Japan: Hike, Bike & Kayak — Self-Launched

Land at Narita or Haneda and take the Keisei Skyliner (Narita, ~£18) or Keikyu Line (Haneda, ~£4) into the city. Check into a hostel in Asakusa or Taito — dorms run £18–28/night. Spend the late afternoon wandering Shibuya Crossing and the backstreets of Harajuku (Takeshita Street, Cat Street), then eat at a standing ramen counter or konbini dinner. Buy a Suica/Pasmo IC card at the airport (£13 deposit + top-up) — you'll use it the whole trip.

🚌Airport train ~£4–18; city metro with IC card ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Asakusa/Taito (~£24)

• →Shibuya Crossing
• →Harajuku backstreets walk
• →Ramen dinner

Take the shinkansen and a local train from Tokyo to Nakatsugawa (~2h45, ~£75 with reserved seat; cheaper with a JR Pass if you're doing more rail travel). From Nakatsugawa station, the local bus to Magome takes 30 min (~£3). Hike the classic 8km Magome–Tsumago section of the Nakasendo Way — stone-paved Edo-era post towns, waterfalls and cedar forest, 3–4 hours. Visit the Toson Memorial Museum in Magome (¥600, ~£3). Sleep in a minshuku or guesthouse in Tsumago or Nagiso (~£30–40 with breakfast).

🚌Shinkansen + local train Tokyo–Nakatsugawa ~£75; bus to Magome ~£3

🛏Minshuku/guesthouse in Tsumago or Nagiso (~£35)

• →Nakasendo Way hike Magome–Tsumago (8km)
• →Toson Memorial Museum
• →Tsumago post town

Hike the shorter Tsumago–Nagiso section (about 3km, 1 hour) in the morning, then take the train from Nagiso back to Nagoya and onward to Onomichi via Okayama (~4.5h total, ~£95). Onomichi is a lovely port town of slopes and temples — walk the Temple Way past 25 historic temples, ride the ropeway up to Senkoji Park for Inland Sea views, and have ramen for dinner (Onomichi ramen is famous). Hostel in central Onomichi ~£22.

🚌Local train + shinkansen Nagiso–Onomichi ~£95

🛏Hostel, Onomichi (~£22)

• →Nakasendo hike Tsumago–Nagiso
• →Temple Way walk
• →Senkoji Park viewpoint
• →Onomichi ramen

Rent a bike at the Onomichi port terminal (~£12–18/day, one-way drop-off possible) and ride the Shimanami Kaido across the bridges — Mukaishima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima. A relaxed out-and-back covering three islands is 40–50km and takes a full day. Around midday, break on Ikuchijima at Sunshine Beach and join a 1.5-hour sea kayak session (book direct with a local operator or via Klook, ~£35–45). Return the bike and stay a second night in Onomichi (~£22).

🚌Bike rental ~£15; ferry/local transport ~£5

🛏Hostel, Onomichi (~£22)

• →Shimanami Kaido cycling (3 islands)
• →Sea kayaking at Sunshine Beach, Ikuchijima

Train to Kyoto via Okayama and Shin-Osaka (~2h, ~£55). Drop bags at a guesthouse near Kyoto Station or Demachiyanagi (~£25/night dorm, £45 private). In the afternoon take the JR Nara line to Inari (2 stops) and hike Fushimi Inari's full torii tunnel loop — the 2-hour upper circuit is much quieter than the base. Finish the day walking Gion at dusk and along the Kamo River.

🚌Train Onomichi–Kyoto ~£55; local JR ~£3

🛏Guesthouse dorm, Kyoto (~£25)

• →Fushimi Inari full loop hike
• →Gion district evening walk

Bus to Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion, ¥500/~£2.60) and walk the Philosopher's Path. Then hike Mt Daimonji-yama above Yoshida-yama — a 45-minute climb to the famous bonfire character viewpoint with city panoramas. Afternoon: Nishiki Market food crawl (pickles, tamagoyaki, soy milk doughnuts, ~£12), and optionally Nijo Castle or a soak at a local sento bathhouse (£4).

🚌City bus day pass ~£4.50

🛏Guesthouse dorm, Kyoto (~£25)

• →Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion)
• →Philosopher's Path
• →Mt Daimonji-yama hike
• →Nishiki Market
• →Sento bathhouse

Rent a city bike (~£8/day) and ride north along the Kamo River to Demachiyanagi, then to Daitokuji's Zen temple complex (free–£3 per subtemple). Continue west to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion (¥500/~£2.60). Loop back along the river — 25–30km relaxed riding. Optional detour: Arashiyama bamboo grove by train in the late afternoon if you have energy. Eat dinner at a Nishiki-area izakaya or a ¥1,000 teishoku set.

🚌Bike rental ~£8; optional train to Arashiyama ~£3

🛏Guesthouse dorm, Kyoto (~£25)

• →Kamo River cycling
• →Daitokuji Temple
• →Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion)

Long rail day: Kyoto to Nagoya/Osaka, then the limited express 'Nanki' or local lines down the Kii Peninsula to Shingu (~5–6h, ~£70). Check into a guesthouse or pilgrim inn (~£30). Visit Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of the three Kumano Sanzan grand shrines, and climb the 538 stone steps to Kamikura Shrine for sunset over Shingu Bay. Buy supplies for the next day's hike — the trail section has no shops.

🚌Train Kyoto–Shingu ~£70

🛏Guesthouse/pilgrim inn, Shingu (~£30)

• →Kumano Hayatama Taisha shrine
• →Kamikura Shrine steps

Take the early bus from Shingu to Koguchi (~£8) and hike the classic Koguchi–Nachi section of the Kumano Kodo: over the Echizen-toge Pass, past the Funami-jaya teahouse ruin, down to Nachi Taisha shrine and the 133m Nachi Falls. 14–16km, 6–7 hours, genuinely demanding. Catch the bus from Nachi to Kii-Katsuura (~£6) and stay near the port (~£32). Reward yourself with a katsuura tuna dinner — this is Japan's biggest tuna port.

🚌Local buses Shingu–Koguchi and Nachi–Kii-Katsuura ~£14

🛏Guesthouse, Kii-Katsuura (~£32)

• →Kumano Kodo hike Koguchi–Nachi (14–16km)
• →Echizen-toge Pass
• →Nachi Taisha
• →Nachi Falls

Travel up the coast by train via Shingu and Nagoya to Toba (~5–6h, ~£65). Toba is a working pearl-diving town — walk the old town, visit Mikimoto Pearl Island Museum (£10) to see the ama divers, and eat a fresh oyster/seafood barbecue lunch (~£14). Stay at a budget onsen guesthouse (~£35) and soak — the whole point of stopping here.

🚌Train Kii-Katsuura–Toba ~£65

🛏Onsen guesthouse, Toba (~£35)

• →Toba old town walk
• →Mikimoto Pearl Island Museum
• →Onsen soak
• →Seafood barbecue

Train to Osaka via Nagoya (~2h30, ~£35). Check into a hostel in Namba (~£22). Afternoon free — optional Osaka Castle or Kuromon Market. In the evening walk Dotombori: the Glico Running Man, Kani Doraku crab sign, takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki for a final blow-out dinner (~£18).

🚌Train Toba–Osaka ~£35; metro ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Namba (~£22)

• →Dotombori district walk
• →Takoyaki & kushikatsu crawl

Morning at leisure — last-minute shopping in Shinsaibashi or a coffee in Nakazakicho. Kansai International Airport is 45 min from Namba by the Nankai Rapi:t (~£9) or 50 min by the slower Airport Express (~£6).

🚌Nankai airport train ~£6–9

🛏None (departure day)

• →Shinsaibashi shopping
• →Airport transfer