[Original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/vfodq3/itinerary_check_3_weeks_in_january_2023/)
Hi Reddit, a week ago I posted a 3-week January 2023 itinerary here for some advice (linked above). Everyone who commented was incredibly helpful, and we (my friends and I) have since updated the itinerary, and would like some advice on it 🙂 Thank you so much.
Passes: We are looking to get the 7-day JR Pass, Icoca + Haruka discount ticket, Koyasan World Heritage Ticket, and the 1-day Jigokudani snow monkey pass. We are still confused as to which pass, if any, to purchase for the Kawaguchiko + Hakone part of the trip.
**Day 1 – Tue 3rd Jan \[Sydney –> Osaka\]:**
* Flight from Sydney to Kansai Airport
* Travel to Osaka \[with Icoca + Haruka discount ticket\]
* *Overnight stay in Osaka*
**Day 2 – Wed 4th Jan \[Osaka\]:**
* Osaka Castle
* Dotonburi
* Kaiyukan Aquarium
* Joshin Super Kids Land
* StreetKart Osaka (go-karting) (night activity?) –> if go-karting still a thing.
* *Overnight stay in Osaka*
**Day 3 – Thu 5th Jan \[Osaka\]:**
* Universal Studios
* *Overnight stay in Osaka*
**Day 4 – Fri 6th Jan \[Hiroshima + Miyajima day trip from Osaka\]:**
* **Activate 7-day JR Pass – JR Pass Day 1**
* Miyajima
* Hiroshima–> Peace Memorial Park, Museum
* *Overnight stay in Osaka*
**Day 5 – Sat 7th Jan \[Nara day trip from Osaka\]:**
* **JR Pass Day 2**
* Nara Deer Park
* *Overnight stay Osaka*
**Day 6 – Sun 8th Jan \[Osaka –> Koyasan\]:**
* **JR Pass Day 3 // Koyasan World Heritage Ticket Day 1**
* Koyasan –> Daimon Gate, Kongobuji Temple, etc.
* Walks (e.g. Women’s Pilgrimage walk)
* *Overnight stay in Koya Temple*
**Day 7 – Mon 9th Jan \[Koyasan –> Osaka –> Kyoto\]:**
* **JR Pass Day 4 // Koyasan World Heritage Ticket Day 2**
* Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
* Arashiyama (e.g. Bamboo forest) –> Romantic Train back to Kyoto
* *Overnight stay in Kyoto*
**Day 8 – Tue 10th Jan \[Kyoto\]:**
* **JR Pass Day 5**
* Fushimi Inari Taisha
* Kiyomizudera Temple
* *Overnight stay in Kyoto*
**Day 9 – Wed 11th Jan \[Kyoto –> Tokyo\]:**
* **JR Pass Day 6**
* Gotokuji Temple (cat temple)
* TeamLab Planets
* Mameshiba Cafe
* *Overnight stay in Tokyo*
**Day 10 – Thu 12th Jan \[Nagano day trip from Tokyo\]:**
* **JR Pass Day 7 // 1-day snow monkey pass**
* Jigokudani Monkey Park
* *Overnight stay in Tokyo*
**Day 11 – Fri 13th Jan \[Tokyo\]:**
* DisneySea Tokyo
* *Overnight stay in Tokyo*
**Day 12 – Sat 14th Jan \[Tokyo\]:**
* Visiting bf’s hometown/neighbourhood
* Pokemon Centre + Cafe
* *Overnight stay in Tokyo*
**Day 13 – Sun 15th Jan \[Tokyo\]:**
* Asakusa
* Tokyo SkyTree
* *Overnight stay in Tokyo*
**Day 14 – Mon 16th Jan \[Tokyo\]:**
* Disneyland Tokyo
* *Overnight stay in Tokyo*
**Day 15 – Tue 17th Jan \[Tokyo –> Kawaguchiko\]:**
* ***Not sure which pass to get?***
* Kawaguchiko
* *Overnight stay in Kawaguchiko*
**Day 16 – Wed 18th Jan \[Kawaguchiko\]:**
* Lake Kawaguchiko
* Chureito Pagoda
* Mt Fuji Ropeway
* *Overnight stay in Kawaguchiko*
**Day 17 – Thu 19th Jan \[Kawaguchiko –> Hakone\]:**
* Hakone
* Owakudani –> volcanic black eggs
* *Overnight stay in Hakone*
**Day 18 – Fri 20th Jan \[Hakone –> Tokyo –> Niseko\]:**
* Return to Tokyo from Hakone
* Flight from Tokyo to New Chitose Airport
* Travel to Niseko
* *Overnight stay in Niseko*
**Day 19 – Sat 21st Jan \[Niseko\]:**
* Niseko Ski Resort
* *Overnight stay in Niseko*
**Day 20 – Sun 22nd Jan \[Niseko\]:**
* Niseko Ski Resort
* *Overnight stay in Niseko*
**Day 21 – Mon 23rd Jan \[Niseko –> Osaka\]:**
* Return to New Chitose Airport from Niseko
* Flight from New Chitose Airport to Kansai Aiport
* Travel to Osaka \[with Haruka + Icoca discount ticket?\]
* *Overnight stay in Osaka*
**Day 22 – Tue 24th Jan \[Osaka –> Sydney\]:**
* Travel to Kansai Airport \[with Haruka + Icoca discount ticket?\]
* Flight from Osaka to Sydney
**Notes**:
* We moved most of the expensive JR travel to fit all within 7 days, so that we could make use of the 7-day JR Pass.
* We decided that skiing would be a good way to end our trip, so moved Niseko towards the end.
* We are still confused about all the different passes (e.g. the Hakone Free Pass or Fuji Hakone Pass, or Kansai Thru Pass or Koyasan World Heritage ticket).
* Assuming we can only use the Icoca card in the Osaka/JR West region – does this mean we’d need to purchase a Pasmo or Suica card for when travelling within Tokyo?
5 comments
>Day 14 – Mon 16th Jan [Tokyo]:
>Disneyland Tokyo
Overnight stay in Niseko
Looks like you made a typo here with your overnight stay.
If the passes are confusing, you’re not alone. Generally it is difficult to get your moneys worth from the passes. You could put aside the money you’re going to spend on the pass and then use it for those days of travel, see if you run out.
You are going to Disneyland and DisneySea on seperate non consecutive days.?? Have you booked hotels yet?
When I took the family a few years ago we stayed at the Celebrations hotel, they have a free bus that takes you to the park and back. And they are official Disney hotels so you can buy tickets at the front desk.
Icoca cards, like Pasmo cards and Suica cards, can be used almost anywhere in Japan.
Therefore, it is not necessary to purchase Pasmo or Suica.
I think that there is some small mistakes.
Day 5, day trip to Nara from Osaka, overnight stay should be in Osaka instead of Koyasan and day 14, after Disneyland it will be a overnight in Tokyo not Niseko. Otherwise that make sense.
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Icoca, Suica and Pasmo are 3 of the 10 big IC cards in Japan and they can all be used in the same networks, so no problem to use your Icoca in Tokyo or even in Hokkaido. If you look at the [Icoca + Haruka](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/) Page, you will see that they have the option to get as card with a special hello kitty or wind and thunder gods, but you also have the option to get the [Kansai One Pass](https://kansaionepass.com/), it’s a Icoca card with a special Astro Boy design and the card can offer discounts in different sightseeing spots.
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Really nice reorganization of the order, to only use 7 days instead of 21 days of pass. For the other, I’ll tell you what I would do, but leave all links so you can see for yourself.
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[Hakone Free](https://www.odakyu.jp/english/passes/hakone/) Pass vs [Fuji Hakone Pass](https://www.odakyu.jp/english/passes/fujihakone/).
Because you have a total of 4 days, for sure day 1 is not covered by Fuji Hakone Pass. To reach Kawaguchiko the cheapest would be to take the bus anyway. So for day 1 you will have to walk, or rent a bike or pay extra for local bus. The pass cost is 9340.
Hakone Free Pass will only cover from Gotenba, will be good for all Hakone. If you want to use the [local bus around Kawaguchiko](http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/heritage-tour/detail/id/1/#anc_red-omni), it will cost 1500 for a 2 days ticket, this is optional, you can decide to walk or rent a bike to move around. Moving from [Kawaguchiko to Gotemba](http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/route/detail/id/1/) will cost 1540 yen. Because you do only one way from Hakone to Shinjuku, you will want the “From Odawara 2 days pass” for 5000 yen. The return to Tokyo will cost 900 yen (and the pass that cover it is 1100 more expensive). If you want to use the faster train called the Romancecar, it is 1810 yen instead of 900 yen (and you have to pay an extra if you were to use the “from Shinjuku pass” anyway). Note that if you do not take the romancecar, you will have to do a train change because there is no local train that do the whole distance from Hakone to Shinjuku.
Total cost : 1500 + 1540 + 5000 + 900 = 8940. So it seems that you want to get the Hakone Free Pass as it just a bit cheaper even with the bus pass for 2 days in Kawaguchiko (and you do not have to get the bus pas if you do not want). You can also change the bus for just a ride on the train from Kawaguchiko station to Shimoyoshida (closer to Chureito Pagoda) for 310 yen each way. Even if you do it, you are still close to the price of the Fuji Hakone Pass and still one more day of local bus.
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[Kansai Thru Pass](https://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_thru_english.html) vs [Koyasan World Heritage ticket](https://www.nankaikoya.jp/en/stations/ticket.html)
Koyasan ticket will cover the train between Namba station and Koyasan, include local bus and 20% discount in different admission fee and 10% is some souvenir shops. Cost 3400 yen.
Kansi Thru Pass will not offer any discount inside of Mount Koya and is more expensive at 4380 for 2 days. Even if you decide to not use JR to move from Osaka to Kyoto, it will cost max 630 yen to use Hankyu or Keihan to reach Gion/Kawaramachi area or Arashiyama (this is just an example), so still cheaper to use Koyasan ticket and anything outside of JR Pass pay with Icoca.
If you want to maximize the use of the JR Pass from Koyasan to Kyoto, you want to stop at Shin-Imamiya station instead of Namba (from Namba you would have to use the subway to Osaka station). From Shin-Imamiya you can take a JR train to Kyoto, then a JR train to Arashiyama.
>StreetKart Osaka
Please don’t.
I’ve planned a 3 week itinerary in Jan 2023 too! No Sapporo for you? I added like 2-3 days there.