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Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/3 14:31
Hi Everyone,

I have been reading the forums with great interest in preparation for my first solo trip to Japan and have put together an itinerary based on what I've read here, suggestions from friends, and my own interests. I fly in and out of Osaka International Airport (Itami, not Kansai - connecting through Narita... it was a cheap flight!).

I was wondering if you will please review my itinerary below provide feedback/suggestions? I used this page (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400_osaka_10.html) as a guide.

Day 0 - Thu Oct 29 - Arrive at Itami Airport at 8 pm (2 hour layover at Narita). Thinking of booking an AirBNB in Shinsaibasi - get some food and sleep. Not counting this as a day due to late arrival!
Day 1 - Fri Oct 30 - Explore Osaka. Overnight in Osaka.
Day 2 - Sat Oct 31 - Travel to Koyasan. Overnight in Koyasan.
Day 3 - Sun Nov 1 - Travel to Hiroshima/Miyajima. Overnight in Hiroshima.
Day 4 - Mon Nov 2 - Travel to Hijemi Castle, then onward to Tokyo. Overnight in Tokyo
Day 5 - Tue Nov 3 - Tokyo.
Day 6 - Wed Nov 4 - Tokyo.
Day 7 - Thur Nov 5 - Tokyo.
Day 8 - Fri Nov 6 - Travel to Nara. Overnight in Nara.
Day 9 - Sat Nov 7 - Travel to Kyoto. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 10 - Sun Nov 8 - Kyoto.
Day 11 - Mon Nov 9 - Kyoto.
Day 12 - Tue Nov 10 - Finish off Kyoto / head to Osaka. Last night in Osaka near Itami Airport.
Day 13 - Wed Nov 11 - Depart from Itami at 8 am... 8 hour layover at Narita. Explore Narita for a few hours then fly home!

I was thinking of getting a 7-day JR Pass and activating it on Day 3 when I travel to Hiroshima. It would expire on Day 9, when I arrive in Kyoto. My days in Tokyo and Kyoto are mostly unplanned right now, I wanted to finalize the travel schedule first, then accommodation. I may do a day trip from Tokyo but I am undecided.

Questions - Is the JR Pass worth it? From what I have read and researched I think what I have planned makes it a worthwhile purchase. Anything I am missing? Is this doable? In particular I worry about Day 3 and 4, it's a long trip from Koyasan to Hiroshima followed by another long trip from Hiroshima to Tokyo. Does it make sense to move Hiroshima to another day or cutting it out completely and spending another day in Osaka? I was also thinking of cutting the extra trip to Nara, heading to Kyoto on day 8 instead and make Nara a day trip from Kyoto, then adding an extra day in Osaka (to visit Universal Studios)...

Your feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Marie
by mreegra  

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/3 18:18
Isn't there any way you can simply drop the Itami - Narita domestic flight for the return journey, and bunch up Osaka, Koyasan, Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara, and Kyoto in the first half of the trip, then you go to Tokyo, spend a few days in Tokyo, then simply fly out of Narita? Maybe the flights all come in a set and you cannot just drop a domestic leg, I don't know...
by ... (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/3 21:56
That was my thought, as well.

Your current itinerary has you travelling back from Tokyo to Osaka....in order to fly back to Tokyo!
by Winter Visitor (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/3 23:13
IF your domestic flight to Itami was bought separate from your international flight back to your home country, you could just not bother taking the flight back and follow the advice of the above posters. That way there is no penalty for changing, and most of the time a round-trip flight is less expensive than a one-way, so it might not be worth it to change to a one-way anyway. Then you'd have a more logical itinerary.

HOWEVER if your domestic flight is bundled with your international ticket, DO NOT miss that flight! Call and change if that's what you want to do. Failure to show for the first segment cancels all segments. If they're separate it doesn't matter, but if they aren't, disregard this advice!
by scarreddragon rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 04:27
Hi ..., Winter Visitor and scarredghost,

Yes, it would be ideal not to have the extra stop at Itami, unfortunately the flight deal with JAL was to Osaka and not Tokyo. By the time I booked my flight all the ones direct to Osaka were full.

I'm considering it a tour of Itami. :)

That being said, any thoughts about the itinerary I laid out?

Thanks,
Marie
by mreegra rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 04:40
Do you really need to overnight in Nara? If you leave early enough from Tokyo (10:19am), you can make it to Nara as a day trip and leave in the evening to Kyoto.

On the other hand, if you're overnighting in Nara and taking an early train (6am) to Kyoto in order to stop by Fushimi Inari (7am) before it gets crowded (awesome photo opps in the early a.m. without people present) and then go to Kyoto for lunch, then by all means do it.

Nara is close enough to Kyoto to not have to split hotel stays, imo.
by John B digs Japan rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 04:41
I meant you'd arrive in Nara at 10:19, not leaving from Tokyo at 10:10...sorry!
by John B digs Japan rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 08:21
With regards to your itinerary there is no issue with allocated time for each place. That's why no one commented on that. The only issues raised were how you were getting around.
by Joshua hugh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 11:22
Hi John B digs Japan and Joshua hugh,

Thanks so much for your feedback! I'll take the recommendation about Nara/Fushimi Inari into account.

It's good to know I've planned ample enough time in each place.

Regards,
Marie
by mreegra rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 14:34
Yes, it would be ideal not to have the extra stop at Itami, unfortunately the flight deal with JAL was to Osaka and not Tokyo. By the time I booked my flight all the ones direct to Osaka were full.

Why not get direct flights to Narita instead and save yourself a bunch of unnecessary travel and expense. You'll gain about a days worth of sightseeing time.

It's good to know I've planned ample enough time in each place.


Day 3 (Hiroshima) is too cramped. There's about 6 hours of travel time in there, which doesn't leave much time to do Hiroshima AND Miyajima. Might be better to do just one of those things.

Day 8 Stay in Kyoto and do a daytrip to Nara.
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

Re: Itinerary Check - 12 Full Days in Japan 2015/8/4 18:54
There is one thing I have to mention though. How long are you spending in koyasan?

Although, it's a mystical amazing natural place there are lack of things to do. Arriving at koyasan cable car station 2 hours before the sunsets is sufficient. Most of the places looks beautiful when the night lights are illuminating it increasing the sense of mystic. Or at dawn, especially for okunoin as it may fog over.
by Joshua hugh (guest) rate this post as useful

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