Fukuoka-Kyoto-Osaka-Tokyo
Replies: 2 - Last Post: May 18, 2012 5:06 AM Last Post By: angietravels1
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Aloha! My husband and I are spending two weeks in Japan in June. We are landing in Fukuoka, spending three nights there than taking the bullet train to Kyoto and spending four nights there than taking the bullet train to Tokyo for seven nights. We will be activating a 7 day railpass to go to Kyoto. This is our first trip to Fukuoka and Osaka and our fourth trip to Kyoto and Tokyo.
In Fukuoka we are planning to buy all day bus passes to get around.
I was wondering if we are making a good decision to commute to Osaka from Kyoto vs spending two nights at each city. Our travel agent recomended that we do that. What is the best way to go to Osaka from Kyoto using the JR rail pass?
I was also wondering how we can best use our JR rail pass in those cities to minimize spending money on bus, subway and taxi's. In Kyoto we are interested in seeing the Inari Shrine, Nishiki market and the Gion area. We are staying at the New Miyako Hotel next to Kyoto station. I also want to find out if the Johnny Hillwalker tour is still available. In Osaka we want to cheick out Dotombori,
Umeda, Shinsekai,Shinsaibashi/Namba, and possibly the waterfront.
In Tokyo we have the JR pass for a couple of days than trying to figure out the most economical way to get around the rest of our time there. We are staying in Ikebukuro. We are going to Disneyland one day and the rest of the time going to places like Tsukiji fish market, Ueno, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ginza, Harajuku and Odaiba.
I appreciate any advice you all can offer.
Thanks you.
In Fukuoka we are planning to buy all day bus passes to get around.
I was wondering if we are making a good decision to commute to Osaka from Kyoto vs spending two nights at each city. Our travel agent recomended that we do that. What is the best way to go to Osaka from Kyoto using the JR rail pass?
I was also wondering how we can best use our JR rail pass in those cities to minimize spending money on bus, subway and taxi's. In Kyoto we are interested in seeing the Inari Shrine, Nishiki market and the Gion area. We are staying at the New Miyako Hotel next to Kyoto station. I also want to find out if the Johnny Hillwalker tour is still available. In Osaka we want to cheick out Dotombori,
Umeda, Shinsekai,Shinsaibashi/Namba, and possibly the waterfront.
In Tokyo we have the JR pass for a couple of days than trying to figure out the most economical way to get around the rest of our time there. We are staying in Ikebukuro. We are going to Disneyland one day and the rest of the time going to places like Tsukiji fish market, Ueno, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ginza, Harajuku and Odaiba.
I appreciate any advice you all can offer.
Thanks you.
1
I was wondering if we are making a good decision to commute to Osaka from Kyoto vs spending two nights at each city.Depends on what you want to do in Osaka. If you are planning of staying up late (until after midnight) or if you want to sample a themed love hotel, spending a night or two in Osaka could make sense. Other than that, IMO there is no need particularly as you are staying near Kyoto station.
The JR pass is of little use for inner city transport and any savings will be small, so I would not worry much about this. (You can get to Fushimi Inari from Kyoto station on JR though and also can get to Tokyo Disneyland). The JR pass will also be useful if you commute between Kyoto and Osaka, but again in Osaka itself it will be of little use (few lines and those are cheap anyway). Haven't heard that Johnny stopped guiding, so I believe it is still available.
As you have plenty of time in Tokyo, there is no need to rush it You can visit one or two areas per day, do a lot of walking (which is a good way to see the city anyway) and your daily transportation expenses even without the railpass will likely not be more than 750 yen, and rather less. No need to get any kind of day pass for it. You might want to get a prepaid card (Suica, Pasmo) for convenience though.
2
Hi there I can answer you on the johnny hillwalker tour. Firstly it takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You need to meet at Kyoto station (the tourist center inside the station can tell you exactly where to meet) at just before 10am. Apparently Johnny does very few (if any) tours these days and I was initially rather disappointed but then I hadnt reckoned on Emi. She was amazing. The tour takes about 5 hours but its not strenuous. You will go round many of the back streets and visit temples etc, eat the best sushi I ever tasted (for free) and visit some cottage industries. We visited a small fan factory where we saw how they made fans and of course you could buy them for a much better price than you would anywhere else. Emi explained just about everything she could about japanese traditions and culture and even showed us her wedding pics. Her english was excellent. The tour wraps up at about 3pm minutes away from the Kiyumizu dera temple which is one of Kyotos main attractions.The cost is 2000 yen and its worth every yen
have a great trip
angie
Edited by: ethelfleda
