Advice needed re: Takayama and Magome/Tsumago walk

First off, do you really need to visit Hiroshima? A lot of your problems with long train journeys are that you're traveling a long way to Hiroshima for barely a day, only to come back again the same way. You're also not giving yourself enough time there. Miyajima can easily eat up a full day, if you take the time to hike or cable car to the top of the island, for some fabulous views. My suggestion would be either to go to Hiroshima, give yourself more time, and perhaps stop off at more places between Kansai and Hiroshima; or, skip it entirely, and save yourself lots of time (and money) on public transport. Note that Himeji is easily visited as a day-trip from Kyoto. Express trains take about an hour and a half, and leave every 15 minutes.

I'm not a big fan of Takayama personally. It's a very touristy place. It's old town has been overdeveloped for my tastes. Going out of the way just to spend a day there - I would certainly be happy dropping that if I was you.

Why do you want to spend two nights in Nakatsugawa? It would be much more charming to spend the night in one of the post towns themselves (ie. Magome or Tsumago), and you should only need to spend one night. The hike is only about 8km or so, it takes no more than half a day, even if you walk slowly. There are buses from Nakatsugawa to Magome and Tsumago. Otherwise, Nakatsugawa has a small old town (also a post station) close to the main station, but it isn't that exciting. I know of some interesting stuff in the surrounding region, but you'd basically need a car, or a lot of patience with public transport.

Hi Giora,

My husband really wants to go to Hiroshima. We will spend an afternoon there and a full day on Miyajima. I have wondered about spending a second night in Hiroshima but prefer to travel at night.

The must do for us are Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Nara, Tokyo, seeing Mt Fuji. I would like to visit Himeji and Matsumoto castles as well. I wanted to see the Japanese Alps hence the trip to Takayama but there were things o would have like to do there that are impossible in Winter.

I will look at doing the walk between the post town from a larger city base maybe Nagoya.

Thanks for your help.

You're not going to have a full day on Miyajima if you want to get to Takayama that night! You're also going to be left with either a rushed look around Himeji, or a rushed look around Hiroshima in the afternoon, or indeed both. I would definitely give yourself at least two nights in Hiroshima.

What do you mean by "travel at night"? Traveling overnight in Japan is only possible on buses. You can travel in the evening, after dark, but you won't cover huge distances - like Hiroshima-Takayama - in that amount of time.

Seeing Mt. Fuji will depend on the weather. Takayama isn't actually in the Alps, it's a large town in a valley a fair distance from the Alps. Matsumoto has fabulous views of the Alps, in clear weather. In winter, obviously the most popular activity in the mountains themselves in skiing.

If you want to visit Matsumoto, the obvious thing to do would be to travel from Nagoya to Matsumoto in a day - say - doing the post town walk along the way. I believe there are services that can help with your baggage on this route (so that you don't have to walk with your bags, and also don't have to backtrack to pick up your bags) but I don't know details. You could also use the Tsumago-Magome bus to deal with your bag issues - there are lockers in both post towns, I believe.

If you like museums, the region around Nagoya has some of the best in the country, including some that may well interest your children, depending on their tastes.

Thankyou,

To clarify, by travelling at night I meant late afternoon/early evening and not overnight. I am intending to spend another night in Hiroshima based on your feedback. I was worried that it might be too rushed. The service for bags along to Magome to Tsumago route unfortunately ceases in winter. I think though we might now use Nagoya as a base and then see Matsumoto from there.

I am still thinking carefully about Takayama - I believe it may not be worth the time unless we look at doing Kanazawa as well. From Nagoya though, and not having two nights in Nakatsugawa, it may make Takayama achievable.

Your advice has been wonderful. Thank you so much. I believe that I am almost there with my planning.

I think though we might now use Nagoya as a base and then see Matsumoto from there.

There's an alternative. There are coin lockers at Nakatsukawa Station. You could travel to Nakatsukawa Station, and leave your luggage there, in the lockers. Then, take a bus from Nakastukawa to Magome, and walk to Tsumago. From Tsumago, either take a bus to Magome and then to Nakatsukawa; or, take a bus to Nagiso, and then a train to Nakatsukawa. Pick up your baggage in Nakatsukawa, and continue on to Matsumoto.

Saves you the hassle and time of two excess Nagoya-Nakatsukawa journeys. Bus times are here:

https://www.japan-guide.com/bus/kiso.html

Kanazawa is a whole new kettle of fish... Kanazawa would best be accessed directly from Kyoto, rather than Nagoya. And note that at some point you'll be going past Hikone, which, in my opinion, is the second nicest castle in Japan, after Himeji.

The alternative would be to bring your baggage all the way to Magome. You could then take the Tsumago-Magome bus, pick up your baggage really quickly, and hop back on the bus for the trip back to Tsumago and on to Nagiso. I don't think there are large coin lockers in Magome, but I imagine a solution would be found!

Finally: remember that there are direct Nagoya-Magome buses, which are probably more convenient than the train/bus combination, and are certainly cheaper. There are even direct buses from Magome to Tokyo.

The two nights in Hiroshima certainly makes sense.At least,if you want to do much on Miyajima.If you just want a photo of the famous torii then you could go there early morning (from Hiroshima),see the temple,back to Hiroshima and then get on a fast train.But there is a lot more to see on Miyajima if you give it the time.

On the Kiso route.Personally I'd either sleep in one of the post towns,or not sleep there at all and just walk it,then travel on to Matsumoto and sleep there.

On the 'seeing Mt Fuji'.Whereever you are,it is entirely possible (indeed probable) that you will not see it at all,or a very little peeping out from the clouds.So don't set your hopes too highly! If you see the full mountain you will have been very lucky....

see the temple

It's a shrine... ;-) Hence the torii...

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