I'd like to travel for three weeks sometime from late March to early April - I can be somewhat flexible on the exact dates. I get the feeling that I might be spending too much time in Tokyo and Kyoto.What do you think? Should I add some additional nearby destinations, such as Kamakura or Takayma?
First let me share some personal details to help you better put my proposed itinerary in context.
27-year old white male US citizen Will be flying out of San Diego $2000 USD budget (Plus I've got 100,000 rewards points through my Chase Amazon visa, which at the very least I can exchange at a 100:$1 ratio, or I can exchange for various travel perks. Probably going to use this to buy the flight.) Is this budget at all realistic? That gives me about $100 per day. I'm fine with Ramen, Udon, okonomiyaki, etc., and I don't need a luxurious accommodations by any means, but I'd like something more than a bunk bed. Should I increase the budget to $2500? To give you an idea of my experience level, the only international travel I've done before is 5 weeks throughout Europe several years ago. My favorite things to do are visit temples/churches/shrines, visit museums, eat the local cuisine, see breathtaking vistas that can only be seen in a particular destination, and get exposed to the culture
And now for the itinerary:
Days 1 - 4: Fly from San Diego to Tokyo (leave early am on Saturday morning, arrive Sunday afternoon, so the first two days are basically travel days), spend time in and around Tokyo
Day 5: Mitaka - Ghibli museum, return to Tokyo for lodging
Day 6: Mount Fuji, return to Tokyo for lodging
Day 7: Travel from Tokyo to Nikko, return to Tokyo in pm
Day 8: Travel by train from Tokyo to Nagoya, evening in Nagoya
Day 9: Nagoya
Day 10: Travel from Nagoya to Kyoto, evening in Kyoto
Days 11-13: Kyoto (Philospher's Walk, various temples)
Day 14: Arashiyama, back to Kyoto in pm
Day 15: Nara, back to Kyoto in pm
Day 16: Yoshino, back to Kyoto in pm
Day 17: Travel to Koyasan early morning, overnight in temple
Day 18: Travel from Koyasan to Osaka via Kyoto
Day 19-20: Osaka
Day 21: Travel to Himeji Castle early morning, back to Osaka for evening
Day 22: Fly out of Osaka (leave Saturday pm, arrive in San Diego Saturday pm)
Thanks for your advice!