14 day trip exploring the central Prefectures of Japan. We will be exploring some areas of the Chiba, Nagano, Gifu, Tokyo, Tochigi, and Kanagawa prefectures in Japan. Click on the locations below to see a link for more information about each!

Check out some well known and lesser known temples and gardens around the Kamakura and Enoshima area. This beach town is known for a laid back vibe filled with beautiful greenery, temples, surfing and cafes.

14 day trip exploring the central Prefectures of Japan. We will be exploring some areas of the Chiba, Nagano, Gifu, Tokyo, Tochigi, and Kanagawa prefectures in Japan. Click on the locations below to see a link for more information about each!

Bunkyo and Taito City area map. Some notable neighbourhoods include: Ueno, Yanaka Ginza, and Nezu. Mostly lesser known areas that have less noise and lights than the popular tourist spots. These are some good spots to check out if you are uneasy about crowds! Ueno can get a bit busy but its much quieter than Shinjuku or Shibuya.

This is a simple map of things to see and do around the Matsumoto castle. The three main sights are: the castle, Nawate shopping street, and Nakamachi shopping street. Scattered around those sights are lots of cute cafes and restaurants to check out. A fun thing to search for in Matsumoto are the wells that are all over the place!

Sights, cafes, eats, and things to do around Karuizawa, Nagano in Japan.

Explore some hidden gems and more well known spots of Nikko! We will be exploring mainly around the areas of Kinugawa Onsen and Tōbu-nikkō. Note: Nikko is well-known for it's many waterfalls and the area around Lake Chūzenji. Since I'm from the Pacific Northwest, the waterfalls are similar to what I would see near my home. That plus the nauseating bus ride up the super switch-back road (search google maps for "Nikko Iroha Slope InitialD") is why I'm skipping that area on my Nikko tour.

A guide to walk through some of the most well preserved post towns along the Nakasendo. The Nakasendo is the former highway that connected Kyoto to Tokyo during the Edo period (1603-1868). At this time the Feudal lords were forced to do a multi-week commute between the two cities. The ruling family forced the lords to spend every other year in Tokyo with their entire household. This was a nightmare of a yearly commute! The Nakasendo is a 540km route with 69 post towns along the route. Commuting lords and samurai would stop at the post towns to rest and eat during their long journey. Currently, many of the post towns have been modernized with the introduction of the railway line. A lot of the original paths used by the lords and samurai have been converted into roads.

A valley located 1.5 hours away from Tokyo Station. Great spot for a day trip into the mountains. The itinerary below should take a full day to complete at a leisurely pace. You can skip the two hikes and stay to the town and temples for a more relaxed trip. There is a Luup bike share rental port near the station and a another near Akigawa Base. Electric assist cycling is a good option if you are looking to speed up your trip even more.