Japan - 15 Days
- Eoin O'Meara
- Mar 25, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 10, 2019
(Based on March 2019)
High Season - April to August
Low Season - September to March
Total Spending - 115,200JPY (910€)
Total Accommodation - 32,600JPY(260€)
(Not Including Flights)
Entering Japan:
Visa Requirements: Free 90 Day Visa on Entry
ATM withdrawals cost 216JPY (2€) each transaction
Did not buy a sim card as too expensive and WiFi everywhere.
Tokyo
Stayed Near: Asakusa
K’s House Tokyo 2,300JPY (18€) a night
4 Nights
- Take Limited Express Train From Airport to Hostel 1100JPY
Itinerary
Ameya-Yokochõ Market
Shinjuku (Shopping)
Akinhabara
Senso-Ji Temple
Shibuya Crossing
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Sky-Tree
Golden Gai (Japanese style Bars)
Advice
I Recommend 4 nights in Tokyo its a beautiful city which really comes alive in the evenings with all the lights.
Its also less crowded in the evenings than durning the day in some tourist spots.
Purchase a 72 hour Metro ticket for 1,500JPY its the fastest and easiest way to get around Tokyo.
When purchasing the limited express ticket check what metro station is near your hostel and purchase a ticket to that metro station from the ticketing office at the airport station they will help you plan your route.
I flew to Narita Airport which took me 1 hour to get to my hostel by Train/Metro.
I never paid to go up either the Tower or the Sky-Tree but the option is there if you wish to see the city form above.
Theres alot of tax free shopping in Tokyo and the main area with popular stores is Shinjuku if your looking to do some shopping for shoes/clothes.
You could also check out the Tsukiji Fish Market you need to get there at 7am for the full experience i missed out on this as i didn't know about the times.
If you don’t wish to go to Mt. Fuji/Hakone you can get the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto using your JR Pass or 17,500JPY.
Kawaguchiko
Stayed Near: Lake Kawaguchiko
K’s House Mt. Fuji 2650JPY (21€) a night
2 Nights
- Bus from Shibuya (Tokyo) to Kawaguchiko 1800JPY (Booked online)
Itinerary
Lake Kawaguchiko
Mt. Fuji
Advice
I Recommend leaving Tokyo early 8/9am and arriving in Kawaguchiko by noon if you just wish to walk around the lake and see Mt. Fuji from the distance and just stay 1 night.
Get the metro from your hostel to Shibuya station where the Bus terminal is.
Theres not alot more to see in Kawaguchiko unless you wish to climb Mt Fuji (Read online for information on what seasons you can climb Mt. Fuji).
After getting the Bus from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko you can either walk or get a public bus to your Hostel/Hotel.
Hakone
Stayed Near: Hakone-Yumoto
K’s House Hakone 3200JPY (25€)a night
1 Night
- Bus and Train from Kawaguchiko to Hakone 2580JPY
Itinerary
Traditional Japanese Onsen (Hot Springs)
Advice
I came to Hakone to relax in a Japanese Onsen which the hostel i stayed in provided.
Theres a huge choice of Hot Springs everywhere in Hakone-Yumoto as that is what this area in Japan is known for.
Just check that the Onsen you are visiting allows tattoos if you have any as some public ones will not allow you in but private hostel/hotel onsens shouldn't be too strict.
Theres other sights in Hakone such as Lake Ashinoko and also Hakone Ropeway.
All the sights are pretty spread out and not walking distance so you will need to get the public bus around.
To get from Kawaguchiko to Hakone you must get:
- Bus from Kawaguchiko to Gotemba 1510JPY
- Train from Gotemba to Odawara 760JPY
- Train from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto 310JPY
After getting the train to Hakone-Yumoto you can either walk or get a public bus to your Hostel/Hotel.
If you don’t wish to go to Hakone you can get the bullet train to Kyoto from Odawara.
Kyoto
Stayed Near: Kyoto Station
K’s House Kyoto 1800JPY (14€)a night
3 Nights
- Shinkansen Train from Odawara to Kyoto (JR Pass) or 15,400JPY
Itinerary
Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine
Kinkakuji Temple 400JPY Entry Fee
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Day Trip to Nara Deer Park (JR Pass)
Advice
I Recommend 4 nights in Kyoto theres alot to see and do in Kyoto that you don’t need to rush and do it all in 1/2 days.
You can buy a day pass for 600JPY to use on all public busses which will save you money when your travelling around to the different sights in Kyoto. Each journey would be 240JPY without.
Theres also a Monkey Park thats quite popular in Kyoto near Arashiyama worth checking out. Entry Fee is 550JPY.
Theres a Train you can get from Kyoto JR station to Nara JR Station with your JR pass takes about 40 minutes to get there. Or pay 710JPY each way.
Once you get to Nara you can get a bus for 230JPY to the park or just walk 15 minutes to the park its not too far from the station.
To get from Hakone to Kyoto you must get:
- Train from Hakone-Yumoto to Odawara 310JPY
- Shinkansen Train from Odawara to Kyoto (JR Pass) or 15,400JPY
After getting the train to Kyoto you can either walk or get a public bus to your Hostel/Hotel.
Hiroshima
Stayed Near: Hiroshima City
K’s House Hiroshima 2200JPY (17€)a night
2 Nights
- Shinkansen Train from Kyoto to Hiroshima (JR Pass) or 27,000JPY
Itinerary
Atomic Bomb Dome
Hiroshima Peace Park
Day Trip to Miyajima Island (JR Pass)
Itsukushima Shrine 300JPY Entry Fee
Advice
I Recommend 2 nights in Hiroshima to explore the two main sights and learn about the history behind them it’s very interesting and you can feel the impact it has on the city.
To get to Miyajima Island you take:
- Train from Hiroshima Station to Miyajima-Guchi Station (JR Pass) or 410JPY
- Ferry from Miyajima-Guchi Pier to Miyajima Pier (JR Pass) or 180JPY
Takes about 40 minutes to 1 hour in total to get to the island.
To get to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Memorial Park you can take the Tram or walk.
Was only about a 20 minute walk from Hiroshima Station.
There is no entry to the Park but if you wish to visit the museum its 200JPY.
After getting the train to Hiroshima you can either walk or get a tram to your Hostel/Hotel.
Osaka
Stayed Near: Nishinari
Backpackers Toyo Hotel 2550JPY (20€)a night
2 Nights
- Shinkansen Train from Hiroshima to Shin Osaka (JR Pass) or 14,000JPY
Itinerary
Osaka Castle
Namba (Shopping/Nightlife)
Advice
I Recommend 1/2 nights in Osaka its like a smaller version of Tokyo and alot busier.
I stayed 2 nights because i wanted to be in the city for St. Patricks Day.
If it wasn’t for St. Patricks Day 1 night would of been enough for me in Osaka.
From Shin Osaka (JR Station) you have to catch another train to Osaka Station (JR Pass) or 160JPY. Than take a metro to your hostel/hotel.
To get around Osaka i used my JR Pass but you can use the subway which gives you much more flexibility and destinations.
A two day subway pass will cost you 3820JPY.
I would also recommend staying in Namba in Osaka to be in the center and closer to more restaurants and bars.
To get from my hostel to Osaka Airport i took the Kansai Airport Train (JR Pass) or 1060JPY.
Advice on JR Pass (Japan Rail Pass)
I purchased a 7 Day JR Pass in Odawara Station for 33,000JPY (260€).
You can purchase these passes online for a cheaper price (240€) i was unsure if i could buy online on the day i wished to use the pass so i purchased it from the ticket office in Odawara Station.
I purchased the JR Pass to get from:
- Odawara to Kyoto
- Kyoto to Hiroshima
- Hiroshima to Osaka
And these were all Shinkasen Trains and the 7 day pass was perfect for me to visit all of these destinations in that amount of time.
As i visited these cities i found out theres other trains i can get with using the JR Pass that saved me more money than i expected so the pass did come in good use.
14 Day pass is available as-well.
These are expensive so my best advice would be to map out where you wish to go and how you plan to travel there.
Metros, Trams, Busses and Subways will not accept the JR pass.
So if your visiting Japan for say 10 days and 4 days will be in Tokyo you should get the 7 day pass because you will not use it until leaving Tokyo.
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