East Asia Odyssey: Mongolia to Hokkaido
Itinerary through Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Yangshuo, … (109 days), with day-by-day ideas, shared by a Voyageur traveler.
Mongolia · China · Taiwan · South Korea · Japan · 109 days · 23 Stages
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Days 1–4
- Day 2 10:00: Gandan monastery
- Day 3 09:00: Chinggis Khaan equestrian statue
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Days 4–11
Gobi Desert jeep tour, 8 days · Sunpath Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Days 11–13
- Day 12 17:00: Tumen Ekh throat singing show
Beijing, China
Days 14–20
- Day 15 08:30: Forbidden City
- Day 16 07:00: Mutianyu Great Wall with toboggan
- Day 17 07:00: Temple of Heaven tai chi
- Day 18 18:00: Peking duck at Siji Minfu
Xi’an, China
Days 20–24
- Day 21 08:30: Terracotta Army
- Day 22 16:00: Cycle the city wall
- Day 22 19:00: Muslim Quarter food street
Chengdu, China
Days 24–29
- Day 25 07:30: Giant panda research base
- Day 26 19:00: Sichuan opera face-changing
- Day 27 09:00: Leshan Giant Buddha
Zhangjiajie, China
Days 29–32
- Day 30 08:00: Avatar mountains of Wulingyuan
- Day 31 09:00: Tianmen mountain glass skywalk
Yangshuo, China
Days 32–37
- Day 33 08:30: Li River bamboo raft
- Day 34 09:00: Cycle the Yulong river
- Day 35 05:00: Xianggong Hill sunrise
Hong Kong, China
Days 37–42
- Day 38 08:00: Dragon’s Back trail
- Day 39 19:00: Victoria Peak by the tram
- Day 40 10:00: Lantau Big Buddha by cable car
- Day 41 12:00: Dim sum at Tim Ho Wan
Taipei, Taiwan
Days 42–48
- Day 43 09:00: National Palace Museum
- Day 44 18:00: Raohe night market
- Day 45 10:00: Jiufen and Shifen lanterns
- Day 46 16:00: Elephant Mountain sunset
Hualien, Taiwan
Days 48–51
- Day 49 08:00: Taroko Gorge scooter day
- Day 50 10:00: Qixingtan beach
Tainan, Taiwan
Days 51–54
- Day 52 10:00: Anping fort and old street
- Day 53 18:00: Beef soup breakfast to night-market dinner
Seoul, South Korea
Days 54–62
- Day 55 09:00: Gyeongbokgung in hanbok
- Day 57 07:00: DMZ tour
- Day 59 10:00: Bukhansan hike
- Day 60 19:00: Hongdae busking and fried chicken
Busan, South Korea
Days 62–66
- Day 63 09:30: Haedong Yonggungsa
- Day 64 15:00: Gamcheon village
Jeju, South Korea
Days 66–71
- Day 67 05:30: Seongsan Ilchulbong sunrise peak
- Day 68 08:00: Hallasan summit hike
- Day 69 10:00: Haenyeo women divers show
Fukuoka, Japan
Days 71–74
- Day 71 19:00: Nakasu yatai
- Day 72 10:00: Dazaifu
Hiroshima, Japan
Days 74–77
- Day 74 14:00: Peace Memorial Museum
- Day 75 09:00: Miyajima
Osaka, Japan
Days 77–81
- Day 77 19:00: Dōtonbori street food
- Day 78 09:00: Nara deer park and Tōdai-ji
- Day 79 10:00: Osaka castle
Kyoto, Japan
Days 81–88
- Day 82 07:00: Fushimi Inari
- Day 83 08:00: Arashiyama bamboo grove
- Day 85 10:00: Zen meditation at Shunkō-in
- Day 86 18:00: Pontochō alley dinner
Kanazawa, Japan
Days 88–91
- Day 89 09:00: Kenroku-en garden
- Day 90 08:00: Ōmichō market seafood bowl
Takayama, Japan
Days 91–94
- Day 92 07:00: Morning markets and Sanmachi Suji
- Day 93 10:00: Hida beef and sake tasting
Tokyo, Japan
Days 94–104
- Day 95 06:00: Toyosu tuna auction
- Day 97 10:00: Ghibli Museum
- Day 99 07:00: Nikko day trip
- Day 101 20:00: Golden Gai
Sapporo, Japan
Days 104–109
- Day 105 10:00: Otaru canal
- Day 106 09:00: Furano lavender fields
- Day 107 19:00: Miso ramen alley