Hi!
I've bought a 21 day pass and am really excited. I'll backpack in Japan in June and will stay 26 nights. Entry and exit are from Narita. I'm trying to make an itinerary, but am not sure if it's any good.
Here it is. The first day I'll travel from Narita to Kyoto:
PLACE NIGHTS
Kyoto 5
Himeji 0
Naoshima 2
Hiroshima 3
Miyajima 1
Kobe 1
Osaka 2
Nara 2
Koya-san 0-1
Hakone 0-1
Yokohama 1
Nikko 1
Tokyo 6
My questions are:
- In which of these places should I book hostel ahead of arrival?
- What do you think of the itinerary? Am I using the JRcard in a wise way?
Best regards! /Jox
0
Comments
It looks like you'll make the 21 day pass pay off, but not by much. You can certainly add some day trips though that would increase your savings substantially. You might find 2 full days way more than enough for Naoshima, and you can see Hiroshima City too in one full day. There are many other possibilities in the area though. Just a bit past Miyajima is Iwakuni with its iconic historical bridge and mountaintop castle. Onomichi is famous for its temple tour and wildly ornate Kosanji Temple - some call it a "Buddhist Disneyland". Nearby Kurashiki is a famous old city for its canals, and Okayama also has its own castle and one of Japan's Top 3 gardens, Korakuen. Bitchu-Takahashi is another possibility. You can see some previews for many of these places at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos/
For Koyasan, a JR Pass won't help you much, so look into getting a Koyasan World Heritage Ticket:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_012.html
For Hakone, same situation. Take the bullet train to Mishima Stn and then get a Hakone Free Pass.
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/
For Nikko, if you can still take the bullet train on the Pass, then do so. Otherwise save it for some other good day trip like Kamikochi, Izu, Kusatsu, or Karuizawa. There's also a discount pass for Nikko:
http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/
And to go to Narita cheaply, use the 1000 yen bus.
http://accessnarita.jp/en/home/
I suggest you reserve a place at a hostel as soon as your schedule is set - you will not be the only ones traveling then, and from June things start to pick up. It's also the rainy season, so expect some days with heavy rain and don't forget the deodorant - even so, expect to sweat like a pig with the stuffy, muggy air.