Honeymoon in Japan help

[MaiaInEurope]

Hi everyone,

My wedding is next year and we have decided to go to Japan for our honeymoon. We have both always wanted to visit and so we’re trying to plan a romantic and once-in-a-lifetime trip. Our wedding will be in September so we’re thinking of booking this soon for October 2024. I have some time off this week so DP has asked me to write down some ideas for a plan!

So far the rough plan is this:

Day 1 -3 : Tokyo
Day 4 -6 : Hakone, with private onsen
Day 7 – 9 : Kyoto
Day 10 – 11 : Miyajima Island/ Hiroshima trip
Day 12 – 13 : Osaka
Day 14 : Tokyo

Do you think this is too much? I want us to see as many things as possible and have already made a list of a few places, like the deer park (Nara) near Kyoto. We are planning to get the Rail Pass to make travel easier.

I would appreciate recommendations of good hotels and things to do to add to my list. Even restaurants you’d recommend, anything that comes to mind. Thanks :)

Naoshima is amazing, we stayed in the yurts on the beach. It was magical.

There is a giant Buddah in Nara too.

We stayed in hostels and always had a room with aircon to ourselves, it was fine and not too expensive (but the yen had just crashed and the pound was strong)

There is lots to do in Disney that isn't rides. DisneySea has a volcano in the middle!!

We didn't bother with a travel agent. (And the airline lost our bags so we didn't have any luggage either!)

I did Tokyo, Fuji/Hakone day trip, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara day trip and Osaka.
Kyoto was my favourite. I also really enjoyed Team Labs in both Tokyo and Osaka.

We had a great family holiday in Japan over the summer, just over two weeks, and included a lot of what you are considering. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, Hakone. All were fab. We had the Japan Rail Pass and the Wi-Fi gadget too. We stayed in two ryokan inns as part of the trip, which was definitely a fantastic experience.

We used a Travel Counsellor to book, who in turn used a company called Inside Japan. I'm sure we could have done things cheaper, but were getting bit mind boggled trying to plan everything and work out the options. They arrange group tours or you can use them to book "self guided" trips which is what we did.

We said when we wanted to go, how long for, and a couple of things we definitely wanted to do, but that they should also suggest some ideas. We then went back and tweaked their suggestions (they would have fitted in a couple more stops, but we decided we wanted to have a bit more relaxed pace and not move every two days!). The package they arranged included loads of what we needed, and a really useful info booklet with all the info we needed and ideas of activities and itineraries for each stop.

A friend had been to Japan a few months before us and said she had thought of it as a once in a lifetime trip, but having been she reckoned it would need to be at least twice in a lifetime. We definitely agree!

Ahhhh! Yes! We went to the Team Labs one in Tokyo too. Totally loved it.

Kyoto and Osaka are beautiful places. Theres a lot of driving involved, Japan is a big place 😊.

Don't miss Hiroshima. I loved it, make sure you try Hiroshima style okonomiyaki while you are there.

we did an escorted tour in 2005, first holiday with DH, I'd booked it before we got together.
Tokyo
Hakone
Matsumoto
Takayama
Kyoto
Hiroshima
Miyajima
Nara

im knackered but if someone said I could fly to Japan tonight and do it all again I'd be off like a shot. Its fascinating.

Yup! Far superior to Osaka style. We now make this at home 🤤

Oooh I made it the other day !

How dare you?! Osaka okonomiyaki is the perfect food and cannot be bettered. This is a hill that I’m willing to die on.

@Takoneko But no noodle stack! 😱😂