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A 21 day itinerary 2015/4/27 04:44
Hi all,

After some research I have come up with the following itinerary for my 22 day trip to Japan, which will start on May 11th. I based the trip on the suggested plans at this site, but slowed down the pace a bit, as we like staying more time in a place. Do you think it's too slow, and/or doable?

Hopefully you will enjoy fine tuning it. THANKS for the help!

11th May: Arrive at Haneda Airport at 22:45.

12nd May - 17th May : Full immersion in Tokyo, including two one day side trips to Kamakura and Hakone on days 3 and 5. [This is the only place where we have already booked accomodation]

18th-19th May: We depart towards Nikko, and stay there two days.

20th May: We depart towards Takayama, and stay there for the afternoon and night.

21st May: Discover Takayama during the day and afternoon and leave towards Kanazawa in the evening.

22nd May : Stay full day on Kanazawa.

23rd May : Visit Shirakawa-go and depart towards Kyoto in the evening.

24th May-27th May : Kyoto, including a one day trip to Nara

28th May : From Kyoto to Koya-san. Overnight there! (suggestions?)

29th May : In the afternoon, depart from Koya-san to Osaka

30th May : Stay in Osaka

31st May : A side trip to Himeji, overnight in Osaka

1st June : From Osaka to Tokyo, from Tokyo to Haneda airport.

2nd June :[ be] At 00:20 we take a flight back home!

Things to note:

- We plan to buy 21 day JR Passes. Otherwise, a 14 day pass would have to be activated the day we part from Nikko towards Takayama. Is that a good idea?
- The first day we arrive in Haneda at 22:45. Is it too late to go to Tokyo already? Should we book a couple of rooms in First Cabin? The ideal thing would be to go to Tokyo at night and enjoy a bit of it, but we are not sure if accommodation will be available without booking.
- I have the feeling that some junction points of the itinerary (chiefly Nikko-Takayama) are not optimal. Do you feel the same way?
- Can Kamikochi and/or Kiso Valley fit in the itinerary? Or are they a good alternative to the Takayama-Kanazawa plan?

Thanks in advance for your help. I know that this has been addressed a gazillion times, but it's really difficult to fine tune things, even after hours of search!















by Jon E. (guest)  

Re: A 21 day itinerary 2015/4/27 16:15
Well would do you plan to do in Tokyo at that time? If drinking or karaoke or red light districts are your idea of fun, then sure.

If not, there isnt much open at that time.


Individual tickets would be more cost effective for your trip.

I do not find Takayama particularly interesting. Especially if you are going to Kyoto. Skip out on Takayama to spend more time in Kanazawa.

You are spending far too much time in Osaka. If you want to go to Kamikochi, take a day or two out from Osaka.

You could stay in Tokyo for your first night. Or use the First Cabin Haneda. Either way is fine.

Any of the temple lodging at Koyasan would be fine. Nearer the city center is ideal because the main temple, the tourist info, and the resturant are there.
That said, Koya is pretty small. The main attractions are the main temple in the center and Okunoin to the east. Also, the bus stops every few metres. It is easy to get around.

Unless you head there early and want to have lunch, there is no point staying near central. Anywhere between central and east is fine. West has little and north has nothing much. South does not exist.

Tempura soba good at the resturant. Tourist information is good for a basic map. Really small town and nothing much else to do. Do choose a lodging that provides breakfast and dinner. The cusine is a rare style.
by jh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A 21 day itinerary 2015/4/27 18:42
Thanks for your great answer!

- Probably I have a slightly unrealistic picture of Tokyo at night! But you are probably right. By the way, what is the usual final check in time for capsule hotels? Will we be able to get to Shinjuku and find one, or is best to book in advance?
- Could you help me a bit fitting Kamikochi and Kiso Valley into the itinerary? When do you think is the best moment? I would like my last day to be a easy train ride from a main city to Tokyo, instead of being slightly farther away in the "wild"...
- Thanks for your great Koyasan tips!
by Jon E (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A 21 day itinerary 2015/4/27 19:16
- We plan to buy 21 day JR Passes. Otherwise, a 14 day pass would have to be activated the day we part from Nikko towards Takayama. Is that a good idea?

Price it out using hyperdia to see which is cheaper:

http://www.hyperdia.com/

- The first day we arrive in Haneda at 22:45. Is it too late to go to Tokyo already? Should we book a couple of rooms in First Cabin? The ideal thing would be to go to Tokyo at night and enjoy a bit of it, but we are not sure if accommodation will be available without booking.

There are late buses, but it's pretty much too late to do anything meaningful. I'd stay at first cabin at the airport. You can book ahead of time online.

- I have the feeling that some junction points of the itinerary (chiefly Nikko-Takayama) are not optimal. Do you feel the same way?

Nikko-Takayama is a little awkward, but what're you gonna do. There's no easy way to travel between the two. You could move your nikko day so that you have a night in Tokyo between which might smooth things out a bit. Then you can also use one of the Tobu Nikko Free Passes to save money on transport:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

- Can Kamikochi and/or Kiso Valley fit in the itinerary? Or are they a good alternative to the Takayama-Kanazawa plan?

Kamikochi is quite a bit out of the way. The Kiso Valley could fit route-wise, but I'd probably skip it. Too similar to your other destinations. Btw, it looks like your itinerary is pretty temple/history heavy with a lot of similar destinations. I'd consider swapping out Kamakura for something else, it's kinda like Kyoto-lite for those who don't make it out west.

- Probably I have a slightly unrealistic picture of Tokyo at night! But you are probably right. By the way, what is the usual final check in time for capsule hotels?

Same as regular hotels.

Will we be able to get to Shinjuku and find one, or is best to book in advance?

Best to book in advance if you can. When are you arriving?
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

Re: A 21 day itinerary 2015/4/27 20:26
Going takayama from Hakone (JR Odawara) will be much more convenient than Nikko possible to rebook your lodging?

Nikko can be in the earlier part of your Tokyo days.

I will recommend that Kyoto and Osaka be swapped, so you have rustic, modern, rustic alternating. mount koya is also nearer to Osaka compared to Kyoto.
by soulocean (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: A 21 day itinerary 2015/4/28 01:26
Price it out using hyperdia to see which is cheaper:
http://www.hyperdia.com/


Thanks, that's a sweet website. I'd seen it before but found it too daunting to try. It's actually quite straightforward.

Btw, it looks like your itinerary is pretty temple/history heavy with a lot of similar destinations. I'd consider swapping out Kamakura for something else, it's kinda like Kyoto-lite for those who don't make it out west.

That's very true... do you have any suggestions to spice things up? What do you have in mind, maybe natural areas, or rural places? We wanted to keep things as simple as possible transportation wise, being our first trip to Japan; but if you see anything that's a good fit, we'd be grateful for suggestions!

Best to book in advance if you can. When are you arriving?

We will arrive the 11th of May at 22:45, and probably will stay at First Cabin. It actually looks like a fun experience in and of itself!

Thanks for your great answers and taking time to help! :D
by Jon E. (guest) rate this post as useful

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