Wenckebach

Hello,

I was wondering if some of those who are experienced with travel in Japan could comment on my trip. I was originally going to book just Japan (doing Tokyo at the beginning and Kyoto/Osaka toward the end), however I was trying to schedule the trip around Hyatt points stays and it worked out that it was only possible if I did Kyoto then Tokyo (Cherry Blossom season). Thus I figured it would make sense to fly in to Osaka.

There are no direct flights from Vancouver, BC to Osaka, but I did see some with layovers. This included layover in Hong Kong which I wouldn't mind visiting!

How does this itinerary sound, would you change anything? Add/delete? Or perhaps cancel Hong Kong to Osaka and somehow circle to and from Tokyo, keeping in mind the hyatt hotel issues? Would also like to catch some cherry blossoms if possible.

March 25 - Depart from YVR to Hong Kong, arrive in evening
March 26 - HK
March 27 - HK
March 28 - Early flight from HK to Osaka. Explore and spend night in Osaka.
March 29 - Kyoto
March 30 - Kyoto
March 31 - Kyoto
April 1- Kyoto (possible day trip to Nara, or could move to Nara if recommended, but booked Hyatt on points)
April 2 - Kanazawa
April 3 - Takayama
April 4 - Hakone (ryokan)
April 5 - Tokyo (Park H)
April 6 - Tokyo (Park H)
April 7 - Tokyo (Andaz)
April 8 - Depart Tokyo direct back to Vancouver!

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, questions, concerns ;-)

evergrn

That seems pretty good to me for the most part.

In HKG, I would probably choose Hyatt Regency TST over Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai for a short sightseeing visit. Not only is HR cheaper (cuz it's on Kowloon side), it will have a nice view of Hong Kong if you get their harbour view room on high enough floor and it's more conveniently located relative to MTR.

Don't move to Nara just for one night. Just spend all your Kansai nights in one place (ie, Kyoto). Nara can be a day trip from Kyoto.

Personally, I like to minimize the number of hotels I have to check in/out. From that standpoint, you could try cleaning up Apr 2-4 (unless you don't care about that). You could spend 2 nights in Kanazawa and do Takayama as a day trip from Kanazawa. Or you could spend 2 nights in Toyama and use that as a base. When are you going? Things are open year-round in Takayama, but I've been there during winter and summer and it didn't seem to have the same vibrance as during warmer months. Plus it was really cold when I went in winter. If you really want to spend a night in Takayama, then it makes for quite a detour on your itinerary as you make your way towards Tokyo area, as it's a good couple hours into the mountain from Kanazawa and then another couple hours down to Nagoya. If I were you, I'd book 2 nights in Kanazawa, see how things go with Kanazawa and leave open the possibility to either spend more time in Kanazawa or do the day trip to Takayama on day 2. Then spend the next night at an onsen ryokan somewhere. If you're keen on going specifically to Hakone, you could keep Hakone on your itinerary as you have it. But if you're just looking for a ryokan and/or onsen experience, there're places that may be more convenient and less of a detour if you're planning to go to Tokyo via Hokuriku shinkansen. Perhaps Yudanaka/Shibu onsen (near snow monkeys) or Unazuki onsen.

ksandness

Note that although KIX is referred to as "Osaka" (Each time I've flown into KIX, the Stateside check-in personnel have referred to it as "Osaka"), it is pretty far outside the city, and if you take the train to your first night's lodging, it really makes no difference whether you go to Osaka or Kyoto. The train ride to Kyoto is only slightly longer.

As mentioned above, it makes no sense to move to Nara for one night; similarly, it makes no sense to move hotels between Osaka and Kyoto. Cities in Kansai are really close together.

jib71

Heh - Here's another take:

Since you're spending several days and nights in Kyoto, keep that first night in Osaka. Spend it in Namba, which is flashy and bright and everything that Kyoto isn't supposed to be (although you'l find flashy and bright spots in Kyoto too, truth be told). Load up on the Osaka comfort foods and gawp at the kids fashions. That will give you a good sense of what's "refined" about Kyoto, Nara, or Kanazawa when you get there.

As for the latter part of the trip. I'd extend the time in Kanazawa and skip Hakone. Perhaps find an Onsen between Kanazawa and Takayama if you want the onsen experience. But that's just me.

Wenckebach

Thank you for all of your wonderful feedback! I really appreciate the help.

I was wondering if Osaka may not be worth it. If we were to go direct to Kyoto and skip Osaka, would it make sense to pick up another day in Nikko on the Tokyo end?

Thanks again.

Elizabeth

jib71

Sure. Nikko is worth seeing. Potentially crowded in early April.
(Kyoto may also get a lot of visitors while you're there. Book a hotel early to avoid disappointment).

Wenckebach

Regarding the Onsen - the trip to Hakone was for the ryokan/onsen experience, but also to see Mt Fuji. If a ryokan in Yudanaka/Shibu onsen or Unazuki onsen would be a better option, might you be able to compare/contrast to Hakone? Am starting the research myself but not coming up with much!

Jib - thanks for the advice! Booked in Kyoto and Tokyo already, trying to work out the rest of it as we speak :-)

evergrn

I'm just noticing now that you're doing Kanazawa/Tokyo in early April. I somehow missed it the first time.

There's no guarantee that you'd be able to see Mt.Fuji from Hakone (or anywhere for that matter) around that time of the year. Chances are excellent in dry winter months, poor during the warmer months. Kind of a crap shoot during the rest of the year. Either the last time or the second to the last time I was in Hakone during the summer, I was actually able to see Mt.Fuji, which was a surprise. Hakone would not be a major detour if you're going to spend a night at Takayama and then work your way over towards Tokyo via Tokaido shinkansen. If not, and you're taking the Hokuriku shinkansen, then you're having to get to Tokyo first and then past it to get there. So that would be a detour.

I'm surprised you're not able to find much info on those other onsens, especially Yudanaka/Shibu since that area is very popular with foreigners. My favorite onsen hotel in Yudanaka is this one:
http://www.aburaya-tousen.co.jp/en/

evergrn

I would just stack 3 or 4 nights in Tokyo at the end, and then see how it goes. You could leave open the option for a day trip to Nikko, but see how it goes in Tokyo. There's just so much going on in Tokyo, you may very well end up wishing you had more time in the city. If you do decide to still opt for the Nikko day trip, I don't think you'll have a difficult time grabbing reserved seats on Tobu's Spacia express train to Nikko on a fairly short notice.

Wenckebach

Thank you again for your advice and clarifications!

Should I also consider Ryokan in Hokuriku/Hida such as: Beniya Mukayu (Hokuriku), Wanosato (Hida), Kayotei (Hokuriku), Ryokan Tanabe (Hida), or do you prefer Yudanaka/Shibu? We are thinking luxury ryokan.

Thanks!

evergrn

I've not been to any of the above places you mention. I just had a quick look at these places.
Beniya Mukayuu is in Yamashiro Onsen, Kayoutei in Yamanaka Onsen, the other two in Takayama.

Takayama imo is not exactly an onsen mecca. There're some hotels there with onsen, but the real onsens are higher up in the nearby mountains (eg, Hirayu, Fukuchi, OkuHotaka) or down the valley in Gero. Maybe these ryokans are good for the ryokan experience, but I'm not sure that the onsen experience would match up to a lot of other places.

Beniya Mukayuu does not have the best onsen characteristics according to the guidebook I use to judge onsens. Kayoutei seems the best of the bunch, but it seems it's hard to get to from the nearest train station.

I've not been to Yamanaka Onsen. Maybe it's great. Kayoutei looks good, but again I've not been. Awara Onsen and Katayamazu Onsen are two of the other onsen towns in that general area, and they seem to have seen their better days.

As far as I'm concerned, the room at Yudanaka's Aburaya Tosen with private en-suite onsen is plenty high-end. The quality of onsen water there is definitely a notch above that of Katayamazu or Awara Onsen, although I can't comment on Yamanaka Onsen.

mkjr

i would suggest you look at hotels in kyoto first.

i am not sure what your budget is but i think hotels between CAD$250-400 could be what you are looking at even if you book very early.

i booked my hotels for this past year in sept of the year before and already, prices were higher and options were limited and i had intentionally booked 2 weeks before the earliest cherry blossoms because i did not want to have anything to do with the crowds during cherry blossoms. frankly, kyoto was a gong show for levels of tourists when we were there march 10-13...i could only imagine how much worse it got 2-3 weeks later.

i was lucky to have the granvia kyoto for 26,730 a night.

so check hotels early there. i found that Kyoto was the tightest for hotels.

i also checked and checked and checked and they never did go down for my dates.

we stayed at the IC in osaka in the end since what we planned to do was more around osaka and only went to kyoto for a day and in part, only to visit Saihō-ji, something we had not done on our last 3 trips to kyoto. the rate was also too good to pass up at the IC.

also, given your first time to Japan, i would only spend one night at a ryokan.

nice experience but often you feel like you want to spend more time at the place versus out exploring.

in takayama we opted for this place - having stayed in ryokan's before and decided they are not really for us with a 9 year old....

http://www.hotespa.net/hotels/takayama/index.html

was kind of in between.

CanuckFlyHigh

Book your Hakone Ryokan well in advance. We squeezed in to Hakone Ginyu for one night, but it wasnt easy, and we booked 4 months in advance.

ksandness

Yes, wherever you are going, book early. March and the first few days of April spring break for the Japanese school and university system, the break between school years, so it's the one vacation during which students are not assigned homework.

Wenckebach

Thanks for all of the advice! Thus far I have booked Hyatt Regency in Kyoto March 28-April 1, Kayotei in Kagaonsen April 1, Park Hyatt Tokyo April 5-7, Andaz 7-8.

Left to book: Kanazawa, Takayama.. open to suggestions here! Will these book up quickly too?
Will probably day trip from Kyoto to Nara
Was thinking to either day trip or book in Nikko around the Tokyo portion

I am a big monkey fan ;-) Will I regret not heading toward Nagano?

Thanks for your help!
Elizabeth