Japan Sample Itinerary thread

BlueSoul

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Need help on accommodation and transport on Tokyo trip

Settle everything i needed.
 
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eyz

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guys, i am planning a 9 or 10 days trip to Japan during Sakura season.

aiming from 1 Apr to 9/10 Apr, and will most probably taking ANA 0035 hours flight.

I do not have any firm itinerary, but am planning on visiting Tokyo for Sakura and going over to Osaka to visit Kyoto.

Flight in and out of Tokyo.

Any recommended itinerary and whether JR pass is necessary?

I read some travel review, and they advised to get buy the rail as needed, and get willer pass instead.
 

evilerniex

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guys, i am planning a 9 or 10 days trip to Japan during Sakura season.

aiming from 1 Apr to 9/10 Apr, and will most probably taking ANA 0035 hours flight.

I do not have any firm itinerary, but am planning on visiting Tokyo for Sakura and going over to Osaka to visit Kyoto.

Flight in and out of Tokyo.

Any recommended itinerary and whether JR pass is necessary?

I read some travel review, and they advised to get buy the rail as needed, and get willer pass instead.

if u are taking shinkansen from tokyo to osaka and back, then JR pass is worth it.

willer bus is an overnight highway bus from tokyo to osaka. it is a lot cheaper than shinkansen, and u save a night of accommodations. but the downside is u dun have a place to wash up for the night, and for those who cant sleep well on coach, it means the next day is wasted coz too tired.
 

Kaltong

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18 Nov - 2 Dec 17

Day City

1 Osaka
2 Osaka
3 Osaka
4 Day trip to Nara
5 Day trip to Kobe
6 Hiroshima
7 Hiroshima
8 Hiroshima
9 going to Kyoto
10 going to Kyoto
11 going to Kyoto
12 going to Kyoto
13 Osaka
14 Osaka
15 Back home

Q1 - is it worth to get JR pass (5 days Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass OR 7 days Sanyo-San'in Area Pass) for above itinerary? or just buy Shinkansen when needed?
 

evilerniex

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18 Nov - 2 Dec 17

Day City

1 Osaka
2 Osaka
3 Osaka
4 Day trip to Nara
5 Day trip to Kobe
6 Hiroshima
7 Hiroshima
8 Hiroshima
9 going to Kyoto
10 going to Kyoto
11 going to Kyoto
12 going to Kyoto
13 Osaka
14 Osaka
15 Back home

Q1 - is it worth to get JR pass (5 days Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass OR 7 days Sanyo-San'in Area Pass) for above itinerary? or just buy Shinkansen when needed?
Kansai Hiroshima is likely to be more worth it since the only major trip u are making is to hiroshima. Not worth getting sanyo sanin unless u planning to go further than Hiroshima, e.g. To fukuoda or Yamaguchi
 

Kaltong

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Kansai Hiroshima is likely to be more worth it since the only major trip u are making is to hiroshima. Not worth getting sanyo sanin unless u planning to go further than Hiroshima, e.g. To fukuoda or Yamaguchi

Thanks. Can't go anywhere further, already booked hotel rooms in Osaka and Hiroshima. Also prefer to take it slow pace.
 

MilesTeh

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Osaka Trip

Hi evilerniex and Ruriel,

Thank you both for your comments! I have modified the itinerary as below. Please advise if I am grouping the attractions together.
Is it a bad idea to travel to Kyoto during the weekends? I could only find a cheaper hostel at 3800yen for a jap-single room in Kyoto on the 25th (sat).

Wed (OSAKA)
--------
Checkout First Cabin
Leave Luggage in Kinki Hotel
Osaka Castle, Aquarium (buyOsaka Kaiyuu Kippu pass?)
Checkin Hotel Kinki 3-11pm
Nipponbashi Den Den Town
Dotonbori


Sat (KYOTO - Stay overnight Kyoto)
--------
Check out Kinki Hotel
Travel to JR Kyoto Station
Leave Luggage at hostel
Higashiyama Historic District
Kiyomizudera Temple
Autumn night illuminations in Kiyomizudera

Sun (KYOTO) stay in osaka
--------
Check out hostel
Arashiyama (Sagano Romance Train+Hozugawa River Cruise+Tenryu-ji Temple+bamboo grove)
Travel back to Osaka
Check in Kinki Hotel
Namba (Glico Man)
Shinsaibashi shopping area

Mon (KYOTO)
--------
Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine (most likely not hiking up all the way)
Nishiki Market
Ginkaku-ji Temple
Gion (both Hanamikoji Dori and Shirakawa-minami Dori sides)
Travel back to Osaka

Thanks again!

Just updated my itinerary again. Hope it is much better?

Tue
--------
Land in Osaka at 9.20pm
Checkin to First Cabin at KIX Airport
Rest

Wed (OSAKA)
————
Checkout First Cabin
Leave Luggage in Kinki Hotel
Osaka Castle
Osaka Aquarium
Tempozan Ferris Wheel
Checkin Hotel Kinki
Nipponbashi Den Den Town
Dotonbori


Thur (USJ)
----------
USJ
Universal City Walk Osaka


Fri (day trip to NARA)
---------
Deer Park
Daibutsu
Namba (Glico Man)
Shinsaibashi shopping area


Sat (KYOTO) - Stay in Kyoto
————
Check out Kinki Hotel
Travel to JR Kyoto Station
Leave Luggage at hostel
Higashiyama Historic District
Kiyomizudera Temple
Autumn night illuminations in Kiyomizudera


Sun (KYOTO) stay in Kyoto
————
Arashiyama (Sagano Romance Train+Hozugawa River Cruise+Tenryu-ji Temple+bamboo grove)
Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine (most not hiking up all the way)
Ginkaku-ji Temple
Gion (both Hanamikoji Dori and Shirakawa-minami Dori sides)


Mon (OSAKA) stay in Osaka
————
Check out hotel
Nishiki Market
Travel back to Osaka
Check in Kinki Hotel
Namba (Glico Man)
Shinsaibashi shopping area


Tue (OSAKA)
————
Minoo Park Waterfall (?)
Shopping @ Umeda
Umeda Sky building


Wed (Flight Home)
---------
Morning check out Hotel Kinki
Leave Luggage here
America-mura (American Village)?
Tennoji and Abeno?x
Lunch
Grand Front Osaka
Dinner
Collect Luggage from hotel
Take bus to airport at 7.30pm
Flight home at 11.30pm
 

evilerniex

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Just updated my itinerary again. Hope it is much better?

Tue
--------
Land in Osaka at 9.20pm
Checkin to First Cabin at KIX Airport
Rest

Wed (OSAKA)
————
Checkout First Cabin
Leave Luggage in Kinki Hotel
Osaka Castle
Osaka Aquarium
Tempozan Ferris Wheel
Checkin Hotel Kinki
Nipponbashi Den Den Town
Dotonbori


Thur (USJ)
----------
USJ
Universal City Walk Osaka


Fri (day trip to NARA)
---------
Deer Park
Daibutsu
Namba (Glico Man)
Shinsaibashi shopping area


Sat (KYOTO) - Stay in Kyoto
————
Check out Kinki Hotel
Travel to JR Kyoto Station
Leave Luggage at hostel
Higashiyama Historic District
Kiyomizudera Temple
Autumn night illuminations in Kiyomizudera


Sun (KYOTO) stay in Kyoto
————
Arashiyama (Sagano Romance Train+Hozugawa River Cruise+Tenryu-ji Temple+bamboo grove)
Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine (most not hiking up all the way)
Ginkaku-ji Temple
Gion (both Hanamikoji Dori and Shirakawa-minami Dori sides)


Mon (OSAKA) stay in Osaka
————
Check out hotel
Nishiki Market
Travel back to Osaka
Check in Kinki Hotel
Namba (Glico Man)
Shinsaibashi shopping area


Tue (OSAKA)
————
Minoo Park Waterfall (?)
Shopping @ Umeda
Umeda Sky building


Wed (Flight Home)
---------
Morning check out Hotel Kinki
Leave Luggage here
America-mura (American Village)?
Tennoji and Abeno?x
Lunch
Grand Front Osaka
Dinner
Collect Luggage from hotel
Take bus to airport at 7.30pm
Flight home at 11.30pm
Glico man, den den town, dotonbori, shinsaibashi, American village, are all in the namba area, and u seem to be heading there almost everyday. Maybe group those places together? Especially for American village on the last day, can just visit it on one of the days when u r going namba

Notice u didnt go kinkakuji for kyoto. Personally i think it is quite iconic and worth a visit
 
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Marc_Duffy

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Dear all,

I am planning a visit to japan on the last week of april 2018. My gf wants to visit tokyo, kyoto and osaka. This will be our first visit to japan, therefore i have some queries.

We are planning to go for 10days. We intend to depart from sg to osaka, then travel all the way up to tokyo, depart from tokyo back to sg. I checked SQ tickets. The price to fly to osaka, depart from tokyo is about the same as flying in-out from tokyo. Ard 100 different. Also, she wants to depart via tokyo and not osaka as she intend to do her major shopping at Tokyo.

(1) do you think it will be rush for us to cover these 3 cities within 10 days?

(2) i am intending to get the JR Pass. However, i realise that they only allow 7days or 14days. Do you think 7days is suffice for a 10 days trip? Or should i be getting the 14 days JR pass and extend my trip to 12days. ( may have some leave constraint).

Apologies if i sound noob. First time planning a trip to japan. Unsure about the transportation and travelling over there.
 

thwysg

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Dear all,

I am planning a visit to japan on the last week of april 2018. My gf wants to visit tokyo, kyoto and osaka. This will be our first visit to japan, therefore i have some queries.

We are planning to go for 10days. We intend to depart from sg to osaka, then travel all the way up to tokyo, depart from tokyo back to sg. I checked SQ tickets. The price to fly to osaka, depart from tokyo is about the same as flying in-out from tokyo. Ard 100 different. Also, she wants to depart via tokyo and not osaka as she intend to do her major shopping at Tokyo.

(1) do you think it will be rush for us to cover these 3 cities within 10 days?

(2) i am intending to get the JR Pass. However, i realise that they only allow 7days or 14days. Do you think 7days is suffice for a 10 days trip? Or should i be getting the 14 days JR pass and extend my trip to 12days. ( may have some leave constraint).

Apologies if i sound noob. First time planning a trip to japan. Unsure about the transportation and travelling over there.

You do know you're traveling during the super peak season Golden Week 29 April to 5 May? Flying into Osaka and out from Tokyo doesn't require JR Pass.
 

MilesTeh

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Glico man, den den town, dotonbori, shinsaibashi, American village, are all in the namba area, and u seem to be heading there almost everyday. Maybe group those places together? Especially for American village on the last day, can just visit it on one of the days when u r going namba

Notice u didnt go kinkakuji for kyoto. Personally i think it is quite iconic and worth a visit

Didn't know they are all in namba area. =) I don't plan to do shopping until I come back from Kyoto, cos I'm only bringing a small bagpack for 2 nights stay in Kyoto, then check-in back to Hotel Kinki. So don't wanna leave my shopping stuff when I'm away from Osaka. Not sure how to arrange these places into one day in namba, any advice?

I mistakenly changed Kinkakuji for Ginkakuji(not planning to go there anymore). I will put back Kinkakuji! Which day should I group Kinkakuji to?
 

evilerniex

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Didn't know they are all in namba area. =) I don't plan to do shopping until I come back from Kyoto, cos I'm only bringing a small bagpack for 2 nights stay in Kyoto, then check-in back to Hotel Kinki. So don't wanna leave my shopping stuff when I'm away from Osaka. Not sure how to arrange these places into one day in namba, any advice?

I mistakenly changed Kinkakuji for Ginkakuji(not planning to go there anymore). I will put back Kinkakuji! Which day should I group Kinkakuji to?

maybe put kinkakuji on day 3 of kyoto, before heading back to osaka? coz the other 2 days are quite packed already.

for day 2 (wed), maybe just do shopping in umeda area at night instead of heading to den den town. coz after all the sightseeing, probably not much time left. in fact, can just have dinner and walk ard the mall at tempozan before heading back.

and for last day, american-mura can be done on other days when u are going namba.

for the rest of the days, i think it is ok to break namba up into a few days, and do shopping in the evening/night. then u can have the day for sightseeing. just keep it flexible, head to namba on days with good weather, and go to malls in umeda on rainy days coz mostly linked by underground mall
 

Marc_Duffy

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You do know you're traveling during the super peak season Golden Week 29 April to 5 May? Flying into Osaka and out from Tokyo doesn't require JR Pass.

I just googled it. Thanks for the heads up. So is it recommended to delay the trip by a week? The main reason for wanting to travel that week is my gf wanted to view the cherry blossom. But i am not able to depart anytime earlier than that period.
 

evilerniex

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I just googled it. Thanks for the heads up. So is it recommended to delay the trip by a week? The main reason for wanting to travel that week is my gf wanted to view the cherry blossom. But i am not able to depart anytime earlier than that period.
End April is actually too late for sakura, unless u head northwards to tohoku or hokkaido region
 

Vulpix

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You do know you're traveling during the super peak season Golden Week 29 April to 5 May? Flying into Osaka and out from Tokyo doesn't require JR Pass.

Scary siah, I just read up. I am going from April 20th to 1st May, heng only the final week clash into golden week.
 

evilerniex

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Scary siah, I just read up. I am going from April 20th to 1st May, heng only the final week clash into golden week.
Do book ur accommodation early for golden week. And avoid having shinkansen trips coz it may be fully booked
 

purpleberry

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Shinkansen trips? What does that mean? I google liao it's the name of the train?

Shinkansen is what they call their inter-city or regional trains travelling at hyper speed. Different from the Tokyo Metro (MRT). If you decide to take shinkansen, make sure you book well in advance. Most of hte locals during Golden Week travel out from the big cities leaving downtown Tokyo slightly empty (read somewhere on this). Totally avoid popular shrines, temples, disney resorts, etc. as they will be packed.
 
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