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Hello everyone!

Today, I'm taking you back with me on my trip to Japan, a journey of around three weeks.

It was my very first time in Asia, and truly a dream come true. As a passionate traveler and flight attendant at the time, I spent my days dreaming about discovering this fascinating country.

Spoiler alert: I was absolutely not disappointed! Like many people, I felt that irresistible urge to go back almost as soon as I sat down on the plane home.

This trip was also special for another reason: it was the first big adventure my partner and I took together. I organized everything from A to Z, and I'm excited to share the experience with you.

Welcome to my series dedicated to this beautiful Japanese escape! This first article covers our entire trip, and over the coming weeks you'll find detailed posts about each city we visited.

I hope it inspires you and helps you plan your own adventure in Japan.

And if planning isn't really your thing, feel free to browse my website. Maybe I can help you create a tailor-made trip of your own.

1. Our overall itinerary

To start, here's the route we followed: three weeks of discovery, beginning and ending in Tokyo during Golden Week 2024 (which I'll talk about in another article).

Living in London at the time, we flew direct from Heathrow Airport to Haneda.

I really wanted to avoid a layover to reduce jet lag as much as possible (aviation is a world I know quite well!).

We flew with ANA, and they were simply fantastic. As a former flight attendant, I was even treated to a few lovely little surprises. Thank you, ANA!

A fun fact: depending on the route, you can sometimes end up on a Pokémon-themed aircraft. Unfortunately, we weren't that lucky, but I think it's such a cool idea.

As for the budget, we paid around €1,100 each for our economy-class tickets.

We booked a little late, in January for an April departure, because we first wanted to make sure we had found a good pet sitter for our dog before confirming the trip. With more planning, we probably could have paid less!

Once in Japan, we mainly travelled around the country by train and bus. I'll share more details about that later for those who are interested.

Here were the stops on our journey:

Tokyo → Fujiyoshida → Osaka → Hiroshima → Kyoto → Arashiyama → Otsu → Nara

We're definitely fans of slow travel. We like taking our time, exploring less touristy neighborhoods, and visiting places during quieter hours. Of course, we also visited a few famous must-see spots (but not all of them, and I'll explain why in future articles).

If this style of travel interests you, I recommend reading my article dedicated to slow travel to better understand the way we like to explore.

2. Tokyo, A city like no other

Tokyo felt magical to me. Truly unique.

I'd never experienced that feeling anywhere else before.

It's absolutely massive. And yet, coming from London, I honestly felt like my city was tiny in comparison!

For our stay, we chose the APA Hotel PRIDE Akasaka Kokkaigijidomae.

APA Hotels are one of the most common hotel chains in Japan.

Before leaving, I'd heard criticism from some travel purists who insist that capsule hotels or traditional ryokans are the only authentic way to experience Japan. But honestly, we were very happy with our choice.

The staff were incredibly kind (even if English wasn't always easy. Thank goodness for Google Translate 🙃). The rooms weren't huge, but they were more than enough for our stay.

One feature we particularly loved was the onsen, the traditional Japanese hot spring bath. It was perfect after long days of walking around the city.

A quick note for fellow tattooed travelers: most APA Hotels allow tattoos in the onsen if they are covered with a tattoo patch. If you don't have one, you can usually request one at reception or buy them easily at Don Quijote stores.

We paid around €400 for two people for five nights in a hotel perfectly located near a metro station. Interestingly enough, we booked it the day before arrival because our original hotel had cancelled on us!

And just like that, our six days in Tokyo began.

I'll be writing a full article dedicated to this incredible city very soon.

To get around Tokyo, we mostly used the metro, and I wanted to answer a question that comes up constantly in Japan travel groups:

How do you get a Suica card?

It's actually very easy. You can simply download it directly onto your phone.

Just add it to your Wallet app. It's free, practical, and easy to top up whenever needed.

Transport costs are very reasonable too, especially compared to London, trust me 😅.

A little bonus tip:

Traditional taxis and the GO app (Japan's equivalent of Uber) are often cheaper than Uber itself in Japan.

So if you'd rather avoid public transport, especially during rush hour, they're a great alternative.

Since we were travelling with two large suitcases and didn't want to drag them around between cities, we used the Takkyubin luggage forwarding service. Most APA Hotels offer it, and it meant our luggage travelled ahead while we enjoyed the journey. We didn't see our bags again until Osaka!

You can find all these places and many more on my interactive map: MY MAP JAPAN 

3. Chasing Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida

Ever since I was a child, my ultimate dream had been to see Mount Fuji.

Majestic, iconic, and the very image of Japan.

The challenge is that Fuji is famous for hiding behind clouds.

From Tokyo's bus station, we took a coach to Fujiyoshida (around €12 per person).

To be honest, it isn't the easiest destination to reach, but after researching different options, the bus seemed to be the simplest and most affordable choice.

There are other towns around Mount Fuji such as Kawaguchiko and Hakone, but for this first trip we chose Fujiyoshida. Although, if I'm being completely honest, I'll probably try somewhere different next time

During the journey, I caught my very first glimpse of Mount Fuji.

I felt like a child seeing Santa Claus for the first time. Pure excitement and one more dream ticked off my bucket list ✨.

Because accommodation options are limited in the area, I booked our hotel well in advance.

We stayed at Hotel Fuji Tatsugaoka for two nights, a lovely little hotel with an outdoor onsen that accepts covered tattoos.

The staff were wonderful and made a real effort to communicate in English.

And the cherry on top: the hotel restaurant specialized in Japanese barbecue. Since dining options nearby were fairly limited, we ended up eating there three times and had zero regrets.

I highly recommend it if you're looking for a practical and welcoming place to stay.

One useful tip:

👉 If you want to check whether Mount Fuji is visible before making the journey, I recommend using the live visibility website:  https://fuji-san.info/en/index.html

Arriving in the countryside after the intensity of Tokyo was quite a shock, but those three days allowed us to properly relax.

Unfortunately, after a beautiful first day, the following two were very cloudy and Mount Fuji disappeared completely.

Still, I consider myself lucky to have seen it on arrival, and I secretly hoped I'd catch another glimpse before leaving for Osaka.

I wrote all about my stay in Fujiyoshia here

4. Trains: An adventure of their own

Travelling from Fujiyoshida to Osaka took almost an entire day and involved several transfers.

We chose the budget-friendly route: a bus to the coastal city of Mishima, followed by a train to Osaka.

Like many travellers, I was a little nervous about Japan's rail network before departure.

- Should we buy a JR Pass?

- Should we reserve trains in advance?

- Would Golden Week make everything impossible?

Everywhere online, people were warning us that trains would be packed and finding seats would be a nightmare.

In the end, we decided not to overthink it. Instead of stressing over train schedules, we simply checked departures on the day and bought our tickets directly at the station.

Spoiler alert:

The Japanese are train experts.

Trains run constantly, they're almost never late, and they're incredibly efficient, far beyond anything I've experienced with the SNCF. We ended up buying our tickets in Mishima after spending a couple of hours exploring the station and grabbing something to eat. My partner has slightly luxurious tastes, so we travelled First Class on all our train journeys. Sorry to the budget travellers reading this!

But honestly, First Class was fantastic. We were even given refreshing hand towels to clean our hands before departure. Such a small detail, but those little towels you receive everywhere in Japan are genuinely one of my favourite things.

The journey flew by, with beautiful views of rice fields and cities passing outside the window.

We passed through Nagoya without stopping. I'd heard mixed reviews about it, but I prefer not to judge places without experiencing them for myself.

5. My beautiful Osaka

Osaka is one of those cities that divides opinion.

I'd read plenty of reviews from travellers who didn't particularly enjoy it.

For us, however, it was a complete love affair. In fact, Osaka ended up being our number one favourite destination of the entire trip. It's a human-sized city filled with incredibly welcoming people and a vibrant, youthful atmosphere.

We stayed at Apartment Hotel 11 Namba-Minami Ebisucho-Eki Mae in the lively Namba district, right next to Shinsekai. Without hesitation, it was the best accommodation of our trip. A spacious 30-square-metre apartment with a balcony, private bathroom, washing machine and small kitchen. Although, considering we were in Japan's culinary capital, the kitchen wasn't exactly getting much use!

Osaka absolutely deserves its own dedicated article. We spent four days there and genuinely considered extending our stay because we felt so comfortable.

Sunny weather, great food, friendly people and an atmosphere that made us feel at home almost immediately. Leaving Osaka broke our hearts.

It's already at the very top of our list for our next trip to Japan.

This is truly a city you shouldn't miss.

5. Moving Hiroshima

Making a stopover in Hiroshima was a choice that brought absolutely no regrets. Smaller than Osaka, yet still human-sized, this city is steeped in history and has a unique atmosphere. What deeply moved me was seeing how a city that had been completely wiped out during the war managed to rise again and become so charming and touching. It is a true lesson in resilience and beauty.

We travelled to Hiroshima from Osaka by train (it’s quite fast and convenient). In Hiroshima, we stayed at the APA Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae Ohashi for two nights which, like many of the other hotels chosen, had an onsen (admittedly, that was one of the selection criteria, lol!).

The city is relatively small and very easy to explore on foot, which is exactly what we did and thoroughly enjoyed. All the details are being saved for an upcoming article, but one thing is certain: Hiroshima was a real crush, and there is no doubt about going back one day.

There was also the chance to take part in the Children’s Day festival that was happening that day.

It is worth noting that there is Miyajima Island, very close to Hiroshima, a place that had been planned to visit. However, bad weather showed up with constant rain during the three days spent there. On top of that, the island is hard to reach by boat in such conditions, so the visit was postponed and the time was used instead to stroll around leisurely and rest before heading to Kyoto.

6. Historic Kyoto

Before leaving for Kyoto, there were a lot of doubts. It is a very touristy, very busy city, and it seemed to be the complete opposite of what is usually sought with a slow travel approach. It’s clear this opinion might not be popular, but Kyoto was not the favorite city of the trip. Not at all.

Despite this, every effort was made to avoid the most touristy areas, which meant skipping some of the classic spots. It cannot be said that Kyoto does not deserve its reputation, but it simply did not match this way of traveling.

As for the hotel, it was also rather lacking in charm: the stay was at the Hotel Elcient Kyoto Hachijoguchi, which had nothing particularly special. In addition, there was no onsen for people with tattoos, which was not mentioned, but this detail is worth noting if it is an important criterion. On the other hand, its proximity to the station was convenient, since only two nights were spent there.

So, if the main tourist spots were avoided, what was done in Kyoto instead? The choice was to stroll through quieter neighborhoods, visit smaller temples, and eat in delicious restaurants (all these great places will be shared in an upcoming article). There was also a samurai experience, which comes highly recommended (stay tuned for more details in the next episode!).

In the end, Kyoto simply was not the right fit. It is unclear whether there will be a return visit on the next trip, but who knows? Maybe one day it will be given a second chance.

7. Arashiyama and the monkeys

During our stay in Kyoto, we took a day trip to Arashiyama.

We left early in the morning using GO and arrived in under twenty minutes. It's a lovely place, but definitely touristy, so I strongly recommend visiting early.

Our main goal was the famous Monkey Park. We'd been told the hike was only twenty minutes. What nobody mentioned was how steep it is! Still, once you reach the top, the view is absolutely worth it. On one side, Kyoto stretches endlessly below you. On the other, beautiful green mountains disappear into the distance. The monkeys themselves were hilarious to watch. One of the fun highlights is feeding them from inside a protected enclosure.

For around 100 yen, you can buy fruit or seeds to give them.

Bring cash!

It was a genuinely fun experience and one we won't forget anytime soon.

8. Peaceful Otsu

North of Kyoto, on the shores of Japan's largest lake, lies Otsu.

A peaceful little town filled with beautiful temples and a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere.

We decided to treat ourselves to a special experience and booked a ryokan with a private onsen overlooking the lake.  The Yuzanso was an absolute dream.

The hotel even sends a shuttle to collect guests from the station. Using the dedicated phone to call them was quite an experience in itself!

Our room was a traditional Japanese-style suite with an open-air bath on the balcony and stunning views across the water. Dinner and breakfast were included and served in a private dining room, with at least five different dishes at every meal.

We slept on futons, soaked in the various onsens and spent our time surrounded by bamboo forests, temples and nature.

 It was a truly unforgettable experience.

9. Nara and its Deer

We almost skipped Nara.

Just like Kyoto, we worried it would be overwhelmed by tourists. Thankfully, we changed our minds.

Located only twenty-five minutes from Kyoto, Nara turned out to be an incredibly charming stop before returning to Tokyo. If you've never heard of Nara, it's famous for its sacred deer. They're everywhere.

Walking freely through the city and interacting with visitors. The deer park wasn't particularly crowded when we visited, allowing us to enjoy the atmosphere at our own pace. If you want to feed the deer, bring some cash.

A pack of deer crackers costs around 200 yen and can be purchased throughout the park.

My partner absolutely loved it, especially as a huge animal lover.

After this pleasant stop in Nara, we headed to Tokyo, our last stop before concluding this trip.

10. Back to Tokyo

And just like that, we were back in Tokyo.

For our final few days, we stayed at the APA Hotel & Resort Roppongi Ekihigashi. A beautiful hotel with a rooftop pool and incredible views of the Tokyo Skytree.

We had no real plans for these last four days. Instead, we simply let the city guide us, just as we had done throughout the trip.

Little by little, the reality of returning to London began to sink in. And with it came the realization that it might be years before we returned to Japan. This journey allowed us to discover an incredible side of the country, but it also reminded us how much remains unseen.

I sincerely hope you get the chance to experience Japan for yourself one day.

Its culture, landscapes and people made this one of the most unforgettable adventures of our lives.

My advice

Japan is a big trip. A significant investment. And it's far away.

Accept that you won't see everything, do everything or eat everything. Travel is also about slowing down, relaxing and allowing yourself to rest. Missing a famous attraction does not mean your trip has failed. In fact, some of our favourite moments happened far away from the famous Instagram spots.

Create a journey that reflects you. Don't feel pressured to copy someone else's itinerary or follow the standard tourist route.

Listen to your own interests. Follow your own rhythm. And remember: these are your holidays. Rest matters. Especially after a long-haul flight and the challenges of jet lag. If you'd like help planning your own trip to Japan (or anywhere else), feel free to visit my website or send me a message. I'd be delighted to help you create a tailor-made adventure. And don't forget: I've gathered all of these locations and many more into one ready-to-use interactive map to save you time: MY MAP JAPAN

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article and for making it all the way to the end.

If you're here, chances are you're heading to Japan soon.

In that case, I wish you the most incredible trip.

さようなら! ✈️🌏

Ana – New Escapade

pssst: all the photos in this article are mine