Osaka & Kyoto, Japan

[chinita8]

Hi there, I have been looking for the old Japan thread but couldn't find it anymore.

Hubby & I are planning to go on a trip to Japan which includes visiting Osaka and Kyoto.

Please help me make our itineraries for those places! To our sisses here, who has vacationed to those place already, I hope you could share with me the "must-do" and "must-go" places in Osaka & Kyoto?

Thanks so much to those who will reply ... 

[freelancer517]

we're also going to Osaka on July sana nga may mga makatulong sa itinerary

[chinita8]

^oo nga, i'm still waiting for replies from our sisses here ...

also, how is the weather from may-july?

[poshprincess]

ako rin.. i'm trying to prep an itinerary for our Osaka trip this August.. nakapagresearch na ko na konti..

we're planning to do an Osaka-Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka trip in 6 days.. ambitious right?

will go take the overnight bus to Tokyo as soon as we land Osaka. go to Tokyo Disneyland and some shopping .. take overnight bus again going to Kyoto to do some city tour and then head back to Osaka for Universal Studios.. parang amazing race..

wont take the bullet train bec it's darn expensive, around 5k one way per person and it's still gonna take u 3 hours from Osaka to Tokyo and the earliest schedule is at noon(11ish), so pag dating mo dun hapon na.. not good.

surprised nga ako.. wala pa tayong Osaka thread dito sa GT before.

oh btw, May is Spring, July is Summer and August too .. peak season waaahh

[prettymom]

wanna go to Japan too..bu we plan to get the tour, i really have no idea how to do the itinerary..if i could get ideas and infos here..i'll think twice do do the DIY na lang:)

[greyzie]

hi, mga sisses! a friend and i were in kyoto-osaka last october. added adventure if DIY yun trip, in my opinion i`ll post our itinerary and some helpful sites na rin.

day 1 - kyoto
arrived around 6am and bought the day pass ticket in the vendo machine (500 yen) in front of kyoto station near the bus stations. here are the temples we visited in chronological order.

Kiyomizudera - they open at 6am. Entrance fee is 300 yen. Do try the love stone, it`s a lot of fun!

Heian Shrine - free entrance to the courtyard but it`s 600 yen to enter the gardens. It`s most beautiful in Spring.

Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) - entrance fee is 500 yen.

Tetsukagu no michi (Path of Philosophy) - we walk to
Nanzenji using this path. Surely, maganda siya during cherry blossoms..

Nanzenji Temple - we didn`t go inside but the gardens before the temple is maganda na for photo op.

Kinkakuji Temple - it took us around 20 mins to get there. medyo malayo siya compared sa ibang temples.

Other interesting places that we failed to see:
Sanjusansendo - near Kyoto station
Fushimi Inari - need to take the local train to get there.

some helpful sites:
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/access/transport.html
http://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/cmsfiles/contents/0000019/19770/bus_navi_en200801.pdf

Day 2: Universal Studios
Day 3: Umeda Sky Building
          We failed to get to the Floating Garden Observatory due to fear of heights but a very interesting place to visit especially at night.
          Don`t forget pala the basement of this building. Parang you`re in old japan ang set up ng mga izakayas there.

hope this helps...

[poshprincess]

^super thanks for sharing your itin sis.. malamang magagamit ko yung 1st day mo

question lang, what's in Umeda Sky Building?

[greyzie]

sis, it`s one of the tallest buildings and a known landmark in osaka. two towers siya tapos sa pinakataas connected by escalators lang going to the observatory (floating garden). sa taas, you can have a 360 deg view of the city. sa gabi naman, illuminated siya kaya mukhang very romantic. i am not so sure about the entrance fee kasi we got scared at the foot of the escalator. open view rin kasi yun elevator going up to the 35th floor... tapos 35th-40th, escalator na. if you don`t have a serious fear of heights, try ninyo. i hope to go back and conquer umeda sky building din.

a discount coupon was provided by our hostel. you can get it din ata sa mga restos sa basement ng building. meron din palang store dun selling freshly made mochi, super sarap at lambot...

sorry if sobrang haba na ng kwento... nae-excite kasi for you...

[bex_broomwood]

Based on your experience, how much ang food expense ninyo?

[greyzie]

^around 1000-1500 yen/meal (set meal) is the average. 

[blooming]

pano kaya kung may kasamang mga bata.  anong sugggest ninyong itinerary. aside fr disneyland and universal... ano pa puede.

I wanted to join a tour para walang hassle sa paghahanap, etc.  kaso hindi ko gusto yung mga tours na nakikita ko kasi.  una una, i dont want to spend more than 5 days there.  tapos yung disneyland nila kadalasan 1 day lang, tapos yung umaga eh tipong arrival pa. kakapagod.

any suggestions?

[Frenzied]

Is it easy to apply for a tourist visa for Japan?

[Joycy]

Nakakainggit naman kayo! I so want to go to Japan! Most people would say na dream place nila is going to USA but not me. Never me. Japan talaga ever since ang gusto ko puntahan. 

[greyzie]

@blooming: there`s also disney sea (katabi ng disneyland). tickets are at 5800-yen but if you`ll avail the 2-day passport, 10,000 yen na lang. in tokyo, there`s ueno zoo, the miraikan museum, if you have a daughter, the sanrio puroland. at onga pala, the ghibli anime museum.

[poshprincess]

sis greyzie.. thanks for answering .. ngayon lang ako uli nakadaan ng GT..

mukhang interesting nga yung Umeda Sky Building .. sana kayanin namin siya..

u also mentioned na u stayed in a hostel.. maybe you can refer it to us? ok naman ba siya?

sensha ka na dear.. parang ikaw lang ang active dito na recent lang nakapunta..

will really appreciate your help

[greyzie]

^for a budget traveller like me, ok na siya. the name of the hostel is Hotel Chuo Oasis. it's more of a business hotel than a hostel, actually. clean bathroom and bed. it's a bit far from kyoto & nara (mga 1 hour by local train) pero good location to USJ & umeda. 

si sis jappsie before recommended j-hoppers hostel. meron sila in kyoto and in osaka. try to google it, sis..

[adamkiewicz]

Is it easy to apply for a tourist visa for Japan?

same question here.

[rache]

which travel agency would you recommend for the visa application?

[FabFabFab)]

the embassy now only accepts visa applications from Japan-embassy-accredited agencies so you can ask any agency's help but if they're not accredited, they will pass on your application to another agency na accredited.  Personally I think it's better to go straight to an accredited agency, it might take them lesser time to process your application and might be a little cheaper too. =)

[foxy_girlfriend]

Madaling magapply ng tourist visa sa japan kapag you have someone invited you.