Japan Travel - June '16 - Any Thoughts or Feedback on This Itinerary?

pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 14:36

Hello guys,
I bought Japan tickets from previous jetstar deals and following is the plan that i put together based on TripAdvisor and other reviews from google. What sort of rail pass will i need except JR Pass? How does this plan look like? I travel with wife n 4yr old.

Day 1- 11th Jun:Land at Narita around 9.00 AM and go to hotel.
Try to visit following places
Senso-ji Temple
Ueno Garden
Zojoji Temple
Tokyo Tower & Tokyo Skytree
rainbow bridge tokyo
Tokyo Metropolitan Gov Building

Day 2 - 12th Jun - Kamakura & Hakone
Kotokuin temple
Kotokuin temple to Hakone
Owaku-dani Valley
Lake Ashi (Ashinoko)
Hakone Shrine / Kuzuryu Shrine Singu
Onshi Hakone Park
Hakene open-air museum (Art Museum)

Day 3 - 13th Jun - Nikko
Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Kegon Falls
Nikko National Park
Lake Chuzenji
Tobu World Square
Taiyuinbyo Shrine
Rinnoji Temple
Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
Yunoko Lake
Ryuokyo Canyon
Kanmangafuchi Pool

Day 4 - 14th Jun - Checkout from Hotel in Tokyo and Travel to Kyoto.
Visit following in Kyoto.
Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine
Kinkaku-ji Temple, or The Golden Pavilion
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Arashiyama monkey park

Day 5 - 15th Jun - Nara
todaiji temple
todaiji temple deer
Yakushiji Temple
Kasuga Taisha

Day 6 - 16th Jun - Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Itsukushima Shrine - Hiroshima
Hiroshima Castle
Atomic Bomb Dome
Peace Bell
Mitaki Temple
Setonaikai

Day 7 - 17th June - Osaka
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Osaka Castle Park
Umeda Sky Building
Shitennō-ji
Dotonbori
Shinsaibashi

Day 8 - 18th June - Leave Kyoto to Narita and take 8.00 PM Flight back home.

Travel

Comments

  • tre180 on 24/02/2016 - 14:52
    +23

    You'd be doing well to see 25% of those things on your itinerary! Did 7 days in Japan last year (3days Tokyo, 3 days Kyoto, 1 day Hakone) and just didn't have the time to see half the things I wanted to see and my list was alot shorter than yours. And that was just me and the GF, can't imagine travelling it with a 4year old! Also the best days were when we just floated about and enjoyed whatever we stumbled across, rushing about is too stressful for a holiday ;)

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 14:55

      Thanks. You are right. I just noted down places but not sure if will be able to do all of them.

    • antzz on 26/02/2016 - 02:08
      +4

      You can save alot on hotel if you actually do all these iterenaries and then some. Simply because you won't have time to sleep.

  • tanoshiiki on 24/02/2016 - 14:55
    +11

    Overall, you are doing much too much in a sort space of time! Tokyo is huge. This would be a tough itinerary for a couple, let alone with a 4 year old!

    Yes, you need a 7 Day JR Rail Pass if you are planning to go out of Tokyo.

    As some other threads have advised, there's no need to include so many temples generally.

  • NancyCat on 24/02/2016 - 15:21
    +1

    Check out this post: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/228495

    My family and I went to Japan few years ago with 2 young kids (Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, few days each city. Day trip to Nara). We visited half the temples/shrines you listed, and still we thought that was a lot…

    Nara Deer Park was nice. Your 4 y.o. will love the deers.

    The Gion area in Kyoto is very nice. It's the 'old town', like walking in a movie set, with geishas frequently walking pass (and happy to take photos with tourists). A beautiful park and some shrines/temples all within walking distance. It was lovely to just stroll around the area with young kids.

    Given you have a 4 year old, why not spend a day in Disneyland?

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 15:26

      Disneyland is in our plan for trip to US next yr.

    • itbargainhunter on 25/02/2016 - 16:24
      +2

      Beware of how you and your kid feed those Nara Deer. They can be nasty.

      1) Do not let them have access, or even see where you hide the deer biscuit. If they know where it is, like you try to hide it in you pants, they will chase you and bite wherever you hide them.

      2) Buck (Male Deer) can get very aggressive. Beware of their horns. I've seen they charge to a unlucky guy and hit his private part in front of his girl friend. I found it so hard to not laugh my head off.

      3) You don't need to give them the whole piece of deer biscuit to attract them. A quarter of it each time will do the same.

      I found below works the best.

      After buying the biscuit, put it straight to your backpack as the deers recongise the package of the biscuit and some will hunt you down when they see anyone holding it.

      Don't feed the one near the biscuit trolley as they are the most aggressive. They don't even afraid of the store owner and sometimes steal from it.

      Only take out enough biscuit and feed to the less aggressive one. There are plenty of them, so no rush.

      Enjoy Nara.

      • ericmclee on 26/02/2016 - 12:58
        +1

        Deer park was lovely. Fortunately for us, the deer were friendly and the buck was suitably preoccupied. :)

        Couple more tips:-
        -you can purchase the deer biscuits in town before reaching the park to save a few "bucks" (need to save your "doe"). We bought some biscuits at the park and then when we were exploring the town, we saw they were being sold in bulk. For the same price, we would have got 3 or 4 times the amount of biscuits. -to avoid being mobbed by the deer, feed them in areas where others are feeding them so that if you run out, they will go to the others.

        Have a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0dMwaEOj7s for some good tips.

        Enjoy Japan.

  • danield on 24/02/2016 - 15:23
    +1

    Day 1 in Tokyo, What part of the city is the hotel in?
    Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree & Tokyo Metropolitan Gov Building
    They kinda cancel each other out, you'll get a great view of Tokyo from all 3 but they aren't close enough to be able to do together. Look at doing Tokyo Metropolitan Gov Building (or ToCho to the locals) as it is free.

    I suggest you get a map and mark down all the places and get a better idea where everything is and concentrate on sticking to a particular are for a day or at least half a day. As mnetioned above Tokyo is huge and you can easily waste an hour or 2 trying to rush from one place to the next only to find that your trying to get back again for something else later.

    Actually just looked again at your itinery and its only one day tokyo and thats the day you land so yeah, you'll need to narrow down your priorities to maybe the top 2-3 things you consider a must see and wing it for the rest, I agree with the above comment that roaming around free, especially in big cities like Tokyo can be some of the best experiences. My last trip to Tokyo was 3 days, on Day 1 I left the hotel and turned left, on day 2 I turned right on day 3 I went straight ahead and mostly just walked in the general direction of a different district.

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 15:26

      Thanks. My hotel in Tokyo will be Citadines Shinjuku Hotel.

      • danield on 24/02/2016 - 16:40

        Shinjuku, that's where the Tokyo Metropolitan Gov Building is so be a good starting spot, its a Goverment building so from memory it closes early 5-6pm.. so you could head to Tokyo Tower or Skytree for a night view later that evening.

        • iforgotmysocks on 25/02/2016 - 10:30

          The viewing level in the government building is open at night, there's a restaurant up there. You have to enter through the ground level, not the normal building entry level which is a couple of stories up.

          Can't remember what time it was open till but I was there at around 8pm. Fantastic view and it was free, there was a bit of a line though (about 15mins). We didn't end up going to the tokyo tower or skytree.

          I went last April with my partner, we spent 5 nights in Tokyo and 2 nights in Kyoto. Agree that your itinerary is very packed.. I'd pick and choose the shrines you go to, we only did a few on our trip but even then they weren't much different.

          We had the JR pass for bullet trains and getting around Tokyo (we didn't really need to use the Metros, everything we wanted to see was within a 20min walk of the main stations. Used the metro in Kyoto, was pretty cheap (maybe spent 5AUD each per day we were there).

      • Rogaor on 25/02/2016 - 09:07

        Have a pineapple on a stick outside shinjuku station… Delicious

      • Mechanist on 25/02/2016 - 14:43

        Tokyo Metropolitan Gov Building is free so go there. Was there in December and was pretty cool. I suggest you aim to get there a bit before dusk and you will get the day and night views of the city.

    • yasui on 28/02/2016 - 09:19

      The queue to enter Skytree is very long. it costs more but you can pre-book the time to jump queue.

      • theguyrules on 29/02/2016 - 12:46

        Strange, when we went there was no queue. This was around 630pm on Friday last December. It was rather busy up the top though.
        Totally worth it, the view was amazing.

        • yasui on 01/03/2016 - 12:09

          That was Saturday for me. I just did google search and it seems it get busy on Saturdays and Sundays. I noticed OP wants to visit there on sat…

  • dissin on 24/02/2016 - 15:27
    +1

    Osaka aquarium is half day bare minimum

    Take time and enjoy where you go but yeh cut itinerary down a lot

  • pantsparty on 24/02/2016 - 15:40
    +1

    If I had 7 days, I would do 4 days in Tokyo and 3 days in Osaka. From Osaka I would do a day trip to Kyoto. For my taste your trip sounds way too busy. A whole lot of your time will be spent on the bullet train. I would plan my time around the best places to go to eat Japanese food, not seeing a million sights.

    In Tokyo I would cross out your activities and instead visit a combination of Harajuku, the Shibuya Crossing, Ramen Street in Tokyo station or the food hall in the basement of Takashimaya at Shinjuku.

  • jordanzac on 24/02/2016 - 15:45
    +3

    I like the itinerary. Last week I got back from my second trip to Japan.
    I had to do Japan two trips. One in October for two weeks and one in February for a week.
    That should give you an example of how much there is to see and do.

    Some comments on the itinerary:
    1. Travel times, even on the Shinkansen train the trip between say Tokyo and Nikko is over 2 hours each way, Nara to Hiroshima is almost 3 hours each way. You also need to go into the JR office and get each of these tickets (and I'd recommend booking in the reserved section, as you don't want to be stuck in the smoking section (yes it exists in japan on a train) with the little one)
    2. By the fourth temple you'll realise they all are quite similar to the untrained eye, you may get "templed out" and bored of them. Unless you are a shogunate history buff. Then enjoy!
    3. You'll find that you can spend a whole day in Dotonburi and Shinsaibashi alone, it's crazy and amazing!
    4. I'm not sure about Hiroshima but Osaka doesn't have as many JR city trains as other cities I've been to. So maybe get yourself the JR pass, but also pick up an IcoCa from a station too (the Osaka based, non JR train card) and load it up with some yen.
    5 Japan gets HOT in June. Keep that in mind and water on hand (though there will always be a kombini nearby)
    6. No trip to Tokyo is Complete without a walk town Takeshita Street in Harajuku in my opinion. You can also see Meiji Jingu shrine.

    General tips:
    - eat the street food. Especially Takoyaki in Osaka. Look for a stall where locals are ordering and eating
    - don't be afraid of convenience store cooked food. It's amazing, especially the triangle onigiri.
    - don't eat a teriyaki burger from maccas (they taste terrible!)
    - take a peak hour train, just to experience it… You'll probably hate it but it's an experience to laugh about

    Enjoy your trip!

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 15:52

      Thanks for amazing response. Being vegetarian, street food or burger or food from 7-11 is almost no no.

      • jordanzac on 24/02/2016 - 16:02

        You're welcome :)

        Family Mart (a convenience store chain) sell an amazing pickled green vegetable onigiri.

        • danield on 24/02/2016 - 16:45
          -2

          Is Octopus considered meat? Takoyaki in Osaka.. Mmmm.. delicous.

        • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 17:16
          +1

          @danield: Yeah its meat.

      • bargainy on 24/02/2016 - 21:12
        +3

        You will find being a vegetarian very difficult as most food referred to as vegetarian ends up using fish in the stock.

        • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 21:14

          Yeah, trying to gather as much info as possible from happycows and TA around food.

      • chickentaste on 24/02/2016 - 21:41
        +2

        Mate, do yourself a favour: each and every time you go to a restaurant don't tell them you're a vegatarian. Tell them that you are badly allergic to meat. And fish. Because otherwise there are a lot of people who are either going to take it as a personal challenge, misunderstand you or completely ignore you. I lived in Japan a long time, and although I wasn't vego a lot of my friends were, and they'd be served meat and fish after patiently explaining that they were vegetarian pretty much on a weekly basis.

        • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 22:15

          Thanks for heads up. I'll remember this.

      • Ryugen on 27/02/2016 - 13:46

        I would recommend getting something on a laminated card that says "I am allergic to meats and fish" or "I am a vegetarian and as part of my religion can not eat meat or fish" in Japanese. You want something pretty extreme so they take notice and having it on a card saves trying to explain in broken Japanese in every restaurant.

        This way whenever you are eating at a restaurant, just flash it to the waitress/ter/cook

  • Cyphar on 24/02/2016 - 17:00
    +7

    Too many things. You can only do 1 or 2 of those things per day and you've provided yourself not rest days. You'll burn out.

    Also, seen one temple, seen them all. No idea why people get this obsession with going to Japan to see temples. I used to live there and they get boring as bat shit.

    Also you are travelling in the rainy season. Bang in the middle of it. You are going to have wash out days.

    EDIT: I assume this is your first time travelling with a child? Do you really expect a 4yo to follow you over 8 different locations in a day? You need to redesign your iteniary to include less activities but also more child-friendly ones.

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 21:12

      Thanks for your suggestion.

  • nubzy on 24/02/2016 - 17:25

    I went to two weeks and had a packed itinerary and walked up to 30km some days. I followed the best of Japan 14 day itinerary on Japan guide. Still had to miss some things, but also saw others. Tokyo is absolutely massive and quite unbelievable, you could explore around there for weeks alone. But personally I find it too busy and not relaxing, so only a few days there is fine for me. Kyoto and places like Nara, Hiroshima, Kanazawa much more relaxed and lots of beauty. Since you have a child I think it's going to be quite difficult for you, just schedule one or two things a day or play it by ear. You don't need to follow itinerary to the letter.

  • TheCutter on 24/02/2016 - 17:35
    +2

    Hakone is great but it's up a mountain on winding road
    It's half a day to get in and out of so I don't know whether you can spare that

    The onsens are great and they have these crazy pirate ships crossing a lake but it's all a bit odd and I'd say more for a Japan returner than a 1st timer as it's slow progress when u don't know the routine

    • dogboy on 25/02/2016 - 16:19

      Get the travel pass in Hakone which will cover you for the buses, the crazy pirate ship and the cable cars.

  • Paul Atreides on 24/02/2016 - 20:15

    flying back to cairns, gc or melb on the 18th?

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 20:50

      Yeah… Bast##### Jetstar…. I had direct flight but they changed.

      • Paul Atreides on 25/02/2016 - 08:06

        if you're flying to CNS, see you onboard :)

  • 17731773 on 24/02/2016 - 20:18

    Take an umbrella stroller. There are sooooooo many stairs at some of the train stations and not always elevators and with a tired 4 year old it will be tough. I took a 3 1/2 year old to Tokyo last October. You will want something light and compact.

    As mention above itinerary is way to ambitious.

    Average day we would walk 10 -15 K there is no way a little kid is up for that. My daughter napped a lot in the stroller was a godsend.

  • 17731773 on 24/02/2016 - 20:20

    Oh and if you haven't heard about it use the luggage courier service from the airport / from the convenience stores. Was so good and cheap and we didn't have to drag our cases around on the trains.

  • bargainy on 24/02/2016 - 21:10
    +2

    Been to Japan a few times and there is so much to see. Without knowing your tastes I'll make a few general comments:

    No Tsukiji market in Tokyo?

    Since you will be in Tokyo on a Saturday it would be a travesty not to visit Harajuku in the morning.

    I'd rather visit Himeji Castle than spend much time in Osaka. Fantastic hand made noodles in one of the shops on the left as you walk from railway station to the castle.

    In Nara it is well worth checking out the mochi pounding not far from the park.

    • pyramid on 24/02/2016 - 21:12

      I m not into fish market etc so no Tsukiji market :(. Thanks for your other suggestions.

  • kickling on 25/02/2016 - 08:27

    Tips from me after coming back at xmas:

    DisneySea was a let down. 3hr lineup per ride, waste of a day. Even tried to get fastpass but still, hardly any point. Go if you love Disney as it's the only one in the world.

    For high view, go to Skytree and don't bother with Tokyo tower.

    Mt Fuji day tour is well worth it.

    South korea is super cheap to fly into, cheap to eat and stay. It's a different cultural experience. If you can afford 2 or 3 nights.

    You must book in advance to go to the imperial palace. We missed out. But I hear mixed reviews, so no biggie.

    Eat all the ramen and sushi. Drink all the beer… Just so cheap!

    Buy a data SIM from one of the electronic or dept stores. You'll need google maps. I used TripAdvisor a lot for eating.

    Go see a sumo match! You absolutely must. We missed out due to off season.

    Don't worry about being unsafe. Everyone is friendly. I used the Google Translate app a lot.

    • dazweeja on 25/02/2016 - 19:42

      I've been to Japan a couple of times but never thought to pop over to South Korea. Good suggestion!

  • kickling on 25/02/2016 - 08:28

    Oh, also lots of quirky cafes… Cat, dog, owl, robot cafe. Drop in to at least one of these!

  • Rogaor on 25/02/2016 - 09:13

    When you go to arashiyama bamboo grove and then the park; just go downstairs to find the Katsura river where you can have a nice cheap lunch with a lovely view.

  • gm3stevens on 25/02/2016 - 11:07
    +1

    I have been to Japan 4 times in the past 2 years and still haven't covered everything on my list. You better cut your itinerary down and give yourself a good excuse to visit Japan again.

    If you want to see the deer, you may leave Nara till next time and go to Itsukushima on Day 6 on your way to Hiroshima. You will be greeted with deer once you stepped on the Island. The centuries-old Itsukushima Shrine and its torii gate are unique for being built over water, seemingly floating in the sea during high tide.

    Another place you may like to visit is the Miraikan — National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Odaiba. Make sure you take photo of Gundam at the main entrance of Diver City before you go to see Asimo show in the museum. Your 4 years old will love it.

    On a rainy day in Tokyo, the Subway Museum in Edogawa is a good place to go. Lots of hands on for the kids and you can learn how to drive a Metro.

    • pyramid on 25/02/2016 - 11:16

      Thanks for this places.

    • dazweeja on 25/02/2016 - 19:44

      +1 for Itsukushima. Lovely place.

  • theguyrules on 25/02/2016 - 11:54

    If you're doing the bamboo walk in Arashiyama, I would absolutely recommend visiting Ōkōchi Sansō. We found it by accident after doing the bamboo walk. It's a fantastic walk through a private garden with some AMAZING views. Costs 1000 yen each, and you get a green tea and dessert, which I didn't like personally but it was worth a try.
    It was one of my favorite things we did in Kyoto and it was all on a whim!

  • theguyrules on 25/02/2016 - 12:00

    Also, with your JR Pass you can just go and sit in the unreserved seating on the Shinkansen. I would normally recommend booking a seat in advance, but there were a couple of times that it was great to be able to just jump on a shinkansen without having to reserve a ticket. The couple of times we did it, we had no issues getting a seat.
    Remember to keep your JR Pass in a super handy spot in your backpack. You'll be taking it out to show the gate person a lot, sometimes a few times at big stations.

  • allenhori on 25/02/2016 - 12:58

    Best Tempura around senjo-ji. Visit Yokohama harbour if you have the time, it's just 20-25 minutes from Tokyo and you will love the night view. Good food around there too.

    • mooreshady on 25/02/2016 - 17:04

      address? or name of shop? thanks~~~

      • allenhori on 25/02/2016 - 19:46
        +2

        my bad, I've tried many of them and this one called Daikokuya @ 1-38-10 Asakusa Taito 111-0032 was quite impressive.

        • mooreshady on 26/02/2016 - 11:07

          WOW, that's on my list of the great restaurants in Tokyo! Thanks for the 'review'!~

      • allenhori on 25/02/2016 - 19:55
        +1

        And you don't want to miss the best Oyakodon in Kyoto @ Japan, 〒602-8446 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Kamigyō-ku, Itsutsujichō, 上京区五辻町75, expect 1+ hour waiting time if you arrive late though. My suggestion is to purchase a daily ticket in Kyoto with no JR access if you do not intend to travel somewhere far away. It saves heaps. And if you travel with shinkensen from Tokyo to Kyoto by any chance, buying 2 tickets can be cheaper sometimes, you do not need to get off but just insert the 2 tickets together when you enter and exit. That's Tokyo to Toyohashi and Toyohashi to Kyoto. Not sure about right now but it did work out to be cheaper last year when I was there. Wish you enjoy the trip

  • Mechanist on 25/02/2016 - 14:56
    +2

    I wouldn't bother with all the day trips e.g. Osaka and Hiroshima. Spend the extra time in Kyoto\Tokyo and just enjoy your time. If you are rushing around you wont enjoy it much. You might feel different if you aren't gonna travel back to Japan.
    Nara is very nice and the 4 year old will like the deer. Easily done in half a day.
    Be mindful of all the walking around you are going to end up doing while lugging a kid with you.

    Also I got a Data sim before I left: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/236120
    Was great. Had internet as soon as the plan landed and made getting around(via google maps) very easy.

    Look at the costs of JR Passes versus price of single train tickets (http://www.hyperdia.com/ should show you the prices). I myself flew into Osaka and out via Tokyo so It didnt make economic sense to get one. But if you are doing the round trip Kyoto-Tokyo it probably will.

    Also just an FYI train from Narita to Shinjuku takes over an hour. Leave your luggage at your hotel and double check your check in time. Flight might wipe you out more than you think. I landed at 6.30am and couldnt check in till 2. was a very long tired wait.

    Details on kyoto public transport http://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html .Mostly buses to get to temples. suggest the 500 yen bus passes .

    Also Found this useful: http://forum.virtualtourist.com/Japan-1392-2-10037578/10-day…

    • Mechanist on 25/02/2016 - 15:11

      also a good tip is get a citbank plus transaction account. can take money out abroad straight from that account and they dont charge a conversion fee(they just do the conversion at a rate they set themselves which was pretty decent when I was there) or atm fees(unless the atm itself has on). Free to open, free to use. Can pay using the debit card and withdrawn free from all the 7/11 stores in japan. i think you can withdrawn from post office atms too for free but i never needed too as 7/11's were easy to find.

      • pyramid on 25/02/2016 - 15:54

        Thanks. Already have this card and used overseas few times.

  • Cluster on 25/02/2016 - 15:52

    If you like animation, electronics, computers, or a combo of the three I highly recommend visiting Akihabara in Tokyo. Preferably in the evening.

    I have to say that your itinerary looks like it has far too many events packed into each day. Tokyo itself can easily consume four days without getting bored. Some places like Nikko and Nara can be done in a day trip, as the tourist sites of interest are very close by. But Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo require quite a bit of time.

  • Ninjassmileinthedark on 25/02/2016 - 15:59
    +1

    Stay in Tokyo longer and take your kid to the Ghibli Museum and Kidzania. Both require pre-booking but well worth it. Very Japanese (though I think Kidzania is also located elsewhere)

    • Cluster on 25/02/2016 - 16:01

      +1 for the Ghibli museum, if you or your family like any of their movies. Tickets must be purchased well in advance as there's a limited quota per day for foreigners.

    • theguyrules on 25/02/2016 - 16:41

      I agree! And the area was really nice too. Cool park.

  • cmyk on 25/02/2016 - 16:09

    Been to most of the places listed (except Hiroshima) after about 10 trips there! Travelled recently with children and I recommend doing up to 2-3 things per day. Make sure you start early (be the 1st) there before busloads of tourists arrive. Places like Kyoto bamboo Grove needs to be experienced in peace rather than elbowing through the crowd. Golden temple was 'standing room' at around noon. Monkey Park is a bit of a hike so didn't think it's worthwhile.

    • cmyk on 25/02/2016 - 16:27

      Food options for vegetarian: lots of good vege udon/soba, okonomiyaki (osaka), onigiri, bento boxes or take away from the wonderful world of food halls.

  • bl1027 on 25/02/2016 - 16:45

    Buy the JR 7 day pass. Keep in mind that it expires at midnight on the 7th day. So since you are travelling for 8 days, where on the 8th day you need to get from Kyoto to Tokyo, make sure that you don't activate your pass until day 2. Though this means that you will have to pay extra for trips around Tokyo on day 1.

  • mooreshady on 25/02/2016 - 17:02
    +1

    Is English ok manageable in TOKYO?

    • Roney on 25/02/2016 - 18:06

      Yep, just about.

  • Baa on 25/02/2016 - 18:41
    +1

    Say goodbye to a couple of days and head here: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2482875&…

  • John on 25/02/2016 - 19:13

    I'm planning a trip as well in November. But one tips I read that sticks to me.. was to try leave your afternoon free. Aim to visit places during the day but leave the afternoon open so you can also have a relaxing holiday.

  • BargainisLife on 25/02/2016 - 20:42

    Went to Japan last year with a friend, and just like what others are saying, the best things to do in Japan are actually exploring the unknown streets in that foreign land and create an experience that is unique to you. I realised that this is probably hard for you to do given that you're traveling with a 4 year old as well but still, get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi the second you arrive in the airport, give yourselves an afternoon or two of "free time", let Google Maps be your best friend and just explore! I walked around Nezu in Tokyo and really enjoyed the change of scene from a busy metropolis to a quiet more traditional side of Tokyo. Trust me on this, keep maybe Senso-Ji and Meiji Shrine on your list but take off other Tokyo shrines so you can free up time for exploring. You'll be seeing plenty more shrines in Kyoto anyway and they'll all start to look the same.
    Not sure how good your Japanese is, but don't be shy showing them off! Even if it's just a simple greeting it'll really help break the ice when you ask for directions if you approach with Japanese first. Most of them are not hostile towards foreigners, they just don't want to embarrass themselves by speaking English. If you provide them with a leeway by approaching them in Japanese then ask if they can speak English using Japanese I'm sure most Japanese people would be happy to help.
    My trip to Japan was the best experience I had while traveling overseas. The sights were amazing, the people were really kind and the food was unbelievable! I'm saving up money to go back again because there are at least 20 more places I'd like to visit so I'm very jealous of you OB! Wish you guys have fun there tho!

    • jeffjj on 28/02/2016 - 11:44

      I totally agree, have had two trips in the past 2 years to Japan, each trip for 2 weeks, and I still have a long list of places to visit.

  • tassietigermaniac on 25/02/2016 - 22:00

    If you do go to Nikko and have the time check out Edo Wonderland! I had an amazing day there, it was heaps of fun!

    Also, learn to use http://www.hyperdia.com/en/, it's really useful!

  • Tnetennba on 26/02/2016 - 03:46

    Honestly just do SkyTree, not worth doing the tower as well if you're limited for time. When you do it though, you'll want to get in early. Like, first thing you do in the day early, or you'll be waiting for a while.

  • gmail92 on 26/02/2016 - 08:01

    Some notes of mine

    • Given one week itinerary, I believe its too much travel. Slow down, spending more time in certain areas, eg. Tokyo.
    • Maybe take out Hakone, Hiroshima, Nikko etc. Further removing longer distance trips will reduce your need for a JR Pass.
    • If you take a Shinkansen from Osaka to Hiroshima (a fast one), it will only be 1 hr instead of 3 (Included in JR Pass)
    • If you go Miyaijima/Itsukushima (as said again by someone else) (near Hiroshima) you can also see deer there too (essentially removing the need to visit Nara). Beware you will need to consider ferry times to Miyaijima island. (If this is your main reason to go Nara).
    • Would have been much easier to fly out Osaka, but I believe its too late now.
    • If you decide to do Hiroshima, I did a day trip out to nearby Okunoshima (Rabbit Island) - May be a kid friendly activity.
    • Consider where you will be staying each night relative to where you have to be tomorrow.
  • Grillman on 26/02/2016 - 09:41

    As people have said, it's too much. I think you should cut your daily plans by at least half. Just visit a couple of shrines and temples, decide which ones are best for you. Honestly you need more than one day in most places.

    Will you have access to internet? Without google maps/gps etc on your phone, you are gonna waste precious time finding your way to some locations. You should rent a wifi device.

    If you are going to go to Kamakura I would suggest you take a few hours to visit nearby beautiful Enoshima.

    Also as people have said, Harajuku/Takeshita st is a must do in Tokyo.

    Again, I think you will end up missing out on a lot of things each day due to time.

  • fgt on 26/02/2016 - 10:33

    I've done most of what you are attempting to do, spent quite a lot of time in Japan. I can assure you you've never do it, don't even attempt, you'll lose your sanity rushing around.

    In Kyoto, instead of going to the places you have listed, believe me you, those places are very crowded tourist traps. Head here, it's very relaxing, quiet and peaceful. The cable tram ride is great, and from the top of the mountain you get a spectacular view of Japans largest lake. The temple is one of the oldest in Japan and I believe it's where Buddhism began in Japan. Here's some information about it.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3911.html

    Enjoy your trip. Japan is a wonderful place.

  • mightyhawks23 on 26/02/2016 - 10:43

    Spend 3-4 days each in Osaka/Kyoto last November with an 18 month old and felt it was too rushed.

    Looks like you've planned a day at each location but have you factored in the travel time and checking in/out of hotels?
    Yes, Kyoto-Nara is only less then an hour by train but you need
    - check out of your hotel in Kyoto
    - get to the train station with all your luggage
    - catch the train to Nara
    - get to your hotel in Nara and check in

    That's most of the morning gone and it'll be almost lunch time by then leaving you half a day at the new location
    And you're planning to do that every day

    Hopefully, you haven't booked all your accommodation yet and you can change up your plan
    7 days - I'd really just stick with Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto

    One last thing, Arashiyama monkey park is a good 15-20 min walk up a mountain
    Someone pointed out you'll be going in the rainy season - the day we went, it was raining and we were miserable climbing up that mountain

  • bajillionaire on 26/02/2016 - 13:12
    +1

    As has been mentioned already, too many temples man. Do 3 max. Believe me, unless your love of places of worship borders on the inappropriate after the 3rd one you'll be "Oh look, another temple yay. Ok what do you want to eat".

  • skazclaw on 26/02/2016 - 14:21

    What I found super enjoyable was to get off at a random station between Kyoto and Tokyo where tourism is non existent. Just enjoy watching everyday Japan. We walked for a quite a few km's through the city/town and country side.
    I also saved 4 or so tiny kittens that were in a ditch. It was interesting trying to convey this to the local cafe owner where neither of us knew each others language. She squealed when she saw them. I assume it was an accident they ended up there?

  • BargainShopaholic on 26/02/2016 - 15:43

    Hakone Open Air Museum - great place, however you'll prob end up spending a few hours there without realizing it, especially for your little one as they have an awesome children's play are there.

    If you are already visiting Kyoto, then I would suggest to give some of the other temples a miss, as I went to maybe a quarter of what you've listed, and it felt like a lot.

    Many temples require a LOT of walking from bus/train stops, so it might be very tiresome.

    Plan accordingly.

    However, no matter where you go, you'll have a blast in Japan!! Love love Japan, and will be going on my 3rd trip in June :)

  • pyramid on 26/02/2016 - 15:58

    Thanks guys for all suggestions.

  • cosmic on 26/02/2016 - 20:22
    +1

    Unless you might never go back to Japan again, there's no need to traverse so much area.

    Flying into Narita, only 7 days: just stick to east of Mt. Fuji, there's plenty to do (not enough time really). Save yourself the cost of the JR Pass, which is like $350; subways and private lines are more convenient anyway.

    Next trip, fly into Osaka and do another 14 days in the west. Plan it right and you won't need/want a JR Pass for that either.

    Source: lived there

  • stratbargain on 26/02/2016 - 20:25

    I'm with the others. 7 days, I'd be focusing on Tokyo and Kyoto. Although Nikko and Hiroshima are awesome, Hiroshima is very much out of the way.

    Tokyo you can spend plenty of time just walking around and soaking it all in. Go up one of the towers for a (fairly average) view and then just jump on the subway and get off at random stations. Four year old would probably love Tokyo Disney, that could consume one of the days.

    The 4 year old could be an issue but if you can get bikes with a seat for the 4 year old it's a great way to see Kyoto.

    I'd probably do 3 days Tokyo, 2 days Kyoto and then 2 days Nikko, but that's just me.

    Japan is close, and relatively cheap to visit. Don't try to cram, just organise another trip (I've been three times and will go back again soon)

  • ComfortablyNumb on 26/02/2016 - 23:28

    This is a great thread! We're going with a 3 and 5 year old. Definitely going to do Disneyland and Disney Sea for a two day pass (might go on the Thursday and Friday so it's not too packed), but we've got 5 days to fill in. We're staying at tokyu stay monzen nakacho (as recommended by a fellow ozbargainer). We're going during qld school holidays end of June 28th to 5th of July. Happy for any advice!

  • avgbowlofpho on 27/02/2016 - 15:11

    Woah

    That is a lot
    My advice is to cut down on most of your days

  • ryanranran on 27/02/2016 - 17:38

    Last year's Japan summer was HOT. When you mix city tourist crowd + 35 degree weather it was not very uncomfortable constantly walking around to see stuff.
    If you can plan ahead a few places where you can just chillax, you'd probably have a better time.

  • belongsinforums on 27/02/2016 - 19:55

    The peace memorial in Hiroshima isn't pleasant. In fact, I'd skip Hiroshima altogether and spend another day in Kyoto or something. Kyoto is…something special. And it's very tourist friendly!

    Tokyo has some very cool stuff hidden inside. What, no Pokecenter visit for the little one?

  • yasui on 28/02/2016 - 08:51
    +1

    Many people has already advised to cut down so I won't add the same comment here. I think the Day 2 and Day 3 should be swapped. Take a look at these places on a map. Nikko is north east of Tokyo and Hakone and Kamakura is west. You should go in this way to go more efficiently.

    Day 1 Tokyo > Day 2 Nikko > Day 3 Kamakura or Hakone > Day 4 Kyoto

    (It is really impossible to visit both Kamakura and Hakone in 1 day. It takes approximately 8 hours to go round trip from Odawara to Odawara including time taken for transportation and sightseeing. You must choose one of these.)

    On Day3, if you are visiting Hakone, follow this way:

    Tokyo -> Odawara via Shinkansen

    Odawara -> Owaku-dani Valley -> Lake Ashi ->　Cruise -> Hakone Shrine > Bus > Hakone Yumoto > Odawara

    see this http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/freepass/

    it takes one full day to go through this course in the map.

    Odawara -> Kyoto via shinkansen

    If you are visiting Kamakura on Day 3:
    Tokyo > Kamakura > Odawara > Kyoto
    You don't need to go back to Tokyo and this saves time.

  • jeffjj on 28/02/2016 - 11:35
    +1

    Couple of suggestions:
    Train museum at Saitama ( just north of Tokyo)..my son went there and loved it
    Sushi train restaurant at Shibuya, it was loads of fun and good food … https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g1066456-d3…
    Don't expect small shops to take credit card…have cash in your pocket
    In general…don't rush to get through a checklist of highlights, it is very tiring. Some great fun can be had just wandering around just seeing how they live there. Try visiting Japanese supermarkets and check out the food section.
    Kamakura…it is nice but I found other areas ( eg Philosopher's Walk and Inari Temple, all near Kyoto) more appealing. If you are in to castles, try Hikone, it is a day trip from Kyoto. Or else Nara, for another easy daytrip from Kyoto.

  • jeffjj on 28/02/2016 - 11:40

    When I was in Osaka two weeks ago, I read in the Japan Times that the wait for individual rides at Osaka Universal Studios could be up to 2 hours…I would check this out before forking out for tickets there.

    • pyramid on 28/02/2016 - 11:48

      Thanks but not going to universal Park.

  • JJkx on 29/02/2016 - 13:46

    It's interesting thread
    May someone can answer my curious?
    I'll have travel to Japan on July 2016 (sorry TS we can't meet in Japan hahaha)
    Actually my travel is only 5 days in Japan (i'll visit Tokyo and Kyoto only), than flight to Korea for 10 days than flight back to Sydney)

    My question is should i buy JR PASS for 5 days only? or just use the normal ticket like Japanese ticket?

    thanks
    cheers

    • pyramid on 29/02/2016 - 14:07

      I'm no expert but what I read is Jr pass is worth if you do at least once Tokyo-Kyoto-Tokyo.

      • JJkx on 29/02/2016 - 14:10

        okay thank you..

        anyway I got some places for visit because of this thread after doing the research

        anyway i have only 3 days ( 2 night in Tokyo)

        I'm considering about Disney land and MT Fuji, Where should I go? if i should choose one maybe my itinerary gonna be like this

        Landing at Haneda 5.30 AM
        Shinjuku
        Take a rest ( i book accomodation from airbnb check in 4.00pm)
        Evening 06.00 pm Go to sky tree and tokyo tower
        Home sweet home

        Second days
        MT fuji (it will be spent whole day, wouldn't it?)

        Third days
        Disney land (same thing with MT fuji ? )
        Move to kyoto

        any advice of these itinerary?

        thanks

        • gm3stevens on 01/03/2016 - 11:00

          You didn't say much about your itenery and it's hard to give any comments on it. The following are some tips for you:

          If your trip covers Tokyo - Kyoto - Tokyo - Korea, then buy the JR Pass, otherwise it's not worth to spend the $350 on the pass.

          It's a good idea to spend one day in Hakone, stay in Yamanakako and head to Mt Fuji on the following day. However, I don't think that you can afford to spend 2 days for it, so it's better to join the day tour to go to Mt Fuji

          On the 3rd day, you have to check out the hotel in the morning and head to Kyoto in the afternoon. Like someone mentioned before, you need to learn how to use HyperDia to plan your trip. You can leave Tokyo Disneyland Station at 17.37 and arrive Kyoto 20.50 by catching the Shinkansen Nozomi 123 (The JR Rail Pass doesn't cover Nozomi) and it costs you 14380 yens. If you stay in Best Western Tokyo Nishikasai Hotel, they have free shuttle to go to Disneyland.

          If you are a true ozbargainer, no need to go to Skytree nor Tokyo Tower for the evening view of Tokyo. Simply go to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office in Shinjuku (North building still open in the evening). It's free!

        • JJkx on 01/03/2016 - 20:53

          @gm3stevens:

          Thank you so much for the advice
          Appreciate it.

          Yap it exactly tokyo-kyoto-tokyo-korea

          Anyway here isn't my thread i should create my own thread. I like the advice and discuss with you guys

        • gm3stevens on 02/03/2016 - 10:59
          +2

          @JJkx:

          Unless you have any particular reason that you have to go to Kyoto in this trip or you decide not going to visit Japan again, it's not advisable to spend a few hundred bucks and 6 hours just to visit Kyoto for a day, (assuming you have to leave Kyoto on Day 5 and rush back to Tokyo to catch the plane to Korea)

          If you really have to, then instead of buying the 7 days JR Rail Pass, you can consider buying the bullet train package for Kyoto which costs 21600 yens and it comes with a Kyoto Day Pass for you to use in Kyoto. Be aware that this ticket is for non-reserved cars and you can only disembark at Kyoto Station.

          Another option is buying the 2-Day Kyoto Train & Hotel Package for a reserved seat return ticket and comes with one night stay in Kyoto, starting from 24600 yens , depending on the hotel stay.

        • JJkx on 02/03/2016 - 18:04

          @gm3stevens:
          So anyway if im not go to kyoto, i don't need to buy Jr pass, right? Or it still worthy for 5 days in tokyo
          My reason for go to kyoto because i want to visit kinkakuji temple, and other famous temple in kyoto. I think it a bit ridiculous reason for go to kyoto.. Hahahah

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