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$\"Shirakawago\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n
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Day 5: Takayama and Shirakawa-go<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
We headed to Takayama<\/strong> to explore the preserved old town, and then took a bus to one of the most scenic villages in the world, Shirakawa-go<\/strong>. We spent the night at a traditional farmhouse in Shirakawa-go and had a lovely dinner conversation with the friendly owner about the history of the village.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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$\"Snow$ <\/a><\/p>\n
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Day 6: Snow Wall<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
We headed to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route<\/strong> to see the Snow Wall<\/strong> and the amazing alpine landscapes of Japan and returned to Tokyo in the evening.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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$\"Tokyo\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n
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Day 7: Tokyo<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
We visited one of the largest seafood wholesale market in the world, the Tsukiji Fish Market<\/strong>, and thereafter, headed to Asakusa<\/strong> with its popular Japanese temple and rows of shops selling a variety of snacks and souvenirs that were uniquely Japanese.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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$\"Tokyo$ <\/a><\/p>\n
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Day 8: Tokyo DisneySea<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
We spent the whole day visiting numerous water-themed attractions at the only DisneySea in the world.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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$\"Once$ <\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
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Day 9: Tokyo Disneyland<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
We spent the day at Tokyo Disneyland trying out the fun rides, watching the parades, and catching the ‘Once upon a Time’ evening spectacular.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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$\"Tokyo\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n
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Day 10: Tokyo Shinjuku and Shibuya<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
We spent the day exploring Tokyo’s big city life in Shinjuku<\/strong> and Shibuya<\/strong> with its unlimited shopping, dining and entertainment options. We had a great Yakiniku dinner at Gyumon<\/strong> restaurant.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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$\"Halal$ <\/a><\/p>\n
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Day 11: Narita Airport<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
We had one of the best udon we have ever tasted at Narita Airport, and did some last minute souvenir shopping before bidding farewell to Japan.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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Planning for this trip<\/h1>\n
Our Japan trip was the most challenging trip I have ever planned. This was partly because many websites and maps were in Japanese. It was also because Japan was not a cheap destination, and a lot of research was required to find competitively-priced options based on the experiences and places we wanted to visit. I hope that you find the tips below useful for your planning.<\/p>\n
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Accommodation<\/h2>\n
Accommodation contributed a large part of our travel budget. In recent years, there had been an increasing number of accommodations for the budget conscious. These included apartments on AirBnB as well as Japanese-style hotels with basic amenities. Although we were initially attracted to the good rates for accommodations on AirBnB, we finally did not stay in one because we wanted to use the baggage delivery service. More about that below.<\/p>\n
$\"Gassho-Zukuri\"$ <\/p>\n
For our trip, we stayed at different types of accommodation:<\/p>\n
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Hanabi Hotel in Tokyo<\/a><\/strong><\/span> – This was a budget-friendly basic Japanese-style hotel with tatami mats and futon beds conveniently located within walking distance of Shin-Okubo. Shin-Okubo was just one train stop away from Shinjuku on the JR Yamanote Line.<\/li>\n
Hotel New Hankyu Kyoto<\/a><\/strong><\/span> – We initially planned to stay overnight in Hakone but changed plans due to seismic activity and closure of attractions there. I chose Hotel New Hankyu because it was just across the road from Kyoto station and had a restaurant that I wanted to try. It also had rooms for a family of 4-5.<\/li>\n
Yuzanso Ryokan in Kyoto<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>– One of the best ways to experience Japanese hospitality is by staying at its traditional Japanese inn called a ryokan. The price might seem higher than a typical modern hotel but because you get a hearty breakfast and a multi-course dinner that is typically around 7-9K JPY per person, you are practically getting 2 for the price of 1.<\/li>\n
Shirakawa-go Farmhouse<\/a><\/strong><\/span> – We stayed at a traditional farmhouse in this UNESCO world heritage site.<\/li>\n
Hotel Gracery Shinjuku<\/a><\/strong><\/span> – I chose this hotel because we were planning to arrive in Tokyo late in the evening and wanted a hotel that was conveniently located near Shinjuku station. This hotel was reasonably-priced at the time we booked because it was relatively new, however, we had to take two rooms. It also had a huge Godzilla at its lobby level overlooking the city.<\/li>\n
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel<\/a> <\/span><\/strong>– This hotel is one of Disney’s partner hotel and offers convenient transportation to the Disney theme parks via the Disney monorail. It also offers a direct shuttle bus to the airport. I never thought we could get great rates at a luxury hotel. Sheraton offered a room with two double-beds and an extra bed that could accommodate the 5 of us. This was only applicable if two of the kids were under 12. I was pleasantly surprised that the rates were better than a less luxurious hotel where I had to get two rooms. Believe me, I compared the rates against many hotels and apartments. The only catch was that you had to book the room at least 60 days in advance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The last tip is generally true for all hotels in Japan. The later you book, the higher the prices are likely to be.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n \n Booking.com<\/a>\n<\/ins>\n