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This was the first time we visited Japan and this trip was way over all my expectations!
Japan is a beautiful country with an overwhelming culture, history and an inspiring way of living. People are so friendly and welcoming that you shouldn't be surprised if they walk you all the way to your destination if you happen to ask for instructions on how to get somewhere. I will never forget this trip and cannot wait to be back.
Here are some tips to help you plan your first vacation to Japan. I curated the places to visit and my reviews on hotels we stayed in.
Below you can find my recommendations for airlines, hotels, and places to visit in each of KYOTO, TAKAYAMA, and TOKYO. By clicking on each of the items you can read more about the place. Some background and my full notes. If you are only visiting for 7-10 days I recommend focusing on 2-3 destinations. Hakone can be a great alternative for Takayama, especially if you want to see or go visit in mount FIJI. Takayama is great for spending time close to nature as well as some more traditional culture life. We LOVED it. One thing to bear in mind before you make your flight arrangements is to make sure you fly to either Tokyo or Osaka and fly back from the other. We received a couple of itineraries from friends who visited before us and they all missed out on this minor detail. By the time we figured it out, it was too expensive to make changes to the airline tickets. Planning it right will save you time on the train and the train tickets, which are fairly expensive. I personally suggest leaving Tokyo to the end. Start with Kyoto (flying to Osaka, either spend a night there or go directly to Kyoto), take the train to Takayama/Hakone, and finish in Tokyo.
If you are an art lover you may want to consider squeezing in a visit to the beautiful island of Naoshima, known for their museum of art. This can be a one or two days trip from Kyoto.
I would love your comments and updates on any of the listed items below. You can also sign-up to VENNDY and save any of the items for your future use, or start planning your vacation by gathering places, hotels, and ideas from around the web.
Enjoy the planning and the trip, safe travels!