Finalizing/optimizing itinerary

dear all,

In September I will be going for the first time to Japan. I planned my three weeks as following (see below), but I would like to hear your opinion if it is doable or very rushed, or that I am forgetting something or staying too long in one place and so on. All comments are welcome.

Also I would like to know if it would be wise for me to buy a JR pass with below schedule. Thanks a lot.

kind regards,

Frank

16-9-2017 Sat Amsterdam - Frankfurt - Tokyo
17-9-2017 Sun Arrival Tokyo 14:55
18-9-2017 Mon Tokyo day 1
19-9-2017 Tue Tokyo day 2
20-9-2017 Wed Tokyo - Mount Fuji (daytrip)
21-9-2017 Thu Tokyo - Kamakura ( optional daytrip)
22-9-2017 Fri Tokyo - Nikko (optional daytrip)
23-9-2017 Sat Tokyo day 3
24-9-2017 Sun Tokyo - Matsumoto
25-9-2017 Mon Matsumoto
26-9-2017 Tue Matsumoto - Takayama
27-9-2017 Wed Takayama
28-9-2017 Thu Takayama - Kyoto
29-9-2017 Fri Kyoto day 1
30-9-2017 Sat Kyoto day 2 -daytrip Nara
1-10-2017 Sun Kyoto - visit Yamazaki distillery
2-10-2017 Mon Kyoto - Osaka
3-10-2017 Tue Osaka - Himeji - Hiroshima
4-10-2017 Wed Hiroshima - Miyasjima
5-10-2017 Thu Miyasjima
6-10-2017 Fri Miyasjima - Hiroshima - Tokyo
Flight at 13:00 from Hiroshima
7-10-2017 Sat Tokyo - Munich - Amsterdam

Hi
It looks overall okay. I personally like temples so would stay longer in Kyoto and maybe reduce a day in Tokyo, but that's your call.
The optional side trips from Tokyo I would space them out over several days but also according to the weather otherwise it could be a bit stressful.

I don't know about rail passes. Sorry never used them.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Hi
It looks overall okay. I personally like temples so would stay longer in Kyoto and maybe reduce a day in Tokyo, but that's your call.
The optional side trips from Tokyo I would space them out over several days but also according to the weather otherwise it could be a bit stressful.

I don't know about rail passes. Sorry never used them.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Probably wouldn't stay 2 nights in Miyajima. Not so much to do there.

It looks like a good initial itinerary. How much time you�fd like to spend in each place would, of course, depend on what you plan to do while there. For me, spending more time in Kyoto instead of Tokyo would be fun because I like historic stuff and temples. But there�fs plenty to do in Tokyo to fill those days too.

For the train pass, you can use hyperdia to see how much every trip would cost and then calculate whether it�fs cheaper or not. If it were me, I�fd try to fit all the �etravel days�f within 14 days so I could buy that pass, which is cheaper than a 3-week pass. This would mean doing the daytrips successively or doing one of them before the JPR pass starts and buying a separate ticket for that cheapest daytrip.

Either way, I think you�fd have good value when I look at your trip but I can�ft be a 100 percent sure without calculating it.

That would make it something like this:
Day 1-4 Tokyo
Start JRP-1 Daytrip to Mount Fuji
JRP-2 Daytrip to either Nikko or Kamakura
JRP-3 Tokyo – Matsumoto
JRP-4 Matsumoto
JRP-5 Matsumoto – Takayama
JRP-6 Takayama
JRP-7 Takayama – Kyoto
JRP-8 Kyoto
JPR-9 Daytrip Nara
JPR-10 Kyoto visit Yamazaki distillery
JPR-11 Kyoto – Osaka
JPR-12 Osaka-Himeji-Hiroshima
JPR-13 Miyajima
End JPR-14 Hiroshima - Tokyo
Fly home

I removed that extra Miyajima night... Which you can add somewhere else (Kyoto probably). This would mean taking another one of the daytrips to an earlier date, but I Kamakura isn't that expensive by train (I think). Not sure about Mt. Fuji or Nikko.

Also, don't skip Nara! I loved it there - it was really one of my favourite daytrips during my own trip.

The 18th and 23th of September 2017 will be public holidays in Japan.

It would be better to prepare for possible bad weathers (which are due to a typhoon and/or an autumnal rain front), for example, by allowing more time to get back to Tokyo in case your flight (from HIJ to HND) should be canceled.

[Suggestion of minor changes]

(A) Sep. 28: To visit Suntory Yamazaki Distillery.
The official tour (1000 yen, about 80 minutes) currently has vacancy in the two time frames (09:50 - 11:10, 12:20 - 13:40) on this day.
: Reservation is necessary.
: Audio guides are available (, though not in German language).
http://www.suntory.com/factory/yamazaki/inspection/distillery_tour/
http://webapl.suntory.co.jp/factory/yamazaki/course/c__00012/td__20170...

(B-1) Sep. 23 - 27: To move up by one day the itinerary (currently for Sep. 24 - 28) from leaving Tokyo for Matsumoto City until reaching Kyoto City.
(B-2) Oct. 06: To have one day in Tokyo before flying out.

(D) Sep. 29 - 30: To explore Kyoto.

(E) Oct. 01: To stop by Nara City on the way to Osaka City.

(F) Oct. 03: To stop by Okayama City (= optional side trip) on the way from Himeji City to Miyajima Island.

(G-1) Oct. 04, by the evening: To reach Hiroshima City.
(G-2) Oct. 05, in the morning: To visit Hiroshima Peace Park.
(G-3) Oct. 05, in the morning: To head to Hiroshima Airport [HIJ].
Compared to Miyajima Island, Hiroshima City is closer to HIJ.

[Suggestion of minor changes: Supplement]

(C) Sep. 25: To stop by Hirayu Onsen (= optional side trip) on the way from Matsumoto City to Takayama City.

[Transportation modes and passes]

Round trips from Tokyo to Kamakura, to Nikko and to Lake Kawaguchi(ko) among the Fuji Five Lakes
- JR TOKYO Wide Pass
(Sold at 10000 yen, good for 3 consecutive days)
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/tokyowidepass/index.html
- Separate fees for Enoden train rides in Kamakura, bus rides + maybe Lake Chuzenji Cruise in Nikko City and bus + maybe ropeway rides around Lake Kawaguchiko.

From Tokyo to Matsumoto
- Bus from Shinjuku to Matsumoto
(3500 yen, about 2 and a half hours; jointly operated by Keio Bus and Alpico Kotsu)
http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/matsumoto_shinjuku/
https://www.highwaybus.com/gp/inbound/inbPlanList?lineId=150

Inside Matsumoto City
- Town Sneaker Bus One-day pass
(sold at 500 yen)

From Matsumoto to Takayama
- Bus from Matsumoto via Hirayu Onsen to Takayama
(3190 yen or 2370 + 1570 yen; jointly operated by Alpico Kotsu and Nohi Bus)
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/matsumoto.pdf
: Seat reservation are not required on this bus line.

From Takayama to Kyoto
- Bus from Takayama via Kyoto to Osaka
(4200 yen until Kyoto; jointly operated by Nohi Bus and Kintetsu Bus)
http://www.kintetsu-bus.co.jp/en/express/routelist/route_gujohachiman_...
http://willerexpress.com/st/178/en/pc/bus/route/calendar.php?oR=280500...

Inside Kyoto City
- Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto Bus One-Day Pass
(Sold at 500 yen)
https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/webguide/en/ticket/regular_1day_ca...

From Kyoto via Nara, Osaka, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima to Miyajima, then back to Hiroshima, then to Hiroshima Airport [HIJ]
- JR-West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
(Sold online at 13500 yen, good for 5 consecutive days)
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/
- Separate fees for non-JR train rides in Osaka City, bus rides in Himeji City + maybe Okayama City, Hiroden Streetcar rides in Hiroshima City and a bus ride from Shiraichi Station to HIJ.

Inside Nara City
- Nara Kotsu Bus Nara Park Nishinokyo 1-Day Pass
(Sold at 500 yen)
http://www.narakotsu.co.jp/language/en/pass.html

Hi Frank,

It looks like you have already had a lot of very useful advice. Apologies if I am repeating this info as I haven't the time to read it all...

Nice schedule, good pace, just a little off with the stay weightings. The flow is pretty good as it is quite efficient. I would personally, tweak your itinerary as follows:

16-9-2017 Sat Amsterdam - Frankfurt - Tokyo
17-9-2017 Sun Arrival Tokyo 14:55
18-9-2017 Mon Tokyo day 1
19-9-2017 Tue Takayama (Sleep in Takayama)
20-9-2017 Wed Matsumoto, Kamikochi (Sleep in Takayama) - Kamikochi is stunning!
21-9-2017 Thu Hidafurakawa, Shirakawago (Sleep in Shirakawago) - Hidafura 20 mins from Takayama
22-9-2017 Fri Kanazawa (Sleep in Kanazawa) - Kanazawa used to be capital, samurai area, great park!
23-9-2017 Sat Kyoto (Sleep in Kyoto) - Be sure to visit the Gion area
24-9-2017 Sun Nara (Sleep in Kyoto)
25-9-2017 Mon Kyoto distillery (Sleep in Kyoto)
26-9-2017 Tue Osaka (Sleep in Osaka) - When checking out in morning, leave luggage at hotel.
27-9-2017 Wed Koyasan (Sleep in Koyasan temple) - Take an overnight or backpack. fantastic place!
28-9-2017 Thu Osaka (Sleep in Osaka) - Return to same hotel
29-9-2017 Fri Himeji, Hiroshima (Sleep in Hiroshima) - Get to Himeji castle early to avoid crowds. 9ish
30-9-2017 Sat Miyajima (Sleep in Miyajima or Hiroshima)
1-10-2017 Sun Hiroshima – fly to Tokyo (Sleep in Tokyo)
2-10-2017 Mon Kamakura, Hakone (Sleep in Hakone)
3-10-2017 Tue Hakone, Yokohama (Sleep in Yokohama or Tokyo)
4-10-2017 Wed Nikko (Sleep in Tokyo)
5-10-2017 Thu Tokyo (Sleep in Tokyo)
6-10-2017 Fri Tokyo (Sleep in Tokyo)
7-10-2017 Sat Tokyo - Munich - Amsterdam

The reason I started your trip moving early and left Tokyo at the end is based on my several trips. It may or may not suit you. I found that it gives you a chance to unwind and slow the pace down, so when you return home it feels like you were on a holiday and not in need of one :)

In addition, if you want to do some shopping, you can leave it to last in Tokyo and not have to carry it all around Japan.

Good luck - Sounds exciting - I will be traveling in late December this time, my 1st Japanese winter :D

dear all,

thanks a lot for so much usefull tips. I am still a bit confused about the so many transportation options and the many train lines that can be or can not be used when having a Japan Rail Pass, and if I should buy one.

Regarding the flight from Hirosjima to Tokyo. I already have booked it for the 6th of October, so one day before my trip back home. How often does it happen in this period that flights are delayed or cancelled because of typhoons? Am I taking a big risk, or are there possibilities to get back to Tokyo still the same day by night train or bus even if the flight is not going?

thanks,

Frank