3 weeks in Japan - March/April

Hello!

I%26#39;m travelling to Japan for three weeks with two friends towards the end of March (flying out on the 20th). We%26#39;re still not completely sure about the itinerary, but we%26#39;ve booked in one week in Tokyo at the start of the trip. After that, we were thinking of travelling to South Honshu, then working our way back up to Tokyo, maybe via Shikoku, hopefully catching some cherry blossoms on the way :-)

I%26#39;ve been reading the Lonely Planet guide, but would definitely appreciate some personal recommendations for the must-sees.

Would also be great to get some information on decent bars/clubs in Tokyo!

Thanks!

3 weeks in Japan - March/April

';Must sees'; are different for everyone. It depends on your particular interests.

Some good sites to do some research - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html http://www.tokyoessentials.com/

http://metropolis.co.jp/vg/index.asp

Please cruise through previous posts on this forum. Similar questions have been previously posted. Also do a search for itineraries.

3 weeks in Japan - March/April

';Must sees'; are different for everyone. It depends on your particular interests.

Some good sites to do some research - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html http://www.tokyoessentials.com/

http://metropolis.co.jp/vg/index.asp

Please cruise through previous posts on this forum. Similar questions have been previously posted. Also do a search for itineraries.

Better get that 7 or 14 day JR Pass now!

Nothing wrong with heading south and working your way back. The must sees for a trip of that length include Kyoto, Nara, Takayama, Shirakawa, Mt. Koya, Himeji, and Hiroshima. You could also look into doing a tour of Shikoku, and Wakayama is a nice, unfrequented area (great hiking if you%26#39;re into that). Potential side trips are Matsue and Kinosaki (you could do a longish day on trains traveling between these two).

If you do Himeji, see the whole city and not just the castle. In Himeji you have the castle, Kokoen (gardens next to the castle), and Mt. Shosha. If Kinosaki looks good to you, do Himeji in the morning and then head up to Kinosaki (a couple of hours by train); stay overnight (it%26#39;s a good place to splurge a little on a nice inn; your hotel in Tokyo/Kyoto might help you arrange that). The next day leave around lunch time for the trip to Matsue. From Matsue head down to Hiroshima, cross over to Shikoku, and possibly take the ferry from Shikoku to Wakayama (otherwise it%26#39;s a long, long train ride).

In addition to this site, I use www.japan-guide.com and www.hyperdia.com a lot for planning.

Good luck!

John W.