Help with travel plans, please
 

I've tried reading up here and elsewhere and I feel like I am going in circles, so I am hoping some of you FT gurus can assist. My youngest and I are planning a trip for late December/ early January once the return flights come available and I get flights arranged. Currently we are looking at being in Japan from December 30th through mid-January. I've read up and realize that many things may be closed over the New Years holidays, so am planning to stay in Tokyo for that period, hoping that more will be open.

I wish I had a list of exactly what my youngest would like to see (this trip is for them), but at this point I think I'm going to need to get booking things without that guidance. One thing we would definitely like to visit is the Studio Ghibli Museum, thank you to all who have shared info about that. I am hoping we are able to get tickets and figure out transportation while we are visiting. Other than that, we will be winging it a bit. I am wondering if the following seems reasonable:

December 30: arrive NRT, hotel in Shinjuku through January 2nd
January 2-3: hotel in Ginza
January 4-6: Park Hyatt Kyoto (I'd like to try this hotel, but if there are better options I am completely open to suggestions)
January 7: ryokan in Osaka or Kyoto
January 8-9: hotel in Osaka - visit Universal for a day
January 10: hotel in Roppongi? Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills? Capsule hotel? Another night in Osaka? <- very undecided
January 11-13: Park Hyatt Tokyo (again, I'd like to try this hotel, but if there are better options I am completely open to suggestions)
January 14-15: Hotel near Disney, visit both parks
January 16: depart Tokyo

I have a few specific worries, one of which is that we are moving around too much and that it will be stressful. My biggest concern so far is getting from Tokyo to Kyoto on the 4th, which I understand will be a very heavy travel day. Would it be better to move that up a day or back a day? Does this look like too many nights in any place to you, or are there places we should adjust? Everything can be changed at this point except the arrival and departure dates, since we can't leave any earlier or return any later. I have some Hyatt points which is why I pointed out the Park Hyatt hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo, but I am completely open to suggestions for other lodging. The budget is modest, so besides those award stays I'm trying to keep nights under $300 or so if possible.

I am happy to read and learn more if you are willing to point me in the right direction! I've put in a lot of time reading and I have pages and pages of notes, but the more I learn the more overwhelmed I find myself. I thought it might be time to reach out to people who know far more than I and ask if there are obvious mistakes I am making, or things I'm not considering. Thank you for any advice or guidance you can offer.

So I am not a Japan travel expert, but why do you want to check-in and out so many times?

Personally, I would estimate between: packing up at the hotel, checking out, transiting, checking-in, settling, you are probably going to lose 4 hours each time. So with 7 check-outs, you are losing 3.5 x 8-hour equivalents over a ~17 day trip and this happens in the middle of the day probably, so during prime hours.

Now, I'm not saying don't do any hotel changs, but public transit is great in Japan, so it isn't bad getting from any hotel to any site within Tokyo, so I would strongly recommend reconsidering the Tokyo hotel plan. Also, sometimes a hotel will give a better rate for a week-long stay, so you are missing out on all of those rates.

You definitely do not need so many Tokyo hotels. Between the green circle line and subway you can do one place for your initial days. If you have Hyatt points just pick a property (i.e. Park Hyatt or Andaz) and base yourself there for 5 nights.

When you come back to Tokyo, you could do a couple nights in town and then switch to a Disney hotel. But even from Disney/Tokyo Bay you can stay out there for 4 nights but still come back into Tokyo for a day or two. The one time I took my kids (7 and 1 at the time) to Japan we had planned just 2 days at Disney at the end of our trip, but due to an illness ending up coming back to Tokyo early and staying at the Sheraton there for 5 nights. It actually ended up being nice as we got a 4 day ticket instead and could take our time -- i.e. after a full day in each park, on day 3 we went back to Disney Sea for a few hours a hit things we did not get to in the morning, and then went into Tokyo to catch a Yomiuri Giants baseball game in the afternoon. And then on day 4 we did similar going back to Disneyland in the morning and then headed way cross town to Studio Ghibli Museum for an afternoon entry time. Yes - taking the train back in from Disney adds a lot of transit time -- but that is part of the fun in Tokyo and my oldest loves trains and enjoyed navigating the system. Figured it was an even trade-off vs. packing and unpacking another time.

On that family trip we did Osaka as a day trip from Kyoto, but I have also stayed in Osaka before and certainly we did not get a full Osaka experience just visiting for a day. So switching hotels there is probably worth it. Though looks like you only have 1 day in Osaka including Universal? I would definitely take that Jan 10 day you have back in Tokyo and put that towards Osaka/Kyoto and then come back to Tokyo for the last 4 nights. Kyoto has more than 2 days worth of sites. For example, beyond the Temples the Kyoto railway museum is great (not sure how old your youngest is and boy/girl?). Plus a lot of folks add Nara as a day trip from either Kyoto or Osaka.

I have never stayed in a ryokan - but same suggestion to just have one place in each Kyoto and Osaka. If trying a ryokan would just do that for entire stay (i.e. 2 days in Osaka).

I would not worry about a heavy travel day in terms of taking the train from Tokyo to Kyoto.

Permit me to blow up your plans.

On one hand, I agree with the posters who point out that it's stressful to move hotels so much - particularly so, if you're staying in the same city. On the other hand, I think that it might be a drag to stay in Tokyo for the week around New Years, in which the city abruptly shuts down, and then gradually shakes off its stupor. You're right that there will be "things open" - Convenience stores will never close, department stores will open soon after New Years Day .. but the city will be half asleep for much of those 7 days. There are places that I love to be when nobody else is around, but I got kind of fed up this year, waiting for life to return to the streets.

The idea that "more will be open" is not exactly wrong, but you'll find the essentials of life available in any city where you can get a hotel reservation. You don't actually need to be in Tokyo to find open convenience stores. With that in mind, I'd recommend spending some or all of that first week away from Tokyo. Some of the places that I would consider spending an interesting day or two would include:

- Nara. Small city with a huge deer park in the center and temples all around. The deer don't take time off for the holidays. Temples will all be open. Sure, there may be some tourist crowds, but there is lots of open space.

- Narita. If you can get a reservation at a hotel in the town itself (not by the airport) from Dec 30 to Jan 1, you will hear the temple bells ringing in the New Year, and you will have a front seat to view the crowds on New Years Day at the Narita san temple. Crazy big crowds! If you take the train to Tokyo in the morning, you should be fine. (Trains to Tokyo will be more crowded after lunch).

- Disney. Yes, it will be crowded... but as a corrective to the empty streets of Tokyo, it might be worth braving the holiday crowds at the parks.

- A ski resort (as above)

- Kyoto.

So my eccentric (but I think not so stupid) suggestion would be along the lines of:

Dec 30 - Jan 1 - Stay in Narita. Visit an onsen. Check out the temple and the crazy crowds.
Jan 1 - Head to Nara (first day of JR pass).
Jan 1 - 3. Stay in Nara. Visit temples, Feed deer. Walk in the park.
Jan 3 - To Kyoto
Jan 3 - 5. Stay in Kyoto. Visit tourist sites. Side trip to Himeji. Book a hotel - not a Ryokan.
Jan 5 - To Takamatsu or Kanazawa.
Jan 6- 7. Explore Takamatsu or Kanazawa and/or some mountain villages. Stay at a ryokan.
Jan 7 - Back to Tokyo (last day of JR pass)
Jan 8 - 14. Stay in Kanto area. Avoid changing hotels, unless to do an overnight trip to, say, Nikko.
Jan 14 - 15. Visit the mouse
Jan 16 Direct bus from mouse-town to NRT

Pardon me for saying so, but unless the purpose of your trip is to try out a lot of hotels, that has to be the stupidest itinerary I've ever seen. Everything in Tokyo you can do from a single hotel. Ditto for Kyoto/Osaka/Nara. Also if it were I (and this is probably a personal preference), I would try to actually enjoy a few places rather than trying to see so much.

As a budget conscious serial traveller, I love the ambitious scope and the practical economy of this itinerary.

It’s solves the dilemma of how to make the most of a 7 day rail pass in a realistic, non-exhausting way AND satisfies the desires for an epic once-in-a-lifetime journey. I look through it, visualise and imagine/remember what each part means, and go yep, yep, yep, yep…

The 7 day rail pass is a curse just as much as it is a blessing and this itinerary addresses exactly this reality beautifully. I think it’s great!

The initial Narita stay raised my eyebrow but my memories of central Tokyo on the 31st Dec and 1st Jan have been (with the exception of Meiji Jingu and Asakusa) of somewhere dead and sterile. Narita Temple is just as popular as Meiji Jingu at New Year and I imagine that the liveliness extends further out and encompasses the whole town. An unexpected suggestion but makes complete sense.

Thanks. I'm glad that it gets the LapLap seal of approval. Perhaps it won't be exactly what the OP wants to do, but I hope it gives them some ideas. I expect it could be tweaked for further economy - for example by taking JR all the way to Nikko on Jan 7, or by cutting a night in Kyoto in favor of Takamatsu.
Narita is never the right suggestion ... until it is.

I’ve always assumed that the first time visitors who really take to Kyoto are taxi users.
I’ve enjoyed my visits well enough but, using local transport, it’s always felt a slog to get around the city.
Nara, on the other hand, when you’re not confident about swimming, it’s like a warm children’s pool with floats. So, so easy.

I perceive it as a crap shoot whether a first timer will really enjoy Kyoto or not. Thorough research or/and deep pockets apparently helps with a great experience.
Sandwiching a visit with Nara, Himeji and Kanazawa (Kenrokuen/kaga ryori) or Takamatsu (Ritsurin Koen/sanuki ryori) seems like a good insurance policy to me.

New Years Eve/Day just isn’t an amenable period for most visitors. I’ve done the Meiji Jingu overnight shuffle on quite a few occasions as it’s my family temple and we go for spiritual reasons, but I am well aware of the comments from other English (and Spanish) speakers in the megaqueues - they are NOT there having a good time.
Asakusa’s narrow walkways are heaving with people and many of the stores and stands full of overpriced tat. New Year’s Day morning is one of the few times you would see the streets of Shibuya full of garbage, but otherwise it’s dead.
Takao San, one of the closest sacred mountains to Tokyo, does get very busy. But I’d say too busy to be enjoyable.
You don’t make a natural Stefon, but you’ve sold me on Narita for the peak of these particular holidays.
,

Are you keen on a luxury hotel or just have points to burn?

Reading and appreciating the suggestions for improvements and comments. This is, as I mentioned, a first pass at trying to put something together. Clearly I have done a poor job at it, despite weeks of reading up and trying to figure out what is reasonable and possible, and trying to avoid issues with travel over the New Years holidays which I'd love to avoid, but can't for work and school reasons.

Okie dokie, so that's some really nice feedback. I'm not trying to be stupid, and I fully realize I am out of my area of expertise, hence my presence on this forum trying to learn and find a workable itinerary well in advance. Maybe it helps to explain that my background is strictly US road trip travel, where we were always on the move. Two or three nights in one place was typical, but there were times we moved locations every day to cover ground, depending on the area. Perhaps that has influenced how I think about travel in the worst of ways, but here I am trying to learn and do better.

So many things I read about Tokyo said "map out what you want to see and do and plan hotel locations accordingly" - this seems to be inaccurate and I'd be better off picking one location and sticking with it, got it. Thanks for the kind feedback about that.

The couple of Hyatt properties I am considering (PH Kyoto and PH Tokyo) are to burn points, yes. I've got those points tied up in that ecosystem, and I'd like to use them if possible.

This advice might come from Tokyo having a wide variety of things to do/see and tourists getting advice about the JR Yamanote line which goes in full loop in about an hour. I've given this sort of advice myself, as I tend to split Tokyo into the Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro side vs Shimbashi, Tokyo, Ueno side for first time visitors coming from smaller cities/suburbs. Tokyo neighborhoods butt up against each other but can have very different ambiance.

Some visitors have specific interests such as anime-style Japan (Akihabara for male focused anime), wanting to get the Lost In Translation huge city feeling (Shibuya or Shinjuku), Shopping (depends on what you're shopping for as Tokyo has a wide variety of specialty shops), etc. Others will just be going about the city via subway and JR so being near a well connected station might be more pertinent to them. It isn't very time efficient to stay in Shinjuku if you'll be headed to Ueno every day.

Since this is a trip for/with your youngest, perhaps ask what their interests would be in Tokyo beyond Ghibli and map things out from there? If they have specific interests like Pokemon, trains, anime, or stationery (yes, that's a thing) then certain neighborhoods will be a bit easier. Is your kid a good walker? I find the Park Hyatt Tokyo location to be a bit far from a JR or subway stop myself and while it'd be nice to maximize redemption (plus all those travel blogs hyping it up), I'd probably be cursing myself less if I stayed at the Hyatt Centric in Ginza. There might be a new Hyatt in Toranomon Hills area by the time you visit https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...oranomon-Hills

Tokyo is the fox and Kyoto the hedgehog -

For Tokyo, find a hotel within a short walk of at least two useful* subway or JR lines. *(i.e. with good connections to places that interest you). You may find yourself bouncing around different parts of the city over the course of a few days.

For Kyoto, pick an area to explore in depth and find a hotel there. Don't plan your visit from a checklist of sites that are spread across the whole city. Resign yourself to missing three quarters of it. Don't ruin the experience for yourself and your kid by trying to cram in the maximum number of temples.

As budget family travelers we have appreciated the Choice Hotels options. Small rooms but our boys like the breakfasts. The lounge space most have is also useful.

We like Disney Sea over Land (at least for those over 12yrs old).
USJ can be done in a day, but also stretched to two. Staying at an official hotel gets you in a bit early.
Gibili sounds like fun (never been though).
Another place I haven't been is Ninja Village https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1057/

In Osaka, Spa World is a different experience and onsen lovers consider it fun. A lot would depend on your comfort with public nudity and gender mix of your family. There is also a swimsuit area on top with water slides.
There is a ninja

Seeing the sunrise on Jan 1st is a fun thing Japanese love to do too. Ringing in the New Year is also good, though crowds can be huge at some places.

Bonus points for you for following up to the thread even when some were less than hospitable. I know my sister mostly now avoids FlyerTalk after her first few posts and the reaction they garnered.

And I get where you are are coming from being used to roadtrips, but yeah, definitely better to move around less if in the same place.

And while jib71's itin is interesting, I also see where it didn't include Osaka and Universal and I think amusement parks are important to you. So I'd encourage you to say, 'amusement parks are important to us.' Some will still suggest what they want to do on a trip, rather than what you want, but it does help.

Anyway, while jib71 mentions Kyoto, Himeji, etc (I've had an 8-day trip booked for Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Himeji for 2020, 2021, and 2022 and had to cancel each year), I get the idea, but I'm not sure if that is exactly what you are looking for. But the point is that there is a ton of amazing stuff in Japan and even though you have a lot of time, you still aren't going to see it all. So the more you can prioritize with the handful of really important things, and then fill in the space around those, I think you will find it easier (still a lot to sort through and decide, but it will help). Even like pointing out how you have your Hyatt points you want to use helps.