Sample itinerary Tokyo, Alpine Route, Takayama, Shirakawago, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Osaka 9 days by Japan Rail Pass 7 days

Sample itineraries
Kurobe dam (C) Nagano Prefecture/JNTO

Snow Walls is very very popular on Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. (C) Tateyama Kurobe Kanto / JTOA

Northern central part of Japan offers many “Must-See” places, such as Shirakawago, Takayama, Tateyama Kurobe alpine route. How do you combine these places, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

In this post, I will show you the sample itinerary which includes these places from Tokyo to Tokyo in 10 days by 7 days JR Pass.

Day 1 Narita airport to Tokyo or Haneda airport to Tokyo

Limousine Bus at Narita Airport South Wing (C) Rsa

Limousine Bus at Narita Airport South Wing (C) Rsa

Do NOT start using JR pass until you leave Tokyo for Nagano on day 3. There are many deals available for both airport arriving passengers. Many deals includes airport access fare and subway unlimited ride pass. But most of deals are available for only arriving passengers only. Therefore you may use these deals before you start to use JR pass and you can use JR pass until you get the airport. Please see the links below to get the detailed information about the deals of airport access and Tokyo subway pass:


Narita airport access guide. Narita airport to Tokyo deal guide
This post explains you how to choose the way to Tokyo and surrounding places from Tokyo. And also you can find the available deal for the route which you take.

In this sample itinerary, I use Limousine bus one way and 24 hours subway pass deal from Narita airport at 3,400 yen.

Staying in Tokyo

Day 2 Sightseeing in Tokyo

Cinderella castle is the icon of Tokyo Disneyland.

Tokyo subway covers most part of Tokyo. You can access to most of places in Tokyo by subway.

If you do not want to choose Narita or Haneda airport access + subway pass combo deal, you may buy subway pass separately. Otherwise you can add JR local deal, “Tokyo Tokunai Pass”. But both pass covers downtown Tokyo which is basically inside Tokyo 23 wards. Some places in Tokyo is not in this area, such as Ghibli Museum, Showa Kinen Park. Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea is not in this area either. Actually this place is not in Tokyo by Chiba. Please see the link below to learn more about train network in Tokyo:

Guide to take trains in Tokyo. How to choose the best deal and the best route by the train.
There are so many train lines and subway lines in downtown Tokyo. It is hard to find the route and the coverage of many deals. This guide shows you the train system, how to find the route and how to choose the deals.

You can extend your stay in Tokyo as many as you can

You can start using JR pass after you stay in Tokyo. So you can add the day of subway pass to extend your stay in Tokyo. Especially if you want to visit Tokyo Disneyland or/and DisneySea, you spend one full day easily. You need to stay in Tokyo more than 3 nights.

You can visit outside Tokyo if you add other deals. I have several posts to show you how to visit surrounding area of Tokyo, such as Mt. Fuji (Lake Kawaguchi), Hakone, Nikko, Yokohama and Kamakura.

If you intend to have a day trip to Yokohama and/or Kamakura from Tokyo, please see the link below:

Yokohama and Kamakura access guide. Find the right deal and route from your place to stay.
Yokohama and Kamakura are very popular places to visit from Tokyo as day trip. Of course you can visit these places from other places, like Osaka and Kyoto. I will show you how to get these places and choose the deals.

If you have a plan to visit Hakone or/and Lake Kawaguchi in Mt. Fuji area, you can find more information in the links below:


Fuji Hakone one day trip sample itinerary. You can visit both Lake Kawaguchi and Hakone by day trip from Tokyo!
Both Kawaguchiko and Hakone are very popular in Mt. Fuji area. But if you have only one day, do you think you have to choose either one? Actually you can visit both in one day from Tokyo. Please find the sample itinerary in this post.

If you want to visit Nikko, please see the link below:

Nikko access guide. Three routes from Tokyo, Shinjuku and Asakusa.
This posts explains you about the access route to Nikko from Tokyo. There are several ways from some places in Tokyo. You can find the best route for you in this post.

Staying in Tokyo

Day 3 Tokyo to Kanazawa via Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (Day 1 by JR pass 7 days)

Kurobe dam is one of the highlight on Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. (C) Nagano Prefecture/JNTO

On this day, you start using 7 days JR pass. But you need to add Tateyama Kurobe option ticket at 9,000 yen for Nagano to Toyama via Alpine route. The trips of Tokyo to Nagano and Toyama to Kanazawa by Hokuriku Shinkansen are covered by JR Pass.

Sample itinerary
Tokyo 06:26 (Hokuriku Shinkansen Hakutaka 551) 08:06 Nagano
Nagano 08:15 (Alpico express bus) 10:00 Ogizawa
Ogizawa 10:30 (Trolley bus) 10:46 Kurobe Dam
*Walking on Kurobe Dam to Kurobeko for 20 minutes
Kurobeko 11:10 (Cablecar) 11:15 Kurobedaira
Kurobedaira 11:30 (Ropeway) 11:37 Daikabo
Daikanbo 11:45 (Trolley bus) 11:55 Murodo
*Mikurigaike one hour walk and lunch time at Murodo
Murodo 14:20 (Bus) 14:35 Midagahara
*Short walk to Midagahara loop trail or Tateyama caldera view point (one hour)
Midagahara 15:55 (Bus) 16:30 Bijodaira
Bijodaira 16:40 (Cablecar) 16:47 Tateyama
Tateyama 17:24 (Toyama Chiho Railway local train) 18:28 Dentetsu Toyama
Toyama 18:35 (Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki 511) 18:54 Kanazawa

This above sample schedule is based on 2017 summer season timetable. Please check most updated timetable in the link below:

Hokuriku Shinkansen timetable (JR East official site)
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route timetable (Official site)

You may find the timetable in Hyperdia too. Please see the link below to learn how to use this site:

Hyperdia perfect guide, train timetable and route search engine
If you want to build your itinerary by yourself, Hyperdia will help you a lot. This site is transportation search engine. You can search the timetables and routes of all trains, flights and airport shuttle bus. But this site is a bit tricky and too many functions and options to you. This guide will help you to find the way to use this site.

I include two short hikes in the sample at Murodo and Midagahra. There are many more trails available. But these are pretty easy and suitable for all ages. Please see the link below to find more information about trails:

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Highlights

In this sample, luggage may be issue. Luggage delivery service is available from Nagano to Toyama. But you need to change trains and bus at Nagano and Toyama in minimum connection time. I recommend you to ship your luggage from Tokyo to your hotel in Kanazawa directly. Your hotel in Tokyo may be able to handle it. Even if your hotel do not handle it, you can find luggage delivery service at Tokyo station and Shinjuku station. Please see the link below:

Staying in Kanazawa

Day 4 Trip to Takayama via Shirakawago (Day 2 by JR pass 7 days)

Very popular scene of Shirakawago from Tenshukaku view point

Enjoy sightseeing in Kanazawa until lunch time. After lunch in Kanazawa, leave for Takayama with sightseeing in Shirakawago on the way. The bus in Kanazawa city and to Shirakawago/Takayama are not covered by JR pass. You may add Hokutetsu bus one day pass for sightseeing in Kanazawa. It is sold at 500 yen. The one ride fare is 200 yen in Kanazawa city. You can get the worth by only three rides.

Sample itinerary
Kanazawa station 08:30 (Hokutetsu bus / using bus pass) 08:45 Kenrokuen
Sightseeing in Kanazawa castle and Kenrokuen garden

Kenrokuen 10:45 (Hokutetsu bus / using bus pass) 10:55 Musashigatsuji-Oumichoichiba
Sightseeing and lunch time at Oumicho market

Musashigatsuji-Oumichoichiba 12:30 (Hokutetsu bus / using bus pass) 12:40 Kanazawa station
Pick up your luggage before leaving from Kanazawa.

Kanazawa 13:10 (Nohi Bus / 1,850 yen extra) 14:25 Shirakawago
Sightseeing in Shirakawago village

Shirakawago 17:20 (Nohi Bus / 2,470 yen extra) 18:10 Takayama

This above sample schedule is based on 2017 summer season timetable. Please check most updated timetable in the link below:

Nohi Bus timetable

You will also find the information about reservation in this link above. Advanced reservation is required from Kanazawa to Shirakawago. Please keep it in your mind.

I visited Shirakawago in 2016 winter. Please see the link below to find my trip report.

Trip to Tohoku, Chubu and Chugoku in 2016 winter – Part 6, Takaoka to Shirakawago via Himi line, Johana line and Shirakawago
This post is continued from Trip to Tohoku, Chubu and Chugoku in 2016 winter – Part 5, Matsumoto to Takaoka via Toya...

Day 5 Takayama to Kyoto (Day 3 by JR pass 7 days)

Preserved path in Takayama. It is very popular tourist district in Takayama.

Enjoy sightseeing in Takayama. You can visit morning market and preserved street.

You can take Limited Express Wide View Hida from Takayama. If you want the direct train to Kyoto, you can take the following train.

Sample itinerary
Takayama 15:35 (Wide View Hida 16) 19:17 Kyoto

This is only direct train to Kyoto from Takayama. If you want to leave Takayama earlier or later, you can choose other train. Wide View Hida departs from Takayama almost once an hour. You can take this train to Nagoya and change Shinkansen to Kyoto. The last train connection is the following schedule:

Sample itinerary
Takayama 18:46 (Wide View Hida 20) 21:02 Nagoya 21:09 (Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari 529) 22:01 Kyoto

You have only 7 minutes to change trains but it is not impossible. Please see the guide on Nagoya station in the link below:

Nagoya station guide. How to transfer among Shinkansen, Kintetsu, Meitetsu, subway and JR local trains.
Nagoya station is one of the largest stations in Japan. There are JR lines, Shinkansen, Kintetsu, Meitetsu and subway lines. You can find lots of information about Nagoya station. You also can find how to change the trains in Nagoya station in this post.

I recommend you to stay near Kyoto station. It’s most convenient location in Kyoto. Most of places in Kyoto can be accessed directly by bus or train from Kyoto station.

Staying in Kyoto

Day 6 Kyoto (Day 4 by JR pass 7 days)

Torii gates in Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto

Torii gates in Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto

You can visit Arashiyama, Nijo, Fushimi Inari shrine and Uji by JR pass. But you need to pay extra fare or buy day pass to get other places, such as Gion by bus and subway. Please see the links below to find the detailed information in the following links:


How to choose the best train and bus pass for sightseeing in Kyoto
There are lots of deals available in Kyoto. This post will show you most of deals in Kyoto and you can find which deals you should choose.

I show you one day sample itinerary in Kyoto. This includes most of big names in Kyoto, such as Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion.

Sample itinerary
Kyoto 08:48 (local train) 09:03 Sagaarashiyama

Sagaarashiyama station is located in Arashiyama. It is not located in the center of Arashiyama but you can walk to most of places in Arashiyama. You have 4 hours for sightseeing and lunch in Arahsiyama.

Sagaarashiyama 13:08 (local) 13:24 Kyoto 13:37 (local) 13:42 Inari
After Arashiyama, proceed to Fushimi Inari shrine. Inari station is located just in front of Fushimi Inari shrine.

Fushimiinari 15:08 (Keihan Railway / 210 yen extra) 15:14 Kiyomizu-Gojo (Walk 1.7 km / 20 minutes) Kiyomizu-dera temple
Even if you take a bus from Kiyomizu-Gojo station, you need to walk about 1 km. There is no buses to get Kiyomizu-dera directly. If you do not walk or travel with senior, do not hesitate to take a taxi. It costs less than 1,000 yen.

Kiyomizu-dera temple (walk about 2km) Gion
There are sightseeing spots, like Sanneizaka, Ninenzaka, Yasaka no Tou (pagoda) between Kiyomizu-dera and Gion. I highly recommend you to walk to Gion.

In my estimation, you stay in Kiyomizu-dera about 1 hour (15:45 to 16:45) and spend 2 hours from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion. If you want to visit more temples from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion, I recommend you to shorten the time in Arashiyama or start your trip earlier. Some of temples are closed by 17:00. You should leave Arashiyama by 12:00 and make one extra hour after Kiyomizu-dera.

Gion (city bus 15 to 20 minutes ride / 230 yen extra) Kyoto

If you want to move to Osaka, you can move there on this day. It takes 30 minutes by Special Rapid train. If you stay in Shin-Osaka, you can take Shinkansen in 10 minutes from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka.

You can stay in Osaka only and can make day trip to Kyoto from Osaka. It is totally up to you.

Staying in Kyoto

Day 7 Kyoto to Osaka (Day 5 by JR pass 7 days)

Dotonbori(道頓堀) is most popular spot in downtown Osaka.

Dotonbori(道頓堀) is most popular spot in downtown Osaka.

Leave from Kyoto in early morning for Osaka and enjoy full day sightseeing there. I recommend you to stay near Shin-Osaka station. You can get there from Kyoto station directly. You can drop off your luggage there and start sightseeing.

Sample itinerary

Kyoto 08:00 (Shinkansen Hikari 493) 08:14 Shin-Osaka

You can take an ordinary trains but it is morning peak hour. Though it is such a short ride, you can avoid taking busy train by Shinkansen ride.

You may drop off your baggage at your hotel in Shin-Osaka.

If you do my sample itinerary below, please purchase Osaka Kaiyu ticket (2,550 yen) at subway Shin-Osaka station before starting trip. This deal includes admission for Kaiyukan aquarium and 1 day subway unlimited ride. JR Pass does not cover subway ride. You should have this deal.
Osaka Kaiyu Ticket

Shin-Osaka 09:25 (Osaka Subway Midousuji line) 09:36 Hommachi 09:42 (Osaka Subway Chuo line) 09:53 Osakako (walk 10 minutes) Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium
Enjoy Aquarium and eat lunch at Tenpozan Market Place.
*Leave your baggage at your hotel before you leave for Tokyo.

Osakako 13:26 (Osaka Subway Chuo line) 13:41 Tanimachiyonchome
Tanimachiyonchome station is located beside Osaka Castle Park. But this park is quite big. You have to walk around 20 minutes to get the castle.

Osaka Business Park 15:41 (Osaka Subway Nagano/Tsurumiryokuchi line) 15:51 Shinsaibashi
Osaka Business Park station is also located beside Osaka castle park. You can get Shinsaibashi directly. After arrival at Shisaibashi, enjoy eating and shopping in Dotonbori and Namba.

19:40 (Osaka Subway Midousuji line) 19:53 Shin-Osaka

Subway runs very frequently until midnight.

Staying in Shin-Osaka

Day 8 Day trip to Kobe and Himeji, and Osaka to Tokyo (Day 6 by JR pass 7 days)

There are lots of castles in Japan. But Himeji castle is one of four existing original catle buildings. (C) JNTO

I include day trip to Himeji and Kobe before move to Tokyo. However you can stay in Osaka and visit more places. You may visit Nara instead of Kobe and Himeji. Shinkansen “Hikari” runs almost every 30 minutes. The train in the sample itinerary below is the last Hikari to Tokyo. You can skip Osaka, Nara, Himeji and/or Kobe and take earlier train to get Tokyo earlier. It is totally up to you.

Sample itinerary
Leave your baggage at your hotel in Shin-Osaka.

Shin-Osaka 08:04 (Sakura 547) 08:34 Himeji

Visit World Heritage Site, Himeji Castle. You can walk to get the castle from Himeji station. Please see the link below:

Himeji station guide. How to get Himeji castle from the station
Himeji station is the gateway to Himeji castle. There are two stations in Himeji. Those are JR Himeji station and Sanyo-Himeji station. And this station is also the transfer point of the Sanyo Shinkansen and the conventional railway lines. This post shows you the structure of these stations and access to Himeji castle from the station.

Himeji 11:57 (Special Rapid Service) 12:33 Kobe

Special Rapid Service is a sort of commute train. But it is better and faster way to get Kobe from Himeji than Shinkansen. Because Shinkansen station in Kobe is Shin-Kobe which is not located in downtown Kobe. And also Special Rapid Service runs every 15 minutes in daytime. It is very frequent and convenient train service.

JR Special Rapid Service, most useful train among Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Himeji.
JR Special Rapid runs between Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Himeji. Some trips runs to Banshu Ako, Kamigori and Tsuruga. This is most convenient and very fast train. This post shows you the information with some images of Special Rapid train.

You may have a lunch time at Kobe waterfront area. After that, continue sightseeing in Kobe. Many of places in Kobe can be accessed on foot from Kobe station and Sannomiya station. Please see the link below to find more information about Kobe.

Guide to take trains in Kobe. How to choose the best route by train to get the major spots?
Kobe is one of popular places in Kansai region. This post explains you about the transportation in Kobe and access to Kobe.

Sannomiya (Kobe) 19:07 (Special Rapid Service) 19:34 Shin-Osaka

You can take Special Rapid Service at Kobe or Sannomiya to Shin-Osaka. Pick up your baggage before you go to Tokyo.

Shin-Osaka 20:37 (Hikari 538) 23:36 Tokyo

As I mentioned above, this Shinkansen train, “Hikari 538” is the last train to Tokyo by JR pass. Please see the links below to find Shinkansen timetable. You may find the timetable to Himeji too.

Shinkansen timetable (Westbound / to Himeji)
Shinkansen timetable (Eastbound / to Tokyo)

Staying in Tokyo

Day 9 Tokyo to Narita (Day 7 by JR pass 7 days)

You can take Narita Express to get Tokyo by JR Pass.

Cost breakdown

Limousine bus (from Narita airport) and 24 hours Tokyo Subway Pass deal – 3,400 yen
JR Pass (Japan Rail Pass) 7 days – 29,110 yen
Tateyama Kurobe Option Ticket – 9,000 yen
Hokutetsu bus one day pass (Kanazawa city bus pass) – 500 yen
Nohi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawago – 1,850 yen
Nohi bus from Shirakawago to Takayama – 2,470 yen
Keihan railway from Fushimi-Inari to Kiyomizu-Gojo – 210 yen
Kyoto city bus from Gion to Kyoto station – 230 yen
Osaka Kaiyu Ticket – 2,550 yen
Total 49,310 yen

By the way, JR Pass 7 days covers the following trips.
Tokyo to Nagano one way trip by Hokuriku Shinkansen – 7,990 yen
Toyama to Kanazawa one way trip by Hokuriku Shinkansen – 3,330 yen
Takayama to Kyoto via Nagoya one way trip by Limited Express Wide View Hida and Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari – 9,960 yen
Kyoto to Shin-Osaka one way trip by Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari – 2,810 yen
Osaka to Himeji one way trip by Shinkansen – 3,740 yen
Himeji to Kobe one way trip by Special Rapid – 970 yen
Sannomiya to Shin-Osaka one way trip by Special Rapid – 410 yen
Shin-Osaka to Tokyo by Tokaido Shinkasnen Hikari – 14,140 yen
Tokyo to Narita airport by Narita Express – 3,020 yen

It costs 46,100 yen if you do not use JR pass. JR Pass 7 days is 29,100 yen. You can save more than 17,000 yen. The last ride of Narita Express is 3,020 yen. Even if you do not use JR pass for this ride, you still can get a big saving. If you want to spend one more day in Osaka, Kyoto, Takayama or Kanazawa, it will work. In this case, you can purchase Limousine bus and subway pass round trip deal.

This is just a sample itinerary. You can arrange or make some changes, whichever you like. I hope this sample itinerary will give you some thoughts to build your trip plan.

Comments

  1. Kat says:

    Hi Takeshi,

    Please advise the mode of transportation for our route.
    DAY 1 Arrive Narita at 3pm
    DAY 2 Tokyo – Kawaguchiko
    DAY 3 Kawaguchiko – Takayama – Shirakawago-Kanazawa
    DAY 4 Kanazawa – Kyoto
    DAY 5 Kyoto
    DAY 6 Kyoto – Osaka
    DAY 7 Osaka
    DAY 8 Osaka – Tokyo
    DAY 9 Tokyo
    DAY 10 Flight departs Narita at 5pm

    Note – Is plan for day 3 too long? How should I break it down?

    Thank you,
    Kat

  2. JR says:

    Hello Takeshi-san,

    I just discovered your site and it offers such a wealth of knowledge!

    I being not too familiar with Japan’s various types of railways and passes, it does overwhelm a little. I hope you can help me out.

    My wife and I are planning a 9-day trip to Japan entering Narita on Jan 22 and leaving KIX Jan 31. I would like to ask:

    1) Is the Alpine route (and its tourist spots) open on these dates?

    2) I am thinking to add a day trip to Nikko at the start of this journey, since we don’t have to travel back to Tokyo at the end of the trip. Do you think it’s still workable using a 7-day JR Pass?

    3) I was actually considering your other itinerary that included Hokkaido (Sapporo and Hakodate) and but our trip days will miss out on Sapporo Winter Festival. Do you think it’s still worth it to travel all the way to Hokkaido without the festival?

    4) If we do decide on adding Hokkaido, do you think it’s worth it to get the 14 day pass so we can stay extra day in some of the cities along the way, like Sapporo, etc?

    Looking forward to your comments and suggestions.

    Thank you.

    Regards,
    JR

    • Hi JR san,

      1. Unfortunately not. It’s open from mid Apr to Nov.

      2. Day trip to Nikko is a good idea. But if you use JR pass for one way from Tokyo to Osaka and day trip to Nikko, it may not be enough to get the worth. It’s almost same as total fares in regular ticket. Please don’t expect to get the big saving by JR pass.

      3. Yes. Especially Hakodate is so beautiful. It’s my most favorite city in Japan for all season.

      4. 14 days pass will work. But you may be able to use only 7 days pass. You don’t need to have a pass when you are in Tokyo and Osaka. You can use a local deal, such as subway pass. You may use 7 days pass from Tokyo to Hokkaido, Hokkaido to Osaka.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • JR says:

        Hi Takeshi-san,

        Thank you for the quick and detailed reply.

        I have worked on my itinerary below and kindly give your comments/suggestions:

        23 Jan, 18 (Tue)
        Tokyo

        24 Jan, 18 (Wed)
        Nikko (day trip)
        ** Day 1 of 7-day JR Pass

        25 Jan, 18 (Thu)
        Tokyo – Lake Toya/Noboribetsu
        ** Besides the difference in train times on the next day, can you tell me what are the pros and cons of Lake Toya vs Noboribetsu for us as tourists?

        26 Jan, 18 (Fri)
        Lake Toya/Noboribetsu – Otaru – Sapporo

        27 Jan, 18 (Sat)
        Sapporo – Hakodate

        28 Jan, 18 (Sun)
        Hakodate – Kanazawa

        29 Jan, 18 (Mon)
        Shirakawago (day trip), return Kanazawa – Osaka
        ** Would we have a few hours to go around Kanazawa if we take early bus to Shirakawago and latest train to Osaka?
        ** Another option is to stay the night in Kanazawa and take the first train to Osaka next day. Is there anything interesting we can do late afternoon to night time in Kanazawa?

        30 Jan, 18 (Tue)
        Himeji and Nara/Kobe (day trip)
        ** No Kyoto because we have been there 2 times before already
        ** Day 7 of 7-day JR Pass

        31 Jan, 18 (Wed)
        Osaka

        Thanks again in advance for your help!

        Regards,
        JR

  3. Eugenea Agnes says:

    Hello Takeshi San,

    Im Agnes, I’m planning a trip next year during sakura season 🙂 and will arrive via Osaka. My friend and i thinking about exploring Osaka – Okayama – Takayama – Nagoya – Yokohama then head back to Osaka in just 10 days time, will that be enough time for us? and are the route is the best in order for us to achieve exploring those part of area in Japan… Your input will be greatly appreciated 🙂

  4. Hendrix says:

    Dear Takeshi-san, First of all, thank you for putting so much effort creating a very useful website!

    I’d very appreciate if you can comment the following itinerary (24 Nov – 2 Dec). We plan to use 7-day JR pass from 25 Nov-1 Dec
    24 Nov: arrived at KIX, stay in Osaka
    25 Nov: Shinkansen to Kyoto. Kiyomizudera, Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, Kyoto Tower. Shinkansen to Tokyo
    26 Nov: Asakusa, Skytree, Shibuya, Shinjuku
    27 Nov: Tokyo to Sapporo
    28 Nov: Sapporo: Moerenuma Park, Historic Village, Odori Park
    29 Nov: Sapporo to Kanazawa (Shinkansen)
    30 Nov: Shirakawago , Gokayama (stay in farmhouse)
    1 Dec: Kanazawa-Hiroshima-Himeji-Osaka
    2 Dec: Depart from KIX

    Thank you in advanced!

  5. Angie says:

    Dear Takeshi-san

    We are coming to Japan for the first time, spending 12D in mid dec. There will be four of us including 2 school going children.
    We are arriving/ departing from tokyo.
    May i ask how do we travel to Takayama without the Alphine route, and is below a good travel flow:

    Tokyo
    Kyoto/ Osaka
    Takayama
    Shirakawago
    Tokyo (disneyland)

    Our primary focus are going to disneyland/ sea, onsens visits (maybe those outdoor types with views) and playing in the snow for the kids, with 7days JR pass is it doable?

    we are open to changes (eg; takayama and shirakawa go) to somewhere else, so long we could minimize multiple transfers as our main concern are lugging luggages while taking the public transport

    Appreciate your advice on this and thank you for your time

    cheers,
    Angie

  6. Maryam says:

    Hi Takeshi!

    I love how your website has been super helpful each time I travel to Japan!

    This time round I will be going Osaka -> Nara and Kobe (day trip) -> Hiroshima and Miyajima (day trip as per your guide) -> Osaka -> Hakone -> Kyoto -> Back home

    Will the JR pass be fully used? Is there a better way to plan this places?

    Thank you!

  7. Lee says:

    Hello Takeshi,

    This is Lee here from Malaysia. I’ve used your site (and advice) 2 years ago when I planned my trip to Japan and it had been very helpful. Now, I’m planning to visit Japan again (end of Oct) but I need some advice on my itinerary and also how much time I should spend on each place.

    This time I’m planning for a 3-week visit starting at Nagoya. Basically, my itinerary goes something like this:

    Nagoya → Takayama → Shirakawa → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Osaka

    My questions…

    1) With my itinerary, is it still possible to see the Alpine Route? If yes, where should I stop or overnight?

    2) Based on my itinerary, are there any other places you think I should visit? I still haven’t decided where should I end my trip yet. (I’ve been to Japan 2 times but only visited the popular areas — Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura Hakone, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, and Osaka)

    3) Is it recommended for me to buy a pass? I’ll stay at each place a few nights before moving to the next one.

    That’s all. Looking forward to hearing from you.

  8. Cindy says:

    Hi Takeshi san,
    I will visiting tokyo,mount fuji, osaka, kyoto. If I use Jr pass , is it still need to buy tokyo wide pass? Does jr pass cover to disney sea?

    Thanks in advance

  9. Jasmine Lee says:

    Hi Takeshi San,

    I plan to visit Tokyo, Fujisan, Lake Kawaguchi, Hakone, and Shirakawa go in ten days in May to see Shibazakura.. how should i plan the route? do u think i need to buy JR pass?
    Tq

  10. Rangga desu ka says:

    hi Takeshi kun, i am in tokyo for international assignment on short period of time. i am planning to go to the following places:

    shirakawa go, tateyama kurobe, kanazawa, and Kobe.

    can you please advise, the suitable itinerary for the places starts from and ended in Tokyo? maximum 7days ,i am thinking to buy the Hokuriku Arch Pass to covers for the shinkansen and most of the trains and buses. however i know that special bus and rapid train is not covered by this pass and willing to spend more for that.

    • Hi Rangga san,

      Actually JR Pass is better choice because after visiting Kobe, you can go back to Tokyo directly by Shinkansen. But you are in Tokyo and you cannot buy it there. So Hokuriku arch pass is your choice. You need to take the route via Kanazawa on the way back to Tokyo too.

      Basically you need to add the following deals and tickets.

      Tateyama Kurobe option ticket for alpine route
      http://www.jrtateyama.com/e/
      You can purchase this when you buy Hokuriku arch pass.

      Nohi bus to Shirakawago (Advanced reservation required)
      https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/shirakawago.pdf

      Subway and/or city bus in Kobe
      https://jprail.com/destinations/kansai-area/osaka-kyoto-kobe-and-nara/guide-to-take-trains-in-kobe-how-to-choose-the-best-route-by-train-to-get-the-major-spots.html

      You can do Alpine route if you want on the day of leaving from Tokyo and get Kanazawa. And you can visit Shirakawago from Kanazawa. After that, you can visit Kobe and go back to Tokyo via Kanazawa. You can cover these places in 7 days pretty easily.

      By the way, though I don’t mind, I suggest you not to use “kun” after the name. “San” is better in most of case.
      https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-use-san-kun-chan-4058115
      I really don’t mind it but I just want to let you know it.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Rangga desu ka says:

        Dear Takeshi san

        thank you for the reply. indeed i will plan the trip carefully, i am not allowed to buy the JR pass thus the only option to purchase is Hokuriku arch pass.

        i apologize, if i have offended you in anyway. noted on your comment and thank you very much to give response to my question.

        one last question, is that possible to have the trip less than 7 days, say 5 days?

        • Hi Rangga san,

          Don’t worry about it. I just want to let you know it. Japanese is very complicated.

          I think you can do it in 5 days.
          1. Tokyo-Nagano-(Alpine route)-Toyama-Kanazawa
          2. Kanazawa-Shirakawago-Kanazawa
          3. Kanazawa (am)-Kobe
          4. Kobe
          5. Kobe-(via Kanazawa)-Tokyo

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

          • Rangga desu ka says:

            Hi Takeshi-san

            i have bad news, turns out i cannot buy hokuriku pass and probably the alpine route as i have working visa. the guy from JR east centre at tokyo station, i may have to take shinkansen directly to toyama and go by tour bus for alpine route and normal bus within area of kanazawa shirakawa go. afther that from kanazawa to nagoya using express train, and from nagoya to kobe using shinkansen. my estimation for shinkansen and express train will likely around 22.000 yen. and another shinkansen trip from kobe to tokyo around 15000 yen. do you have a better plan with cheaper price?

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