wanderer wrote:
> We are going to Japan for the first time for 6 days. Based on our
> reading of the tour books and this group we have come up with the
> following itinerary. Please advise if we are doing anything wrong. Our
> interests are historical places and places of natural beauty.
>
> Day 1: Arrive in Narita in early afternoon. Go to hotel.
> Day 2: Tour Tokyo. Night in Tokyo.
> Day 3: Daytrip to Kamakura. Night in Tokyo.
> Day 4: Bullet train to Kyoto in the morning. Tour Kyoto. Night in
> Kyoto.
> Day 5: Tour Kyoto. Return to Tokyo in the evening. Night in Tokyo.
> Day 6: Tour Tokyo. Catch evening flight from Narita.
>
> Questions:
> 1. Should we skip Kamakura and go to Hakone as a daytrip instead since
> we'll be going to Kyoto the next day?
> 2. Is it possible to stay overnight in Hakone on night 3 and then
> proceed from Hakone to Kyoto the next day. Are the train connections
> from Hakone to Kyoto decent?
> 2. Should we skip the daytrip option from Tokyo and spend one extra
> night in Kyoto instead and go to Nara as a daytrip from Kyoto? Is Nara
> better than Kamakura?
> 3. Given our schedule, does it make any sense to buy JR pass or should
> we purchase tickets as we go along?
> 4. Do you need reservations on the bullet train for the journey from
> Tokyo to Kyoto? How early do they have to be made?
> 5. For the last night is it better to stay in Kyoto instead of Tokyo
> and make the journey to Narita from Kyoto on the last day?
>
Skip Kamakura and spend two days in Kyoto if you
like gardens etc. It is a traditionally laid out
city, and is worth two days. I spent two days
there and it wasn't enough. To enjoy the garden
and temples you need time to contemplate them.
You are going to end up spending a lot of time
traveling, and not enjoying the sites. Better to
spend more time enjoying the sites of a few places.
Try the Lonely Planet guide to Japan, it has
suggested itineraries for short stays.
Good luck
|