Hi guys, i'm traveling to Japan with my family on April and hope to get some insight/suggestion from you guys

1. Can i still witness cherry blossom during mid April? My research seems indicate that the bloom usually occur during end of march to early april

2. Is it recommended to tackle Tokyo+Osaka+Nara+Kyoto in 10 days?

My plan is as follow, not sure if it would be too tiring as i'm leading a group of 8 with 4 seniors (50+)

Day1-4
Flight to Tokyo
Check in Hotel in Tokyo
Travel around Tokyo for 4 days

Day 5-6 to Osaka via shinkansen (JR pass activation)
Check in hotel in Osaka
Spend the day around Osaka

Day 7 to Nara via JR Railway from Osaka (Day Trip)
Travel around Nara
Return to Osaka via shinkansen after dinner

Day 8 to Kyoto via shinkansen from Osaka (Day Trip)
Travel around Kyoto
Return to Osaka via shinkansen after dinner

Day 9 to Kyoto via shinkansen from Osaka (Day Trip)
Travel the rest of Kyoto till around 3PM
Return to Osaka for dinner via shinkansen

Day 10
Checkout at 2PM
Linger around Osaka for a while and then shinkansen back to tokyo for flight
can stop for shopping at some tokyo station before heading to haneda airport


Is this feasible?

Appreciate if anyone could share their itenary with me for reference as well like detailed one if have hehe, pm me

This post has been edited by cckthechun: Jan 3 2019, 04:36 PM

What pass you use oh? Can shinkansen here shinkansen there... I didnt know nara got shinkansen 1...

Cherry blossom should be still able to see 1 la...

Hotel normally check out at 10am or 11am 1 oh...

this is the pass

https://www.kkday.com/en/product/20300?cid=...AiAAEgL6XPD_BwE

ops, nara might be JR railway, but all included in the JR pass that i've posted above.

not hotel, airbnb entire house

your shinkansen track is only Tokyo to Osaka only...the are all local trains

For Tokyo+Osaka+Nara+Kyoto in 10 days, not recommended since you have 4 seniors along. different story if they are physically fit

The ride is only 15mins.

Not need Japan Rail Pass. Save your money

Just use the 10-day to cover Tokyo area extensively and 1-2 sidetrips like Hakone/Mount Fuji, Kamakura or Nikko

Mid April - you can still see pockets of cherry blossom tree but obviously not as nice as full bloom

https://www.osakastation.com/traveling-from-osaka-to-kyoto/

osaka , kyoto and tokyo all covered for shinkansen
only nara doesn't

yup, which is very good IMO, can consider it as part of osaka and travel it as day trip

This is where experience comes in.

To take Shinkansen, you need to go Shin-Osaka station <---not centrally located

That's why Osaka-Kyoto, ppl tends to take local train such as JR Kyoto, Hankyu or Keihan railways

Ppl normally stay around Namba area in Osaka. Can easily take Keihan railways which will land at a station within walking distance to Gion

Thanks for sharing bro!

Will research further on this and amend my planning accordingly

ya, plan to stay until park close lol.

thx for the input.


i guess later 2 month before go just book the entry ticket only. thx for the input.

Going to Kobe for them beef and going to splurge a bit at Bifteck Kawamura as recommended in the 1st page. Do we need to make a reservation earlier? Tried the online form but the phone number field do not take our Malaysian format

Edit: Nvm, they replied on email

This post has been edited by zeipher: Jan 5 2019, 09:40 AM

Good info. So tickets bought before 7th January is exempted. Great.

Alamak, mine on 18th jan. will share how the tax is collected there.
Also hope my airbnb x kena cancel like last year. Mass cancellation but still able to secure properly 1 days before departure

The site says that if your tickets are booked and issued before the 7th January 2019, then you are exempted from paying. I dont think anybody experienced it before yet. The tax should be included in the airfare when you purchase the tickets.

Airbnb operators now requires a special inn/hotel operator license from their government to operate. By now, most of them have already gotten their licenses. So there would be no issues.

My friend suggest me to put our last night near to the aiport as my flight the next day is 9.20am, to avoid transportation issue(worst is winter storm) to the airport, do you think is it fine if I remain my stay in Sapporo city and catch the earliest train to airport?

Sigh which is why I personally prefer Hotel compared to AirBnB. Other than worrying about cancellation, the latter is sometimes hard to find as it's usually in residential area. Last year my cousins who went to Osaka had so much problem trying to unlock the door under the cold winter only to find out the Host gave them wrong code.

In fact with the new law governing AirBnB in Japan, the houses/ rooms rental isn't all that cheap. It's comparable to Hotels imo. Probably AirBnB is suitable for families/ big groups.

I had no problems with my ABNB from my trip few weeks ago. As long as the property is registered, the risk of cancellation is not as bad as early to mid last year. Even if the price is just slightly lower than hotels, the space given is much much better most of the time. Business hotels are cramped most of the time, the only benefits i see in hotel is the possibility to leave your luggage there before the check-in time and sometimes the convenient location in tourist districts.

When choosing ABNB properties, of course, reviews are important... it's the same for hotels anyway.

so far my experience with airbnbs in japan are good

nagoya > takayam > shirakawago > kanazawa > nagoya
if i go above place should i buy a jr pass for these area?

yes.