Free & Easy Itinerary

Hi, I plan to travel to Japan and have 2 different travelling periods : between 26/12/14 to 02/01/15 or 14/02/15 to 21/02/15.

I need advices as follows :-

1) Which of the above 2 travelling periods is best ?

2) I will arrive at Narita airport, how do I travel to Osaka as I plan to start my itineary from Osaka to Tokyo.

3) Need suggestion to visit places of interest as follows :-

- Day 01-03 (2D 2N) in Osaka (to include Universal Studio)

- Day 03-05 (2D 2N) in Kyoto (to include Onsen & Ryokan stay)

- Day 05-08 (4D 3N) in Tokyo (to include Disneyland park)

Please advise if the above number of days is sufficient to cover all.

Also, how far is the distance from Tokyo to Disneyland and which is the best form of transport to use.

Thank you for all your advises.

Tks & Rgds
Emgoh

Hi, I plan to travel to Japan and have 2 different travelling periods : between 26/12/14 to 02/01/15 or 14/02/15 to 21/02/15.

I need advices as follows :-

1) Which of the above 2 travelling periods is best ?

::: Going in February will be much cheaper for hotels as Dec 31st and Jan 1st are Blackout dates for hotels and their prices will skyrocket. It's also a much busier time for travelling around so overall, Feb is better but the New year festivities are of course fun to see and participate in. If money's not such an issue, maybe New Year is better.

2) I will arrive at Narita airport, how do I travel to Osaka as I plan to start my itineary from Osaka to Tokyo.

::: If you can't change your flight to arrive in Kansai Airport, you'll have to get from NRT to Tokyo Stn on either the Limousine Bus or the Narita Express and then take the shinkansen to Oskaka.

3) Need suggestion to visit places of interest as follows :-

- Day 01-03 (2D 2N) in Osaka (to include Universal Studio)

::: Osaka aquarium, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Umeda etc

- Day 03-05 (2D 2N) in Kyoto (to include Onsen & Ryokan stay)

::: No onsen in Kyoto itself. Staying in a ryokan in Kyoto will give you the traditional Japanese room experience plus the dinners but no hot springs and no lovely views. If you do stay in a ryokan, somewhere rural rather than in a city centre is better, IMO...

- Day 05-08 (4D 3N) in Tokyo (to include Disneyland park)

Please advise if the above number of days is sufficient to cover all.

::: Essentially, yes... depends what you want to do..

Also, how far is the distance from Tokyo to Disneyland and which is the best form of transport to use.

::: Take the JR Musashino Line from Tokyo Stn to Maihama and change there to the Disney Resort Line. Takes about 25 mins...

Have you decided which area in Osaka City / Kyoto City / Tokyo Metropolis will you stay in?

how far is the distance from Tokyo to Disneyland and which is the best form of transport to use.

The both depend on your starting point in Tokyo.

Maihama Station on JR Keiyo Line is near Tokyo Disney Resort, which is actually located outside Tokyo Metropolis.
A transfer to a Keiyo Underground track in Tokyo Station is long, and travelers who have not got accustomed may need more than 10 minutes to make it.
You may take another route to avoid the long transfer in Tokyo Station, but again that depends on your starting point.
(Please make sure to avoid Ltd. Express trains and Commuter Rapid trains skipping Maihama.)
(The JR section Tokyo -- Maihama belongs to Keiyo Line, but there are also trains running to and from Musashino Line, so in Tokyo Station sings for the both lines are found together.)

From Maihama Station of JR (South Exit), you can walk to Resort Gateway Station on Disney Resort Line of monorail.

how do I travel to Osaka

You can make a transfer from a "Narita Express" train to a Tokaido Shinkansen train in Shinagawa Station. That is shorter and simpler than a transfer in Tokyo Station, where the two places are located apart both vertically and horizontally. You can use Shinkansen until Shin-Osaka Station and switch to either a JR non-Shinkansen line or subway Midosuji Line.

A foreign visitor can travel by JR from Narita Airport / Airport Terminal 2 to Shinagawa for 1500 yen per adult with a N�fEX Tokyo Direct Ticket.
Depending on your itinerary, you can save your JR cost by using a 7-day Japan Rail Pass on Narita International Airport [NRT] -- Kansai Region -- Tokyo Metropolis.

I will arrive at Narita airport
I plan to start my itinerary from Osaka to Tokyo.

Do you have a special reason why you should choose Narita International Airport [NRT]? If not, check your flight options to/from Tokyo International Airport [Haneda Airport, HND], Central Japan International Airport [Centrair, NGO] (near Nagoya City) and Kansai International Airport [KIX] (in Osaka Prefecture).
Narita International Airport [NRT], even though it is located outside Tokyo, has been sometimes regarded as an airport in Tokyo.

1. I agree that February is better

3. My Kyoto sights recommendations: Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Gion District, Pontocho Alley, The Philosopher's Path, Nishiki Market, Arashiyama District

More on Kyoto: http://www.blaineanderin.com/two-days-kyoto/

My Tokyo sights recommendations: Sensoji Temple, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower Observation Deck, Shibuya Crossing, Shinjuku neighborhood + Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, Ginza, Tsukiji Fish Market, Ueno Park + Ameyokocho Market

Tokyo itineraries: http://www.blaineanderin.com/tokyo-one-day-itineraries/

everyone is forgetting one very important question. Can you take the cold? Feburary is full on winter!
December has light snow if any. And still some autumn colours.

I am grateful to all your swift reply and advices. I am still contemplating the actual month of travelling. As I am aware of the train transport in Japan is pretty complicating, that's why I need more time to plan ahead and work out an ideal itinerary. Nevertheless, I will definitely and am looking forward for my next holiday in Japan.

Once again, greatly appreciate all your detailed information.

Have a blessed coming weekend :)

Trains in Japan aren't confusing. Only on Tokyo. And I mean only.
It's confusing cause many lines cross and cut each other. But that actually means there's more choices. It's more about saving 5 minutes here and losing 8 minutes there than actually getting lost. No issue about the confusion really.
If lost, ask the train staff. They do know some English. The main issue of confusion actually lies in knowing which exit to take and how to walk there. It can feel worse than Italy...