Itinerary help for 7 days in Japan
 

Hi,
planning to take our teenage daughters to Japan as HS graduation gift (end of June). Have 7 possibly 8 days Anything we should include beside Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone? Should we move from Tokyo, then Hakone (stay there a night) and on to Kyoto? Or do Hakone as a day trip from Tokyo? Want to keep things easy. Thanks so much

Nice graduation gift!

"Anything we should include beside Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone?"

With only 7 or 8 days, I personally wouldn't want to try to cram anything else in. YMMV. With 8 days -- if you mean 8 FULL days -- maybe 3 in Tokyo, 1 in Hakone, 4 in Kyoto; fly into Narita and out of Kansai. (Or reverse that order if it suits you better.)

"Want to keep things easy."

Consider using Japan's excellent luggage forwarding option. And if you stop in Hakone, just take overnight bags and send the rest of your stuff on. Here's some information from a source that provides excellent information on traveling to Japan:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

Well, easiest would be to take an organized day-trip tour from Tokyo to Hakone. Am pretty sure there are such no-brainer tours, maybe pickup/drop-off at your hotel, depending on where you stay. But if you DIY it is still fairly easy but would require some planning.

Are you interested in staying at a Japanese inn (ryokan)? and or going for a soak in a hot springs (onsen). You could have either experience or both - in an onsen ryokan in Hakone.

Do DD have anything of particular interest in Japan?

Hello,

I think you guys should move on to Tokyo and plan for her. And it's a great felling that if your daughter having this surprise gift think how much she gonna excite.

I'm also going for a week next month, and that's my itinerary. I didn't try to do anything more elaborate. But I plan on doing day-trips from both Tokyo and Kyoto (I want to see Nara, but I think Osaka is another worthy place to visit). If you have time, you could add Hiroshima, which is usually the next most popular place, but only if you have 8 days.

Thanks everyone, this is very helpful. Am I making a mistake about going in the summer? They really want to go (twin daughters) and summer is the only time that there is no school (I don't think December or March for spring break next year is good either). So.. end of June or August (when it's hotter but less rainy)?