Japan - 9-day June Itinerary (need help in Japan Alps)

Yeah yeah another itinerary help thread.

We are a mid-20's couple in the mid-budget range experiencing our first sample of Japan next month and have the following decided so far.

-3 days in Tokyo (including Hakone)
-3 days in Kyoto
-1 day in Nagoya
-2 days in ??

Then I cant for the life of me decide to do with the last 2 days before heading back to Tokyo to fly out. Takayama? Kanazawa? Nara? Hiroshima? One of the other many little towns in the Japan Alps? According to everything I read...they are all both "must do's" and "tourist traps" at the same time.

I am soliciting opinions from the FT family to help me out here. I am thinking a nice splurge on a romantic ryokan in the Alps far away from a large city would probably be a nice break instead of heading to another city like Hiroshima or Osaka. However, I dont have a clue where to go and would love recommendations.

Other hotel recommendations in Kyoto and near HND would also be appreciated.

One night staying at one of the temples at Mount Koya might be nice....

In your place, I would skip Nagoya and use that time to visit any of the other places you listed. Nara can be a pleasant day trip from Kyoto - and quite a green and tranquil contrast from the urban jungle that you'll see in Kyoto and Tokyo.

It seems you're interested in a rural contrast to the cities that you're visiting. For that, I'd suggest heading up to Takayama and taking a bus from there to Shirakawa-go. Spend a night in an old thatched house. Take a dip in an onsen.

Are you planning to use a JR pass to get around?

In your place, I would skip Nagoya and use that time to visit any of the other places you listed. Nara can be a pleasant day trip from Kyoto - and quite a green and tranquil contrast from the urban jungle that you'll see in Kyoto and Tokyo.

It seems you're interested in a rural contrast to the cities that you're visiting. For that, I'd suggest heading up to Takayama and taking a bus from there to Shirakawa-go. Spend a night in an old thatched house. Take a dip in an onsen.

Are you planning to use a JR pass to get around?

Oh yes we plan on abusing the JR pass. We are indeed looking for some rural contrast. I just want recommendations on where to go. It is hard to decide to "do something else" once we bus out to whatever rural area we decide on.

The stop in Nagoya is primarily due to convienience (and to burn a free Marriott night right on the Shinkansen)...a good jumping point for the Alps.

What time of the year is this?

If it's before school lets out for the summer, then I personally would skip Nagoya and make it three days in Okinawa.

What time of the year is this?

If it's before school lets out for the summer, then I personally would skip Nagoya and make it three days in Okinawa.

Mid-June. Just trying to make the best out of my limited vacation time

Really, there's not enough of interest in Nagoya to justify spending a day there, even with free hotel points.

If you include Hakone in your count of days in Tokyo, this realistically means that you have only 1.5 days in Tokyo, since you will be jet-lagged upon arrival, unless you are coming from Australia or New Zealand.

I'd substitute Hakone for Nagoya, preferably on the way to Kyoto.

Otherwise, if you are interested in Japanese history and culture, take a day trip to Nara from Kyoto. It's a very short train ride, so you don't have to stay over night.

Koya is a good escape from the summer heat, although the route requires a couple of train changes if you go by JR. Staying in a temple is like staying in a mid-level ryokan, only all the food is vegan, and the scenery en route is lovely.

If you want to get out of the city environment and decided not to go to Koya, use Nagoya as a transfer point for going to Takayama. Yes, it has its tourist trap aspects, but it's a genuine center of arts and crafts from way back. You can easily reach it from Kyoto in less than a day. I once did it as a last-minute day trip with a group of students when train schedule changes made our original destination impractical.

If you're adventurous, take the bus to Matsumoto (not included in your JR Pass and there's a transfer in the middle) over the Japan Alps and catch the train back to Tokyo-Shinjuku from there.

Otherwise, you can continue on the train to Toyama (not much there) and transfer to the train for Kanazawa.

Japan is a fairly small country, so Kyoto-Takayama-Kanazawa-Tokyo would be a reasonable if somewhat rushed itinerary.

Mid-June. Just trying to make the best out of my limited vacation time

If you are set on going to Nagoya, then I'd recommend checking out Meiji Mura.

http://www.meijimura.com/english/index.html

About a 30 minute train ride from Nagoya, but I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for the help everyone. We decided to do one night in Takayama, ride the bus through the Alps, and spend one night in Matsumoto.

Thanks for the help everyone. We decided to do one night in Takayama, ride the bus through the Alps, and spend one night in Matsumoto.

Depending on how you feel about driving on an unfamiliar road system, consider the possibility of a one-way car rental (Takayama to Matsumoto). At times, the 24 hour rental charge can be in the same ballpark as two long-distance bus fares, but gives you the option to detour through some beautiful spots and stop when you feel like it. If you feel confident enough to do this, I'd suggest staying overnight at an onsen inn in the mountains and driving into Matsumoto next morning. Once in Matsumoto, drop the car, see the castle and get the train to Tokyo. (There are other things that you could see in Matsumoto - a museum of Ukiyoe art, an old school, a place that housed women who made silk - but the castle is the five star attraction).

It looks as if the OP is based in the U.S. and therefore possibly unfamiliar with driving on the left.

Unless the OP has driven a car with right-side steering before, I would not recommend starting out with the narrow, twisting roads of the Japan Alps.

Unless the OP has driven a car with right-side steering before, I would not recommend starting out with the narrow, twisting roads of the Japan Alps.

Sure - These are mountain roads and mountain roads are inherently challenging. However, thanks to all the pork-barrel spending on infrastructure, the main roads through the mountains are pretty good - they twist around but they're not terribly narrow and the traffic is typically light. The most difficult part might be city driving in Matsumoto.

I'd definitely include Nara and it can come instead of a third day in Kyoto. or even half a day. Minimize Nagoya to night stopover if it fits ok and use the remaining time for Takayama / Shirakawa-go / Matsumoto / Kamikochi / Kiso valley (tsumago & magome, Narai) - obviously you can't see them all but any combination you choose will be terrific. Shirakawa-go is fantastic and you could catch one of those day bus tours from Takayama, very convenient and not expensive.
EK

The rental car idea sounds like a great one to look into over there. I'll have to see if the weather is nice and I still feel like it when I am there.

Still no hotel suggestions in Kyoto or near HND before our flight back early AM?

The rental car idea sounds like a great one to look into over there. I'll have to see if the weather is nice and I still feel like it when I am there.

Still no hotel suggestions in Kyoto or near HND before our flight back early AM?
Carry an international driving permit if you want to have the option of renting.
What sort of hotel are you looking for in Kyoto and HND? What time is your flight from HND?

Kyoto can be just a decent business hotel that is not too far away from the attractions. HND is for our flight to DTW that leaves at 6:55am. Would be cutting it close if we were far away from the airport when public transit is waking up at 5am.

I would take the train from Tokyo to Takayama which is a neat town. From there you take take a bus to Shirakawa-go. It's touristy, but it is a Unesco WH site. Best best is to stay the night there in a guest house... it is a different town once the tour buses leave. Then you can take a bus to Kanazawa and train to Kyoto.

Then you can take a bus to Kanazawa and train to Kyoto.
Do you have any info. on buses from Shirakawago to Kanazawa. In the past I've found tour buses that do this, but not scheduled public bus services. I guessed that this was because the bus services are run at a prefectural level - so Ishikawa pref. runs buses as far as Gokayama.

Do you have any info. on buses from Shirakawago to Kanazawa. In the past I've found tour buses that do this, but not scheduled public bus services. I guessed that this was because the bus services are run at a prefectural level - so Ishikawa pref. runs buses as far as Gokayama.

This is the line I took: http://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/shirakawago_kanazawa.html
More info here"
http://www.japan-guide.com/bus/shirakawago.html

Do you have any info. on buses from Shirakawago to Kanazawa. In the past I've found tour buses that do this, but not scheduled public bus services. I guessed that this was because the bus services are run at a prefectural level - so Ishikawa pref. runs buses as far as Gokayama.

Night buses and their drivers have been in the news as of late...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120504a4.html
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120505-343979.html

I would advise renting a car so that you have flexibility to go where you want, when you want. It's not a big deal driving on the left, especially out in the country. Just remember that the driver has to be in the "middle" of the road.

The only in-airport hotel is the Tokyu Excel. But because it's at the domestic terminal then it might not be worth the premium. There is another thread here about a new capsule hotel, but it's not actually a capsule hotel per se but a short term stay hotel. There are other probably cheaper hotels near the airport but factor in a few thousand yen extra for the cab. Another tip I noted on this forum is to stay near Shinagawa eki and take the first Keikyu at around 05:00.

A large business hotel chain is Villa Fontaine. I stayed at one in Tokyo and it was ok and only 10k a night. I stayed at a random hotel in Kyoto that I found on Booking.com, although found a better rate on the hotel's site. It was only 10k a night and was fine. It was an "upscale" hotel with central location; small rooms of course.