Hey guys, next week we will fly to Tokyo and I didn’t get to plan everything yet… I would really appreciate some help on choosing trains, passes etc. and which to book in advance 🙂 Our itinerary looks like this:
• 19.9. (evening) arrive at our hotel in Shinokubo, Tokyo (we are 4 persons and booked a taxi)
• 20.9.-21.9. / 23.9. explore Tokyo (mostly the western half, we will walk very much and sometimes take a train, visit team Labs Planets etc.) -> I guess using the Suica Card will be the best option?
• 22.9. day trip to Hakone -> we could walk to / from Shinjuku in the morning / evening and will do the Hakone Loop, so the Hakone Free Pass is probably the best option
• 24.9. (morning) leave our hotel in Tokyo, Shinokubo, and go to Nikko (hotel near Nikko Station) until 25.9. (evening) -> on this one, I am a little bit lost since there are so many options… we want to do some sightseeing in central Nikko on the first day. On the second day, we will probably visit the waterfalls and then do some hiking until afternoon or early evening. Which trains / tickets would you recommend here? For our return trip, we could go to Asakusa since we will stay in a different hotel then on our first stay in Tokyo….
• 25.9. (evening) – 29.9. (evening) Tokyo, hotel in Ueno
• 26.9. / 28.9.-29.9. explore Tokyo, this time the eastern part, again much walking -> Suica Card if we need to catch a train sometimes?
• 27.9. Kamakura -> again, I am unsure if a pass is worth it’s money? Not sure if the Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass or another regional pass (in combination with the trip to Nikko and / our the following journey to Himeji) would be the best.
• 29.9. (evening) – 30.9. Himeji
• 30.9. Himeji / Koko-En
• 30.9. (evening) – 1.10. Hiroshima
• 1.10. (midday) – 2.10. Miyajima / take ferry back to Hiroshima
• 2.10. – 3.10. Hashimoto (arrive late in the evening as a short stop before Koyasan)
• 3.10. – 4.10. Koyasan -> Train to Kudoyama Station, hike the Choishi Michi
• 4.10. some sightseeing / walking around in Koyasan, probably take the train at Gokurakubashi station in the late afternoon or early evening
• 4.10. (late evening) arrive at Kyoto
• 5.10.-8.10. explore Kyoto, much walking, maybe using rental bikes 8.10. (probably afternoon) arrive at Osaka
• 9.10. day trip to Nara
• 10.10. explore Osaka
• 11.10. departure from Osaka KIX
My main questions are:
• which train should we take to / from Nikko?
• which regional train passes are worth it for our journey? I guess the Japanese Rail Pass wouldn’t make any sense…?
• are there trains we should book / reserve as fast as possible?
Thank you all so much in advance 🙏
by SoilBasic1965