12 days in Kanto Region

Dear all

I am planning for a trip to the Kanto Area from 10 to 22 Nov 15 to catch the koyo season, and I am hoping to run through my itinerary with you guys to see if it is doable or if there is a better way of shifting the places around. It's our second time to Tokyo so we are concentrating more on the outskirts this time around as we prefer nature sights rather than spending time in the city.

Day 1-3: Arrive in Haneda, cover sights in Tokyo
Day 4: Day trip to Mt Takao
Day 5: Day trip to Kamakura
Day 6: Day trip to Nikko
Day 7-8: Kusatsu Onsen, overnight stay (would 2 days be too long?)
Day 9-10: Fuji 5 Lakes, 2nd night in Matsumoto
Day 11: Tateyama Alpine Route from Matsumoto
Day 12: Kurobe Gorge from Toyama, return to Tokyo
Day 13: Flight from Haneda

Would this be feasible? I was thinking of purchasing a JR Kanto pass to be activated on Day 5 (where it would cover Kamakura, Nikko and Kusatsu Onsen), or would it make more sense to buy a JR pass to cover Fuji 5 Lakes, Tateyama Alpine Route and Matsumoto?

Any advice would be wonderful! I look forward to hearing from you guys =)

I see no problem.

Two days in Kusatsu sounds great. two nights sounds better. Do pick a good ryokan to stay at. It greatly influences the relaxation level. Especially if you are choosing a dinner plan.

JR Pass does not cover the trip to the five lakes. Neither does it cover the Alpine route.

A 7 day JR Pass from day 6 to 12 would pay off. The JR Pass doesn't cover the full trip to Kawaguchiko, you need to pay 1140 yen one way from Otsuki station to Kawaguchiko, and to get around fujigoko you need to travel by bus.
But it covers the rest of the train travel from:
- Tokyo to Otsuki and Otsuki to Matsumoto
- to and from Nikko (you can buy a bus pass at Nikko to cover the bus travel around Nikko)
- the train portion to and from Kusatsu
- Toyama to Kurobe Unazuki Onsen station, and from there to Tokyo. (Alpine Route and Kurobe gorge extra)

Having a quick look at hyperdia if you bought those train tickets individually it would cost you over 40,000 yen, so you'd definitely be ahead getting a 7 day JR pass, even with the extra costs for what it doesn't cover.

Might be better to put Kamakura near the end of your trip, based on previous autumn color reports colors usually peak in that area in Late Nov/early December.

To my calculations, JR 7 Day Pass does not pay off.

It might make some sense to travel between cities instead of doing day trips out of Tokyo. E.g. Nikko to Kusatsu is cheaper than returning to Tokyo at the end of every day. Also saves you time travelling to and fro. Since you are getting a pass, costs may not be your concern but time might be.

Even going straight from Nikko to Kusatsu I'm still getting 35690 yen for the JR portion of the travel.

Anyway OP, instead of us debating such things, you can work out if it's worthwhile by calculating train routes and costs using http://www.hyperdia.com/

The destinations part of this site will tell you what sections getting to and from each place are covered by the JR pass or not.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! it does sound like I would have to do some calculations to justify the cost of a JR pass for the second part of the trip.. I will check out Hyperdia and do some homework!

Just to point out Kusatsu stations are not in Gunman. The station for Kusatsu, before taking the bus into Kusatsu is NAGANOHARAKUSATSUGUCHI. The city does not have a train station. It does not costs 30k yen. Thats crazily impossible. I can fly from my country to Japan with that kind of money!!

Just to point out I don't think you are reading properly. I am aware of the station. Their question was about passes to get them around the whole trip, not one singular point.

Tokyo - Nikko = 5780 yen
Nikko - Naganoharukusatsuguchi = 2270 (not including the tobu section)
Naganoharukusatsuguchi - Otsuki = 8850
Otsuki - Matsumoto = 6370
Toyama - Kurobe Unazuki Onsen = 3140
Kurobe Unazuki Onsen - Tokyo = 12060

Total = 38470 yen
JR 7 day Pass = 29110 yen

Even if they took a train back from Kusatsu to just as far as Shinjuku, and a direct bus to Kawaguchiko from there they'd still be ahead with a JR Pass.

Okay. You win. Even without putting in the return trips to Tokyo. Since the OP is doing day trips.

Hi Mon and Joshua,

Wow you guys worked out everything for me already, that was much appreciated! I am definitely going to get a 7 Day JR Pass as recommended.

I also tweaked my itinerary a little so that I return to Tokyo earlier, to give some buffer rather than go back just the night before my morning flight. That trip would not be covered under the JR Pass but it is not too expensive to begin with.

Day 1-3: Arrive in Haneda, cover sights in Tokyo
Day 4: Day trip to Mt Takao
Day 5: Day trip to Nikko
Day 6-7: Kusatsu Onsen
Day 8-9: Fuji 5 Lakes, 2nd night in Matsumoto
Day 10: Tateyama Alpine Route from Matsumoto
Day 11: Kurobe Gorge from Toyama, return to Tokyo
Day 12: Day trip to Kamakura
Day 13: Flight from Haneda

I probably still will do day trips from Tokyo because I can't find cheaper accommodation in Nikko and having to check in and out, pack and unpack would be rather troublesome.

Anyone has any experience doing luggage delivery from hotel to apartment/Airbnb? Not sure if it would be feasible as I am thinking of doing luggage delivery from Matsumoto to Toyama.

Thanks once again for all your inputs!