's like the Yelp of Japan but the users are a lot tougher on places so anything above a 3.5 is can be considered really good. You'll see very few 4 star spots. It's a great way to see pics of the food and of the outside of the restaurant (very handy since the signage is usually in Japanese). I create a google map for each city & add a pic of the outside of the restaurant to the pin for the place so I can easily find it later. And it can be useful for ordering if there is no eng menu and/or the menu is handwritten and google translate isn't working. There are some good resources like bento.com, https://www.thesushigeek.com/ (if sushi is an interest), and pheebzeatz on Instagram (she writes for Culinary Backstreets about Tokyo but has been spending more time in Kyoto as well).

coral22

Thank you all so much for your replies, this is really helpful and gives me a lot of confidence that we can manage this on our own!
Luckily, we have a lot of time.

The pictures of the cherry blossoms are gorgeous, but everyone comments on the overwhelming crowds. We don't enjoy that kind of crush, but in other places, we have learned to get up early to get a jump on it, and to not go to the most photographed spots.Is it worth it?

Also, we are researching the area to stay in Tokyo.We are not into luxury shopping, night life or bars. Should we be in Tokyo before our flight home, or should we take a flight/train from Osaka the same day to catch the flight in Tokyo? I think if we stay in Tokyo again, we might stay in a different area.

valgalchi

We usually try to plan our trips for the cherry blossoms if we can but we have been to Japan 5 times so we aren't hitting the big spots like you will be. And keep in mind that no one knows for sure when they will be at peak months out (though they usually have a rough idea).The nice thing is there are lots of good cherry blossom spots outside of the major cities if you are willing to travel. And while there will still be crowds they are more llikely to be local versus foreign tourists/instagramers. Our second trip was specifically for cherry blossoms and we based in Tokyo and traveled to spots outside the city like Takasaki for the blossoms. So I wouldn't let crowds dissuade you if the blossoms are something you want to see.

coral22

Thank you for all of the ideas.
Yes, I must admit we really want to see the cherry blossoms and luckily the peak is different in different parts of the country, so we should hit somewhere. We can't book our flights yet, so I will be carefully watching the peaks for this year.

bgrisaitis

My wife and I sound just like you with our plans for 2025! Our children also have been there with suggestions. We are planning the exact same itinerary. Happy to share ideas if you are still working on it. Anne and bill

bgrisaitis

Have you picked an order for your trip yet.

mrwunrfl

>> They did comment that getting off the flight and having to get on the train during rush hour was challenging, so maybe a driver there.
You can take a limo bus into Tokyo, perhaps directly to your hotel. It's easy. If you fly into Tokyo Haneda Airport then you could take a taxi at a not unreasonable expense. Would be prohibitive cost from Tokyo Narita Airport. But, of course, you don't have to fly into Tokyo

>> Are Osaka and Hiroshima worthwhile?
Yes, especially Hiroshima dn Miyajima. Depends on how much time you want to spend at the other stops.

>> Is cherry blossom season worth dealing with the crowds?
That is debatable.If you go at that time then definitely visit Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo. There are several tree varieties so blooms over several weeks. May is a good time to go. November and October, too.

You need to check on the dates of the expo in Osaka (to attend or avoid).

>> We would love to hire private guides
I guess you found guides. Free to expensive.

>> We would also be open to going on some small group tours
could arrange via hotel is my only thought on this

>> more moderate accommodations
like what $$ or $$$

>> Should we be in Tokyo before our flight home
You could. You could travel from Osaka same day if you are up to doing that. You could just fly home from Osaka or Hiroshima or ...

>> Hakone with a driver would be nice.
Maybe nice, but take a look at using a Hakone Free Pass to travel on bus, boat, ropeway, cable car type thing, train to do the Hakone Loop. Take the Odakyu Romance Car train from Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto (there are some nice traditional ryokan near that station (and in Yumoto town and around the loop).,

April you would would want to attend Miyako Odori. Maybe a baseball game. In May there is a grand sumo tournament in Tokyo. November sumo is in Fukuoka.