Tours

[d0p3y]

Hey all,

I'm planning a big trip over Asia for December/January coming up. Because I've never been overseas, and I'm clueless, I'm trying to stick mainly with guided tours (with a little free-roaming time in between) so that I can see the sights, get around, and not have to worry so much.

Anyways, there's so many tour companies and such out there and I didn't know where to begin so I stopped in to see the friendly staff at STA Travel in the city. They gave me a few brochures to check out to start off, and the most interesting tour I've come across so far is as follows:

(url: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/JST )

Price is $2590 AUD + (plus local payment JPY ¥22000)

Days 1-2 Tokyo

Beneath the neon lights, high-tech gadgetry and crowded suburbs is a city steeped in ancient traditions and cultures. Visit Ueno Park where cherry blossoms provide a beautiful backdrop to various museums or head into the upmarket district of Ginza for a dose of retail opulence.

Day 3 Nikko

Arguably Japan's leading shrine centre, Nikko houses several sacred sites including the resting places of the Tokugawa shoguns. If ornate architecture and multicoloured carvings are not your thing, the cedar tree-populated Mt Nakimushi offers a pleasant hiking alternative.

Days 4-5 Hakone

Relax on a boat cruise across Lake Ashino-ko before enjoying picturesque views of the region on our cable car ride over the surrounding mountains. Do not miss the chance to soak in an outdoor 'onsen', while food-lovers might want to try a sulphur-boiled egg.

Days 6-7 Takayama

With its sake breweries, traditional inns and art galleries, Takayama is a delightful little town nestled in the Japanese Alps. Check out the Hida Folk Village for a glimpse of traditional life among the thatched-roof houses and practicing artisans.

Days 8-10 Hiroshima

This reborn city has a vibrant energy that belies its tragic history. The A-Bomb Dome and Peace Museum make for a moving experience, as does the famous floating 'torii' of Miyajima's grand Itsukushima-jinja shrine.

Days 11-14 Kyoto

Gain an insight into feudal Japan at Himeji-Jo Castle en route to Kyoto, where a visit to the magnificent gold-plated Kinkaku-ji Temple should not be missed. Finish up with a tour of the geisha district of Gion before saying 'sayonara' to the Land of the Rising Sun.

meals included: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners

transport: Bus, bullet train, tram, express train, cable car, ferry, walking

accommodation: Traditional inns (12 nts), hotel (1 nt)

budget: Allow USD $400 for meals not included.

departs: Departs Sat

important notes: 1. All travellers must arrive with a 14-day Japan Rail (JR) pass. Please arrange this through your travel agent. 2. Some accommodation has shared bathroom facilities.

Now IF I were to choose the above tour, I'd then need to be able to get my sorry ass back to Tokyo airport so I can catch my flight to Hong Kong. Is there any cheap-ish way to get to Tokyo from Kyoto with my luggage? Train or something??

Also, if anybody else has seen any other tours they can recommend please let me know. I don't want to spend a fortune but want to see some pretty sights and just check out interesting stuff in general... as I said it's my first time overseas so I don't have a strong idea of what I do and don't like about other countries yet

Looking for more of a relaxing sight seeing kinda tour rather than an adventure hiking/climbing or whatever type tour.

FYI; my trip so far consists of:

fly from Aus to Singapore -- tour my way up through Singapore, Malaysia and then into Thailand. From Thailand fly to Japan, then on the way back stop in to Hong Kong. I wanted to include Cambodia, Laos and mainland China on the list but unfortunately don't have enough annual leave on my hands to do it all in one go..

Anyhow, advice appreciated as I'm swamped with different tour companies when I google and have NFI what's good.

Oh yeah - What should I expect to pay for a JR Rail Pass?

Thanks ladies n gents

Ryan

[d0p3y]

Also forgot to add;

If a tour like the above is a bad idea - or there's a cheaper better way to do it let me know.

I wanna see cool temples, shrines, countryside, mt fuji, plus the crazy cities like tokyo...

What cities should I be visiting? I'm gatheing Nikko is a must stop, Tokyo obviously (and the districts within)....

Whats about Osaka n stuff?

Should I even bother getting a full JR pass or just get a JR East?

[Beer Baron]

check with the tour company if you'll need the pass. if you are travelling quite far then a JR pass will save you money for sure. that tour looks nice. the only suggestion I'd make is make add 3 days in tokyo at the end as they is plenty of other stuff to see there. train is the way to go from kyoto back to tokyo. nozomi shinkansen is about $150 for a cheap, reserved ticket. and it's a great service. only about 3 hours from kyoto to tokyo.

[shiro240]

check with the tour company if you'll need the pass. if you are travelling quite far then a JR pass will save you money for sure. that tour looks nice. the only suggestion I'd make is make add 3 days in tokyo at the end as they is plenty of other stuff to see there. train is the way to go from kyoto back to tokyo. nozomi shinkansen is about $150 for a cheap, reserved ticket. and it's a great service. only about 3 hours from kyoto to tokyo.

I agree. If you're planning on travelling through a large part of Japan, the JR pass is really your best bet. You'll really save tons that way and you have access to just about any sort of public transport you'll need.

In terms of transport from Kyoto to Tokyo, there is more than one way to get back although each option has its disadvantages. Usually most people take the shinkansen, but it's pretty expensive. You can also take a local train and a highway bus, which is way cheaper, but takes upwards of 7 hours to make the journey.

This website has good information about travel to and from the two areas:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

Honestly, I'd say just find the things you want to do and base your trip around that. I'm sure you can find any number of tour packages that cater to your interests.

PS- I just returned from Singapore and Malaysia and, if you're planning on travelling between the two countries, I'd highly recommend taking a highway bus. I took the train between the two countries, and while it was picturesque going through tropical jungle, it also took around 9 hours to complete.

[d0p3y]

Hmm..

I might go buy a Lonely Planet book on Japan and see if that helps me.

I'm also considering perhaps an alternate holiday -- that being

Japan

then fly to beijing, go on a mainland tour thru china and into hong kong, hong kong over to thailand, then back to aus (or perhaps via singapore, if it isn't too expensive to do so)

[d0p3y]

What's everybody think of the Marroad International in Narita???

http://www.asiarooms.com/japan/tokyo/marro...ernational.html

Looks pretty good for $69AUD a night, good location and free shuttle busses from the airport and to the JR station are a massive plus. Seems to have a lot of good reviews judging from that website....

The hotel is located in one of the most convenient area of Tokyo. It is 10 minutes away from Narita International Airport and is one of the nearest to the airport.

The hotel offers a free shuttle bus from/to airport and Keisei Narita Station.

Keisei Narita Station will connect me to all the other places with my JR Pass yeah?

Edited January 10, 2007 by d0p3y

[slimjim]

I'm going to Japan in May for three weeks.

One of the tour companies that I think I will be using is Sunrise Tours - http://www.jtbgmt.com/sunrisetour/

Seems like good prices and if you are OK getting around the place, you could really make up a whole trip just based on their tours alone it seems.

[d0p3y]

those look pretty good slimjim

I think I'll definately be doing a tour of toyota, looks like a cool place from what I've seen (on tv n such)

I just gotta work out how to transport myself around the place. I'm gonna have to print off alotta maps and directions before I leave I think, lol

[slimjim]

Yeah I'm definately doing the Toyota tour through them, as well as the sumo and perhaps a few day trips.

I also noticed you asked how much a JR pass is, for 14 days it is approx. $700. Thats the first class (Green Class) ticket, which I hear is nicer and you have more chance of getting a seat. Economy class for 14 days is just over $550.

These are not valid for bullet trains though.

[shiro240]

Looks pretty good for $69AUD a night, good location and free shuttle busses from the airport and to the JR station are a massive plus. Seems to have a lot of good reviews judging from that website....

Keisei Narita Station will connect me to all the other places with my JR Pass yeah?

No clue about that hotel. As long as it's got a bed and is fairly clean, that should be all you need. Don't expect to be staying at the Hilton as Japan is fairly expensive and budget hotels are just that--budget hotels.

As far as Narita goes, it's a bit out in the sticks. It takes about an hour to get to Tokyo via Keisei or JR trains (limited express or Skyliner). The town itself, too, doesn't have a whole lot to offer other than the superb Narita-san temple/shrine there. If you're staying there, you must go to this place--it's awesome.

Otherwise, you might be better off staying somewhere in Tokyo or Yokohama. Look for business hotels--you can usually find something fairly reasonably priced.

[d0p3y]

Hmm.. thanks for that guys.

So.. Narita is in the sticks eh..

Maybe I'm better off staying at that hotel I mentioned above for 1 night, so I can take advantage of the free transfer from the airport, then exploring Narita (see the temple etc), then use the free transfer to the JR station where I can catch a train into Tokyo and then stay at a different hotel.

I'm thinking Shinjuku, Harajuki, Shibuya, Asakusa will be where I wanna visit around Tokyo.

Nikko and Kyoto seem like places I'd wanna visit too

been searching around like crazy, SLOWLY coming up with a plan!

Oh yeah - for the majority of the trains I'm gonna be catching, will having a large bag (not quite a suitcase, but its got wheels and a handle) be a big problem??

Edited January 10, 2007 by d0p3y

[slimjim]

been searching around like crazy, SLOWLY coming up with a plan!

Yeah same here, its so hard to try and put something together... After a while its hard to remember what's in each place, as the Japanese names can get a bit samey.

Sounds like you've got your head around it OK though!

In regards to carrying your bag on the train, I think the Green Class areas of the JR trains have more room in them, could be good for luggage. Perhaps someone who's actually been on them can confirm though.

[akeenan]

i would not wanna be taking a larger bag onto any of the trains in tokyo.

every now and then would be ok, but during rush hours ... that would just give you the shits as assholes would be stepping on it, falling on it.. etc etc

[d0p3y]

Hmm.. So what other real choice do I have for traveling to the other cities with ease whilst carrying my luggage from hotel to hotel??

BTW: Which Airport is better you reckon? Haneda or Narita?? Haneda is domestic only though right???

Just trying to scope out a plan but the main issue (if trains will be a pain) is transporting myself and my big bag between cities and the different hotels.

Edited January 11, 2007 by d0p3y