I think you meant 'OP' and it's Original Poster....

Koyasan is not a day trip, imo - first of all, it's over two hours each way even from Osaka and second of all, since I was there two weeks ago, the essence is staying overnight in a Buddhist temple and having the vegetarian meals and getting up for the 6 am service - yes, for me, Miss Sleep-in, that was tough but worth it!

I did a day trip to Himeji and a little of Osaka from Kyoto and that was on a really slow train as I had a different type of pass which was not for the shinkansen so those are definitely doable. You could probably do Himeji and Hiroshima in one day.

I haven't yet been to Nara but I think it is a day trip as well.

You do need to be at the airport two hours before departure.

What about cutting out the Kiso Valley and substituting Miyajima in between the Tokyo and Kyoto legs? Miyajima has nice places to stay for a honeymoon couple, I think - no personal knowledge but from what I've read...and there's hiking up on Mt. Misen. You could stop in Hiroshima on the way back to Kyoto - there are lockers for your luggage at almost every train station.

The trip from Kyoto to NRT is about four hours.

In Hakone, there are ryokan (japenese style accommodations) with onsen (hot spring) on premise. I stayed in one some years ago but forgot the name. The little hot spring bath was in the garden (simple elegance with great peace and tranquility) so you sign up for the time when you want to use( i suggest right before you sleep because it is really relaxing). It was great. I am sure if you tell them you are honeymooners, they'll make special arrangement for you.

Hakone was very humid in April when I was there so soaking in hot spring made a world of difference.

Once outside of Tokyo , people speak little English. If you lose your way, you are on your own. You might want to carry a phrase book with you.

I find Osaka just another city. I wish I did not stop there.

If you haven't bought your tickets already. I suggest go to Jal.com I have been doing comparative shopping and find the best deal on jal website. Phone is 1800-525-3663.

You really don't want to be that far from Narita on the last day.....trust me. Unless your flying in.

If you hub, you will tend to just stay in the hub city....nothing wrong with that though. Its the easiest way to see Japan, and with your lack of planning time, looks like what is in store for you.

You could see the JR travel agents at Narita airport when you arrive or at the Kyoto and Tokyo rail stations to make your reservations and plans for you if you arrive with nothing in hand. They will have options for you and are very helpful if you are patient.

On your last day you will already have a 12 hour or longer commute in front of you if you are heading back to the States. I wouldn't want to add another 4 to 6+ hours to that commute along with the added stress of making every connection perfectly. Not to mention having to wake up early on your last day. Good Luck!

Hey Mike and Holly - After offering our help, don't we get a wedding invite? ;-)

Congratulations on your wedding and enjoy your trip to Japan!

We just got back from abouy 18 days in Japan. Go to myblogs at Travelblog.org under the name golfkat. I have about 10 blogs on Japan. Make sure you buy your shinkansen pass here before you go. Feel free to email me at [email protected]

Hawaiian, I must address your post.

I think people plan their trips differently. I know for some it takes months and months and everything else seems rushed and stressful.

For me, I love to be flexible. Yes, now, things are happening on the fly, but I love the spontaneity and the fact that I will only savor things for a few weeks beforehand as opposed to months in advance. Which will lead to lower expectations and an overall better experience for me. We have done this before and of course had mixed results (sometimes we ended up staying in crappier places, but also changed things on the fly).

Knowing me (and my better half) we will definitely get out. We haven't had a vacation yet where we haven't walked for at least 8 or 9 miles on most days. One good thing about the hubs is we stay in one hotel/onset/ryokan and the day trips can be interchanged and adjusted. Booking 8 or 9 hotels is tough and for me stress-provoking since I feel pinned down and without much wiggle room.

Any recommendations for lodging along our route, esp traditional ryokans outside of tokyo and on our itinerary? I
love this forum, because I get to share and exchange different ideas and styles with you guys.

Please keep it coming.

Regards,
Mike

PS All are invited to the wedding. Open vodka bar, so bring your liver.

PSS. We are also huge foodies...I believe Japan will not disappoint.

http://bento.com/tokyofood.html

Hi Mike - Maybe above website will help for restaurants.

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/index.htm - This site can't help you as it requires making reservations five days in advance. However, maybe you can use it for research and then contact the inn on your own - particularly if you have a laptop with you as it doesn't list contact info....

ht is right about spending the night in Tokyo before flying home. Koya is not a day trip.

So I was right about Holly wanting to use bases. That is not my style, and not the best way to see Japan, imo, but this is not my trip.

You can skip Osaka, in general, unless you have specific sights/interests there.

I think it is worthwhile to spend a night in Hiroshima. All you need to take is for one night and leave the rest at the hotel in Kyoto. Leave early and stop in Himeji and visit the castle in the morning and then go to the Peace Park and museum in Hiroshima. Have okonomiyaki or local oysters or beef. Maybe the Carp will be in town (baseball). Visit Miyajima the next day and then train back to Kyoto in the evening.

You can use hyperdia.com to get train travel times.

Hey All,

Thank you for the suggestions. So far we have the airfare, a hotel right next to the shibuya JR station in tokyo for first 5 nights and a JR pass (came today). So it is coming together.

Hawaiian is most certainly right, that a long train ride is not the way to prepare for a long plane ride. I will take that under consideration.

Mara -- thank you for that website...I have and will look into it. R some of the ryokans really 70,000 yen a night? Since we are looking for ryokans for After may 6th and on, the website might actually be very useful.

mrwunrfl, thank you for the detailed suggestion on Hiroshima.
I am not a big fan of bases either. How long do you stay in each place? And would your itinerary include less stops than others? Do you also rely on the local tourist office to book the places right there, or do you book everything before? So far, we can still either do bases or not, but I was just wondering how the logistics work out? If it is relatively easy to book on the fly, than it might be an alternative. Please let us know.

Mike

Mike,

For what its worth I am in Japan right now, we have been here 5 days and are about $3500 spent. We are staying at a very reasonably priced, small but very clean hotel, have seen many sights and have spent majority of our money on food (of course), train and our Ryokan ate up a chunk but very worth it. We are still in Kyoto right now. You can read the Japan part of my Trip Report. That should give you some ideas.

J

Hey jayc,

what ryokan are u stying at in Kyoto?

What is your total budget going to be? Just trying to figure out how much to budget. We also plan to spend on food, moderate price lodging and sightseeing? I assume that Tokyo, JR pass and airfare will be the major expenses. Please correct me (jayc and everyone else) if I'm wrong.

I know that budgets can run the gammit, but I just want to have a rough idea.

thanks as always

Might stay a night or two depending on my interests in a place and how long it takes to get there. I like to see a place after the day trippers have left.

I often book in advance but sometimes book as I go. On my most recent trip I booked a room in Aso before my last night in Takachiho. Once or twice I have booked a place in the morning for the same night before traveling, but usually at least the day before.

Basically, I think if it takes four hours to get to a place then I will stay two nights. Two hours travel then maybe spend one night. I might go from Tokyo to Koyasan to Hiroshima to Nara to Tokyo while others would just hub from Kyoto. But I don't have to contend with maintaining marital harmony!

Your trip is fairly mobile, with an overnight in Hakone and another in Kiso Valley. I think Koyasan demands a night's stay. It is worthwhile to spend a night in Hiroshima or on Miyajima.

Another way to go south from Kyoto is to make a stop at Himeji in the morning and then head to Miyajima. Check in to a nice ryokan there in the afternoon. Next day you can spend some time on the island and/or head to the Peace Park and museum/memorial in Hiroshima. Or spend all day on Miyajima and then go to Hiroshima in the evening to check in, etc. See the sights the next day and travel the next afternoon.

Hi and congratulations!!

First advice is make sure you pre-book everything outside of Tokyo that falls in the first week of May. This is Golden Week - the busiest national holiday if the year. Everywhere will be booked out and you will end up with no choice if you don't pre-book. In Kyoto they actually put up signs at Tourist Information saying Kyoto is full! This is no joke - it actually is!

Miyajima is lovely - a perfect honeymoon destination. My colleague stayed there on his honeymoon and loved it. It is really beautiful especially after the crowds leave in the early evening. A nice two night stay in a ryokan would be fabulous.

http://www.iwaso.com/e_introduction.html

3/ Budget - you have plenty of cash available. 15K will get you a fabulous stay in Japan for your honeymoon.

4/ As the above post said - do not go to Koya as a day trip!

5/ The Minshuku Daikichi in Tsumago is really great. http://www17.plala.or.jp/daikiti/ (Japanese only)

6/ Don't carry your luggage with you - use Takuhaibin luggage forwarding service. Cheap (1500 yen for a large case) and with delivery next day pretty much anywhere in the country - certainly next day the places you are going. Traveling light makes any trip more enjoyable. Keep those stress levels down. This service is available from all hotels. Just ask at the lobby and pay on the day.

7/ As you are planning a whole week in Kyoto why not break it up with an overnight in Nara. It is only 40 minutes away on the JR Yamatoji Line and is a lovely place to stay overnight. There are some fabulous ryokan or you could stay in the grand Nara Hotel (discounts available with JR pass).

http://www.narahotel.co.jp/english/index.html

Edosan is a fabulous and very traditional ryokan

http://www.edosan.jp/index.shtml (Japanese only)

8/ You MUST stay at an onsen resort or an onsen ryokan. I see you are planning to stay in Hakone and there are lots of options there but why not try Kurama Onsen for a night. It is beautiful and would be a great stay in the middle of your Kyoto stay as it is really just on the outskirts of Kyoto. if you like hiking there is a fabulous course here. Gets my to recommendation. I loved it!

http://www.kurama-onsen.co.jp/index_e.html

I could go on for a long time but best get back to work! You will have a fabulous time but do make sure you get some stuff booked before you go.

For some general travel tips in one easy place check out InsideJapan Tours. The FAQ pages seem to have a lot of useful advice even if you are not traveling with them.

http://www.insidejapantours.com/travel-tips/

If you have any specific questions post them up and I will get back to you ASAP. Not long to go now eh!!

Cheers

Ali

Thank you.

Mike,

Here is the Ryokan contact info:

Hotel Okuyumoto
www.okuyumoto.co.jp
E-mail: [email protected]
0460-85-6271

It was really good. An East meets wet type of experience. Some western food on the menu but good traditional Japanese Ryokan experience.

Our plane tickets were booked on Airmiles so don't include that for our budget but we are probably looking at about $6000 CDN all said and done for 10 days including some shopping and staying at a fairly low budget hotel Toyoko Inn which has been great. Hotel alone was $1170 and Ryokan was about $400, traveling costs were about $1000 total as we went from Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Tokyo by Shinkansen (Big TIme Saver and Great Experience). Japan is very $$$$$. A bottle of water is about $3-$4 CDN. Cheap bowl of noodles is $7 CDN. We have not been totally penny pinching, have had our splurging moments but have been saving when we can, and have had some cheap days but have seen all the sights we wanted. Hope that gives you a good idea. I have a more detailed trip report if you have time. That may give you a better idea of what to expect. Have a great trip, Japan is really fun!

Thank you so much, your advice has been super helpful, we have made reservations at a few of the ryokan's you've suggested and we will be flying to NRT in just a few hours! We will defiitely let you know how our stay is. Thanks again for all of your help.

Do you think we should stay at Ryokan vs Western hotel in Kyoto (we are staying at a western hotel in Tokyo and 2 Ryokan's in Hakone). Any reco's for our accomodations in Kyoto? Thanks!

Holly & Mike

I highly recommend a ryokan at least 1 night while in Japan. It can be very romantic to have dinner served in your room while soaking up Japanese culture. Miyajima is an ideal place to do this. I like Momijiso or Iwaso.

Good Luck with your plans.

Hi Mike,
here's what I did, we stayed two nights in Kyoto at a beautiful ryokan called Shiraume (you find the references on the concierge website), it's a bit pricey, but worth every penny and, hey, it's your honeymoon. Went to Nara on the third day and stayed at the Granvia, which is inside the Kyoto station. That made it very easy to get on one of the first trains the next morning to go to Himeji, visit the castle in two hours (if you only visit the castle, it's perfectly doable), get back on the train to Hiroshima and on the boat to Miyajima, where we stayed the night (at Iwaso, already suggested in a previous post and recommended). Miyajima at night is magical, the flocks of day-trip tourists disappear and it's just you, the deer and the illuminated shrine, don't miss it.
To solve the luggage issue, we left our suitcases with the very helpful concierge at the Granvia and just took a little backpack with the few things we needed for the one-night stay.
We had the flight back from Osaka, so we spent two more days in Kyoto and then back. If you are flying from Narita, I agree that you should probably aim for staying your last night in Tokyo, or, if you really want to do Hakone, stay there.
If you want to cut out anything in your trip, if I were you, I'd leave out Osaka and, if necessary, Hakone/Fuji. We didn't spend time in Hiroshima either, as it is not our thing. Since we had only ten days, I had to cut quite a lot, but my biggest regret is the Kiso Valley trip, which was number one on my list if we'd had more time, you have, so don't cut it out, I think it's one of those off-the-beaten-tracks experiences not to be missed).
One last thing, take enough time for both Tokyo (at least three whole days) and Kyoto (we had four days and I think it wasn't enough), there's sooo much to see, and especially in Kyoto I had seriously underestimated the distance and travel times between the various sites.
Enjoy your trip !