Niigata City sights

Hi.
Will be in Niigata city in mid-October; how many days do you reckon we should allocate for this city ?

FWIW, we intend to spend approximately 0.5+ days in the city :
30 Oct arrive from Sado island on the afternoon ferry (~3.30pm)
31 Oct depart Niigata for Tokyo (afternoon)

This only leaves us with part of the afternoon at Niigata and the following morning.

Wonder if this sufficient to see whatever main sights there are in Niigata city ?
Any thoughts ?

Thanks.

Unsure what you are looking for in Niigata city. I was there for 2 days last year for the Hanabi and did not find anything special about the city.

Ha ha ha, sounds like even half a day there is more than sufficient, if at all !

Well, I am sort of on transit from Sado island and Tokyo, so thought of spending a night there.

Anyone has some recommended sights to visit in the city ?
I understand sake is very well known in Niigata, so thought of going for sake tasting, any recommendations ?

My itinerary just before and after Niigata :
day 1 Wakura Onsen to Niigata to Sado island
days 2-3 Sado island (2 full days)
day 4 Sado island to Niigata
day 5 Niigata to Tokyo

day 1 seems like a very long train journey, almost 4.5 hours.

I don't drink alcohol but Ponshukan near Niigata station might be a good place to taste Sake.

https://www.tripadvisor.jp/Attraction_Review-g298120-d4893357-Reviews-...

I took a city loop bus in Niigata and visited some museums in Niigata.

https://www.tripadvisor.jp/Attraction_Review-g298120-d7353792-Reviews-...

Among them, I love the Old Saito Residence. You can enjoy Japanese style residence with Kyoto-style garden there. Honestly in Kyoto you can't see the inside of many famous temples so this place might be even better.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Attraction_Review-g298120-d4810894-Revi...

Thanks frog1954 !

As I will be in Niigata in October, do you think I will be able to enjoy the autumn foliage at Saito Residence ?

Has anyone been to Sekiyo-no-Sato park (Nakano Residence Museum of Art) for the autumn foliage ?
I heard there is a autumn foliage festival there for a month from 24 October.

Is the Toki Messe observatory the same as the Befco Bakauke Observatory in Nikko hotel ?

Thanks.

As I will be in Niigata in October, do you think I will be able to enjoy the autumn foliage at Saito Residence ?

I am afraid you will be too early to see autumn foliage in the middle of October. The peak seems to be one month later.

Has anyone been to Sekiyo-no-Sato park (Nakano Residence Museum of Art) for the autumn foliage ?
I heard there is a autumn foliage festival there for a month from 24 October.

I have not been there but as far as I searched, it will be also too early.

Is the Toki Messe observatory the same as the Befco Bakauke Observatory in Nikko hotel ?

Yes. I think the Nikko hotel occupies the part of the building. The Toki Messe is close to the Sado ferry terminal.

Got it, many thanks.
Will it be too early to view the autumn foliage at Sado island too ?
Hoping to catch it at the Sado Great Skyline if the weather permits.
Thanks.

According to this page

https://koyo.walkerplus.com/detail/ar0415e12612/

the peak in Osado Skyline is late October, while you will be able to enjoy some color from mid October.

Thanks again frog1954.
I don't suppose you have been to Sado island and join those bus tours ?
http://www.sado-bus.com/sightseeing/

Any recommendations ?
Wonder if the Northern Coast is worth a detour (Ōno-game 大野亀, Futatsu-game formation 二つ亀) ?
Understand those bus tours do not bring us there, so will have to charter a taxi or so which will be extremely expensive.

Thanks.

I don't suppose you have been to Sado island and join those bus tours ?

No, I have never been to Sado island. However, island is always nice I think and you will enjoy it. How about renting a car? The traffic will not be heavy and you will enjoy driving.

Unfortunately we cannot drive, hence have to rely on others to bring us around :(

Then you can use bus pass (3 day 3000 yen).

https://www.visitsado.com/tosado/insado/freepass/

At least some people do the bus trip around Sado.

https://4travel.jp/travelogue/11002299

Bus route and timetable.

http://www.sado-bus.com/route/

If you want to know some specific route, please let us know your accommodation(s) and ferry timetable.

Unfortunately we cannot drive, hence have to rely on others to bring us around

lifesucketh :(

Thanks frog1954 for the links.

We will be staying near Ryotsu Harbour (Sado Kiraku ryokan to be exact) and will have 2 full days in Sado island.
Sat day 1 : arrive Sado at 5.30 pm from Niigata
Sun/Mon days 2-3 : leisure
Tue day 4 : flexible departure back to Niigata, tough would prefer an early afternoon ferry.

I reckon the bus route I will need is : http://www.sado-bus.com/route/uchikaifu.html
to get to 外海府海岸 or 大野亀 or 二つ亀の (northern coast) ?

If I join tour courses 202, 203 and 101, I will not have time to visit the northern coast.
http://www.sado-bus.com/sightseeing/

There are bound to be overlaps in the sights visited for the 3 tours above.

Seems like there are some interesting things to see/do: http://enjoyniigata.com/en/digitalpamphlet/niigatacity/index.html

I reckon the bus route I will need is : http://www.sado-bus.com/route/uchikaifu.html
to get to 外海府海岸 or 大野亀 or 二つ亀の (northern coast) ?

Yes, you are right.

If I join tour courses 202, 203 and 101, I will not have time to visit the northern coast.
http://www.sado-bus.com/sightseeing/

202 and 203 are for winter season, and since you will be travel on October, you will be in the summer season. Take 102 (morning) and 101 (afternoon) tour sequentially and you will enjoy most of the Sado's attractions.

You can do them on Sunday or Monday and another day you can go to 大野亀 and 二つ亀. One day bus pass is 1500 yen which is cheaper than the round trip from Ryotsu to 大野亀 or 二つ亀.

How about this kind of thing?

https://www.city.niigata.lg.jp/miryoku/sukima_time/1hour_3hour/junkanb...
Began the Bandai bridge of symbols, around facilities and cityscapes such as aquariums, museums, art museums etc. scattered around the city center, around the tourist circulation bus in Niigata City. It is a handy course of bus for adults of 210 yen per lap, about 70 minutes per lap. I am looking forward to a wrapping bus in cooperation with famous manga artists who are familiar with Niigata City. There is also a 1 day ticket with benefits (500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children).

Also, if you are going to stay overnight, a seafood pub is also recommended.

Thanks you all.

I was referring to tour courses 202 & 203 in October :
http://www.sado-bus.com/sightseeing/img/7_180219.pdf

Will certainly consider the suggestion on how to visit 大野亀 and 二つ亀.

Cheers.

Hi,

Sorry about misunderstanding.

You can take 202, 203 on Sunday and Monday and then take regular bus on Tuesday to 大野亀 and 二つ亀. But as you wrote 202 and 203 have some overlap and both of them do not have Osado Skyline. I think it might be better to take 101 and 102 in one day and take "regular bus" for the other two days. The main attraction that 202 and 203 include but not 101 or 102 should be Shukunegi and the surrounding area, but you can do it with the regular bus I think.

Noted, many thanks frog1954.