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Itinerary advice & rail passes 2015/4/22 19:47
Hi all,
Hoping you can provide some itinerary advice/feedback for the 7 days we will spend in Japan from 20-27th November 2015. I'd also like to know if there is an all-day unlimited subway/train pass that can cover a lot of these areas in the Kansai region. We will always be using the quickest route i.e shinkansen trains where possible and don't mind spending extra to get to a place quicker. We do plan on getting the 2-day Osaka Amazing Pass but wanting to know if there are other passes we can get that will cover Kyoto/Hiroshima/Miyajima and Tokyo instead of getting daily passes.

I'm travelling with my mum and Aunty which it'll be their first time in Japan whereas I've been previously in Feb 2010 and spent 9 days mostly in Tokyo so this time I wanted to focus on the Kansai area.

-Points of interest we are visiting are listed in order throughout the day

Day 1 / Fri 20 Nov / OSAKA
Arrive at Itami Airport 8pm, check in at Hotel Shinsaibashi Lions Rock.

Day 2 / Sat 21 Nov / OSAKA
Early morning at Kuromon Ichiba
Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum
Namba Yasaka Shrine
Osaka Museum of Natural History
Shitennoji Temple
Tsutenkaku Tower in Shinsekai at dusk/evening
Back to Namba/Shinsaibashi

Day 3 / Sun 22 Nov / OSAKA
Osaka Castle Park (Museum of History, Peace Osaka, Osaka Castle)
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Umeda Sky Building/Floating Garden Observatory

Day 4 / Mon 23 Nov / KYOTO
Early morning at Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kyoto Arashiyama Orgel Museum
then visit either Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) OR Kiyomizu-dera Temple. I have been to Golden Pavillion before and it was amazing so I'd personally like to see Kiyomizu-dera for something different. But for a first-timer visit to Japan for my mum and Aunty is the Golden Pavillion more a must-see? Will the autumn foliage be particularly amazing to see at Kiyomizu-dera? Or can we fit in time to see both?
Dinner/evening at Gion

Day 5 / Tue 24 Nov / HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA
Is it better to do an organised tour for less hassle to get around or can we easily visit these places on our own?
Itsukushima-jinja Shrine
Peace Memorial Park
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall
Genbaku Dome
Honkawa Peace Museum

Day 6 / Wed 25 Nov / TOKYO
Bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo. Check in at Sunlite Shinjuku hotel.
Day 7 / Thu 26 Nov / TOKYO
Day 8 / Fri 27 Nov / TOKYO
8pm fly out from Narita airport.

For our time in Tokyo so far we only have the Rikugien night illumination. What other nice gardens can we see beautiful autumn foliage?
Also plan to wander around Roppongi, Shibuya and Shinjuku areas.

Thanks for any help!
by Annegelic  

Re: Itinerary advice & rail passes 2015/4/28 07:44
Osaka and Kyoto - It would be better to have single tickets per ride or grab an Icoca IC Card and preload and use as you go rather then all day pass. You can also use in Tokyo as well. You can not use IC on Shinkansen.

Kyoto - If you start early and fast pace, you could fit both Golden Pavillion and Kiyomizu-dera otherwise I think it will be too rush. Defiantly Golden Pavillion would be a must see at anytime however if the fall foliage is available at that time then Kiyomizu-dera might be nice as well but I would actually say it is way better to see the fall colors at Arayashima.

Hiroshima - You can defiantly do this by your self. Just grab a map from the tourist center and purchase day pass with Miyajima ferry pass (there is also the ropeway package as well). Low tide time would be best to go so you can walk to the Tori but dont need to do this if you don't want. Also are you doing this as a day trip? The Atomic bomb museum will take at least 2-2.5hours to complete as you read the stories and Miyajima Island with the ropeway is also easily 3-4 hours

Tokyo - Just reload Icoca IC card if you need to for the trains.

Osaka-Hiroshima-Osaka Nozomi train
Osaka-Tokyo Nozomi train

Hope this helps!!!
Have Fun!!!
by Koohii2wii rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary advice & rail passes 2015/4/28 08:23
Hiroshima is pretty easy to do by yourself. You might get more out of it with a guide, but it depends on what you are after.

On the Peace Museum, I saw their research that said on average people only spend 45 minutes there. Including the park and nearby area it would be longer.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary advice & rail passes 2015/4/28 08:32
Actually, if you get an ICOCA card when you're in Osaka or Kyoto, it will work on the trains and trams in Hiroshima, so you'll only need to buy a ferry pass and ropeway pass. If you're getting a JR rail pass, then you can use that for the train to Miyajimaguchi, and the JR ferry to Miyajima (there's another company ferry so make sure you get the right one).
by Mon (guest) rate this post as useful

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