Osaka & Kyoto, Japan Thread 2

[aranses]

^^pm you about winter illuminations

^yeah nag mockbooking ako sa USJ sinunod ko instructions nakita ko sa blog ok naman.

[darna88]

if you have 12 days to tour in osaka, kyoto and tokyo can you suggest ano okey na itenerary kung saan kayo ams magtatagal magstay? if your accompanied with a senior and a 8 yr old child. thanks

[ruthallanroy]

Hi mga sis...just want to ask if may mga alam kayo na hotels with free airport transfers in Osaka. Tried to do mock booking sa mga hotels pero di included ang airport transfer. Also, meron ba sa inyo nakapag try mag check in sa APA Villa Hotel Yodoyabashi? Di rin ba mahal mag taxi? Sorry if i have so many questions. TIA!

[fittotravel]

@darna88:
Osaka - 3 days (1 day for Universal Studios)
Kyoto - 3 days
Tokyo - 5 days (1 day for Disneyland or DisneySea, 1 overnight trip for Mt. Fuji in Kawaguchiko or Hakone)

Limit yourself to these 3 locations lang sis kasi may mobility issue kayo with a kid and a senior sa group. 

@ruthallanroy: Usually, mga 5-star hotels offer airport transfers. Otherwise, you have to go there on your own using public transportation. Sobrang mahal ng taxi even for short distance trips.

[shegie_285]

Hello everyone, recently got back from my Seoul - Osaka - Kyoto trip. Thanks sa help from this thread. Share ko lang itinerary namin. I enjoyed Kyoto a lot. And i super enjoyed Japanese food.

Dahil round trip kami from/to Kansai airport we bought the Icoca+Haruka card. Good value ito.

Day 1 - arrived lunchtime at KIX from Incheon via Peach airline (budget airline ng Japan). Walked around Osaka lang.

Day 2 - Day trip to Kobe. Had Kobe beef -  best beef, it melts in your mouth talaga.

Went back to Osaka in the evening and went up the Umeda sky tower. Had dinner sa basement ng umeda sky tower - nice here parang wala ka sa basement.

Day 3 - Ferris Wheel and Osaka Castle. Went to kyoto afterwards

Day 4 - Kyoto. Yasaka temple, Gion and Kiyomizu-dera temple.

Day 5 - I rented a Kimono and walked around, even took the subway, in it. Paid ¥4500 including doing my hair. Madami tourists na naglalakad ng naka-kimono. Mayroon din for pictorials. Went to Fushimi-Inari and Gion area

Day 6 - Kinkakuji-temple. Then went back to Seoul in the pm.

Bitin kami sa Kyoto. We wanted another day or two. Mas gusto ko din sa Kyoto, Osaka is normal city lang for me.

[IamDindin]

Hi sissies!  Eyeing Osaka and Kyoto for our first family out of the country.  Ask ko lang if puro lakad at stairs ba dito or hassle kung isasama pa si baby?  She'll be 10 months by then or baka pagka 1 yr old na nya.  TIA

[rasee16]

For 6 whole days in Japan, is it ok if 1 day Osaka, 3 days Kyoto and 2 days Tokyo?

From your feedbacks here, mukhang normal city lang kasi ang Osaka. I just want to see Universal Studios para sa Harry Potter lol. And parang gandang ganda kayo sa Kyoto kaya naisip ko mas magstay dun. What about Kyoto vs. Tokyo? Mas matagal ba dapat ako sa Kyoto rather than Tokyo?

[projectgora]

^okay naman ang plan mo, medyo amazing race nga lang ang peg kasi kasama ang Tokyo. Kung Day 1 nyo balak mag Osaka, what time ang arrival nyo sa airport? Dapat kasi maaga kayo sa USJ dahil pag maraming tao timed entry tickets na lang ang pwede to enter WWOHP. Reg. Kyoto vs Tokyo, depende sa interests mo. Kung gusto mo ma experience ang old Japan at maraming historical sites, mag stay ka sa Kyoto ng matagal. Tokyo naman kung mas gusto mo sa city, meron din namang mga historical sites sa dun

[rasee16]

Sis, excluded na dyan yung arrival and departure namin sa Japan. Sept 15-22 talaga kami. Bale 8 days pero kasi gabi na dating namin and pagalis naman, umaga. Kaya 6 days nalang ang counted ko.

What time pala ang operating hours ng shinkansen? Kasi ang mahal ng taxi. Lagot kami pag masyado kaming ginabi sa kakagala.

[shygirlme]

^sis kami 6 days osaka kyoto at tokyo. nakakapagod sa totoo lang ang haggard ng mga pictures ko haha. mas matagal kami sa tokyo pero babalik kami next time kyoto and osaka naman. sana sa cherry blossoms

[rasee16]

^sis, pano ginawa nyo sa hotels? one hotel per city ba? di pa ako nakakapagbook eh.. plano nga namin sa capsule hotels lang para mura. kaso parang ang creepy. naiisip ko kasi, mukha syang kabaong eh hahaha.

[shygirlme]

^per city sis. pero kaya naman na sa kyoto kayo mag hotel mag byahe nalang kayo to osaka tyagaan nalang hehe.

[fittotravel]

@IamDindin: It depends. If you get one of those package tours, then you won't have problems mobility-wise if kasama si baby. But if you're doing it everything on your own, kaya naman pero I wouldn't suggest it. Stroller friendly naman ang Japan pero di mo maiiwasan talaga na may times na siksikan.

@rasee16: Yes, Osaka is just like any other "normal" city. Pero between Tokyo and Osaka, Osaka ang choice ko. Akala ko mababago 'to when I visited Tokyo for the 2nd time pero hindi eh. Talagang Osaka pa rin over Tokyo. But if you bring Kyoto into the equation, walang usapan, Kyoto ang runaway winner!  I think majority of those who have been to Japan will claim na Kyoto ang isa sa pinakamagandang leg ng Japan trip nila.

As for hotels naman, when I went there alone last November, I got a capsule room in Osaka. 'Yun ang base ko when I explored Kyoto. Mabilis lang naman ang train. But when we came back (as a family) last March, nagbook ng kami separately ng accommodation in Kyoto and in Osaka. 

Lastly, capsule hotels aren't creepy at all! Kindly read my post about it (and other accommodation options in Japan) in my blog. Nasa ilalim 'yung link sa website ko. 

[candygrenade]

@rasee16: Yes, Osaka is just like any other "normal" city. Pero between Tokyo and Osaka, Osaka ang choice ko. Akala ko mababago 'to when I visited Tokyo for the 2nd time pero hindi eh. Talagang Osaka pa rin over Tokyo. But if you bring Kyoto in the equation, walang usapan, Kyoto ang runaway winner!  I think majority of those who have been to Japan will claim na Kyoto ang isa sa pinakamagandang leg ng Japan trip nila.

Been to Japan back and forth, both for business and pleasure, and I absolutely agree with you sis. Osaka is waaayyy more gaijin (foreigner) friendly too. Kyoto, especially Arashiyama, is one of the loveliest places on Earth talaga

[fittotravel]

^Agree with you, sis. Arashiyama is as nice during spring as it is in autumn.  Gusto ko na ngang magpaiwan at tumira sa Kyoto. Napakalaidback ng lugar. Punta ulit ako next month para summer naman. 

[IamDindin]

Thank you fittotravel.   Any Ryokan recommendations in Kyoto?

[shygirlme]

^sis kami sa Sumiya Kiho-an nagstay. ok naman. may pick up and drop off sa train station. malinis at mababait staff.

[IamDindin]

^thanks sis. I check ko to

[rasee16]

Ay wow.. thanks for the inputs. It never occurred to me na mas ok sa osaka kaysa sa tokyo haha plano ko pa nga 1 day lang sa osaka eh. hmm.. mas marami bang tourist spots sa osaka? haay.. naguluhan nanaman ako..

[fittotravel]

@rasee16: Hi, sis. Ako lang yan, ha?  Mas marami kasing pwedeng side trips from Osaka than from Tokyo. Mas navigable din at less crowded than Tokyo. Again, from experience ko lang 'to. Some will pick Tokyo over Osaka. Ang saving grace lang for me ng Tokyo is its proximity to Mt. Fuji. Kung hindi lang dahil dun, pwede ko nang i-skip ang Tokyo.