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Can you review my 10-day Japan iternary?

Can you review my 10-day Japan iternary?

Old Nov 5th, 2014, 06:41 AM
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Can you review my 10-day Japan iternary?

Hello,

I plan on staying 10 days in Japan:

Day 1: Amsterdam - Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3 : Tokyo
Day 4 : Tokyo (full-day trip to Nikko)
Day 5 : Tokyo - Kyoto
Day 6 : Kyoto
Day 7 : Kyoto (full-day trip to Osaka)
Day 8 : Kyoto (full-day trip to Nara)
Day 9 : Kyoto - Tokyo
Day 10 : Tokyo - Amsterdam

Is there anything I should change? Or anything else I must see? I don't want to feel rushed and like having a base.

I plan on staying in hostels, buying a 7-day JR-Pass and not do anything crazy. Will I survive this trip with +-€1000 euros (excl. flight ticket)?

Thanks for your help!
pauljansen is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2014, 07:51 AM
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Yes if you are very frugal. Staying in hostels will make your trip a lot cheaper. Since you are only seeing one day of Kyoto you should think of basing out of Osaka instead of Kyoto to save you money on your lodgings. Kyoto is the most expensive place to stay in Japan imho. Good luck!

Aloha!
hawaiiantraveler is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2014, 09:37 AM
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You need to buy your JR pass outside of Japan. Make sure to activate it so it covers your roundtrip Tokyo to Kyoto and return.

If you have not bought your airfare, why don't you fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka? Basing yourself in Osaka is a good idea for this itinerary, as HT suggested.
shelleyk is offline  
Old Nov 5th, 2014, 11:57 AM
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I suggest this change:
Day 7 : Kyoto (full-day trip to Osaka)
unless you have a specific must-do in Osaka.

You should consider staying overnight in Nikko and go to Kyoto directly from there, though this suggestion goes against your preference for a base. Instead of two train trips on Day 4 would just have the one to Nikko I would also consider over-nighting in Utsunomiya if inexpensive lodging could be found there near the shinkansen station.

Hotel prices may be better in Osaka but I don't know what difference there is between hostel prices there vs Kyoto.

With your itinerary as is, your 7-day pass would start on Day 4.

You might actually save some money as well as time if you flew home from Osaka. Am pretty sure you would not need a JR pass if you did that. Use Tobu Railways instead of JR for Nikko.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 08:59 PM
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I agree that you should consider flying into Narita and out of Kansai (or vice versa) if at all possible. And if you must fly into and out of Tokyo, consider putting all of your time there at the end of your trip. Since you'll be tired anyways, it might make sense to just keep moving!

I also agree with the suggestion to cut Osaka unless you have a specific reason for going there.

Depending on your interests, you might want to cut one day from Tokyo and add it to Kyoto.

You might also consider staying overnight in Nikko -- that will give you time to see its highlights as well as Kegon-no-Taki (see the link below) and lodging there would probably be less expensive than lodging in Tokyo. In fact, you might consider going there late one evening, staying 2 nights (to save on lodging), and then departing early afterwards. Do it at the start or end of your time in Tokyo so you don't need a room in Tokyo both before and after your stay in Nikko.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3812.html

Whatever you choose, you will almost certainly need to be selective -- your time is IMO quite limited for visiting Tokyo and Kyoto. But you should be able to see some wonderful things!

One last thing: You might want to ask an editor to add a tag for Japan to this thread. I think you can do that by hitting the triangle at the upper right of any post -- it says, "Report Abuse," and is a way to reach the editors. More people will see your questions if the thread is tagged for Japan.

Hope that helps!
kja is offline  
Old Nov 6th, 2014, 02:22 AM
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Hostels? A Toyoko Inn or any of their competition (Dormy Inn, Route Inn, Richmond Hotels etc.) will cost only $45-$60 a night (including Japanese breakfast) even in Tokyo or Kyoto. http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/index.html

I'm in one right now; I wish we had these in Europe (hey! the air conditioning works--though you do need to learn to read the Japanese on the remote control). Join their club if you stay at one: you get 5-20% off and earn a free night for every 10 paid.

Japan is by far the cheapest first world country to visit--if you speak some Japanese, or can deal with the complications of not doing so. Breakfast (and internet) are included in Toyoko Inn-type places and simple lunch and dinner are under $10 (around any train station or at any major tourist site) or $20 (on the top floor of any department store),

Personally, I'd omit Osaka and spend more time in Nara and less in Tokyo. Depending on the time of year Hakone might be a better day trip than Nikko. Or substitute Nagoya for Tokyo and be in easy reach of many interesting sites. It all depends on what you actually want to see or experience.

I assume you are Dutch if you are starting from Amsterdam; after the Japanese kicked out the Portuguese, the Dutch were their main conduit for information about the west for nearly 200 years. How about visiting Dejima (in Nagasaki) and learning about that heritage?

An open jaw ticket would be a good choice for almost any itinerary.
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Old Nov 6th, 2014, 06:20 AM
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I agree with what everyone has said about an open jaw flight--if you still can to it. Also Kansai airport is very new and very beautiful. I'd go for more time in Kyoto, less in other places, and also time in Nara rather than Nikko. We had a really bad overcrowded also fog experience in Nikko---may have just been unusual.
Safe travels--you will find a magical country!
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Old Nov 6th, 2014, 04:48 PM
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This is the first time I've heard the words "frugal" and "Hawaiian Traveller" in the same post.
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