Hi,
My friend and I are planning a trip to Japan at the end of the year on a budget. Our dates are fixed (or can be shortened) and the itinerary is flexible. We would like to cover Kyoto and Nozawa Onsen mainly as both of us have been to Tokyo and Osaka before.
Tentatively:
- 26 Dec: Osaka
- 27-29 Dec: Kyoto
- 31 Dec - 2 Jan: Nozawa Onsen
- 3-5 Jan: Tokyo
We are planning our itinerary in a such a way so that we spend New Year at Nozawa Onsen. We found out that most tourist attractions are closed over this period, hence the decision to attempt to ski+ onsen.
- Are there other places we can visit (apart from temples and shrines) for New Year?
- Assuming that we are sticking with our original plan, where can we find budget accommodation in Nozawa Onsen as well as beginner's skiing classes in English? The route from Kyoto to Nozawa Onsen looks complicated. Should we get to Nagono then to Nozawa Onsen?
- Also, we are undecided if we should fly back from Tokyo or Osaka. We will choose the cheaper option as Tokyo is an optional stopover for us.
- Is it feasible to include Nikko or Nara in our itinerary?
- Please advise if we should get the 7 days JR pass?
Many thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Jump