Japan is a popular holiday destination among tourists. Traveling to Japan without a guided tour can be challenging to some people. Everything are in Japanese and not many of them can speak English. However, it is really not a problem at all traveling to Japan without a tour guide, in fact this way is even better and more interesting. I'm not an expert but I would like to share my experience with you (mainly in Tokyo) and I hope my experience can help some of you.
Flying into Japan
I’m a big fan of budget airline. It’s much cheaper than most airlines that fly between Japan and Singapore. If you book it during promotion period, you can find cheap ticket price as low as SGD400. Scoot operates flight between Singapore and Japan with a stop over at Taipei. Jetstar Airways has flights between Singapore and Tokyo with a stop over at Taipei and Osaka. Air Asia flies between Singapore and Tokyo with a stop over at Kuala Lumpur. If you are lucky enough, you can also grab cheap ticket at about SGD500 - 600 during Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines air ticket sales.
How many days in Japan?
It really depends. It can be 7 days, 14 days or 21 days. As I can't afford to take too many days off from work, I usually plan 7 - 9 days including weekend. Some local markets, festivals or events will be held only during weekend, you should include at least 1 weekend in your itinerary. From my experience, 7 - 8 days trip is good enough to explore Tokyo, including area outside of Tokyo like Nikko, Hakone and Mt. Fuji. If you want to include Kyoto/ Osaka in your itinerary, you probably need another 5 days.
For example, you can plan a 7-day itinerary in Tokyo like this
1 day in Nikko
1 day in Hakone/ Mt. Fuji
1 day in Disneyland/ Disney Sea
1 day in Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku
1 day in Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
1 day in Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
1 day in Akihabara
Accommodation
Usually before I book hotel, I will try to get a copy of subway map from internet, circle all the attractions which I'm going to visit and plan accordingly.
See the subway map below. All the red arrows point out the main attractions in Tokyo city. Most attractions can be accessed via Ginza Line, Asakusa Line and Hibiya Line. I like to stay at hotel near Ningyocho subway station (A14 on Asakusa Line, H13 on Hibiya Line). I used to stay at Hotel Horidome Villa. There is also direct train service operating between Ningyocho station and Narita Airport or Haneda Airport. (Click here for more information) What an awesome location! One thing I don't like about this station is, not many elevators available from platform to ground floor and many stairs. This gonna be a pain if you carry big luggage.
Download the pdf metro map here.
Transport in Tokyo
Buy a SUICA card, it's easier than you buy the train ticket by cash. It works like ezlink card. If you plan to travel from Narita airport to Tokyo town e.g Shijuku by NEX (Narita Express), you can consider to get NEX & SUICA package (1 way ¥3500 yen, round trip ¥5500). This package consists of 1 way express train ticket (return express train ticket if you opt for the round trip package) from Narita to Tokyo and SUICA card with value of ¥2000 (¥1500 travel value and ¥500 refundable deposit).
Fixed taxi fare chart from Narita.
[Update 3rd Apr 2014]
Suica & NEX package had been discontinued on 1st Apr 2014. Suica card can still be purchased from Narita Airport. NEX ticket is replaced by NEX Tokyo Direct and is now at ¥1500. See here.
I don't recommend to get tourist pass, they are usually more expensive than what you would use. Even if you can work out an itinerary that allow you to fully utilize the pass, you will only save a small amount. It is better to go with Suica or Pasmo for convenience and flexibility. Train fare starts from 130 and can go up to 400 one way. Click 1 day open ticket by Tokyo Metro and JR Tokyo Tour Ticket to find out more. Check out Tokyo Metro route planner and fare calculator here. Hyperdia, Jorudan, JR map and Tokyo subway map can also help you to plan your journey better. You can find the train (including Shinkansen) schedule, train number, transfer station and even platform number from Hyperdia. If Shinkansen (high speed bullet train) is required during your trip, you may want to consider JR pass. Click here and my post to find out more about JR pass. I got mine from Nippon Travel Agency website.
How much budget should you set?
Read japan-guide on budget estimation.
Average SGD216 (US166)/day/pax exclude air ticket
56 comments
Thank you very much Iva, very helpful indeed. I am going to be in Tokyo just for 4 days, and use of the days to visit Mount Fuji/Lake Kawaguichi. So I do not need the JR Pass and the Suica will do nicely? Can I just buy the Suica card when I arrive at Haneda Airport? I will be staying in Asakusa. Intend to visit Tsukiji, Harajuku, Sensoji, Skytree in one day. Roughly how much should I use for the Suica card? First time travelling F&E to Tokyo. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi I'm glad that this post is useful to you.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need JR pass. JR Pass won't pay off for traveling within Tokyo only. A 7 day JR pass can cost at least SGD350. SUICA card can be purchased from JR East station and PASMO card from subway station. They both work interchangeably across all public transport lines except Shinkansen. They both work like our ezLink card. These cards offer convenience but no fare discounts. You may want to consider tourist pass, however in my opinion, we are not able to fully utilize it unless we travel a lot. Check out Tokyo Metro route planner and fare calculator or hyperdia.
Other than Shinkansen, you can also take bus from Shinjuku bus terminal to Mount Fuji. It's cheaper than taking Shinkansen.
Would it be too rush to do Tsukiji, Harajuku, Sensoji, Skytree all together in one day? I like to visit market as that's the place to get closer with local. Tsukiji itself probably can take you 3-4 hours and there's also another small market at Sensoji Temple. Also, Sunday is the best day to visit Harajuku for scenes of cosplay.
Hope these help!
Many thanks for quick response and helpful advice. I can probably do Sensoji and Skytree on the Friday when I arrive around noon, as I will be staying around the area (Asakusa). Then Fuji-san on the Saturday, and the fish market and Harajuku on the Sunday as you advised. So from airport (Haneda), I will just buy the normal ticket from the ticket machine (Keiyu line) to Asakusa? Do you mean I can Only get the Suica card from JR East Station and not any other station? Is the concept something like our MRT, i.e. from the Keiyu line, I can walk to the JR East Station like changing from red to circle line, or something like that?
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right, just buy the train ticket from Haneda airport. There are direct trains run between Asakusa and Haneda but not every train, probably one out of every 3 - 4 trains (I'm not too sure). You gotta ask the train station staff. They will help you.
DeleteSUICA is issued by JR East. Pasmo is issued by the association of subway and private railway companies in Kanto region around Tokyo.SUICA and Pasmo can be used interchangeably in Kanto region. So it doesn't matter which to buy as long as you stay within Tokyo. You can purchase either one from their respective issuers' station ticket counter, just like how you first purchase your ezLink card.
Read this - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html
Different train operators have their own different station entrances, meaning you cannot just switch line between operators within the station, you have to exit and enter another one. Also, same station name by different operators may not locate at the same place. For example, JR Ueno station and subway Ueno station are located at different place.
Thanks very much Iva. It will be exciting to find my way around.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday!!
DeleteI realised that Tsukiji is closed on Sundays! Looks like I may need to give Harajuku a miss then, since I will go to Tsukiji on Saturday and Mt Fuji on Sunday, which will take me the whole day?
ReplyDeleteOh ya Tsukiji close on Sunday. Mt Fuji will take you full day if you do not want to rush. Bus ride to and fro between Mt Fuji and Shinjuku is about 2 - 3 hours.
DeleteOK Thank you . I have decided to miss Harajuku, and do Tsukiji + Yanaka on the Saturday, then Fuji-san on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteHi, may I know which is the place need JR pass pls. Do you think is a must to purchase JR pass. As for Mt Fuji and Disney, how to I get there. Do you know how much is the fee for Disney.
ReplyDeleteJR pass is meant for long distance train travel. It provides you convenience and savings if you travel a lot by JR train in japan. It depends on your travel itinerary. Generally if you fly in & out from Narita and travel from Tokyo to Kyoto 2 ways, JR pass will be good for you. But JR pass won't pay you off if you stay within Tokyo only. You can check train fare here www.hyperdia.com
ReplyDeleteDisneyland park ticket http://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/ticket/index.html
You may want to read more about JR pass in this post http://whenshetravelstheworld.blogspot.sg/2014/04/japan-rail-pass-jr-pass-faq.html
Thank you for posting this blog. I saw it on Tripadvisor. I am flying into Narita airport this Tuesday am getting overwhelmed with all the info. I have a question on your comment:
ReplyDeleteUpdate 3rd Apr 2014: Suica & NEX package had been discontinued on 1st Apr 2014. Suica card can still be purchased from Narita Airport. NEX ticket is replaced by NEX Tokyo Direct and is now at ¥1500. See here.
So if i go to the ticket booth i can just ask for the NEX Tokyo Direct and it will only be 1500 yen to get to Shibuya? Do i need to ask for the discount or its automatically applied? Will i still have assigned seating? I am staying at the Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku in Shibuya and would like the fastest route to get there.
I will be only be staying in Tokyo. Is the Suica card the best option? How does it work? Do I just purchase a certain dollar amount and it deducts each time i ride it?
Finally, i am flying out of Haneda airport at 12:30am. What is the fastest and easiest transportation to get there as i would hate to miss my flight? I get flustered very easily if i have to change trains or may be late getting lost. Would you recommend a taxi or is train better for this? How long does it take to get to Haneda from Shibuya?
Yes, just get your ticket from JR sales office in Narita airport and show them your passport.
Deletehttp://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/nex_oneway.html
http://www.eki-net.com/pc/jreast-shinkansen-reservation/English/wb/Common/timetable/e_nex_u/index.html
Are you from Singapore? Suica works like EzLink card in Singapore. It's a prepaid e-card which you can load money in and use on subway, JR trains in Tokyo.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html
You can check train schedule and route information from www.hyperdia.com. It will show you how you can get to Haneda airport from Shibuya station. If not, you can ask any of the staff on Shibuya station and they can guide you. There are some direct train service to Haneda but not shown on hyperdia.com so it will be good if you seek help from them. Taxi ride can be expensive. Haneda is much nearer than Narita, it probably takes you about 30 mins.
http://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/transport/
Thank You so much Iva for sharing this wonderful blog post.We (me+son+ daugther) travelling to Haneda Airport from 21th Dec 2014 till 5th Jan 2015. This is our first time travelling to Tokyo.Our accommodation is not book yet.We will be staying at Shijuku.Can you please advice and guide us our itinerary?Do we need to buy JP?How many day JRpass??Can we go to MT Fuji during winter?Thanks
ReplyDelete1 day in Tokyo-Nikko
1 day in Tokyo-Disneyland/ Disney Sea
1 day in Tokyo- Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku
1 day in Tokyo-Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
1 day in Tokyo-Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
1 day in Tokyo-Akihabara
1 day in Takayama
1 day in Shirakawago
1 day in Kyoto-Kinakakuji/Ryoanji Temple/Ninanji Temple/Bamboo Forest,Tenryji Temple
1 day in Kyoto-Fushimi Inari Shire/Nara Park/Nishiki Market
1 day in Kyoto-Kobe eat kobe beef/
1 day in Osaka-Osaka Castle/Shinsekei
Shijuku - Takayama 1 way ¥ 14,710
DeleteKanazawa - Kyoto 1 way ¥ 6,900
Kyoto - Osaka 2 way ¥ 3,460
Kyoto - Shinjuku 1 way ¥ 13,600
Total = ¥ 38,670
Looks like a 7 day JR pass (¥ 29,110) will save you quite a lot of money. You should activate it on the day when you go Takayama from Tokyo.
You can visit Mt Fuji during winter time and visibility of the mountain is best in the early morning 9am. Depending on snow conditions, the road to the 5th station might be fully open in January. If not, it is often open as far as the 3rd station. However, there are no buses there. You would have to get your own transport or an expensive taxi. Or the one-day guided bus tour from Tokyo, which also goes up that road if possible:
http://www.japan-guide.com/jtb2.html?id=GMT01TYOOF880W
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6905.html
Dear Iva,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the previous advice on our itinerary. We confirmed our flight 14th Dec 2014-02 Jan 2015.Just book last night:). Schedule arrival at Narita Airport 8.45am.We would like to follow your itinerary,hope that you can guide us. How should we plan our itinerary from Narita Express to Takayama.How many days JRPass should we buy and how many days JR East pass to Takayama we need? Do you suggest us to stay a night at Hakone or just a day trip from Tokyo?Do you think we spend too many days at Kyoto?Any other place/site we can visit?Thanks.
1 day at Tokyo-Ngoya-Takayama
1 day at Takayama-Shirakawago
1 day at Shirakawago-Kanazawa
1 day at Kyoto-Kinakakuji/Ryoanji Temple/Ninanji Temple/Bamboo Forest,Tenryji Temple
1 day at Kyoto-Fushimi Inari Shire/Nara Park/Nishiki Market
1 day at Kyoto-Kobe eat kobe beef/Kinosaki
1 day at Kyoto –Nara
1 day at Kyoto-Hiroshima-Miyajima
1 day at Kyoto-Osaka-Osaka Castle/Shinsekei/
1 day at Disneyland
1 day at Disney Sea
1 day at Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku
1 day at Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
1 day at Akihabara
1 day at Nikko
1 day at Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
Hyperdia.com is a very useful website to check train schedule, train fare and train information. The journey to Takayama requires quite a bit of traveling and transfers by trains. Here's an outline of the journey there: Narita - Shinagawa - Nagoya - Takayama. It took us 6 hours from Narita airport to Takayama, 12pm to 6pm. There are direct bus departs from Tokyo Shinjuku, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka daily. We transferred at Shinagawa instead of Tokyo station as it's so much easier compare to transferring at Tokyo station. http://gutereise09.blogspot.sg/2008/07/transfer-from-narita-express-to.html - instruction transferring at Shinagawa station.
DeleteIf you can travel back to Tokyo within the 1st 7 days, 7 day JR pass will be good for you. If not, you can still stick to your itinerary and calculate how much is your travel cost in the 1st 7 days as 14 days is definitely too much for you. JR East does not cover traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka. It is valid to travel on all of JR East's railway lines connecting Tokyo with northeastern Honshu, including Akita, Sendai, Nagano, Nikko.
http://whenshetravelstheworld.blogspot.sg/2014/04/japan-rail-pass-jr-pass-faq.html
Personally I'm not really into temple, therefore I only spent 2 days in Kyoto. In fact, we feel kinda too much of temple on 2nd day. Maybe you can shift a few days to visit Hakone / Mt Fuji and spend a night in one of the ryokan there. There is an instant noodle museum in Yokohama, you can make your own instant noodle! You can also visit Universal Studio in Osaka.
Hope these help!
Hello Iva,
ReplyDeleteThanks again the advice on our itinerary.We will be following your advice by spending 2 days at Kyoto.
Where is the good base when we are at Tokyo?We are spending around 10/11 days at Tokyo.
What Pass do we need to buy for a day trip to Nikko?Do we need another pass for the bus trip at Nikko?
Should we book our Pass online and accommodation now?We booked our accommodation at Japan Guesthouse in Shirakawa-go Kanja.
Ryokan: Kanja ( www.japaneseguesthouses.com/ryokan-single/?ryokan=Kanja )
Area: in Shirakawa-go Check In: December 15, 2014 Check Out: December 16, 2014 Nights: 1 night Number of Guests: 3 adults Room Style:
1 Japanese style room. Bathroom type: Without a private bath or toilet.
Meals: Japanese Dinner and Japanese Breakfast Per Guest Rate: 10,286 yen plus tax Estimated Total Bill: 32,400 yen including tax
Our drafted itinerary are as follow:
Day 1 Arrive Tokyo Narita-Set off to Takayama
Day 2 Shirakawago
Day 3 Kanazawa Day
4 Kyoto-Fushimi Inari-(Kyoto station - Inari Station)-Shrine-Nishiki market Day
5 Kyoto-Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion-Higashiyama District Day
6 Kyoto-Osaka-Tokyo
Day 7 Tokyo-Hakone-Use JRPass
Day 8 Tokyo-Nikko
Day 9 Tokyo
Day 10 Tokyo
Day 11 Tokyo
Day 12 Tokyo
Day 13 Tokyo
Day 14 Tokyo
Day 15 Tokyo
Day 16 Tokyo
Day 17 Tokyo
Day 18 Tokyo
Day 19 Tokyo
Day 20 Tokyo-Sweet Home
Great that you managed to book a night at Kanja. Last time when I stayed it was 9,500 yen per pax half board, I can't remember if 9,500 yen include tax.
DeleteDay trip to Osaka may take you almost a day and journey from Kyoto to Tokyo is about 3 hours, you may want to consider to travel back to Tokyo on day 7 instead, you can still use your JR pass to Tokyo on day 7.
I usually like to book hotel as soon as the air ticket is confirmed. The earlier the better rate you can get. Read the hotel cancellation policy before you book. As for JR pass, you can only purchase it maximum 3 months in advanced. I got mine from http://nta.sg/ntasin/
I like to stay at hotel near Ningyocho subway station (A14 on Asakusa Line, H13 on Hibiya Line). I used to stay at Hotel Horidome Villa. There is also direct train service operating between Ningyocho station and Narita Airport or Haneda Airport.
From Tokyo to Nikko with JR pass, you have to pay a supplement on the direct trains to Nikko. You can do so when making the mandatory seat reservations at the ticket counter. Alternatively, you could travel by shinkansen via Utsunomiya, which would be completely covered. If you have a JR East Pass, the entire trip is covered. But with JR pass, it's still cheaper than any other pass. Access to Nikko - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html
JR pass doesn't cover the whole trip to Hakone, only as far as Odawara station. Access to Hakone - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5206.html
Hope these help!
Dear Iva, Thanks again for helping us with our itinerary.
ReplyDeleteWe will stay one additional night at Kyoto as suggested and
returning back to Tokyo on Day 7.We will be be going to
Hakone on Day 8 .What Pass should we buy for the entire trip at
Narita Aitport?What Pass must we buy at Hakone and Nikko?
We will be buying a 7 day JRPass. Thanks.
Since you gonna activate JR pass on the first day when you arrive Narita, day 1 from Narita will be covered by JR pass. As for the return trip to Narita on the last day, I think you can just purchase the ticket from any subway station (those station which offer direct train service to Narita) ticket machine. There is direct train service from Ningyocho subway station (A14 on Asakusa Line, H13 on Hibiya Line) to Narita Airport.
ReplyDeleteTobu offers various passes from Tokyo to Nikko -
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html
Hakone free pass - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
If you want to visit Mt. Fuji, you can also consider this Fuji Hakone pass -
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_014.html
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/freepass/fujihakone/
Thanks Iva again for you quick reply.What do you mean by 3 day Pass?Tokyo to Hakone day trip for 3 days?Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThere are 2 types of pass here - Hakone Pass and Fuji Hakone Pass
DeleteHakone Pass at ¥5140 (from Shinjuku station) is valid for 2 days. If you do the classic round course by train, cablecar, ropeway, boat and bus, regular tickets would total about ¥6300, you can save considerably by purchasing the free pass. Furthermore, using a single pass is a major convenience over buying single tickets each time you ride a train or bus.However, if you only go, for example, from Shinjuku to Lake Ashi (Moto-Hakone) and back (about ¥4200 by regular tickets), the purchase of the free pass would not be justified.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
Fuji Hakone Pass at ¥7400 (from Shinjuku) is valid for 3 days. If you want to see both, Hakone and the Fuji Five Lake region in three days, the purchase of this free pass as opposed to regular tickets makes good sense.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
Let's say we buy 2 day Hakone Pass whereby we want to have a day trip to Hakone and return to Tokyo on that day itself then return to Hakone on the second day again.The Hakone Pass will be expire as soon as we return to Tokyo on the first day or we can use the pass for 2 days back and return without staying over at Hakone?
ReplyDeleteThis 2 day Hakone pass includes ONE round-trip between Tokyo Station and Odawara station on regular Odakyu trains (which means you can only travel to and fro once) + unlimited travel within most of the Hakone region for the term of the pass.
DeleteHi yewkong, I relook into your itinerary and I realize that you can actually stick to your original plan with 14 days JR pass.
DeleteDay 1 at Tokyo-Ngoya-Takayama (activate 14-day JR pass)
Day 2 at Takayama-Shirakawago
Day 3 at Shirakawago-Kanazawa
Day 4 at Kyoto-Kinakakuji/Ryoanji Temple/Ninanji Temple/Bamboo Forest,Tenryji Temple
Day 5 at Kyoto-Fushimi Inari Shire/Nara Park/Nishiki Market
Day 6 at Kyoto-Kobe eat kobe beef/Kinosaki
Day 7 at Kyoto –Nara
Day 8 at Kyoto-Hiroshima-Miyajima
Day 9 at Hiroshima-Miyajima
Day 10 at Kyoto-Osaka-Osaka Castle
Day 11 at Nikko
Day 12 at Hakone
Day 13 at Mt Fuji
Day 14 at Disneyland
Day 15 at Disney Sea
Day 16 at Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku
Day 17 at Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
Day 18 at Akihabara
Day 19 at Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
I check the train fare from hyperdia.com
Shijuku - Takayama 1 way ¥ 14,710
Kanazawa - Kyoto 1 way ¥ 6,900
Kyoto - Osaka 2 way ¥ 3,460
Kyoto - Shinjuku 1 way ¥ 13,600
Kyoto - Hiroshima 1 way ¥ 11,290
Hiroshima - Tokyo 1 way ¥ 18,760
Total = ¥ 68,720
14 days JR pass ¥ 46,390
Dear Iva,thanks again for helping us with our itinerary.
ReplyDeleteWe don't like visiting temple or shrines but we might visit few as you suggested.
We would like to stay more days at Tokyo so that we can shop and sight-seeing:) We will follow your suggestion for 7 day pass.What do you think about the new itinerary?We will not be staying at Kanasawa.Thanks.You have really help us alot:)
Day 1 at Tokyo-Ngoya-Takayama (activate 7-day JR pass)
Day 2 at Takayama-Shirakawago
Day 3 at Shirakawago-Kanazawa-Kyoto
Day 4 at Kyoto-Kinakakuji/Ryoanji Temple/Ninanji Temple/Bamboo Forest,Tenryji Temple
Day 5 at Kyoto-Fushimi Inari Shire/Nara Park/Nishiki Market
Day 6 at Kyoto-Osaka-Osaka Castle
Day 7 at Kyoto-Ginza/Tsukiji-(we will base here)
Day 8 at Shinjuku/Shibuya/Harajuku
Day 9 at Tsukiji Market for auction
Day 10 at Ginza/Tsukiji/Tokyo Station/Tokyo Tower
Day 11 at Nikko
Day 12 at Hakone
Day 13 at Mt Fuji
Day 14 at Disneyland
Day 15 at Disney Sea
Day 16 at Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku for shopping again
Day 17 at Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
Day 18 at Akihabara
Day 19 at Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
Yeah itinerary looks good. Take note that Tsukiji market close on PH, Sunday and some Wednesday.
Deletehttp://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html
http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/etc/calendar/2014.html
http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
Dear Iva,How are you lately??Thanks for all the advice of the itinerary to Tokyo :)I would like to know is that you that gave advice at the hardwarezone forum.Can you please let me know your user name because i want to read your thread at the forum@Eat-Drink-Man-Woman or other forum.Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi yew kong, no le that's not me. I can't even remember my hardwarezone username but I did reply some ppl query on tripadvisor.com
DeleteGood Morning Iva thanks again!!!!! I will check tripadvisor.com!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Iva,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing all these tips. I have been using them to plan my trip in dec.
You mentioned there is direct train from Narita to Ningyocho. Is this on the Narita express? Direct meaning no need to transfer train no stops at other stations? I check on hyperdia and it shows several transfer. Hope you can help. Thank you.
Hi
DeleteNarita Express is sort of like shinkansen, It doesn't stop at Ningyocho. Direct means you do not need to transfer and the train does stop at every station. It took me about 40-50 mins from Ningyocho to Narita. This direct train is not shown in Hyperdia, I only found out when I was at Ningyocho station. You can ask station staff when you at airport. This direct train only runs every 20 - 30 mins.
Check this - http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/
Hi Iva, my friends and I will be travelling to tokyo this year Xmas for a short stay there. We will be reaching tokyo around 8am on Dec 25 and flying back to Singapore on Dec 28 11am . We will be staying in Ginza area and would like to go tokyo tower, shinjuku, disney sea and mount fuji. Do you think it is too rush to visit all these places? Can you please share your experience on how to plan our itinerary?
ReplyDeleteThanks slot for your kind assistance!
Hi
DeleteSo you will have 25th, 26th and 27th 3 full day in Tokyo. Mount Fuji and Disneysea will take 1 day each, so you still have 1 more day to explore Shinjuku, Tokyo Tower and Ginza. I think you planning is feasible.
Hope these help and enjoy your holiday!
Thank you Ivan for your reply!
DeleteDear Iva,How are you lately?We are leaving for Tokyo on 14/12/2014.Do we need to make a bus reservation for Day 2-Takayama-Shirakawago and Day 3-Shirakawago-Kanazawa.Reservation should be made by email to the bus company or from Shirakawago Tourist Association.Regrading from Narita Airport to Takayama.Which route do you suggest (Route 1 or Route 3) http://bit.ly/1teM8wJ or you any other suggestion?
ReplyDeleteThanks helping us again :)
Hi Yewkong, you don't need to reserve bus ticket (Nohi bus) from Takayama, just purchase from Nohi bus office counter right before you go Shirakawago and join in the q. You NEED to reserve bus ticket from Shirakawago to Kanazawa, I wrote email to Shirakawago Tourist Association email: info-e@shirakawa-go.gr.jp and get them help to reserve bus ticket.
DeleteAre you going to use JR pass? JR pass does not cover Nozomi shinkansen train fare in route 1. You have to pay full fare. You can only take Hikari if you are using JR pass. Also as a JR pass user, you should take Narita Express at Narita airport then transfer at Shinagawa (it's better not to transfer at Tokyo, you will lose your way) then transfer again at Nagoya to Takayama.
Take route 1 (if you are not using JR pass)
http://bit.ly/1teM8wJ
Take route 2 (as a JR pass user)
http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NARITA%20AIRPORT%20TERMINAL%202&arv_node=TAKAYAMA&via_node01=&via_node02=&via_node03=&year=2014&month=12&day=14&hour=10&minute=30&search_type=0&search_way=&transtime=undefined&sort=0&max_route=5&faretype=0&ship=off&sprnozomi=off&lmlimit=null&search_target=route&facility=reserved&sum_target=7
Read my post here -
http://whenshetravelstheworld.blogspot.sg/2013/12/japans-golden-route-tour-of-world.html
http://whenshetravelstheworld.blogspot.sg/2013/12/japans-golden-route-tour-of-world_21.html
How to transfer at Shinagawa
http://gutereise09.blogspot.sg/2008/07/transfer-from-narita-express-to.html
Hi Iva,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience in planning the Tokyo itinerary, I find this very very helpful.. at least now I have some idea where to go, what to see and etc..
Based on your itinerary for 7 days, did you stay in hotel Horidome Villa for your entire trip or you change a few different accommodation?
I personally preferred to stay at a same place and take train to some of the outskirt areas but just not too sure if it will taking too much time on the train...
Any advice? Thanks!!
1 day in Nikko
1 day in Hakone/ Mt. Fuji
1 day in Disneyland/ Disney Sea
1 day in Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku
1 day in Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
1 day in Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
1 day in Akihabara
Regards,
Yung
Hi Yung, I only stayed in Horidome during my stay in Tokyo. Horidome is quite near to Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara and Disney.
DeleteNikko - you can take train from Asakusa station to Nikko - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html
Hakone - you will need to travel a little bit to Shinjuku for Odakyu train http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5206.html
Hope these help!
Hi may I know which company u got the mobile wifi from? Ur blog is v informative! :)
ReplyDeleteI reserved it through their website - http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html They can deliver it to Japan airport and u pick up from airport post office, they can also send it to your hotel in Japan
Deletehi , if i going nikko from shinjuku how long it take ? nikko is out of tokyo already right ?
ReplyDeleteHi you can refer to this page - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html
DeleteHi, may i know which airport u landing and how u go Mt.Fuji?
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, I have tried landed in Haneda and Narita before. I took highway bus from Shinjuku to Fuji-Q themed park at foot of Mount Fuji, I didn't go up to Mount Fuji. You can refer to this page for Mount Fuji transportation info - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6905.html
DeleteHi Iva,
ReplyDeleteI am planning to travel Tokyo on end year. Looking at 10-12days and would like to experience snowing. However I am clueless where to visit and to explore as much as possible. Would you able to advise what are the places I must visit. I have not buy my ticket yet but is flexible. Thank you
Hi Ophelia, if you want to see snow, you probably have to travel out of Tokyo. I visited Shirakawago in 2013 December, it was so beautiful and everything covered under snow blanket, see my trip report here - http://whenshetravelstheworld.blogspot.sg/2013/12/japans-golden-route-tour-of-world.html
DeleteYou can find a lot of useful Japan travel tips from - http://www.japan-guide.com/
If you prefer to stay in Tokyo only, you can visit Yuzuwa - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7690.html
Hope these help
Dear Iva,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply. After reading your blog, I am feeling more confident planning my 1st solo Japan trip. I am like you, not so much into Shrines (1 or 2 is good enough). This is my rough plan based on your guide:
Arriving in Narita early morning, plan to stay in Tokyo 1st few days to get the hang of moving again before moving out to other region.
Day 1 in Shinjuku/ Shibuya/ Harajuku
Day 2 in Tokyo station/ Ginza/ Tsukiji market/ Tokyo Tower
Day 3 in Asakusa temple/ Tokyo Skytree/ Ueno Ameyoko market
Day 4 in Akihabara
Day 5 in Hakone/ Mt. Fuji
Day 6 & 7 Proceed Takayama - Shirakawago - Kanazawa
Day 8 Kyoto
Day 9 Osaka
Day 10 Tokyo --Night Flight home
Not sure if I am too ambitious covering so many places? Is the flow correct? Day 1-3 -I intend to but 3 day Tokyo Subway and day 4 activate my JR Pass. What would you advise?
Thank you very much.
Day 5 - can be very rush, if you spend a night in Hakone or Fuji on day 5 instead of going back to Tokyo, maybe it's not that rush.
DeleteDay 6 & 7 - 3 places in 2 days also sound rush, which means you will do a day trip only in one of them.
Preferably should spend 2 days in Kyoto but 1 day is fine if you don't have time.
Hi Iva,
ReplyDelete8 Days u stay same hotel?
For Hakone & Mt,Fuji u go ownself or join 1 day tour?
Hi Jane, I'm not sure which 8 days you are referring to. If 8 days trip in Tokyo, I would stay at the same hotel in Ningyocho (my favorite). I didn't visit Mt. Fuji and I went to Hakone myself free and easy as day trip.
DeleteHi Iva, i'm actually travelling to osaka and back from tokyo-narita from 21-29 this March but I'm still struggling on my itinerary. Basically what i've plan is as below:
ReplyDelete21-22 Osaka
23 heading to kyoto from Osaka and back to Osaka again
24 heading to Hakone from Osaka
25-29 Tokyo
Just to seek your advice on:
-which area to stay in Osaka to convenient me in travelling to Kyoto and back?
-what kind of passes that is recommended for me to save on cost? And i found there is some passed that i need to reserve earlier online?
-what is the easiest way for me to go Hakone from Osaka?
-which area to stay in Hakone?
Hope you can help in my trip. Thanks!
Hi Evelyn, I did not plan my Japan trip as your itinerary, so I can't advise you much. You can find out more info from japan-guide.com and tripadvisor.com.
DeleteHi, if I would like to travel to Sapporo - Tokyo for 10 days, it's better for me to purchase JR Pass which can be include Shinkasen ticket from Sapporo - Tokyo and go around everywhere in Sapporo & Tokyo?
ReplyDeletesee information here - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5306.html
Delete