17 days: Tokyo, Alps, Kyoto itinerary

Hi everyone,

We are a late 20s couple from London planning a trip to Japan in March 2015. We are in the middle of sorting our itinerary at the moment and would very much appreciate the help and knowledge of the TA community. We have the following sketched out so far but we are struggling with the middle in the Japanese Alps....

We are interested in getting as much of a flavour for Japan as possible. We are massive foodies, enjoy culture, history (not *too* many temples though, I don�ft think), walking, beautiful countryside, museums, local crafts etc etc. We don't mind touristy things, but would like to avoid tacky tourist traps and being surrounded by too many Western tour buses...! Planning on getting the 3 wk JR pass I think.

Anyway...

ARR: Friday 20th March at Haneda Airport at 7am. Go to hotel (drop bags if possible) explore a bit of Tokyo (outside if we can).

Sat 21st: in Tokyo

Sun 22nd: early morning train to Osaka for Sumo (pre-order tickets from buysumotickets.com). Overnight in Osaka - hoping to leave main bags either with hotel or at a train station locker and just travel with a backpack.

Mon 23rd: train back to Tokyo (maybe via Hakone)

Tues 24th – Thurs 26th: in Tokyo and surrounds (Nikko etc)

Fri 27th – Mon 30th: Train to Alps, 3.5 days in Alps (need help with this bit please! See below)

Tues 31st: get morning train to Kyoto

Weds 1st – Thurs 2nd : in Kyoto (incl trip to Iga Uneo maybe?)

Fri 3rd: To Yoshino. Overnight stay.

Sat 4th: Head to Mount Koya, overnight stay

Sun 5th: Into Osaka, overnight near airport

DEP: Mon 6th: Morning flight home out of Osaka.

Now, I know the start isn�ft ideal, but we booked the flights in a bit of a rush (booked on airmiles, family commitments etc) and only afterwards found out that the sumo was on in Osaka. We�fre quite keen to see it, even though it does throw a bit of a spanner in the planning works. Never mind. I�fm not sure the end is quite right either - I don't really want to spend a day in Osaka, but I don't think Koya warrants two, does it?

We�fre struggling with the Alps as we would like to do Masumoto for the castle (since Himeji is being renovated), Shibu onsens (so excited about onsens!), Shirakawa-go. I know that Masumoto and Shibu are nearish to each other on the Tokyo side, however we would like to see Shirakawa-go, and we need to exit the Alps on the Kyoto side. We don�ft really want to change hotels every night – we prefer to be at least 2 nights in one place if we can (looks at proposed itinerary and laughs). Any helps with ideas for this much appreciated – if visiting a different onsen town, or a different castle is a better idea, please say. We would like to visit a scenic pretty / outdoor onsen (preferably separate sex!) - any better suggestions that would fit, please let me know!

Also I would really like to visit a flea market (ideally one that does second hand goods – pottery, textiles, kimonos etc), and I realise we�fre spending our main weekend up in the Alps... any suggestions for ones that would fit well with the plan above? Not really bothered where.

Many thanks for all your help. :)

Do you know that you will be visiting Japan during Hanami (cherry blossom) season?? This opens up quite a few places which can look fantastic as a result.

A possible option could be Tokyo - Matsumoto (1 night) Kiso Valley (Tsumago & Magome) (2 nights, possibly Fujiya Ryokan) is possible for the Japanese Alps.

Or, another option is 1 night Inuyama (has a nice castle which should have Cherry Blossoms) and 2 nights Takayama.

Also for Kyoto - I would suggest staying in Kyoto for those 3 days and not to visit Iga-Ueno unless it's something that really important to you. Nara or Hikone are nice day trips from Kyoto but there really is plenty to see there compared to other towns...

Thanks for the response mfedley!

Yes, we know we are visiting during cherry blossom time - that's the reason for the trip :) (And why we have Yoshino in the trip at the end)

Thank you for the route suggestions - I will look in to these.

We were thinking of going to Iga-ueno for the ninja museum, but if that's not worth it we'll spend more time in Kyoto.

Also, do you think it would be possible to move the end of the schedule back a day, or is trying to do Yoshino on a Saturday in cherry blossom season absolutely nuts?

You are doing a lot of traveling! Keep in mind that October 22 is the last day of the sumo tournament and so that day may be in the most demand.

You said you were thinking about the 3 week (21 day) rail pass. Assuming you are seeing the sumo tournament, my recommendation is to purchase a 14-day Japan Rail Pass, and use it from your day of arrival, March 20, through April 2. The JR East Travel Service Center at Haneda opens at 7:45 so you can exchange your voucher for the rail pass there and make any JR reservations that you wish... If you know exactly where you are going and when you want to go, you can have the agent take care of your reservations here and not have to worry later.

From April 3 until your departure: Kyoto to Yoshino can be done cheaply and more efficiently by Kintetsu Railways, and Yoshino is done partially by Kintetsu (using JR from Yoshino to Hashimoto, then using Kintetsu to Mount Koya). Therefore I really do not see any justification to purchase a 21-day pass.


Monday the 23rd: You might want to spend a night in Hakone before going to Tokyo the following day. Otherwise, you'll need to leave early from Osaka in order to enjoy what Hakone offers in the course of just one day.

I meant to say, March 22 (not october) :)

Thanks JR Horse!

I will do some counting for the JR pass - see if we can get it down to two weeks :)

Thanks also for the tip about the train desk at the airport - I was wondering about how to book tickets!

I know that'll be the busiest day of sumo - I plan to pre-order tickets the day that pre-order is allowed :) if we were around the week before I would go then, it's just with the jetlag I want to be able to enjoy it, which means the SUnday is the best day...

I have had a suggestion from somewhere else that after Osaka, instead of going back to Tokyo via Hakone, I go into the alps then, and make a sort of loop back to Toyko that way. Then spend the other days in Tokyo, and after that get the train straight to Kyoto (+/- Hakone)... is that any more sensible?

I have had a suggestion from somewhere else that after Osaka, instead of going back to Tokyo via Hakone, I go into the alps then, and make a sort of loop back to Toyko that way. Then spend the other days in Tokyo, and after that get the train straight to Kyoto (+/- Hakone)... is that any more sensible?

Since in one direction you'd travel via the alps and another you'd travel via Hakone, it might not matter too much how you go about with the trip.

You may want to consider, for example, if going "route A" will save you more on accommodations than going "route B". As you get closer to the trip, then you can figure out the answer :)