Tentative itinerary

We will be traveling to Japan for our honeymoon during cherry blossom season. We would be grateful if you could review are schedule and let us know if it is feasible, if you have any recommendations, and answer a few of our questions below. We have already booked our flights and a majority of our hotels but can still modify our trip.

1. Will a JR pass would be worth it?
2. Have we missed anything too major or are we staying too long anywhere?
3. Is there a hotel in the Yaeyama islands that is on the beach, with ocean views, and doesnft cost 100,000 yen/night? We would like to be able to reach the dive shops in the morning. Ferrys are fine as long as they run early enough. The closest we have been able to find so far is ANA Intercontinental but it doesnft seem to have much of a beach :( We will be in Ishigaki the beginning of April.

Day 1 - Tokyo to Niseko Afternoon arrival
Day 2 - Niseko-Ski/Board
Day 3 - Niseko-Ski/Board
Day 4 - Niseko-Ski/Board
Day 5 - AM departure to Hiroshima (flying-not yet booked). Spend the rest of the day in Hiroshima
Day 6 - Okunoshima to Miyajima to Osaka
Day 7 - Osaka to Himeji
Day 8 - Osaka Universal Studios
Day 9 - Osaka (maybe visit Kanazawa)
Day 10 - Osaka to Mt Koya
Day 11 - Osaka to Kyoto (maybe visit Nara)
Day 12 - Kyoto (maybe visit Ise or Kanazawa (if not visited previously))
Day 13 - Kyoto (maybe stay the night in Osaka)
Day 14 - Osaka to Ishigaki (flying-not yet booked)
Day 15 - Yaeyama Islands-We are in the process of trying to get PADI certified so we will be diving/snorkling
Day 16 - Yaeyama Islands
Day 17 - Ishigaki to Tokyo (flying-not yet booked)
Day 18 - Western Tokyo
Day 19 - Tokyo to Takayama (Stay the night in Takayama?)
Day 20 - Tokyo-Day trip to Nikko or Kamakura also maybe Mt Fuji
Day 21 - Tokyo Asakusa and Odaiba
Day 22 - Tokyo early afternoon departure

Thank you so much!

Jennifer & David

Okunoshima to Miyajima to Osaka is a detour. Do Miyjima first and work eastwards.

That is quite a number of snow boarding days.

How about spending more time in cities like Osaka/Hiroshima/Kyoto?

1. Will a JR pass would be worth it?

Not for your itinerary. Look into discount flights and then just buy regular shinkansen tickets between Hiroshima and Kyoto.

2. Have we missed anything too major or are we staying too long anywhere?

3 days in Niseko sounds awesome to me, but when are you planning on going? Cherry blossom season can be a little late, depending if you mean cherry blossom season for Tokyo or cherry blossom season for Hokkaido.

3. Is there a hotel in the Yaeyama islands that is on the beach, with ocean views, and doesnft cost 100,000 yen/night?

Yes, the Club Med Kabira Bay for example starts around 25,000 a night. Also have you searched agoda or booking? There are several others that are not particularly expensive. Note that many (most?) of those are not right on the beach however.

We would like to be able to reach the dive shops in the morning.

Generally no problem. Will you be renting a car?

Ferrys are fine as long as they run early enough.

Ferries to where?

The closest we have been able to find so far is ANA Intercontinental but it doesnft seem to have much of a beach :(

Hmm, their beach looks like one of the better hotel beaches to me, although it looks man-made. Are you looking for something different?

We will be in Ishigaki the beginning of April.

So that puts you in Niseko in mid March? That would be great timing.

Thanks for the quick replies :)

We will arrive in Niseko the day after peak season ends (purely coincidence but nice to have the lift tickets half off.)

3. Is there a hotel in the Yaeyama islands that is on the beach, with ocean views, and doesnft cost 100,000 yen/night?
We would like to be able to reach the dive shops in the morning.Ferrys are fine as long as they run early enough.

Sorry I don't think I was very clear with this question. I was wondering if perhaps there were some other hotels on close by islands, with more natural beauty, that weren't showing up on Agoda/tripadvisor. We would be will to take a ferry to Ishigaki to go diving in the morning, as long as it would be running early enough. We don't want to be too far from Ishigaki though as it looks like most of the dives leave from there.


Hmm, their beach looks like one of the better hotel beaches to me, although it looks man-made. Are you looking for something different?"
This is our first trip to Japan so we weren't really sure if there would be hotels with a bit more natural beauty. Something more secluded would be great since we'll prolly be renting a car.

Will a JR pass be worth it?
Depending on how you finalise your schedule, a 14 day pass might work especially if you include Osaka, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa and Tokyo.

Osaka to Kanazawa is Y7,000 each way and Tokyo to Takayama is Y14,000, so a JRpass would save you money. Add in Hiroshima to Osaka and a few other spots and it would be worthwhile.

Have we missed anythin major?
Personal preference is Kyoto rather than Osaka, but I would put Nara on the definite list.

- Recommend you stay in Takayama - it's a lengthy train trip from Tokyo.
- There is a good tour to Nikko and it is a good excursion. Fuji you could comfortably skip.