Please have a look below at my tentative itinerary and let me know if fitting Hiroshima in might be feasible. If so, before immediately before or after Kyoto?
Also, does going to Yokosuka from Kyoto make sense, or would that require me first stopping off in Tokyo only to go back in the direction of Yokosuka? If that’s the case, I might push Yokosuka to the end of my trip.
Before you tell me to skip Yokosuka outright, though, I should say from the outset that at least one night there is essential as its basically a pilgrimage. You can read more about it here if [inclined](https://www.reddit.com/r/Shenmue/comments/13g55kg/comment/jk3iob9/?context=3). I could skip the second night or also do one night less in Tokyo in order to fit in Hiroshima.
June 3 – Arrive Osaka 9:25 PM
June 4 – Osaka
June 5 – TRAIN to Kyoto
June 6 – Kyoto
June 7 – TRAIN to Yokosuka
June 8 – Yokosuka
June 9 – TRAIN to Tokyo
June 11 – Tokyo
June 12 – Tokyo
June 13 – Tokyo
June 14 – FLIGHT TO USA 3:30 PM
3 comments
That looks incredibly tight as it is for all the travel you’re doing (which effectively is 9 days with a few travel days where you have to also do check-in/check-out of hotels, etc.. Is this your first time visiting Japan and – if so – are you flying in from the US or a destination beforehand? Asking as jet lag may or may not really need to be factored in.
Do you need to stay in both Osaka & Kyoto (as I’m guessing that’s what is happening when you say “train to”). They aren’t far apart so I’d suggest staying in one or the other (depending on what you’re wanting the vibe for most), staying close to the right station, and then getting the train between them. That’s one way to make your life slightly easier but may not shave off that much effort for the short period of time we’re talking.
Also IMO depends on what your plans are here – but either way I personally wouldn’t try to fit Hiroshima into this already packed schedule. Also, do you *need* to stay over in Yokosuka, or could you just day trip from Tokyo? The less moving you/your stuff around between hotels – IMO – the better as the more time you have to actually explore (but if you are only travelling with a backpack, I guess it’s less of a concern – unsure as you’ve not said).
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**TL;DR: Hiroshima is great, but if you decide to try to fit this in you are going to miss out on other things/be exhausted & feeling like you’re spending more time travelling than seeing things. At least that’s how I think I’d feel with this schedule if you tried to add another spot in. If this isn’t your first trip – however – there may be room for cutting/adding.**
As much as I love Hiroshima, your itinerary is too full as it stands. If Yokosuka is mandatory, I’d suggest not even going to Osaka and Kyoto and just base yourself around Tokyo. That token amount of time in Kansai barely scratches the surface and you’ll probably have a more meaningful experience by concentrating all your time in Kanto.
That’s quite the Kansai any% speedrun you’ve got going there. Decide for Osaka, Kyoto OR Hiroshima and spend more time in that place. Skip the other two. Or skip Kansai entirely, if you can still change your flight, and focus on Tokyo and surroundings completely.