Hi everyone,
Going to be traveling to Japan in a couple of weeks from May 20th until June 5th. This is my second trip to Japan. My wife and I went last year for 10 days splitting our time between Kyoto and Tokyo with a day in Nara. I’m set on the first 10 days splitting the time between Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
My only conncern is the amount of travel the last 6 days. I’m not sure when I’ll be back so trying to cram a lot in, but now that it’s closer I’m second guessing it. When we went last time, I was getting up consistently at 5 to get to shrines and temples early so not worried about that, but looking to get some feedback. My thoughts are either cut out Tokyo Disney or Hakone.
Basically from 5/30 until 6/5, I’ll be leaving Kyoto and traveling to Takayama -> Kanazawa -> Hahone -> Tokyo Disney -> airport
Takayama 5/30 -5/31
Kanazawa 5/31 – 6/2
Hakone6/2-63
Tokyo Disney 6/3 – 6/5
Fly home 6/5
by zmacdonald12
15 comments
Following, i’m in the same situation but we’re going 6 days in Tokyo 🙂
Temples aside, the outdoor art museum is pretty incredible.
If you want a ryokan and onsen experience with kaiseki dinner – Hakone is a good call
Otherwise not much out there, I would add the days to Kyoto and Tokyo depending on your interests/activities
For my 2nd trip in May last year we went straight to a 3night stay in a Hakone ryokan to de-jett lag and I think it was a great move.
Was in Hakone a few weeks back it rained so was hard to take in the scenery but I completed the triangle and enjoyed a different pace of Japan. The pirate ship boat ride across lake ashi was my highlight and the token shrine photo
I’m wrapping up a 2 week trip. Hakone is awesome and unique.
Hot Springs galore! I get the impression it’s a spa getaway for Tokyo people.
If you can swing the funds, stay at a place with it’s own bath house. Ours had one open 24 hrs a day. Everyone cruises around the hotel in robes all the time, even at dinner and breakfast. Very serene setting. I think a lot of hotels are like that there. (Hakone Kowakien Ten-Yu).
Are ya sure you wanna do Disney? I hear the lines are atrocious.
Anyone has a tip for a Hotel there?
I would like dinner and breakfast
And of course an Onsen
I have checked booking, but when i read the reviews i have the impression most of the hotels are too overpriced for what they offer?
Tks in advance
The open air museum in hakone is my favorite art museum and absolutely worth the trip for me. We stayed at ten-yu (mentioned above) last year. They have 2 baths in the hotel and we also had a private bath on our balcony. They have a great breakfast buffet and a tepinyaki restaurant on site you can have dinner at that was excellent. There’s also a bar/lounge area that had live music when we were there.
I liked it enough but you can easily skip it.
Hakone was my favorite part of the trip! I would 100% say it’s worth it and am longing to go back already. We stayed 2 days/1 night and didn’t even explore, just relaxed at our ryokan
Owakudani volcanic crater is pretty awesome.
You should do your Hakone stop as you go from Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka. Putting it between Kanazawa and Tokyo means an unnecessary detour to Nagoya or Kyoto using a slower limited express train. There’s a much faster direct Shinkansen (Hokuriku) from Kanazawa to Tokyo but it doesn’t go past Hakone.
Definitely worth it, even if you only go for a day trip. 5K yen for the Free Pass from Odawara was good value for us, as we used it to get to Hakone-Yumoto, the tram to Gora, the ropeway, the boat, then we did the reverse since we had time. So 8 methods of transport total.
Thanks for the feedback everyone! I’m going to cancel Disney at the end of the trip and spend 3 nights/ 2 full days in Hakone to make the travel worth it. If I run out of stuff to do I may just head back to Tokyo early
100% worth it. So relaxing. But I love soaking. The loop was merely ok but a good time waster.
Yes! I just went there. I highly recommend dinner at Itoh Dining by Nobu. Also, it’s already been mentioned, but the open air museum is amazing. And yunessun is pretty fun, sort of like an onsen crossed with an amusement park. We did all of this in one day.