6D6N Itinerary

Hi, we will be in Osaka Nov 20 8PM - Nov 26 8PM. We will be meeting friends on Nov 23 for Kyoto tour. I want opinions for our itinerary, and possible place to stay (budget is around USD70-80 a night:

We will be getting Sanyo Area Pass for 4 days (20,570 yen) or should we get Japan Rail Pass for 7 days (28,300 yen)?


Day 1. Osaka - 8PM, rest.

Day 2. Miyajima-Hiroshima Tour

7:30AM Travel to Hiroshima
10:00-11:30AM Mazda Museum
Lunch
1:00PM Shukkeien Garden
2:00PM Hiroshima Castle
3:00PM Travel to Miyajima for Itsukushima Shrine (planning to catch it on high tide + sunset)
6:30PM Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome
7:00PM Dinner + Hiroshima downtown

Day 3. Okayama, Fukuoka, or Himeji Castle?
(Okayama, Fukuoka, or Himeji Castle)

Travel to Kyoto.

Day 4. Kyoto Tour
Northern Kyoto and Central Kyoto
- Ryoan-ji Temple
- Kinkakuji Temple
- Kyoto Imperial Palace
Lunch then tour Eastern Kyoto
- Gion (want to see some Geishas)
- Higashiyama
- Kiyomizudera Temple
- Tofukuji Temple (southeast Kyoto) - Kyoto's most spectacular autumn foliage
- Eikando Temple - special illumination opening hours in the evenings

Day 5. Kyoto and Nara Tour
Southern Kyoto
- Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Daigoji Temple
- Arashiyama (Western Kyoto) / Bamboo Grove

Nara
- Todaiji Temple
- Kasuga-taisha

Travel to Osaka

Day 6. Osaka
- Osaka Castle
- eat Okonomiyaki
- Universal Studios?

Day 7.
- eat at Dotombori
- Osaka free day (shopping at Takashimaya/Shinsaibashi-suji)

8PM flight

Use Hyperdia for train fares, and then see if it's worth it for your visit.

Your Hiroshima Day is way too busy. You'll have to cut down stuff. Usually Miyajima + Peace Park makes for a full day, add Mazda Museum and it's already a busy day. Yours is way too rushed.

Days 4 & 5 also seem way too busy. I think it'll be impossible to do all that stuff. Even if you get to see all those places in such short amount of time, I highly doubt you will enjoy any of the activities you do. Sorry to say this but you've put too much stuff in your itinerary.

I suggest dropping your Day 6 in Osaka for another Day in Kyoto to fit all the stuff. If you don't do Universal Studios you can perfectly fit your Osaka plans in the last day. I also recommend that you distribute your Hiroshima plans and spend the morning of Day 3 in Hiroshima to fit everything, you can then head to Himeji or Okayama and spend the rest of the day in either