Planning a trip

I will be there from March 15-28- I know its short notice but am planning to do Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka including day trips to Hakone/Mt.Fuji, Nikko, Nara, Kamakura. I want less of the city and more of culture/nature and was planning on a 7 day JR rail pass. Can somebody help me with an itinerary and guesthouse/budget accomodations. Thanks.

I will be there from March 15-28- I know its short notice but am planning to do Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka including day trips to Hakone/Mt.Fuji, Nikko, Nara, Kamakura. I want less of the city and more of culture/nature and was planning on a 7 day JR rail pass. Can somebody help me with an itinerary and guesthouse/budget accomodations. Thanks.

I wouldnLt spend much time in Tokyo if you donLt like city life, and then sleeping out of Tokyo instead of doing just day trips; you may want to see some of Tokyo, of course; but in your case I wouldnLt spend more than 3 days exploring the city and then ILd take 1 or 2 nights at Hakone (then visit from there Mt Fuji and Kamakura). If you want to enjoy nature then skip Osaka, youLre not going to see anything extraordinary there and instead head for himeji; so ILd go for something like this
15-18 Tokyo
19 Nikko (day trip)
20-21 Hakone; Mt. Fuji; Kamakura
22-25 Kyoto (worth all the time you can spend; if you still want to visit Osaka you could make it as an afternoon trip from Kyoto and back)
26 Nara
27 Himeji
28 Come back

For that itinerary it would be best to fly into Narita and fly out from Osaka. But if thatLs not possible better visit Himeji in the morning of 27 and then come back to Tokyo in the evening.

Thanks for your insightful reply. Is it worth it to get the 7 day JR rail pass. I am finding it tough to find accomodations in tokyo- any recommendations?.

All budgets:
http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/

Low budget:
http://www.hostelworld.com/index.php

I have booked the following itinery for myself and daughter for April. Im pretty sure should be good if you need some suggestions, we fly into Kansai (Osaka) 4 nights in the Osaka Fujiya hotel 10,000 yen for a twin room per night.Thru Rakuten travel.10 minute walk from Shinshaibashi station.123 bus overnight to Tokyo, book online,english site 5,ooo yen each saving a hotel room cost for night,arrive Tokyo, next morning. 4 nights at Newstar hotel Ikebukuro 9,500 twin room per night also thru Rakuten travel, overnightbus 123 back to kyoto, 7 nights at Comfort Inn Kyoto Goja, 11,500 yen per twin including breakfast.Hope this helps. enjoy holiday