Itinerary Hong Kong and Japan - 12 full days
 

Dear Fodorities guys!

I will travel next October to Hong Kong from Brazil and looking for some help about a good itinerary.

I will arrive 04 October at 6 p.m in Hong Kong and live 17 October at 1 p.m, 12 full days.

I tought about
3 days in Hong Kong city with 1 day to Macao
8-9 days Japan.

I found two cheap airline company (HKExpress and Vanilla Air) someone knows about this ones?

Is a good idea arrive around Osaka and leave from Tokyo?

Tnks a lot again!

Pause and think about what you want to do/see/experience in Japan. That will help you decide where to fly in/out of.

Hey Kathie. Tnks a lot.

My wife loves big cities and i love outdoors activities, looking for forest, parks, lakes, rives, mountains, Big Budas, Dojos, big gardens.

Tnks again.

Vanilla is subsidiary of Japan's ANA. HK Express is subsidiary of China's Hainan Airlines.

Since you're visiting Macau, Air Macau also flies to KIX daily and NRT 4x weekly. So, check those as well as all options from HK.

It sounds like you'd like an overview of Japan with some different kinds of experiences. I'd start by thinking of this as a trip to Kyoto and Tokyo, then decide if you want an additional stop somewhere for maybe 2 nights.

Do you know about www.japan-guide.com

It's one of the best resources I know for visitors to Japan.

I agree with Kathie.

Tnks a lot..

Already bought Hong Kong x Osaka, about 50 USD for 2 tickets.

Now i will take Tokyo x Hong Kong or Macau.

My plan is to take 2 bases, Osaka (4 days) and Tokyo (5 days).

Is it a good idea?

Tnks a lot.

I wouldn't base in Osaka, but opt for Kyoto instead. Kyoto isn't far from Osaka, but you wouldn't want to be staying in Osaka if your primary interest was in Kyoto. And for me, I'd opt for 5 days in Kyoto and 4 in Tokyo, but it depends on what your interests are.

Tnks again.

I will plan on this way, just need to buy my flight back to HK.


Just found 80uSD from Tokyo to HK, is a good price? HkExpress

You mentioned Buddhas and gardens.

It's only 45 minutes from Kyoto to Nara where you would find Todaiji and it's big Buddha.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4100.html

Another famous Daibutsu is in Kamakura, 25 minutes from Yokohama or about an hour from Tokyo.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3100.html

An hour from Kyoto on the shinkansen is Okayama where you would find the famous garden Korakuen and a nice castle.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5701.html

US$80 for NRT-HKG of course is a super deal. Grab it before it's gone.

Again, I agree with Kathie -- base in Osaka, not Kyoto. Unless your flight is extraordinarily early, you should be able to get to Kansai easily enough from Kyoto:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

Tnks a lot.

I am going to buy a ticket around 110 USD p.p Tokyo to Hong Kong and book accommodation.

will be 11 nights in Japan and 2 nights Hong Kong

Tnks again!! ;-)

Oops! Make that base in Kyoto, not Osaka.

Tnks...

Will be 11 nights.

Arrive Osaka, stay 2 nights in Osaka, 3 nights Kyoto, 2 nights in some place during trip to Tokyo and 4 nights Tokyo, depart from Haneda to Hong KOng.

Not much time for Kyoto, IMO, but to each his/her own.

Hey, just finish my reservations, here we go!

Just thinking about Nagoya (can cancel my hotel)

Days
1 - Arrive Osaka at night
2 - City tour Osaka
3 - Nara - Sleep Osaka
4 - Osaka to Kyoto and city tour Kyoto
5 - Hiroshima around from Kyoto - Sleep Kyoto
6 - Kyoto Nagoya - Travel to Magome/Tsumago - Sleep Nagoya
7 - Shirawago - Sleep Nagoya
8 - Nagoya - Hakone - Sleep Tokyo
9 - Round trip to Nikko
10 - Tokyo city
11 - Tokyo city
12 - Leave tokyo

tnks a lot!!

Are you happy with this itinerary? You wanted Buddhas and gardens, but are spending no time in Kyoto! You had thought you'd have three nights in Kyoto, which yields two full days, but it looks like you'll have two nights in Kyoto and you'll spend your full Kyoto day in Hiroshima. That makes no sense. At the very least cancel Nagoya.

Look again at your time and your priorities and try to align them better, so you are spending time in the places you want to see.

Is a 1 full day enough for Kyoto city? In 4th day i am planning a tour in kyoto city.

tnks a lot Kathie.

No 1 full day is not enough for Kyoto. We spent 5 full days in Kyoto (6 nights) and didn't see nearly all of what we wanted to see.

Know that your trip isn't long enough to see much of Kyoto and choose the places you want to see most. But since you have the time, I'd spend a minimum of three nights in Kyoto, which will give you two full days.