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Tokyo, Japan
Days with Molly:
26th Jan:
- Arrive at airport, train to Shinjuku
- Meet Molly
- Maybe Golden Gai if not too late
27th Jan:
- Early walk around gardens, Meiji Shrine (Huge, beautiful gardens and just next door)
- Walk into Shibuya
- Shibuya crossing
- Maybe Takeshita Street (youth culture street)
- Shibuya sky for sunset. This will definitely be worth it if weather is clear
- Nice dinner and Golden Gai if haven’t already explored
- Omoide Yokocho (Piss Alley) (Authentic street food)
- Heaps to explore in these areas, can just wander the streets
28th Jan:
- Early train into Asakusa - East Tokyo
- Senso-ji temple
- Sumida river walk
- Ueno Park / Ueno Museum
- Tokyo sky tree, probably just look at it
- Tokyo Metropolitan Gov Building has a free observation deck
- Team labs (James said this was a highlight)
29th Jan:
- Day trip to Kamakura (1hr train)
- Great Buddha
- Hasedera Temple
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
- Komachi Street
- Walk down at the beach
*or could spend more time in Tokyo
30th Jan:
- Molly will return to Hakuba :(
Days solo:
30th Jan:
- Hang out with Molly in the morning before she returns to Hakuba
- Change location to Ueno or Asakusa
31st Jan
1st Feb:
- Day trip to Nikko, could stay a night there
2nd Feb:
3rd Feb:
a
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Takayama, Japan
3rd Feb:
- Check in
- Hida Folk Village if arriving early
4th Feb:
- Miyagawa morning market
- Hida Folk Village
- Shinhotaka ropeway
- Sanmachi Suji old town
5th Feb:
- Trip Shirakawa-go, take transport to Kanazawa from here.
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Kanazawa, Japan
5th Feb:
- Check-in (might be late after Shirakawa-go)
6th Feb:
- Rent bike?
- Kenroku-en gardens
- Kanazawa Castle
7th Feb:
- Nagamachi Samurai District
- Higasho Chia District
- Omicho fish market
8th Feb:
- Leave to Hakuba
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Hakuba, Japan
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Kyoto, Japan
Revised:
16th Feb:
- check into hostel
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
- Tenryu-ji (gardens and nature looks beautiful!)
- Togetsukyo Bridge
- Maybe monkey park
- Golden pavilion area: kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji
18th Feb:
- Nara day trip (could do half day)
- Sake museum and district on the way back
19th Feb:
- change hostels and try to get social
20th Feb:
- relax and slow down a bit, early night before Shimanami Kaido
13th Feb:
- Arrive in Kyoto (will most likely be late)
14th Feb:
- Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (early)
- Tenryu-ji (gardens and nature looks beautiful!)
- Togetsukyo Bridge
- Maybe monkey park
15th Feb:
- Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine (walk through 1000 torii gates)
- Tofuku-ji
- Sake district
16th Feb:
- Probably try and hit all the north temples, if not already templed out
17th Feb:
- Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
- Philosopher’s Path walk
- Nanzen-ji (huge temple complex)
- It’s more temples this day but they look amazing and broken up with nice walks through nature
18th Feb:
- Day trip to Nara
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Onomichi, Japan
21st:
- Early bus from Kyoto, arrive at Onomichi at 9.10am
- Stark Shimanami Kaido bike hike by 10.30
- Stay somewhere near the midpoint, 40km in
22nd
- ride the remaining 40km, taking your time
- bus or train onwards to Hiroshima same day (around 4pm)
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Hiroshima, Japan
Day trip or overnight stay in Miyajima island
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Osaka, Japan
- Himeji Castle
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Tanabe, Japan
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Kumano-Kodo Nakahechi Pilgrimage Route, Japan
28th Feb:
- Arrive in Tanabe
- Go to Kumano Travel tourism office to pick up pilgrim stamp book, local map and to confirm bus times to the start of the trail
- Look into cost of luggage transfer for big days (when it’s 5+ hours of hiking / significant elevation)
- Stay the night in Tanabe
1st March:
- Take 40 minute local bus to Takijiri-oji, this is where the trail starts
- Hike to Chikatsuyu (14km, 5-6hrs)
- Stay night in Chikatsuyu (super cool, small, traditional village)
2nd March:
- Hike through Tsugizakura-oji and Hosshinmon-oji, finishing in Hongu area (20-22km, big day, 8hrs)
- Visit Kumano Hongu Taisha (one of the major shrines)
- Stay the night in Hongu
3rd March:
- Hike to Koguchi (13km, 5-6hrs) (this section looks beautiful and remote)
- Stay in Koguchi (booked out a whole house!!)
4th March:
- Hike to Nachi Taisha (14km, 5-7hrs) (Beautiful waterfall and shrine)
- Bus to Kii-Katsuura
- Stay the night in Kii-Katsuura, or possibly somewhere closer to Hakuba
5th March:
- Travel to next destination
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Osaka, Japan