Japan Sample Itinerary thread

[nicholaslee]

I wish to know this too!

Btw can someone comment about my plans below

Day 1
Arrive at Narita at 6am, Buy Suica + N'EX package
Take Narita Express to Ofuna, -> Change train to Odawara
QUESTION: If I buy Hakone Free 3-Days Pass at Odawara for 4400 Yen, (Does this cover train back from Hakone to Shinjuku?)
Odawara -> Hakone Yumoto
Check in Senkei Plaza Inn
Start on the circuit around Hakone
Onsen, Dinner, Sleep

Day 2
AM: Intend to visit Fuji Five lakes but donno is the travel time from my hotel worth it? The Hakone free pass does not cover this, how much will it cost me if purchase bus ticket separately? I understand the Fuji Hakone 3-Day Pass at 7200Yen covers, but the return leg will be from five lakes which is (very?) far from where am staying. unless I spend my 2nd night nearer to it, any recommendation?

PM: Gotemba Outlet shopping
Back to Hotel for Onsen and Dinner

Day 3
Check out -> Shinjuku with Free Pass.
Leave luggage in train station locker or check-in hotel (depends on timing, accommodation location not decided yet at Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku or EzChoiceHotels)
Shinjuku -> Kamakura -> Yokohama‎ -> Shinjuku

Day 4
Shinjuku

Day 5
Shibuya, Meji Shrine, Yogoi Park, Roppongi

Day 6
Fish Market, Central Tokyo

Day 7
Asakusa, Odaiba

Day 8
Not planned yet

Day 9
Not planned yet


Thanks

Any comments and suggestions here?

 

[evilerniex]

Any comments and suggestions here?

i have not experience on this, but according to japan-guide, the 4400yen pass can only be used within the free area. so u cant use it to get to shinjuku. the one from shinjuku cost 5500yen
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html

 

[daffodilz]

No point going Nagoya if you are not into temples, and stuff. Nagoya got lots of shrines and castles and stuff.
Can get more tourist info at tourist center in JR Osaka Station.
Osaka accomodation maybe can try Hotel Villa Fontaine chain. Or just go Toyoko Inn chain.

You could go 1-2 temples in Nara during the day, and then late afternn and evening go Gion area in Kyoto. Kyoto is famous for its tofu.

Not going Ghibli museum?
Can go Ueno Ameyoko Flea market area, then from there, go Asakusa.

thanks for your reply.. i didnt know anything abt Ghibli museum till you mentioned it and i had to go google for it.. haa seems like it's on japanese anime.. not really into that but we can still explore that possibility if we are sick of shopping

 

[daffodilz]

my comments in bold

thanks for your reply.. i doubt we can change our hotel accomodation for tokyo becoz we got it at a very discounted price for the room we are getting.. i was reading our hotel booking again and it says cancellation of room is non-refundable..not sure about amendments of the dates.. my flights too.. also discounted price.. guess we just have to jostle with the crowd and enjoy the atmosphere hopefully..

maybe shall not go nagoya then..

 

[dreamer75]

Is it possible to cover Hakone/Fuji Five Lakes in 1 day?
planning to visit Lake Kawaguchiko/Lake Yamanakako/Bat Cave/Ice Cave/Gotemba Outlet

too rush.

i covered Hakone in one day and Fuji 5 lakes in another day.

 

[Dreamrat]

Thank you for the great tips . Reply in blue.

Some comments, based on my experience last year:
Hakone
Hmm, maybe you should place the Hakone area in the later part of your trip. And enjoy the onsen for your tired body, legs.
Too eager to try the onsen. So, I intend to rush down to try it. If it is too unforgettable, I can cater one more day for it in later part of the trip

Kyoto-Nara-Gion
Hm, got Aoi Matsuri festival in Kyoto in May.
Read in Kyoto's website that it is on 15 May. I will try to rework my itinerary to fit that in. Thanks.
For temples in Nara, go to Yakushi-ji and Tōdai-ji.
Too many temple visits in Kyoto. So, I will give these two a miss. (also becos I need to pay 800Yen and 500Yen to go in )
For Gion, go to the Yasaka (Gion) Shrine at night for the lights of the paper laterns. Noted. I also will watch the show in Gion Corner (put aside 3150Yen for it.
For information travel, can go to Kyoto City Tourist Information Office, 2F Kyoto Station Bldg. 8.30am-7pm daily; (Tel: 075 343 6655); Kyoto Prefecture Tourist Office, 9F Kyoto Station Bldg. 2nd floor is more for international tourists if I remember, or issit 9th floor

When you are in Gion or in Kiyomizudera area, try any of the tofu restaurants. Its a must try, just like if you visit Kobe, must try the Kobe beef.
Wow! Ok, noted. Will try
For mountains, can go Arashiyama mountain area also, but its out of the way on the western outskirts of Kyoto.
So beautiful!! Does the JR 7-day pass cover the transport to that place (via JR Sagano Line)?

Asakusa
Sanja Matsuri festival in May.
That is in 20-22 May. My trip ends on 17 May

Tokyo
Not going Tsukiji Market? For street food, can go Ueno Ameyoko Flea Market area.
decided to give it a miss cos Tsukiji Market does not sound attractive after I see the red fonts in http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html I am afraid I am the 141th tourist.
I ended up spending a lot on hot canned drinks/snacks from vending machines/mini-marts cos was in Japan during winter season . But seldom managed to get the discounted rice-balls and box lunches from supermarkets, cos they are snapped up quite quickly.
I will try and snatch some.

 

[kaisoz]

Thank you for the great tips . Reply in blue.

For the tofu in Kyoto, after coming down from Kiyomizudera temple, I tried one tofu restaurant. Can't remember the name and stuff. But its the cheaper kind. Cos seems like the tofu meals can get very expensive type one. But still the tofu is good. If I can trace back, let you know.

Arashiyama mountain area, I was forced to skip cos down with flu for 2 days in Japan. Detailed directions you have to find out. There are a couple of ways. But for sure can use the JR pass somewhere along the way. If you got time, then google directions yourself. If lazy, you reach Kyoto ask hotel staff or Tourist Centre. They definitely will help. Also, you can find out the weather there before deciding whether to head down.

Tsukiji Market, even if you are not going to the fish auction at 4-5am in the morning, if you like sushi, you should head down for early sushi breakfast there. Don't think can get fresher than sushi from the market straight. A lot of tourists, so maybe smarter to wait and see which shop queue is longest with more Japanese. Don't order salmon sushi. The tuna sushi is damn fresh there. Also a good place to see Japanese normal life. Also there is a kopi place in the area which I went. Very nice.

Should go Kobe, and try the Kobe beef or Wagyu beef in Japan, esp. if you are a food person. I regreted not trying when I went Japan.

Just ask hotel staff/tourist centre for local food recommendations. Especially food, have to get local information. Unless you got the time to google a lot. I wouldn't have found out about this ramen dojo place in Shinigawa if I hadn't made a u-turn back to the tourist centre and asked. Turned out one of the guys is a ramen foodie person.

 

[madelkoh]

Anyone had travelled to Tokyo/Osaka alone?
Want to plan a trip to go alone to explore, pm me if you can help me. Looking about 2weeks of solo travel.

TIA!

Hi are you still keen to go Japan? Still looking for travelmate?

Please PM me if you read this msg.

Cheers.

 

[nexa_a2y]

Rough itinerary for My upcoming 6th trip to Japan in November 2011

D1:
Arrival in NRT (TBD)
Shinjuku
Take night Highway bus to Kanazawa

D2:
KAnazawa

D3:
Shirakawago
Takayama

D4:
Shin Hodaka Ropeway & Onsen

D5:
Hida Folk Village
Toyama
night Highwaybus to Shinjuku

d6:
Hakone

D7:
Gotemba Premium outlet
Ikebukuro

D8:
Tokyo (visiting a couple of my favourite haunts and friends)

D9:
Back home

 

[LesPhantom]

Rough plan for my very first trip to Japan! Targeting to go Feb or April 2012. Will be targeting hotels around Ikebukuro area. First time going, so not very adventurous to travel out of Tokyo area, but definitely will on my subsequent trips! Feel free to give me recommendations and advices pertaining to my itinerary!


Day 1
- Earning Morning Flight from Changi Airport to Narita Airport
- ETA Japan 2pm, reach hotel around 4pm
- Shopping & Sightseeing Ikebukuro & Shinjuku

Day 2
- Tokyo Bay Area
- Odaiba
- Ginza

Day 3
- Ueno Park
- Akihabara
- Asakusa

Day 4
- Mount Fuji
- Lake Ashi

Day 5
- Imperial Palace
- Tokyo Tower
- Roppongi

Day 6
- Shibuya
- Harajuku
- Yoyogi

Day 7
- Disneyland

Day 8
- Last minute shopping
- Late afternoon flight back to Singapore

 

[angcsbenny]

Rough plan for my very first trip to Japan! Targeting to go Feb or April 2012. Will be targeting hotels around Ikebukuro area. Feel free to give me recommendations and advices pertaining to my itinerary!


Day 1
- Earning Morning Flight from Changi Airport to Narita Airport
- ETA Japan 2pm, reach hotel around 4pm
- Shopping & Sightseeing Ikebukuro & Shinjuku

Day 2
- Tokyo Bay Area
- Odaiba

Day 3
- Imperial Palace
- Akihabara
- Asakusa

Day 4
- Mount Fuji
- Lake Ashi

Day 5
- Ueno Park
- Tokyo Tower
- Roppongi

Day 6
- Shibuya
- Harajuku
- Yoyogi

Day 7
- Disneyland

Day 8
- Last minute shopping
- Late afternoon flight back to Singapore

u might want to swop ueno park with imperial palace to make it more convenient. not going to ginza ?

 

[LesPhantom]

u might want to swop ueno park with imperial palace to make it more convenient. not going to ginza ?

Hi, thanks for the tips!

I almost forgotten about Ginza! I will probably include it on Day 2? While on the way back from Odaiba.

Thanks!

 

[bibi88]

Hi fellow brothers,

I would like to enquire, if I intend to go to Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima, an 8 Day 7 nights trip is it enough?

I thought of going to Kyoto as a day trip.

For Hiroshima and Miyajima wise, possible to cover places in a day as well?

For this, if I purchase the JR West Rail Pass is much more economical right?

Please advise. Thanks much.

Regards

 

[angcsbenny]

Hi fellow brothers,

I would like to enquire, if I intend to go to Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima, an 8 Day 7 nights trip is it enough?

I thought of going to Kyoto as a day trip.

For Hiroshima and Miyajima wise, possible to cover places in a day as well?

For this, if I purchase the JR West Rail Pass is much more economical right?

Please advise. Thanks much.

Regards

i think 8 days 7 nights should be ok. would advise you to spend 2 days at kyoto at least.. 1 day is not enough unless u only wan to go to 3 or 4 places of interest. jr west pass do not cover hiroshima and miyajima. so the jr west pass can only be use for kyoto and osaka which do not make much economical sense.

 

[bibi88]

i think 8 days 7 nights should be ok. would advise you to spend 2 days at kyoto at least.. 1 day is not enough unless u only wan to go to 3 or 4 places of interest. jr west pass do not cover hiroshima and miyajima. so the jr west pass can only be use for kyoto and osaka which do not make much economical sense.

Thanks for the reply.

Noted your point for visit to Kyoto. I am really not aware that the JR West Rail Pass does not cover Hiroshima and Miyajima. Any idea which JR pass covers that area then?

Regards

 

[evilerniex]

Hi fellow brothers,

I would like to enquire, if I intend to go to Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima, an 8 Day 7 nights trip is it enough?

I thought of going to Kyoto as a day trip.

For Hiroshima and Miyajima wise, possible to cover places in a day as well?

For this, if I purchase the JR West Rail Pass is much more economical right?

Please advise. Thanks much.

Regards

kyoto u will probably need 2 days. one day to visit the attractions in northern, central and eastern kyoto, such as kiyomizudera, kinkakuji and nijo castle. another day to visit the west and south eg arashiyama, fushimi inari

hiroshima and miyajima can be cramped into 1 day... half day for miyajima's otori gate and half day for hiroshima peace park.
but i strongly recommend 1.5-2 days. miyajima itself can take almost a full day if u go up mount misen.
peace park and peace memorial museum is at least half a day. and there is still hiroshima castle, hondori shopping street, okonomiyaki village, river cruise, hijiyama, mazda stadium, shukkeien...

 

[evilerniex]

Thanks for the reply.

Noted your point for visit to Kyoto. I am really not aware that the JR West Rail Pass does not cover Hiroshima and Miyajima. Any idea which JR pass covers that area then?

Regards

7-days all-japan pass covers everything. it cost 28300yen
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en003.html

 

[bibi88]

Hi evil bro,

ok so this will be my draft itinerary for travel on 7 Sep 11 - 16 Sep 11

Day 1
- Flight from Singapore to Kansai Airport
- Arrival estimated to be 840am.
- Take JR from Kansai Airport to Kyoto
- Visit Nijo Castle, Kiyomizudera, Higashiyama and Kinkakuji.

Day 2
- Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Gion

Day 3
- Take JR to JR Hiroshima Sation
- Visit Miyajima then ascend Mount Misen. Then proceed to Hondori Shopping Street and Okonomiyaki Village.

Day 4
- Hiroshima castle, Peace park, Peace memorial museum and Shukkeien Garden.

Day 5
- Take JR to Osaka.
- Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Aquarium, Minami @ Namba and also shop around the Namba area as my hotel is located near that area.

Day 6
- whole day @ Universal Studios

Day 7
- Shop @ Takashimaya, Daimaru, HEP and the Umeda Underground shopping mall. Then after head to Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade and Dotonbori.

Day 8
- Check out of hotel and do some last min shopping around my hotel, which is @ Namba area.

Bro, any comments on the above draft? Is it too packed? Hope you all can give me some feedback or suggestions as to further improve this.

Thanks!

kyoto u will probably need 2 days. one day to visit the attractions in northern, central and eastern kyoto, such as kiyomizudera, kinkakuji and nijo castle. another day to visit the west and south eg arashiyama, fushimi inari

hiroshima and miyajima can be cramped into 1 day... half day for miyajima's otori gate and half day for hiroshima peace park.
but i strongly recommend 1.5-2 days. miyajima itself can take almost a full day if u go up mount misen.
peace park and peace memorial museum is at least half a day. and there is still hiroshima castle, hondori shopping street, okonomiyaki village, river cruise, hijiyama, mazda stadium, shukkeien...

 

[bibi88]

Ok bro, for this 7 days all japan pass, does it also cover the free attractions which the Kansai Thru pass for 2 days provide? As I will be reaching Osaka on the 5th day, which is still covered by the JR pass right?

As such if I visit the attractions in Osaka, I have to pay the admission fee?

Besides, any good recommendation for accomodation in both Kyoto and Hiroshima? I tried searching but could not come across a good one though.

Would appreciate your help and advice, please.

Thanks.

7-days all-japan pass covers everything. it cost 28300yen

 

[evilerniex]

Ok bro, for this 7 days all japan pass, does it also cover the free attractions which the Kansai Thru pass for 2 days provide? As I will be reaching Osaka on the 5th day, which is still covered by the JR pass right?

As such if I visit the attractions in Osaka, I have to pay the admission fee?

Besides, any good recommendation for accomodation in both Kyoto and Hiroshima? I tried searching but could not come across a good one though.

Would appreciate your help and advice, please.

Thanks.

nope.. 7 days pass doesnt cover attractions. it only covers JR trains and bus. there are 2 ferry services for the trip to miyajima. one of them is by JR company, which is covered by JR pass iirc

btw, the trip from osaka to hiroshima is about 10000yen by shinkansen. so the total fare there and back is still lesser than the JR pass which cost 28300yen. u might wanna calculate the cost of the other trips and see if the JR pass is worth it. likely that the only other expensive fare is the one to and from airport.

i stayed in toyoko-inn when i was in hiroshima. didnt stay in kyoto at all coz i took day-trips from osaka