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Osaka -> Sakaiminato-> Yonago -> Osaka -> possible day trips to Hiroshima, Tokyo & Kyoto

Hi

My husband and I are scheduled to arrive in Osaka at Kansai Airport on the morning of 19 November 2017 and leaving Osaka on the night of 28 November 2017.

The hotel in Osaka was booked in May 2017 at a special rate and no cancellation is permitted.

As such, the current itinerary is as follows:

19 November 2017 - full day and night in Osaka
20 November 2017 - to Sakaiminato by JR
21 November 2017 - full day in Sakaiminato
22 November 2017 - leaving Sakaiminato for Yonago
23 November 2017 - Yonago to Osaka
24 November 2017 - day trip to Arashiyama, Kyoto
25 November 2017 - possible day trip to Hiroshima
26 November 2017 - possible day trip to Tokyo (not first visit to Tokyo)
27 November 2017 - day trip to Kyoto/Kobe/Nara
28 November 2017 - full day in Osaka before heading to the airport.

As such, I have the following questions:

1. I am wondering if the 7 day national JR pass is worth it from 20 November 2017 to 26 November 2017 for the itinerary set out above?

2. If I buy the Ordinary Pass does this mean that I might not be able to get a seat of the timing I want to travel when I reserve our seats at the JR office because it is also peak season?

3. Will the Green Pass be a better option of ensuring that I get the seats I at the timing on the day I want?

4. If we do not go to Tokyo, is there any other day trip that we can do that will make the 7 day pass worth worthwhile?

Thank you for taking the time to read my query.

Comments

  • Hello,

    To answer your questions:

    1) Yes, the 7 day pass would pay off. But honestly, doing a day trip to Tokyo is a total waste. It'll take you 3 hours there and 3 hours back on the trains, and that's on top of the late fall hours which will have some of the shortest daylight hours in the year. And, you say you've already been to Tokyo.
    I suggest you reconsider, and maybe instead do a day trip to Himeji, Koyasan, or Amanohashidate. You could use a JR Sanyo Sanin Area Pass to save money.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_sanyo_sanin.html

    2. It's not a peak season. It is one of the most beautiful times to see the country with the autumn colors, but getting seats should not be a problem.

    3. Not necessarily. There are also a lot fewer green seats.
    4. See #1.

    You can see previews of some of the best places to see in Japan on:
    https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos

    Hope that helps.
  • Hi Tenjin

    Thank you very much for your reply.

    As I am only familiar with the National Rail Pass, does the Sanyo Sanin Area Pass cover Osaka, Sakaiminato, Yonago, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Koyasan and Amanohashidate?

    Thank you very much for suggesting the other places. We visited Himeji last year and the other 2 places mentioned sound great!
  • Hi,
    You can see the coverage map in the link I gave you above. Only Koyasan is not covered by the pass since JR doesn't go there. However, there is a Koyasan World Heritage Ticket you can get.
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_012.html
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html

    For Amanohashidate, some people pair it with a visit to Miyama, which gives a glimpse of an old Japan that has long since vanished.
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3990.html
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3985.html

    The regional pass has a couple of benefits that the full JR Pass lacks - you can ride the fastest bullet train with it, the Nozomi, which will get you there even faster. Plus, there are a few non-JR rail lines like the Chikuzen that you can also take. Note however that the bullet train between Kyoto and Osaka is not covered.
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