Need some help with my final itinerary

Old Jul 24th, 2016, 12:47 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Need some help with my final itinerary

We are going to Japan in Nov. This is our second trip to Japan and I am planning to visit some places we did not see on our first trip. Our itinerary is as follows:
Day 1-Arrive Narita and transfer to Tokyo hotel
Day2-Day trip to Kamakura
Day3-Day trip to Nikko
Day4-Sightsee Tokyo (We spent 6 days in Tokyo on our last trip).
Day 5-Take the train to Matsuyama ( about 8 hours)
Day 6-See castle and Dogo Onsen and take the train to Okayama
Day7,8,9,-Sightsee Okayama, Himeji, Kurushiki , Adachi Museum and Gardens, and either Bitchu Takahashi or Onomichi using Okayama as a base
Day 10-Take train to Ritsurin Garden, see garden, and take the train to Hiroshima with evening arrival.in Hiroshima. (We spent a full day in Hiroshima on our last trip)
Day 11-Spend the day on Miyajima and take an evening train to Kyoto.
Day12,13, 14, 15- Sightsee Uji, Nara outlying temples and other sites in and around Kyoto (We spent 7 days in Kyoto and Nara on our last trip)
Day 16-Fly home from Itami

My main question concerns the transportation part of the itinerary. I plan to purchase a 7 day JR pas and activate it on Day 5? This would cover me until I arrive in Kyoto on Day 11.

1-Would a Tokyo Wide Pass make economic sense for days 1-3, or should I just pay as I go for these days? Am I correct that a 14 day JR Pass would not make economic sense for this itinerary.

2- Is the JR train to Kamakura a commuter train with no reserved seats? Any tips on which order to view things in Kamakura, Kita Kamakura and Hase. We plan on being there for about 6 hours, and would enjoy a 20 minute or less walk from site to site, but I can't seem to find walking distances between Hase and Kamakura and Kita Kamakura.

3-Any thoughts or comments on the itinerary or order of the itinerary would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your comments.
shelleyk is offline  
Old Jul 24th, 2016, 04:41 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Shelleyk-congrats on your return trip to Japan. I am planning to go back in Spring of 2017 for Sakura season. What a spectacular country as you and the other Fodor's Japanophiles know!

I'm going to offe 2 thoughts on your itinerary:

1. I'd consider doing your Tokyo day the day after you arrive, just to allow yourself a chance to acclimate before doing your day trips. (Haven't been to Nikko or Kamakura myself, although Kamakura is on my 2017 agenda)

2. Miyajima is quite magical in the evening after the day trippers leave. Any chance you could stay overnight, perhaps in a ryokan?
MinnBeef is offline  
Old Jul 24th, 2016, 07:11 PM
  #3  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Should be great!

A few things to consider:

Kamakura: There is a LOT to see in / around Kamakura, so you might do well to think through your priorities in advance -- even skipping what seemed to me like a LOT, I spent FAR more than your planned 6 hours there! But I think you should be able to plan a "sampling" visit that would fit that time frame well. Given my specific interests, I got off in Kita-kamakura (north Kamakura), visited several temples (I particularly liked Tokeiji – a former refuged for abused women), and then walked down (and it is downhill) through several more temples to Kamakura itself, and, once I finished seeing what I wanted to see there, took the little local train just a few stops to the Hase Station, where I visited Hasadera and the Daibutsu, before taking the local train back to Kamakura and then the train back to Tokyo. Warning: By the time I finished exploring Kamakura – just after sunset – I couldn’t find any restaurants in Kamakura that were still seating people other than a deli. (As for routing: I prefer to walk downhill rather than uphill, so I started in Kitakamakura and walked down to Kamakura. Things I wanted to see were open later in Hase than in Kamakura, so I visited Hase last. Your call.)

Nikko: Many people visit Nikko as a day trip. I spent overnight there, as I also wanted to visit Kegon-no-Taki and a bit of Lake Chuzenji and walk a bit of the Kanmangafuchi Abyss. I think it would be difficult to see the highlights of Nikko AND see these other sites in a single day-trip. Whether you visit as a day trip or not, if you have any interest in Japanese screens and sliding doors, consider making time for the stunning collection at the Nikko Toshogu Museum of Art.

Miyajima: I’ve read increasingly frequent complaints about how crowded Miyajima gets during the day. I found it absolutely delightful early and late in the day, so i agree with MinnBeef that you might consider spending a night there – particularly if it would give you a chance to see the Itsukushima Shrine at both low and high tide.

Nara: By the outlying temples, I hope you mean to include Horyuji and Chuguji! And if so, please give a quiet nod for me to the magnificent Miroku Bosatsu.

I thought google.maps surprisingly accurate for walking times. Maybe things have changed since I was there....
kja is offline  
Old Jul 24th, 2016, 07:56 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,241
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
That's a really long train ride- have you checked out flying? There's that special ticket price with international tickets or possibly the low cost airlines....
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.html

Also it seems like you are sort of backtracking - what about going to Hiroshima/Miyajima from Matsuyama and then back to Okayama etc. and Kyoto etc.
Mara is offline  
Old Jul 25th, 2016, 02:31 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i neglected to say that we spent a full day on Miyajima on our last trip and saw the tori at both high and low tides. I am returning to M to do some hiking away from the main tourist sites as this was our favorite place we visited on our last trip. I hope our second visit is as memorable as the first.

Mara-Your idea to go from Matsuyama to Hiroshima is one I considered, going by ferry, but DH does not like boat travel so consequently we are going by train. Although I'm not looking forward to the 8 hour train ride, I am hoping to see some interesting scenery on the way. And since most of our travel to southeast Asia necessitates 20-30 hours on a plane, this should be a piece of cake.

MinnBeef I was planning Days 1-3 as consecutive travel days in case anyone thought I should use the Tokyo Wide Pass which covers 3 consecutive days of travel. If I pay as go, I will switch our plans in Tokyo to what you suggested.

kja- thanks for the Kamakura info. It was just what I was looking for. Are the seats from Tokyo to Kamakura unreserved?
shelleyk is offline  
Old Jul 26th, 2016, 01:18 AM
  #6  
kja
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry, I can't say whether the seats from Tokyo to Kamakura were unreserved or not -- too long ago for either memory or accuracy! Can you tell from either the Hyperdia or Jorudan websites?
kja is offline  
Old Jul 26th, 2016, 09:09 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,076
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>>Am I correct that a 14 day JR Pass would not make economic sense for this itinerary

Yes.

>>Is the JR train to Kamakura a commuter train with no reserved seats?

Not necessarily

Your train type(s) to Kamakura would depend on where your Tokyo departure location is. But, yes, expect JR locals but maybe limited express trains - at higher cost or maybe no charge with a Tokyo WAP.

3 - Am pretty sure I would go to Okayama etc first. Then Matsuyama, Ritsurin Garden, etc. Get the 9:03 or 12:03 Hikari shinkansen from Tokyo to Okayama. I like this a lot because I would simply not take an 8-hour train ride and Tokyo-Okayama is just within my 5-hour limit. And no backtracking.

I see some itineraries Tokyo-Okayama with a transfer at Shin Osaka that are 5 minutes shorter than the 2 trains I mentioned above. So, you have a lot of good options.
mrwunrfl is online now  
Old Jul 26th, 2016, 09:25 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,076
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
But, going to Takamatsu from Matsuyama instead of from Okayama would add an hour and a half of train travel to Day 10.
mrwunrfl is online now  
Old Jul 26th, 2016, 09:40 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,076
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>>expect JR locals but maybe limited express trains

When I wrote that I assumed that you understood that the limited express trains will have reserved seats. You could get to Ofuna on a L'Ex but then a JR local (ordinary train on hyperdia) for the 6 minute trip Ofuna-Kamakura.
mrwunrfl is online now  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
AtlTravelr
Asia
24
May 23rd, 2017 12:40 PM
MiamiBeachMomma
Asia
17
Jul 12th, 2016 09:05 AM
elizhd
Asia
31
Jun 30th, 2016 03:46 PM
seemaskt
Asia
117
Jan 31st, 2013 12:43 PM
nikidi
Asia
26
Apr 15th, 2012 04:57 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -