Could I get help with my itinerary? Two weeks flying in and out of Tokyo in August with my wife and 19-year old daughter.

• Tokyo (4 nights) – Aug 8, 9, 10, 11
  • 3 days Tokyo
  • 1 day trip - Hokone
• Kyoto (4 nights) – Aug 12, 13, 14, 15
  • 2 days Kyoto
  • Day Trip - Nara
  • Day Trip - Osaka (Spend the day in Osaka then fly out to Seoul)
• Seoul (4 nights) – Aug 16, 17, 18, 19
• Tokyo (1 night) – Aug 20

Also, any hotel recommendations? Looking at Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Tokyo Station areas.

Just a few comments. First you do not have the time you think you do. Four nights gives you 3 full days not four. I would skip Seoul for this trip and make Korea another trip. Also August in Japan can be very hot and is also typhoon season so you may have less time to explore than you plan. What is your hotel budget?

It's not clear if you've already purchased your flights..... including the flights to Korea.

This is doable, depends on your priorities. Tokyo is a big, modern, fun city. I can spend many days there, but for some people two days would be plenty of crowds, noise, and intensity.

Wow that is right in Obon travel season Aug 10 to 18
observances13 to16th
go to japan-guide search for Obon

mjs - South Korea is non-negotiable, my wife was adopted from Seoul 50+ years ago and this will be her first trip back. Hotel budget is roughly $150-$250/night. My one concern with Shinkjuku is it might be too busy (although we typically stay in busy areas when we travel).

Thanks mrwunrfl. I was unaware of Obon, I'm wondering if I should switch up Seoul and Kyoto in the itinerary (Seoul would then be roughly 12th-16th). I haven't purchased tickets for any travel outside of Tokyo yet.

Here is an alternate itinerary:

• Tokyo (1 night) – Aug 8 (Tokyo Station)
• Seoul (4 nights) – Aug 9, 10, 11, 12
• Kyoto (5 nights) – Aug 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
  • 2 days Kyoto
  • Day Trip - Nara
  • Day Trip - Osaka (Spend the day in Osaka then fly out to Seoul)
• Tokyo (3 night) – Aug 18, 19, 20 (Shibuya or Shinjuku)
  • 2 days Tokyo
  • 1 day trip - Hokone

Under the circumstances I'd think you would want to spend more time in Korea, which is still possible.


By the way, here is an excerpt from a very lovely show I saw called How to be a Korean Woman, about an adoptee who travels to Korea. She winds up being on a KTV program, "I Miss that Person:"

Updated Itinerary:

• Arrive in Tokyo (1 night) – Aug 8
  • Fly to Seoul Aug 9 (6:30)
• Seoul (5 nights) – Aug 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
  • Fly to Osaka Aug 14
• Osaka (1 night) – Aug 14
  • Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto in morning – Aug 15
• Kyoto (4 nights) – Aug 15, 16, 17, 18
  • Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo – Aug 18 (Schedule ahead of time)
• Tokyo (3 nights) – Aug 18, 19, 20
  • Fly out Aug 21

You are double-counting Aug 18.

Aside from that, there are so many wonderfully beautiful sites in Kyoto, I would be tempted to take the night away from Osaka and devote more time to Kyoto.

Either way, you will have a very fabulous trip. Bon voyage!

First night stay at airport hotel if departure to Seoul is from NRT
if departure is from HND then Tokyo Station ok, or stay in Shinagawa or in Haneda airport hotel

6:30 is departure time is an or pm?

Train from Osaka Kansas Airport KIX goes to Osaka and then to Kyoto so could skip night in Osaka
If stay the night in Osaka then ship luggage from KIX to Kyoto hotel (except for what you need for the night and next day)
Stay near Osaka Station (not Shin Osaka) then take JR Special Rapid train to Kyoto. Those trains are quick,frequent and cheap. Could pay more for a limited express but less frequent. Shinkansen would be expensive and not convenient from Osaka Station
There is another railway, Hankyu IIRC, from it’s own station next to JR Osaka, that might be more convenient to your Kyoto lodging

Actually sh/could ship luggage from KIX to Kyoto even if spending the night in Kyoto

Yes book Shinkansen to Tokyo in advance
Probably all cars are reserved seating for Obon travel period
Fujisan will be on the left side of the train for some time well before Shin Yokohama (listen for’next stop is Shin Yokohama’ probably)

I stayed at the Somerset Palace Hotel in Seoul in 2018 and the location was excellent. It was within walking distance to all of the major sites. There's also an airport shuttle from Incheon Airport that drops passengers off just 2 short blocks from the hotel. I took it both ways but don't remember the fare. It wasn't expensive, though. I was there for a week and they had laundry facilities in my room. Very convenient. I don't know the room rate as I was a guest of a Korean organization but I think it's around $200 a night. The breakfasts were very good.
PS. I accompanied Korean orphans to the US twice back in the 1970s as a volunteer. It's cool your wife is returning.

Which Tokyo airport are you flying into Haneda HND or Narita NRT?

and when do you arrive?

Arriving into Tokyo (Haneda) at 4pm on 8/8 and departing out of Narita 8/21. So the thought was to stay near Tokyo Station or Shinkansen station the night of 8/8, then fly out of Narita to Seoul at 6pm on 8/9. That'll allow us to get some acclimation (flying from US) on 8/9.

The reason to stay in Osaka for a night was to connect with an exchange student we had hosted several years ago, but if we can coordinate luggage from airport to hotel in Kyoto we could probably send the luggage earlier and take a later train that night to Kyoto.

Corrected Itinerary:

• Arrive in Tokyo (1 night) – Aug 8
  • Fly to Seoul Aug 9 (6:30)
• Seoul (5 nights) – Aug 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
  • Fly to Osaka Aug 14
  • Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto in morning – Aug 14
• Kyoto (4 nights) – Aug 14, 15, 16, 17
  • Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo – Aug 18 (Schedule ahead of time)
• Tokyo (3 nights) – Aug 18,19, 20
  • Fly out Aug 21

One other option is to have Tokyo on the front end (which has higher flight costs) if there is concern of places being close on Aug 14-15 due to Obon celebration. Haven't been able to find any reliable information whether this will be the case.

Ez73 - Thanks for the hotel recommendation

I highly recommend that you spend the night of the 8th at a hotel that is served by the airport limo bus. Bus from HND to the hotel and bus from hotel to NRT the next day.

You have 26 hours in Tokyo between flights. You have some time to enjoy.

If you were to stay at Tokyo Hilton or Hyatt Regency (next door to each other in Shinjuku then I can give you a plan to spend that time.

Google for airport limousine bus Haneda and find the timetable. That will show you the hotel stops.

If the OP is flying out of NRT on August 9th at 06:30, he needs to be at Narita airport by 04:30.

From Tokyo city center to Narita airport, any airport limo bus will take at least one hour. And I am not sure they run so early in the morning at all.

If it were me, I would get to Narita airport the night of August 8th, and stay in an airport hotel.
Or book a flight that departs from NRT later in the day.
Or book a flight to Seoul that departs from HND airport. In this case I'd stay at a hotel in or near HND airport.

OP wrote “Narita to Seoul at 6pm on 8/9” and then has 6:30 in itinerary.

If “6:30” means 06:30 then bus from Haneda to Narita and stay at airport hotel

If it means 18:30 or it is 6pm then bus to Tokyo hotel for the night.

Or just fly on to Seoul on the 8th.
Use SEO to find flights to Seoul Inchon icn or Gimpo.
You might be able to check bags through from USA to Seoul, especially if same airline. Check with the airline.

It would be silly to fly from Narita to Seoul. Choose a flight from Haneda.

The flight I was referencing from Narita to Seoul is at 18:30. I like the idea of getting a good night of sleep after the long flight and see a bit of Tokyo before we head to Narita. There's an earlier flight at 12:30pm available that day (in which I can grab a hotel near Narita) and avoid the hassle of going into Tokyo, but staying at Hilton and taking the shuttle is a great idea. Their website says there's an additional cost for their shuttle, I'm waiting to hear back on what that cost is.

Shelemm - There are literally no flights from Haneda (except between 1-2am), even those flights are triple the price as from Narita. The cheapest price during normal hours from Haneda is $750.