Japan - Tokyo - Hakone First Timer
- Thread starter Jonathan Ang
- Start date
Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
Wow...I see. Yeah some planning guide might be useful! I've only got about up to day 7...
Shall start with Hakone walk about first else I'll never get anything done >.<
I'm also trying to find some apps which I could use on my iphone to help in planning cum navigation...too many out there not sure what fits my purpose :X like day 1 go XX place to YY place..
then the app shows how to get there with pins on a map to boot... then day 2, another set of map pins..
speaking of which i'm not sure how to structure my itinerary to minimize travelling cost >.< (within tokyo only)..like lets say i lump ueno shinjuku in one day, or in another, if i go to tsukiji market -> asakusa -> odaiba via ferry, is there enough time to explore odaiba? Hope i can explain properly >.<
18 days is an impressive number of days for a trip! nice!
Shall start with Hakone walk about first else I'll never get anything done >.<
I'm also trying to find some apps which I could use on my iphone to help in planning cum navigation...too many out there not sure what fits my purpose :X like day 1 go XX place to YY place..
then the app shows how to get there with pins on a map to boot... then day 2, another set of map pins..
speaking of which i'm not sure how to structure my itinerary to minimize travelling cost >.< (within tokyo only)..like lets say i lump ueno shinjuku in one day, or in another, if i go to tsukiji market -> asakusa -> odaiba via ferry, is there enough time to explore odaiba? Hope i can explain properly >.<
18 days is an impressive number of days for a trip! nice!
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lump location based on prioxity that will save you abit on traveling time and cost. But some places warrant more time, like Akihabara. But for me, it will takes 2 hours and my hands are full of purchases and I need to offload the stuff before another round, so I spilt into 2 half day.
For Tsukiji, you can start off early (remember now there is a limit to the number of attendees for the Tuna auction) but if you going for breakfast, then to Asakusa then to the ferry terminal. Should be ok, but I prefer to lump Tsukiji and Ginza together.
For Tsukiji, you can start off early (remember now there is a limit to the number of attendees for the Tuna auction) but if you going for breakfast, then to Asakusa then to the ferry terminal. Should be ok, but I prefer to lump Tsukiji and Ginza together.
Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
I see thanks for the tip! The challenge of planning to me is not not knowing where to go...it's when to go and how long >.<
Proximity might be a good start! And for starters i know i should reserve sunday for harajuku
based on people's helpful tips here...just not sure how i should plan around it LOL
Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
I'm trying this http://www.tripit.com/ to plan my trip. Available on com and iphone..
Let me know if anyone decides to use this to plan their trips :bsmilie:
Let me know if anyone decides to use this to plan their trips :bsmilie:
You just need to feel it for yourself and adjust for future trips. Frankly speaking, my last 2 trips to Harajuku on Sunday was spoilt by the rain.
Easier way to time plan is take the number of places and divide equally ;P, there are places that you wouldn't stay for too long.
oh ya, transport around the lakes usually ends fairly early, so you need to check the timing on the buses. The retro bus at Lake Kawaguchi ends at 5.30
Easier way to time plan is take the number of places and divide equally ;P, there are places that you wouldn't stay for too long.
oh ya, transport around the lakes usually ends fairly early, so you need to check the timing on the buses. The retro bus at Lake Kawaguchi ends at 5.30
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flowerpot99
New Member
Hi, here's some photos of Hakone round course for your reference.
Hakone Round course
Started off course by taking the Railway from my hotel to Open air museum. Quite an interesting place with lots of phototaking opporunity.
Continue the trip onto the Rope car. As the car have arrive upon our arrive, we did not have much chance to walk around the small town at the station. Please note that the car have a scedule, so it is better to plan some time to roam around the town before the car arrives.
On the way up in the Rope car. Along the way, you can see some of the residential houses just next to the car.
Transfered to the cable car to continue the climb up.
The cable car will bring you to a height of 1044m.
Hakone Round course
Started off course by taking the Railway from my hotel to Open air museum. Quite an interesting place with lots of phototaking opporunity.
Continue the trip onto the Rope car. As the car have arrive upon our arrive, we did not have much chance to walk around the small town at the station. Please note that the car have a scedule, so it is better to plan some time to roam around the town before the car arrives.
On the way up in the Rope car. Along the way, you can see some of the residential houses just next to the car.
Transfered to the cable car to continue the climb up.
The cable car will bring you to a height of 1044m.
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flowerpot99
New Member
Along the way up, you will see mines. The building on top is the transfer station. Can walk around there too. But as we were in a rush to catch the ship we continue on.
Top of the climb (1044m) - Transfer station
Start to descend towards lake for our ship.
There's our ship waiting for us.
Boarding the last ship of the day
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flowerpot99
New Member
Nice views along the way. But supper cold and windy.
Finally, the last part of the journey is to try the bus.
Some stops along the way. And many nice shops that we wish we had the time to walk around more.
On the bus. They seems to accept many modes of payment but it is best to have the 1 or 3 day pass to save the trouble of paying every now and then.
Think it will take 1 day to fully explore the Round course. We missed out the last part of the course which is treking though some forested path, as it is getting late and dark. Also, as we spend almost half the day at the musean, we had to rush through the rest of the trip. It will be nice to visit the small towns or area at each of the main transfer station ie top of the mountain and many other location that we missed out. But guess we have to do it when we visit again .
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Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
if I REM correctly, I think kawaguchiko is better because from Hakone, Fujisan is back lit in the afternoon which is likely the time you will be there.
flowerpot99
New Member
Awesome Photos! Can't wait to get there hahahaha!
U started from what time to what time? Cause my check in @ 3, like in the middle of the day...not sure if i can explore abit, check in, explore abit and be back by 6.
My ryokan in hakone is Taisenkan
72, MIYANOSHITA, HAKONE, KANAGAWA 250-0404, JAPAN
0460-82-2281
can see on google maps
silly place needs to be accessed by a "romantic" private cable car LOL.
Actually, I started the trip on the following day at around 930am and back at the hotel around 630pm to wash up and prepare for our Kaiseki dinner. On the first day, by the time we check in, it is already 3++ and after a short break, we decided to explore the surrounding instead as we were too tired le. Think maybe you can consider doing part of the course on the first day then continue the next day.
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Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
Thanks! I think I'll do that. Anyway my itinerary will look something like that:
12 days, 13th Jul (tues) - 24 Jul (sat). As the day comes closer I realised I haven't gotten solid planning starting to panic. So:
13th Jul Tues: Fly to Japan 2130 hrs --> catch last few trains to Shinagawa Prince.
14th Jul Wed: Explore Central Tokyo: Imp east palace, around the area (dunno do what yet). At 4+ 5 head go for Tokyo Tower. First day is to absorb the essence!
15th Jul Thurs: Disneyland!
16th Jul Fri: DisneySea
17th Jul Sat: Tokyo Outskirts; Nikko Outing!
18th Jul Sun: Harajuku, and ?? for the rest of the day
19th Jul Mon: ?? Unknown still.
20th Jul Tues: Hakone (Shinjuku take Romance Express): Kaiseki Dinner!
21th Jul Wed: Hakone round tour part 2: Soaking up the serenity - Kaiseki again~
22th Jul Thurs: Go back to shinjuku (estimated 10+ am)...Hotel loc @ Ueno Fountaine Villa. Good time to explore shinjuku, ueno area to shop??
23th Jul Friday: ?? unknown??
24th Jul Sat: Fly home (11 am flight)
Current standing I've got 18th Jul, 19th Jul, 22th Jul (half day) and 23th Jul not planned.
I still have a Tsukiji Market+Asakusa+Odaiba trip planned for one of the days, most probably 19th or 23th. (But most likely I would like to reserve the 23th to shopping last minute stuff.)
So, I've left with 18th Jul, 22th Jul (afternoon half of the day) and 23th Jul. Is it too much/ too little to explore the rest of tokyo? It didn't seem so packed until i decided to add disneySea into the itinerary this morning >.<
I forgot to mention that museum visiting is also on my list of To-Do!
Oh no..not enough time!
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Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
Sunday museum day? haha! I've got a huge list of museums actually..just chose a few I wanted to go:
Intend to buy the Grutt pass once I counted the numbers:
Museum of Maritime Science
National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
National Science Museum
Meguro Parasitological Museum
Sunshine International Aquarium
Edo-Tokyo Museum
National Museum of Modern Art
Ota Memorial Art Museum
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
Tokyo National Museum
Criminology Museum of Meiji University
might have missed a few. I doubt I can squeeze many in. A number of these are on Odaiba! So I shld not do the tsukiji-->asakusa-->ferry-->odaiba in a day?
Jonathan Ang
Senior Member
FYI, the museums are closed on monday, incase you decide to go there
best place to spend your Sunday is still Harajuku and Akihabara
Thanks! I remember reading that somewhere during my research but cannot confirm!
Harajuku and Akihabara will take up the whole day u mean?
I think by the look of things I'll need to break up the museum visits to different days!
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