Itinerary confused

After reading so much I am getting more and more confused :/

I know my itinerary is packed but I would like to see as much as possible.

I will stay in Tokyo on the night from 14.-15.4. and after I am planning to leave Tokyo and come back on the 24.4. (night before the flight) and then fly out on the 25. April. My flight is at 6pm so I am planning to visit the fish market on that day?

I will have time for Tokyo on the 8. May and 9. May.

In the 10 days I would just like to see as much as possible so 'the price' is not the factor.

I was planing to leave Mt. Fuji till the end (to go there on my BD 23rd, but I guess I will have to change the itinerary a bit because of the cherry blossom).

So my question is if I go from Kawaguchiko to Kyoto or to Yudanaka and then make the loop?

A) Nagano and finish in Hiroshima and travel to Tokyo from Hiroshima on the 24th?

Day 1/14.4. - arrive, stay inTokyo. NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 2/15.4. - bus/train to Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji, cherry blossom and hot springs). NIGHT: Kawaguchiko

Day 3/16.4. - travel to Nagano, bus or train to Yudanaka/Shibu Onsen NIGHT: Shibu Onsen

Day 4/17.4. - snow monkeys and train to Takayama? NIGHT: Takayama

Day 5/18.4. - Takayama to Kyoto -Gion with geishas NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 6/19.4. - Kyoto - bamboo forest NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 8/22.4. - Kyoto - Nara. NIGHT: Nara or Kyoto???

Day 9/23.4. - Hiroshima. NIGHT: Hiroshima

Day 10/24.4. - from Hiroshima to Tokyo, Tokyo. NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 11/ 25.4. - Fish Market and fly out

b) finish in Nagano/Yudanaka and travel from Nagano to Tokyo?


Day 0/14.4. - arrive, stay inTokyo. NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 1/15.4. - bus/train to Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji, cherry blossom and hot springs). NIGHT: Kawaguchiko

Day 2/16.4. - Kawaguchiko to Kyoto NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 3/17.4. - Kyoto NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 4/18.4. - Trip to Nara NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 5/19.4. - Kyoto to Miyajama NIGHT: Miyajama/hiroshima

Day 6/20.4. - Hiroshima to Kanazawa NIGHT: Kanazawa

Day 7/21.4. - Kanazawa NIGHT: Kanazawa

Day 8/22.4. - Bus Kanazawa - Shirakavago - Takayama NIGHT: Takayama

Day 9/23.4. - Takayama - Nagano - Yudanaka NIGHT: Yudanaka

Day 10/24.4. - snow monkeys, Yudanaka to Tokyo, Tokyo. NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 11/ 25.4. - Fish Market and fly out

I would need 14days pass for this I assume :)

I admit being a slow traveler but this itinerary seems to be very busy. You are hardly staying anywhere for more than a night.

I would delete a few destinations. Eg monkeys. Far off and well it�fs really only monkeys. But you�fll need a full day to see them. Takayama, you seem hardly to have any time to see it.

So depending on you interests I would delete 2 destinations. Your choice.

You need to clarify your proposed itineraries (may be that is part of the confusion).
For option A, your arrival day is counted as Day-1. But in option B, your arrival day is counted as Day-0, thus giving yourself one more day compared to option A. Then in option A, Day-7 is missing - is that day also spent in Kyoto? And Shibu Onsen and Yudanaka Onsen are only 5 minutes apart by taxi, they are practically the same destination. Overall, both options are busy at times, but possible.

Seeing the most things does not mean a better experience.

IF cost isn't a factor? Stay longer.

With only 10 days, you need to look at only Tokyo, Kyoto and one other overnight location. Any more than that, and your are not expriencing anything. you'd just be photobombing each location.

You might get away with an overnight location each way of travel from Tokyo to Kyoto and back.

From a logistics point of view, you have some places that look deliberately time-consuming to get to/from. Kawaguichiko to Nagano/Yudanaka takes a while and while visiting the monkeys does not take all day, then going to Takayama does take a long time.
Visiting the fish-market in Tokyo? The new one or just the regular street shops at the old site?

Hi!

Thank you for your answers.

To make things more clear – my proposed itinerary is this one:

Day 0/14.4. – I land in Tokyo at 7pm NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 1/15.4. - bus/train to Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji, cherry blossom and hot springs). NIGHT: Kawaguchiko

Day 2/16.4. - Kawaguchiko to Kyoto NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 3/17.4. - Kyoto NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 4/18.4. - Trip to Nara NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 5/19.4. - Kyoto to Miyajama NIGHT: Miyajama/hiroshima

Day 6/20.4. - Hiroshima to Kanazawa NIGHT: Kanazawa

Day 7/21.4. - Kanazawa NIGHT: Kanazawa

Day 8/22.4. - Bus Kanazawa - Shirakavago - Takayama NIGHT: Takayama

Day 9/23.4. - Takayama - Yudanaka NIGHT: Yudanaka

Day 10/24.4. - snow monkeys, Nagano, Tokyo, NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 11/ 25.4. - Fish Market Tsukiji and fly out at 8PM

QUESTION: Can I make this work with 7 days JRP??
Asking if I start using it on day 0 till day 6/ 14.4.-20.4.?
Or better to buy 14 days?
from Kanazawa to Takayama I am planning to take a bus, same from Takayama to Yudanaka. So the only train rides would be back to Tokyo and to the airport.

I WILL have 2 more days in TOKYO in May, so that is why I am not including Tokyo.

Day 0 is just the day that I fly into Japan and go to Tokyo from Narita airport so I have 10,5 days.

I see that the itinerary is packed and that I am moving all the time  BUT I got the itinerary idea from this web page – Best of Japan in 14 days; 
- where I skip Tokyo, (again, I will have 2 full days in Tokyo in May), I swapped Nikko for Nagano and monkeys, I swopped Hakone for lake Kamaguchiko, skipped 1 day in Kyoto and night in ShirakavaGo

Cost: I meant 7 or 14 days JRP. I am tight on time because I can't come sooner and/or leave later.

Thank you

You have 1.5 days for Kyoto. If you have been to Kyoto before, great. If not, Well I hope you can prioritize well.

Swapping Hakone for Kawaguchiko doesn't help out. Kawaguchi is much more difficult and time consuming to access than Hakone.

And yes if you have more time for Tokyo at a later visit, then omit of much Tokyo as you can this trip.

Hi!

If you don't need to see monkeys specifically in an onsen there is a monkey park in Kyoto.

The trip from Takayama to Nagano (and from there you need to catch a bus to Yudanaka) is long. We missed the 11:00 am Hida and so had to wait to 13:15. With your itinerary you MUST make the 11:00 because it will get you to Toyama by 12:30 and you can then take the 13:19 to Nagano and get to Nagano at 14:22. If you take the 13:15 you won't get to Nagano until 16:07 which puts you in danger of getting to where ever you are staying in Yudanaka late and missing dinner. If you want to use a 1 week pass, it makes sense to start it on either the 16th or 18th. If you start it on the 14th you miss Takayama to Nagano (should you do it by JR) and Nagano to Tokyo all to get the airport to Tokyo and Tokyo to Kawaguchiko. It's not worth it. You can easily take a bus to Kawaguchiko from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station.

If you're taking the Hida, you want Toyama to Nagano and the Hida included. Otherwise I guess I would compare times with the bus from Takayama to Matsumoto and then the train from Matsumoto to Nagano.

Be aware of all transit times (it's between 4-5 hours from Hiroshima to Kanazawa) and I guess pick hotels wisely. I would recommend as close to stations as possible so that you don't need to include transit to where you are staying.

Good luck!

These are only my opinions but I have gone from Lazy Pious (3 nights everywhere) to Moderately active Pious (2 nights at most places, one if it is only a stopover to break up the journey).

To achieve that you really need to travel with carry on sized luggage, and that is achievable. April is a good time for that, because it isnt too cold and one jacket will do it for you. Also, nowhere you are going tooks particulaly cold so I'd pack fairly light and then if it gets chilly buy something from uniqlo.

Your itinerary is doable but you will be doing a lot of travelling. Personally I found Lake Kawaguchiko not worth the effort. Sure it is lovely seeing Fuji from fairly close, but the town doesnt offer much more (except the best hot dogs in the world from the cafe next to the doll museum - if you go try one and then post to back me up on my very bold call). I would cut Kawaguchiko from the itinerary and do something with more bang for your buck. Kamakura and Enoshima come to mind, or Bessho Onsen for an onsen town, or another night at Takayama.

I'd also cut Hiroshima/Miyajima unless it is to see Peace Park. Miyajima is nice for a relax or a couple of nights but I wouldnt go 2 or 3 hours out of my way to see it - and the trip isnt all that interesting because you spend half of it under mountains. But Peace Park and the Dome are much more fascinating than I thought they would be. So if you are going for the Dome etc, fine, but if it is for Miyajima there are lots more things you can do within your existing plans, eg Hikone or Uji near Kyoto, and yes, I'd spend a night at Nara coz it is nice having it to yourself in the morning.

Have fun. It is a great time to go and you are going to some nice places.

Thank you for your insights.

Yes, I am only travelling with carry on.

If there would be a chance that I manage to get some more time and change my flight so I would land on 11.4.

Where should I spend those extra 3 nights?

I assume one in Kyoto/Nara? Another in Takayama and another Kawaguchiko?

I want to visit Kawaguchiko for the cherry blossom, don�ft really want to skip Hiroshima (I am history teacher) and Nagano/snow monkeys.

Thank you again

Just working with your current itinerary, I'd go from Kawaguchiko to Matsumoto (nice castle for the history buff) then either bus it to Takayama and reshuffle your trip that way, or go on to Hikone from there (good sakura town and also my fave castle - note this is Hikone near Maibara/Kyoto, not Hakone). I'd also consider Uji near Nara/Kyoto as a good little historical town.

So you could go Kawaguchiko - Matsumoto - Takayama - Kanazawa - Hikone - Kyoto...
or Kawaguchiko - Matsumoto - Hikone (via Nagoya) - Kyoto...

Tnx

So you would then add extra night in matsumoto?

What about adding extra night in Matsumoto?
Takayama (N) - Matsumoto (night) - yudanaka (n) - tokyo

Or going from Kawaguchiko to Nara before coming to Kyoto? Is it faster?

So staying Kawaguchiko (2n), nara (1n), kyoto (3n) ....

???
I am very grateful for your tips

Hi, others are much better than me with travel arrangements, but I think Kawaguchiko to Nara would be a monster trip, I'd go Kawaguchiko to Matsumoto (which I did in our last trip) then either follow the Chuo line back to Nagoya and then to Kyoto, or bus it from Matsumoto to Takayama.

I wouldnt stay 2 night in Kawaguchiko. It is expensive and not worth it. I'd spend 2 in plenty of other places though - Takayama has heaps to offer, so does Nara. Another place to look at if you have extra days is Kamakura and Enoshima.

Hi!

Personally, if it was me I would do the following with 3 extra nights:

Day 0/ I land in Tokyo at 7pm NIGHT: Tokyo

Day 1 bus to Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji, cherry blossom and hot springs). NIGHT: Kawaguchiko

Day 2 Kawaguchiko to Kyoto NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 3 Kyoto NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 4 Trip to Nara NIGHT: Kyoto

Day 5 Kyoto (night Kyoto) lots to see in Kyoto or you could go to Uji I personally love Uji

Day 6 Kyoto to Miyajama NIGHT: Miyajama/hiroshima

Day 7 Miyajima night Miyajima/Hiroshima

Day 8 Hiroshima to Kanazawa NIGHT: Kanazawa

Day 9 Kanazawa NIGHT: Kanazawa

Day 10 Bus Kanazawa - Shirakavago - Takayama NIGHT: Takayama

Day 11. - Takayama - Matsumoto NIGHT: Matsumoto

Day 12 - Matsumoto and then to Yudanaka to see snow monkeys night Yudanaka/Shibu onsen

Day 13 Snow Monkeys and maybe some time for Zenkoji in Nagano (night Tokyo)

Day 14 Final day in Tokyo

This is assuming you want to keep all the destinations in your original itinerary. With this, I would either get a rail pass starting Day 2 and it would cover you through arrival in Kanazawa. It's 2640 yen by Shinano Limited Express from Matsumoto to Nagano and it's 8000 yen from Nagano to Tokyo with a reserved seat on the shinkansen. It's not worth it to get a 2 week.

If you cut Hiroshima then it might not be worth it to get a rail pass. If you cut it, I would add a night to Takayama and a night to Nagano itself or another night to Matsumoto. I keep meaning to make it to Togakushi near Nagano but I never had time. I liked Ueda and I've spent some additional time in the Nagano city environs.

Good luck!

Thank you rkold!

This is the kind of answer I wass hoping for! I am considering having extra 3 nights but going to Japan fort he first time and having (almost too much information) planning everything is overwhelming!

I was using Japan rail pass calculator and with all the airport connections and everything it shows that 14 day's one pays off?

So I would start using it on the day that I would leave Kawaguchiko and go to Kyoto? and then the last active day would be Hiroshima to Kanazawa right?

Hi Anja,

The Japan Rail Pass Calculator on this website can give you a good idea if a pass pays off, but it doesn't always give you the full picture, if that makes any sense. So for example, my next trip to Japan I am arriving on Wednesday and immediately going from Narita to Kyoto. I'm spending 4 nights in Kyoto and then going to Nara Prefecture, before slowly traveling through Mie Prefecture on private lines and arriving in Nagoya some time on Thursday to take the train to Tokyo. I then want to on Sunday go up to Morioka rent a car travel around, eventually take the train down to Koriyama, rent another car, and then go Koriyama back to Tokyo before leaving Japan. If you put in all those train fares in the calculator, I get that a 1 week, 2 week or 3 week pass would pay for itself. However, if I pay out of pocket for Narita to Kyoto ~16,000 yen, out of pocket for Nagoya to Tokyo ~10,500 yen and buy a flex 5 day JR East pass 20,000 yen I get a total of 46,000 yen which is less than the 3 week pass of 59,350 yen which is what I would need to cover my 17 day trip. Plus, since I don't have the pass I can take the more frequent Nozomi and get to Kyoto earlier.

So going back to your itinerary, the majority of your expensive travel is between Day 2 and Day 8. you're going to be taking buses to Takayama from Kanazawa and from Takayama to Matsumoto.

So assuming you take a limited express from Matsumoto to Nagano with a reserved seat and then the shinkansen from Nagano to Tokyo with a reserved seat you're paying 39740 yen with a 1 week pass. A 2 week pass won't solve the issue of needing transport to and from Narita because with the extra 3 days you have 15 days in Japan. So one of your NEXs wouldn't be covered. You can use the private Keisi line or even a limo bus, I have a few friends who swear by the buses. They tend to stay in hotels serviced by them.

If you don't extend the trip or cut out the trip to Hiroshima that really alters things. I think on your extended itinerary you are in Japan just long enough to not be able to use this discounted NEX round trip:
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/nex_round.html?src=gnavi, since it's only valid 14 days However, if you plan your trip so you are just in Japan 14 days, you can use this extremely good deal where it is 4000 yen round trip on the NEX.

With your original 11 day itinerary it would depend on whether you plan to take the train from Takayama to Toyama to Nagano or take the bus from Takayama to Matsumoto to the train from Matsumoto to Nagano when I would start my pass, but again I would probably just get a week because you're looking at ~39000+the 4000 vs. 46100. I think technically Takayama to Toyama to Nagano all by train is faster, but the trains between Takayama and Toyama are very infrequent and if you miss the train downtown Takayama near the station is pretty dull.

You might want to look at this bus pass: http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/ticket/pdf/panf701[1].pdf it's 5500 yen for Kanazawa to Shirakawa Go to Takayama to Matsumoto. I really liked Matsumoto. I wish I had more time there last trip.

Good luck!

Thank you so much!

I have had a very 'busy' day calculating every fare with the help of HyperDia.

Ia havent changed my itinerary and the 7 days JRP pays off for sure.
Then I was adding the pridec for train ride from;
- Matsumoto to Yudanaka 4100
- Yudanaka – Nagano 1260
- Nagano – Tokyo 8200
and 1 train ride to the airport (2000-3000). So that all together is another 16.500yen/215 AUD.

So calculating the price for 7 days 369 AUD and adding 215 AUD adds up to 584 AUD.
And the 14 days JRP is 588 AUD. So I am 5 AUD (400yen) 'short' but I guess that would be 'easy' to use with the rides in Tokyo on my last two days.
So I guess it really is a close call :/

I will use your advice on buying NEX round trip, when I am back to Tokyo in May! and that buss pass from Kanazawa to Matsumoto!
Thank you!

Hi Anja

Some of those trains you are using for calculating are not JR though. The train from Nagano to Yudanaka is on the Nagaden railway and is not covered by the JR Pass. It's why I've not included it in any calculations because you are paying it out of pocket regardless.

I admit I am confused now, are you going for 11 days or are you going for 14 and do you plan to take the bus between Takayama to Matsumoto to a train to Nagano or to take the train from Takayama to Toyama to Nagano? Again, make sure you are aware of train times from Takayama to Toyama. I miss my ~11:00 train and had to wait until after 13:00 and the area near the train station is just not very interesting and 1.5-2 hours won't let you travel far.

Good luck!

Going for 15 days.

Taking bus from Takayama to Matsumoto,
Train from Matsumoto to Nagano.
And than Train back to Tokyo.