Kansai - Shirakawa-go Itinerary and Transport

My family (2 adult 2 children 8,10 yo) is planning a trip to Kansai on 26/11/18 - 5/12/18. My main interest is to visit Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Shirakawa-go. Below is my tentative plan:

26/11- Reach Kansai Airport @6am
-Kyoto
27/11- Kyoto (Arashiyama)
28/11- Kyoto
29/11- Nagoya
30/11- Nagoya (stay Takayama)
1/12- Shirakawa-go (stay Takayama)
2/12- Takayama (half day, stay Osaka)
3/12- Nara, Osaka
4/12- Osaka
5/12- Osaka
6/12 - 10:30am flight @Kansai airport

1) Is my itinerary workable? Or is there a better suggestion?
2)Please advise the efficient and budget way on the transportation between the place. Public transportation, car rental etc.
3) Any tourist passes is recommended for my trip?

I have been studying the transportation for a week. But it really too complicated and makes me confused. Hope to seek for your valuable advices. Thanks in advance.

You should note that late November is the autumn foliage season in Kyoto so the accommodation tend to be busy and expensive.

https://goo.gl/xwp7cd

This is the result of Booking.com and you will see many hotels accommodating two adults and two children are around 1500 USD for three nights. You can find cheaper hotels but they usually provides very small rooms.

As you see, Kyoto Hanafuji Annex is rather inexpensive (743 USD for three nights) and provides very large room. Actually this is a whole house (probably for a local family) and may be recently opened so this is still available.

https://goo.gl/s95HCu


This is not in the touristic place and you must do some train rides, but the price and the space is exceptional. This can be cancelled for free so I would recommend you to book it soon.

Or this might be better.
https://goo.gl/tfWQqT
Cheaper, more centrally located, but less space (still spacious I think).

As for transportation, Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass can be used for your transport from KIX then Kyoto, Kanazawa, (bus) Shirakawago, Takayama and Nagoya. You must pay additionally from Nagoya to Osaka though.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_takayama_hokuriku.html

This pass is valid for 5 days so if you do your itinerary, it will be expired at day 5. So you might better use it from Kyoto. To get to Kyoto, Icoca & Haruka would be useful.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_icoca_haruka.html

From Nagoya to Osaka, you might better consider taking Kintetsu train (Limited Express) which is cheaper than Shinkansen although slower.

The revised itinerary is:

26/11- Reach Kansai Airport @6am
-Kyoto
27/11- Kyoto (Arashiyama)
28/11- Kyoto (start of the pass though you might have no chance to use it for the first day)
29/11- Kanazawa
30/11- Shirakawa-go (stay Takayama)
1/12- Takayama
2/12- Nagoya (end of the pass)
3/12- Nara, Osaka (by Kintetsu)
4/12- Osaka
5/12- Osaka
6/12 - 10:30am flight @Kansai airport

I think you can wash your clothes so 3 days of clothes for your family would suffice. Big luggage is troublesome especially in your first Kyoto day and 5th Shirakawa-go day. You don't need to bring towels or toiletries so I believe one "carry-on" size backpack for each person would be enough.

Hi frog1954,

Really appreciate your reply. You are so thoughtful and helpful.

1) Yes. I had a quick check on hotel rate and it really gives me a big shock! I am thinking to get a cheaper accommodation through Airbnb. Hopefully can get a good one.

2) Thanks for recommending Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass. But I am not keen to go Kanazawa. I believe I could have enough foliage scenery in Kyoto and worry my sons will be bored walking around Kenrokuen Garden.

3) I plan to be in Nagoya on weekdays so that I can bring my sons who are automobile fans to join Toyota plant tour.

4) I was thinking of using Kintetsu Rail 5-day Pass (29/11/18- 3/12/18) to cover my trip Kyoto-Nagoya, Nagoya-Osaka and Osaka-Nara. Do you think it’s a good idea? The con is I need to buy some other passes/ tickets for Nagoya-Takayama-Shirakawago and for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara’s subways and buses.

Looking fwd your reply. Thank you.

Yes. I had a quick check on hotel rate and it really gives me a big shock! I am thinking to get a cheaper accommodation through Airbnb. Hopefully can get a good one. 

I was rather surprized there are so many new small accommodations in the hotel booking websites such as booking.com, hotels.com and Expedia. Probably these were a local’s house then renovated and served as a “vacation rental”. The façade of the house is usually shown so it should not be illegal. As for Airbnb, when the façade is not shown and it is a part of an apartment, it might be illegal, so you should better see the hotel booking sites first. In my experience, if an accommodation appears in both Airbnb and a hotel booking site, the rate is the same or even airbnb is more expensive. If you get a membership of the booking sites, the rate might be cheaper.



Thanks for recommending Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass. But I am not keen to go Kanazawa. I believe I could have enough foliage scenery in Kyoto and worry my sons will be bored walking around Kenrokuen Garden. 

If you want to go to Shirakawago from Kyoto, Kanazawa route is most convenient.

https://bit.ly/2ktKptq

As you see it will take about 2-2.5 hrs from Kyoto to Kanazawa. From Kanazawa to Shirakawago it takes 75 min. Total 3.5 hrs.

http://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/en/en_highway-takayama

In any case, Kyoto to Shirakawago takes some time so you probably need to stay in between. Of course you don’t need to see Kenrokuen.

 I was thinking of using Kintetsu Rail 5-day Pass (29/11/18- 3/12/18) to cover my trip Kyoto-Nagoya, Nagoya-Osaka and Osaka-Nara. Do you think it’s a good idea? The con is I need to buy some other passes/ tickets for Nagoya-Takayama-Shirakawago and for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara’s subways and buses. 

I think the real con is it will take more time. From Kyoto to Nagoya, it takes abour 3 hrs and most likely you need transfer. Note that you must pay reserved seat fee (1900 yen one way).

https://bit.ly/2KZQQ2p

From Nagoya to Takayama/Shirakawago, the direct bus should be fastest and it will take about 3 hrs.

http://www.gifubus.co.jp/highway/shirakawa/tt_shirakawago.pdf

If you take Kyoto-(by Kintetsu)-Nagoya-Shirakawago-Takayama-Nagoya-(Kintetsu)-Osaka route, you might better buy Shoryudo bus pass.

http://www.meitetsu.co.jp/eng/ticket-info/pdf/eng_takayama201704.pdf

There is no discount for child so you might better buy 2 Shoryudo pass and 2 normal child ticket (half price of adult fare).

But personally I would recommend Kanazawa route using Takayama Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass since it will save your time by 2.5 hrs and you can avoid ling bus rides (from Nagoya to Shirakawago and Takayama to Nagoya. It will cost more 9000 yen for your family of four though. Of course the hotel fare would make some difference: As I checked the rate for Kanazawa and Nagoya, I prefer Kanazawa, but it depends on personal preferences.

Hi frog1954,

I really appreciate your generous sharing and have made up my mind to follow your suggestions.
Below is my revised itinerary:

26/11 - reach KIX @6am to Kyoto with Haruka
- Fushimi-Inari-Taisha
- Tofukuji temple
- Nishiki market
27/11 - Arashiyama
- Kinkakuji
28/11 - Kiyomizudera
- Ninenzaka
- Sannenzaka
- Hanamikoji
29/11 - Shirakawago (take 9am JR 12:40 bus estimate reach 2pm, leave for Takayama 5:30pm)
30/11 - Shinhotaka ropeway
1/12 - Takayama old town and morning market
- afternoon reach Nagoya (Toyota Kaikan Museum)
2/12 - Toyota Commemorative Museum
- Nagoya Castle
- Sakae
(stay Nagoya)
3/12 - Nagoya- Osaka (morning)
- Nara (afternoon)
4/12 - USJ
5/12 - Osaka shopping if still got energy :-)
6/12 - 10:30am flight

* In Kyoto use Kyoto city bus one day pass
* 29/11 - 3/12 use Takayama-Hokuriku Pass
* 3/12 - 5/12 Kintetsu 5 day Pass.

Seek for your advice again :-)

So you will stay:
3 nights in Kyoto 26/11 to 19/11
2 nights in Takayama 29/11 to 1/12
2 nights in Nagoya 1/12 to 3/12
3 nights in Osaka 3/12 to 6/12.

Of course it depends on individual person, but I like your itinerary since you will stay more than 2 nights in each place which will make your travel easier.

Kyoto

26/11
If you take Haruka, you should consider some discount ticket/pass. Icoca and Haruka does not have half price child version so you might better consider Kansai Area Pass one day (2200 yen adult, 1100 yen child).
http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai/

You can reserve it online and buy it at KIX.

Since you will have the pass you might consider trips using JR trains on the first day. Fushimi Inari, Tofukuji and Arashiyama can be accessed by JR. Personally I don’t like Fusimi Inari since it is too “touristic” and the food stalls there are some kind of “tourist trap”. But it will be less crowded in early morning which make the atmosphere better. Tofukuji will be very crowded so you should better go as early as possible (Early morning tend to be less crowded. It opens at 8:30. So it might be better to go there at around 9:00 to avoid the first rush.)

27/11-28/11

After Kiyomizudera, you might better consider some nice temples in Higashiyama district, such as Kodaiji, Shoren-in, Chion-in, Nanzenji, Eikando and Ginkakuji. Murin-an and Heianjingu’s Shinen gardens seem to be relatively not crowded. You don’t need to visit all of them but they are very nice places so take a look before you go to Kyoto. In any case, go to Kiyomizudera first: it opens at 6:00 and also early morning tend to be less crowded. Tofukuji, Kiyomizudera and Eikando are the most crowded places in autumn foliage season. You might better take a Taxi to Kiyomizudera which will accommodate your family of four. After Kiyomizudera, just walk north, see some temples/shrines/gardens. Take train from Keihan Demachiyanagi or Metro Keage to go back to your hotel, or Keihan’s Gion-Shijo which is close to Hanamikoji, that will be fine even after sunset. Note that Japan is not a “night-life” country. Restaurants tend to open early (like 17:00) and close early (like 21:00).
Avoid bus rides if possible. The bus should be very crowded and you might be caught by traffic jam. Take taxi to your first destination in the morning, walk around then come back with train/metro. I think no pass will be convenient. Just buy and use IC card such as Icoca which can be used also in Nagoya.

Kyoto has some technology-oriented place and one of them is Kyoto Railway Museum.
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g298564-d10251298-Rev...

Takayama
29/11
Note that the sun set at around 16:40 in this season. So you might better take earlier train/bus.

Hi frog1954,

I have been waiting for your reply only then I feel comfortable to proceed with my hotel bookings now, haha.

I’ll go through the places that you suggested. Still have 5-6 months to plan. Most important is to book accommodation now.

I really feel thankful that I “meet” you here giving me so much informative detail. Thanks again for you time and help.

ありがとうございました