6 days/nights in japan: help with traveling itinerary?
Hi!
My parents bought me a trip to Asia as a gift so it's not likely I'll be able to go again soon (I'm a recent grad about to be unemployed) so I'm trying to see as much as possible. Unfortunately, we're only spending 6 days in Japan as we're spending the bulk of the trip in Hong Kong which will probably be another forum post entirely. I also booked the flight before becoming an FT member and didn't realize flying both in and out of NRT was a bad idea if I wanted to see Osaka as well.. Anyway, I'm trying to find out if my itinerary is feasible so I can book hotels but I haven't planned any places to visit yet..
We land on Dec. 21st and we'll probably stay around Tokyo because my friend doesn't want to travel anymore that day.
22nd: Take one of the first trains to Kyoto, stay in Kyoto
23rd: Take one of early trains to Nara, be a tourist for a day, then take train to Osaka at night (are there any??), stay in Osaka
24th: Tour Osaka during the day, go to Tokyo at night (are there any trains?)
25th-27th: Tokyo
Is that feasible? We want to see historic buildings, the deer in Nara and go shopping and while I'm sure it's not enough time for any of those cities, I really don't think it's enough time in Osaka. It's not more thoroughly researched because I'd really like to book the Osaka swissohotel tonight but wasn't sure if I should stay there just for a night or for two nights. I really wanted to spend Christmas in Tokyo but maybe it wouldn't be too bad in Osaka too.. I also didn't want to spend 3 hrs on Christmas on a train but I'm willing to if that would make the trip better.. if anyone has any advice on the itinerary, it would be greatly appreciated!! I will probably post a more detailed itinerary at a later time but for now, I just want to book a hotel...
It's certainly feasible. Nara is easily accessible from both Osaka and Kyoto.
(there are trains on the Kintetsu line between Osaka and Uehonmachi between 5am and 11pm - roughly)
You can get a Nozomi shinkansen between Osaka and Tokyo at 9:20pm
The last Hikari train (the bullet trains covered by the JR pass) leaves Shin Osaka at 8:33pm.
As your proposed itinerary leaves very little time for additional day trips, I wouldn't advise you getting a JR pass at all.
You can save money by getting an 'inclusive' tour and modifying it (you can arrange to lengthen the tour by booking additional nights at the hotel of your choice and request a later date for the return train journey) http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/JTB.S...de=TYOOVJH2KAK
Shows you how you can get a return trip by Hikari (the same bullet train you can use with the JR pass) and also includes one night's accommodation (based on two people sharing)
or on the faster Nozomi bullet train (which the JR pass won't let you ride) http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/JTB.S...de=TYOOVJN2KAK
Downside is that the Terms & Conditions stipulate that you can't return on one of the evening shinkansen.
As the JR pass is 28,300yen without accommodation, the Sunrise tour offer can yield a considerable saving.
Christmas Eve in Tokyo is hardly a great event. Think of it as Valentines Day - hotels with double/king beds will be hard to book, restaurants will be reservation only with ridiculously expensive lovers' menus... horrible! And Christmas day itself is a complete non-event. It's the day when all the pretty lights and Christmas decorations, which served mainly as a romantic setting for couples the night before, get taken down so that they can be replaced with the pretty lights and decorations relating to the more meaningful New Year celebrations.
If you're looking to try the food at a McDonalds or a MosBurger or at a neighbourhood noodle bar, I'd suggest Christmas Eve as the ideal time to do so.
Please don't make the mistake of expecting anything special on Christmas Day. It really is meaningless in the Japanese culture.
There, you see? That is why we have different posters with different opinions.
I think the JR Rail Pass is perfect for your needs. It would cover the Narita Express train from NRT into Tokyo upon arrival, the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto/Osaka in the morning, all day trips between Osaka/Kyoto/Nara, the shinkansen back to Tokyo, the Yamanote Loop Line around Tokyo and the Narita Express back out to NRT for departure. Definite value.
I don't really understand the idea of going to Kyoto one day, getting there in the afternoon and then leaving the next morning. Perhaps you don't understand that Kyoto, Osaka and Nara or only 30-45 minutes apart by local trains. I strongly suggest just picking either Osaka or Kyoto as a base and book your hotel in one or the other for your few days stay in the Kansai area. Just use the trains to visit each place for day trips and leave luggage and everything in your hotel. Moving hotels between Kyoto and Osaka just wastes limited visit time and forces you to deal with baggage almost every day.
In your case, I'd plan the first night in Tokyo, train to Kyoto or Osaka, check into a hotel for the 22-24th, spend a full day in Kyoto (it really deserves longer,) a full day in Nara, evenings and a part-day in Osaka and then move back to Tokyo.
The Hikari shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto takes about 2:45 hours +/-. Tokyo-ShinOsaka is about 3:00 hours and from Shin-Osaka to downtown Osaka Station is less than 15 minutes on local trains. The Narita Express between NRT and Tokyo is about an hour. From either Kyoto or Osaka to Nara is about 45 minutes on local trains. I think Kyoto-Nara is simpler than Osaka-Nara but YMMV.
My opinion is a bit like abmj's
However, I suggest doing your Tokyo days at the start. Then stay Kyoto. Visit Nara from Kyoto - and take the train from Kyoto to NRT on your departure date if poss
There, you see? That is why we have different posters with different opinions.
I think the JR Rail Pass is perfect for your needs. It would cover the Narita Express train from NRT into Tokyo upon arrival, the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto/Osaka in the morning, all day trips between Osaka/Kyoto/Nara, the shinkansen back to Tokyo, the Yamanote Loop Line around Tokyo and the Narita Express back out to NRT for departure. Definite value.
NRT-Tokyo x 2 = 2,400yen (using Keisei Ltd Express, I've only ever used the NEX once)
3 x days in Tokyo = 1,100yen (maximum 730yen per day for unlimited JR travel would be 2,190yen - but in reality half of this, who wants to spend the entire day looping Tokyo?)
Osaka to Kyoto and back again = 1,080yen (540yen x 2)
Osaka to Nara and back again = 1,100yen (550yen x 2) with the KINTETSU line (NOT covered by JR)
TOTAL: 4,600 + 1,100yen for travel on Kintetsu trains
difference in price between JR pass 28,300yen and cheapest Sunrise tour 19,500 (or 19,000 for early departure from Tokyo) is 8,800yen (or 9,300yen) plus the cost of one night's accommodation - around 4,500yen
Total saved including Kansai and and Tokyo AND NRT travel - over 8,500yen per person
For two people, that's 17,000yen.
I agree with what LapLap says about Christimas in Tokyo. Japan has never been more than 1% Christian, so the holiday has no traditional significance and has been turned into the biggest date and partying night of the year, sort of like New Year's Eve in the U.S. Christmas Day is not a legal holiday, and if it's a weekday, everyone goes to work as usual (although possibly hung over).
However, the 23rd, the current emperor's birthday, IS a legal holiday.
The real sentimental winter holiday in Japan is New Year's. That's the one that has all kinds of traditional customs and foods, the one that people want to go home for.
I also agree with the advice to pick either Osaka or Kyoto and base yourself there for touring the area. Japan is a small country, and trains are fast and frequent. Personally, with so little time, I'd emphasize Kyoto and Nara, since Osaka is not different enough from Tokyo for the first-time visitor to warrant a special trip. (I know that some people are huge Osaka fans, and it has its charms if you know it well, but the first-time visitor is likely to see a city that looks like even more of a gray concrete jungle than Tokyo.)
...Tokyo AND NRT travel - over 8,500yen per person. For two people, that's 17,000yen.
I don't want to get into a debate here. I realize it is possible to pinch every yen and save significant money. I just don't choose to do that or recommend it for most folks on their first trip to Japan. Sure, you can take the cheapest options - heck, you could even use the dreaded night bus to get from Tokyo to Kyoto and avoid the shinkansen- but who would want to? (I know, you have done it. )
Using the Sunrise option, you could save some money - BUT, you would be limiting your traveling options and staying where they book you. For the additional 8500 yen, you have the entire JR system open up for you, you stay where you want and visit where you want, when you want, using the most efficient transport options. To me, that is far more important than squeezing the last drop of blood out of that last yen. As I said, we all have our preferred modes of travel. Mine certainly isn't luxe mode - I avoid 4*/5* hotels and $500.00/night ryokans - but likewise doesn't always utilize the cheapest options.
For a first-timer, there is value in not having to sort out the various transport options and out-of-the-way stations or figure out the ticket machines. Just use JR, show the Pass and go.
Thanks so much for all the advice!! The itinerary was planned rearranging the one on Japan Rail but I wanted to make sure it was actually possible. I'd take the Narita Express to Tokyo on the first day and sleep in a capsule hotel near Tokyo station that allows women (anyone know any?), then take Shinkansen Hikari from Tokyo Station to Kyoto. The reason I wanted to stay in Kyoto for a day is to stay in a ryokan. Is it worth the hassle? If anyone has any recommendations for a good/affordable-ish ryokan near tourist spots, it would be greatly appreciated! If it's not worth the hassle, I'll just stay in Osaka all three days. After reading the replies, I went ahead and booked the 23rd and 24th at the suissotel in Osaka. If Christmas really isn't a big deal, then traveling back to Tokyo on that day won't be any different. I'd read about people eating fried chicken and eating Christmas cake on that day so I was really looking forward to shopping on Christmas and eating cake. Thanks for all the warnings about its insignificance. It seems like I can still get to Tokyo by noon if I can reserve/take Shinkansen Hikari from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo. I'm sure this is in an FAQ somewhere but how do I reserve my seats on the Hikari?
Now I guess the next step is to read tour guides to plan stuff to do.. if anyone has recommendations for good reads or "off the beaten path" things to do, please let me know!! I'm thinking of getting Frommer's and Rough Guide to Japan but I'm really overwhelmed by the length of travel books. Thanks again!
... if anyone has recommendations for good reads or "off the beaten path" things to do, please let me know!!
You just walk up to the counter at a JR ticket office and make the reservation. For the trip Tokyo-Osaka (or Kyoto) make the reservation at the same time you exchange the Rail Pass Exchange Order for the Pass - at the NRT JR ticket office in the basement of the terminal. For your return trip, you could make it at the same time but I'd suggest waiting and making it at shin-Osaka or Kyoto Station after you have a feel for when you actually want to return. There is really no way to make advance reservations before you arrive in Japan. Keep in mind that, unless you are traveling on a weekend, Tokyo Station will be a madhouse between 7:00 am - 10:00 am. Word to the wise.
If you are only going to spend a half day or so in Kyoto, it really doesn't matter what books you read. You won't have time to see much of anything anyway. Frommers or Lonely Planet have ok guides for general touring and you can get a sense of the major sites from any of them. The Tourist Information Center at NRT or on the 9th floor of the Kyoto Station building have pretty good guide info and maps for free. If you were going to be in Kyoto for more than a day, we often recommend Diane Durston's "Kyoto: Seven Paths to the Heart of the City." It is a truly beautiful book with some nice recommended walks. If nothing else, it makes a nice coffee table book.
A capsule hotel??? Why?? Those are for drunken salarymen who miss the last train home, not just-arrived, first-time tourists with luggage and no Japanese. My best advice, find an inexpensive but clean and decent business hotel and get a good night's sleep to clear the jet-lag. JMHO.
I would forget Osaka altogether and check out Kobe instead. If you are on a Railpass, I would even venture out to Himeji for the best castle in Japan, and do that over Kobe.
If you think this will really be your only chance to visit Japan, I would go for variety. Osaka is a nice, vibrant city, but not different enough from Tokyo to warrant spending time there over other things. The castle there is a 50's or 60's reconstruction with a museum inside versus an incredible castle at Himeji. Kobe is on a hillside spreading down to the bay, and has a different feel from any other city on your itin.
I think in your limited time, a trip covering Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and possibly Himeji would hit all the highest highlights of that area of Japan.
Now I guess the next step is to read tour guides to plan stuff to do.. if anyone has recommendations for good reads or "off the beaten path" things to do, please let me know!!
You've certainly come to the right place. Are there certain types of experiences you are looking for? Natural beauty? Cultural experiences? Museums? Fashion? Pop culture? History?
Also, I'm assuming your family has a good reason to spend all that time in HK. I love HK, but it is one city- there is so much more to see in Japan!
You might find fried chicken on Christmas, but Christmas cakes are not, as far as I know, sold by the slice. You buy the whole thing or nothing, and they're usually pre-ordered by families. While the young adults are out with their lovers and a lot of businessmen are out getting plastered, Mom stays home with the kids to eat Christmas cake.
You definitely do not want to stay in a capsule hotel. You can get a small but clean and safe single room in a business hotel starting at about $75, and some of them include breakfast.
I would forget Osaka altogether and check out Kobe instead. If you are on a Railpass, I would even venture out to Himeji for the best castle in Japan, and do that over Kobe.
If you think this will really be your only chance to visit Japan, I would go for variety. Osaka is a nice, vibrant city, but not different enough from Tokyo to warrant spending time there over other things. The castle there is a 50's or 60's reconstruction with a museum inside versus an incredible castle at Himeji. Kobe is on a hillside spreading down to the bay, and has a different feel from any other city on your itin.
I think in your limited time, a trip covering Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and possibly Himeji would hit all the highest highlights of that area of Japan.
Thanks for the suggestion!! That itinerary sounds much better.. Would it be possible to spend the 1.5 hours on a tour in Himeji Temple then spend the rest of the day in Kobe or is it an all day affair? I guess I'd do it on the 24th and head to Tokyo on the morning on the 25th. Also, I already booked my hotel in Osaka.. would it still be possible to use that as my base if I'm going to Kyoto, Nara and Himeji instead of Osaka or would it better to be use a different city as a base? I was really looking forward to the hotel I booked ;/
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pureboy
You've certainly come to the right place. Are there certain types of experiences you are looking for? Natural beauty? Cultural experiences? Museums? Fashion? Pop culture? History?
Also, I'm assuming your family has a good reason to spend all that time in HK. I love HK, but it is one city- there is so much more to see in Japan!
All those experiences sound great actually but I guess I would emphasize unique eating experiences (though as recent grads, we're not in a place to afford a Kobe steak), cultural experiences, and fashion. I like natural beauty and history if it's convenient but I won't have time to make an out of the way trips to all the popular historic sites.. I thought a capsule hotel would be a unique cultural experience but perhaps it'll make us tired so maybe I'll stay there during my last night or something instead sowe can catch up on rest on the plane. We're staying in HK longer because both my friend and I have family there and can stay with them for free for extended periods of time. It's just economical, we'd both rather spend all our time in Japan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ksandness
You might find fried chicken on Christmas, but Christmas cakes are not, as far as I know, sold by the slice. You buy the whole thing or nothing, and they're usually pre-ordered by families. While the young adults are out with their lovers and a lot of businessmen are out getting plastered, Mom stays home with the kids to eat Christmas cake.
You definitely do not want to stay in a capsule hotel. You can get a small but clean and safe single room in a business hotel starting at about $75, and some of them include breakfast.
If they're anything like the Asian sized cakes in the US, I am sure we could finish the cake (if we have a hotel with a fridge). Can we just buy the cake the day of or should we reserve them?
You could, for example, stay in Kyoto rather than Osaka and make a trip to Hikone castle (just a couple of stops from Kyoto) rather than to Himeji. Regarding the hotel in Osaka - What makes you keen to stay there? Might there be a hotel in Kyoto that meets the same criteria?
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