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Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/1 19:25
Dear All,
Thank you for the advice. I revised my plan ,please enlightening us agai. Thank you in advance.

27.11.18 (Tues, Kyota): Reach Osaka early morning. Take JR Haruka express train to Kyoto (80min direct).

28.11.18 (Wed, Kyoto): Cycling around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (4 hours),Okochi-Sanso Villa,Golden Pavilion,.Stroll along Pontacho Alley.

29.11.18 (Thurs, Kyoto): Botanical Garden, Gion, Kiyomizu-dera and Philosopherfs Walk. Visit Nishi Market

30.11.18 (Fri, Kyoto): Day trip to Nara .Night bus/train to Kanazawa

1.12, 18(Sat, Kanazawa): Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle

2.12.18 (Sun, Kanazawa) Visit Shirakawa go for few hours(Ogimachi Village for scenic viewpoint)

3.12.18(Mon, Takayama):

4.12.18(Tues, Matsumoto) ): visit Masumoto Castle , Daio Wasabi Farmin Azumino

5.12.18(Wed, Magome):

6.12.18 (Thurs, Tsumago):

7.12.18 (Fri, Hakone)nsen

8.12.18 (Sat, Tokyo): Harajuku (Takeshita Dori, Meiji Jingu), Shibuya(Yoyogi Park, Icho Namiki), Shinjuku (Tokyo
Metro Govt Bldg)

9.12.18(Sun,Tokyo) :Tsukiji Outer Market, Imperial Palace & Ueno Parkand Asakusa (Nakamise Dori) if timepermits.
Sorry, I have more doubts:

1. Should I spent 2 nights in Magome/Tsumago instead of 1 night each place?
2. is the plan doable with train or bus? (time consuming or very complicating)?
3. Is there any places I should add in omit ?
by zhung  

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/2 13:43
Your plan looks good. But I personally would skip Hakone and go to Hirayu onsen just outside Takayama instead. You could probably do 2 nights (one after boating Takayama). I stayed in Hirayunomori and liked it quite a lot. But there are other alternatives. For rotenburo fans it is bliss.
I also think that there are direct buses on to Matsumoto. But please check it out.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!
by LikeBike (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/2 19:15
Thankyou Likebike for your suggestion. The reason I go to Hakane is not only for onsen but for viewing Mt. Fuji.
by zhung rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/2 22:21
Hi!

I still am not sure why you have Kanazawa listed for Sunday night. Wouldn't it make more sense to take the bus from Shirakawa Go onwards to Takayama? Or is that your intended goal and I am just confused by your listing of Sun 12/2 Kanazawa. If you're intending to spend 12/2 back in Kanazawa I'm really not sure why if you want to go to Takayama on 12/3.

I agree with @LikeBike and think you should consider Hirayu onsen or perhaps visit the Okuhida region. I am not sure I posted this in your previous thread and/or elsewhere but I know I have posted before that going to Hakone is not a guaranteed view of Mt. Fuji. I've been a good 4 or 5 times and never seen Mt. Fuji from the Hakone area. I have seen Mt. Fuji plenty of times from other places including in July from Tokyo Disney. If you want to go to Hakone because you want to go to Hakone I get it. But if the main reason you are picking it is to see Mt. Fuji you may be rather disappointed. I thought the onsen in Hirayu were nicer and it definitely felt much more in nature and the country than Hakone.
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/2 22:33
Have you thought about Fuji Five lakes instead of Hakone?
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/3 00:52
Thank you rkold and mfedley for your comments and suggestions. Rkold, I'm really sorry for confused you. Look like my mind can't think properly with all these last minute planning and reading . I really appreciate the help from you all.
I decided to omit Hakone and go for Kawaguchiko as it is closer to Mt. Fuji. I chose Hakone because my nephew who visited it suggested I should go there as i love nature scenic views.
Below is my tentatively plan. Please enlighten us ...
27.11.18 (Tues, Kyota): Reach Osaka early morning. Take JR Haruka express train to Kyoto
(80min direct).
28.11.18 (Wed, Kyoto): Cycling around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (4 hours),Okochi-Sanso
Villa,Golden Pavilion,.Stroll along Pontacho Alley.
29.11.18 (Thurs, Kyoto): Botanical Garden, Gion, Kiyomizu-dera and Philosopherfs Walk. Visit
Nishi Market
30.11.18 (Fri, Kyoto): Day trip to Nara .Night bus/train to Kanazawa
1.12, 18(Sat, Kanazawa): reach early visit Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle
2.12.18 (Sun,Kanazawa) :
3.12.18(Mon, Shirakawago):Visit the villages , (Ogimachi Village for scenic viewpoint)
4.12.18(Tues,Takayama) ):
5.12.18(Wed, Matsumoto): visit Hirayu Onsen, Masumoto Castle, and Daio Wasabi Farmi Azumino
6.12.18 (Thurs, Tsumago): Magame-Tsumago hike
7.12.18 (Fri, Kawaguchiko): Five lakes for viewing Mt. Fuji
8.12.18 (Sat, Tokyo): Harajuku (Takeshita Dori, Meiji Jingu Gyoen), Shibuya(Yoyogi Park, Icho Namiki), Shinjuku (TokyoMetro Govt Bldg)
9.12.18(Sun,Tokyo) :Tsukiji Outer Market, Imperial Palace & Ueno Park and Asakusa
(Nakamise Dori) if time permits.
10.12.18: Home sweet home
P/S We travel mainly by public transport. Sorry questions againc
1. Should I omit Nara and Matsumoto as it looks I'm over planning and too many 1 night stay?
2. If I omit Matsumota(another city) , where shall I stay on 5 Dec ?
3. Should I stay in Kawaguchiko or take it as day trip to five lakes from Tokyo

by zhung rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/3 01:45
Re 5th Dec not too sure you can fit all three places as Takayama to Matsumoto takes like 2.5 hours by bus. Double check the bus and train times. Also not too sure you are aware that sunset sets about 4:30pm at that time of the year. Therefore shorten your touring daylight hours.
by CDY (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/4 01:16
Thank you CDY for your swift feedback. I revised my itinerary again. Sorry for that as I want to make sure I'm not overplanned . There are some changes that I made:
1. I decided to omit Hakone and go for Kawaguchiko as it is closer to Mt. Fuji and changes of seeing Mt. Fuji might be higher.
2. Ifm not visit Matsumoto as it is just another city and I don't to rush from one place to another.
Below is my tentatively plan. Please enlighten us again.....
27.11.18 (Tues, Kyota): Reach Osaka early morning. Take JR Haruka express train to Kyoto
(80min direct).
28.11.18 (Wed, Kyoto): Cycling around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (4 hours),Okochi-Sanso
Villa,Golden Pavilion,.Stroll along Pontacho Alley.
29.11.18 (Thurs, Kyoto): Botanical Garden, Gion, Kiyomizu-dera and Philosopherfs Walk. Visit
Nishi Market
*30.11.18 (Fri, Kyoto): Day trip to Nara .Night bus/train to Kanazawa
1.12, 18(Sat, Kanazawa): reach early visit Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle
2.12.18 (Sun,Kanazawa) :
*3.12.18(Mon, Shirakawago):Visit the villages , (Ogimachi Village for scenic viewpoint)
*4.12.18(Tues,Hirayu ): Hirayu Onsen
5.12.18(Wed, Tsumago ): Magame-Tsumago hike
*6.12.18 (Thurs, Kawaguchiko: Five lakes for viewing Mt. Fuji
7.12.18 (Fri, Tokyo ) :
8.12.18 (Sat, Tokyo): Harajuku (Takeshita Dori, Meiji Jingu Gyoen), Shibuya(Yoyogi Park, Icho Namiki), Shinjuku (TokyoMetro Govt Bldg)
9.12.18(Sun,Tokyo) :Tsukiji Outer Market, Imperial Palace & Ueno Park and Asakusa
(Nakamise Dori) if time permits.
10.12.18: Home sweet home
P/S We travel mainly by public transport. Sorry questions againc
1. Should I omit Nara (Ifm not very keen in deer or shrine)? Any places that can fill in on 30 Dec?
2. Any day trip from Tokyo that I should not miss as a nature lover?
by zhung rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/4 03:29
Personally I would not skip Matsumoto.

Your now-planned timeline on the 5th of December sounds not realistic.
It seems to take at least 4 hours and 35 minutes each
to go from Hirayu Onsen via Takayama and Nakatsugawa Stations to Magome
and from Tsumago via Nagiso and Otsuki Stations to Kawaguchiko.
That means you need more than 9 hours
to take buses + trains, make transfers and wait for the departures.

From Matsumoto Station you can travel to Magome much faster.
Also, on a weekday,
you can leave Matsumoto Station at 8:00
and reach Kawaguchiko Station at around 10:50,
saving your time compared to going first to Shinjuku then to Kawaguchiko.

28.11.18 (Wed, Kyoto)
29.11.18 (Thurs, Kyoto)

These two days for Kyoto sightseeing may be too packed.
On the 27th of November you will fly into KIX in the morning,
so I suggest you will visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple in the afternoon and Gion in the evening.

Should I omit Nara (Ifm not very keen in deer or shrine)?

I suppose not,
unless you plan to assign your time in Kyoto on Day 1 only for having a rest.

8.12.18 (Sat, Tokyo): Harajuku (Takeshita Dori, Meiji Jingu Gyoen), Shibuya(Yoyogi Park, Icho Namiki), Shinjuku (TokyoMetro Govt Bldg)
9.12.18(Sun,Tokyo) :Tsukiji Outer Market, Imperial Palace & Ueno Park and Asakusa
(Nakamise Dori) if time permits.


Harajuku is a district of Shibuya City.

I wonder what "Meiji Jingu Gyoen" refers to; it's a wrong name.
It may have been created
by someone confusing the names of Meiji Jingu (shrine) and Jingu Gaien (park) or Shinjuku Gyoen (National Garden).

Tsukiji Outer Market will be closed on the 9th (Sunday), open on the 7th and the 8th.

Would you go into the Imperial Palace itself?
The official guided tours of the Imperial Palace will not take place on the 9th (Sunday).
The East Gardens will be open on the 8th and the 9th, closed on the 7th (Friday).

Which sites in Ueno Park do you have in your mind?
Ueno Zoological Gardens may be crowded on that weekend.

When you are ready to get into a very crowded place,
in the night of the 7th (Friday) of December,
you might hope to see Omotesando Illumination,
where many keyaki [zelkova] trees along the street are decorated with LED lights.
The details of this yearly event in December 2018 seem not yet announced.

Have you decided where in Tokyo you will stay overnight?
by omotenashi rate this post as useful

Re: Revising Early Dec itinerary 2018/9/9 01:31
Sorry for the late respond , Omotenashi and Thank you for your valuable and helpful feedback. I like your questions, at least it makes me think...

My friend and I discussed and found that there is nothing really interesting for us in Tokyo(concrete jungle),so we plan to overnight there a night or two. We haven't decide where to stay. Where do you suggest? As Hirayu Onsen doesn't our route, we omit it. We're thinking of Hankone or Kawaguchiko
Below is our plan , any comments or suggestions are welcome.
7.11.18 (Tues, Kyota): Reach Osaka early morning. Take JR Haruka express train to Kyoto
(80min direct). Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Gion in the evening.
28.11.18 (Wed, Kyoto): Cycling around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (4 hours),Okochi-Sanso
Villa,Golden Pavilion,.Stroll along Pontacho Alley.
29.11.18 (Thurs, Kyoto): Botanical Garden and Philosopherfs Walk. Visit Nishi Market
*30.11.18 (Fri, Kyoto): Day trip to Nara .Night bus/train to Kanazawa
1.12, 18(Sat, Kanazawa): reach early visit Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle
*2.12.18 (Sun,Kanazawa) :?
*3.12.18(Mon, Shirakawago):Visit the villages , (Ogimachi Village for scenic viewpoint)
*4.12.18(Tues,Matsumoto/Takayama/?): ?
5.12.18(Wed, Tsumago ): Magame-Tsumago hike
*6.12.18 (Thurs, Kawaguchiko: Five lakes for viewing Mt. Fuji and onsen
7.12.18 (Fri, Tokyo ) : ?
8.12.18 (Sat, Tokyo): Imperial Palace & Ueno Park and Asakusa(Nakamise Dori) if time permits.
9.12.18(Sun,Tokyo) : Harajuku (Takeshita Dori, Jingu Gaien), Shibuya(Yoyogi Park, Icho Namiki), Shinjuku (TokyoMetro Govt Bldg)
10.12.18: Home sweet home

We have few doubts: 1. Should we overnight in Kyoto for 3 nights and spend more time in other places
2. The 2nd day in Kanazawa, which places that we should not miss?
3. On 4 December, is there any scenic place to stay besides Matsumoto?We read Takayama is similiar to Kanazawa( please correct me if Ifm wrong)
4. Where to do outside Tokyo for overnight/day trip?
by zhung rate this post as useful

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