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-   -   Best Source for Tokyo/Kyoto/Kanazawa Sightseeing? (https://www.fodors.com/community/asia/best-source-for-tokyo-kyoto-kanazawa-sightseeing-1654969/)

Intex Jun 25th, 2018 08:41 AM

Best Source for Tokyo/Kyoto/Kanazawa Sightseeing?
 
What would be the best references to find daily sightseeing recommendations/Recommendations ? Other than Japan-Guide, as Ive read that site from A-Z
Want to plan out days in advance so we don't waste time thinking of what to do each day. With 10 days in Tokyo, I'll have enough "Just wandering" time. Trying to get a personal guide as well.

kalihiwai2 Jun 25th, 2018 03:45 PM

I like Time Out Tokyo
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo
The "Things to Do" section usually provides a diverse selection.
It also covers other areas of Japan to some extent.
I used it last March to find out about the Mount Takao fire festival which was an awesome event.

kja Jun 25th, 2018 03:56 PM


Originally Posted by Intex (Post 16751857)
What would be the best references to find daily sightseeing recommendations/Recommendations ? Other than Japan-Guide, as Ive read that site from A-Z.

Even the sections labeled, "Links and Resources"? Then how about JNTO, or ANY decent guidebook (including those by Fodor's -- you know, the company that hosts this web-site?), or any of the MANY trip reports that travelers have taken the time to post here, or any of the MANY planning threads in which options are described and discussed, or web-sties for the places that interest you? I guess I don't know what information you seek that you haven't found with such a through reading of japan-guide.

Guenmai Jun 25th, 2018 06:18 PM

I'm a bit confused as to what you are looking for. Are you looking for a guide with a car that can drive you to the sites that you would like to see? Or are you looking for a guide to walk you to places and also get to places, with the guide, on public transportation? And if you're looking for a private guide with car, then what is your budget and how much are you willing to pay?

Happy Travels!

Adastra2200 Jun 25th, 2018 09:57 PM

Each of these cities has its own official tourist website online - why not look at them?
The Official Tokyo Guide
http://www.kyoto.travel/
Kanazawa Tourist Information Guide

Plus in every city in the main station you will find a tourist info office - take advantage of it! You can get walking maps, info, and other useful stuff.
Tokyo publishes a thick 80 page guide you can use, completely FREE, and it is in any tourist office as well as several of the popular sightseeing spots:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c6a5ae677.jpg

If you still want more, try a site like Trip Advisor - they are far less discriminating in the places they list, but if you want to find somewhere to go near a place you've just seen if you have some extra time, I haven't seen a better site.

Don't say there 's no info out there - there's plenty of it.

kja Jun 25th, 2018 10:04 PM


Originally Posted by Adastra2200 (Post 16752243)
Each of these cities has its own official tourist website online - why not look at them?.

(each of which is, I believe, linked in on the japan-guide.com site....)

mrwunrfl Jun 26th, 2018 09:13 AM

Ok, Intex, this is good. You have gotten to the point where you are starting to plan out your days. I have been expecting that, once you do have some daily plans and find that you have too much/little time in the places you visit, you would post a new, revised, basic plan.

The previous posters gave you some good resource references. I didn't see mention of Goodwill Guides, tho.

You could look first for festivals and events that are of interest (like the September grand sumo tournament). That could help in deciding where you want to be when and for how long. Other things that available every day could be fit around the day-dependent things.

One thing to do is to keep some options open, to plan around the likely rainy weather that you will have.

Guenmai Jun 26th, 2018 11:05 AM

I think that Goodwill guides were mentioned somewhere, but maybe that was on Flygirl's thread. As for the OP here, I think that he mentioned something about having a disc/back problem which is why I was asking if he was looking for a guide with a car as I'm not really clear as to what type of guide he is looking for.

Happy Travels!

tt7 Jun 26th, 2018 01:28 PM

In addition to the usual guidebooks, one of the co-authors of the Lonely Planet guides has several websites which, inter-alia, provide suggested daily itineraries. In the case of Tokyo and Kyoto, they're suggested 1 - 5 day itineraries and for Kanazawa, a suggested 2 day itinerary covering the major sites. These may provide a useful starting point. The guides can be found here -

Tokyo

Kyoto

Kanazawa

Boveney Jun 29th, 2018 10:40 AM

As somone who has spent half of each year in Japn for the past five years, I rely on Japan Cheapo https://japancheapo.com/ and Tokyo Cheapo https://tokyocheapo.com/. Don't be fooled by the 'cheapo' bit - eg their Naoshima guide recommends Benesse House. I also check Time Out but suspect that a lot of the content is paid advertising.


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