Itinerary
Attention! This is not a perfect itinerary. There are some parts that can be changed/should be changed. The following table is simply the actual itinerary of my trip. Do read my accompanying blogs for the reviews of the places I went to, or reach out to me directly if you have any question.
Also, this itinerary may omit some food places, because I cannot remember all the restaurants I went to :)
You may notice that this itinerary is somewhat packed. Yes, it is more suitable for solo travellers, or if your group travels very fast.
| Date | Time | Activity | City/region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/05 | Morning | Arrive at Narita airport. Take Skyliner train to Ueno station, then Hokuriku shinkansen to Kanazawa. Skip lunch. | |
| Afternoon | Nagamachi Samurai district: visit Nomura-ke, Ashiragu Shiryokan museum, and Kaga Hanshi. | Kanazawa | |
| Evening | Hanton rice at Grill Otsuka. | Kanazawa | |
| 19/05 | Morning | Kanazawa castle: visit small exhibitions. Then Omicho market. Seafood donburi for lunch in market. | Kanazawa |
| Afternoon | Higashi district: Visit Geisha tea house Shima, had gold leaf ice cream. Then visit Utatsuyama Park Hanashoubuen. | Kanazawa | |
| Evening | Sashimi dinner. | Kanazawa | |
| 20/05 | Morning | Kenroku-en garden. Then buffet lunch at Daiwa Korinbo store. | Kanazawa |
| Afternoon | Highway bus to Shirakawago. | ||
| Evening | Early dinner from convenient store nearby. Omigachi observatory (until ~6.30pm). | Shirakawago | |
| 21/05 | Morning | Walk around the village. Visit Nagase house, Wada house, Deai bridge. Hida beef lunch at Keyaki. | Shirakawago |
| Afternoon | Highway bus to Takayama. | ||
| Late afternoon | Visit Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine, stroll along Miyagawa river. | Takayama | |
| Evening | Takayama ramen at Yayoisoba Kado. | Takayama | |
| 22/05 | Morning | Higashiyama walking course. Then Takayama Jinya. | Takayama |
| Afternoon | Hida beef yakiniku at Hidagyu Maruaki. Then Takayama old town. Then Takayama history and arts museum. Then municipal government memorial hall. | Takayama | |
| Evening | Hida beef sushi at Kyoshi. Then Shiroyama park. | Takayama | |
| 23/05 | Morning | Miyagawa morning market. Hida beef okonomiyaki at Utsuke. | Takayama |
| Afternoon | Take Hida train to Nagoya. Then Tokaido shinkansen to Kyoto. | ||
| Evening | Cold ramen dinner at Kobushi ramen. Then Gion district, Yasaka shrine. | Kyoto | |
| 24/05 | Morning | Kyoto imperial palace. Obanzai lunch. | Kyoto |
| Afternoon | Mass at 12.30 at Kawaramachi Church. Then Kyoto Sento palace. Then Arashimaya bamboo forest, Tenryu-ji temple. | Kyoto | |
| Evening | Wagyu donburi at Wagyu Donburi-ya Nikuni. | Kyoto | |
| 25/05 | Morning | Higashimaya district. Visit Kiyomizu-dera, pass by Hokan-ji temple, visit Kodaiji temple and museum. | Kyoto |
| Afternoon | Gyukatsu lunch at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu. Then Teramachi shopping district. | Kyoto | |
| Evening | Conveyor belt sushi in Teramachi. Then take Tokaido shinkansen to Osaka. | ||
| 26/05 | Morning | Move to airport. Collect Kansai-Hiroshima area pass. Haruka train to Kyoto. Then Hashidate train to Amanohashidate. | |
| Afternoon | Soy sauce ramen at Ramen Ryuto no Matsu. Then visit Amanohashidate view land. Then walk along the sandbar. | Amanohashidate | |
| Evening | Sushi at Oda sushi. | Amanohashidate | |
| 27/05 | Morning | Ine boat village. Take boat cruise. | Amanohashidate |
| Afternoon | Curry rice lunch at れすとらん文珠. Then Hashidate train to Kyoto. Then Thunderbird train to Osaka, then Sanyo shinkansen to Okayama. | ||
| Evening | Oyster okonomiyaki at Kamon S Okonomiyaki. Then fruit parfait at cafe Moni. Then walk along Nishikawa Greenway Park. | Okayama | |
| 28/05 | Morning | Dosan limited express (Nampu train) to Oboke station. Then Iya bus to guesthouse Kazurabashi. | |
| Late morning | Visit Iyakei gorge: peeing statue, Hinoji valley | Iya valley | |
| Afternoon | Soba noodle at 立ち食いそば. Then chill at Forest Adventure area. Then visit Iya valley vine bridge, Biwa waterfall, Iya river bed. | Iya valley | |
| Evening | Set meal dinner at おのみ家（おのみや）. Then watch Iya valley vine bridge illumination. | Iya valley | |
| 29/05 | Morning | Take Kazurabashi taxi to Mt Miune trailhead. Hike up Mt Miune. Skip lunch. | Iya valley |
| Afternoon | Hike down Mt Miune. Then visit Nagoro scarecrow village. Then visit Ochiai village observatory. | Iya valley | |
| Evening | Set meal dinner at おのみ家（おのみや）. | Iya valley | |
| 30/05 | Morning | Iya bus to Oboke station. Then Dosan limited express (Nampu train) to Okayama station. Bento lunch on Sanyo shinkansen to Hiroshima. | |
| Afternoon | Hondori shopping street. Visit hypo-center monument. Then visit Fukuromachi elementary school memorial museum. Then Orizuru tower. | Hiroshima | |
| Evening | Okonomiyaki at Okonomimura. Visit peace park. | Hiroshima | |
| 31/05 | Morning | Visit peace park. Then visit peace memorial museum. Tsukemen at Mita Seimenjo. | Hiroshima |
| Afternoon | Visit ruins of imperial army headquarters. Catch samurai performance near Ninomaru gate. Mass at 2.30pm at Assumption of Mary Cathedral. Then Hijiyama park: enter via skywalk, visit Henry Moore sculpture viewpoint, Fujimidai observation deck. | Hiroshima | |
| Evening | Onomichi ramen at Onomichi Ramen Akatsuki. | Hiroshima | |
| 01/06 | Morning | Take ferry to Miyajima. Visit the torii gate, Itsukushima jinja. Then snacks at Omotesando shopping street. Skip lunch. Then stroll around Kiyomori shrine. | Hiroshima |
| Afternoon | Visit Hokoku-jinja. Then sit at Tenshinkaku cafe. Then take Miyajima ropeway up to Shishiiwa station. Go to observatory, and hike up Mt Misen. Then go down Mt Misen and ropeway. Take ferry back to Miyajimaguchi. | Hiroshima | |
| Evening | Hiroshima-style tsukemen at Reimenya. | Hiroshima | |
| 02/06 | Morning | Sanyo shinkansen to Asa station. Then take JR Mine line substitution bus to Nagatoshi station. | |
| Afternoon | Squid sashimi at Kiraku. Then cycling at Omi island (bike rented from Nagatoshi Kanko convention Kyokai information centre). Then ice cream at Takada coffee. | Nagato | |
| Evening | Yakitori dinner at ちくぜん 総本店. | Nagato | |
| 03/06 | Morning | Cycling at Motonosumi shrine area (bike rented from Nagatoshi Kanko convention Kyokai information centre): go to Senjojiki, then Motonosumi shrine, then Higashi Ushirobata rice terraces. Skip lunch. | Nagato |
| Afternoon | JR Mine line substitution bus from Nagatoshi to Asa station. Then Sanyo shinkansen to Hakata station. | ||
| Evening | Tataki dinner at canal city Hakata. Then walk around canal city Hakata. Music water show at 8pm. | Fukuoka | |
| 04/06 | Morning | Nanzo-in temple. Then Yakiniku all-you-can-eat lunch at Shabu-yo in canal city Hakata. | Fukuoka |
| Afternoon | Dazaifu temple. Kyushu national museum free exhibits. Get Umegae mochi. Then visit Tenjin underground mall. | Fukuoka | |
| Evening | Tonkotsu ramen at Yatai food stalls. Walk around Nakasu. | Fukuoka | |
| 05/06 | Morning | Uminonakamichi seaside park: cycle around the park (bike rented near park entrance), visit the zoo & seaside. | Fukuoka |
| Afternoon | Seafood donburi at なじみ食堂. Then visit Shikaumi shrine, Shiomi park observatory, Katsuma beach. | Fukuoka | |
| Evening | Tonkotsu ramen at Raumen stadium in canal city Hakata. Then walk around Hakata station. | Fukuoka | |
| 06/06 | Morning | Visit Ohori park. Then cycle around Itoshima (bike rented from Itoshima tourism information center): visit Tumandegoran cakery, Uovo cafe, Futamigaura torii. Burger lunch at Hona cafe. | Fukuoka |
| Afternoon | Fukuoka tower. Then Momochi seaside park. | Fukuoka | |
| Evening | Okonomiyaki inside Hakata station. Then take Kyushu shinkansen to Kagoshima. | ||
| 07/06 | Morning | Reimeikan museum. | Kagoshima |
| Afternoon | Steak lunch at Yappari steak house Tenmonkan branch. Walk around Tenmonkan district. Then mass at 3pm at St Francis Xavier church. Then Shiroyama park (observatory). | Kagoshima | |
| Evening | Dinner at an izakaya in Tenmonkan. Then walk around Tenmonkan. | Kagoshima | |
| 08/06 | Morning | Ferry to Sakurajima. Walk along to coast to Yogan Nagisa esplanade and Akamizu scenic square. Then Yunohira observation deck. Then take ferry back. | Kagoshima |
| Afternoon | Yakiniku wagyu beef at Ryu no Hana. Then visit museum of Meiji restoration. | Kagoshima | |
| Evening | Dinner at an izakaya in Tenmonkan. | Kagoshima | |
| 09/06 | Morning | Take airport limousine bus to Kagoshima airport. Lunch at airport. Then flight to Tokyo. | |
| Afternoon | Great Kanto earthquake museum. | Tokyo | |
| Evening | Tsukemen dinner at Somen Asakusabashi. | Tokyo | |
| 10/06 | Morning | Yasukuni shrine. Then Yushukan museum. | Tokyo |
| Afternoon | Soba noodle lunch at Komora Soba. Then visit Earthquake science museum. Then visit national Showa museum. | Tokyo | |
| Evening | Dinner at an izakaya near Asakusabashi. Then travel to Haneda airport for flight back to Singapore. | Tokyo |