14 day Itinerary Ideas

sean

Hello,

I'm land in Japan on the 11th of June, and fly out on the 24th of June, a total of 14 days (Any tips for bettering my itinerary would be much appreciated also).

I'm just wondering which rail pass (7 or 14 day) or combination of rail passes would be best for an itinerary along these lines:

Day 1 - Arrive at Narita Airport
Arrive at Narita Airport and spend the rest of the day in Tokyo.

Day 2-5 - Tokyo with side trips
Spend four full days in Tokyo with two of those days spent on daytrips to nearby Kamakura and Nikko.

Day 6 - Tokyo to Takayama
In the morning, travel from Tokyo toTakayama (4.5 hours) and spend the afternoon and evening exploring Takayama.

Day 7 - Takayama to Kyoto
Leave Takayama in the afternoon for Kyoto (3.5 hours) and spend the evening exploring Kyoto.

Day 8-11 - Kyoto with side trip
Spend four full days in Kyoto, with one day spent on a daytrip to nearby Nara and Osaka.

Day 12 - Kyoto to Hiroshima
In the early morning, travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima (2 hours) and visit the Hiroshima Peace Park. In the afternoon, continue on to Miyajima (40 minutes) and overnight there.

Day 13 - Miyajima to Tokyo
Get up early and spend a few more hours on Miyajima. Leave the island around eleven for Himeji (2 hours). Spend the afternoon exploring Himeji Castle. Return to Tokyo in the evening (3-4 hours).

Day 14 - Depart from Narita Airport
Depart Japan from Narita Airport.

Tenjin

A 14 day pass would save you a lot. Although looking at your plans, if you could allocate one more day to Takayama it would deepen your experience - you could go see Shirakawago & Gokayama, and even go see Kanazawa, which is well worth it.
Nara is well worth seeing - feeding the deer can be an experience at Nara Park, plus seeing Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Shrine, plus the Isuien and Yoshikien Gardens. By far the best though is seeing the Todaiji Temple & Great Buddha - don't miss it.

Osaka you can largely skip if you are seeing Tokyo. Instead, go see Himeji Castle which is the best in Japan. You can still see Osaka at night after the shrines and temples in Kyoto close at dusk. Dotonbori in Osaka is an amazing place, and the views from atop the Umeda Sky Bldg and Abeno Harukas Bldg are stunning.

For Day 12 if you get up really early, you can enjoy most of the best in Hiroshima - Peace Park & Museum, castle, and Shukkeien Garden. Miyajima will take up most of the day though. If you want more, go see Iwakuni just down the line for its historic bridge and castle.

You could also see Korakuen in Okayama, which is one of Japan's Top 3 historic gardens.


I hope you enjoy your stay!