Japan Dec 2018

[onesweetword]

Hi all!!

Have booked tickets to Japan this Dec! Appreciate if anyone can give some inputs on the below itinerary? Is it too ambitious? We are travelling as a group of 2 adults / 3 children youngest aged 9 / and my 60yr old mother!

Day 1 : Osaka Castle / Shinsaibashi / Dotonbori

Day 2 : Universal Studios

Day 3 : Todaiji Temple / Nara Deer Park / move to Kyoto Hotel (45mins) /
Kawaramachi shopping?

Day 4 : Fushinami Inari / Kiyomizu Dera / Gion / Yakasa Shrine? /
Kawaramachi shopping street if not done yesterday

Day 5 : Kinkaku-ji / Sagano Romantic Train / Arashimaya Bamboo Grove /
Travel to Takayama

Day 6 : Visit to Gassho Village. Explore Takayama town

Day 7 : Takayama / Shin Hotaka Ropeway / travel to Tokyo hotel

Day 8 : Tokyo Disneyland

Day 9 : Mount Fuji day tour

Day 10 : F&E - Ramen Museum / Fish Market / final shoppings

Day 11 : F&E - Ramen Museum / Fish Market / final shoppings

TIA folks!!!

 

[evilerniex]

Quite rush to visit so many places in 11 days. May be quite tiring with all the traveling around

 

[James Tang]

Just my 2 cents (in blue).

Hi all!!

Have booked tickets to Japan this Dec! Appreciate if anyone can give some inputs on the below itinerary? Is it too ambitious? We are travelling as a group of 2 adults / 3 children youngest aged 9 / and my 60yr old mother!

Day 1 : Osaka Castle / Shinsaibashi / Dotonbori

Day 2 : Universal Studios

Day 3 : Todaiji Temple / Nara Deer Park / move to Kyoto Hotel (45mins) /
Kawaramachi shopping?

Day 4 : Fushinami Inari / Kiyomizu Dera / Gion / Yakasa Shrine? /
Kawaramachi shopping street if not done yesterday

This is way too ambitious. Has a lots of walking

Day 5 : Kinkaku-ji / Sagano Romantic Train / Arashimaya Bamboo Grove /
Travel to Takayama

Day 6 : Visit to Gassho Village. Explore Takayama town

Day 7 : Takayama / Shin Hotaka Ropeway / travel to Tokyo hotel

Day 8 : Tokyo Disneyland

Day 9 : Mount Fuji day tour

Day 10 : F&E - Ramen Museum / Fish Market / final shoppings

Which fish market? Tsukiji probably closed already

Day 11 : F&E - Ramen Museum / Fish Market / final shoppings

TIA folks!!!

 

[My Office Home]

if 2 adults still can. with children and old folks better cut down a bit.

 

[trashley]

i think you should leave Takayama/Shirakawago for another time.

 

[kennysme]

Your Day 3,4 and 5 may be too much for kids/elderly. Younger people might swing it but in a rush.
If you don't want to miss any of the temples then best is do Fushimi/Kiyomizu/Gion/Kinkafuji in a day but with private transport eg minibus, costly but everybody happy.
Fushimi and Todaiji are both located on hills and they're quite a climb for the elderly even if you're not going all the way to the top. We went right to the tops of both but spent half a day and had leisurely lunch for each activity so its not a whirlwind tour.
For Nara too, the journey there and back to Osaka might take at least an hour plus each way - so your journey to Kyoto might have to be done close to dinner time.

 

[0limshs]

We are also planning fir a 9 days trip to Japan in December during Christmas, can’t decide to Tokyo or Hokkaido... can i get some advice here....

 

[James Tang]

We are also planning fir a 9 days trip to Japan in December during Christmas, can’t decide to Tokyo or Hokkaido... can i get some advice here....

Totally different experience.... check it out and see which one you like first...

 

[ash like snow]

Your Day 3,4 and 5 may be too much for kids/elderly. Younger people might swing it but in a rush.
If you don't want to miss any of the temples then best is do Fushimi/Kiyomizu/Gion/Kinkafuji in a day but with private transport eg minibus, costly but everybody happy.
Fushimi and Todaiji are both located on hills and they're quite a climb for the elderly even if you're not going all the way to the top. We went right to the tops of both but spent half a day and had leisurely lunch for each activity so its not a whirlwind tour.
For Nara too, the journey there and back to Osaka might take at least an hour plus each way - so your journey to Kyoto might have to be done close to dinner time.

For Nara, I took a subway that's about 40-45mins from Osaka each way. If not wrong it's called the Kintetsu subway line.

Sent from Xiaomi REDMI NOTE 4 using GAGT

 

[gentoro]

I would plan with car rental - would be more exp compared to subway + bullet train. But alot more convenience and easy for youngs and elderly. I wont stay in tokyo if i got car rental...

Many places in non-city area have free parking. I was surprised.

Advised - use google map, latest GPS also not up to par with Google map. The route and shortcut the google map took us, i was totally shock! My dad beside me also "Woah", this kind of road also can show up in map and still can get us to desired destination.

 

[kennysme]

For Nara, I took a subway that's about 40-45mins from Osaka each way. If not wrong it's called the Kintetsu subway line.

Sent from Xiaomi REDMI NOTE 4 using GAGT

Yes, but you got to factor in the bus/subway/walking to reach the train station...mine was a 10-15min walk from Dotonbori to Namba station then 45min train ride (one tip - use google maps for directions, they give very detailed info on the train/directions/timing - saved my life numerous times plus of course you need a working sim card) to Nara and another about 15 min walk to the park