I have been wanting to plan a vacation to Japan for a long time as a "congratulations to me," when I finally graduate from nursing school. I wanted to ask you guys what you would recommend along the lines of what to see, and how much it will generally cost? I have been looking around at hotel prices and testimonies about what people liked and didn't like about their trip.
I am thinking about spending a week there, and I will have at least one year to save and figure things out! As of right now I think a hotel will cost around $2,000 (give or take a few hundred) for two people? Either way we aren't looking for a beautiful hotel. We are very interested in having an amazing experience (see culture/the countryside/history) and will probably only really sleep in the hotel rather than spend massive amounts of time in it. I will be done with school next September (2015) and will be planning the trip for sometime after that.
I have heard that many people feel like one temple/castle is enough and the cities are where to go. We want to see a lot of history/culture/country side, and are open to seeing city things as well.
OVERVIEW: I have time to save. Where are places that I will kick myself if I do not see them? Are there "tourist seasons" and it is better to do during them or before/after? Are there little known goldmines of awesomeness that people do not think about? Depending on the places and ideas you guys throw at me, I will research and decide on how much I need to save. Like I said earlier, I have some time for this!