I am landing in Narita mid Nov and will have 5 whole days in Japan with my partner. We plan to go on a scenic adventure and see several cities and sites with our JR Pass. No shopping, museums or shows. more of joyriding and going around and stopping to eat. Places we'd like to see are Hiroshima, Kobe, Kyoto (2 days) and Tokyo (2 days). Perhaps a side trip to Niigata while in Tokyo. Wondering how much we can actually see with the time we have.
0
Comments
Honestly, very little. Going to Niigata would be 2 hours one way, and may be a bit too far for a day trip.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd stick to the Tokyo area with some day trips (Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone, etc) and leave the rest for a future trip.
But if you insist on going, you could do Tokyo and Kyoto, with some evening trips to see Kobe and Osaka after the temples of Kyoto close down around 5 PM. It is not seeing much of either city though, to be frank.
First, I would move to the furthest point until the daytime allows. It could be Hiroshima but could be Tokyo for an evening arrival. Repeat a procedure, move in daytime. Once you reach to Hiroshima, then go back. The route via Kanazawa to Niigata would be better in your case.
Here is a sample for 7 days.
D1: NRT-Hiroshima
The sunset is around 17:00 in Hiroshima. You may see Mt Fuji along the way. Enjoy a dinner in Hiroshima. Oyster, Kaki, is one of the specialties there.
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&from=Narita-Airport&to=Hiroshima&date=11/15/2017&time=17:00&ft=1&ic=&ut=&up=&us=&nzm=&sub_lang=ja
D2: Hiroshima/Miyajima-Kobe
The sunrise is around 6:30 in Hiroshima. Itsukushima Shrine would be a place to visit then. Peace Park in daytime. The sunset in Kobe is around 17:00. Enjoy a dinner in Kobe, Kobe beef?
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&from=Hiroshima&to=Sannomiya(Hyogo)&date=11/15/2017&time=17:00&ft=1&ic=&ut=&up=&us=&nzm=&sub_lang=ja
D3: Kobe-Kyoto
The sunrise in Kobe is around 6:30. Fushimi Inari would be a place to visit first.
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Sannomiya(Hyogo)&to=Kyoto&date=11/15/2017&time=06:30&ft=0&sub_lang=ja
D4: Kyoto
One more day in Kyoto.
D5 Kyoto-(Kanazawa)-Niigata-Tokyo
Enjoy the Japan Sea side of Japan. You might see the Japan Alps along the way. You could have a lunch time in Niigata.
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&from=Kyoto&to=Niigata&date=11/15/2017&time=06:30&ft=0&ic=&ut=&up=&us=&nzm=&sub_lang=ja
The sunset at Tokyo is around 16:30. Enjoy the night in Tokyo.
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&from=Niigata&to=Tokyo&date=11/15/2017&time=16:30&ft=1&ic=&ut=&up=&us=&nzm=&sub_lang=ja
D6 Tokyo
The sunrise at Tokyo is around 6:00. Meiji Shrine or Tsukiji would be a place to visit then.
D7 Tokyo-Narita
Enjoy Tokyo until your flight allows.
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Tokyo&to=Narita-Airport&date=11/15/2017&time=16:30&ft=1&sub_lang=ja
Seeing the highlights of Miyajima can take most people leisurely 3/4 to a full day. The Itsukushima Shrine can be seen easily in half an hour, but Daishoin takes longer (and would be a tragedy if you just skipped it), plus climbing Mt Misen can take a couple of hours. Going to just see Itsukushima and then leaving isn't worth it - r/t from Hiroshima is about 90 minutes for trains, ferries, and footwork. Just not worth it.
Then Kyoto-Niigata-Tokyo - around 7½ hours sitting on trains to say you had lunch in Niigata. Well, if you have terminal cancer or just dead set never to return to Japan ever again, go for it. Otherwise I've never seen such reckless advice.
If you really are in a mood to barnstorm, you could do 2 days in Tokyo, 2 days in Kyoto, and a day trip to Hiroshima/Miyajima with an early morning start. You will be missing a ton of good places, but at least you can see some of the highlights and yet still spend more time sightseeing than sitting on trains. Daylight hours are short, so the more train travel you do at night, the better.
I would strongly advise you though that if you want to go to Japan, then actually experience it - don't rush through with a clock ticking at the back of your head. Over thirty years ago I did the whirlwind tour of Kyoto - must have seen over 10 places in a day, and at the end everything was just a blur, and I couldn't tell you where the pictures of one place ended and another began. Don't make that mistake. Use your money wisely. But use your time wisely too.