Itinerary for Japan
Mar 24th, 2013, 02:53 PM
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Itinerary for Japan
Hi everyone!
My family and I have been thinking about taking a vacation to Japan in early August. Our budget is low to medium. We will pay whatever it takes to live comfortably though. 2 adults and 2 children, age 15.
We were hoping to see Tokyo and Hiroshima. I am not that far into the planning stage, but this is what I have so far:
Leave July 31st from ORD and Arrive August 1st to Tokyo.
Day 1(August 2nd)- Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo
Day 4: Tokyo and take a flight to Hiroshima
Day 5: Hiroshima
Day 6: Hiroshima
Day 7: Hiroshima and then a flight back home to Chicago.
Any suggestions on what to do? Changes? I really want to see Hiroshima because of the history behind the city. Is 3 days too long in Hiroshima? Too many days in Tokyo? Help would be greatly appreciated!
~Sean
My family and I have been thinking about taking a vacation to Japan in early August. Our budget is low to medium. We will pay whatever it takes to live comfortably though. 2 adults and 2 children, age 15.
We were hoping to see Tokyo and Hiroshima. I am not that far into the planning stage, but this is what I have so far:
Leave July 31st from ORD and Arrive August 1st to Tokyo.
Day 1(August 2nd)- Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo
Day 4: Tokyo and take a flight to Hiroshima
Day 5: Hiroshima
Day 6: Hiroshima
Day 7: Hiroshima and then a flight back home to Chicago.
Any suggestions on what to do? Changes? I really want to see Hiroshima because of the history behind the city. Is 3 days too long in Hiroshima? Too many days in Tokyo? Help would be greatly appreciated!
~Sean
Mar 24th, 2013, 09:00 PM
#3
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I agree with rhkkmk. And I'll add that many people find a half day sufficient for Hiroshima (which is incredibly moving and worthy of a visit). If you can find time for Kyoto, I don't think you'll regret it. For some great information, see
japan-guide.com
japan-guide.com
Mar 25th, 2013, 12:55 AM
#4
Those first two nights in Hiroshima are necessary as you will want to spend August 6 in Hiroshima. I assume that the Peace Park and museum will be busy that day, so you might plan on visiting the museum on the 5th or 7th. Also visit Hiroshima castle.
You will be able to see a baseball game while you are there. The Hiroshima Carp will be at home August 5,6,7.
You can fly back to Tokyo on the 7th and may have to do so. Or you can spend the rest of that day visiting Miyajima.
For airfares I would look at:
1) open jaw: to Tokyo return from Hiroshima
2) multi-destination: to Tokyo, stopover in Tokyo, to Hiroshima, return from Hiroshima
3) return ticket: to Tokyo return from Tokyo
In cases 1 and 3, get separate tickets for the domestic japan flight(s). Airfare might be 11,000 JPY pp each way. Or you can use miles.
You will be able to see a baseball game while you are there. The Hiroshima Carp will be at home August 5,6,7.
You can fly back to Tokyo on the 7th and may have to do so. Or you can spend the rest of that day visiting Miyajima.
For airfares I would look at:
1) open jaw: to Tokyo return from Hiroshima
2) multi-destination: to Tokyo, stopover in Tokyo, to Hiroshima, return from Hiroshima
3) return ticket: to Tokyo return from Tokyo
In cases 1 and 3, get separate tickets for the domestic japan flight(s). Airfare might be 11,000 JPY pp each way. Or you can use miles.
Mar 25th, 2013, 06:46 AM
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Do you have your reservations in Hiroshima yet for those days?
I think you have the time allotted quite perfectly. Love the idea of seeing the Carp play. Three nights would allow a leisurely visit of Hiroshima. Most visitors fly through on their way to somewhere else. Glad to see you taking on only two cities in your time there but you will see a lot with your itinerary. Flying would be the cheaper and most time friendly way to go, I agree. If you have any other logistical or specific questions just ask. Have fun.
Aloha!
I think you have the time allotted quite perfectly. Love the idea of seeing the Carp play. Three nights would allow a leisurely visit of Hiroshima. Most visitors fly through on their way to somewhere else. Glad to see you taking on only two cities in your time there but you will see a lot with your itinerary. Flying would be the cheaper and most time friendly way to go, I agree. If you have any other logistical or specific questions just ask. Have fun.
Aloha!
Mar 25th, 2013, 06:50 AM
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Ok! Thanks very much. 
And now that you brought that up, I never even put August 6th and Hiroshima together! I think it would be an awesome experience to be in Hiroshima on the 6th. And I was thinking about Kyoto or Osaka, but I didn't know where I could add one of those cities. What airport would I fly into if I decided to go to Kyoto?
*Changes to itinerary
Day 5: late flight to Kyoto/Osaka
Day 6: Kyoto/Osaka
Day 7: Kyoto/Osaka
And now that you brought that up, I never even put August 6th and Hiroshima together! I think it would be an awesome experience to be in Hiroshima on the 6th. And I was thinking about Kyoto or Osaka, but I didn't know where I could add one of those cities. What airport would I fly into if I decided to go to Kyoto?
*Changes to itinerary
Day 5: late flight to Kyoto/Osaka
Day 6: Kyoto/Osaka
Day 7: Kyoto/Osaka
Mar 25th, 2013, 07:05 AM
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Aloha Hawaiiantraveler!
I do not have reservations for any of the destinations as of yet. Still in the very early planning stage.
I agree, my family love baseball here in the States, so they would have a blast seeing the Carp play!
And this will be my family's first international vacation, so that is why I am trying to keep the itinerary simple. What do you think of removing 1 or 2 days in Hiroshima and adding Kyoto or Osaka?
And does anyone have any idea on where to stay in these cities?
Thanks!
~Sean
I do not have reservations for any of the destinations as of yet. Still in the very early planning stage.
I agree, my family love baseball here in the States, so they would have a blast seeing the Carp play!
And this will be my family's first international vacation, so that is why I am trying to keep the itinerary simple. What do you think of removing 1 or 2 days in Hiroshima and adding Kyoto or Osaka?
And does anyone have any idea on where to stay in these cities?
Thanks!
~Sean
Mar 25th, 2013, 09:19 AM
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I have not yet been to Japan (will be going for the first time in November) but the one regret I have of not going in August is missing the lantern lighting ceremony in Hiroshima on Aug. 6. I think that that would just be incredibly moving. Based on just the research I have done (no hands on experience yet) I would vote for keeping your original itinerary and being in Hiroshima all day on the 6th, including seeing the floating latern ceremony that night.
Mar 25th, 2013, 09:46 AM
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Last spring my family spent 3 weeks in Japan, my 2nd trip and my husband's 6th. We loved Hiroshima -- it was very moving and the museum definitely requires several hours (at least). Also, walking through the Peace Park and around the whole Peace Park area is thought provoking. We stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Sunroute Hiroshima. It has an excellent location -- just kitty corner to the museum and Peace Park. It is a business hotel, but well set up for vacationers, as well, and reasonably priced.
I can't tell you much about flights because we have mostly used the train system in Japan which is out of this world. Spotlessly clean, on time to the minute, fast and you get to see the countryside. All trains/train stations have signage in English so it's very easy to use. BUT, you need to buy your Rail Passes BEFORE you leave your home company. It's all explained on the JTB website. (Not sure where you're located, I used JTB Canada, but I just googled the JTB USA website). (Japan Tourism Bureau). They were also invaluable for setting up reservations at hotels I couldn't book online.
MOST important thing I discovered last year was that, if you do book domestic flights within Japan (we flew from Nagasaki back to Tokyo), do it through JTB because there's a huge tourist discount. It was (if I recall correctly) less than half of what I saw online. They were also very helpful for making requests for our hotels in advance of our arrival.
Re Kyoto or Osaka. If you're thinking of adding one more place, make it Kyoto. It has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Even though it has scads of tourists (most people only go to Tokyo and Kyoto), it will give you a hint of the Japan of old. Philosphers Walk is lovely. And there are lots of alley-like streets to meander around. Watch Memoirs of a Geisha to give you an idea of what the old sections of town look like. Kyoto is a large modern city in other parts, but some of the older areas are preserved.
Osaka: modern city. I haven't visited and I'm sure there's a lot to see. I'd love to go to their aquarium sometime, but don't know what else is there.
Hope this helps.
Sue
I can't tell you much about flights because we have mostly used the train system in Japan which is out of this world. Spotlessly clean, on time to the minute, fast and you get to see the countryside. All trains/train stations have signage in English so it's very easy to use. BUT, you need to buy your Rail Passes BEFORE you leave your home company. It's all explained on the JTB website. (Not sure where you're located, I used JTB Canada, but I just googled the JTB USA website). (Japan Tourism Bureau). They were also invaluable for setting up reservations at hotels I couldn't book online.
MOST important thing I discovered last year was that, if you do book domestic flights within Japan (we flew from Nagasaki back to Tokyo), do it through JTB because there's a huge tourist discount. It was (if I recall correctly) less than half of what I saw online. They were also very helpful for making requests for our hotels in advance of our arrival.
Re Kyoto or Osaka. If you're thinking of adding one more place, make it Kyoto. It has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Even though it has scads of tourists (most people only go to Tokyo and Kyoto), it will give you a hint of the Japan of old. Philosphers Walk is lovely. And there are lots of alley-like streets to meander around. Watch Memoirs of a Geisha to give you an idea of what the old sections of town look like. Kyoto is a large modern city in other parts, but some of the older areas are preserved.
Osaka: modern city. I haven't visited and I'm sure there's a lot to see. I'd love to go to their aquarium sometime, but don't know what else is there.
Hope this helps.
Sue
Mar 25th, 2013, 10:44 AM
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Ok, thanks MinnBeef! I am looking forward to seeing Hiroshima.
Sue, thanks so much for your reply! This info will help a great deal. I just thought that we could save more time by flying, but would you recommend traveling by train from Tokyo to Hiroshima? I think for right now, though, my family would be better off traveling simple and visiting only 2 places. Of course we will go back and visit Kyoto and Osaka! Do you have any recommendations for living accommodations, apartment or hotel?
Thanks!
~Sean
Sue, thanks so much for your reply! This info will help a great deal. I just thought that we could save more time by flying, but would you recommend traveling by train from Tokyo to Hiroshima? I think for right now, though, my family would be better off traveling simple and visiting only 2 places. Of course we will go back and visit Kyoto and Osaka! Do you have any recommendations for living accommodations, apartment or hotel?
Thanks!
~Sean
Mar 25th, 2013, 11:13 AM
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The trains are excellent and easy. You might want to contact your JTB office and ask them. As I said, I found them very helpful. Compare both the prices and the time it takes to get to the airport, security, etc. You may need to change trains (in Osaka?) to get to Hiroshima. Keep in mind that domestic flights in Tokyo are through Haneda airport, not Narita.
mrwnrfl had suggestions about doing a multi destinatation ticket that might work out more cost efficiently for you.
Accommodations: I understand that there are more apartment rentals happening in Tokyo/Japan, but I haven't done that. I've stayed in ryokans, hotels and in Kyoto, a machiya, which is a renovated warehouse apartment. You could see whether one night you could find a ryokan -- it's a real Japanese experience and includes meals and traditional baths. There are all different price ranges.
I really haven't had a bad stay anywhere in Japan. I don't know if you're smokers or not, but if not, check to see whether the hotel is non-smoking or has non-smoking floors. Our last hotel in Tokyo had restaurants with smoking which was kind of gross.
mrwnrfl had suggestions about doing a multi destinatation ticket that might work out more cost efficiently for you.
Accommodations: I understand that there are more apartment rentals happening in Tokyo/Japan, but I haven't done that. I've stayed in ryokans, hotels and in Kyoto, a machiya, which is a renovated warehouse apartment. You could see whether one night you could find a ryokan -- it's a real Japanese experience and includes meals and traditional baths. There are all different price ranges.
I really haven't had a bad stay anywhere in Japan. I don't know if you're smokers or not, but if not, check to see whether the hotel is non-smoking or has non-smoking floors. Our last hotel in Tokyo had restaurants with smoking which was kind of gross.
Mar 25th, 2013, 11:14 AM
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Please check out the tours and specials from Tokyo to Hiroshima offered by Japanicam.com ( http://www.japanican.com/tours/ ). Some include travel on the fast Nozomi Shinkansen (bullet train) and are extremely attractive, price-wise -- for example, round-trip train and 3 nights hotel for about $500/per person.
You would lose no time by taking the Nozomi SHinkansen, compared to air travel. The Nozomi takes less than 4 hours from Tokyo to Hiroshima and goes from city center to city center.
But you do need to move quickly, as you are traveling at peak-peak season in Japan.
You would lose no time by taking the Nozomi SHinkansen, compared to air travel. The Nozomi takes less than 4 hours from Tokyo to Hiroshima and goes from city center to city center.
But you do need to move quickly, as you are traveling at peak-peak season in Japan.
Mar 25th, 2013, 12:02 PM
#13
Your other option is to fly to Osaka. You can spend your first several days in Kyoto instead of Tokyo. Early August is not the best time to visit Kyoto due to heat and humidity but I don't know if it would be worse there than in Tokyo, but I suspect so.
You can spend your time in Kyoto instead of Tokyo even if you fly in and out of Tokyo. In that case, you would use a JR Pass.
I mentioned that you might have/want to fly back to Tokyo on the 7th, the night before the flight home. That is because connections from Hiroshima (HIJ) to ORD are not very good. For example, the best fare (one probably higher than just flying from Osaka or Tokyo) might route you thru Seoul, adding travel time. Flying same day via Tokyo might add cost in both time and money.
Between Hiroshima and Kyoto/Osaka you would use the shinkansen - a bonus in my opinion.
It would take 5 hours to travel by shinkansen from Tokyo station to Hiroshima. Add on some time from your Tokyo lodging to the station. It would take about 4 hours, probably a bit more, to fly.
Your itinerary depends on how much you are are willing to pay for, or want to save on, your international travel. That is, I would look at the most economical international airfare options first and then decide on the Japan itinerary (Tokyo or Kyoto and when to leave Hiroshima) later.
Figure that the worst case cost of your travel within Japan would be the cost of a 7-day JR Pass - 28,300 yen or $300 per person. If you flew in/out of Osaka then rail fares would be 24,000. My guess of 23,000 for a Tokyo-HIJ roundtrip is based on the cost of special visitor fares.
You can spend your time in Kyoto instead of Tokyo even if you fly in and out of Tokyo. In that case, you would use a JR Pass.
I mentioned that you might have/want to fly back to Tokyo on the 7th, the night before the flight home. That is because connections from Hiroshima (HIJ) to ORD are not very good. For example, the best fare (one probably higher than just flying from Osaka or Tokyo) might route you thru Seoul, adding travel time. Flying same day via Tokyo might add cost in both time and money.
Between Hiroshima and Kyoto/Osaka you would use the shinkansen - a bonus in my opinion.
It would take 5 hours to travel by shinkansen from Tokyo station to Hiroshima. Add on some time from your Tokyo lodging to the station. It would take about 4 hours, probably a bit more, to fly.
Your itinerary depends on how much you are are willing to pay for, or want to save on, your international travel. That is, I would look at the most economical international airfare options first and then decide on the Japan itinerary (Tokyo or Kyoto and when to leave Hiroshima) later.
Figure that the worst case cost of your travel within Japan would be the cost of a 7-day JR Pass - 28,300 yen or $300 per person. If you flew in/out of Osaka then rail fares would be 24,000. My guess of 23,000 for a Tokyo-HIJ roundtrip is based on the cost of special visitor fares.
Mar 25th, 2013, 12:08 PM
#14
All of what I wrote above is a bit complicated but is mostly based on the consideration of airfares.
While I was writing I see that DonTopaz gave some excellent advice on tours. Considering that, you could just look at fares to/from Osaka or Tokyo.
While I was writing I see that DonTopaz gave some excellent advice on tours. Considering that, you could just look at fares to/from Osaka or Tokyo.
Mar 25th, 2013, 12:19 PM
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Ok thanks for your replies!
Sue, I would love to stay in a ryokan. It would be an awesome experience!
Thanks for the reply, DonTopaz. I'm definitely going to look into the tours, and the price was VERY attractive! It would also be a crazy experience to travel on the shinkansen.
mrwunrfl, thanks for the reply! I really want to visit Hiroshima and Tokyo - both are a must. The JR Pass is expensive, but probably worth it. I'll look at airfare from ORD to Osaka/Kyoto! Thank you
Sue, I would love to stay in a ryokan. It would be an awesome experience!
Thanks for the reply, DonTopaz. I'm definitely going to look into the tours, and the price was VERY attractive! It would also be a crazy experience to travel on the shinkansen.
mrwunrfl, thanks for the reply! I really want to visit Hiroshima and Tokyo - both are a must. The JR Pass is expensive, but probably worth it. I'll look at airfare from ORD to Osaka/Kyoto! Thank you
Mar 25th, 2013, 01:30 PM
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The following website has customs for staying at ryokans
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/a...okan/index.htm
Also, on that site, under the tab "About Ryokans", there's information to help you figure out whether a ryokan would work for your family.
JapaniCan.com has a search tool as well. And you can use TripAdvisor to rate them.
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/a...okan/index.htm
Also, on that site, under the tab "About Ryokans", there's information to help you figure out whether a ryokan would work for your family.
JapaniCan.com has a search tool as well. And you can use TripAdvisor to rate them.
Mar 25th, 2013, 10:06 PM
#20
The $500 rail+hotel packages are a good deal, maybe not a great deal as it is $1000 ppdo. That is about the same as two JR Passes for $600 plus 3 nights in a hotel at JPY 12,500 double occupancy. The main benefit is being able to us a Nozomi (of their choice) without a change of trains (I assume) as would be required by a JR Pass.
But a JR Pass on this itinerary would also cover the airport transfers by rail, some small use in Tokyo, and the train and ferry to Miyajimaguchi.
Looks like none of the 3-day or 4-day itineraries with early or late departures are available starting August 5 or the two days before that.
http://www.japanican.com/special/shi...n/#tokyo_other
If you can find a package (or a tour) elsewhere that gets you the 2 or 3 nights that you want to be in Hiroshima then it might be worthwhile even at a higher price. Hotels might be hard to get on those dates.
Miyajima would be a great place for a ryokan stay on this itinerary.
But a JR Pass on this itinerary would also cover the airport transfers by rail, some small use in Tokyo, and the train and ferry to Miyajimaguchi.
Looks like none of the 3-day or 4-day itineraries with early or late departures are available starting August 5 or the two days before that.
http://www.japanican.com/special/shi...n/#tokyo_other
If you can find a package (or a tour) elsewhere that gets you the 2 or 3 nights that you want to be in Hiroshima then it might be worthwhile even at a higher price. Hotels might be hard to get on those dates.
Miyajima would be a great place for a ryokan stay on this itinerary.
