Suggestions for JR pass alternatives + itinerary check

Hi

I’m currently planning my second trip to Japan for next year. I’ve been before in 2019 when the itinerary included pretty much the obvious places – Tokyo, Kyoto and some day trips. Now I want something a bit different. I’ve come up with the itinerary but I’m trying to calculate my expenses. The JR pass won’t be of use this time but I wanted to ask if there’s another kind of pass that could save us some yen. I’m also open for suggestions you you see anything wrong with the itinerary itself. And just to clarify – when we travel we like to see everything and we have no trouble going 20k and more steps a day each day just to achieve this, we’re good on bikes and where we live we have plenty of mountains to train for the hike… 😉

So, here’s the itinerary:

Day 1 Early morning landing at KIX. Take train to Shin-Osaka and then – Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Check in at hotel. First visit Shukkeien garden (closes at 17.00), then Peace memorial museum (closes 19.00) and Peace memorial park. Dine at Okonomimura.

Day 2 Get up early and take train + JR ferry to Miyajima. See as much things there as possible. Return with the last direct ferry that stops at Motoyasubashi Pier near the Peace memorial park (17.00). Stroll around – shopping and dinner. Forward luggage to the hotel in Osaka.

Day 3 Take ferry and go to Matsuyama. Check in at the hotel. Visit Matsuyama Castle, ride the Botchan train and go to Dogo Onsen.

Day 4 Get up early and take train to Imabari. Rend a bike for the day (I have to research more, but maybe Hello cycling?) and start riding on the Shimanami Kaido stopping at different sites along the way. The idea is to tide half the Shimanami Kaido up to Omishima Island, reeturn the bikes and take the ferry from Sakari to Okunoshima Island. This is probably the only place I want to re-visit this time. Marvel at the bunnies and spend the night on the island.

Day 5 More bunnies early in the morning, then take ferry back to Sakari rent bikes and cycle the other half of Shimanami kaido. Return bikes in Onomichi and take train + shinkansen to Osaka.

Day 6 Osaka day with Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, Tenmangu Shrine. The rest of the day – explore Namba area.

Day 7 Osaka day – Sumiyoshi taisha, Osaka Aquarium, Tempozan Ferris Wheel, onsen at Solaniwa Osaka Bay Tower and stoll around Dotonbori

Day 8 Leave luggage to storage and take train to Asso Station. Check in at a hotel. Trip to the neighbouring town of Shirahama – visit Adventure world to see the giant pandas and bathe in Saki-no-yu onsen. If there’s time – marvel at the fish at Shirahama undersea Observatory, visit Kinki shrine and watch the sun set at Engetsu island. Go back to Asso for the night

Days 9-12 Hike the Kumano Kodo

Take a bus for 30 min to Takijiri and start walking the Nakahechi route. I’ll make all preparations including accommodations through the kumano-travel.com website. This part of the journey will end with taking the train back to Osaka.

Day 13 Private tour from Osaka to the Asuka area (if the guy still does them by the time we get there)…

Day 14 Last day in Osaka visit Osaka Castle+history museum, the Tennoji area and Abeno Harukas.