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Japan itinerary and help with transportation 2015/3/15 07:42
Hello,
I will be visiting Japan from June 8 until June 23. I am a 22yo female and this is going to be my first time in Japan. I have already booked all of my flights and hostel reservations accordingly, but I was wondering if you could assist me with the best options for transportation based on my itinerary:
Day 1-5: Tokyo
In order of activities, I would like to visit Sensoji Temple, Shibuya and or possibly Harajuku. I plan on taking a day trip to Kamakura and visiting the Sky Tree in the evening. On the third day I would like to visit the Ghibli Museum and then spend more time exploring Tokyo, while on the fourth day I will most likely take a day trip to Nikko. On the last day I would like to visit Yokohama, ride the ferris wheel, and then take an evening/night train to Hakone.
Day 6: spend all day in Hakone. I was considering getting the free pass but I am not sure where to purchase this. I definitely want to visit the Open Air Museum and take the ropeway to get a view of Mt. Fuji. I am also planning to visit and onsen.
Day 7: Leave Hakone and arrive in Kyoto
Days 8-11: explore Kyoto. Most likely take a day trip to Nara and Mt. Koya on days 10 and 11.
Days 12-13: Explore Hiroshima. I would like to visit Okunoshima the bunny island as well as the war memorial.
Days 14-15: Osaka; simply explore the city, possibly Namba and most likely visit the aquarium
Day 16: Flight to Seoul at noon

I really enjoy the outdoors and temple scenes. I love walking around on foot because it lets me absorb as much of my surroundings as possible. I wanted to fit Sendai and Mt. Zao into my itinerary but could not find room after booking all of my accommodations, unfortunately :(. I am hoping I will get a lot of green and mountainous scenes near Kyoto.
I definitely want to spend most of my time exploring the places I have listed in my itinerary. Besides what I have specifically listed I do not have much else in mind, but I'm not entirely sure what the best or most affordable options for transportation will be. Is the JR pass worth it in my case? Should I opt for the 7-day or 14-day pass? How much do you recommend I save for local transport like buses and taxis?
Since I have already booked and paid all of my flights and accommodations for the trip, I only have food, local transportation and leisure to worry about. I am considering saving $2500 altogether. Is this enough? If you have any tips that will help me spend much less, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!
by omegatrees  

Re: Japan itinerary and help with transportation 2015/3/15 14:31
For Hakone: you "could" travel in the early morning of day 6, considering that the train ride to Hakone from Tokyo is not that long (there is no "night train"), and that restaurants in Hakone close quite early.

Hakone Free Pass? You could purchase one at Shinjuku Odakyu station (right connected to JR Shinjuku station), if you want to take Odakyu Railway from Shinjuku. If you get JR Pass, you can take the JR Shinkansen to Odawara, and buy the "within Hakone only" version of Hakone Free Pass at Odawara.

The guideline for JR Passes is that if you make a return trip between Tokyo & Osaka/Kyoto within a 7-day period, a 7-day JR Pass makes sense.
If you are making a return trip Tokyo - Osaka/Kyoto - Hiroshima back to Tokyo within a 14-day period, then a 14-day JR Pass makes sense.

In your case, you are doing Tokyo - Kyoto/Osaka - Hiroshima - Osaka, I assume?
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Re: Japan itinerary and help with transportation 2015/3/15 14:41
Hello and thanks for your response!
Yes my plan is Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka
I looked at the JR Pass prices and I think purchasing a 14-day pass may be the most feasible option as the individual costs and a 7-day pass combined are costing me around $670. Since my entire trip is around 16 days I could potentially activate it my 2nd or 3rd day in Tokyo.... The 14-day pass is $379..much cheaper..Do you agree that this is the best option? How much would you recommend saving for leisure/food/attractions such as temple visits or museums? I have about $350 budgeted for food and $250 for leisure and extra fees. Would this be sufficient?
Thank you for your input!
by omegatrees rate this post as useful

Re: Japan itinerary and help with transportation 2015/3/15 14:55
If you want a JR Pass, yes, probably using it that way would make best sense.

During your stay in/around Tokyo, the only location you might use Shinkansen is Nikko (there is an alternative, though). So if you get a 14-day JR Pass, be sure that you activate it so that your Nikko trip will be covered. Certainly you can take local/rapid JR trains to Yokohama and to Kamakura, so those can be covered, but those are only commuting distances :)

About your days in Tokyo, Kamakura and Sky Tree are on the opposite sides of Tokyo. You could combine Kamakura (if you like walking, it will be a very enjoyable walk around town) and Yokohama into a day. Sensoji Temple and Sky Tree are in the similar direction.
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