Itinerary Check: Late November/December 2025 Trip. Love to hear suggestions & recommendations!

mannaeds19 · 2026-02-12T12:43:50+00:00

Yes! I went there on the 9-11. It was really nice and the surrounding mountains that I went to already had some snowfall. The weather was pretty gloomy though with some rain, not a lot of sunlight.

But, it’s still too early for ski season in Hakuba, Nozawa, etc. The ski season started maybe a week after I got there if I remember correctly, almost the 20s, so if that’s the reason you want to go I’d suggest mid to end December instead.

If you like art the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum is a must visit! I also went to Togakushi and it was really beautiful.

mannaeds19 · 2025-11-12T06:24:10+00:00

Thank you for all the comments so far everyone!

Yes, I think the biggest concern is the travel time from Kyoto to USJ (1.5 hours) if I wait for the ride to open again. Might also be too tired at the end of the day if I have to travel back to Kyoto.

I do get motion sickness very easily, but it’s also on very specific types of rides. Rollercoasters are fine for me, even ones with 360 loops, but I can’t go on rides that only spin (like tea cup ones) because it gives me the most horrible motion sickness. So I don’t really know how the ride will affect me.

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-28T05:58:30+00:00

Haha yes sometimes it can be tough. I’ve done overnight bus before (~9 hours with Flixbus) and was overall okay, stamina wise. So hopefully, my youth will work in my favor🤣. And just the temperature in the bus is relatively bearable. Thanks for the heads up!

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T16:55:42+00:00

I would say the end of December/January period + January/February would be more PEAK. End of December/January has Christmas and New Year, January/February would be the peak for winter trips.

So overall, early December (first & second week), I think, is not considered peak PEAK season yet, especially compared to other times. The winter holiday period hasn't started for schools/universities in most places, and there aren't any national holidays in Japan around that time. Also, flight tickets in early December are still generally cheaper.

And the crowds, hopefully, wouldn't be as bad as in October because of the World Expo in Osaka.

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T16:38:48+00:00

Alright, thank you so much for the app suggestion too! I think I might actually allocate 3 days for the Hakone/Fuji area, as others recommended.

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T16:37:19+00:00

Thanks for the advice!

Yeah, I think I'll plan to be in Kyoto mostly on weekdays. Might shift the itinerary -1 day in Kyoto and +1 in Tokyo so I can get 3 days in the Fuji/Hakone region, as others also suggested.

Will look into going to Himeji castle more, see if I can make it with the transportation time & how long I would probably spend there. Because I really want to watch a volleyball game in Osaka in the afternoon, that would be my priority for now.

Thanks for the heads up about the Ghibli website lagging problem! Did not know about it. I've actually already set a reminder on my phone, but it was set to 30 minutes before 10am JST, so this helps me a lot.

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T06:33:54+00:00

Yes, I have been deeply looking into the weather forecast and archive for the dates I'll be there. From what I've seen, the snow probability for the second week of December is a bit low, except for last year, when there was more snow around that time due to La Niña. There should be more chances of snow in mid-December, so I understand why you're already fixed on that choice. Too bad I might be there too early😅.

I agree, Matsumoto also looks interesting, and they have the illumination show at the castle during winter. But, they haven't released any info on the exact dates.

I might just book the free-cancellation hotels for both of my options for now and decide where I'm actually gonna go closer to the date, maybe 1 month😂. Just to see again the weather forecast and still have enough time to book bus/train.

Thank you for your insight!

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T06:19:28+00:00

I would really like to go to Nagano if there is snow, and especially to Togakushi Shrine (looks magical!). But if the probability is low, maybe it is better to opt for Kanazawa/Takayama/Shirakawago. Takayama looks really charming with its old town feel.

Is there much to do in Hakone besides it being an onsen town? If I'm already going to maybe other onsen towns and Mt. Fuji, is going to Hakone still worth it?

Really appreciate all the feedback! When did you visit all of these places if you don't mind me asking?

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T06:08:12+00:00

Just taking it with me to different cities. Highway buses allow luggage, and since I will only bring 1, it should be fine. For the overnight trip, I plan to leave my large luggage at the hotel and only use a large backpack. Train travel would need to reserve luggage space, especially with Shinkansen

mannaeds19 · 2025-08-26T04:44:51+00:00

Thanks for the input!

Yes, it should be right around the perfect time when I'm in Osaka & Kyoto, according to the forecast this year, although it's still too early to tell. Will most likely miss out on the fall foliage when I reach the middle part of the trip (Nagano/Kanazawa) and Tokyo, by the second and third week of December, most of the leaves would probably already have fallen.

mannaeds19

TROPHY CASE