H2T

Hi, first time trip to Japan. 10 nights Could someone help with opinions regarding my itinerary?
3 nights Tokyo (late in one night)

4 nights Kyoto OR
3 nights Kyoto and 1 night Arashiyama (or better as a day trip?)
1 night where else (night #8)
OR add 2 more nights Kyoto ( total 5) and skip night in Arashiyama
1 night Hakone (is Gora Kaden REALLY worth the money?)
is one day enough Hakone?
would we be missing not to go to Hiroshima?
1 night back in Tokyo to catch flight next day back to states 7:00pm (19:00)

thanks all

russ_in_LA

With 10 nights for first time to Japan, I would do the following:

3 nights in Tokyo (don't do any day trips, spend two full days in Tokyo)
1 night in Hakone - arrive about 10:30am, spend 4 - 5 hours doing the Hakone Loop, and then relax and enjoy your Ryokan. See the Hakone Open air museum on your way out of town the next morning.
5 nights in Kyoto - Arishiyama is 20 minutes by train, no need to overnight. Do Himeji as a half day day trip, and Nara as a day trip, leaving 2 full days and 2 half days in Kyoto.
1 night someplace near Tokyo, but not in Tokyo, like Kamakura, unless you really feel like you want to see more of Tokyo pm your last day.

As an option to the last night in Kamakura, you could go to Hiroshima and overnight on Miyajima, and then FLY from Hiroshima to your Tokyo airport to connect with your flight.

leslieq

Just got back from Japan and had 16 days. We chose not to go to Tokyo at all, wanting to spend more time in Kyoto and see more of the traditional and hiking sites in Japan.

For me, I would much rather have more time in Kyoto and save Tokyo for another time if I only had 10 days, but you could help us by giving everyone more of an idea on what you're looking for in Japan.

You can click on my name to see what we did and what our interests were if you like. We like to hike, so if you do also see some suggestions. We loved hiking Nakasendo, for example.

You can also find some practical advice for Japan I just posted by clicking on my name as well. This was a first trip for us, but hope not the last.

If you want to go to an expensive place in Gora I have a recommendation for a reasonable apartment in Kyoto that is less than $100 USD per night. Host is wonderful,location is great. We were able to save $$ here and spend more money at ryokans later.

Enjoy your trip!

lindygirl

It depends on what you're looking for. My husband and I went to Japan for 10 days and we spent a majority of it in Tokyo, broken up by a trip to Kyoto in between. We visited a bunch of different neighborhoods in Tokyo and stayed in various places - hostel, hotel, ryokan, and a capsule hotel. I felt like 3 nights in Kyoto were enough for us.

I wrote a travel blog with pictures, our itinerary, and recommendations:
http://fanofblank.blogspot.com/2014/...and-kyoto.html

Happy travels!

H2T

thanks everyone for prompt response. We are in tokyo 3 nights to visit friends. Our friend recommended to stay in Ryokan for the experience and I thought Hakone the best one to do that in. Got a hotel in Kyoto for $200/night so feel ok about that. Staying in NYC all the time, Japan feels like a bargain!! Will cancel Arashiyama ryokan and add another night to Kyoto to make 5 nights. The reason for last night in Tokyo is that my husband is anxious traveler and feels we should be in Tokyo so we know how to get to the airport in time for our flight. I would love to stay somewhere else if we can easily get to the airport. If we stay in Hiroshima the night 10 and try to connect to flight back and something goes wrong, we might miss our flight. I wil look at Kamakura for sure. What about Kyoto for 4 nights then hiroshima and then back? however, this would be august 4th and not sure how crazy with anniversary commeneration on august 6th as to the crowds and availability. What do you think Russ_? Leslique, I posted a huge thank you to you for your wonderful, extremely helpful report for first timers. Now will look at lindygirl's photos for Tokyo. thanks all and be back tomorrow I am sure with more questions. I also have to look at train schedules to make sure I can get to where I need to go in enough time.

Kavey

It would be helpful to know what you feel most drawn to in terms of what you'd like to experience.

It sounds like your 3 nights in Tokyo are set, plus the Hakone overnight, all sounds good. Tokyo has a tonne to do and one could easily spend 10 days there but for me (and many, but not all, others) Kyoto is the bigger draw and I certainly tend to recommend a division that is weighted more to Kyoto than Tokyo.

So I'd definitely try for a minimum of 5 nights in Kyoto, it would be easy to spend that time just in Kyoto but if you add in day trips to Nara, Osaka, and maybe Himeji, not to mention the half day or more in Arashiyama area, you're whizzing through those 5 days.

Hiroshima with overnight on Miyajima is a great experience BUT with only 10 days total I don't think I'd try and squeeze it in to this trip, you'll end up shortchanging yourself elsewhere. In my opinion.

LuisJp

August 4th... Be prepared for hot and humid climate. And, in a sense, it would be better to visit Hiroshima in this occasion.
For the last night, a place connected with a direct bus to the airport could be a reasonable choice.
http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/bus/index.html
http://www.haneda-airport.jp/en/access.html

russ_in_LA

I agree with skipping Miyajima this time. If you are more comfortable being new Tokyo then that's what you should do. Kamakura is an hour by train from Tokyo Station, or just stay in Tokyo your last night, as you originally indicated. Have fun!

cmstraf

Is it too late for you to fly back out of Kansai airport? Everyone's tastes are different, but if I had to do our first trip over (click my name for very long trip report and photos), I'd leave Tokyo for another trip or spend minimal time there.
Miyajima and Hiroshima were very important to us, though we were glad it was not what we saw first. I would probably not go so close to August 6. I'm not sure. I think it's really important for Americans to see it and Miyajima is lovely, wonder whether we would seem like intruders or honoring them.
Things we loved: the Moss Garden in Kyoto (big deal to arrange in advance which you must do, more than worth the effort and the price), Imperial Villa in Kyoto (also needs to be reserved, you can do that when you get there then go see Nijo castle) and the Mijo museum built in the mountains outside of Kyoto designed by IM Pei. We also loved Hakone, were lucky enough to see Mt Fujii clearly for an afternoon and then a morning. Also very much liked the outdoor sculpture museum there.
The Japanese really appreciated the few words of Japanese that we learned.
Have a wonderful trip!

H2T

thank you for info regarding getting tix ahead of time. looking into staying in Kamakura last night. Tokyo is not on too many people's lists of must sees so I think our 2 days there at the beginning will be enough. Will see about Hiroshima. I wish I had known about flying into one and out another. that would have been great-oh well. will comment for another first timer and pay it forward. and Japanese lessons start this sunday. thanks again everyone. will be in touch.

Kavey

Tokyo was definitely on my list of Must Sees, and I'm extremely glad we visited. And if I were given a free ten day holiday which could only be spent in its entirety in Tokyo, I'd still jump at it, there is a lot to see and do that we didn't touch on, and I'm sure I'd enjoy it.

It's just that I found myself drawn more strongly to Kyoto, and other destinations, and enjoyed them even more. On our second trip we therefore minimised time in Tokyo and maximised it in Kyoto and elsewhere.

H2T

should we get tix for Inperial villa and Moss gardens for the same day?

cmstraf

No. Too much magic in one day. The moss gardens you need to do before you go. I can't remember how we did it. Someone posted here they got their hotel to do it. It includes some money arrangement. I read about how to do it in (sorry to say--Frommer's).

Imperial villa tickets you can get when you arrive as I described (sketchily) above.

If Japanese doesn't come as easily to you as you hope you are not alone. It is pretty easy to pronounce though.