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First Trip to Japan in July

First Trip to Japan in July

Old Jan 28, 2015, 12:49 pm
  #1  
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First Trip to Japan in July

I'm planning my first trip (honeymoon) to Japan at the end of June, beginning of July for 8 days.

My plan is about 5 days in Tokyo and 3 in Kyoto with one of the days being a day trip to Nara. In Tokyo, the only for sure thing I'm planning is a trip to the Ghibli museum and possibly the fish market.

In Tokyo I'll be spending 2 nights in the Park Hyatt and the rest in the Hyatt Regency. I have a bunch of questions but I'll just start with these:

1) Is it better to fly into NRT or HRD to get to Tokyo? From what I've been reading, HRD seems better & cheaper.
2) What's the best way to get to the hotel from there - seems like train or bus is the way to go.
3) Is it better to spend a few days in Tokyo first, then go to Kyoto and finish up the trip w/ a few days in Tokyo again or to just do all 5 days in Tokyo and then the rest in Kyoto?
4) Should I get a JR pass?
5) Should I stay in a Ryokan in Kyoto?
6) Any must see, do or eat things as a first timer?

Thanks!
joostfan is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 1:07 pm
  #2  
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1& 2) I liked the location of Haneda (HND) - a short cab ride or monorail into town. The airport itself is pretty uninspiring, it's clean, it has the basics, but that is about it. Customs / immigration was speedy, bags took a little while to appear.

3) Personal preference, I came back to Tokyo, as I didn't have the option to fly home from Kyoto directly.

4) Depends how much you will be using it, hyperdia.com will give some idea of the cost without a JR pass for you to compare.

5) I wouldn't opt for 3 nights in a Ryokan, I think 1 is enough - especially with potential jet lag, as you don't have the option for a midday nap at a ryokan. I stayed in 2 ryokan type places, but neither were in Kyoto.

6) I really liked Nara, and on the way back from there to Kyoto stopped at Fushimi Inari-taisha which I thought was very interesting.
emma69 is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 2:35 pm
  #3  
 
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Originally Posted by joostfan
I'm planning my first trip (honeymoon) to Japan at the end of June, beginning of July for 8 days.

My plan is about 5 days in Tokyo and 3 in Kyoto with one of the days being a day trip to Nara. In Tokyo, the only for sure thing I'm planning is a trip to the Ghibli museum and possibly the fish market.

In Tokyo I'll be spending 2 nights in the Park Hyatt and the rest in the Hyatt Regency. I have a bunch of questions but I'll just start with these:

1) Is it better to fly into NRT or HRD to get to Tokyo? From what I've been reading, HRD seems better & cheaper.
2) What's the best way to get to the hotel from there - seems like train or bus is the way to go.
3) Is it better to spend a few days in Tokyo first, then go to Kyoto and finish up the trip w/ a few days in Tokyo again or to just do all 5 days in Tokyo and then the rest in Kyoto?
4) Should I get a JR pass?
5) Should I stay in a Ryokan in Kyoto?
6) Any must see, do or eat things as a first timer?

Thanks!
The answers to many of these questions can be found in 1) the pinned posts in this forum, 2) Other posts in forum, 3) the type of guidebook found in any major bookstore.

Sorry to sound snarky, but you'll get better answers if you do some research first. "What should I do in Tokyo?" is like asking "What should I do in New York?" or "What should I do in London?" Tokyo is one of the world's largest cities, and there are tons of things to see and do. You need to figure out what YOU would like, not what some strangers on the Internet would like.

My suggestion: Do some research and then ask our opinion of your proposed plans or clarifications on details that you can't find elsewhere.
ksandness is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:45 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
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I'm not answering in order asked, but:
1) ksandness is right. Do some research first.
2) Tokyo and Kyoto are awesome in July. If you like extreme humidity and random torrential downpours.
3) Worry less about which Tokyo airport and see if you can swing an "Open Jaw" with one end at NRT/HND and the other at KIX/ITM. It will save you the cost and hassle of backtracking and give you more time on the ground in both places.
4) Please please do some research. You could type in "Tokyo Kyoto honeymoon" in google and probably get 500 blog hits full of ideas.
Pureboy is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 6:33 pm
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Originally Posted by joostfan
...
1) Is it better to fly into NRT or HRD to get to Tokyo? From what I've been reading, HRD seems better & cheaper.
2) What's the best way to get to the hotel from there - seems like train or bus is the way to go.
3) Is it better to spend a few days in Tokyo first, then go to Kyoto and finish up the trip w/ a few days in Tokyo again or to just do all 5 days in Tokyo and then the rest in Kyoto?
4) Should I get a JR pass?
5) Should I stay in a Ryokan in Kyoto?
6) Any must see, do or eat things as a first timer? ...
It looks like you are pretty new here so first, Welcome to the FlyerTalk Japan Forum.

As for the rest, if you will look at the thread immediately below yours you will see the same information addressed to another. Two more threads down is one about a short visit to Japan in July. Three below that is one about Japan Rail Passes and a few more down is an extensive thread addressing many questions from a first timer. My point is that most of your questions have been answered recently here. You just have to look around a bit to find them.

As for the rest:

1. It really depends on what flights you can get. I often use NRT because from my local area, HND tends to be a bit more expensive. Also, I am usually by-passing Tokyo en route for someplace else and train connections are easier from NRT. YMMV. Check rates for both. Either will work fine for a first timer.

2, From NRT, the deluxe express trains (Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner) are the best for many but the dedicated limousine bus may work better depending on your hotel choice. From HND, it really depends on where your hotel is located. Most use the monorail to Hamamatsucho and connect to local rail or taxi there.

3. If you can get an open-jaw ticket and depart from KIX, that is best. If not, your return to Tokyo probably depends on what time of day you depart for home. If you leave before about 11:00 am, you probably need to return to Tokyo the night before. Later, you can just go all the way from Kyoto to NRT or HND that morning. I wouldn't split the Tokyo stay unless necessary as that requires changing hotels another time.

4. The JR Rail Pass only saves money if you will ride the shinkansen (bullet train) round trip Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo AND some other travel, such as the Narita Express out to NRT for departure or a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko, etc. If you will only go one way to Kyoto and depart from KIX, don't bother as it will be cheaper just buying tickets.

5. If you do stay in a ryokan, just stay one night and switch to hotels for the rest. It tends to get repetitive after a night or two. Also, in Kyoto be prepared to pay fairly high prices. I've always thought of a ryokan as a nice couples experience but a little boring for a single. Again, YMMV.

6. Not even going to try this. Do some research and ask again.
abmj-jr is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 6:55 pm
  #6  
 
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Just want to point out that for Ghibli Musuem you need to reserve tickets in advance. (Unless you plan on buying online from a re-seller, in which case expect to pay 4-5 times the ticket price).

Outside of Japan various JTB offices handle reservations so you can search for whichever one's closest to you. I believe you can reserve tickets via email as well.
shinjukuflyer is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 9:38 pm
  #7  
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6) Any must see, do or eat things as a honeymooner visiting in July?

Yes.
Ask your concierge to make an evening reservation at Ukai Toriyama in late June (best) or early July. It's already one of the most beautiful restaurants in the country and fireflies are released into the grounds in June/July.
http://www.ukai.co.jp/english/toriyama/

Before or after your visit you can get the rope car/train to the top of Mount Takao and visit the beer garden/bar, at 500 metres it's the region's highest.
http://www.mount-takao.com/beermount/

Mount Takao is particularly easy to get to from Shinjuku.
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Old Jan 28, 2015, 10:31 pm
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Originally Posted by LapLap
... Mount Takao is particularly easy to get to from Shinjuku.
You know, I have still never been up there. Guess I should add it to my to-do list.
abmj-jr is offline  
Old Jan 29, 2015, 1:20 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by abmj-jr
You know, I have still never been up there. Guess I should add it to my to-do list.
It's rare for me to visit Tokyo without going back there and, along with Meiji Jingu, it's an important part of our household's New Year activities.
We got caught out once, badly. Went out to to walk to the summit one New Year's Day (gentle stroll from the cable car terminus), weather was beautiful. Alarm bells rung when we saw the locals had seemingly overdressed for the occasion and we put it down to an eagerness to try out their brand new gifts of mountain gear. In short, the way up was an easy hike in perfect conditions, the way down was a perilous descent through several cms of snow on treacherously icy slopes and stairs in a near blizzard.

Of course, none of this will be an issue in June/July.

Tip: Don't visit the monkey park (despite repeated visits over years I'd never gone inside, then my father-in-law took us in one time as we had his young grandchild with us). Even more sad and depressing than I imagined it would be - nothing like Jigokudani near Nagano (BTW, the day I spent in Jigokudani as a near newlywed was the most useful and meaningful experience I've ever had in relation to learning about child rearing and being a mother, best way to determine the difference between instinctive behaviour and the cultural and socially conditioned expectations we've been lumbered with. YMMV)
LapLap is offline  
Old Jan 29, 2015, 2:04 am
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by LapLap
... Don't visit the monkey park ...
Really getting OT here but I'm having fun.

Believe it or not, I have seen inside that monkey park - on TV. Several years ago there was a Japanese TV renzoku dorama named "Hakoiri Musume" that was predominately set on and around Mt. Takao. It starred some big names including Iijima Naoko and was only notable, at least to me, for a VERY rare TV soap depiction of a romance between a Japanese woman and a westerner man. I found it on-line and managed to get through it even though it was never subtitled. Even after 7 or 8 years, I remember the scenes set on the cable tram up and down the mountain and inside the monkey park at which some of the characters worked. There was also a few scenes of hiking on Mt. Takao. Like I said, I guess I need to get up there once just to see it in real life.

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic.
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