Japan trip - 12 Days 11 nights

沒傘的孩子要學會奔跑
Hi Sir/Madam,

Pls help advise below itenarray is doable ? what kind of pass is suitable for this trip ? Sorry I can't wrote in chinese but yours all can reply in Chinese. Thanks in advanced.

20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Morning OSU Kannon Temple, afternoon to Korankei
Night shop at Sakae
22/11 – Morning Nagoya Castle , afternoon take bus to Takayama (O/night)
23/11 – Takayama –Morning market,Old town & Hida folk village (O/N night Takayama)
24/11 – Morning Bus to Shirakawa-Go , proceed to Kanazawa O/Nite
25/11 – Kenrokuen & Higashi Chaya Dsitrict – to Toyama
26/11 – Kurobe Kyoukoku – Proceed to Osoka late evening ( O/N)
27/11 – Osaka – Kyoto (Kiyomizudera/Kinkakuji/Fushimi Inari Shrine – Osaka ( O/Ninght)
28/11 – Osaka – Segano Railway/ Arashiyama - evening Shinkansen to Hakone O/Night
29/11 – Hakone - Tokyo – Anime Industry, Akihabara, Odaiba
30/11 – Day trip to Nikko & Kamakura – O/Night Tokyo
01/12 – early morning to Tsukiji Fish market, Shibuya , 2pm proceed to Narita Airport fo 5pm flight .

Thank you.
蒝味的薇笑
Hi Sir/Madam,

Pls help advise below itenarray is doable ? what kind of pass is suitable for this trip ? Sorry I can't wrote in chinese but yours all can reply in Chinese. Thanks in advanced.

20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Morning OSU Kannon Temple, afternoon to Korankei
Night shop at Sakae
22/11 – Morning Nagoya Castle , afternoon take bus to Takayama (O/night)
23/11 – Takayama –Morning market,Old town & Hida folk village (O/N night Takayama)
24/11 – Morning Bus to Shirakawa-Go , proceed to Kanazawa O/Nite
25/11 – Kenrokuen & Higashi Chaya Dsitrict – to Toyama
26/11 – Kurobe Kyoukoku – Proceed to Osoka late evening ( O/N)
27/11 – Osaka – Kyoto (Kiyomizudera/Kinkakuji/Fushimi Inari Shrine – Osaka ( O/Ninght)
28/11 – Osaka – Segano Railway/ Arashiyama - evening Shinkansen to Hakone O/Night
29/11 – Hakone - Tokyo – Anime Industry, Akihabara, Odaiba
30/11 – Day trip to Nikko & Kamakura – O/Night Tokyo
01/12 – early morning to Tsukiji Fish market, Shibuya , 2pm proceed to Narita Airport fo 5pm flight .

Thank you.

Takayama-Hokuriku pass, buy single tickets from Osaka to Tokyo. And don't take the bus between Nagoya and Takayama, why would you pick the bus unless you've already decided on using Shoryudo?

Where are you staying in Hakone? If it's a ryokan why are you going there only in the evening?

You can either have time in Hakone and cut Akihabara&Odaiba, or just skip Hakone all together.

How can you possibly have a day trip to Nikko AND Kamakura? They're in opposite directions.
蹲廁唱國歌
26/11 – Kurobe Kyoukoku – Proceed to Osoka late evening ( O/N)
27/11 – Osaka – Kyoto (Kiyomizudera/Kinkakuji/Fushimi Inari Shrine – Osaka ( O/Ninght)
28/11 – Osaka – Segano Railway/ Arashiyama - evening Shinkansen to Hakone O/Night
29/11 – Hakone - Tokyo – Anime Industry, Akihabara, Odaiba
30/11 – Day trip to Nikko & Kamakura – O/Night Tokyo
01/12 – early morning to Tsukiji Fish market, Shibuya , 2pm proceed to Narita Airport fo 5pm flight .

I am afraid that your plan from 28/11 to 30/11 is too ambitious and over-optimistic....

1.Agree with renn that Takayama-Hokuriku pass perhaps is a better option for you from 22 to 26/11
http://touristpass.jp/en/

2.For 27-28/11, all your visiting spots are in Kyoto , why don't you stay in Kyoto in stead of Osaka to save two trips returning Osaka-Kyoto? You can still pay a short visit to Osaka, say the night of 27/11, from Kyoto as an alternative. An accommodation near Kyoto station might be a good idea.

3.Hakone, Nikko and Kamakura......I would suggest you select ONLY ONE place to visit in the last 3 days of your trip....
Hakone + Tokyo
(Hakone free pass http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/freepass/hakone/)
Nikko + Tokyo
(2 days Nikko pass http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/pass/2day_nikko_pass.html)
Kamakura + Tokyo
(Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/freepass/enoshima_kamakura/)

4. Once you've made you mind, in particular for the last part of your trip, post a revised version here. It will be more realistic for everyone to assess your plan then.
素顏淺笑
Hi Wanbear0401/renn,

Many thanks for yrs feedback & suggestion. Pls see below amended hilited in RED . Kindly give commen & really appreciated yrs kind assistance :-).

Almost 90% hotel fully book in Kyoto & very expensive. we are on budget & had to book hotel is Osaka. Kindly advise is 7 days JR pass more economical then 5 days Takayama-Hokuriku pass??

20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Morning OSU Kannon Temple, afternoon to Korankei
Night shop at Sakae
22/11 – Morning Nagoya Castle , afternoon take bus to Takayama (O/night)
23/11 – Takayama –Morning market,Old town & Hida folk village (O/N night Takayama)
24/11 – Morning Bus to Shirakawa-Go , proceed to Kanazawa O/Nite
25/11 – Kenrokuen & Higashi Chaya Dsitrict –Stay kanazawa
26/11 – Kanazawa - Kurobe Kyoukoku – Proceed to Osoka late evening ( O/N)
27/11 – Osaka – Kyoto (Kiyomizudera/Kinkakuji/Fushimi Inari Shrine – Osaka ( O/Ninght)
28/11 – Osaka – Segano Railway/ Arashiyama - evening Shinkansen to Hakone Gero O/Night
29/11 – Hakone trip - evening back to Tokyo – Anime Industry, Akihabara.
30/11 – Day trip to Nikko – O/Night Tokyo
01/12 – early morning to Tsukiji Fish market, Shibuya , 2pm proceed to Narita Airport fo 5pm flight .

Thanks again.
划船不用漿全靠浪
Please read our replies carefully, do not take the bus to Takayama, you want to use the Takayama Hokuriku pass which means taking the train from Nagoya to Takayama. This pass will also cover your trip between Kanazawa and Toyama and from Kanazawa to Oosaka.

The train is more comfortable, has non-reserved seats so it's guaranteed you can get on the train you want even if the reserves seats are sold out, as opposed to a bus being sold out leave you stranded.

There are good reasons both of us suggested it ahead of any other pass. I will strongly suggest that you should really do the math yourself, we may give advice but ultimately it is you who make the trip, prices change, rules get adjusted, you need to check and understand them yourself and understand how they can be used.

And as mentioned, you can either have a decent time in Hakone and cut everything else or give up on Hakone. You are unlikely to be able to accomplish much by the time you get back to Tokyo, check into a hotel and head back out to Akihabara.

Read up on the passes Wanbear linked.

And do not forget, 7 day JR Pass means you're locked in to JR, buying singles opens up your options. It's not a directly one to one comparison, here you need to play with some scenarios. Which again, read Wanbear's links
時光向來煞人
do the math yourself, we may give advice but ultimately it is you who make the trip, prices change, rules get adjusted, you need to check and understand them yourself and understand how they can be used.

(Y)(Y)(Y)(Y)(Y) EXACTLY
Thanks renn, for this detailed explain.

An obvious fact would be....
JR 7-day pass = 29110
Takayama-Hokuriku 5-day pass = 13500

1. JR 7-day pass does not cover Takayama-Shirakawa-go-Kanazawa bus and has no advantage in Osaka and Kyoto area. Please refer to Hankyu and Keihan railways for other options to travel between Osaka and Kyoto.

2. You may want to use it to cover your trip from Kyoto to Hakone. But again, the JR pass only allows you traveling to Odahara where the single ticket for this leg is only 11560. You need other tickets/pass to travel around Hakone (from Odahara).

3. Visiting Tokyo, Hakone and Nikko all together in three days still seems very unrealistic to me. But it's your call. Japanese transportation is too convenient to make this itinerary impossible...:-P Just think of the time you will be spending on transportation. Is it well worth all the effort you made yourself there....but only stay for very limited time?! It's your call.

Anyway, overall your itinerary sounds an exciting one. Have a good and safe trip! :-)
我以為沒了我你會慌
Hi renn/wanbear,

Am really appreciated both of u on the feedback. Thank you very much ya(])(Y)
夏了夏天藍了海
Hi Wanbear/Renn & all,

I had few query as below, need yours guys help:-

1. If i want do a day trip to Gero & Magome-Tsumago Trail, which day should i to insert for these visit?

2. If we take bus from Takayaman to Shirakawago( few hours,) then to Gokayama(few hours) then direct to Kanazawa over night , is there any coin locker or place to store our luggage at both stop??

3. As for 26/11 , we plan stay at Kanazawa & go to Kurobe Kyoukoku in the morning , is it better we overnight at Toyama instead at Kanazawa? Is it worth to visit as heard there is no more autumn leave to see on 26/11.

Sorry to trouble again as yours feedback & suggestion really help me alot.
Many thanks for yours kind assistance in advanced.
不許鬆手
Hi Wanbear/Renn & all,

I had few query as below, need yours guys help:-

1. If i want do a day trip to Gero & Magome-Tsumago Trail, which day should i to insert for these visit?

2. If we take bus from Takayaman to Shirakawago( few hours,) then to Gokayama(few hours) then direct to Kanazawa over night , is there any coin locker or place to store our luggage at both stop??

3. As for 26/11 , we plan stay at Kanazawa & go to Kurobe Kyoukoku in the morning , is it better we overnight at Toyama instead at Kanazawa? Is it worth to visit as heard there is no more autumn leave to see on 26/11.

Sorry to trouble again as yours feedback & suggestion really help me alot.
Many thanks for yours kind assistance in advanced.

1. None, you really have no room in your already crammed schedule. At best you might be able to squeeze in one of them by dropping Nagoya castle. Why are you going to Gero anyway, it's an onsen town for the most part and you're not staying a night.

2. There's no need to go to Gokayama, Shirakawa is plenty and both locations are fairly similar, Gokayama is less touristy but for a first timer and your schedule I will not consider it. It may not even be possible given the bus schedule, very few bus stop at Gokayama.

There are lockers at Shirakawa visitor center but they can run out fairly quickly, especially the large lockers.

3. All things being equal I pick Kanazawa, as a rule of thumb I put a time cost of 1 hour 30 minutes for every hotel I have to check in and out of. By Shinkansen it's only half an hour to Toyama so you gain very little by staying at Toyama. On the way to Osaka you have to transfer at Kanazawa anyway, if your hotel is close to the station you can just leave them there and pick up on the way back, or if not leave them at the station which you should get first pick of the lockers being the first ones there.

I cannot comment on whether it is worth going to Kurobe without the autumn leaves.

You really cannot squeeze in more in your schedule, I suggest that you stop looking at locations and start looking at attractions within the locations. At this stage you should be refining - working out transfer timetables, walking distances, when to break for rest, pacing, where to eat, when do shops open and close, are they closed on the day you plan to visit. You'll find there are so much to see and do at each location you'll struggle to fit them in as it is. This is the time to remove things, not add more.

If after refinement you find an open time slot, then you can look at what other things you can put in.
發糞塗牆
Dear Renn,

Yes, i re-arrange below see whether doable for the Magome-Tsumago Trail because my daughter insist want this route:-

Option 1.
20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Morning OSU Kannon Temple,Nagoya castle, afternoon to Korankei.
Night shop at Sakae
22/11 – Morning trip to Magome-Tsumago Trail , late afternoon take train to Takayama (O/night)
Is there place/locker to kept our luggage?

If no place/locker kept the luggage, maybe option 2 as below:-

20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Day trip to Magome-Tsumago Trail & night shop at Sakae .
OSU Kannon Temple,Nagoya castle, afternoon to Korankei.

22/11 – Morning to OSU Kannon Temple & Osaka Castle, late afternoon take train to Takayama (O/night).

Thank you.
總有賤人想害哀家
Dear Renn,

Yes, i re-arrange below see whether doable for the Magome-Tsumago Trail because my daughter really want this route:-

Option 1.
20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Morning OSU Kannon Temple, Nagoya castle, afternoon to Korankei.
Night shop at Sakae
22/11 – Morning trip to Magome-Tsumago Trail , late afternoon take train to Takayama (O/night). Is there any place/locker to kept our luggage at Magome or Tsumago ?

If did not have place/locker kept the luggage, whether option 2 as below see wthether doable :-

20/11 – arrived Nagoya Chubu airport 9pm – Over night at Nagoya
21/11 – Day trip to Magome-Tsumago Trail & night shop at Sakae .
22/11 – Morning to OSU Kannon Temple & Osaka Castle, late afternoon take train to Takayama (O/night).

Thank you.