Can share your tips? I am planning to travel to Koyasan/Osaka/Kyoto/Takayama/Kanazawa in November for 10 days and my budget is to spend less than RM5K per person.

This is my first time doing a self planning overseas trip and I am still figuring and trying to understand their complicated transportation system.

jus download the railway/subway/monorail maps
then use hyperdia to confirm

easiest... use google maps "directions" and bookmarks it
google maps have train real timing, they even hv delay train time... and price

This post has been edited by lucaswjk: Apr 20 2015, 07:26 PM

Be back this friday.

You working there ah?

Seriously Please used PM.
You are posting non related topic thing plus this is seriously wasting the thread posting space.
Please be co - operation

10 days for going these place will be wasting of money. Recommend Minimum 14 - 16 days.
If only 10 days then just focus on Koyasan + Osaka + Kobe + Kyoto + Nara

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Apr 20 2015, 08:45 PM

I am actually doing this within 16 days... LOL
of course Osaka and Matsumoto is just a stopover...
I would have started off from Nagoya if not because AirAsia suspended that route!

my trip is separated into Part 1 and Part 2 because there will be two different group of friends coming to join me



This post has been edited by limchee: Apr 20 2015, 10:07 PM

Why wasting of money?? To visit all the above city in ten days is possible, Koyasan 2D1N, Kyoto 3N, Osaka 2N, Takayama 1N and Kanazawa 1N. And we will just selectively visit the spot that we like. My neighbor did that in 8 days.

Of course we would want to spend more days if time is permitted. It's hard to take long holidays due to works commitment.

This post has been edited by jefferenelee: Apr 20 2015, 10:38 PM

Kyoto 3N + Osaka 2N not even can cover the City 30% Potential. With my standard.
Takayama + Kanazawa minus the traveling time...You only can cover 15% of the area potential, my standard.

I dunno who high was your standard as Sightseeing. I as the Master of this thread. We take one example, If you just spent one night in Takayama minus the traveling time, The time you left can sightseeing only 15% from what I know about Takayama than you.

Every time I read people schedule. I will do the statistic about how many % you as cover as that area. If you can cover 30-50% mostly I will say Go ahead // I will help you adding more up to 55 - 60%

If you take my advise just focus Koyasan + Osaka + Kyoto in 10 days...you can spent more time in City, discover it even more. Seriously you can ask anyone here, 3 Night in Kyoto enough or not?

This post has been edited by RegentCid: Apr 20 2015, 11:31 PM

Our AAX flight was cheap, about RM750 (return). Initially to Nagoya, but flight canceled and re-route to Osaka. Stay at Umeda, booked from Airbnb, less than RM700 for a week for 7 person in a small apartment.

Here is our itinerary.
Day #01 - reached Kansai Airport on 8.00am. Travel to Umeda via train. Reach apartment around 11.00am. Took lunch and rest a while and visited Osaka castle at evening.
Damages - Trains (1500 yen) + meal (2500 yen) + Osaka castle (800 yen) + 7-11 (1500 yen)

Day #02 - spent whole day at Koromon Market, Dontoburi, Shinsaibashi.
Damages - Trains (850 yen) + meal - cant resist to try some seafood at Koromon market and Toroyaki at Dontoburi (6500 yen)

Day #03 - spent whole day visited Nara, went to Nara Park, Dontaiji and some shrines at Nara. Went back Dontoburi to eat Ichiran Ramen
Damages - Trains (1600 yen) + meal (3500 yen) + ticket and deer food (1500 yen)

Day #04 - spent whole day visited Kyoto, only manage to visited 3 shrines, Kinkaijuji, Ginkaijuji and Kiyomizu Temple.
Damages - Trains + bus (1650 + 500 yen) + meal (4000 yen) + ticket (2500 yen)

Day #05 - spent half day visited Kobe, visited a snow ski specialist shop and went back shinsaibashi do some shopping and Ichiran Ramen again. Must go to GU clothes - cheap version of Uniqlo, bargain price, good quality.
Damages - Trains (1800 yen) + meal (3500 yen) + shopping (5000 yen)

Day #06 - spent whole day at Universal Studio Japan, although heavy rain but still a lot of people. Wait 2 hours queue at Harry Porter.
Damages - Trains (650 yen) + Ticket (7200 yen) + meal (4000 yen)

Day #07 - spent whole day do final shopping at shinsaibashi.
Damages - Trains (400 yen) + meal (3500 yen) + shopping (7000 yen)

Day #08 - Woke up early morning and rush to Kansai Airport and final shopping at Airport
Damages - Trains (1500 yen) + shopping (2500 yen)

Plus around 10000 - 15000 yen spent at vending machine, convenience store and others.

Ya, can't agreed more on your advice. That's the reason why I would take the challenge to plan my own itinerary this time rather than follow group tours.

But then, I really don't plan to visit all shrine and temples in Kyoto and have little interest on the City walk/shopping at Osaka.

For Kyoto, I will just visit 2-3 shrine in 1.5 days + 1 full day in Takao + Arashiyama.

As for Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa. I really don't want to miss although the traveling time is long. 15% is alright as long as I got chance to cover the place that I want to go.

Anyway, I still have few months to restructure the plan.

Thanks for your sharing ya.

Your money then as you wish.
But I will very sure later you will complaint here saying , Not enough time

I doubt you can do Takao and Arashiyama within 1 day. Both are far apart.

You must do some homework on which shrine you gona visit. Each shrine will take you about 2 hours (min), and if you travel budget (take one day bus pass, 500 yen). The travel time from 1 shrine to another shrine is about 30mins (min).

previously in Jan, I went to Tokyo-Nagano-Takayama-Shirakawago-Kyoto-Osaka. Total 10days. Damn pack you know...We were like spending most of our time traveling on buses and trains.....so tiring! My only regret was not spending more time in Takayama and Shirakawa-go. These two places were really beautiful....If I have a chance, my next itinerary trip will just totally focus on one region i.e. Kyushu

Not red light, maybe pink.....met under the sakura tree...hahaha

so romantic?

pink??? thats just so gay

actually i agree with RegentCid..

i just spend 10 days for Osaka(3days),Kyoto(2days),Kobe(1day),Nagoya(1day),Tokyo(3days).
not enuff time.. even very very selective tour..
mind u, i did not go to USJ or Disney at all.


specially in Kyoto since need to take bus to attraction places, most of the bus is very crowded...(maybe timing was wrong).. so the timing already lari so much..

so now, need to save money to redo Kansai Properly...



-lesson learnt from my trip there.. i could save a lot if I skip the JR passes and focus on Kansai alone.. that place is huge and lots of places to visit for a 10 days tour. Kansai Thru Pass FTW!

Is Okinawa unde Kyushu too?

Any attractive at Okinawa? expect beach and bikini...

That time there were still some sakura bloom. However after yesterday heavy rain, most tree already "botak" in Tokyo. Crazy weather this few days....been raining on and off.

Cover those places in mid November last year with spending night as below

Osaka(2N), Shirakawago(1N), Takayama (1N), Toba(1N), Koyasan (1N) & Kyoto (2N)

My total expenses

Car Expenses

- Car rental @ RM 1300.00
- Tolls @ RM 930.00 (31000 Yen)
- Petrol @ RM 570.00 (19000 Yen) (journey mileage 1650km, at RM 4.80/litre)
- Parking @ RM 300.00 (10000 Yen)
Total car expenses = RM 3100.00/4 = RM 775.00/person


Our Total Expenses (Per Person)

- Nankai railway, Sagano scene train & JR West Kansai @ RM 150.00
- Air ticket @ RM 1400.00 (MAS)
- Hotel @ RM 1526.00
- Pocket wifi @ RM 40.00
- Car rental @ RM 325.00
- Car expenses (toll, petrol & parking) @ RM 450.00
- Journey Meals @ RM 1185.00
- Travel insurance @ RM 47.00
Total Expenses = RM 5123.00/person

You can send me PM if u want my itinerary