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14 day pass?

Hi,

We are travelling to Japan from 2nd - 16th March as follows:

Tokyo - 3 nights
Hakone - 1 night
Kyoto - 3 nights
Miyajima - 1 night
Osaka - 2 nights
Takayama - 2 nights
Tokyo - 2 nights

Would it be worthwhile buying the 14 day JR pass?

Thanks,

Mia.

Comments

  • edited January 2018
    Hi,
    Yes, definitely.
    However, for Hakone the pass can only take you up to Odawara.
    From Odawara you could save money on a Hakone Free Pass.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5206.html
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
    The Loop Course is a common way to see all the sights and takes a full day.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html

    Since you are already seeing Tokyo, you can largely skip Osaka during the day. After the temples of Kyoto close down around 5 PM, you can zip over to Osaka for the evening. At night the city comes alive and has some great places to see, such as Dotonbori, plus the night views from the Umeda Sky Bldg and Abeno Harukas Bldg are wonderful.
    On another evening, you could also go and see Kobe.

    Instead, I suggest you take at least half a day and see Nara - it was also a former capital and has some of Japan's best sights. Missing the Todaiji Great Buddha would be a tragedy. Nara Park has a lot of other great places, such as Kasuga Shrine, Kofukuji Temple, the Isuien and Yoshikien Gardens, and feeding the many deer in the area.
    If you want to add even more savings, take at least half a day and go see Himeji, with Japan's finest surviving original castle, and Kokoen Garden next door.
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3500.html

    For Miyajima, aside from the Itsukushima Shrine with the giant "floating" torii, the Daishoin Temple is also a must-see place. There are several other pagodas and temples, and climbing Mt. Misen offers a fantastic view over the island and whole area. If you can see Itsukushima Shrine at both high and low tides, you're in for a bonus. The shrine looks better at high tide, and at low tide you can walk out on to the beach right up to the giant torii gate.
    http://www.tides4fishing.com/jp/hiroshima/itsukushima

    Just beyond Miyajima is Iwakuni, which is another picturesque place with its iconic bridge and mountaintop castle.

    You can see regular fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
    http://www.hyperdia.com
    Under "More Options", be sure to uncheck the Nozomi box since you can't ride that train if you are using the JR pass.

    Hope that helps.
  • That's great - thank you so much for your reply.
    Mia.
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