12 nights in Japan - draft itinerary

Hello.

I actually think this looks pretty good. You essentially have 4 nights in Tokyo, 6 in Kyoto and 2 in Koya. You can never spend too much time in Kyoto, IMO. And it sounds like Mt. Koya is right up your alley.

Day trips from Tokyo would be Hakone, Kamakura and/or Nikko. We did Kamakura and Hakone (we stayed overnight in Hakone).

From Kyoto, in addition to your visit to Himeji, I would also recommend a day trip to Nara and Hiryuji.

We stayed in a lovely little ryokan in Asakusa called Ryokan Shigetsu. I'd recommend you look into it. I don't remember it being at all expensive and it's in a great location.

Another place you might want to consider visiting is Miyajima, which is near to Hiroshima. I think it meets your interests. This would require taking two nights away from Kyoto and/or Tokyo (or 1 from each).

For incense clouds in temples, go to Sanjusangendo in Kyoto....

Your itinerary looks fine to me as well. If possible flying into NRT and out of KIX might enable you to have time for a trip to Miyajima rather than spending the last two nights in Tokyo.

For another day trip in Kyoto, please consider the Miho Museum - it is about an hour from Kyoto via train and bus.
http://miho.jp/english/index.htm

Enjoy!

PS I am a budget traveler as well - you don't need expensive ryokans and kaiseki dinners to enjoy Japan IMO.

Your itinerary is alright. Not rushed which is good. Kyoto has so much to see with its culture and history. I think you will love Koyasan. I stayed at Sekishoin, which is right next to Shojoshin. It is a good location right next to Ichinohashi, the entrance to Okunoin cemetery. I used the services of the Koyasan Interpreter Guide Club to take me to the various sites. Make sure you go see the monks bring Kobo Daishi his meals. They've been doing it everyday for over a thousand years.

Thank you all for your answers. I am glad to know the itinerary is ok. I love the planning part of a trip but I cannot help feeling a bit stressed with this Japan trip. Your comments were much appreciated and calmed me down a bit.

- jaydreb5 - thank you for the Tokyo's Ryokan suggestion, I found the website and included it on our finalists' list.

- Mara - Unfortunately we have a closed deal regarding flights and cannot change the airport.

- akaw - I have the same feeling that I'll love Koyasan.

I did some extra work on it and now the itinerary includes hotels and ideas. As always comments and suggestions are welcomed. If we are doing too much on a day let us know, as I said, we like to slow down and "merge"

I am still trying to figure out the transportation bit - will probably spend the weekend doing that - but if someone has already any idea of what to do regarding passes please let us know.



14 May - Wed - Arrival at Narita (1:00AM) > hotel (by bus? underground?)
Still undecided but options of hotels narrowed to 3 alternatives in Asakusa - 1) Ryokan Katsutaro, 2)Toyoko-inn Senzoku, 3)Ryokan Shigetsu. The Toyoko-inn is the cheapest one (including breakfast and taxes).
It's a slow day - plans are to recuperate from flight, taking a leisurely a walk through the neighbourhood close to the hotel - a visit to Sensoji Temple is the only thing on the list. We intend to try to stay up as late as we can to adjust to the new time zone, but at the same time not to get too far from the bed when one of us - probably me! - hits the zombie stage .

15 May - Thu - Everybody tells us we will be wide awake at the break of dawn. I though of take advantage of this and head to the Tsukiji Fish Market for a breakfast of fresh sushi, after that head to Hama Rikyu, one of Tokyo's best Japanese gardens (my info says it opens at 9am), and after spending as much time as we feel like board a ferry for a cruise up the Sumida River to Asakusa. Is it "too little" to do? Anything interesting in the neighborhood we are missing and should include?

16 May - Fri - Tokyo > Kyoto by train - can someone confirm that we should try to get seats on the right side of the train, so we can see Mt. Fuji from the window? Still no info regarding train passes (haven't done my homework on that yet) - suggestions welcomed

Staying at the Nagomiyado TOWA - recommended by a friend - http://www.kyotowa.jp/english/index.html

Nothing really planned for this arrival day in Kyoto - it is a sort of an "open day" - as I have no info on what time we will be leaving Tokyo, neither how long does it take to arrive to Kyoto/hotel. I will probably consult the hotel staff for recommendations on what to do that day.

17 May - Sat - Do a self-guided walk through eastern Kyoto, specially Sanjusangendo Hall, Kiyomizu Temple, and Heian Shrine with its garden. Is the Kyoto Handicraft Center worth visiting?

18 May - Sun - Continue visiting Kyoto - Nijo Castle; Kyoto Imperial Palace; Ryoanji Temple and the Zen rock garden; and of course the Golden Pavilion. In the evening, head for Gion, perhaps an evening performance at Gion Corner (?).

19 May - Mon - If still working - a friend told me he is quite elderly - the day is reserved for a Johnny Hillwalker tour.

20 May - Tue - Kyoto - Day trip to Himeji Castle

21 May - Wed - Kyoto - maybe day trip to Miho Museum?

22 May - Thu - Kyoto to Nara > to Mount Koya Temple - Early in the morning, head for Nara, to see Todaiji Temple and the deer. From Nara, take the Kintetsu train to Kintetsu Namba Station in Osaka, transferring there for a train and cable car to Mount Koya.
Staying at Shojoshinin - http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/shojoshinin.htm

23 May - Fri - Mount Koya Temple

24 May - Sat - Mount Koya > Tokyo - I will have to do some serious gift shopping here (mainly yukatas for grown ups and small trinkets/girly makeup for teenagers - is it a good plan to head to a huge department store and lose a couple of hours in one? What would be the best one? A friend suggested Takashimaya.

25 May - Sun - Tokyo - stay in Tokyo or visit Kamakura?

26 May - Mon - Fly home (AM)

monteverano - just a few comments...

Your detailed itinerary looks great.

I have another ryokan for you to consider in Tokyo - Katsutaro Annex - on the same website as the one you mentioned. I stayed there in '04 - it is a nice residential neighborhood - Yanaka - convenient to a subway and the JR Yamanote line - two stops past Ueno.

The Miho Museum can be a half day trip as it is in the middle of nowhere and it is not a huge museum.

Himeji-jo also can be done in half a day plus there is a great garden around the corner from it - can't remember the name now.

Your trip will not work with a seven day JR pass - you will have to do the math to see if a 14 day pass is worth it in your case. I use hyperdia.com for train schedules and prices.

I highly recommend the J. Hillwalker tour - I did it in '06 on my first day in Kyoto.

I'm sure you know it is quite a long trip from Koyasan to Tokyo....

There are a lot of wonderful museums in Tokyo.

On the 21st, you might want to plan a trip to Toji Temple's outdoor market day (close to Kyoto station, a few blocks on the "other" side of the station away from central Kyoto, easy to walk to from Kyoto Station). Very colorful and fun, great bargains, handmade goods, wonderful food stalls, etc. I would not miss it.

Yes, on the way from Tokyo to Kyoto, Fuji will be visible from right side of the train (that is right side if you are standing inside the train with your face towards the front of the train, not standing outside in front of the train!)

On the 20th, it won't take a full day to get to Himeji and see the castle. That's a half day itinerary.

@ Mara - thank you for the second ryokan indication and the link for the trains. I'll have a lookover the weekend.

I had no idea it's a long trip from Koyasan to Tokyo, thanks for mentioning it. I'll review my plans.

@ emd - many, many thanks for the Toji Temple's outdoor market day tip. That's exactly what we would love to do! I'll make a note in the itinerary. And I will make sure I'll be facing the right extremity of the train!

To you both many thanks for the comment to Himeji being a half day trip!

That's why I love this forum.

Now back to work in the itinerary!

As per emd, you could do Toji and the market and then go to the Miho Museum as you are not too far from the station - although I remember it was a much longer walk than I thought but it was raining that day.

I went to Toji first but it was not a big market the day I was there.

I didn't mean to imply that the trip from Koyasan to Tokyo was not doable - just that it would take a big slice out of your day. I was going to do that same trip but unfortunately I had to leave Japan after three days due to an accident - broke my foot ):

Also, I love your inn in Kyoto - I saved it for future reference, thanks.

Hi Mara,

I am actually grateful you mentioned the trip will eat up a good amount of my day. I had no idea of that. That means no way I will drag a husband behind me to go shopping for gifts that day (laughing).

The Kyoto inn seems really nice. My friend has only good things to say about it. I promise to write a detailed report on my return.

Cheers,

Francesca

In your OP you mentioned pottery and "off the beaten path". I thought I might see Hagi or a tour of the pottery towns of Saga prefecture.

You'd about break even on a 14-day JR Pass if you used it both ways between Narita Airport and Tokyo.

Or you could use a 7-day JR Pass to go from Narita Airport to Tokyo (and in Tokyo to some minor extent) to Kyoto to Himeji to Kyoto.

Thank you very much mrwunrfl for the pottery tips and the comments on the JR Pass. Working on it today.

Hi, monteverano -

I think your trip sounds great!

If you have time while in Nara, you might consider stopping at Kofukuji's treasure hall. I found the statues there to be among the most beautiful and most expressive I saw while in Japan - a favorite memory for me!

And while in Koyasan, consider walking through Okunoin at dusk or dawn. It is right next to Shojoshinin (which I hope you enjoy as much as I did)!

Hope that helps!

Thank you kja! I have added you suggestion to my "to do" list.

Boookmarking for forthcoming trip to Japan. Some good suggetions in here.

bonjour monteverano,

<<<14 May - Wed - Arrival at Narita (1:00AM) > hotel (by bus? underground?)

Train. Either JR Narita express to Tokyo or better, Keisei Skyliner to Ueno (1920 yens for reserved seats, 1 hour to a small station with a tourism office inside).

<<Still undecided but options of hotels narrowed to 3 alternatives in Asakusa - 1) Ryokan Katsutaro, 2)Toyoko-inn Senzoku, 3)Ryokan Shigetsu. The Toyoko-inn is the cheapest one (including breakfast and taxes).

Ryokan Katsutaro is not in Asakusa but near Ueno station - 10-15 min on foot. You've got to walk around Ueno park to get anywhere, and it's not all that close from the more interesting parts of Yanaka. For this area, I'd favour the Annex Katsutaro that is better located in terms of general access and proximity to Yanaka. Toyoko inn Senzoku is a bit out of the way for Asakusa, although not all that far, and the breakfast is mostly miso soup and rice balls. There's a lot of cheap places for "morning service" in the neighbourhood, though. The best location is Shigetsu, right beside the temple and within 1 min of 3 subway/train stations (Ginza, Asakusa and Tobu-Nikko lines) and the "Water bus". Consider also the place I've been staying in for 20 days over the new year holidays, Asakusa Mikawaya Honten, 1 street down from Shigetsu. The owners, an old couple, are really nice (they even offered to do my washing for free), or the Family Hotel Kamogawa next door. You can book them all through www.itcj.jp .

<<<15 May - Thu - Everybody tells us we will be wide awake at the break of dawn. I though of take advantage of this and head to the Tsukiji Fish Market for a breakfast of fresh sushi, after that head to Hama Rikyu, one of Tokyo's best Japanese gardens (my info says it opens at 9am), and after spending as much time as we feel like board a ferry for a cruise up the Sumida River to Asakusa. Is it "too little" to do? Anything interesting in the neighborhood we are missing and should include?

You should rather take a ferry to Hinode Pier, then change for Odaiba, or Big Sight, or the Museum of Maritime science, or even Shinagawa aquarium (the aquarium isn't worth it but the cruise is). Buy a one day free ticket for Yen 1890, it's better value than buying each segment.

<<<<<Nothing really planned for this arrival day in Kyoto - it is a sort of an "open day" - as I have no info on what time we will be leaving Tokyo, neither how long does it take to arrive to Kyoto/hotel. I will probably consult the hotel staff for recommendations on what to do that day.

Start with visiting the tourist office in Kyoto station (9th floor, take the south elevator in Isetan dept store) and ask for a paper copy of Kyoto Visitor's Guide as well as for maps and itineraries.

17 May - Sat - Do a self-guided walk through eastern Kyoto,….. . Is the Kyoto Handicraft Center worth visiting?

Not really. Rather go to the Museum of traditional craft (Fureaikan) inside Miyako Messe near Heian shrine, or visit craftsmen studios listed in Kyoto Visitor's guide.


18 May - Sun - Continue visiting Kyoto - Nijo Castle; Kyoto Imperial Palace; Ryoanji Temple and the Zen rock garden; and of course the Golden Pavilion. In the evening, head for Gion, perhaps an evening performance at Gion Corner (?).

There's a nice small flea/antiques market in the shrine dedicated to Toyokuni Hideyoshi on the 18th. (5 min on foot going north from Sanjusangendo along the street next to the Museum).

21 May - Wed - Kyoto - maybe day trip to Miho Museum?

No way. On that day, you go to Kobo-San, the big fleamarket at Toji temple south of the station !

24 May - Sat - Mount Koya > Tokyo - I will have to do some serious gift shopping here (mainly yukatas for grown ups and small trinkets/girly makeup for teenagers - is it a good plan to head to a huge department store and lose a couple of hours in one? What would be the best one? A friend suggested Takashimaya.


Any department store will have a good kimono department, but you will already have found lots of excellent stuff in Asakusa and in Kyoto...

Florence is back home! What wonderful thigns did you bring back this time from Kyoto?? Do tell.

Bonjour Eilen,

I didn't buy lots of stuff this time, except tons of reference books in Japanese for, I hope, the benefit of all on this forum (and another one in French I'm also part of), and some excellent drawings from the late Edo period that I intend to frame in a more or less traditional way, and of course, the odd ceramics, rolls of fabric, etc.

I'm working on a trip report with lots of details that I should post by the end of the month.

I can hardly wait for the report...the old Edo drawings sound very cool.

I'm also looking forward to your report, Florence.

I'm pretty sure your recommendation of the Annex Katsutaro was the one I read before I stayed there in March '04.

Merci, merci Florence! That was most kind of you!

I have printed your answer and will spend the weekend doing some extra research. Hope to have a final "first version" by Monday to share with you.

Thank you all again!

Hello all,

We need extra help for the Kyoto part.

We are having a hard time finding a ryokan available. I can't believe it, but I have contacted 17 of them and 12 are fully booked. 5 didn't answer.

I am not willing to give up Kyoto, which is my husband's dream coming true so I am looking for a "western" hotel now. I found reasonable deals on Asiarooms.com for the Court Hotel, Rhino Hotel, Apa Kyoto Gion and Sunroute. Any comments on them? Also, is Asiarooms a reliable site or should I try a direct booking with the hotel?

A friend suggested the Toyoko Inn but their site does not accept bookings for May yet. I also sent an email to the Station Hotel Kyoto West (I think it was Florence who recommended it on another thread) and am waiting an answer.

Any advice/suggestion will be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

We stayed at the Kyoto Royal Hotel (http://www.ishinhotels.com/kyoto-royal/en/), a Western style hotel, and it was fine. Good location.

You MUST go to Kyoto, ryokan or no ryokan.

Thanks jaydreb5 I will check it.

We definitely agree with you, Kyoto is a MUST for us.

I stayed in this hotel - a business hotel - when I was in Kyoto in '06. Then it was called the Sun Hotel. It is on Kawaramachi Street - well located IMO and convenient to many buses and the subway also.

I would email them directly rather than fool with their online reservation as May dates don't seem to come up.

kyoto@hotelunizo.com - I found the email address on the Japanese part of their website.

Hope this helps!

Thank you very much Mara!

I'm not sure what your budget is - for a single I paid under US$70 a night then. It is not fancy but was perfectly adequate for me. I'll look into my files later and see what else I come up with....

What about this site?
http://www.itcj.jp/

They list numerous ryokan and hotels.
They are allied with the tourist bureau I think.....maybe you can just send them your dates and ask what's available.....

Monteverano:

Do not under any circumstances give up on Kyoto, arguably, Japan's highlight. I revisited for the first time in 60 years (last spring), having been there as a young G.I. when there were literally NO tourists about..only a bunch of us kids from the USA. I was stationed in Beppu, about 800 miles south, on Kyushu.

A quasi-ryokan in Kyoto which we loved last year...The Three Sisters Annex..excellent in every criteria. Perfectly located for your self-guided walk through Eastern Kyoto, a block from the Heian Shrine (beautiful) and the entrance to the famed Philosopher's Walk is fifteen minutes away....whatever else you
do, take this walk (see pix).

(See pix of the ryokan...for a double we paid $140...)

Also, I heartily second Mara's recommendation of the Miho Museum for a half-day trip. It is magnificent...and the train/bus ride is quite easy to do (about one hour). (see pix)

Also, part of a day with Johnny Hillwalker is a kick, and fascinating. He is an unforgettable local character. (I see Mara also suggests this..the woman has taste!)

In Tokyo, the visit to the Hamarikyu Gardens, and then to the ferry dock within, to Asakusa, (about 40 minutes)is an excellent experience...Asakusa is lovely to walk through.

Whatever you choose....you will thoroughly enjoy Japan!

Stu T.

http://tinyurl.com/36dkgh

http://tinyurl.com/24r3ng

Monteverano:

Re; The Three Sisters Annex:

This is a review: (from "Japan is Cool")
Three Sisters Inn Annex
An utterly unpretentious and lovable place, run by Kay, the eldest of the three Yamada sisters. It has a beautiful garden and futons that are a wee bit softer than usual—a boon for Western backs. FROM $40 PER PERSON, CHILDREN UNDER SEVEN $25. 89 IRIE-CHO, OKAZAKI, SAKYO-KU; 81-75/761-6333(ph), 81-75/761-6335 (fx)

They can only be reached by phone or fax, and they reply immediately.
Kay's pic is in the ones I sent you.

Stu T.

(it's in a very uncongested part of town, bus stop around the corner can get you anywhere...Kay has "passes" for sale). Between walking and bussing and an occasional taxi, we got everywhere we wanted to)...by the way there are four restaurants, including a tiny sushi spot, across the street and very good and exceptionally reasonable. The Handicraft building is a block away...we didn't think it was so great..but worth a visit for gifts.

Stu, your pics are GREAT! Thanks for the link.

Hello all,

I sent an email to the Unizo Hotel but got no reply so far.

I will send a fax to the 3 Sisters and will contact the www.itcj.jp site Mara gave me.

Thanks for the photo links Stu. We loved them!

The only hotel who answered us so far and has rooms available is the Aranvert - http://www.aranvert.co.jp/english.html

and I thought of making a booking just to be on the safe side but I have been unable to find reviews about them. Does anybody know it?

Thank you everybody for your help and support! I promise to give you back the best report with photos ever!

monteverano - There are quite a few reviews on tripadvisor.com for the Aranvert - they seem good. It's centrally located as well.

Thanks for the compliment, Stu T./tower I find most of my info right here on fodors.

Fodorites:

I thought I'd better mention, that on my above Miho pics, the first two were taken in Shanghai...and the lady in the second pic of our dinner at Ruijin Guest House is none other than, TA DA! .......

EKSCRUNCHY !!

We had arranged to meet in Shanghai last spring as we were all ending our China visit. From there Roz and I flew to Japan. What a delight meeting up with EK...sort of a mini CTG.

Stu T.

emd and Monteverano...thank you for the kind words about the pics. We were so fortunate to catch the cherry blossom season as it was ending!

stu T.

Monteverano:

We found a very good sushi spot within the Tsukiji Market...it was so reasonable for expnsive Japan we couldn't believe it..but better than excellent!!

"Tsukiji Ichiban Sushi" (#1 Sushi)

Mara - Thank you for the link on TripAdvisor

Stu - Thanks for the tip on the sushi place - I have already put it on my "food" folder!

Sounds like a great trip. I spent 2007 living and working in Japan. Although I was in the Hiroshima-prefecture I took many trips to Kyoto and Tokyo. I can recommend Saiho-ji (Moss Temple) a quiet temple in Kyoto. It will take a little pre-planning as they only let a certain number of people in per day which adds the the magic. Send a postcard with the following information: It's worth it.

name, address in Japan, occupation, age (you must be 18), number of people in your group and the date you wish to visit, along with alternate dates. Put all of this information in an envelope with a self addressed envelope (stamped or with International Reply Coupons for the return postage for the reply) and mail it to: Saiho-ji Temple, 56 Kamigaya-cho, Matsuo, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto. Make sure you contact them at least a few weeks ahead of time.

Kamakua is a must day trip from Tokyo. While there you'll notice a lot of statues that a dressed in bibs and hats known as Jizo. I was completely captivated by these small stones. You can check out a 2 minute video I made about these on my website www.studioreddot.com/podcasts. Many of the photos are from Kamakura.

Hope you enjoy your trip. Japan is wonderful!

Hello all,

Here is the state of play on the Kyoto hotel: we made an online booking at the Kyoto Garden Hotel website [https://www.kyoto-gardenhotel.co.jp/e/hotel_info.html]

We got an answer from them confirming our request, including a reservation code, but since they didn't ask for our credit card data we are a bit confused.

Is this normal procedure in Japan? Should we call/fax/send another email and double check if everything is OK?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

yes, its ok if you have the code. Most hotels and ryokan I have been to didn't even run the cc at check in and I did not need it for the reservation. The international chains will require a cc as their standard procedure however....

Aloha!

Thank you HawaiianTraveller, that's reassuring. "Double check three times" is my motto

Thanks again!

I've had the same experience - most hotels don't ask for a cc number. A small ryokan did once and when I canceled I made sure I got a confirmation from them.

Enjoy!