14 nights in Japan: advice on itinerary
Aug 14th, 2015, 06:26 AM
#1
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14 nights in Japan: advice on itinerary
Dear fellow travellers,
we will be traveling to Japan at the end of September for a forthnight, with a 5 years old and a 14 month old. It will be our first long haul journey with the little one.
I would really appreciate your advice on the following itinerary, as I keep having second thoughts. We plan to do as follow:
Day 1: Arrival at Narita in the morning. Transfer to Tokio and "recovery day"
Day 2-3: Visit Tokio
Day 4: Transfer to Hiroshima. Overnight Hiroshima.
Day 5: Transfer to Miyajima. Overnight on the island.
Day 6: Transfer to Kyoto. Stop at Himeji Castle on the way. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 7-11: Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
Day 12: Transfer Kyoto to Kinosaki Onsen. Overnight at Kinosaki Onsen
Day 13: Transfer to Tokyo
Day 14: Disneyland ?
Day 15: Departure at midday.
Questions:
- Is the 14 days JRP the most convenient option for our travel? Should we stamp it upon arrival and would that leave out the transfer back to the airport?
- Is there anything we should drop out/replace, given the age of our children (we are not taking them to the Peace Memorial, just doing shifts for the visit)
- Is there any unmisseable experience you suggest we do?
Thank you in advance for any tip.
Best,
we will be traveling to Japan at the end of September for a forthnight, with a 5 years old and a 14 month old. It will be our first long haul journey with the little one.
I would really appreciate your advice on the following itinerary, as I keep having second thoughts. We plan to do as follow:
Day 1: Arrival at Narita in the morning. Transfer to Tokio and "recovery day"
Day 2-3: Visit Tokio
Day 4: Transfer to Hiroshima. Overnight Hiroshima.
Day 5: Transfer to Miyajima. Overnight on the island.
Day 6: Transfer to Kyoto. Stop at Himeji Castle on the way. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 7-11: Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
Day 12: Transfer Kyoto to Kinosaki Onsen. Overnight at Kinosaki Onsen
Day 13: Transfer to Tokyo
Day 14: Disneyland ?
Day 15: Departure at midday.
Questions:
- Is the 14 days JRP the most convenient option for our travel? Should we stamp it upon arrival and would that leave out the transfer back to the airport?
- Is there anything we should drop out/replace, given the age of our children (we are not taking them to the Peace Memorial, just doing shifts for the visit)
- Is there any unmisseable experience you suggest we do?
Thank you in advance for any tip.
Best,
Aug 14th, 2015, 12:25 PM
#3
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In general, your kids (and therefore, you) will be happier with fewer changes in location. So HT's suggestion to fly on to Hiroshima immediately makes a lot oF sense. Then you can put all of your Tokyo time together at the end.
I fear this may be a tough trip for both your kids, but especially the 14 month old. You are trying to fit a lot into a short time. Anything you can do to eliminate a stop you will appreciate later.
I fear this may be a tough trip for both your kids, but especially the 14 month old. You are trying to fit a lot into a short time. Anything you can do to eliminate a stop you will appreciate later.
Aug 14th, 2015, 01:51 PM
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Going all the way to Hiroshima and working your way back to Tokyo is the easiest way I see of doing this unless you can fly into KIX and Hiroshima from there.
Decompress in Hiroshima for a day then really decompress on Miyajima for another night. At the Hiroshima Peace Park there are a lot of benches and large shady areas you could wait with the kids while someone visits the exhibits. Lots of park area for the kids to run wild.
Then head on over to Kyoto stopping of at Himeji on the way (long day). With a family you should consider taking a taxi everywhere in Hiroshima and maybe even Kyoto. We have stayed in a machiya in Kyoto which would be perfect for your family. We had four people share Koke-An and it was great. Avi or Wendy the proprietors were very helpful. You live amongst the local people and not in a hotel environment. You have a full kitchen with washer/dryer and a fridge all for a very reasonable price. Location was fantastic in the Gion area close to Heian Shrine and two restaurants on the corner. A 7-11 next door. Cheaper than most hotels in Kyoto.
https://www.kyotomachiyastay.com/index.php/en/
We stayed at a ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen booked thru Japanese Guest Houses. Nice quaint little onsen town with "kani" crab served everywhere as the town specialty.
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/r...Kinosaki+Onsen
A few hotels in Tokyo have shuttle buses to the Disney parks. Do you know what hotel you will stay in? Traveling on this route your train time is cut down and you may not even need a rail pass. Figure your fare here at
www.hyperdia.com
Click on my screen name and check a couple of trip reports I have done on our Japan travels. It may give you a few ideas. Have fun.
Aloha!
Decompress in Hiroshima for a day then really decompress on Miyajima for another night. At the Hiroshima Peace Park there are a lot of benches and large shady areas you could wait with the kids while someone visits the exhibits. Lots of park area for the kids to run wild.
Then head on over to Kyoto stopping of at Himeji on the way (long day). With a family you should consider taking a taxi everywhere in Hiroshima and maybe even Kyoto. We have stayed in a machiya in Kyoto which would be perfect for your family. We had four people share Koke-An and it was great. Avi or Wendy the proprietors were very helpful. You live amongst the local people and not in a hotel environment. You have a full kitchen with washer/dryer and a fridge all for a very reasonable price. Location was fantastic in the Gion area close to Heian Shrine and two restaurants on the corner. A 7-11 next door. Cheaper than most hotels in Kyoto.
https://www.kyotomachiyastay.com/index.php/en/
We stayed at a ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen booked thru Japanese Guest Houses. Nice quaint little onsen town with "kani" crab served everywhere as the town specialty.
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/r...Kinosaki+Onsen
A few hotels in Tokyo have shuttle buses to the Disney parks. Do you know what hotel you will stay in? Traveling on this route your train time is cut down and you may not even need a rail pass. Figure your fare here at
www.hyperdia.com
Click on my screen name and check a couple of trip reports I have done on our Japan travels. It may give you a few ideas. Have fun.
Aloha!
Aug 14th, 2015, 04:31 PM
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I agree that going straight to Hiroshima makes sense if you can do so, and if you can fly into Kansai instead of Narita, that would make it even simpler.
And do consider taking advantage of Japan's excellent luggage-forwarding option to simplify your travel days. Luggage-forwarding is called takuhaibin; here's the info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
And do consider taking advantage of Japan's excellent luggage-forwarding option to simplify your travel days. Luggage-forwarding is called takuhaibin; here's the info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
