Any good suggestion

I am traveling to Japan in mid September. I have been to Tokyo last year. I have seen most of Tokyo, Nikko and Hakone. What I want from this trip is to experience tranquility like when I had visited Hakone and Nikko. I have 7 days. On the first day arriving in Narita and wish to explore Ueno and Akihibara. Can anyone suggest an itinerary that will bring me to tranquil and refreshing places. I am planning to purchase a 7 day JR rail pass. And I intend to make good use of it.

For a taste of rural Japan plus some sight-seeing, consider the following loop course:

Tokyo - Nagano - Matsumoto - Kamikochi - Takayama - Shirakawa-go - Kanazawa - Kyoto - Tokyo

You can't fully utilize JR railpass on this route. The part from Matsumoto to Kanazawa you have to pay extra for bus and train. But if you do this loop within 7 days, it's still worthwhile to buy the JR railpass.

Hi William, Thank you for the reply. I like what you have suggested. I will appreciate if you could brake-down the itinery further to include the overnight stop point so that I will know where I should be each day. And can this route be done in four day because the number of days I have is less then I have thaught.

With just 4 days, itfs pretty difficult to formulate a gcomfortableh itinerary for the suggested places. You can easily spend all 4 days in Kyoto, whereas people make special trips for overnight stays in Kamikochi for mt. hiking or lodging in one of the unique gassho-zukuri farmhouses in Shirakawa-go. Here Ifll try to draft out a do-able but not too recommended itinerary for 4 days:

Day 1: leave Tokyo early by direct shinkansen to Nagano, visit Zenko-ji, take direct JR to Matsumoto and visit Matsumoto Castle, overnight in Matusumoto.

Day 2: take bus/train to Kamikochi, you only have time for walk along the riverbank in the valley (no time for mt. hiking), take bus to Takayama, overnight in Takayama

Day 3: tour Takayama in the morning, take bus to Shirakawa-go for the afternoon and take late bus to Kanazawa, overnight in Kanazawa

Day 4: tour Kanazawa in the morning and take direct JR to Kyoto.