Planning out this trip in Dec/Jan, looking to get feedback on the shinkansen travel as well as reality of doing the Jan 1-4 itinerary.
I haven’t been to Sapporo and my GF is interested in snowy nature/city vistas and onsen so that is the focus of the trip. It’s her first time in Japan however, so we’re also trying to pack in the main sights in Tokyo and Kyoto.
We’re Considering getting a green rail pass to help with holiday booking.
|Dec 27|Tokyo 3:40pm land|Get Rail pass to be activated the 28th-10th, check into hotel (near akihabara), see akihabara, get dinner, Night time senso-ji|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Dec 28|Tokyo>Hakodate>Sapporo Shinkansen|Leave early, stop in Hakodate for a couple hours to get lunch and see sights. Go to Sapporo, check in at Onsen ryokan, dinner/chill at onsen.|
|Dec 29|Sapporo|Free Day, see parks and city|
|Dec 30|Sapporo|Day trip to Otaru or jozankei|
|Dec 31|Sapporo>Tokyo Shinkansen|Leave early. Planning to try and get a upscale reservation in Tokyo for dinner. Then fireworks|
|Jan 1|Tokyo|Meiji Jingu in the morning, Free day after around shinjuku, harajuku, roppongi|
|Jan 2|Tokyo>Kyoto Shinkansen (Undecided morning or night train)|See any final things in tokyo GF is interested in, or get a head start on kyoto itinerary|
|Jan 3|Kyoto|Bamboo forest, Gion, fusihimi inari|
|Jan 4|Kyoto>KIX>Fly to Korea|Get breakfast somewhere scenic and check out, train, try to get a lunch in Osaka, 1pm flight|
|Jan 5|Korea|N/a|
|Jan 6|Korea|N/a|
|Jan 7|Korea>KIX>Osaka|Flying back solo. Ramen time! Check into Osaka hotel, Dinner, walk around|
|Jan 8|Osaka|Food tour/seeing Osaka attractions|
|Jan 9|Osaka>Tokyo shinkansen|Potential sake brewery tour|
|Jan 10|Tokyo|Free day|
|Jan 11|Tokyo 5pm Depart|Checkout, free until going airport|
Additional Questions
1. Necessity of bulk coat/snow boots (no skiing, plan to visit parks in Sapporo)
2. General concerns about luggage on the shinkansen
3. We are excited about the hotel onsen, but was hoping for a mixed or private bath. Are there private onsen rooms for rent in jozenkei?
4. A non crowded but decent place to view fireworks on NYE?
5. Best areas of Tokyo to visit on New years to be least affected by closures?
6. Is the schedule on Jan 3 too tight? Since it’s Gf’s first time I feel like she should see the major sights in Kyoto but don’t want to stay there too long.
7. Will I be able to store my checked luggage at KIX for the Korea trip?
8. Interested in seeing a sake brewery between Osaka and Tokyo when I’m solo, is there a good resource with a list of them?
9. Jan 8-11 will be very food oriented/more chill, are there any quick stops with rail pass between Osaka and Tokyo worth hitting?
10. Looking for recommendations on areas to stay in Kyoto and Osaka.
2 comments
Fly to and from Sapporo instead of wasting two full days in the train. Sapporo you are likely going to get snow and sub zero temperatures, so you should have warm enough clothes.
The only reason to do the rail between Tokyo and Sapporo is if you have time to stop in both Sendai and Hakodate (or perhaps 2+ other cities), otherwise flying is the recommended way to go.
-1. Yaktrax will get your through the snow in most types of shoes.
-2. Don’t take luggage on the shinkansen, fly or forward your luggage using Yamato.
-3. Typically you can find private baths in most onsen towns, at least one hotel should have some to rent, if Jozenkei doesn’t, Noboribetsu does. The other way to go is find a hotel that has in-room onsen.
-6. Not too tight, but I’d worry about Gion being a bit dead that close to New Years.
-7. I’d forward my luggage from my hotel in Kyoto to my hotel in Osaka. Typically when forwarding luggage you can delay delivery up to 7 days.
-10. Osaka has Umeda and Dotonbori as the two areas most tourists would want to stay. Since you are wanting food mostly I’d go with Dotonbori.