Japan-Tokyo Trip Nov 29-Dec 09 2010 Summary / Itinerary

Trip Summary

IMO, Ueno is a good area to stay because one can travel directly from the Narita Airport via the Keisei Line. Train fare is also cheaper, compared to Narita Express. From Keisei Ueno station, it is easy to walk to your hotel with your luggages. No additional train transfer or taxi required. Besides, from Ueno, it is very easy to travel to other areas of Tokyo, 25mins to Shinjuku, ~35mins to Harajuku/Shibuya ~20mins to Disneyland/DisneySea, ~8mins to Asasuka, under 15mins to Tokyo/Ginza. I simply loved the area because of its location. It also served as a good base to deposit your big luggages so that you can travel light beyond Tokyo.

Hakone is a beautiful place and very easy to travel with the freepass. Not only can you enjoy the scenery and hotsprings, view the magnificant Mt Fuji, you can also go shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlet, all within reach via the freepass. It is, however, IMO, very costly to stay in a good hotel in Hakone. It was also a pity we did not get to ride on the pirate ship as it was closed due to the heavy downpour the day before and the windy conditions on the actual day. We also missed visiting Hakone Shrine & Moto Hakone. Will probably do that the next time.

We stayed overnight at Narita due to the early flight the next morning, so had the opportunity to visit the Narita old Town and the Naritasan Temple, which was quite a nice side trip.

Also had the opportunity to taste some very delicious Japanese food in some of the recommended restaurants. Most of the meals were unforgettable: Matsusaka beef steak at Kichijoji, Lunch boxes on Romance car, Kaiseiki dinner at Hakone, Sushi at Edokko Sushi, Narita & Sushi-sei, Tsujiki, Charcoal grilled unagi at Izuei Honten,Ueno, and a la carte Japanese dishes at Shinsuke at Shin-Urayasu. Even the Japanese set meals at Honkusai, Disneyland and Sakura, DisneySea were very good.

The most unforgettable hotel is Setsugetsuka and most enjoyable hot spring is also the private hotspring in Setsugetsuka.

The weather was also superb, suitable for Asians like us.

In conclusion, would just like to say we enjoyed ourselves very much. Will be back again in the near future.



Day 1 - Flight to Incheon-Seoul

Day 2 - Breakfast -> Incheon Transit area -> Lunch -> Tokyo, Narita -> Limited Express to Ueno -> Checked in Sardonyx Hotel (Review) -> Matsusaka Beef Steak Dinner at Satou, Kichijoji -> Shinjuku at Night

Day 3 – Breakfast -> Odyaku Romance Car to Hakone-Yumoto -> Small train to Gora Station -> Leave luggages at Setsugetsuka Hotel -> Gora -> Sounzan -> Owakudani Boiling Valley -> Black Eggs -> Togendai -> checked into Setsugetsuka Hotel (Review)-> Dinner at hotel restaurant -> Outside the hotel at night

Day 4 - Breakfast -> Gora Station -> Checked out -> Gotemba Premium Outlet -> Togendai -> Check in to Hakone Green Plaza (Review) -> Dinner

Day 5 - Breakfast -> Checked out -> Odawara Castle -> Checked in Sardonyx Ueno -> Ueno Unagi Dinner at Izuei Honten, Ueno -> Ameyoko

Day 6 - Breakfast - > Ueno Park -> Lunch at Tsujiki -> Imperial Palace -> Ginza -> Asakusa -> View from Shinjuku Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building -> Ramen Dinner

Day 7 - Breakfast -> Early Lunch at Kyushu Jangara, Harajuku -> Meiji Shrine -> Harajuku -> Shibuya -> -> Dinner at Shinsuke, Shin-Urayasu

Day 8 - Tokyo Disneyland -> Lunch at Tomorrowland Terrace -> Dinner at Hokusai

Day 9 - Breakfast -> Tokyo Disneysea -> Lunch at Vulcania -> Dinner at Sakura

Day 10 - Breakfast - > Check out -> Skyliner to Narita Airport-> Holiday Inn Tobu Narita (Review) -> Lunch at Edokko Sushi
-> Old Narita Temple Town -> Naritasan Temple -> Dinner at Aeon Shopping Centre

Day 11 - Breakfast -> Flight back to Incheon -> Transit -> Lunch at Incheon -> Home Sweet Home