Hi all, looking for some feedback on my itinerary for my trip July-Aug. This will be my first trip to Japan, looking to sample a bit of everything, with my main interest being in checking out Tokyo and generally Japan key areas. My main concern is the pace after leaving Tokyo, where I’m mostly just spending one day in each area, and if this is too fast. I see train takes 1.5 hours on average so can’t see any problem. Let me know how this looks! Last but not least, JR calculator recommend me to get a JR pass. would you agree? Thank you!
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Jun 28 – Aug 4
**Tokyo**
1. Asakusa: Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Street
2. Akihabara: Electric Town, anime and manga shops
3. Shibuya: Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko Statue, Meiji Shrine
4. Harajuku: Takeshita Street, Omotesando
5. Tsukiji Fish Market
6. Odaiba: teamLab Borderless, Palette Town, Rainbow Bridge
7. Shinjuku: Shinjuku Gyoen, Golden Gai
8. Ueno Park, National Museum Complex
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Aug 5
**Hakone**
1. Hakone Open-Air Museum
2. Owakudani Valley
3. Lake Ashi Cruise and Hakone Shrine
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Aug 6-13
**Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe**
1. Fushimi Inari Shrine
2. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
3. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Tenryu-ji Temple
4. Gion District: Geisha spotting, Yasaka Shrine
5. Nijo Castle
6. Philosopher’s Path
7. Osaka Castle
8. Dotonbori: Glico Man Sign, street food
9. Umeda Sky Building: Floating Garden Observatory
10. Day trip to Kobe: Kobe Harborland, Nunobiki Herb Garden, Kitano-cho, Kobe beef
11. Minami: America Mura, Shinsaibashi shopping arcade
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Aug 14-15
**Hiroshima**
1. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park: A-Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Museum
2. Miyajima Island: Itsukushima Shrine, floating torii gate
3. Shukkeien Garden
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Aug 16-17
**Fukuoka**
1. Ohori Park
2. Fukuoka Castle Ruins
3. Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
4. Canal City Hakata
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Aug 18-19
**Nagasaki**
1. Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum
2. Glover Garden
3. Dejima
4. Mount Inasa Observatory
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Aug 20-23
**Tokyo**
Remaining areas of Tokyo and fly to home
2 comments
You should definitely get a JR Pass if you’re visiting more than two cities. If you want to save money, I suggest getting a one week pass that will cover your trains from 13-20 so you can get back to Tokyo from Nagasaki. Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe are near enough that you won’t really need a bullet train. You won’t really need the pass much in Tokyo too and you can just take a plane or an overnight bus from Tokyo to Osaka. Highly recommend their overnight buses.
I recommend taking a day off or even two here and there to just relax. I am pretty taxed after non-stop three weeks.