Ibaraki: Hitachi Seaside Park & Oarai Isosaki Shrine Day Trip from Tokyo

I was lucky that the tour guide spoke Chinese! She was such a lovely lady! Before getting off the bus, she provided simple explanations in Japanese and Chinese and even helped us take photos, which was really great! 👍🏻 There was plenty of time to spend in the park. If you walk fast, you can even see the whole park. There were vendors during the Kochia Carnival, and you can also buy a bento box at Tokyo Station or a convenience store to bring with you, as there are plenty of seats in the park to eat. The two shrines we visited weren't very big, so we had enough time at each. You'll spend a little more time taking photos at Oarai Isosaki Shrine (it might not be so convenient for older folks, as there's some climbing involved). Even if you don't buy anything, the time allotted at Mentaiko Park is just right for a break and a snack. We stopped at a rest area once on the way there and once on the way back! They were great for shopping, but there wasn't much time, so you have to be quick and decisive! The departure and arrival times were very punctual! I highly recommend this day trip. The cost isn't that much different from taking the train yourself... but it's much more convenient!

I had problems finding the Meeting spot in Shinjuku, it's an underground parking garage, not outside! But thank god the tour guide waited for me. The trip itself was nice, but I think you need more than 3 hours to see the whole Hitachi Seaside Park!

I went on a one-day trip on October 22nd. On that day, I saw the waves of grass, red and round, so beautiful. You have 3 hours to roam freely in the park, which is enough. It saves you the trouble of taking a bus, which is a gift for traveling freely.

This trip is great, the locations are interesting, the time arrangement is sufficient, passengers are allowed to go to the rest area to use the toilet midway, and the tour guide is also very kind

It is much more convenient to go with a group than to take a car on your own. The schedule of this trip is very good. You have 3 hours in the flower field to take pictures slowly.

The itinerary is quite rich. If you go to the state-owned Hitachi Seaside Park in autumn, 3 hours is just right. I like both shrines. The rice balls at the Mentaiko Factory are very special. The tour guide only speaks Japanese and English, but he is very concerned about our Chinese-speaking group members.

The trip was very convenient! The guide was knowledgeable about the places and was very helpful. Had a nice time.

Many of them were Japanese tourists that day. The tour leader only explained in Japanese at first. To be honest, it was very troublesome for people who didn’t understand Japanese. Later, he couldn’t help but ask him things in English and he would still reply. But at first, the non-Japanese tourists really I'm confused, not sure about the meeting time and location, etc. I hope there's a balance in terms of language. After all, the whole group is not just Japanese tourists. However, the tour leader was very considerate in the end and prepared small gifts for the entire group of tourists, so I still thank him!

You need to decide on the starting point in advance. The national park is very big and the red grass is luxuriant. I visited the mentaiko, bought a lot of things, and tried some food. _

It was a cost-effective tour because it went to not only Hitachi Koki Garden but also Oarai Shrine, which is difficult to get to by public transportation. However, when you first get on the bus, there is a seat reservation sign posted near the entrance, so it was a waste of time for travelers to check their seats one by one at the narrow entrance. I wish they had made it possible to check the seat reservation before getting on.