Hi! I'm travelling around Japan from Sept 18 – Oct 10 and have a question about travel.
I used the Japan Rail Pass Calculator and my conclusion was that I should buy the Setouchi Area 7 Day Pass twice instead of the JR 14 day pass. Could someone weigh in if this is sensible, with my route in mind?
Here's my plan:
Day 0 – Wed 18 Sept – LONDON –> TOKYO
- Flight arrives in Tokyo.
- Train into city.
- Check into hotel. (somewhere convenient)
- Sushi. Kombini.
- Go to bed.
Day 1 – Thurs 19 Sept – TOKYO
- Chill day to recover from jetlag.
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Meiji Jingu.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum.
- Industry-related (casual) meet up in Shinagawa.
Day 2 – Fri 20 Sept – TOKYO –> KYOTO
- Travel to Kyoto to meet up with 2 local friends.
- Explore the city.
Day 3 – Sat 21 Sept – KYOTO –> KOYA –> KOYASAN
- Travel to Koya.
- Koyasan hike.
- Overnight stay at temple.
Day 4 – Sun 22 Sept – KOYASAN –> KOYA –> KYOTO
- Hike back to Koya.
- Travel back to Kyoto.
Day 5 – Mon 23 Sept – KYOTO
- Kifune shrine.
Day 6 – Tues 24 Sept – KYOTO
- Miho Museum.
Day 7 – Wed 25 Sept – KYOTO –> NAOSHIMA ISLAND
- Travel to Naoshima Island.
- Rent bike. Cycle around and look at art.
Day 8 – Thurs 26 Sept – NAOSHIMA ISLAND
- Cycle around and look at more art.
Day 9 – Fri 27 Sept – NAOSHIMA ISLAND –> ONOMICHI
- More art.
- Travel to Onomichi.
- Onomichi temple walk.
Day 10 – Sat 28 Sept – ONOMICHI –> OKUNOSHIMA –> IKUCHI ISLAND
- Rent bike.
- Begin Shimanami Kaido.
- Small detour at Omishima to visit Ōkunoshima (rabbit island).
- Stay the night on Ikuchi Island.
Day 11 – Sun 29 Sept – IKUCHI –> IMABARI –> MATSUYAMA
- Cycle to Imabari.
- Drop off bike in Imabari before travelling to Matsuyama.
- Explore Matsuyama.
- Visit Matsuyama Castle.
Day 12 – Mon 30 Sept – MATSUYAMA –> HIROSHIMA
- Visit Dogo Onse.
- Travel to Hiroshima. Stay night.
Day 13 – Tues 01 Sept – HIROSHIMA –> MIYAJIMA ISLAND
- Peace museum visit.
- Miyajima Island for night. Ryokan stay.
Day 14 – Wed 02 Oct – MIYAJIMA ISLAND –> HIROSHIMA –> TOKYO
- Ferry back to Hiroshima before taking bullet back to Tokyo. (NOTE: Is this too much travelling for one day?)
Day 15 – Thurs 03 Oct – TOKYO
- Visit Disneysea.
Day 16 – Fri 04 Oct – TOKYO
- Meet up with friend.
- Explore Nakameguro and Daikanyama.
- See sumo/Kabuki/Traditional music.
Day 17 – Sat 05 Oct – TOKYO
- Wander around Harajuku/Shibuya.
- Shibuya Sky for sunset.
- Techno event in Shibuya.
Day 18 – Sun 06 Oct – TOKYO –> HAKONE
- Travel to Hakone for hiking trip.
- Mt. Kintoki Hiking Course (pampas grass!!) or Lake Ashinoko West Bank Course.
Day 18 – Mon 07 Oct – HAKONE –> TOKYO
- Hakone Open-Air Museum.
- Travel back to Tokyo.
Day 19 – Tues 08 Oct – TOKYO
- Vintage shopping in Shimokitazawa.
Day 20 – Wed 09 Oct – TOKYO
- Unplanned day.
- Pack.
Day 21 – Thurs 10 Oct – TOKYO –> LONDON
- Morning flight home.
Thank you!
by Dependent_While_833