Trip Overview – 8 Days in Central Vietnam covering Lang Co, Hue and Hoi An

We spent 8 days in Central Vietnam in September 2017, just before the rainy season (October to February) which usually causes floods in Hoi An. We flew into and out from Da Nang city. Da Nang is the gateway to Hue and Hoi An, known for their UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is also the gateway to many beach-front luxury resorts, with Banyan Tree Lang Co being one of the best.

We spent 2 days at Banyan Tree Lang Co, 2 days in Hue and 4 days in Hoi An. Most people will prefer to spent more time in beautiful and historic Hoi An and skip Hue. I decided to stay a couple of days in Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage city well-known for its historic imperial city (Citadel) and imperial tombs.

Like Hue, Hoi An has plenty of history still intact. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was a small scale trading port in Southern Vietnam. The old town has many well-preserved buildings that reflects both indigenous and foreign cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese and later European. These places include houses of prominent people, assembly halls, communal houses, shrines, temples, bridge, market and wharf. Hoi An was included in UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999.

Most visitors to Hoi An planned at least a 3-days stay. There is plenty to do at Hoi An. For those looking to make cheap and good suits, Hoi An has many tailor shops that can provide custom-made suits within 3 days. A beautiful beach is within reach by bikes or taxi from the town center. The rural countryside around the Hoi An town is also nice to explore using bikes.

Since we had already spent some time at a beach resort and had already seen a bit of rural Vietnam, we skipped these activities in Hoi An. Our activities included an early morning private tour to Mỹ Sơn, a half day cooking class at Thuan Tinh Island, sampling the local Hoi An cuisine, shopping and exploring the ancient town.

The following summarises my itinerary and where we stayed.

Day 1 (23 September 2017)

This day was spent travelling from home to Da Nang International Airport. We were picked up by staff from Banyan Tree Lang Co and transferred to the beach-front luxury resort for our weekend of bliss and pampering.

Banyan Tree Beach Villa

Where we stayed: Banyan Tree Lang Co 

Trip report – Our stay at Banyan Tree Lang Co

Day 2  (24 September 2017)

There are plenty of activities to keep guests occupied within and outside the Banyan Tree resort. These include cooking classes, golf, yoga, excursions to Hue or Hoi An, cycling, water sports or just enjoying the villa facilities.

My wife did “yoga by the beach” at 6 AM, followed by breakfast. As part of the Banyan Tree Community Reward Stay programme, we were treated to an eco-tour of Lang Co. 

Exploring rural Vietnam in an eco-tour.

The itinerary included a visit to a nearby fishing village in Canh Duong where we learnt about the hard life of the local fishermen, navigate through mangroves in a traditional basket boat, see the beautiful Lap An lagoon and also travel along a winding road up the Hai Van Pass, a journey made famous by an episode of a popular TV programme Top Gear.

Where we stayed: Banyan Tree Lang Co 

Day 3  (25 September 2017)

More free and easy activities at the Banyan Tree Resort before checking out. The award-winning Banyan Tree Spa is not to be missed.

We used the private car transfer service provided by the resort to travel to Hue.

Entrance to the Imperial Palace at the Citadel, a UNESCO world Heritage site.

After checking into our hotel in Hue, we did the walking tour of the Citadel, a UNESCO world Heritage site.

Where we stayed in Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel.

The Saigon Morin Hotel is a historic, French colonial-era hotel, located next to the Truong Tien Bridge and Perfume (Huong) River. On Le Loi Road in the city center, it is ideally located for walking to the Citadel, Dong Ba market, shopping, restaurants & bars.

Trip Report - Visit to the Citadel in the city of Hue at Central Vietnam

Day 4  (26 September 2017)

Lake at the tomb of Tu Duc or Khiem Tomb.

We allocated our second day in Hue to visit three of the most impressive tombs of Nguyen emperors. Some of the tombs actually served as palaces and living spaces for their families when they were very much alive.

The best way to visit the tombs was to hire a private taxi with an English-speaking driver for the whole day so we could visit these places at our own pace, while the taxi waited for us outside. In addition to the 3 tombs, we also made a stop at the Thien Mu pagoda.

Where we stayed in Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel.

Trip Report – Our stay the Saigon Morin Hotel

Trip Report - Three Tombs and a Pagoda. Must see sights in Hue, Central Vietnam

Day 5  (27 September 2017)

After Hue, our next destination in central Vietnam is Hoi An. The best way to travel between Hue and Hoi An is to hire a private car with a driver for a day to take us through peaceful rural landscapes, scenic coastal route across the Hai Van Pass and make sightseeing stops along the way. 

Lap An lagoon

The 128 km journey would take about 3 hours of driving, excluding stops. With stops for lunch, sightseeing and taking photographs along the way, we could depart Hue in the morning and arrive at Hoi An in the evening.

Most private taxi operators’ itineraries include suggested stops at My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Marble Mountains, Lang Co beach, Lap An lagoon, top of Hai Van Pass or even an optional stop (with additional fees payable) at a swimming place called the Elephant Springs.

The famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge.

I requested for an additional stop at the famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge, located 8 km east of Hue city. Tour From Hue – Family Car Transfers & Tours was happy to include that into our itinerary without additional charges.

Spent the evening at Hoi An riverside. Not to miss is the night market with many stalls and colourful lanterns for sale.

Night market with many stalls and colourful lanterns for sale.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay. This relatively low cost, family operated guesthouse is located close to the Hoi An Ancient Town and is perfect for exploring this historic town on foot.

Trip report - Scenic road trip from Hue to Hoi An, via Hai Van Pass, Da Nang and Marble Mountains

Day 6  (28 September 2017)

We attended a half day cooking class in Hoi An on our first morning. There are many cooking schools providing half day classes in Hoi An. I signed up with Thuan Tinh Island Cooking School, partly because of good reviews and partly because of recommendation from my relatives who visited Hoi An before.

The rest of the day was spent free and easy exploring the sights and cuisine of Hoi An.

Trying the street food in Hoi An

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip report - Visit to Hoi An’s morning market and cooking class at Thuan Tinh Island

Trip Report - What and where to eat while in Hoi An

Day 7  (29 September 2017)

Ruins at My Son Sanctuary

A visit to Hoi An would not be complete without a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage cultural site of Mỹ Sơn. My Son Sanctuary was once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom who ruled Central Vietnam from 4^th to 15^th century.

It is best to go early in the morning when it is much cooler and there would be less people at the site. We signed up for the Sunrise My Son Tour with Tommy Dao Tours with pick up from our hotel at 5 AM! Sacrificing a bit of morning sleep is well worth it.

Exploring Hoi An ancient town

We arrived back to Hoi An at about 10 AM in the morning. The rest of the day was spent exploring the cuisine and shopping in Hoi An at a leisurely pace. The ancient town and Thu Bon river side area is very beautiful at night when the lanterns are lit.

Hoi An riverside in the evening.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip report - Visit to My Son Sanctuary, Champa ruins near Hoi An and Da Nang

Trip Report - Enjoying UNESCO World Heritage Hoi An in the evening

Day 8  (30 September 2017)

This is another free and easy day for us to explore Hoi An ancient town. One of the highlights of visiting Hoi An is to explore the insides of some of these places.

Insides of one of the assembly hall.

We bought a ticket for the ancient town with 5 coupons that allows entry into 5 historical places of our choice.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip Report - 5 places to visit while exploring Hoi An’s UNESCO World Heritage old town

Trip report - 4 free and easy days in Hoi An

Day 9 ( 31 September 2017)

Travel from Hoi An to Da Nang Airport for our morning flight home.

Other trip planning tips and considerations

Buy a Data SIM card in Da Nang International Airport

A 30 day data SIM with unlimited data, LTE, from Viettel cost USD 5.5, a fraction of the price compared to what we had to pay in most countries. The card can be purchased in the luggage collection area of the airport. The staff even helped us to install and activate the card.

Buy a combo ticket when visiting the Citadel and the Imperial tombs in Hue.

Entry to the Citadel and the various Imperial tombs are chargeable. We saved some money by buying a combo ticket instead of paying the entrance fees to each place separately. This combo ticket is sold at the ticket booths outside these places.

Note: Entry to the Thien Mu Pagoda is free.

While there are group tours to the above places that cost less, we prefer to travel at our own pace. Public transport within Hue is almost non-existent and imperial tomb sites are distributed all over the outskirt of Hue city. It made sense to hire a private taxi with an English-speaking driver for the whole day so we could visit these places at our own pace and with less hassles.

Stay near the Hoi An ancient town

While there are many places to stay in Hoi An, the best way to explore and enjoy Hoi An is on foot or bike. Hence, we felt that the ideal place to stay should be within walking distance to the ancient town and riverside area. The September weather in Hoi An is hot, humid and unpredictable. Once the weather gets too hot in the afternoon, we would seek shelter in a cool cafe or head back to the cool air-con comfort of our nearby hotel to rest before venturing out again in the cooler evening.

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Kumano Kodo pilgrimage hike and autumn leaves viewing in Japan 2016 – Trip Overview

After a successful trip to Japan to walk the Nakasendo Trail in late spring 2016 with some good friends, we set our sights on walking the more challenging Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route in the Kii Peninsula. We had already planned to visit Japan in autumn to experience the famous and magnificent autumn foliage around Kyoto and adding in a week’s hike in the mountainous Kii Peninsula in November was not a bad idea.

Weather-wise, November is a good time to hike the ancient route through the forests and mountains. In summer, the weather would be wet, hot and humid. Who needs more of that when I experience such weather daily in my home country. The weather forecasted for November is dry and cool and we may even get a chance to see some colourful autumn foliage along the journey.

What is Kumano Kodo?

For thousands of years, emperors, aristocrats, common folks have made the pilgrimage trek across the Kii Peninsula to Kumano. The focus of the Kumano pilgrimage is to worship at the three Grand Shrines of Kumano. As a set they are referred to as the Kumano Sanzan: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha.

Walking the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural landscape of Kumano's spiritual countryside. Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were also registered as UNESCO World Heritage in 2004. There are actually many routes to the shrines such as the Nakahechi (route used by the emperors!), the Kohechi (The Mountainous Route to Kumano) , the Ohechi (The Coastal Route to Kumano) and the Iseji (The Eastern Route to Kumano).
What is good for royalty is good for us! Besides, the Nakahechi Route was the most popular. This trail has traditional lodgings in isolated villages along the way and is excellent for multi-day walks.

The best way to plan and book our Kumano Kodo adventure was through the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau website. The suggested itineraries were simply excellent.

We chose the 5 days/4 nights Nakahechi Route from Takijiri to Hongu, boat ride to Shingu & train to Nachi. The detailed itinerary can be found here. This itinerary included a variety of experiences related to the ancient Kumano pilgrimage and was one of the less strenuous options. The most strenuous one in my opinion would be the 6 days/5 nights route that include a challenging day crossing of a steep mountain pass called the Ogumotori-goe. Being unsure of our fitness level, we decided to stick to the relatively “sissy” option.

The route we selected included some walks on the main portion of the Nakahechi pilgrimage, a visit to all three Kumano Grand Shrines, a trip on a traditional boat, and a few nights in onsen villages to enjoy the hot springs. There is a diversity of walks: a bit of challenge (first two days) with some steeper climbs and descents (without being exhausting!) and easier highlight walks around the shrine areas (last 3 days). All accommodations in the villages were booked easily via the bureau and we actually added a few extra days (a side trip and overnight stay at Kawayu Onsen and an extra night at Kii-Katsuura) to the proposed itinerary.

This is the overview of our trip.

Day 1 (13 November 2016)

Travel from home to Kansai International Airport.

Upon arrival, forward our main luggage to our hotel (in Nara) after Kumano Kodo hike so we only carry what is needed for the Kumano Kodo hike in backpacks.

Hineno Station has direct train to Kii-Tanabe and is just one stop by train from the airport. So Hineno is a good place to stay for the night since we arrived late.

Where I stayed: Kanku Joytel Hotel at Hineno. This hotel is conveniently located just next to the Hineno train station.

Trip report: Prelude to our Kumano Kodo Nakahechi hike – Hineno and Kii-Tanabe.

Day 2 (14 November 2016)

Travel by train from Hineno to Kii-Tanabe (duration 1.5 hours).
Travel by public bus from Kii-Tanabe to Takijiri (duration ~40 minutes).

Walk KUMANO KODO - Takijiri-oji to Takahara (3.7 km, ~2.5 hours)

Where I stayed: Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge. There are not many places to stay at Takahara. Try to book this accommodation as early as possible.

View of the mist over the Kii mountain ranges from the Kiri-no-Sato Lodge in the morning.

Trip report: From Takijiri-Oji to Takahara on the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Pilgrimage Route.

Day 3 (15 November 2016)

Walk KUMANO KODO – Takahara to Chikatsuyu-Oji (9 km, 5 to 6 hours).

Where I stayed: Minshuku Chikatsuyu. Nice minshuku located next to a river. This minshuku has its own onsen.

Trip report: Morning at Kiri-no-Sato Lodge at Takahara.

Trip report: From Takahara to Chikatsuyu–Day 2 of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi hike.

Trip report: Evening at Chikatsuyu village and excellent tofu nabe served at Minshuku Chikatsuyu.

Day 4 (16 November 2016)

Take bus to Hongu and transfer to a bus that bring us to the start of the trail at Hosshinmon-oji.

Walk KUMANO KODO - Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha (7 km, 3 hours). See the giant Torii Gate and Hongu Taisha, one of the three main Kumano shrines.

After the walk, take the public bus to Yunomine Onsen for overnight stay.  Yunomine Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan and directly connected with the Kumano Kodo. It is a quaint little collection of inns tucked into a small valley. Each accommodation has their own hot spring bath (onsen), and there is a special public bath called Tsuboyu. This bath was used by pilgrims past to purify themselves with the hot water. Tickets are sold at the booth next to the temple.

Where I stayed: Yoshinoya Ryokan at Yunomine Onsen. In addition to the typica shared indoor onsen, this ryokan features a free private outdoor onsen in a nice garden setting.

Trip report: Enjoying the morning and autumn leaves at Chikatsuyu-Oji.

Trip report: Walk from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha – Day 3 on the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail.

Trip report: Visiting the Grand Shrine (Kumano Hongu Taisha) and the O-Torii ( Japan’s largest Torii Gate) at Oyunohara.

Trip report: Yoshinoya Ryokan at Yunomine Onsen.

Day 5 (17 November 2016)

Have a soak at the Tsuboyu public bath in the morning.

Tsuboyu is a small cabin by the creek that runs through Yunomine Onsen.This bath is private use for 1~2 people for 30 minutes. It is a first-come first-serve bath with no reservations. It is the only hot spring that you can bathe in that is registered as UNESCO World Heritage. It is also very popular with couples.

Try also to cook eggs using the hot spring by the creek. This is a fun activity.

After check-out, travel to Kawayu Onsen by public bus. “Kawa” means “river” and “yu” means “hot water”. In Kawayu Onsen hot spring water bubbles to the surface of the crystal clear river.

You can dig your own hot bath or bathe in a prepared one by the river. We added a night’s stay at Kawayu Onsen to the original itinerary proposed by the Kii-Tanabe Tourism website.

Where I stayed: Fujiya Ryokan at Kawayu Onsen. This is one of the best ryokans in Kawayu Onsen and ideally located next to the hot springs by the river.

Trip report: A dip in the UNESCO World Heritage Tsuboyu at Yunomine Onsen.

Trip report: Exploring legends and history at Yunomine Onsen.

Trip report: Enjoying a hot bath by the river at Kawayu Onsen.

 

Day 6 (18 November 2016)

From Kawayu Onsen, take the morning Kumano Kotsu Bus that would bring us to the Kumanogawa River Boat Tour Centre located in the small riverside village of Hitari.

Travel like ancient pilgrims in a boat down the Shingu river and visit the Kumano Hayatama Taisha shrine at the end of the boat ride.

Take a train or bus to Kii-Katsuura for overnight stay.

Where I stayed: Hotel Charmant in Kii-Katsuura. Value hotel with western style rooms, located near the train station.

Trip report:  Kumano Kodo – travelling by traditional river boat from Hongu to Shingu to visit the Kumano Hayatama Taisha.

Trip report: Visit to Kumano Hayatama Taisha at Shingu and evening at Kii-Katsuura.

Day 7 (19 November 2016)

Visit the fish market in Kii-Katsuura at 7 AM. Note: It was closed on this day when we came!

Take bus to Nachi and walk KUMANO KODO -  Daimon -zaka. (Distance:~1.5 km. Time: ~1 hrs). Daimon-zaka is picturesque stone staircase with giant trees lining the way.

Visit Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and the Nachi Falls.

Where I stayed: Hotel Urashima in Kii-Katsuura.

Hotel Urashima Resort & Spa features a cavernous hot spring bath with a wondrous view of the Pacific Ocean from its cavern and buffets centered on locally caught tuna. There are seven baths scattered throughout the facility including one in a cave overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We added a visit to Hotel Urashima to the original itinerary to enjoy hot spring baths by the ocean.

Trip Report: Walking up the Daimon-zaka to Kumano Nachi Taisha and seeing the Nachi Falls, tallest waterfall in Japan.

Trip report:  Hotel Urashima Resort and Spa in Kii-Katsuura for cave onsens and a beautiful sunrise over the Pacific.

Day 8  (20 November 2016)

Wake up early to see sunrise from the Sunrise Terrace in the hotel.

Visit the fish market (again) in Kii-Katsuura at 7 AM.

Travel from Kii-Katsuura to Nara by train.

Where I stayed: Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara Eki at Nara. This hotel is conveniently located next to the JR Nara Station.

Trip report: Visit to the Kii-Katsuura Fish Market.

Trip report: From Kii-Katsuura to Nara by train and evening in Nara.

Day 9  (21 November 2016)

Explore Nara and enjoy the autumn leaves and friendly deers at Nara Park.

Where I stayed: Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara Eki at Nara.

Trip report: Exploring Nara Park in Autumn (Part 1) - Todai-ji Temple, Nigatsu-do Hall.

Trip report: Exploring Nara Park in Autumn (Part 2) – Kasuga Taisha and Sagi-Ike and Ara-Ike Ponds.

Trip Report: Maguro Koya tuna restaurant in Nara.

Day 10  (22 November 2016)

Travel from Nara to Kyoto by train. Visit Tofukuji Temple on the way.

Usually best in the second half of November, Tofukuji Temple displays some of Kyoto's most spectacular autumn foliage.

Time permitting, visit Fushimi Inari Shrine which is located near to Tofukuji Temple.

 

In the night, walk to Kodaiji Temple, known for its evening illuminations. The sight of the lit up maple leaves, reflecting on the surface of the temple's pond, are particularly breath-taking.

Where I stayed: APA Hotel Kyoto Gion Excellent at Kyoto. This hotel is conveniently located at the Higashiyama/Gion area. Ideal for our itinerary as many places we wanted to visit are near to Gion.

Trip report: Kyoto’s Tofukuji Temple in autumn.

Trip report: Visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine and hike all the way to the summit of Mount Inari.

Trip report: Okonomiyaki at Issen Yosyoku.

Trip report: Kodai-ji Temple– special autumn evening light up.

Day 11  (23 November 2016)

Visit Ginkakuji Temple with its Silver Pavilion.

Walk down Philosopher Path to Honen-in Temple, Eikando Temple, and Nanjenji Temple to see the autumn leaves.

In the afternoon and evening, do some shopping at Teramachi-dori, Nishiki market and Shijo-dori area.

Where I stayed: APA Hotel Kyoto Gion Excellent at Kyoto.

Trip report: Exploring Kyoto’s Northern Higashiyama district in autumn– Ginkaku-ji, Honen-in, Eikando and Nanzenji.

Trip report: Shopping at Teramachi and Shinkyogoku shopping arcades, Nishiki market and tonkatsu dinner at the Katsukura Shijo Higashinotoin.

Trip report: Yasaka Shrine, Gion Shirakawa and Pontocho Alley at night.

Day 12  (24 November 2016)

Visit Arashimaya area.
Explore the Bamboo Forest enroute to Okochi-Sanso Villa. The villa is known for its fabulous garden and is especially beautiful in autumn.

Visit Otagi Nenbutsu with its numerous stone Rakans.

Note: We skipped Tenryu-ji Temple since we had visited the temple in spring. Else, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth a visit.

Where I stayed: APA Hotel Kyoto Gion Excellent at Kyoto.

Trip report: Exploring Arashiyama and Sagano (Part 1)– Bamboo groves, Okochi Sanso Villa and Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street.

Trip report: Exploring Arashiyama and Sagano (Part 2 )– Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street and the Kimono Forest.

Trip report: Crab indulgence at the Kani Doraku Kyoto Honten.

Day 13  (25 November 2016)

Visit Kiyomizudera Temple and the shopping streets of Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka. See Ishibei-koji Lane and Nene-no-Michi Lane.

Travel from Kyoto to Kobe in the late afternoon. We forward our luggage to our hotel in Kobe for ease of travel.

For dinner, try Kobe beef at Steakland Kobe. Must try in Kobe – Kobe beef!

Where I stayed: Sannomiya Terminal Hotel at Kobe. This is hotel conveniently located within the Sannomiya Train Station complex, a transportation hub in Kobe.

Trip report: Visit to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the Southern Higashiyama area in autumn.

Trip report: Lunch at Ramen Sen No Kaze in Kyoto.

Trip report: From Kyoto to Kobe and evening around Sannomiya.

Day 14  (26 November 2016)

Do a day trip to visit Himeji Castle from Kobe by train. Himeji is less than an hour by train from Kobe.

After visiting Himeji Castle, travel back to Kobe to have lunch at the Wakkoqu (Kobe beef Teppanyaki restaurant) before exploring Kobe’s historic Kitano-cho district.

Visit Harbourland area in the evening. After dinner, walk around Meriken Park with views of waterfront and Kobe Port Tower.

Where I stayed: Sannomiya Terminal Hotel at Kobe.

Trip report: Trip to Himeji Castle from Kobe.

Trip report: Return to the Wakkoqu Kobe beef restaurant and afternoon at Kobe’s historic Kitano-cho district.

Trip report: Kobe Harborland and Meriken Park at night.

Day 15  (27 November 2016)

Travel from Kobe to Osaka by train.
Do some shopping and eating at Osaka’s Umeda area. Visit Grand Front Osaka - go see the Northern Building, with its Knowledge Capital and Umekita floor.
Visit Umeda Sky Tower Observatory for sunset and night views, if weather is good.

Where I stayed: Hotel Monterey Osaka at Umeda Osaka. This hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to the Umeda/Osaka Station in Osaka.

Trip report: A nice and unusual hotel and a rainy day in Umeda, Osaka.

Day 16  (28 November 2016)

Visit Kuromon Ichiba Market in the morning. Go with an empty stomach to enjoy Osaka’s street food, especially seafood.
Explore Osaka’s Namba district, e.g. Shinsaibashi street, Dotonburi.

Dotonburi is especially lively and beautiful at night.

Where I stayed: Hotel Monterey Osaka at Umeda Osaka.

Trip report: Exploring Osaka Namba area – Kuromon Ichiba Market.

Trip report: Exploring Osaka Namba area – Dotonbori Street and Shinsaibashi Shopping Street.

Trip report: Exploring Osaka Namba area – Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) dinner at Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M restaurant.

Day 17  (29 November 2016)

Visit the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and see the whale shark in a giant 9 meter deep tank.

Dinner at Dotonburi before collecting luggage from hotel and head for the airport for late night flight home.

Trip report: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

Some other points and comments about the above itinerary

Late November and early December is one of the best times to visit Japan, especially Kyoto, since it is the Autumn leaves season. The actual dates for the peak of the autumn leaves depends on the location in Japan and also weather for the year. It is not easy to time the visit to co-incide with the peak of the fall foliage but autumn leaves season typically last 2 to 3 weeks, unlike the cherry blossoms which only last a few days! Check the autumn leaves forecast websites to get latest information on the forecast for the year while planning the trip.

Luggage Forwarding Service or Takuhaibin is a convenient service for sending parcels, luggage and various other types of goods from door to door nationwide. Delivery is usually on the next day, and costs are moderate. We made use of this service to make our travels much more pleasant and enjoyable. No need to lug our suitcases up the trains, buses, elevators and through crowded stations and malls. Worth every yen spent!

For the Kumano Kodo hike, there are also luggage forwarding services from one village to the other that could be booked via the Tanabe City Tourism Website. I did not use this service as the cost was much higher than the usual Takuhaibin Service. The higher cost is understandable since the business volume is not high. In a way, the service is almost a personalised service. We chose to carry what we need for our Kumano Kodo hike through the Kii-Peninsula in backpacks and forwarded the rest of our luggage to a hotel after our Kumano Kodo trek. Having to carry what we need for the Kumano Kodo trek on our backs actually added to the overall experience!

Check out this article for tips on packing for the pilgrimage hike.

The hotels in Kyoto and Osaka are generally more expensive during the peak autumn foliage season. To save some money, we chose to stay a few days in Kobe (with cheaper accommodations than Osaka and Kyoto) and used Kobe as a base to explore areas like Himeji and Kobe rather than make day trips to visit Himeji or Kobe from Kyoto or Osaka. Kobe could potentially be a base for day-trips out to explore Osaka or Kyoto as well.

Local cuisine is one of the things to enjoy while visiting a country. Japanese cuisine is one of the yummiest and comes very well presented too. I have included some of the food we tried and restaurants we visited in the trip journal. Many regions and cities have their local specialities. We try to experience them if we could.

Japan is trying to make the country more tourist friendly and free wi-fi are available in most areas that tourists frequent. However, connection is spotty and may not be available when we need them the most. We bought Prepaid Data SIMs for use in my smartphone and use tethering to share with my travelling companions. Armed with portable internet access at all times, I could refer to Hyperdia on my smartphone to check up trains times, routes and platform information on the go. Many mobile data plans are available at this econnect website. They delivered the ordered SIM card to my hotel in Hineno.

For long travels across cities, e.g. Kyoto to Kobe, Kii-Katsuura to Nara, rail passes can potentially save money. It is also for convenience. There are many to chose from at the JR West website and can be confusing as to which is the most suitable. For the itinerary above, we did not find any rail passes that could help us save money. So, we just buy our tickets as we go.

Train service to Kii-Tanabe is not very frequent and it is a long ride. The KUROSHIO Express that links the cities in the Kii-Peninsula (e.g. Kii-Tanabe and Kii-Katsuura) with Osaka and Kyoto runs through Hineno which is one station away from the Kansai Airport. This makes Hineno a perfect place to stay if we have an early plane to catch or if we are arriving late in the evening.

We took local buses in Kii Peninsula. The buses are also not very frequent, unlike those in big cities. Get and print the latest updated bus schedules from the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau website.

 Lastly, a word about hotels and ryokans/minshukus.
I booked my hotels about 6 months before my travel dates. Rooms in Japanese hotels are very small by comparison to other countries and there are more smoking rooms than non-smoking rooms. Also, more single and twins rooms than doubles. So, I booked early (with free cancellations at Booking.com) to get the non-smoking rooms and also the rooms with large double beds. Be careful about double beds. Some hotels market their super-single sized beds as small doubles!

One of my main criteria for hotel is location. Preferably, within walking distance to train and bus stations and also near to places to visit. There are more eateries and shops found around the Japanese train stations. In this trip, I stayed in the Gion area while in Kyoto as that was where most temples with excellent fall foliage were located.

Ryokans and minshukus in the small rural villages along the Kumano Kodo routes are limited. So, I need to book well ahead of the trip.  The Tanabe City Tourism Bureau website is highly recommended. Payment needs to be made in advance but the good thing is that I don’t have to carry too much cash during the hike. And payment is by cash only in the small villages.

Half the fun in going for a do-it-yourself vacation is in the planning. With the above plan, the 17 days trip through Central Japan and the Kii Peninsula went without a hitch and was truly amazing and enjoyable. More details about the trip could be found in the trip journals.

Hope you find the above itinerary and trip overview useful.

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Trip Overview–Japan Spring 2016 (16 Days through Nakasendo Trail, Japanese Alps, Kanazawa, Shirakawago, Takayama, Hiroshima, Miyajima and Kyoto)

This is an overview of our trip through Japan in May/June 2016. In 16 days, we hiked part of the Nakasendo trail from Magome to Narai, visited Matsumoto, crossed the Japanese Alps, visited Kanazawa, Shirakawago, Takayama, Hiroshima, Miyajima and ending with a short stay in Kyoto.

The following table summarises my itinerary and where I stayed.

Day 1  (24 May 2016)

Travel from home to Nagoya Airport. Forward our main luggage to the next hotel after Nakasendo and Alpen Route, i.e. our hotel in Kanazawa.

Travel by train to Nagoya. At Nagoya, take a train to Nakatsugawa and then travel by public bus to Magome.

Where I Stayed: Tajimaya at Magome.

Trip report – getting to Magome

Day 2  (25 May 2016)

Walk from Magome to Tsumago along the Nakasendo trail in the morning.

After check in and short rest, walk the Tsumago to Nagiso trail.

Tip: Use the luggage forwarding service between Magome and Tsumago. Drop off backpacks in the morning at Magome and collect them when we arrived at Tsumago, on the same day.

Where I Stayed: Fujioto Ryokan at Tsumago.

Trip report – Morning in Magome

Trip report – Nakasendo Walk from Magome to Tsumago

Trip report – Nakasendo Walk between Tsumago and Nagiso

Trip report – Review of Fujioto Ryokan

 

Day 3  (26 May 2016)

Take train from Nagiso to Narai to drop off our backpacks at Iseya Ryokan. Walk across Torii Pass from Narai to Yabuhara before taking the train back to Narai.

Note: There is No same day luggage forwarding service available between Tsumago and Narai. So we dropped off our backpacks at Narai before doing the reverse hike across the Torii Pass from Narai to Yabuhara.

Where I Stayed: Iseya at Narai.

Trip report – Morning in Tsumago

Trip Report – Nakasendo walk between Yabuhara and Narai

Trip Report – Review of Iseya Ryokan

Day 4  (27 May 2016)

Short walk from Narai to Kiso-Hirasawa, famous for its lacquer ware, before leaving the Kiso Valley (and the Nakasendo trail) by train to Matsumoto.

See Matsumoto Castle. Sign up for the free tour of the castle conducted by volunteers at the castle site.

Check out Nawate Street and Nakamachi Street for eateries and souvenirs.

Where I Stayed: Richmond Hotel Matsumoto at Matsumoto. The hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to the train station and castle.

Trip Report – Morning in Narai

Trip Report – Nawate Street in Matsumoto

Trip Report – Matsumoto Castle

Day 5  (28 May 2016)

Leave early from Matsumoto and travel by train to Ogizawa.

Travel through the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route from Ogizawa to Toyama.

The main attraction is the magnificent scenery of the Tateyama Mountain Range and the snow corridor in spring. In 2016, the snow corridor is open to pedestrians from April 16 to June 22.

Travel by Shinkansen from Toyama to Kanazawa after completing the Alpine Route.

Tip: Leave early as it takes about 6 hours to enjoy the Alpine Route, excluding travel time to and from the start and end points.

Where I Stayed: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa at Kanazawa. This high-rise hotel is conveniently located and connected to the Kanazawa train and bus station via an underpass.

Trip report - Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Day 6  (29 May 2016)

A full day to explore Kanazawa and try the fresh seafood!

Must see sights include the Kenroku-en Garden, one of the Three Most Beautiful Gardens in Japan.

After seeing the garden, stopped by at the nearby 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art to view the free exhibits.

In the afternoon, visit Omicho Market, the Samurai district and the Higashi Chaya districts. Visit a few gold leaf craft shops at the Higashi Chaya districts.

Tip: Buy the 500 Yen Bus Day Pass if doing a lot of sightseeing within Kanazawa. It would be more convenient than using coins to pay for each bus ride.

Where I Stayed: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa at Kanazawa.

Trip report – Exploring Kanazawa

Day 7  (30 May 2016)

Travel from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go (a UNESCO World Heritage village) by public bus.

After exploring Shirakawa-go, take the public bus to Takayama.

Tip: Bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawago needs advance reservation. There are lockers at Shirakawago bus station but we chose to forward our main luggage to Takayama a day prior to our trip.

Where I Stayed: Best Western Hotel Takayama at Takayama. This hotel has western-style rooms and is conveniently located within walking distance to the Takayama train and bus station. It is also within walking distance to the key sights and eateries in Takayama.

Trip report – Visiting Shirakawa-go

Trip report – Enjoying Hida Beef at Ajikura Beef Yakiniku Restaurant

Day 8  (31 May 2016)

A full day to explore Takayama.

Tip: Must try the Hida beef! Yakiniku style is best.

Where I Stayed: Best Western Hotel Takayama at Takayama.

Trip Report – Exploring Takayama

Day 9  (1 June 2016)

Do a day trip to Kamikochi National Park from Takayama by public bus.

Stay at Hirayu Onsen to enjoy hot spring baths after a day of hiking in the national park.

Where I Stayed: Hirayu No Mori at Hirayu Onsen.

Trip Report – Day trip to Kamikochi National Park

Trip Report – Hirayu No Mori

Day 10  (2 June 2016)

Travel by public bus from Hirayu Onsen back to Takayama and make a half day excursion to Hida-Furukawa. Take the Satoyama cycling tour (weather permitting). Hida-Furukawa is also known for its canals with koi.

Where I Stayed: Oyado Koto No Yume in Takayama.

Trip report – Enjoying Hida Beef at Maruaki and trip to Hida Furukawa

Trip report – Review of Oyado Koto No Yume Ryokan

Day 11  (3 June 2016)

Travel to Kyoto by train from Takayama.

In the afternoon, visit Nishiki Market and Teramachi area for some shopping and dinner at Ichiran, one of the most popular ramen restaurant in Kyoto.

Explore Kyoto’s Gion district at night.

Where I Stayed: Ibis Style Kyoto Station at Kyoto. This hotel is conveniently located next to Kyoto Station. 

Trip report – Takayama to Kyoto by train.

Trip report – Nishiki Market and Ichiran Ramen

Trip report – Gion at night

Day 12  (4 June 2016)

Explore Arashiyama with its famous bamboo groves and Tenryu-ji Temple. Thereafter, travel by train/taxi to visit Kinkakuji Temple, the Golden Pavilion.

Travel by Rapid Service train and Shinkansen to Hiroshima in the evening.

Tip: Buy the Kansai Hiroshima Pass.
Leave main luggage at Ibis hotel before the trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima.

Where I Stayed: Toyoko Inn Hiroshima-eki Minamiguchi-migi in Hiroshima.

Trip report - Arashiyama

Trip report - Kinkakuji Temple, the Golden Pavilion

Day 13  (5 June 2016)

Visit the following in the morning:

•Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
•Memorial Cenotaph
•Hiroshima Peace Park
•Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims
•Statue of A-Bomb Children
•A-Bomb Dome

Try the Hiroshima version of the Okonomiyaki for lunch.

Travel to Miyajima in the afternoon.

Tip: Miyajima is best enjoyed in the evening, night and early morning without the day-trippers. So an overnight stay on the island, in a ryokan or hotel with half board is recommended.

Where I Stayed:  Mizuha-so Ryokan in Miyajima.

Trip report - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Trip report - From Hiroshima to Miyajima

Trip report - Review of Mizuhaso Ryokan

Day 14  (6 June 2016)

Enjoy the morning in Miyajima before the crowd come in.

Tip: Try the fresh and grilled oysters in Miyajima. 

Travel back to Kyoto by Shinkansen. Enroute, stop by Shin-Kobe for Kobe beef at Wakkoqu, a teppanyaki beef restaurant located just across the street from the Shin-Kobe Shinkansen Train Station. MUST make advance reservation!

Where I Stayed: Ibis Style Kyoto Station at Kyoto. There are many eateries around the Kyoto Station. Try the Katsukura, one of the most popular Tonkatsu (breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet) restaurant.

Trip Report – Wonderful Morning in Miyajima

Trip Report – Kobe Beef Lunch at the Wakkoqu

Trip Report – Tonkatsu dinner at the Katsukura

Day 15  (7 June 2016)

Visit Kyoto Imperial Palace in the morning.

Tip: Visit to Imperial Palace needs advance booking and passports for identification.

Make a half day trip by train to Uji for matcha and also to visit the Mimurotoji temple for its 10,000 hydrangea plants that blooms in June.

Visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine on the way back from Uji in the evening.

Where I Stayed: Ibis Style Kyoto Station at Kyoto. There are many eateries around the Kyoto Station. Try the Tenichi, one of the most popular Tempura restaurant.

Trip report – Kyoto Imperial Palace

Trip report – Uji and Mimurotoji temple

Trip report – Fushimi Inari Shrine

Trip report – Tempura dinner at Tenichi

Day 16  (8 June 2016)

Visit Yamazaki Distillery and taste their whiskeys!

Tip: Visit to Yamazaki Distillery needs advance booking and payment of 1000 Yen per person for the whiskey tasting. Worth every yen!

In the afternoon, free and easy before taking late flight home. We chose to spend some time in Higashiyama District with the Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the shopping streets nearby.

Trip report – Yamazaki Distillery

Trip report – Kiyomizudera Temple and Higashiyama district

 

Some other points and comments about the above itinerary

Why did I chose the month of May to do the above?

One of the considerations is the weather in Kyoto and Central Japan. April is the cherry blossom season and is one of the best times to visit Japan. However, we had experienced cherry blossom season in Japan last spring. So there is no desire to experience it again, together with the higher hotel rates (expect double to triple) and crowds. June is the start of the rainy season and July and August will be hot and humid! Hence May is the ideal time for the above itinerary. May is a good time to see greenery and spring flowers along the Nakasendo Trail.  The daily temperatures averaged around 20 degrees C in the day and only slightly cooler at night. Snow corridor in Murodo is only open in April to June. 

 

Why so few days in Kyoto? No Osaka?

Autumn is also one of the best times to see Kyoto, with the fall foliage. We are planning another trip to Kyoto in November later this year! Hence we chose to limit the number of days in Kyoto and leave the best fall foliage viewing destinations for our next trip.

Luggage Forwarding Service or Takuhaibin is a convenient service for sending parcels, luggage and various other types of goods from door to door nationwide. Delivery is usually on the next day, and costs are moderate. We made use of this service to make our travels much more pleasant and enjoyable. No need to lug our only suitcase up the trains, buses, elevators and through crowded stations and malls. Worth every yen spent! I will definitely use this service again in my next Japan trip. We have to decide what is needed for the next one to two days and put those in a daypack before sending the rest of our stuff in a suitcase off to the next hotel, in the next city.  The staff at the hotels we stayed in helped to arrange the forms and luggage transfer to the next hotel. The hotels are also willing to store our luggage before check-in and also after check-out.

Local cuisine is one of the things to enjoy while visiting a country. Japanese cuisine is one of the yummiest and comes very well presented too. I will write more about the food we tried and restaurants we visited in the later posts. Many regions and cities have their local specialities. We try to experience them if we could.

Japan is trying to make the country tourist friendly and free wifi are available in some areas that tourist frequent. However, connection is spotty and may not be available when we need them most. We bought Prepaid Data SIMs for use in my smartphone and use tethering to share with my travelling companions.  Many plans are available at this econnect website. Armed with portable internet access at all times, I can refer to Hyperdia on my smartphone to check up trains times, routes and platform information on the go.  

For long travels across cities, e.g. Kyoto to Hiroshima, rail passes can potentially save money. It is also for convenience. There are many to choose from at the JR West website and can be confusing as to which is the most suitable. For the itinerary above, the rail pass that was most suitable was the Kansai Hiroshima Pass, valid for 5 days, cost 13,000 Yen when booked online before arrival in Japan.

Lastly, a word about hotels and ryokans/minshukus.

I booked my hotels about 6 months before my travel dates. Rooms in Japanese hotels are very small by comparison to other countries and there are more smoking rooms than non-smoking rooms. Also, more single and twins rooms than doubles. So, I booked early (with free cancellations at Booking.com) to get the non-smoking rooms and also the rooms with large double beds. Be careful about double beds. Some hotels market their super-single sized beds as small doubles! One of my main criteria for hotel is location. Preferably, within walking distance to train and bus stations. Also, there are more eateries and shops found around the stations.

Ryokans and minshukus in the small rural villages along the Nakasendo Trail like Magome, Tsumago and Narai are limited. So, I need to book well ahead of the trip. Most do not offer online booking and those that do so, have it in Japanese language only. I don’t speak or write Japanese. I use google translate to send short simple email messages to make my bookings. It works! These ryokans and minshukus also operate on trust. Most did not ask me for credit cards or advance payment to hold the rooms. It is my responsibility to inform them about any needed changes and cancellations, way ahead of time. And payment is by cash only in the small villages.

Half the fun in going for a do-it-yourself vacation is in the planning. With the above plan, the 16 days trip through Japan went without a hitch and was truly amazing and enjoyable. More details about the trip are in the trip journal.

Hope you find the above itinerary and trip overview useful.

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