Tokyo Wide Pass: Flexibility

Hi!

We will be arriving to Tokyo on October 3rd and will be there for 4 days, staying in Shinjuku. For the 4 days, we're planning on doing Nikko, Lake Kawaguchiko, and 2 days in Tokyo proper. I've been researching how to get to/from Nikko and Lake Kawaguchiko and I'm torn between the following options:

A) Tokyo Wide Pass:
Thursday: Narita Express to Tokyo proper
Friday: Nikko (I hear there's a once-a-day train from Shinjuku to Nikko, 7:30 AM for a 2-hr direct transit)
Saturday: Lake Kawaguchiko (I also hear there should be a direct train from Shinjuku station to Lake Kawaguchiko)
Sunday/Monday: Tokyo Proper

B) Separate Booking:
Thursday: Keisei Limited Express
Friday/Saturday: Tokyo Proper
Sunday: Nikko (Metro to Asakusa + Nikko World Heritage Pass)
Monday: Lake Kawaguchiko (Highway bus from Shinjuku Station)

Looking for some general feedback / advice on which option is better. Cost-wise, they should be comparable: ~10k-11k yen.
For flexibility, I'd like to be able to change reservations for Lake Kawaguchiko if it's not a clear day. Do the direct trains (from Shinjuku) to Lake Kawaguchiko & Nikko get fully booked / can we change the reservations the day before our planned travel with no problem?

Any other recommendations are also greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

I'd probably go option B. All quicker transport options. And this option includes buses in Nikko.

I would also do option B for the flexibility.

But you could take NEX directly to Shinjuku IF there is one when you are departing. Otherwise it�fs probably similar in time if you do Narita-Nippori-Shinjuku (Keisei&Yamanote) or Narita-Tokyo- Shinjuku (NEX& Chuo)

Enjoy your trip to Tokyo!

Thanks!

Option B it is - we get buses in Nikko, direct to Lake Kawaguchiko, and it'll allow us four days to increase our chances of a clear-skies Mt. Fuji view.

Thanks again for the advice.

Are you going anywhere else in Japan after Tokyo?

Yes - heading to Kyoto directly after and will be staying there for 6 days (w/ day trip to Nara).

Will you fly out from Kansai Airport [KIX]?

Have you checked your accessibility to Haneda Airport [HND] in Tokyo?
Narita Airport [NRT] is actually outside Tokyo.

A) Tokyo Wide Pass:
Thursday: Narita Express to Tokyo proper
B) Separate Booking:
Thursday: Keisei Limited Express

Seats of JR Narita Express trains can be reserved.
Seats of Keisei non-liner trains cannot be reserved;
you cannot book your ride.
Maybe you are thinking about Keisei Skyliner,
where all the seats require reservation.

Arriving at NRT before the evening,
you highly likely can go
by low cost bus until Ginza then by subway to Shinjuku;
the total amount the fees is around 1200 yen per adult.
In the bus, you necessarily have your seat.
In the subway train(s), seats are secured on the first-come first-served basis.
- The Access Narita bus
http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/#timetable-title-3386

For the other parts, B) sounds better.

Your traveling days include two weekend days,
when Nikko and/or Kawaguchiko area may be crowded.
JR Tokyo Wide Pass
cannot be used on both the 4th (Friday) and the 7th (Monday) of October,
which are normal weekdays;
its validity is for three consecutive days.

Nikko World Heritage Pass

What destinations in Nikko do you have in your mind?

From Shinjuku you can make a day trip
to Lake Chuzenji area (Chuzenji Temple, Kegon Waterfall, etc.),
which is outside the validity of Tobu Nikko Pass (World Heritage Area).

Metro to Asakusa

Tokyo Metro Asakusa Station (G-19)
is the east terminus of the Ginza Line;
trains arrive into either Track 1 or Track 2,
which is indicated on the train car�fs body.

Asakusa Station of Tobu is a little away.
For backpackers,
though five minutes might be too short,
ten minutes may well be enough to make this transfer.

- Map in Japanese
of subway Asakusa Stations (A-18, G-19)
https://www.tokyometro.jp/station/yardmap_img/_station_%E6%B5%85%E8%8D...
: Arriving trains on the Ginza Line
run left to right on the map.

- Movie on YouTube showing transfer at Asakusa
from Tokyo Metro to Tobu Railway
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YbOOIDYo8yg
: This movie starts from the Tokyo Metro station Track 2.

Thanks for the detailed response. I'll try and get to all the points:

- We will be flying in (early October) and out (late October) of Narita.

- We'll be landing in Narita around 3PM. Bus to Ginza looks like it takes 1.5 hrs and it's unclear how the buses adhere to the timetables during rush hour.
- Does it make more sense to take the bus + subway OR the Keisei Limited Express w/ a transfer at Nippori Station? We will have luggage on us - 1 suitcase each.
- I'm not sure I completely get the reserved vs. non-reserved comments. Is there a chance that certain buses/trains will be fully booked if we don't have reservations?

- "Your traveling days include two weekend days ... JR Tokyo Wide Pass cannot be used on both the 4th (Friday) and the 7th (Monday) of October"
- Ok - so Option A / JR Tokyo Wide Pass is completely out, in this case
- For the traveling / day trips, is it better to do Nikko on Thursday and Lake Kawaguchiko on Monday (although this date will float based on weather).

- In Nikko, we plan on visiting Toshogu Shrine, Nikko Nat'l Park, Kanmangafuchi Gorge, and Taiyuimbo Shrine.

- Thanks for the video on the transfer to Asakusa Station of Tobu. Looks doable, although we'll probably allocate some extra time just in case.

Thanks again!