How to split 7 days
 

Hi Everyone,

My girlfriend and I are planning a short 7-night trip in January 2019 to Tokyo and Kyoto. We are staying with Marriott Points so I would prefer to split our time between 5 and 2 nights in each city to take advantage of the SPG/Marriott 5th free night. We are leaning towards spending 5 nights in Kyoto and only 2 in Tokyo, but some of our friends have suggested we do the opposite. Anyone have any input that would help sway our decision one way or the other? This will be our first of hopefully many trips to Japan so we're looking to see as many things as we can during our short stay.

Also, for Kyoto hotels we are deciding between the RC Kyoto or the Suiran. I don't have any RC status (only Gold Marriott/SPG) so I know I would get to enjoy free breakfast or anything. However the Suiran apparently has some sort of resort fee? Anyhow, just looking for any suggestions between the two; all of the review I have read online for each have been great.

Thanks everyone!

Personally, for a ~1 week trip I would do the Tokyo area or Kyoto/Osaka/Nara/Kobe/etc area, but not both. Especially since you've said that you are planning future trips anyway.

As your trip is in January I would do 5n Tokyo and 2n in one of the ski resorts up in Nagano or Yamagata. If you're not the ski'ing type then maybe Hakone or Kawaguchiko, etc?

Alternately 5n Kyoto, 2n Osaka, Kobe, Nara, etc.

If you insist on touching both areas then it depends whether you want more of the cultural/traditional side of Japan, or more of the pop culture side.

Thank you Shuigao. We certainly wanting to experience the more cultural side of Japan which is why we are leaning towards Kyoto for the majority of our stay. I certainly want to see a few sights in Tokyo, but we've never considered ourselves metropolitan travelers by any means. We are actually thinking about adding an 8th night in our trip; I personally love skiing but my girlfriend has never tried. Would it be reasonable to stay a night or two in Nagano or Yamagata on the way to/from Tokyo/Kyoto and get a full day of skiing in? I'd have to find some full-day activities for the gf though since she wouldn't join me. Thanks again for your input, its much appreciated.

I am sure the Suiren is a fine hotel but it is not really IN Kyoto. It is in a nearby area called Arashiyama. There is nothing wrong with Arashiyama, it has some interesting sights, but there would be a short commute to see the actual sights of Kyoto. The RC is right in a major tourism area of the city, next door to Sanjusangendo temple and across the street from the Kyoto National Museum. The famous Kiyomizudera temple is within a short walk, as is the "Pottery Slope" walking street which leads up to it. There is a main tourist bus stop right outside the hotel.

I love Tokyo, and it is not lacking in culture, but it seems that Kyoto would be better for your purposes.

Just one caution, though. I know people who have been disappointed that Kyoto does not look like the set of a samurai film. There are plenty of areas that are completely modern. However, the history and culture are there if you know where to look, which is why a city guidebook is essential.