Journey Into Japan - 2019
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Taking off
Itinerary: our travel plans
Below is a table with the broad picture of our itinerary. Below that is a more detailed day-by-day description of the plan as of the date at the bottom of the page.
An itinerary is a plan as of a particular point in time of where to go, when, and how. But plans change, sometimes even from moment to moment. So our plans may change based on weather, surprise opportunities, changing interests, and factors beyond our control.
Tokyo, Takayama, Kanazawa, Osaka, Mt. Koya
| Day | Date | Itinerary |
| Sat | 5 October | Leave Denver in afternoon direct to Narita airport, Tokyo (NRT) |
| Sun | 6 October | Arrive NRT 4:25 p.m., limousine bus to Keikyu EX Inn Shinagawa hotel |
| Mon | 7 October | Sight seeing in Tokyo |
| Tue | 8 October | Off to Takayama |
| Wed | 9 October | In Takayama Matsuri (festival) evening parade |
| Thu | 10 October | In Takayama Festival, daytime parade |
| Fri | 11 October | In Takayama Party! |
| Sat | 12 October | To Kanazawa |
| Sun | 13 October | In Kanazawa |
| Mon | 14 October | In Kanazawa day trip to Shirakawa-go for sake festival |
| Tue | 15 October | To Osaka staying at the robot hotel |
| Wed | 16 October | To Mt. Koya our stay in a temple |
| Thu | 17 October | Back to Osaka |
| Fri | 18 October | in Osaka last night in Japan |
| Sat | 19 October |
train to Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Depart for Denver, arrive evening of same day(!) |
Denver to Narita
* Official flight is: United Airlines #143, departing Denver at 1:25 p.m.
* (Have your flight info handy for the team)
Arrive in Tokyo, 4:25 p.m.:
* Immigration / passport control
* Claim checked luggage, if any
* Customs
* Currency exchange
* Limousine bus to Keikyu EX Inn hotel
(3-13-3 Takanawa, Minato-ku
tel: 03-6743-3910)
* Check in
* Explore area on foot, dinner, or just crash!
Off to Takayama:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Check out, walk to Shinagawa station
* Shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagoya
- JR Hikari 517 to Nagoya
depart 14:40
arrive 16:17 on track 17
* Local train (Hida Express) to Takayama
- JR Hida Express 15 to Takayama
depart 16:48 from track 11
arrive 19:23
* Walk to Washington Plaza Hotel and check in
(5-20 Hanasato-cho
tel: 0577-37-0410)
* Dinner in hotel
In Takayama:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Takayama Fall Festival
* Transfer to Open Heart Pension
(1089 Arahara, Kamitakaramachi
tel: 0578-86-2235)
* Dinner in Open Heart Cafe
In Takayama:
* Breakfast in pension
* Takayama Fall Festival
* Dinner with Takayama Culture Committee
In Takayama:
* Breakfast in pension
* Program by Takayama Denver Friendship Association
To Kanazawa:
* Breakfast in pension
* Morning free
* 11:01 a.m. Hida express 3 to Toyama, arrive 12:30 on track 2
* 12:46 Shinkansen Tsurugi 715 to Kanazawa, depart track 14
* 13:09 arrive in Kanazawa
* Walk to APA Hotel Kanazawa Ekimae
(1-9-28, Hirooka
tel: 076-231-8111)
* Dinner in hotel
In Kanazawa:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Day trip (bus) to
Shirakawa-go Boburoku Festival
* Dinner on own
To Osaka:
* Breakfast in hotel, check out, go to train station
* Kanazawa to Osaka on JR Thunderbird 16 to Osaka
- depart 9:54 a.m. from track 2
- arrive at Osaka at 12:37 p.m. on track 3
Osaka subway, Midosuji Line / Nakamozu Line
from Umeda to Shinsai-bashi on Midousuji line
* Check in to HENN NA HOTEL NISHI SHINSAIBASHI (robot hotel)
(2-10-16 Nishishinsaibashi
tel: 050-5576-8355)
* Dinner in hotel
To Koyazan and Henjoson-in:
* Breakfast in hotel check out, keep one small carry on
* Ship bags to Hotel Granvia, Osaka
* Walk to Namba station
* Depart for Gokuraku Bashi, on Nankai Express Koya #9, at 1:00 p.m. on track 4
arrive Gokuraki bashi at 2:19 p.m.
transfer to cable car, five minute ride
get off at Senju-in Bashi station
ten minute walk to Koya-san around 2:45 p.m.
* Dinner in the temple
Back to Osaka:
* Breakfast in temple
* Return to Osaka
walk to senju-in Bashi station
cable car 4:29 p.m. - 4:34 p.m. to Gokuraki bashi
Nankai Express Kouya No. 8
depart 4:47, arrive shin-imamiya 6:07
JR Osaka Loop line to Osaka station
depart 6:22 from track 3/4, arrive 6:40 on track 2
* Check in to Hotel Granvia Osaka
(3-1-1 Umeda, Kita-ku
tel: 06-6344-1235)
* Dinner TBA
Homeward bound (JR pass and airline ticket):
* Breakfast on own
* Check out, get to Osaka station
* Arrive KIX terminal
* Fly home
* Official itinerary is United Airlines #34 departing Osaka at 4:50 p.m., arrive SFO 10:55 a.m.
* then United 1135 departing SFO at 12:55 p.m., arriving DEN at 4:32 p.m.
Note: arrive on same day we depart due to crossing the International Date Line.