Home
Back

Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!

Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.

2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/14 00:34
Hi!

I am planning a trip to Japan this winter (2019/20) for approximately 66 nights.
I am a solo travelling male in my 20s with no Japanese language skills.
I have a budget of around JPY800,000 but would like to save money where I can.

Key Interests = food, general sights, nature, onsens.

Please let me know what you think of my itinerary!
I would love some feedback/suggestions.

Nights | Destination |Day Trips
1 | Tokyo
2 | Kagoshima | Sakurajima
1 | Kurokawa Onsen
2 | Nagasaki
3 | Fukuoka | Yufuin (Overnight)
4 |Hiroshima | Miyajima Island (Overnight), Matsuyama (Overnight)
1 | Matsue
13 | Kyoto | Nara, Magome & Tsumago, Himeji, Osaka, Okayama, Nagoya, Kobe, Koyasan (Overnight - Temple Stay), Kinosaki Onsen (Overnight)"
1 | Fukui
2 | Kanazawa
2 | Takayama | Shirakawa & Gokayama
1 | Kamikochi
1 | | Matsumoto
1 | Yamanouchi | Jigokudani Monkey Park
1 | Kusatsu Onsen
10 | Tokyo | Kamakura, Yokohama, Hakone, Izu (Overnight), Fujisan (Overnight)
1 | Nikko
1 | Hinoemata
1 | Aizuwakamatsu
2 | Sendai | Ginzan Onsen
1 | Nyuto Onsen
3 | Aomori |Hirosaki, Hachimantai
1 | Hakodate
7 | Sapporo | Otaru, Biei & Furano, Jozankei, Noboribetsu (Overnight), Niseko (2 Nights)
2 | Shiretoko
1 | Tokyo

Thank you!!!
by MF4927 (guest)  

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/14 08:45
You have 12,000 yen per day.
Your travel costs, from south to north are going to be a fairly large slice of that and even if you arrange your sections of long distance travel in groups, you might be able to get away with 3 x 14-day rail passes and that's 150,000 yen. Even swapping buses for trains doesn't actually save too much.
You list food as being important, and being frugal you might spend 3,000 yen per day (200,000 yen).
Entrance fees, even if you only did one or two things per day on average you will rack up 60,000 yen very easily.
That leaves around 400k for accommodation or 6,000 yen/night. Doable for a solo traveler with budget accommodation.

However, overall your budget looks tight and while you have 66 days to explore and experience the country, you will need to cut out a lot of places/experiences due to cost.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/14 09:02
Hi!

You're going to have a hard time exploring Kamikochi without a tour because it is technically closed in January outside of a few specific snow shoeing tours. I mean I guess technically, you can still try to go outside one of these specific tours, but I'm not sure how safe the tunnels between the nearest bus stops and Kamikochi actually are, but hey, it's not my life. Bus service will definitely be quite sporadic since Kamikochi is closed.

Depending on what your goals are in Hachimantai it's going to be under snow and only really open to skiing. There are going to be limited transport options as well.

It's going to be cold and snowy in quite a few places you listed so just be prepared for that.
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/14 10:28
Yufuin to Hiroshima to Matsuyama to Matsue doesnft make much sense. Yufuin to Matsuyama by boat to Hiroshima by boat to Matsue makes more sense.
by John B digs Japan rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/14 21:38
Thanks guys!
I will definitely be opting for cheap/budget accommodation and may even couchsurf.

Are there any other places on my current itinerary that are not recommended/accessible during winter?
I only plan on skiing in Niseko at the end of my trip for a few days.

by MF4927 rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/14 23:47
Hi!

The only time I've stayed with other people in Japan it's been actual friends of mine. I don't know how many Japanese are keen to open their homes to strangers in larger cities. (aka Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka) where you will probably be better off looking for a cheap hostel. If you have actual friends, you can start hitting them up.

If by Hinoemata you mean Oze National Park, that too is unlikely to be happening unless you are paying for a tour from some nearby area, since it pretty much closes in the Winter. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7440.html It's not like visiting Shirakawa Go in the Winter, where they actually will clean off paths for you.

Some locations are pricier than others and if you go super budgetary, it can also be an issue finding food because of limited dinning options. Takayama has very limited places open for dinner, because a lot of places to stay include meals. Koya-san is much the same. I think Yufuin and Kurokawa are going to be harder on your budget than places like Tokyo and Osaka.

Some of your days look like long days of transport. You are probably going to need to fly to start your trip in Sakurajima and to end your trip in Tokyo from Hokkaido. It's unclear what passes make sense. You might be better off with buses on Kyushu and you might want to look into a JR West Pass once you get to Hiroshima, assuming you used a boat to go from Yufuin to Matsuyama to Hiroshima. Though look at costs!

I will think about this more while I go about my day, but yeah I think some places (unless you have friends living there) are going to be hard on ~6000 yen a night.

Good luck!

by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/15 01:11
Great! Thanks so much.

also, what is the best way to do:

Yufuin to Matsuyama
Matsuyama to Hiroshima
Hiroshima to Matsue

I am struggling to find transport options.
by MF4927 rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/15 03:17
Hi!

Presumably you would go: Yufuin to Beppu by bus or train; Beppu to Yawatahama by ferry (https://www.uwajimaunyu.co.jp/english/#routes) Yawatahama to Matsuyama via train or some other form of public transport.

From Matsuyama there are direct ferries to Hiroshima: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5504.html?aFROM=2160_5500

From Hiroshima to Matsue you can take the train or bus: https://www.visit-matsue.com/access/by_highway_bus

It is possible the bus is as low as 500 yen, you would need to contact the bus company to find out, since the offer was only valid through 2018, but it might still be ongoing.

You might do well with a Sun Q Pass: http://www.sunqpass.jp/english/ when traveling in Kyushu.

It might make sense to go from Matsue to Kinosaki and then work your way from Kinosaki to Okayama and then from Okyama towards Kyoto. Unless there is a good reason (like you're overnighting in Arima onsen) it probably makes sense to just pick Kyoto or Osaka to stay in when visiting Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. If you plan your travel correctly you can probably make use of the 5 day Pass: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_wide/ Getting between Kyoto and Osaka is not terribly expensive and depending on where you are staying they may or may not be willing to hold your bag(s) which is another good reason not to change lodging so often.

It probably makes sense to move your Nagoya and Kiso Valley plans until post Matsumoto. There is the 3 Star Bus Pass you could use to go from Kanazawa to Takayama to Matsumoto. It's 5500 yen I believe and valid for 4 days? http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/ticket/pdf/panf701[1].pdf

You would start it when you plan to leave Kanazawa. So you would do Kansai (Kyoto or Osaka) to Fukui, then onwards to Kanazawa. From Kanazawa you would do the bus route to get Shirakawa Go, Takayama and Matsumoto and you could stop in Hirayu onsen as well if you wanted. You would need to pay additional for Gokayama or any local buses within Takayama or Matsumoto. From Matsumoto then go to Nagano and then from there to see the monkeys. From Nagano or Matsumoto you can travel to the Kiso Valley and then go down to Nagoya. From Nagoya then go to Izu, then go to Kawaguchiko and then from Kawaguchiko to Hakone. You will need to price all this out since travel around Izu, Kawaguchiko and Hakone adds up VERY fast, depending on what you plan to do. Hakone and Kawaguchiko are not budget destinations.

Staying in Nagano is much cheaper than Yudanaka or Shibu onsen. Even without possible volcanic activity, the road between Shiga-kogen/Shibu-onsen/Yudanaka and Kusatsu onsen is not open in the Winter, so you would need to back track from there regardless.

You then move Kusatsu onsen to your Tokyo side of things and I guess could maybe get a 3 day Tokyo Wide Pass to cover a round trip to Karuizawa to the bus to Kusatsu and to cover travel to Nikko. From Nikko you can take non-JR trains to Aizu-Wakamatsu before going back to JR.

As it stands now you are looping around an awful lot and I think it is going to cost you more. I think you really need to spend some time working out your costs and actually checking what is open in the Winter. I think you need to make sure you can actually afford everything. Please make sure to include some money to do laundry which is going to run you like 600 or 700 yen because dryers in Japan are not always good and you will presumably need heavier clothing as you are traveling to many areas that will be cold and snowy.

Good luck!
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/15 12:43
A couple of thoughts:
*I don't know where you're from, but if you're not used to a seriously cold winter, don't underestimate what you'll need in terms of clothing and gear like boots.
*The further north you go, the shorter the days will be, and the more watery the sunshine when you encounter any.
*Don't skimp on travel insurance-when we went for 90 days last year we had to cobble together a couple of policies, as each one could only cover a certain number of days per trip.

Have a wonderful time in Japan!
by Who? (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/15 16:12
Thanks again for all the info!

Is it worth visiting Kagoshima (2 Nights) and Kurokawa Onsen (1 Night) given my plans to travel in the winter and my plans to visit other onsens as well (e.g. Kinosaki Onsen, Kusatsu Onsen, Nyuto Onsen, Noboribetsu)?

Also, is the following itinerary better? Do you recommend anything else?
I would fly from Australia to Tokyo to Kagoshima to begin.
If I scrap Kagoshima/Kurokawa, I would likely fly directly to Nagaski from Australia/Tokyo.

Nights| Destination | Day Trips
1 Tokyo
2 Kagoshima | Sakurajima
1 Kurokawa Onsen
2 Nagasaki
2 Fukuoka
1 Yufuin
1 Matsuyama
2 Hiroshima |Miyajima Island (Overnight)
1 Matsue
1 Kinosaki Onsen
1 Okayama
9 Kyoto | Nara, Himeji , Osaka, Kobe , Koyasan (Overnight - Temple Stay)"
1 Fukui
2 Kanazawa
1 Shirakawa & Gokayama
1 Takayama
1 Matsumoto
1 Yamanouchi| Jigokudani Monkey Park
1 Magome & Tsumago
1 Nagoya
1 Izu
1 Hakone
10 Tokyo | "Kamakura , Yokohama , Hakone, Izu (Overnight), Fujisan (Overnight)"
1 Kusatsu Onsen
1 Nikko
1 Aizuwakamatsu
2 Sendai | Ginzan Onsen
1 Nyuto Onsen
3 Aomori | Hirosaki, Hachimantai"
1 Hakodate
7 Sapporo | Otaru, Biei & Furano, Jozankei , Noboribetsu (Overnight), Niseko (2 Nights)"
2 Shiretoko
1 Tokyo

Thanks!
by MF4927 rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/15 17:00
Sorry to ask this - but what is your main plans for this trip. At the moment, it looks as though it's just a list of cities and we don't know exactly what you are looking at doing.

Something I have found helpful is to use gateway cities and complete day trips.

Another thing to think about is the amount of time you are spending in Hokkaido. The days are short, there is lots of snow and it's not easy to get around. Unless you want to do skiing or Onsens, I would skip Hokkaido. A nice smaller option might be to complete a small Sapporo - Noboribetsu - Hakodate loop down south. Visiting the Shiritoko National park is probably not a good idea in winter as I'm not sure how accessible it is. It's a place that I have not visited as it's difficult to get here in summer! (distance and time).

A possible better idea which I really enjoyed was to spend some more time in Chugoku/Kyushu or Okinawa which are warmer in winter. It's not that warm - but it has longer days and more to do because of that.

Another person has also mentioned a lot of moving around. Have you thought of spending one long day travelling such as starting in Aomori and then slowly traveling south.

Some locations are prohibitively expensive - specifically when they are onsen towns. One way to reduce the cost but it's still a reasonable place to stay is to look for Yukai resorts (normally slightly under 9,000 yen a night with buffet breakfast and dinner).

Staying in major cities like Tokyo/Osaka will also give you the option to stay in backpacker places. A nice place in Izu is K-'s House, a 100 year old ryokan which is also a hostel and has cooking facilities and even a reasonable onsen.

I've got plenty of other things to say - but so do others so I'll stop here...
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/16 01:15
Thanks!

My main goal of the trip is to see as much as Japan and relish in the diversity of the country for 2 months. It will be a fairly high-paced trip and being young, I am excited to make the most of it!

Any other feedback/advice would be welcomed! Particularly on how to perhaps cut down a few days from my previously updated itinerary.
by MF4927 rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/16 08:05
I have traveled to Japan seven times and now live in Tokyo. I think your budget is very manageable for 2 months. Few thoughts -

(1) Have you also checked the visit Japan Airfare of ANA - you can get up to five tickets for USD 90 each and it can save you a lot of time particularly traveling up to Hokkaido. The region is well serves by airlines and your flight options are not only limited to Sapporo - there is even an airport in Asahikawa right by Biei.

(2) Why not take the ferry out to beautiful Yakushima since you will already be down in Kagoshhima. Yakushima is a hiking paradise if you are into it (https://bizarrejourneys.com/yakushima/) I have been there both in the winter and summer and both seasons were nice.

(3) I have been to Shirakawa few times and I think the winter illumination is quite the event (only five weekends in the winter) if you can catch one (tickets go very early). Otherwise it is a very touristy place.

(4) Kanazawa is a wonderful place with very reasonable accommodation and nice museums. If you are into hostels or prefer to stay at one - Hatchi Hostel is pretty amazing. (https://bizarrejourneys/com/kanazawa)

(5) In terms of Hokkaido - Biei is my favorite place and particularly in the winter if you are into landscape photography and Furano if you are into skiing. I personally love staying in very quite Biei but Asahikawa - a bigger city right next to it also has a good range of accommodation. Also look for Hokkaido JR pass as well - sometimes the regional passes work better in terms of the pricing than the country-wise one.

by Bizarre Journeys rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/16 23:18
Hmmm.....

This has been a difficult thread to respond to. Before I do, I'll explain that I've traveled Japan more than most but also do not like visiting rural locations in the depth of winter which is why I'm not a strong advocate of Hokkaido as others are. The times I've visited Hokkaido were during summer or autumn.

I had difficulty putting together a list from yours, so I've put together a list from my own travels which I think I could do over 9 weeks. These locations cover what I consider to be the better places in Japan which are more off the beaten track and are often cheaper and quieter as a result.

One Week: Tokyo --> Sendai (visit Matsushima & Yamadera). Zao onsen is also good to visit in February for the snow monsters - when you can see them.
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1005
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-896
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-897
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-898

Sendai --> Aizu Wakamatsu
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1028
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1030

Aizu Wakamatsu to Nikko

https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-993
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-994
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1099

Sorry - I lost a bit of wind after this.

Some places which I think are really worth visiting is the Kii Peninsula and Ise which will give you a great idea of the history of Japan. The Kumano Kodo is and interesting thing and significantly links back to Koyasan.

Another area which I think would be nice to focus on is the San-in coast which is western Honshu. I am a fan of Matue and particularly Hagi. A better way of looking at things is to spend a certain amount of time in a certain area of Japan. This also makes it nice when looking at regional passes. For example, here is an idea

1 Week: Tohoku
2 Weeks: Kanto + Chubu
2 Weeks: Kansai
1 Week: Chugoku
2 Weeks (Kyushu)
1 Week (Tokyo + Surrounds)

Some things to consider is that temples cost money to enter depending on where you are. For example, Nara and Kyoto has lots of temples and visiting many will eat up your budget quickly. I'm going to be spending 5 days in Kyoto soon for the last time and dreading to see how much it will cost me.

A link that might be helpful is a new bus pass for Hokkaido which just came out.

https://www.bus.hokkaidox.com/en/

If it's individual days then it's a steal. If it's consecutive days then it's not that much cheaper than the train passes apart from the central area ticket. Note that Hokkaido is a large island that is sparsely populated and takes time to travel.

Moving a place each day means that you will experience traveling by train to cities instead of actually visiting the cities. That is - unless you travel at night.
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: 2 Month Winter Trip 2019/7/17 04:00
Japanese winters have been affected by climate change. You may now get snow that will shut down the rail system, even in Tokyo. Lots of tourist places (and even roads/rail services) shut down in the winter anyway. Tokyo may be similar to the UK in winter, but the weather on the west coast can be a lot rougher and the North is more like Canada.

I think you need a more relaxed schedule. Don't look to zip around the whole nation, 'doing' somewhere each day and moving on. You will spend too much time travelling and too little time enjoying places. There is no law against visiting a second time.

Visiting without Japanese is much easier in the Golden Triangle, but becomes rapidly tougher off the beaten track. Negotiating low-cost lodgings will be difficult in some places, and couch-surfing across Japan will be pretty much impossible unless you have a lot of good friends there. If someone you meet on a station offers you their sofa for the night, I'm not sure that's a wise plan.

In general, the winter weather in the Tokyo area is quite tourist-friendly. But because the weather can shut down the transport system, and some winter days can feature torrential rain, you are going to need some alternatives and some flexibility. I tend to create a list of options, base myself somewhere, and then choose what to do according to the weather. You will need 'Plan B's, or you will just become a slave to your schedule.

I would strongly urge you to spend more time in fewer places, seeing more and 'commuting' less.

Some stuff you really need to do on specific days: Akiba on a Sunday afternoon, for example. Some tourist sites are closed one day a week. Some places you might decide you want to spend more time in. I worry when I see complex schedules on here that look like military invasion plans.

Your trip would have been easier before the AirBnB crackdown. Prices are now higher and there are restrictions that will make it tougher for you to stay one night anywhere at random. Research capsule hotels and 24hr internet cafes.

There is a lot of difference between eating cheaply in Japan (which can be done for very little money in ramen joints, AirBnB self-catering and from konbinis) and experiencing a wide range of Japanese cuisine in different types of eatery. The latter will cost a good deal more.

Luggage will be an issue. A nomadic holiday means carrying more, and you will need more clothes if you are there for longer, particularly if the weather changes. In late January the wind chill in Tokyo can make it feel like the arctic (wear a mask to keep your face from freezing). But I've been in Tokyo at the start of March, just four weeks later, in a heatwave that felt like a hot summer.

Carrying a lot of luggage on the often crowded rail network will soon become something you'll dread. If you do travel a lot, do it out of commuting hours. Check the times of first trains, 4.30am etc. They are not as full as a couple of hours later, but however young you are, you will get tired. Holidaying in Japan involves a lot of walking.

Research lockers. And consider what you will do with souvenirs. These will accumulate. You can post some home, but that will cost money. Many people buy the bulk of their souvenirs near the end of their holiday, but that would leave you with few from the first fifty days of your travels.

Although winter is a good time to visit Japan for many reasons, it can be quite stark until the plum blossom kicks off. Brown mountainsides etc.

Would two month-long trips at different times of the year be an alternative option, one in winter, one some other time?
by David (guest) rate this post as useful

reply to this thread