7 Day JR Pass

[education]

Hi all,
I'm buying a 7 day JR pass and plan to utilize it this way, I hadn't planned each day in detail yet but generally is like that:

Revised:
Day 1: Narita Airport to Tokyo

Day 2 (Start of 7 day pass): Morning depart Tokyo to Osaka - Spend the rest of the day touring Osaka.

Day 3: Morning do a day trip to Nara, back to Osaka by evening.

Day 4: Morning do a day trip to Himeji Castle, late afternoon come back to Osaka.

Day 5: Depart Osaka to Kyoto

Day 6: Full day in Kyoto

Day 7: Depart Kyoto to Hiroshima, visit Miyajima for the rest of the afternoon.

Day 8 (End of 7 day pass): Afternoon depart Hiroshima to Tokyo.

Day 9: Tokyo

Day 10: Tokyo to Narita Airport


Will it be too ambitious? Any comments from the experienced bros?

 

[dreamcloud]

might be hard to get same day departure tickets between tokyo to osaka depending on the day and timing so might want to have a headup

 

[kunoichi]

why ur trip like up down up down... isn't that tiring? why not go all the way to Hiroshima then work ur way upwards (Himeji, Osaka, Kyoto) then back to Tokyo?

 

[education]

Thanks bros for your feedback!

might be hard to get same day departure tickets between tokyo to osaka depending on the day and timing so might want to have a headup

I see, in that case I will spend Day 1 in Tokyo and start the 7 day pass from Day 2 and back by to Tokyo by Day 8.

why ur trip like up down up down... isn't that tiring? why not go all the way to Hiroshima then work ur way upwards (Himeji, Osaka, Kyoto) then back to Tokyo?

Good point. As I will be based in Osaka while visiting Himeji and Nara for day trips, the train network there seems more convenient to go these 2 places. Also I must visit Nara on Day 3, as there is a festival that day.

Perhaps I can shift Hiroshima to the end, so it will be Tokyo > Osaka(Nara, Himeji) > Kyoto > Hiroshima > Tokyo

My revised full schedule:

Day 1: Narita Airport to Tokyo

Day 2 (Start of 7 day pass): Morning depart Tokyo to Osaka - Spend the rest of the day touring Osaka.

Day 3: Morning do a day trip to Nara, back to Osaka by evening.

Day 4: Morning do a day trip to Himeji Castle, late afternoon come back to Osaka.

Day 5: Depart Osaka to Kyoto

Day 6: Full day in Kyoto

Day 7: Depart Kyoto to Hiroshima, visit Miyajima for the rest of the afternoon.

Day 8 (End of 7 day pass): Afternoon depart Hiroshima to Tokyo.

Day 9: Tokyo

Day 10: Tokyo to Narita Airport

Looks better?

 

[thesal]

should be osaka and kyoto swap leh.

 

[education]

I must go Nara on Day 3, got a Yamataki festival there that day. So Osaka has to come first...


Try to limit the traveling time to each major city to within 3 hrs else half a day wasted. So I'm thinking to do Tokyo > Osaka > Hiroshima > Kyoto > Tokyo. One problem now is Himeji castle, which city should I base in to go there. Only plan on doing it as a day trip.

 

[LoveHurtsDeeply]

Wah you spend so many days in osaka and kyoto. I only planning to spend like 4d3n only... got so many things to do there?

 

[evilerniex]

I must go Nara on Day 3, got a Yamataki festival there that day. So Osaka has to come first...


Try to limit the traveling time to each major city to within 3 hrs else half a day wasted. So I'm thinking to do Tokyo > Osaka > Hiroshima > Kyoto > Tokyo. One problem now is Himeji castle, which city should I base in to go there. Only plan on doing it as a day trip.

Himeji is along the way from Osaka to Hiroshima, maybe u can make a stopover there on the way? else just based in Osaka and make a day trip to Himeji. can cover Kobe in the day trip also

 

[education]

Wah you spend so many days in osaka and kyoto. I only planning to spend like 4d3n only... got so many things to do there?

My actual time spent in Osaka isn't much. I'm using it as a base to do day trips to Nara and Himeji Castle.
But Kyoto I'm reading on, seems like can spend quite a bit of time there, need 2-3 days to cover it. There are many traditional sites to visit and its all over the place.

Himeji is along the way from Osaka to Hiroshima, maybe u can make a stopover there on the way? else just based in Osaka and make a day trip to Himeji. can cover Kobe in the day trip also

No time for Kobe and also no $$ to eat the beef. Maybe next time.
Himeji got big lockers? Stopover on the way to Hiroshima sounds good, but I can't imagine dragging the luggage all over the castle.

 

[cpuer]

My actual time spent in Osaka isn't much. I'm using it as a base to do day trips to Nara and Himeji Castle.
But Kyoto I'm reading on, seems like can spend quite a bit of time there, need 2-3 days to cover it. There are many traditional sites to visit and its all over the place.



No time for Kobe and also no $$ to eat the beef. Maybe next time.
Himeji got big lockers? Stopover on the way to Hiroshima sounds good, but I can't imagine dragging the luggage all over the castle.

Go Kobe's Arima Onsen, famous onsen town. Only have one public onsen open though, normally have 2 but now the other one doing reno.

 

[LoveHurtsDeeply]

My actual time spent in Osaka isn't much. I'm using it as a base to do day trips to Nara and Himeji Castle.
But Kyoto I'm reading on, seems like can spend quite a bit of time there, need 2-3 days to cover it. There are many traditional sites to visit and its all

I only planning to stay one day in kyoto. Haha.

 

[jackieatbtu]

My actual time spent in Osaka isn't much. I'm using it as a base to do day trips to Nara and Himeji Castle.
But Kyoto I'm reading on, seems like can spend quite a bit of time there, need 2-3 days to cover it. There are many traditional sites to visit and its all over the place.



No time for Kobe and also no $$ to eat the beef. Maybe next time.
Himeji got big lockers? Stopover on the way to Hiroshima sounds good, but I can't imagine dragging the luggage all over the castle.

My current plan is to send the luggage to Tokyo while I spend a night at Hiroshima. After Osaka/Kyoto, pay ~2000 yen to send luggage to next hotel in Tokyo. Just bring backpack to Hiroshima. On the way back from Hiroshima, can stop at Himeji. After Himeji castle, can take shinkansen to Tokyo.

 

[education]

Regarding JR passes:


Can I start making seats reservations for my entire 7 day JR pass after I've exchanged the voucher for the pass but haven't activate it yet?


Is 1 day in advance enough to secure a reservation from Tokyo to Osaka?

 

[Nalgene123]

Thanks bros for your feedback!



I see, in that case I will spend Day 1 in Tokyo and start the 7 day pass from Day 2 and back by to Tokyo by Day 8.



Good point. As I will be based in Osaka while visiting Himeji and Nara for day trips, the train network there seems more convenient to go these 2 places. Also I must visit Nara on Day 3, as there is a festival that day.

Perhaps I can shift Hiroshima to the end, so it will be Tokyo > Osaka(Nara, Himeji) > Kyoto > Hiroshima > Tokyo

My revised full schedule:

Day 1: Narita Airport to Tokyo

Day 2 (Start of 7 day pass): Morning depart Tokyo to Osaka - Spend the rest of the day touring Osaka.

Day 3: Morning do a day trip to Nara, back to Osaka by evening.

Day 4: Morning do a day trip to Himeji Castle, late afternoon come back to Osaka.

Day 5: Depart Osaka to Kyoto

Day 6: Full day in Kyoto

Day 7: Depart Kyoto to Hiroshima, visit Miyajima for the rest of the afternoon.

Day 8 (End of 7 day pass): Afternoon depart Hiroshima to Tokyo.

Day 9: Tokyo

Day 10: Tokyo to Narita Airport

Looks better?

I don't think it's necessary to shift accommodation to Kyoto since you will not be spending too much time in Kyoto..much as well just base yrself in Osaka and make a day trip to Kyoto and anyway....the Shinkansen ride from Osaka to Hiroshima is about the same duration from Kyoto

 

[turtlezhu]

Question : what is there to do in hiroshima?

 

[saffronsatire]

Question : what is there to do in hiroshima?

Peace Memorial Park (Hiroshima Travel: Peace Memorial Park), Hiroshima Castle (Hiroshima Travel: Hiroshima Castle), side trip to Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima Travel Guide)

 

[education]

Regarding JR passes:

Can I start making seats reservations for my entire 7 day JR pass after I've exchanged the voucher for the pass but haven't activate it yet?

Is 1 day in advance enough to secure a reservation from Tokyo to Osaka?

Bump.

 

[snap99]

Regarding JR passes:


Can I start making seats reservations for my entire 7 day JR pass after I've exchanged the voucher for the pass but haven't activate it yet?


Is 1 day in advance enough to secure a reservation from Tokyo to Osaka?

yes as long as your travel period is within the "active" period of your pass.
When you reserve a seat at the counter, you will need to produce your pass which will show the effective dates.

Unless its a national holiday or you are travelling on peak hours, a reservation on the same day usually works too.

 

[saffronsatire]

Regarding JR passes:

Can I start making seats reservations for my entire 7 day JR pass after I've exchanged the voucher for the pass but haven't activate it yet?

Is 1 day in advance enough to secure a reservation from Tokyo to Osaka?

once exchange can start reserving already. it's a small piece of "cardboard", not those cards with a chip, so don't need to activate per se and you gotta flash it to the attendant at the side gate when entering/exiting. can't use the normal gantry.

you can make so many seat reservations provided no queue behind you. else, they may limit you.

1 day advance reservation should be fine for periods excluding new yr, golden week, obon etc.

 

[turtlezhu]

is it a must to have JR passes to travel around in japan??

newbie here totally have no idea what different a JR pass cant we just buy like a single trip ticket or something?