Hello . I'm travelling to Japan for the first time in the last two weeks of may 2019. One place I'm very keen to visit is mount haguro but all my research thus far has made it seem like quite a tedious place to get to via public transport. I'm wondering if I can perhaps catch a train direct from tokyo to somewhere and then hire a car for the remainder of the journey to minamise waiting time and multiple transfers. Keen to also visit at least one onsen town .. perhaps ginzan or one of the ones in yamagata area and thinking perhaps one of these places might conveniently be a stop off point. Has any one travelled this area and can give me some advice ? Thank you kindly in advance
1
kanra
I've been to Tsuruoka a couple of times and it isn't that boring to get to from (presumably) Tokyo. You could fly from Haneda (Tokyo) to Shonai Airport and then take a bus to Tsuruoka Station, but the less expensive option is to take the Shinkansen bullet train to Niigata, then transfer to the Inaho Tokkyu (limited express) train for the approximately 110-minute ride to Tsuruoka.
There are around seven buses a day between April and November leaving from Tsuruoka Station for Haguro-san (more during the summer months). The buses will drop you off near the entrance to the stone staircase leading to the shrine (2446 steps), before terminating at the summit (where the shrine is located). There is a tourist information center next to the train station that should have bus timetables and English-language information. Lodging is available both around Tsuruoka Station (namely business hotels) and on Haguro-san.
Keep in mind that if your plan is to also hike from Gas-san to Yudono-san, May is too early to go. Buses from Tsuruoka via Haguro-san to Gas-san Hachigome (the start of the hiking trail) only operate between July and September. Bus service between Tsuruoka and Yudonosan starts at the beginning of June and runs until early November.
I haven't been to Ginzan Onsen, but it appears that getting there from Tsuruoka would be tedious as you would have to first travel by train to Oishida (with transfers needed at Amarume and Shinjo), followed by a nearly 40-minute bus ride to the hot springs (around four buses daily). Renting a car might be a better option for getting there and around.
2
Thorn Tree
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