Nikko - Jigokudani Yaenkoen - Shirakawa-go

Hi,

I am planning for a 12 days trip. but i am unclear how to travel from:

Nikko (Day trip from Tokyo)

Nikko - Jigokudani Yaenkoen (Staying 1 night)

Jigokudani Yaenkoen - Shirakawa (Staying in Takayama for 1 night)

According to google map, Nikko to Jigokudani Yaenkoen (5 hours ++), Jigokudani Yaenkoen to Takayama (14 hours++).

anyone can verify this? or is there a more efficient way to travel to those places? FYI i will be using a JR Pass.

Thank you

Nikko (Day trip from Tokyo)

If it is a day trip don't you return to Tokyo? Or are you planning on going from Tokyo in the morning, spending the day at Nikko, and trying to get to Jigokudani that night??

Nikko - Jigokudani Yaenkoen (Staying 1 night)

This will take around 4.5 hours.

Jigokudani Yaenkoen - Shirakawa (Staying in Takayama for 1 night)

Jigokudani to Takayama via trains is around 8 hours. You can go from Jigokudani to Matsumoto in around 2.5 hours and then take the bus for 2.5 hours to Takayama. The bus is not covered by the JR Pass.
Choose to/from Matsumoto:-
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5908.html

Shirakawago is obviously a bus ride from Takayama (not covered by JR Pass)
http://www.japan-guide.com/bus/shirakawago.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5953.html

You can use hyperdia for trains/timetables, but it knows nothing about buses.
http://www.hyperdia.com/

Maybe it is best if you detail your full itinerary or list of places you wish to see and it will be easier to advise how to arrange it.

Enjoy your trip!

Thank you so much for your reply.

below are my detail itinerary:

Will arrive Japan on the 24/12/12. Leaving 04/12/12.

Day 1: Reach Kansai Airport.
Day 2: Osaka (Kaiyukan, Umeda sky building)
Day 3: Osaka/Kyoto (Osaka-Jo, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kinkaku-ji)
Day 4: Kyoto (Nijo-Jo, Nishiki Market, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion)
Day 5: Nara (Todai-Ji, Shin-Yakushi-ji, Horyuji Temple)
Day 6: Kobe (Arime Onsen, Mt Rokko)
Day 7: Tokyo
Day 8: Tokyo
Day 9: Nikko
Day 10: Jigokudani (Reach by day 9. Staying a night)
Day 11: Shirakawago (Reach by day 10. Staying a night in Takayama)
Day 12: Osaka (Reach by Day 11)

FYI, day 1 to 4 i will be using JR West Rail Pass. Day 5 to day 11 - JR Rail Pass

I was thinking, reaching Nikko in the morning, leaving in the late afternoon or evening straight to Jigukudani. Staying in Nagano area for the night. and see the snow monkey in the early morning.

Day 10, after visiting snow monkey, planning to travel to Takayama to stay a night there and visit shirakawago the next day (day 11). Go back to Osaka in the evening to catch my flight home in the early morning.

My question is, how can i travel efficiently (to utilize my JR Pass and save some time)?

Also, please drop any suggestion about my itinerary as this is my first trip to Japan.

thank you in advanced for your reply :)

Will arrive Japan on the 24/12/12. Leaving 04/12/12.

Visit during New Year
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html

Day 1: Reach Kansai Airport.
Day 2: Osaka (Kaiyukan, Umeda sky building)
Day 3: Osaka/Kyoto (Osaka-Jo, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kinkaku-ji)

Where is your hotel in Osaka?

I'd see Osaka Castle first on Day 2, then Kaiyukan, then Umeda Sky. This will make Day 3 easier. I'd see Kinkakuji first, then Arashiyama.

Day 4: Kyoto (Nijo-Jo, Nishiki Market, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion)
Day 5: Nara (Todai-Ji, Shin-Yakushi-ji, Horyuji Temple)
Day 6: Kobe (Arime Onsen, Mt Rokko)


Also good.

Day 7: Tokyo
Day 8: Tokyo
Day 9: Nikko
Day 10: Jigokudani (Reach by day 9. Staying a night)

If you stay at Nagano then Nikko to Nagano on Day 9 should be ok. Just make sure you book all of your trains in advance.

Day 11: Shirakawago (Reach by day 10. Staying a night in Takayama)

Seems ok.

Day 12: Osaka (Reach by Day 11)

Might make sense to go Takayama - Shirakawago - Kanazawa - Osaka. Will be slightly cheaper and save you time too.

FYI, day 1 to 4 i will be using JR West Rail Pass.

That would be a waste of money and will not pay off. Individual tickets will be cheaper.

Day 5 to day 11 - JR Rail Pass

Seems fine.

I was thinking, reaching Nikko in the morning, leaving in the late afternoon or evening straight to Jigukudani. Staying in Nagano area for the night. and see the snow monkey in the early morning.

Nikko to Nagano is 3 hours so should be fine.

Day 10, after visiting snow monkey, planning to travel to Takayama to stay a night there and visit shirakawago the next day (day 11).

Ok.

Go back to Osaka in the evening to catch my flight home in the early morning.

As above, come back via Kanazawa. You may wish to allocate some time to actually see something in Kanazawa too.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2167.html

My question is, how can i travel efficiently (to utilize my JR Pass and save some time)?

All explained above.

Also, please drop any suggestion about my itinerary as this is my first trip to Japan.

Seems fine to me in general, although is a pretty fast pace which I assume you prefer.

dear GC3, thank you so much for the feedback.

i will be staying quite close to Tsūtenkaku. If we can fit kaiyukan and osakajo in a day, then it would be great.

will visit Kanawaza if its on the way and if there is time.

the last 3 places are real pack and fast, but with 12 days, i wanna maximize my time in the last few days to visit must places during winter :)

but thank you so much for the feedback

I'm surprised the Japan Guide New Years page makes only a brief mention of New Years Eve. I always found it more enjoyable than fighting the huge crowds on New Years Day.
At Zojyoji, a large temple in Tokyo, they make a bonfire using old wooden grave markers, then at midnight they let foreigners line up to ring the huge temple bell (108 times). There are lots of food stands and it is a very festive occasion.