Help With Planinng Daytrips

Hello everyone,

We will visit Japan for the 5th time in late March, staying 5 nights in Tokyo and 5 in Osaka.

We have already been to the main attrctions in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Miyajima before.

We already know the hotels and we will have to go back to them every night (in Tokyo and in Osaka).

Can anyone offer us ideas for nice daytrips from Tokyo and Osaka? (we will have the JR pass for 7 days).

We were thinkg about the Snow Monkey park and Kanazawa, are these doable in a day from Tokyo or Osaka (from where should we go there if at all?), are there any other nice things to visit? Maybe somthing nice around Fuji area? everyday has to end in Tokyo or Osaka.

Our main intrests in Japan are: food, Onsen, Byōbu and beutiful views of nature (provided that we can go back to our hotel for the night).

Another question: If we have the JR Pass (Green Car) will we have any discount upgrading to Gran cars, as oposed to JR Pass (ordinary cars)?

Thank you very much!

Both Nagano and Kanazawa are a bit far for day trips. Consider using them as stopovers between Osaka and Tokyo (e.g. Tokyo - Nagano - Osaka - Kanazawa - Tokyo).

For actual day trips from each city, look at their pages on this website. On the right-hand side, you will find a section labelled day trips.

For Gran Class, you will have to pay the full (seat) fare. It makes no difference if you have an ordinary or green pass.

Hi!

Nagano, from Tokyo is a very doable day trip (I've done it) the problem with the Snow Monkeys is you're talking another hour+ further by train, then another bus, and then a 20-45 minute (depending on season and your pace walk) just to get to the monkeys. There are direct tour buses from Nagano, but they do cost more and again you still end up with the 20-45 minute walk.

I've done Kanazawa as a day trip from Kyoto. It wasn't that bad. You won't see everything, but you can still see a lot.

Good luck!

I am going to Japan on March 24th. I was planning on going to the Snow Monkeys until I researched and by then the snow is completely melted and the Monkeys no longer go inside the pools.
Since I am traveling on Hanami dates (Cherry Viewing Season) I will instead go to Yoshino.