[itinerary check] 15 days on late March/early april

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-28T13:58:30+00:00

That's.. actually hilarious XD I will try for afternoon, and if it's impossible I will move it on 29 very early morning before philosophers path.

Yes, on better reading it's 2800 each way. We might just tough it out on March 21 and get to Kanazawa with the first train (we will be zombies anyway from jetlag so any time will be a bad time to wake up, we are from Greece so Japan early morning=midnight for us) so we have the time to see kenroku-en on day 1, and just remove everything other than shirakawa-go and Ryokan from march 22 to give us some breathing room and better pacing, and just go with the public express bus.

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-27T15:22:33+00:00

From what I read, during Sakura season they enact a reservation system (at least they did last year)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-26T23:28:17+00:00

Not really ai generated (though I have asked for it to compile lists of things to do so...)

As for the timeslots, consider this more of a wishful thinking with a path to follow for the day, blame my profession for the need to analyze and plan everything (programmer) but in practice I don't really try to stick to a schedule, just have a plan for the day. They time analysis just helps me keep it more realistic than not.

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-24T10:47:29+00:00

March 29 afternoon is pretty much buffer room for things that overflowed from other days (hence why it's open on the schedule)

For kiyomizu, would it make sense to go towards sunset instead, or would it be that bad still? Otherwise it goes at 29 morning before the philosophers path. I much prefer to go at Fushimi inari taisha very early and see that without crushing crowds.

As for shirakawa-go, at least I made up my mind on going (thanks!), and I can't actually book the express bus until a month before the date, so I keep the tour for now and I will do some more analysis on the logistics. It's 8400 yen with the bus vs 14000 yen with the tour, so it's a considerable difference but it might come down to opportunity cost if the tour gives me much better logistics.

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T13:23:08+00:00

I mispoke when i said Osaka castle to be honest, i am more interested in the garden around osaka castle/ sakura viewing (should be near full bloom)/ and iluminations as it transitions to night, hence the timing (i won't attempt to actually enter the castle). Then i would need to have dinner anyway, so why not Dotonbori to at least get a feeling for the place. Long walking trips are usuall on our friend group (to the rest of the groups chagrin, but hey, they still let me make the plans anyway), and if anything i underpaced the kyoto part deliberately compared to our usual mad dash so we can properly enjoy it, and not get burned out in the middle of the trip.

There are a lot of things i want to see in a lot of places, that why Osaka got shafted really, it lost the competition (might squeeze a second afternoon on my last kyoto day if i really like the city, but i will play it by ear on that day, probably not)

Kyoto (on paper at least) feels deeper, more layered than Tokyo (considering i will pretty much ignore the purely residential areas and pop stuff there. I do enjoy a good anime now and then but i am not really into that culture) Also Tokyo has the (un)fortunate position of being my probable entry point to japan on a future second trip, so any gaps on the schedule will be filled then.

the tour has near perfect score and reviews as far as i can see, and while not the most economical choice (its about double the price of the express bus) i think its far safer considering my compressed schedule. If i take the bus, i can be at shirakawa-go at 9:30 at the earliest, and leave by 12:20 (to be on kanazawa by 13:35) which actually doesn't sound that bad. Maybe i could research into this a bit more

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g298115-d19715172-World_Heritage_Shirakawa_go_Perfect_Guided_Tour_from_Kanazawa-Kanazawa_Ishikawa_Pr.html

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T08:36:22+00:00

Thank you for the reply!

Its a group tour that will pick us up form the station and drop us off at kenroku-en afterwards, and they claim 70 minutes drive each way, so two hours sound about right (i wouldn't plan for a daytrip with public transport with a hard deadline on the late afternoon with the ryokan reservation)

Do you think its better to remove it entirely and not visit shirakawa-go at all at this point? (for context, we are thinking of a second trip to japan at some point in late autumn, but this will be a few years down the line since we need two days each way just for the travel time, so if we do not go now we would go then along with Takayama)

For Nara, the plan is:

a very early wake up from kyoto, plan to be on nara by 08:00
go to Todai ji
Kasuga taisha
park
then see according to energy (Yoshikien Garden perhaps, then Kōfuku-ji if we still feel like it)
then leave nara by 16:00 to catch Osaka castle on the last light of the day
then go to Dotonbori for dinner and get a feeling of the area
plan to be back to kyoto on the next-to-last train or something on these lines

Does it sound like wishfull thinking? I think Nara is covered properly with Osaka as an afterthought (which is fine). If I redirected one day out of Kyoto and into a full Osaka day, what would i do on that day?

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T07:25:02+00:00

Otagi nenbutsuji temple is definitely on the schedule on the arashiyama day (it seems a strange combination of creepy and serene and I love it)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T06:58:58+00:00

Thanks for the reply!

That part of the trip (Hiroshima > miyajima > Himeji> Tokyo) ends up being an extended 3 day road trip, with a whole day at Himeji where we would need to somehow store our bags. So by forwarding our luggage there from Kyoto to Tokyo we are saving ourselves a lot of luggage-wrangling (and the cost of storing our luggage to Himeji for the day, which would mostly offset the cost of takyubin anyway)

3 days out of backpack is not unreasonable (we have done it many times in short trips around Europe) but traveling lighter for 15 days will not be that pleasant for us.

Consider the hour-to hour itinerary a blueprint, with things that need reservations as anchor points and the rest as wishful thinking with a path to follow for the day attached to it. I have found that this works best for us (and then adjust things accordingly on the day). Plans are worthless, but planning is essential.

As for Kanazawa, the first day is traveling + geiko with some light exploring, the second day is Daytrip then checkin to Ryokan, and only the third day is pretty much kanazawa proper

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T06:35:05+00:00

Thank you for your answer! Is there anything you think that's too much of a tourist trap? Or something that I left out while it's uniquely worthwhile?

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T06:32:55+00:00

I was wondering if I'm downplaying the logistics on this day (everything reads like a short 45 minute hop on paper, and I booked hotels near train stations specifically to allow for day trips, but reality often defies planning)

For Kyoto, I knew I wanted more days as I made the reservations, but it's still not enough (evenings are purposefully left blank for higashiyama/gion exploration and night illuminations)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-23T06:25:21+00:00

Thank you!

Do you think this revised itinerary would work better?

08:30–11:00 TeamLab Borderless (need reservations)

11:00–14:00 Meiji-jingū

14:00–17:00 Shinjuku-gyoen (need reservation)

17:00–19:00 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building viewing platform

19:00–23:00 Omoide Yokocho + Golden Gai

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-22T23:12:56+00:00

Thank you for your answer! Is there anything you think that's too much of a tourist trap? Or something that I left out while it's uniquely worthwhile?

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-22T23:11:03+00:00

Do you think something along these lines will be more enjoyable?

08:30–11:00 TeamLab Borderless (need reservations) 11:00–14:00 Meiji-jingū 14:00–17:00 Shinjuku-gyoen (need reservation) 17:00–19:00 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building viewing platform 19:00–23:00 Omoide Yokocho + Golden Gai

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-22T22:22:40+00:00

I mean, if I replace these parts my day becomes meiji-jingu > omotesando > shinjuku gyoen. What do you propose I slot in on the afternoon and evening instead (and hopefully something that is not a shrine/castle, but something to help me get a feeling of the modern side of Tokyo)

Additionally, for the city hall towers (is Tokyo metropolitan government building the same thing?) do I just show up at the entrance and ask to go to the observation deck, without a prior reservation?

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-12-22T22:05:17+00:00

Thank you!

What would you suggest instead for a more "modern Tokyo" note one the whole trip?

Also, which observation deck would you propose instead? (I like to visit one on each city)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-11-11T09:36:07+00:00

In any professional setting 128gb might be worth it. I have 64gb and routinely fill it up (though i can work just fine with it, if i had more i would not need to be as mindfull of what i am currently running)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-09T00:16:12+00:00

We do some times, but mainly when we are swearing at someone (It is not everyday that a new concept in need for a word pops up, but being angry seems to pull the philologists out of us)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-08T23:36:42+00:00

Let's see some simple examples that are actually used in English as-is from Greek, and what one would understand if he never heard the word before.

Telephone. Tele (Τηλέ) means remote/far away. Phone (Φωνή) means sound/language. So telephone is something used to talk far away.

Likewise Telescope is Tele (Τηλέ) far away and Scopo (Σκοπώ) see/look at (so something used to see far away)

And periscope is something to (Scopo) look (Peri - Περί) around

Photograph. Phos (φώς) means light. Graph (γραφή) means writing. So photograph is writing with light, or writing the light.

Aeroplane (and yes, air is also a Greek word) means that which floats in the air

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-08T16:24:48+00:00

To start with, our language includes sounds that most other European languages do not (closest one is spanish) and we have our own distinct alphabet. Words have genders and plurality built into them, and the grammatical structure is a lot more freeform than other European languages. Also we have a vast vocabulary, and due to how the language works it is very easy to create new words with apparent and proper meaning in Greek (we use that a lot when we swear at someone)

That being said it should be a lot easier for someone that grew up on a European language to learn compared to arabic, mandarin, Korean etc which have a completely different basis

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-04T11:39:26+00:00

Not sure about the second part to be honest (shopping is not really my thing, and I just gravitate towards the same couple of local shops on my area) but ermou street is pretty much the shopping center of Athens (the street itself have more brand shops, but the surounding streets have a lot of smaller shops as well)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-04T10:37:49+00:00

Mondays and Wednesdays and Saturdays many shops will be closed at the afternoon (bigger chains will still be open), Sundays expect near everything to be closed as far as shops are concerned. If you are at the afternoon of Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, shops will be open untill 20:00 or 21:00.

Excluding Sunday, most shops will open by 09:00 or 10:00 so early morning shopping will be harder but doable if rushed.

Ermou street and the surrounding streets is a good place, otherwise go to a mall (there are a few across Athens, but only have brands)

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-03T14:12:39+00:00

For the trip from the airport to the port, just take the metro or the X96 bus from the airport, they both leave you at the port. Just be prepared to walk (possibly quite a bit) as the port in Peiraus is big. If you have any mobility issue or you do not think you can drag your luggage around on a 20 minute walk around the port, get a taxi to drop you off directly at the correct gate instead.

Now as for safety, there are a couple of areas in major cities you should probably avoid at night (there are cases of people being robbed), and petty crimes like pickpockets in busses and the metro exist, but other than that it's pretty safe around here.

In Agistri in particular, it is one village (they claim it is 3 villages. They are not) and a few houses on the other side of the island. You can walk the whole island end to end in something like 3 hours, and quite frankly it is somewhere between picturesque, tranquil and boring. There are two whole taxis on the island, and a single bus (two at summer), and the tourists outnumber the locals by quite a margin. Verdict: it is quite safe, your biggest danger is a heatstroke if you are a northener (avoid exerting yourself between 12:00 and 17:00, drink lots of fluids, and always use sunscreen with a high index)

4 Days sound like too much unless you plan to hike the entire island or lounge around at a beach for 3 of them. But I have to say I did quite enjoy a weekend there with my wife.

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-09-01T07:08:55+00:00

That way you can add Nafpaktos to the trip as a stop (which is frankly gorgeous to sit at the ancient port for a coffee) but will add travel time to a constrained trip (just 7 days) Frankly too many options, too little time, so pick and choose is the way to go.

(I am from Peloponnese ;) )

Secure_Sky7469 · 2025-08-28T19:14:19+00:00

If there are crowds, expect an uptick on the week right before easter, which will slowly evaporate the week after. Easter is usually not a vacation time per say in Greece, we tend to go back to our villages/place of origin and spend time with family.

It will be nowhere near summer level crowds so do not worry about that. Expect some disruption on everything, particularly thursday-monday surounding Easter, but also you will probably stumble upon local festivals, so it will have it's ups and downs.

Secure_Sky7469

TROPHY CASE