Tokyo to Fukuoka on the westbound route. Three nights where mornings matter, two where they do not, day packs through the mountains while the cases travel ahead.
Estimates say estimate. Forecasts say risk. Every line carries where it came from and the day it was read.
Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi rating
4.3 stars from 3,109 reviews
Google reviews · checked 13/07/2026
Tokyo nightly benchmark, twin
A$333 a night, estimate not a quote
Booking benchmark, refundable inventory · checked 13/07/2026
Hokuriku Shinkansen reserved seats
Open one month before boarding, 10:00 JST
JR East Train Reservation · checked 13/07/2026
Oversized baggage seats
Free with a reserved space, about five per carriage
SmartEX · checked 13/07/2026
Luggage forwarding, per case
2,000 to 3,000 yen, cash, next day
Yamato Hands-Free Travel · checked 13/07/2026
Rainy-season risk
Baiu normally starts around 6 June in western Japan, risk rising
Japan Meteorological Agency · checked 13/07/2026
Three nights in Ueno, on the edge of shitamachi, the old low city. Recovery first, then the residential lanes of Yanaka, then the markets and temple smoke of Tsukiji and Asakusa. No fixed bookings on arrival day.
Key decisionno fixed booking after arrival.
Key decisionthe best guide-led introduction, because it explains a living historic neighbourhood rather than only landmarks.
Key decisionno further major paid attraction unless energy is high.
Google 4.5 ★ · 992 reviews
2-21-10 Higashi-Ueno, Taito City, Tokyo
Google 4.3 ★ · 3,109 reviews
1-7-12 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
Senso-ji, Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, Day 3 afternoon
Tsukiji Outer Market
Early food crawl, Day 3 morning
Yanaka & old Tokyo lanes
Guided neighbourhood walk, Day 2
Two nights in the city of gold leaf and samurai lanes. Kenrokuen at opening, the castle grounds, Omicho Market for lunch, and an afternoon in the geisha teahouses of Higashi Chaya.
Key decisionreserve adjacent seats; Ueno departure saves the cross-city run if staying at NOHGA.
Key decisiona three-hour local guide is optional, not essential.
Google 4.5 ★ · 1,442 reviews
1-22 Kamitsutsumi-cho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0869
Google 4.4 ★ · 1,106 reviews
1-5-2 Hirooka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0031
Kenrokuen
One of Japan's three great gardens, Day 5 first thing
Higashi Chaya district
Geisha teahouses and the gold-leaf workshop, Day 5 afternoon
Omicho Market
Kanazawa's 300-year-old kitchen, lunch both days
Into the mountains by highway bus, with three to four unhurried hours among the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go on the way. Then two nights in one hotel in Takayama's old town: morning markets, merchant streets, sake breweries and Hida beef.
Key decisionno full-day coach tour. Bus plus self-guided keeps the flexibility.
Key decisionkeep both nights in one hotel. Cultural depth beats another check-in. Add a kaiseki meal or public bath rather than manufacturing a ryokan stay.
Google 4.7 ★ · 574 reviews
80-2 Kaminino-machi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0845
Google 4.4 ★ · 1,092 reviews
4-301 Hanasatomachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0026
Shirakawa-go (Ogimachi)
World Heritage village, Day 6 midday
Sanmachi merchant streets
Edo-period lanes and sake breweries, Day 7
Hida Folk Village
Open-air museum of Hida farmhouses, Day 7 afternoon
Three nights beside Higashiyama. Kiyomizu before the crowds, the preserved lanes of Sannenzaka, a proper tea ceremony, then Arashiyama's bamboo and the sake cellars of Fushimi. Start early each day and be done with formal sightseeing by mid-afternoon.
Key decisionno tour booking on this day.
Key decisionstart early; finish formal sightseeing by mid-afternoon.
Key decisionrail and walking only. No city-wide coach tour.
Google 4.6 ★ · 1,008 reviews
4-450-1 Gojobashi-higashi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto
Google 4.6 ★ · 1,219 reviews
140-2 Manjujicho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto
Kiyomizu-dera
Day 9, near opening, before the crowds
Arashiyama bamboo grove
Day 10, best before 8am
Fushimi sake district
Guided tasting, Day 10 afternoon
Two nights split between the weight of the Peace Memorial and the beauty of Miyajima. Give the museum the emotional space it deserves, then let okonomiyaki and the floating torii carry the second day.
Key decisionallow emotional and physical space after the museum. Do not stack another major attraction.
Key decisiona licensed guide is useful; choose a small group over an expensive private guide unless the price gap is small. Book via Hiroshima official tourism .
Google 4.2 ★ · 1,720 reviews
3-1-1 Otemachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima
Google 4.2 ★ · 6,482 reviews
1-5 Matsubaracho, Minami Ward, Hiroshima
Peace Memorial & Atomic Bomb Dome
Day 11 afternoon, unhurried
Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
Day 12, timed to the tide (Watchpoint two)
The trip ends where Japan eats outdoors. A relaxed Hakata arrival, an evening among the yatai stalls, a final cultural day at Dazaifu, and a clean run to the airport.
Key decisionkeep the afternoon local and relaxed.
Key decisiondo not force Dazaifu and Yanagawa into one tightly scheduled day.
Key decisionthe subway does not directly serve the International Terminal, only the Domestic Terminal, with the free shuttle bridging across.
Google 4.3 ★ · 2,094 reviews
2-8-15 Hakataekimae, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka
Google 4.5 ★ · 1,517 reviews
2-8-12 Hakataekimae, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka
Nakasu yatai
Riverside food stalls, Day 13 evening
Kushida Shrine
Hakata's guardian shrine, Day 13
Dazaifu Tenmangu
Day 14; confirm renovation status (Watchpoint three)
What opens when, and where to book it. Reserved seats are the difference between a good day and a standing one.
| Date | Sector | Mode | Booking system | Instruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 4 | Ueno or Tokyo to Kanazawa | Hokuriku Shinkansen | JR East Train Reservation | Standard reserved seats open 1 month before boarding at 10:00 JST ( JR East ticket rules ). Ueno is especially convenient from NOHGA Ueno. |
| Day 6 | Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go | Highway bus | Nohi Bus (Kanazawa route) | Nohi highway routes open 1 month before travel via 発車オ〜ライネット or the Nohi reservation centre (0577-32-1688, 09:00–17:00). Confirm the exact opening date on the official route page; partner carriers may open different channels. |
| Day 6 | Shirakawa-go to Takayama | Highway bus | Nohi Bus | Allow about 3 to 4 hours in Shirakawa-go. |
| Day 8 | Takayama to Nagoya | Limited Express Hida | JR ticket office or supported online JR service | Reserve seats; carry only the two-night bag. |
| Day 8 | Nagoya to Kyoto | Tokaido Shinkansen | SmartEX | SmartEX standard seats open up to 1 year ahead at 05:30 JST ( SmartEX plan ). Allow a comfortable transfer at Nagoya. |
| Day 11 | Kyoto to Hiroshima | Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen | SmartEX | Book a through service where practical, otherwise change at Shin-Osaka. |
| Day 13 | Hiroshima to Hakata | Sanyo Shinkansen | SmartEX | Short, straightforward sector. |
| Any Shinkansen sector | Oversized-baggage seats (item > 160 cm total) | Special rear-row seats | SmartEX oversized baggage | Reserve as soon as your seats open: oversized-baggage spaces are limited (typically 5 per car) and sell out first. Free with a seat, ¥1,000 fee if brought without a reserved oversized space. |
| Any JR refund | Cancellations and changes | Fees apply | JR Central refund rules | Not free. Ordinary/unreserved tickets: ¥220 fee before use within validity. Reserved seat/Green/sleeper: ¥340 up to 2 days before departure; 30% of fare (min ¥340) from the day before until departure. Discounted お得なきっぷ often non-refundable. |
| Day 15 | Hakata to Fukuoka International Terminal | Taxi direct, or direct Nishitetsu bus from Hakata Station (Chikushi Exit), or Kuko subway + free inter-terminal shuttle | Nishitetsu direct bus · Fukuoka Airport access | The subway serves the Domestic Terminal only; the direct bus is the middle option. Taxi wins if departure is early or bags are heavy. |
Cases travel ahead on the mountain days. Hand in by the morning cut-off, travel with a day pack.
| Date | Sector | Hand in by | Arrives | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 6 | Mitsui Garden Kanazawa → NOHGA / BLOSSOM Kyoto | 10:30 on Day 6 | Afternoon Day 7 or morning Day 8 | Essential · we are not with the bags for 48 h |
| Day 11 (optional) | NOHGA Kiyomizu Kyoto → Mitsui Garden Fukuoka | 10:30 on Day 11 | Day 12 or Day 13 | Comfort add-on only: not in the baseline budget. Confirm with both hotels first |
| Day 15 | Fukuoka → Airport | Do not forward | Taxi direct with bags | Domestic forwarding cannot be relied on to airline check-in |
Forecast risk, not certainty. The plan is built so a wet day costs an afternoon, not a base.
| Location | Plan |
|---|---|
| Tokyo and Kanazawa | Usually comfortable late spring. Compact umbrella and a light waterproof shell. |
| Takayama | Cooler mornings and evenings. Waterproof footwear earns its place on village paths. |
| Kyoto | Rain risk starts to rise. On wet days prioritise tea, sake, museums, covered markets and shorter temple clusters. |
| Hiroshima and Miyajima | Check ferry, ropeway and rain forecasts the night before. Skip Mount Misen in poor visibility or slippery conditions. |
| Fukuoka | Dazaifu and Hakata are the flexible default. No long excursion if heavy rain is forecast. |
Booked ahead where it matters, left open where it does not.
| City | Experience | Where to book | Why | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Yanaka walking tour | Bookable marketplace or local specialist; VoiceMap as self-guided fallback | Best guide-led neighbourhood introduction. | Book when May/June 2027 calendars open. |
| Kanazawa | Gold-leaf workshop | Kanazawa official tourism | Short, authentic craft interaction. | 2 to 4 months ahead. |
| Takayama | Optional food or sake walk | Takayama official tourism or reviewed local supplier | Only if it does not consume the full day. | After hotel selection. |
| Kyoto | English tea ceremony | Direct supplier via kyoto.travel | High cultural value, manageable duration. | 2 to 4 months ahead. |
| Kyoto | Fushimi sake experience | Direct supplier; see the district guide | Context that a self-guided tasting lacks. | 2 to 4 months ahead. |
| Hiroshima | Licensed Hiroshima/Miyajima guide | Hiroshima official tourism or licensed small group | Context materially improves both sites. | 3 to 6 months ahead. |
| Fukuoka | Optional Hakata yatai food walk | Fukuoka official tourism ; see the yatai guide | Helps with local dishes and stall etiquette. | Only if group size and price are reasonable. |
Estimates, not quotes. Every line carries the channel it was benchmarked against.
| Category | Couple total | Per person | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | A$3,301 | A$1,650.50 | 23% |
| International economy flights | A$4,600 | A$2,300 | 33% |
| Intercity rail and local transport | A$1,500 | A$750 | 11% |
| Pre-booked tours and experiences | A$1,015 | A$507.50 | 7% |
| Admissions and local activities | A$365 | A$182.50 | 3% |
| Meals and drinks | A$2,100 | A$1,050 | 15% |
| Luggage, eSIM and incidentals | A$320 | A$160 | 2% |
| Contingency reserve | A$950 | A$475 | 7% |
| TOTAL including international airfares | A$14,151 | A$7,075.50 | 100% |
Refundable rates, benchmarked. Ratings are Google's, with the date they were read.
| City | Stay | Nightly (twin) | Couple total | Per person | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 3 nights, Day 1–Day 4 | A$333 | A$999 | A$499.50 | Hotel Metropolitan Edmont Tokyo, superior king or twin benchmark. NOHGA Ueno was displaying A$2,361.66 on Booking.com and is not competitive |
| Kanazawa | 2 nights, Day 4–Day 6 | A$323 | A$646 | A$323 | Mitsui Garden Hotel Kanazawa, standard queen or twin. Booking.com headline was A$637.46 without exposed cancellation terms, so A$646 is the refundable-inventory benchmark |
| Takayama | 2 nights, Day 6–Day 8 | A$139 | A$278 | A$139 | Mercure Hida Takayama, superior double or twin. Hotel Wood was unavailable in the searched inventory |
| Kyoto | 3 nights, Day 8–Day 11 | A$152 | A$456 | A$228 | Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo, standard twin benchmark. NOHGA Kiyomizu and THE BLOSSOM were unavailable in the searched inventory |
| Hiroshima | 2 nights, Day 11–Day 13 | A$162 | A$324 | A$162 | Hotel Granvia Hiroshima, standard double, 21 sqm. Better value than THE KNOT |
| Fukuoka | 2 nights, Day 13–Day 15 | A$299 | A$598 | A$299 | Mitsui Garden Hotel Fukuoka Gion, standard twin benchmark |
| Accommodation total | 14 nights | – | A$3,301 | A$1,650.50 | Room categories practical for two adults, generally targeting at least 20 sqm rather than the smallest headline room |