Hello, It’s my first time planning to Japan. My preference will be more to nature sightseeing. Will only use public transport for the entire trip, most of the hotel stay is nearby train station.
22 Apr | Arrive Haneda – Tokyo Tower & nearby
23 Apr | Mt Fuji – Bus to Mt Fuji via Tokyo Station or Shinjuku
\- Explore with Sightseeing Bus yen1500 unlimited 2 days
\- Chureito Pagoda
\- Stay at Lake Kawaguchiko area
24 Apr | Mt Fuji
\- Fuji-Subaru Line 5th Station yen2300 round trip (worth to go?)
\- Explore with Sightseeing Bus
\- Fuji Shibazakura Festival (optional)
\- Back to Tokyo late noon.
25 Apr | Disneysea – avoiding weekend & golden week crowd
26 Apr | Nikko – via Nikko-Kinugawa Tobu Railway (Limited Express Tobu-Nikko), Stay at Nikko
27 Apr | Nikko to Aomori – Start 5 days JR East Pass (Tohoku Area). Main reason to travel so far is to catch Cherry Blossom? Tracking progress at [https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura\_al.html?yosou=1](https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura_al.html?yosou=1)
Stay at Aomori town
28 Apr | Lake Towada
\- Morning walk around Aomori town
\- Bus from Aomori or Hachinohe Station to Lake Towada
\- Lake Towada Boat tour
\- Stay at Lake Towada
29 Apr | Lake Towada
\- Oirase Gorge
\- Hokkoda Ropeway
\- Jogakura Ohashi Bridge
\- Stay at Lake Towada
30 Apr | Ichinoseki Iwate
\- POKÉMON with YOU Train (If schedule allow)
\- Geibi Gorge (Geibikei) boat tour
\- Stay at Ichinoseki
1 May | Ichinoseki Iwate
\- Genbikei Gorge with Flying Dango
\- Chūson-ji (if time allow)
\- Any nearby sightseeing recommendation?
\- Back to Tokyo late noon. JR East pass end
2 May | Tokyo – SensoJi, Ginza, Kameido Tenjin Wisteria Festival
3 May | Tokyo – Meiji Jingu, Shibuya, Shinjuku
4 May | Tokyo – no plan yet
5 May | Tokyo – Kamakura
6 May | Tokyo – Depart night flight.
Questions:
1. Knowing that Golden week start from 29th Apr till 7th May, I tried my best to schedule my route to leave Tokyo on 27th & come back on 1st May. How’s my itinerary? Anything you feel not right/feasible to do?
2. Main reason I head to Aomori is to catch Cherry Blossom. Technically I can still watch cherry bloosom +- 7 days after full bloom right?
3. To utilize the 5 days JR east pass, does my Tohoku area itinerary workable? Any sightseeing suggestion for this area?
4. I believe that I can buy JR East pass in their website and make online reservation 1 month ahead of actual travel date right? Will the system detect that I’m using JR pass hence it show all seats reserved during golden week because JR want to keep the seats for the local? I’d like to book ticket early possible due to Golden week.
5. Saw this note – “You cannot use express trains that both depart from and terminate at stations on Tobu Railway lines.You can only use the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) on Tobu Railway lines if the train either departs from or terminates at a JR station.” It shouldn’t affect me right as I’m travel from Tobu-Nikko to Aomori.
Thank you
