Hi Everyone! I believe everyone is excited to visit Japan after all the restriction lifted in 11 Oct. Currently I am planning to visit Japan with this itinerary, please help me with critique or recommendation regarding my plan.
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Day 1 \[Kansai Airport – Osaka\]: Assuming I will arrive in late afternoon, not much to do . Maybe have some sightseeing in Osaka (maybe **Dotonbori**), but will mostly rest. Stay in Osaka
Day 2 \[Osaka\] : Begin the day with seeing **Osaka Castle**, Followed with brief visit to **Osaka Museum of History**. In the afternoon, visit **Nama Yasaka Jinja**. If there’s still time, visit **Umeda Sky Building**. Stay in Osaka
Day 3 \[Osaka – Nara\] : Spending the whole day in Nara. Which consist of **Nara Park**, **Fujiwara Shrine**, and **Toda-ji Temple**. If there’s still time, sightseeing in **Tsutenkaku** at night. Stay in Osaka
Day 4 \[Osaka – Kyoto\] : Taking the train to Kyoto, and visit **Arashimaya Bamboo Forest** and **Togetsu-Kyo Bridge**. Spending the afternoon near **Kyoto Tower** and **Gion/ Nishiki Market**. Stay in Kyoto
Day 5 \[Kyoto\] : Spending the day mostly in Higashiyama District. Visiting **Kiyomizu-dera** and **Fushimi Inari Taisha** and if possible try the **Sagano Scenic Railway** . Spend the night just wandering near hostel. Stay in Kyoto
Day 6 \[Kyoto-Tokyo\] : Taking the train to Tokyo. Since already near, visit **Imperial Palace** and **Shibuya Crossing**, also **Hachiko Statue**. In the afternoon, visit **Meiji Jingu**. At night, sightseeing in **Harajuku**. Stay in Tokyo
Day 7 \[ Tokyo\] : Taking the train to **Nikko**, and will just explore the area (**Toshogu Shrine**, **Kirifuri Falls**, **Shinkyo Bridge)**. In the afternoon, go back to Tokyo and if possible visit **Akihabara.** Stay in Tokyo
Day 8 \[ Tokyo\] : Taking the train to **Hakone**, and see **Lake Ashinoko** and **Hakone Shrine**. If possible, spend the afternoon in **Kamakura** , see the Buddha statue in **Kōtoku-in** or **Kamakura Seaside Park .** Go back to Tokyo and spend the rest of the night hunting food. Stay in Tokyo.
Day 9 \[Tokyo – Kanazawa\] : In the morning, take the train to **Kanazawa**, then proceed with bus to **Shirakawa-Go**. In the afternoon take the bus back to Kanazawa, and spend the afternoon visiting **Kenrokuen Garden** or **Higashichaya Old Town**. Stay in Kanazawa.
Day 10 \[Kanazawa – Tokyo\] : Take the train back to Tokyo. Honestly still undecided, but will probably just wander around in Tokyo, buying gift or souvenirs for friends. Also, spending the afternoon- night in **Akihabara**. Stay in Tokyo
Day 11 \[Tokyo-Home\] : Prepare to go home , assuming will take the plane early, so not much to do. Fly back to my home country.
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Questions :
1. I plan to go in late January or early March. Is it wise ? Considering I’ve never visited countries in winter season before
2. I’ve calculated the price for trains, and think that 14 days JR Pass will be suitable for me. Should I expect extra cost on transport (except the bus from & to shirakawa-go) ?
3. Should I book Airbnb / Hostel in advance ? Or is accommodation plenty enough to just show up on the night ?
4. I really wish (if possible) to try Ryokan and Onsen. I will have to cut my itinerary for this. Is there any recommendation that is not to expensive ?
5. Is USJ or Disneyland worth it ? Not really a fan of paying a lot of money just for queueing
6. Are there any tips for first timer ? (what should i prepare, what should i avoid, ect)
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Sorry if this is too long , thank you very much and feel free to add anything on this itinerary!
1 comment
Day 4/5 – Sagano scenic railway is in Arashiyama, so if you are to do it, do it on day 4. On the opposite, Nishiki Market and Gion are on the Higashiyama side, so make more sense do to these on day 5. You can just avoid Kyoto Tower area until you go to Kyoto station to get on the train to leave… not sure I would even check the tower, view on Tokyo or Osaka is likely more interesting.
If you fly out of Tokyo, your order make no sense, you can stop by Kanazawa between Kyoto and Tokyo. To go you would take the Thunderbird limited express to Kanazawa and the shinkansen to Tokyo. This would save you time and money on the train.
Day 8, Hakone is a full day, so no it is not realistic to do Kamakura in the afternoon. Kamakura in itself is also a full day.
Questions :
1. It’s neither wise or unwise. For sure you need to bring weather appropriate clothes as you will likely spend a lot of time outside. You can expect to see snow in Nikko. But it is still a valid option, it always depend on what you are expecting.
2. Yes, you should expect to have to pay more for Hakone as well as some local transit in about every city. But first of all I am pretty sure that the 14 days pass seems to be worth it because the order make no sense. I would bet you would not need the pass at all if you change the order. And JR Pass would not cover Hakone, you might want to look into the Hakone Free pass and for Nikko, if not using JR Pass, you can get the Tobu Nikko world heritage ticket.
3. I would always book in advance especially if you want to have more choice. If you do not mind the option of only having more expensive room available, go ahead. I just do not see the advantage of last minute booking.
4. Should be possible, you can easily do it in Hakone. You could return to Tokyo in the morning so it would not take a full extra day. And what is “not too expensive” for you ? If you want to do ryokan with kaiseki meal, then expect to pay at least 12 000 yen. If you do not need the meal to be included, you can even check hostel that have a onsen bath or even just go to the onsen during the day and back to Tokyo at the end.
5. Not unless you are into amusement park. I’ve been to Tokyo and Osaka several times and never went to either.
6. IC card (I recommend Kansai One Pass that is also an Icoca card) and SIM card (or pocket wifi to always have internet access), otherwise, just read a bit about traveling to Japan and you should find a ton of tips.