Itinerary advise on 1st time Japan trip

[buzzmario]

hi, me, 3 person with my wife and 9 year old kid. first time to japan, flying to osaka on 30 nov (reach on 1 Dec 7am) and fly back to singapore from narita on 15 Dec , 10, 30 am flight.

here my 1st cut itinerary, but i am going slow.

will arrived at osaka on 1 dec at 7am , which mean i have 12 full day , 13 dec will be a travelling day back to singapore.

1 KYOTO
2 KYOTO
3 KYOTO
4 KYOTO TO TAYKAMA
5 TAYAKAMA TO Shirakawa-go
6 TAYAKAMA TO HAKANA
7 HAKANA (RYOKAN)
8 NIKKO (DAY TRIP)
9 SHOPPING
10 SHOPPING
11 DINSEY LAND
12 DINSEY SEA
13 HOME SWEET HOME

base on my google, with cater 3 full days at kyoto, i should cover those places that must be visit, i am giving temple visit a miss. unless there is big beautiful park attached to it. any must be visit in kyoto?
I am visiting Shirakawa, so any advise which is better to go? via takayama or kanazawa? I am more toward takayama as it is near to nagoyo, so any place of interest at takayama? with 7 days jr pass, the transfer rail from nagoyo to takayam, does it cover in 7 days jr pass?

any advise is well come, all informs i written is base on what i have google, hopefully it is correct.

thanks

 

[cancer81]

where is Hakana?

I hope u r talking abt Hakone

 

[evilerniex]

hi, me, 3 person with my wife and 9 year old kid. first time to japan, flying to osaka on 30 nov (reach on 1 Dec 7am) and fly back to singapore from narita on 15 Dec , 10, 30 am flight.

here my 1st cut itinerary, but i am going slow.

will arrived at osaka on 1 dec at 7am , which mean i have 12 full day , 13 dec will be a travelling day back to singapore.

1 KYOTO
2 KYOTO
3 KYOTO
4 KYOTO TO TAYKAMA
5 TAYAKAMA TO Shirakawa-go
6 TAYAKAMA TO HAKANA
7 HAKANA (RYOKAN)
8 NIKKO (DAY TRIP)
[nikko main attractions are the temples and shrines, and lake chuzenji. great natural sceneries, but not sure if u kid will find it interesting]
9 SHOPPING
10 SHOPPING
11 DINSEY LAND
12 DINSEY SEA
13 HOME SWEET HOME

base on my google, with cater 3 full days at kyoto, i should cover those places that must be visit, i am giving temple visit a miss. unless there is big beautiful park attached to it. any must be visit in kyoto?
[since u are not into temples and shrines, why not visit osaka or kobe instead of kyoto? u can visit USJ and aquarium in osaka, which shld be interesting for ur kid. nissin ramen museum in osaka is also good as ur kid can get to DIY their own cup noodle. it is also likely to be cheaper to stay in osaka as there are lots more options available. u can consider a day trip to Nara as well. although Nara is mainly temples, there are also deers everywhere, so it may be more interesting.]

I am visiting Shirakawa, so any advise which is better to go? via takayama or kanazawa? I am more toward takayama as it is near to nagoyo, so any place of interest at takayama? with 7 days jr pass, the transfer rail from nagoyo to takayam, does it cover in 7 days jr pass?
[u can check hyperdia to see which route is more convenient. nagoya to takayama is covered under JR]

any advise is well come, all informs i written is base on what i have google, hopefully it is correct.

thanks

some comments above

 

[c1528351]

sorry to hijack...i will be planning to visit japan for 14 days from 1st dec..with wife and two kids.. as i will be spending the last few days in my friend place in tochigi..is it advisable to spend 10 days in tokyo and where are the places of interests that i can visit. Since my first trip to japan..i am very blur with their transportation system.

 

[buzzmario]

some comments above

evilerniex, if i add 2 days to okasa, what is recommended places in kyoto and days needed in kyoto? any places similar to Kamikochi?

 

[evilerniex]

evilerniex, if i add 2 days to okasa, what is recommended places in kyoto and days needed in kyoto? any places similar to Kamikochi?

for kyoto, u can visit arashiyama if u are not into temples and shrines. but i think there are a few temples and shrines that are iconic and not to be missed in kyoto. personally, i feel these are the key attraction: kinkakuji, kiyomizudera, and fushini inari

for similiar to kamikochi, are u referring to natural sceneries? there are many places with natural sceneries in japan. hakone and nikko both have nice sceneries.

 

[cancer81]

sorry to hijack...i will be planning to visit japan for 14 days from 1st dec..with wife and two kids.. as i will be spending the last few days in my friend place in tochigi..is it advisable to spend 10 days in tokyo and where are the places of interests that i can visit. Since my first trip to japan..i am very blur with their transportation system.

it is possible to spend 10 days fully in Tokyo. You can fit in more shopping and taking your time to soak it in.

Disneysea & land (2 day pass, value for money and covers 2 days)
Ueno zoo, Ueno park
Asakusa sensoji temple, comes with a district where there are lots of stuff to see and buy.
Meiji shrine
Tokyo tower & skytree (the latter is too expensive imo )

how young are your kids?

can also consider going to Fuiji-Q Highland
Ghibili museum
Sanrio land?

anyhow consult Japan-guide for some tips and since you are going on your own, better stay somewhere near a main train station (Ueno is a good idea)

always check Hyperdia for train routes. If need be google maps for buses.

 

[c1528351]

Thanks for ur ltineary...both my kids are 12 and 13..so i am planning something that fit them...so do i need to buy the 7 days pass...is it possible for me to visit mount fugi and also bring my children for ski resort...my friend in japan also ask me to use his car for going around but i feel not secure as i doesn' know the place at all

 

[kifo]

Since you are more into visiting nature sights (I assume?), you should include Arashiyama into your Kyoto trip. However Arashiyama is probably 1 day.

For Kyoto itself, I suppose you can visit Nijo Castgel and the Gion district, walk along the Philosopher's Walk and the Ninen and Sannenzakas, eat at Nishiki Market. What else is there to do if you don't visit temples? All the places I just mentioned can be covered in 1 day probably.

Kinkakuji is a temple, but I guess you are not visiting? And not Kiyomizudera? For some people, this is as good as not visiting Kyoto...

 

[cancer81]

Thanks for ur ltineary...both my kids are 12 and 13..so i am planning something that fit them...so do i need to buy the 7 days pass...is it possible for me to visit mount fugi and also bring my children for ski resort...my friend in japan also ask me to use his car for going around but i feel not secure as i doesn' know the place at all

2 boys or 1 boy 1 girl or 2 girls? if boys then skip the Sanrio land

Mt Fuji during winter is open till 5th station, subject to weather conditions. I think there is a website to check if it is open for visitors on the day itself or something. But do not take my word on that one.

as for skiing. The ski season as far as I know does not begin so early in winter. On Honshu normally it starts like Feb onwards though. You will have to give me a ski-resort you have in mind.

your friend staying near Nikko, can drive there. The scenery will be a bit flat given that it is winter already, but it will be quite worth it anyway. UNESCO site and good stuff like the cedar avenue. As long as you operate the GPS and get a crash course on winter driving from your friend I would think you will be fine.

There is also onsen in Kinugawa but I would say the kiddos wun get it though. what is so nice abt soaking in a pool of hot water

 

[c1528351]

My kids are 1 boy and 1 girl..i have read about the nozawa ski resort and thinking of going there...is it possible. As for transportation...do i need to buy the 7 day pass since i am moving around
Thank you so much for your help as i really blur about the transport system there...since i have four person any good hotel or place to recommend to stay for 10 days

 

[wind30]

base on my google, with cater 3 full days at kyoto, i should cover those places that must be visit, i am giving temple visit a miss. unless there is big beautiful park attached to it. any must be visit in kyoto?
I am visiting Shirakawa, so any advise which is better to go? via takayama or kanazawa? I am more toward takayama as it is near to nagoyo, so any place of interest at takayama? with 7 days jr pass, the transfer rail from nagoyo to takayam, does it cover in 7 days jr pass?

any advise is well come, all informs i written is base on what i have google, hopefully it is correct.

thanks

For kyoto, my recommendations for parks is Arashiyama

I have never been to Shirakawa but I have been to both kanazawa and takayama.

Kanazawa, has the old town

Takayama has the Hida village... but since you are going to shirakawa which supposedly is more authentic

 

[cancer81]

My kids are 1 boy and 1 girl..i have read about the nozawa ski resort and thinking of going there...is it possible. As for transportation...do i need to buy the 7 day pass since i am moving around
Thank you so much for your help as i really blur about the transport system there...since i have four person any good hotel or place to recommend to stay for 10 days

for the resort check with the resort if the season has opened by then.

JR Pass is costly, you are very much going to be in Tokyo, I would suggest getting a Metro pass or something. Check HERE

 

[buzzmario]

For kyoto, my recommendations for parks is Arashiyama

I have never been to Shirakawa but I have been to both kanazawa and takayama.

Kanazawa, has the old town

Takayama has the Hida village... but since you are going to shirakawa which supposedly is more authentic

where is this snow place? takayama?
since i am travelling from kyoto toward tokyo, it better to go kanazawa or takayama? i suppose both places allow me to go shirakawa.

 

[buzzmario]

for the resort check with the resort if the season has opened by then.

JR Pass is costly, you are very much going to be in Tokyo, I would suggest getting a Metro pass or something. Check HERE

metro pass is like our mrt line which run within tokyo?

 

[kifo]

where is this snow place? takayama?
since i am travelling from kyoto toward tokyo, it better to go kanazawa or takayama? i suppose both places allow me to go shirakawa.

kanazawa is an old city on the coast of the sea of japan. it has a castle and old streets. it is a nice city to walk about and there are plenty of shopping malls. therefore it has a good mix of tradition and modern.

takayama is a mountain town in the middle of the japan alps in gifu ken. it used to have a castle but only the empty site remained. it too has old streets but not many modern shopping malls. if you want to see the snowy scene in those photos, you need to go takayama.

shirakawa-go is technically halfway between kanazawa and takayama. I drove from takayama last year to shirakawa-go and it took me 3 hrs in a snowstorm. it probably takes half that time in good weather. there is a demonstration village in takayama that showcases some of the gassho-zukuri houses. in shirakawa-go, you see a real village made up of these houses.

 

[wind30]

kanazawa is an old city on the coast of the sea of japan. it has a castle and old streets. it is a nice city to walk about and there are plenty of shopping malls. therefore it has a good mix of tradition and modern.

takayama is a mountain town in the middle of the japan alps in gifu ken. it used to have a castle but only the empty site remained. it too has old streets but not many modern shopping malls. if you want to see the snowy scene in those photos, you need to go takayama.

shirakawa-go is technically halfway between kanazawa and takayama. I drove from takayama last year to shirakawa-go and it took me 3 hrs in a snowstorm. it probably takes half that time in good weather. there is a demonstration village in takayama that showcases some of the gassho-zukuri houses. in shirakawa-go, you see a real village made up of these houses.

yup... I went to both Kanazawa and takayama on the same trip but skipped shirakawa-go because it is hard to get there in winter. No rail connection + weather is challenging. You rented a car for your whole trip in winter or just to shirakawago?

I was on Rail pass...

Settled for the gassho-zukuri houses in Takayama instead. Frankly, the demonstration village in takayama is quite nice. Easily accessible and looks good, has small lake with small hills backdrop. You can't really tell it is right inside a city.

 

[kifo]

yup... I went to both Kanazawa and takayama on the same trip but skipped shirakawa-go because it is hard to get there in winter. No rail connection + weather is challenging. You rented a car for your whole trip in winter or just to shirakawago?

I was on Rail pass...

Settled for the gassho-zukuri houses in Takayama instead. Frankly, the demonstration village in takayama is quite nice. Easily accessible and looks good, has small lake with small hills backdrop. You can't really tell it is right inside a city.

No I was staying in Ainokura, an even more remote gassho-zukuri village. Rented a car for 2 days just to travel around the area only.

There are coaches running from takayama to shirakawa-go. It is possible to do a day trip.

However the best time to view the houses is when all the tourist buses have left.

 

[lapucelle]

metro pass is like our mrt line which run within tokyo?

In Tokyo, there are two main subway companies (Toei and Tokyo Metro) and what I call the the surface train (JR). Passes don't always cover across the board so you need to pick and choose your routes. E.g. a JR Pass won't get you a free ride on either Toei or Tokyo Metro trains.

The confusing part comes when these subway train extend into other surface lines when reaching the terminus.

 

[buzzmario]

yup... I went to both Kanazawa and takayama on the same trip but skipped shirakawa-go because it is hard to get there in winter. No rail connection + weather is challenging. You rented a car for your whole trip in winter or just to shirakawago?

I was on Rail pass...

Settled for the gassho-zukuri houses in Takayama instead. Frankly, the demonstration village in takayama is quite nice. Easily accessible and looks good, has small lake with small hills backdrop. You can't really tell it is right inside a city.

since not rail connection between kanazawa and takayama, did you travel from kanazawa to takayama? i be there around early dec, any chances it will snow?