Please comment on our itinery
Feb 13, 2008, 9:34 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 128
Please comment on our itinery
We have been to Japan 3 times already (love JR pass), covering the main sites of Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Hiroshima, Shikoku etc ie basically everything south of Tokyo.
Apart from having visited Nikko we have never seen the regions north of tokyo - Tohuku or hokkaido regions so plan to do this in August.
Itinery Arrive NRT, fly to Sapporo.
5 Nights Sapporo and explore the Island. Start 14 day rail pass.
Then 3 Nights Aomori, exploring L Towada etc
Then 3 nights Sendai, exploring the coast etc
Then 2 nights Yamagata at a ryokan
Then 3 nights Tokyo end of railpass.
We prefer to base ourselves in fewer hotels and explore by rail etc (rather than 1 night here one night there), so could I ask the Board what are the must see's for us in Tohuko etc
Apart from having visited Nikko we have never seen the regions north of tokyo - Tohuku or hokkaido regions so plan to do this in August.
Itinery Arrive NRT, fly to Sapporo.
5 Nights Sapporo and explore the Island. Start 14 day rail pass.
Then 3 Nights Aomori, exploring L Towada etc
Then 3 nights Sendai, exploring the coast etc
Then 2 nights Yamagata at a ryokan
Then 3 nights Tokyo end of railpass.
We prefer to base ourselves in fewer hotels and explore by rail etc (rather than 1 night here one night there), so could I ask the Board what are the must see's for us in Tohuko etc
Feb 13, 2008, 10:21 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,665
If I were doing this, I'd take a different approach:
(1) Fly to NGO or KIX rather than NRT
Reason: Direct flights from NGO and KIX to airports other than Sapporo.
I would suggest flying up to Memanbetsu (Hokkaido's North East corner - the "wild frontier" type of country for which Hokkaido is famous).
If you like sea urchin, salmon, salmon roe, crab, you'll never want to leave.
Even if you don't like uni, you'll be amazed that it actually tastes good when it's as fresh as it's served up here.
(2) Rent a car rather than a rail pass for the travel in Northern Hokkaido
Reason: It's a big, open country up there. Lots to see that you can't easily reach by rail. But great roads everywhere.
(3) In Hokkaido, start at the Shiretoko national park (bears and deer and foxes, oh my!!). Drive down via Akan national park (smouldering volcanic craters and caldera lakes and forests oh my!!).
(4) If you don't want to drive through all of Hokkaido you could drop the car in, say, Kushiro and take a train to Sapporo (4 hours). Stay in Sapporo or Otaru. I hear great things about them. Never been.
Hakodate is also supposed to be a nice little city - the gateway to Hokkaido.
(5) In Tohoku, I would want to see Hiraizumi, Sendai, Matsushima, which is all good. ANd basically more nature -- If you want more "wide open nature" there's loads.... On the "other side" (Japan sea side) of the Tohoku region, the Shirakami sanchi forest area is spectacularly unspoilt.
If you like splendidly isolated and somewhat desolate regions, then check out the Shimokita peninsula that hooks around to the North of Aomori. I believe that the region is home to one of Japan's famous "hidden valleys"
(Actually I think I passed by the hidden valley a few years ago in January - but it was hidden under a blanket of snow).
(6) For the Tohoku region, you might find the JR East flexible 4-day pass to be quite valuable .You just pick any four days and use the pass on those days. It doesn't force you to fit everything into a single week. And since you don't want to move around every single day, it might be a good option.
JR Hokkaido also has some 3 day and 5 day passes that might work out well for you.
(7) Terrific onsen all around Hokkaido and Tohoku.
The JNTO map interface is a pretty good way to get a picture of what the region holds:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/maps/index.html
In contrast with areas of Japan that you've visited before, the emphasis up North is more "nature" than "culture" -- although places like Hiraizumi hold cultural gems.
It's a vast region that we're talking about here, and there's much, much more to it than anyone could possibly describe in a single post, but as you work out your plans, please let us know -- This should be a wonderful trip.
(1) Fly to NGO or KIX rather than NRT
Reason: Direct flights from NGO and KIX to airports other than Sapporo.
I would suggest flying up to Memanbetsu (Hokkaido's North East corner - the "wild frontier" type of country for which Hokkaido is famous).
If you like sea urchin, salmon, salmon roe, crab, you'll never want to leave.
Even if you don't like uni, you'll be amazed that it actually tastes good when it's as fresh as it's served up here.
(2) Rent a car rather than a rail pass for the travel in Northern Hokkaido
Reason: It's a big, open country up there. Lots to see that you can't easily reach by rail. But great roads everywhere.
(3) In Hokkaido, start at the Shiretoko national park (bears and deer and foxes, oh my!!). Drive down via Akan national park (smouldering volcanic craters and caldera lakes and forests oh my!!).
(4) If you don't want to drive through all of Hokkaido you could drop the car in, say, Kushiro and take a train to Sapporo (4 hours). Stay in Sapporo or Otaru. I hear great things about them. Never been.
Hakodate is also supposed to be a nice little city - the gateway to Hokkaido.
(5) In Tohoku, I would want to see Hiraizumi, Sendai, Matsushima, which is all good. ANd basically more nature -- If you want more "wide open nature" there's loads.... On the "other side" (Japan sea side) of the Tohoku region, the Shirakami sanchi forest area is spectacularly unspoilt.
If you like splendidly isolated and somewhat desolate regions, then check out the Shimokita peninsula that hooks around to the North of Aomori. I believe that the region is home to one of Japan's famous "hidden valleys"
(Actually I think I passed by the hidden valley a few years ago in January - but it was hidden under a blanket of snow).
(6) For the Tohoku region, you might find the JR East flexible 4-day pass to be quite valuable .You just pick any four days and use the pass on those days. It doesn't force you to fit everything into a single week. And since you don't want to move around every single day, it might be a good option.
JR Hokkaido also has some 3 day and 5 day passes that might work out well for you.
(7) Terrific onsen all around Hokkaido and Tohoku.
The JNTO map interface is a pretty good way to get a picture of what the region holds:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/maps/index.html
In contrast with areas of Japan that you've visited before, the emphasis up North is more "nature" than "culture" -- although places like Hiraizumi hold cultural gems.
It's a vast region that we're talking about here, and there's much, much more to it than anyone could possibly describe in a single post, but as you work out your plans, please let us know -- This should be a wonderful trip.
Last edited by jib71; Feb 13, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Feb 13, 2008, 3:55 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Reno, NV
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,461
During the Tokyo stay, I recommend going to Mito in Ibaraki. This is where the Kairakuen is located, one of the three famous gardens in Japan. There are other interesting Tokugawa era artifacts also. Food is based on local specialty natto and ume. It is only one hour away on the Joban line express train from JR Ueno station.