Sam Lee Travel

Let The Wandering Journey Begin ✨

Hello, my fellow wanderer!

I hope you are well 😉

So I told myself I was just going to “update a few things” on my Japan 3-week itinerary.

You know.

Fix some outdated info.

Tweak a train route.

Add 2 to 3 cute photos and call it a day 🤪

Instead, I ended up reworking the entire thing.

Because once I started mapping it properly, I realised how much fun I actually had and how smooth the whole trip felt!

Across 3 regions.

13 cities and towns.

​WITHOUT USING THE JR PASS.​

Yep, still proud of that one 😌

And yes, I covered the big names like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

But I also hung out in smaller towns.
Saw real snow for the first time ever!
Took local trains (nope, no bullet trains).
Wandered through quiet residential streets.
Let some days breathe instead of rushing through checklists.

And I genuinely loved this mix!

So in the updated post, I break down:

• The exact route I followed
• How I grouped everything so I wasn’t backtracking like mad
• Why I skipped the JR Pass
• What made the pacing sustainable for 3 full weeks
• And what I’d do slightly differently next time

Because honestly?

Planning a Japan trip is exciting one minute.

And the next you’re questioning all your life decisions with 47 tabs staring back at you 😅

So if you want a realistic starting point for a 3-week Japan trip, you can read it here:

See How I Did It ➜

Even if you don’t follow it exactly, I believe it will spark some ideas and help you build something that actually feels like your trip!

And if you do end up planning to visit Japan soon..

Tell me how many days you’re going for.

I secretly love hearing other people’s routes 😌

Adventure is out there,

Sam 😉

My Fav Travel Resources

• Where I usually book my hotels around Asia - better deals & pricing
• ​My backup when I cannot find good deals on the first one
• My go-to place to get eSIM, transport passes, guided tours etc​
• My Japan travel planning service for anyone who wants a stress-free itinerary