Hey all, I will be traveling with my partner to Japan from NYC in January. We made an itinerary and I was wondering if you all can help me answer some questions? Any critiques/ sugguestions would be appreciated
Here is the itinerary below:
**Day 1 (1/5/23) – NYC → Tokyo**
* Land in Haneda airport (HND) at 5PM
* Check into hotel in Sumida
* explore surrounding area and have a chill night
**Day 2 (1/6/23) – Tokyo**
* Hatsumode at a shrine (Meiji Jingu or/and Sensoji)
**Day 3 (1/7/23) – Tokyo**
* Toyosu fish market in the morning
* Teamlab planets after lunch
* Go to a fun bar after dinner
**Day 4 (1/8/23) – Tokyo**
* Ahihabara
* Maid cafe (lol)
* More exploring the city
**Day 5 (1/9/23) – Tokyo → Kyoto**
* Explore the city a little more, eat lunch, then take the train to Kyoto
* Check into Kyoto late afternoon
**Day 6 (1/10/23) – Kyoto**
* Go to a temple/shrine
* Visit Nishiki Market
* Fushimi inari
**Day 7 (1/11/23) – Kyoto → Nara → Osaka**
* Check out of hotel in the morning and head to Nara
* Spend half a day in Nara
* Take the train to Osaka
**Day 8 (1/12/23) – Osaka**
* Explore the city, eat good food, go to a good bar
* **Question 1: would it be worth it to go to Kobe and eat Kobe beef there?**
* **Question 2: would it be worth it to get a JR pass if I will only need it to travel between Tokyo –> Kyoto –> Nara –> Osaka (maybe Kobe)**
**Day 9 (1/13/23) – Osaka → Sapporo (chitose airport) → Niseko**
* Land in Chitose and take bus to Niseko
* Check into hotel in Hirafu and skii until dinner
**Day 11 (1/14/23) Niseko**
* Skii until dinner then go to a restaurant/bar
* Go to an onsen after
**Day 12 (1/15/23) Niseko → Sapporo**
* Check out of hotel and take the bus to Sapporo
* Check into airbnb in Sapporo then explore
* **Question: Should we try to visit Otaru on the way to Sapporo?**
**Day 13 (1/16/23) Sapporo → Tokyo**
* Check out and fly back to Tokyo
* Explore Tokyo even more
**Day 14 (1/16/23) Tokyo → NYC**
* Fly back at 5PM
In addition, I have a few general questions:
1. I would love to go to onsens, what are some of the most amazing onsens you recommend in the cities I am going to?
2. What are some must-see/ must-do’s that are not in my itinerary?
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Thank you so much!
3 comments
> Question 1: would it be worth it to go to Kobe and eat Kobe beef there?
If your sole purpose for going to Kobe is to try Kobe beef, probably not. You can find Kobe beef in Osaka so its not really needed. I suppose there is some novelty in eating in Kobe.
> Question 2: would it be worth it to get a JR pass if I will only need it to travel between Tokyo –> Kyoto –> Nara –> Osaka (maybe Kobe)
Since its one way probably not.
> Question: Should we try to visit Otaru on the way to Sapporo?
Its a cool place to visit, but usually its half a day. If you stick to just the historical canal area you can probably get it done in a couple hours. However, if you want to also checkout the shopping street and glass shops then you might not have enough time. Given that you’re only in Sapporo for a day or so I’d probably try to focus most of my time there.
> I would love to go to onsens, what are some of the most amazing onsens you recommend in the cities I am going to?
Most good onsens aren’t located in large cities. You’ll probably need to travel at least 2hr+ by train to start finding good onsen towns. That being said you are going to Niseko and my favorite Onsen/Ryokan in the area is called Zaborin. Unfortunately, it is pretty much booked up for all of Jan, and it is also quite spendy.
> 1. Onsens..
That said, I have had success with booking .com and picked Inns and small hotels who do have private Onsens/Baths (..the English translation you may see could be ‘Sento’..) Onsen is a quality; some baths do not have the mineral or water content and are categorized as a Sento ..they are equally as nice and are very similar. You often see these in big centres where there is no chance of a volcanic seam of water.
How are you planning on getting around greater Tokyo for the days you are there? Are you aware that Tokyo Metro has a discounted Tourist ticket that you can purchase upon arrival
edit… is it worth buying a JR pass
there are several good and not so good calculators on the internet. The feeling on this sub is unless you hyper mile and really research where you want to go, 7 day and other passes may have you break even with their use. The train system is very overwhelming in Japan and takes some time to get used to the variety of frequency and service. It may be best to plan your tour and pay for fares as you travel. Almost all medium and large JR stations (and their competitors) have touch sensitive/English screens for purchasing tickets. [Jorudan](https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/) is a fairly helpful trip planner you may find handy
And a further edit: are you lugging around ski/snowboard gear..or renting?
> Day 9 ..skiing
*very* ambitious to consider flying to Chitose..bus to Niseko..checking into your hotel..gearing up and getting a lap in. You’ll be bagged by the time you find your hotel in gran Hirafu
It may be easier to make suggestions if you know the nearest train station rather than the district where you will be staying. Because you will be traveling by train, sights along the line that you can stop at on your way to and from the train will be suggested. Travel time including transfers, is also a key factor when making proposals.