Day trips

[JasonS]

Can Nara and Ise be seen conveniently as day trips from Kyoto? I've read that Nara is an easy day trip, but I haven't seen anything about Ise.

I'm heading to Japan in September so I'm trying to finalize my plans on where to stay. I'd like to see both Nara and Ise, but don't want to pick up my bags and be constantly moving from hotel to hotel if I can keep my base in Kyoto to see a couple other towns.

It looks like (from searching the Hyperdia website) a trip from Kyoto to Nara is just over 1 hour, and the trip to Ise is a little over 2 hours. I'll be using a Japan Rail Pass, so I'm not worrying about travel cost, just about how convenient it would be to take the train each morning and evening.

Also, not really a day trip question, but for those of you who have been to Kamakura, how much time do you recommend to see the town? Because of my travel times, I'll be arriving there later in the afternoon one day, so I'm trying to decide if I should leave the next afternoon or stay the entire next day (thus spending 2 nights in Kamakura).

Thanks very much!

[Gnarf]

We went on a day trip to Nara from Kyoto (also using rail passes) and it was a piece of cake. We could easily take our time in Nara since we focused on the few things we wanted to see. When we arrived in Nara we bought a map, ate lunch, went through some shops and then traveled by bus to the temple we wanted to see. We spent a couple of hours there and walked in the park with the roe deers. Still we were back for dinner in Kyoto and didn't feel we missed anything in Nara.
I can recommend to go see the big bronze Buddha but I would not recommend you to try and crawl through the big wooden pillar inside the temple since grown-ups tend to get stuck :giggle: (Very fun to watch tho.)
We never went to Ise or Kamakura so I don't have much to say about that. Hope you get a nice trip!

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

The route which goes to Ise from Kyoto
Though a route to use Kintetsu for is common,
If you use JR,
On board for 122 minutes
(Traveling for 134 minutes)
From Kyoto to Nagoya.
Sinkansen Nozomi No.114
08:42am - 09:18am [36min.]

From Nagoya to Iseshi.
express train Mie No.1
09:30am - 10:56am [86min.]

A route of a return.
From Iseshi to Nagoya.
express train Mie No.20
05:02pm - 06:41pm [99min.]

From Nagoya to Kyoto.
Sinkansen Nozomi No.47
06:53pm - 07:28pm [35min.]

Other time schedules,
Please refer to this site.
http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html

A time schedule of express train Mie.
http://www.isetetu.co.jp/i/dia/mie/

Ise-jingu Grand Shrine access bus route map
http://www.rosenzu.com/kankou/ise.html

The Uji bridge in Ise Jingu Shrine is rebuilt every 20 years.
This year is 20th year from rebuilding of the last bridge to .
Construction of a bridge is from December.
http://www.isejingu.or.jp/whatsnew/detail.php?uid=94

correction
Important notes:
The JAPAN RAIL PASS is not valid for any seats, reserved or non-reserved, on "NOZOMI" trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines.(The pass holders must take “HIKARI” or “KODAMA” trains.)If you use a "NOZOMI," you must pay the basic fare and the limited express charge, and for a Green Car the Green Car surcharge.
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en004.html

Sinkansen timetable
http://www.tabi-o-ji.com/shinkansen/schedule/schedule_en.html

[JasonS]

Thanks to both of you for the responses.

I'll see Nara as a day trip from Kyoto, but I think I'll spend at least 1 night in Ise.

Thanks again!