Advice on itinerary 12 nights

Hi I will be heading to Japan next month and have my itinerary pretty much figured out. Just wondering if I can get some advice on wether or not my itinerary looks good or if there are any suggestions.

Day 1 - Tokyo
Day 2 - Tokyo
Day 3 - Tokyo - Kyoto
Day 4 - Kytoto
Day 5 - Kyoto (day trip himeji)
Day 6 - Kyoto
Day 7 - Kyoto (day trip Nara)
Day 8 - Kyoto - Hiroshima/miyajima (overnight in miyajima)
Day 9 - Hiroshima - Hakone (overnight Hakone )
Day 10- Hakone - Tokyo
Day 11 - Tokyo
Day 12 - Tokyo (day trip Nikko )
Day 13 - Depart from Narita flight 1:30 p.m

Thank you!

The places you plan to visit and the order looks good. I was not sure if you wanted to have any help on places you wish to see inside each area or travel times. For Miyajima make sure you check the tide schedule for when you plan to arrive. I made sure I was there for both high and low tide, they each have their attributes. If you plan to see Hiroshima/ peace park and Miyajima in the same day, you will probably only make it to see either high or low tide on Miyajima.

Day 7 ON your way to or back from Nara I would advise you to check out Fushimi Inari Shrine. IT is on the way if you take the local to Nara. The JR express does not stop by Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Tokyo, is day 1 when you arrive or a full day? Depending on arrival or departure times you do not seem to have a lot of time in Tokyo. Depends on what you hope to see, but you may want to do Nikko another trip.

It also looks like a 7 day JR pass would pay off for you. I would activate it on Day 3 when you go from Tokyo to Kyoto. The last day of the pass would be day 9 when you go from Hiroshima to Hakone. Make sure to get the JR pass before you arrive in Japan, you can not get a JR pass in Japan.

Your trip looks great! I hope I did not waste your time with information you were already aware of. Safe travels and have a wonderful time.

Hey there,

Day 5: If you want to visit Himeji castle only, I don't recommend you to have a day trip from Kyoto. You can explore Kyoto more since you should need at least 3 full days in Kyoto.

I recommend you to visit Himeji castle on Day 9. I did the same in my first trip. From Hiroshima, you should stop at Himeji station, and visit the castle for around 2 hours. Afterwards, you will on the way to Hakone. Moreover, you can stop at Kobe station to have a Kobe-beef lunch also. It is very time-efficient.

Look great! Have a nice trip!