Sample itinerary Tokyo to Osaka plus Hakone, Takayama, Shirakawago and Kyoto in 7 days by Japan Rail Pass

7 to 9 days
Preserved path in Takayama. It is very popular tourist district in Takayama.
2016.12.09

Very popular scene of Shirakawago from Tenshukaku view point

7 days JR Pass price is almost same as round trip fare between Tokyo and Osaka by Shinkansen. That means if you have one way trip from Tokyo to Osaka or reverse, JR Pass is not worthwhile using. However if you add some trips when you stay in Osaka and Tokyo, you may use JR pass 7 days.

In this post, I add Hakone (trip to Odawara) and Takayama in this sample itinerary. And try to take Shinkansen (bullet train) as much as possible to get the worth of JR pass 7 days.

Day 1 Narita airport to Tokyo

You can take Narita Express to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shinjuku or Ikebukuro. Narita Express runs very frequently. Please see the link below to find the timetable.

JR East official site, Narita Express timetable from Narita airport to Tokyo

Of course you can take any JR trains in downtown Tokyo as well. After you get off Narita Express, you can take JR local trains, such as Yamanote line to get the nearest station to your hotel.

Please remember that subway and other Non JR trains are not covered by JR pass.

In this sample itinerary, Ueno is the place to stay. Ueno is four stations away from Tokyo. You need to take local train on Yamanote line. But average hotel rate is quite reasonable. You can take Tohoku Shinkansen directly. Asakusa is very close. Ueno is a good place to stay.

Day 2 Tokyo

You can use JR pass to visit many places in Tokyo. Please see the link below to find the coverage of JR pass in downtown Tokyo.

Guide to take trains in Tokyo. How to choose the best deal and the best route by train to get the major spots?

Some of the places in Tokyo cannot be reached by JR pass, such as Asakusa, Odaiba. You may need to add single fare or Tokyo Subway Ticket. If you need to take subway four times or more, think about using Tokyo Subway Ticket. You may find the information about Tokyo Subway Ticket in the link above.

Day 3 Day trip to Hakone from Tokyo

Highest mountain, Mt. Fuji from Lake Ashi, Hakone ©Odakyu Electric Railway/©JNTO

Odakyu Railway is the primary way to get Hakone. This railway connects Shinjuku and Hakone-Yumoto directly. But if you stay in east side of downtown Tokyo, such as Ueno, Akihabara, Tokyo, Ginza, Shinagawa, you have to take local train to get Shinjuku.

Meanwhile you can catch Tokaido Shinkansen at Tokyo or Shinagawa. You cannot get Hakone-Yumoto but you can get Odawara that is the gateway to Hakone. And you have JR pass. Why not take Shinkansen?

But after Odawara, JR pass does not cover any transportation. If you want to see whole part of Hakone, Hakone Free Pass is recommended. It is available from two days. This two days pass at 4,000 yen is a good deal for even one day tour.

Hakone Free Pass official site

The following sample itinerary covers most of popular sites in Hakone, such as Open Air Museum, Owakudani, Gotemba, Lake Ashi Cruise.

Sample itinerary
Ueno (10 minutes ride on Yamanote line or other local train) Tokyo
Train runs very very frequently. But in morning peak hour, train is very busy. If you want to avoid the peak hour, start your trip after 9:00 am.

Tokyo 06:56 (Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama 633) 07:36 Odawara
You need to change trains and purchase Hakone Free Pass at Odawara. If you have 30 minutes there, you do not need to rush.
*Hakone Free Pass 2 days at 4,000 yen is extra.

Odawara 08:06 (Odakyu railway local train) 08:21 Hakone-Yumoto 08:24 (Hakone Tozan Railway) 08:58 Chokokunomori
3 minutes in Hakone-Yumoto is enough to change trains. It is same platform. You can change trains in even 30 seconds.
One hour for visiting Open Air Museum near Chokokunomori station. Museum opens at 09:00 am.

Chokokunomori 10:13 (Hakone Tozan Railway) 10:16 Gora 10:27 (Hakone Tozan Bus) 11:37 Gotemba Premium Outlet
You will have 2 hours for shopping and lunch at Gotemba Premium Outlet. If you want to stay more in outlet, cut Open Air Museum or later sightseeing.

Gotemba Premium Outlet 14:00 (Hakone Tozan Bus) 14:22 Sengoku 14:35 (Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus) 14:48 Togendai (16 minutes by Hakone Ropeway) Owakudani
Enjoy walking in Owakudani

Owakudani 15:30-40 (16 minutes by Hakone Ropeway) 16:00 Togendai 16:20 (Hakone Sightseeing Cruise) 17:00
You can enjoy the view of Mt. Fuji on Lake Ashi.

Hakone-machi 17:38 (Hakone Tozan Bus) 18:00 Hakone-Yumoto 18:11 (Odakyu railway local train) 18:25 Odawara 18:42 (Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama 668) 19:17 Tokyo (10 minutes local train ride) Ueno
You do not need to go back to Tokyo quickly. The last Shinkansen train from Odawara to Tokyo is 22:42. You may enjoy onsen bath at Hakone-Yumoto. There are some day use Onsen bath near Hakone-Yumoto station.

You may find the timetable at the links below:
Shinkansen westbound (from Tokyo)
Shinkansen eastbound (to Tokyo)
Hyperdia (to check the timetable for Hakone Tozan Railway and Odakyu Railway)
Hakone Tozan Bus

Day 4 Tokyo to Takayama and day trip to Shirakawago

Gasshozukuri housing is the landmark of Shirakawago. (C) Akira Okada/ (C) JNTO

You can take Hokuriku Shinkansen to get Toyama and take limited express Wide View Hida from Toyama to Takayama. Most of Wide View Hida run between Nagoya and Takayama only. But there are a few trips running between Nagoya and Toyama. So you can get Takayama from Tokyo via Nagoya. But if you can catch Wide Veiw Hida at Toyama. Tokyo-Toyama-Takayama route is faster. I would like to show you sample itinerary by this route.

Sample itinerary
Ueno 07:26 (Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki 503) 09:31 Toyama 09:52 (Limited Wide View Hida 8) 11:23 Takayama
Leave your luggage at your hotel in Takayama. Hotel can hold your luggage even before check in. After that, have lunch in Takayama and take Nohi bus to Shirakawago.

Takayama 12:50 (Nohi bus) 13:40 Shirakawago 16:15 (Nohi bus) 17:20 Takayama
*Nohi bus is not covered by JR pass. Round trip fare at 4,420 yen is extra. Reservation is strongly recommended for taking Nohi bus. Reservation information and timetable can be found in Nohi Bus official site in the link below:
Nohi Bus official site

Day 5 Takayama to Osaka

Preserved path in Takayama. It is very popular tourist district in Takayama.

You can take limtied express Wide View Hida from Takayama to Nagoya, and Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari from Nagoya to Shin-Osaka. There is one trip of Wide View Hida running from Takayama to Osaka directly. But this train departs from Takayama at 15:36 and arrive at Osaka at 19:51. I think this is too late to arrive in Osaka. My sample schedule is the following:

Sample itinerary
Takayama 12:33 (Limited Wide View Hida 10) 15:02 Nagoya 15:11 (Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari 473) 16:03 Shin-Osaka

You can stay anywhere in Osaka. But Shin-Osaka is recommended. It is Shinkansen station. It is very accessible to Umeda, Namba, Kyoto and Kansai airport. You can get these places directly. And hotel rate is more affordable than downtown core, such as Umeda and Namba.

If you arrive in Shin-Osaka around 16:00, you still have some time to shop and eat in Osaka. Trains in Osaka run until midnight. If you take a flight in the morning on day 7, this is only chance to see Osaka.

Day 6 Day trip to Kyoto from Osaka

Torii gates in Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto

Torii gates in Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto

You can take JR trains to Kyoto. Please see JR train network in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe in the link below:

How to transfer among Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara and Wakayama. Compare Japan Railway and private railways.

You can visit Arashiyama, Nijo, Fushimi Inari shrine and Uji by JR pass. But you need to pay extra fare or buy day pass to get other places, such as Gion by bus and subway. Please see the links below to find the detailed information in the following links:

Guide to take trains in Kyoto. How to choose the best route by train to get the major spots?
How to choose the best train pass for sightseeing in Kyoto

I show you one day sample itinerary to Kyoto from Osaka. That includes Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion.

Sample itinerary
Shin-Osaka 08:16 (Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari 512) 08:31 Kyoto
You can take ordinary train, such as Special Rapid. Most of travelers do not take Shinkansen for Shin-Osaka to Kyoto because it is a short ride and very expensive. But you have JR pass and it covers Shinkansen trips as many as you want. Shinkansen is 15 minutes faster than Special Rapid train.

Kyoto 08:48 (local train) 09:03 Sagaarashiyama
Change the trains at Kyoto station to Arashiyama.

Kyoto station guide. How to transfer among Shinkansen, Kintetsu, Subway and JR local trains.

Sagaarashiyama station is located in Arashiyama. It is not located in the center of Arashiyama but you can walk to most of places in Arashiyama. You have 4 hours for sightseeing and lunch in Arahsiyama.

Sagaarashiyama 13:08 (local) 13:24 Kyoto 13:37 (local) 13:42 Inari
After Arashiyama, proceed to Fushimi Inari shrine. Inari station is located just in front of Fushimi Inari shrine.

Fushimiinari 15:08 (Keihan Railway / 210 yen extra) 15:14 Kiyomizu-Gojo (Walk 1.7 km / 20 minutes) Kiyomizu-dera temple
Even if you take a bus from Kiyomizu-Gojo station, you need to walk about 1 km. There is no buses to get Kiyomizu-dera directly. If you do not walk or travel with senior, do not hesitate to take a taxi. It costs less than 1,000 yen.

Kiyomizu-dera temple (walk about 2km) Gion
There are sightseeing spots, like Sanneizaka, Ninenzaka between Kiyomizu-dera and Gion. I highly recommend you to walk to Gion.
In my estimation, you stay in Kiyomizu-dera about 1 hour (15:45 to 16:45) and spend 2 hours from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion. If you want to visit more temples from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion, I recommend you to shorten the time in Arashiyama. Some of temples are closed by 17:00. You should leave Arashiyama by 12:00 and make one extra hour after Kiyomizu-dera.

Gion (city bus 15 to 20 minutes ride / 230 yen extra) Kyoto 19:13 (Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari 521) 19:26 Shin-Osaka

You can take later train from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka. You can enjoy the dinner in Gion or Kyoto station before going back to Shin-Osaka. You can catch Shinkansen even around 23:00. Even if you miss Shinkansen, you sill can take local or rapid train. These commute trains run until midnight.

Day 7 Osaka to Kansai airport

Limited Express Haruka connects Shin-Osaka and Kansai Airport directly.

Cost break down

Ueno – Odawara round trip by Shinkansen – 3,740 yen x 2 = 7,480 yen
Ueno – Takayama via Toyama one way trip by Shinkansen and Limited Express Wide View Hida – 15,620 yen
Takayama – Shin-Osaka via Nagoya one way trip by Shinkansen and Limited Express Wide View Hida – 10,600 yen
Shin-Osaka – Sagaarashiyama one way trip base fare – 970 yen
Sagaarashiyama – Fushimi one way trip by local train – 240 yen
Kyoto – Shin-Osaka one way trip base fare – 560 yen
Shinkansen seat fee for Shin-Osaka to Kyoto round trip – 4,500 yen

Total 39,970 yen

JR Pass 7 days is 29,100 yen. You can save around 10,000 yen. Even if you do not take Shinkansen between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka, you still can save about 5,000 yen. But actually you can save more. Some of you may notice that I do not include the fare for Narita airpot to Tokyo and Osaka to Kansai airport, and also you may take local train in Osaka and Tokyo. Train trips in Osaka and Tokyo can be made at very reasonable fare. It is not a big issue. But train trips for Narita to Tokyo and Osaka to Kansai are not cheap. I will explain why I did not include it in the next chapter

If you want to make the trip be longer

As long as you make the trips in the chapter of “Cost break down” above, JR pass 7 days works. That means you still can use JR pass even if you cannot make trip for Narita to Tokyo and/or Osaka to Kansai in 7 days period. If you can include these trips in 7 days period, you can save more. The fare for these airport access trips are the following:

Narita airport – Tokyo one way trip by Narita Express – 3,020 yen
Shin Osaka – Kansai airport one way trip by Haruka – 2,850 yen(*1)
*1 – This is regular fare. Haruka discount ticket is available at 1,300 yen but this deal covers only non reserved seat. JR pass covers reserved seat fee too.

The cost is about 6,000 yen. If you include both trips in 7 days, JR pass is a huge deal. Even if you include one of those trips, you can save more!

If you want to have more time in Tokyo, Osaka or other places, extend your stay in Japan. As long as you use JR pass for Hakone, Tokyo-Takayama-Osaka and Osaka-Kyoto round trip, 7 days pass will work and offers you a big saving.

Comments

  1. May says:
    October 7, 2017 at 12:50 am

    Dear Takeshi-san,

    I have two days extra to visit from Nagoya. Which one will you recommend to go for one day trip with elderly between Hakone and shirakawago / takayama.

    Thanks.
    May

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      October 7, 2017 at 6:09 am

      Hi May san,

      Takayama / Shirakawago is better than Hakone. Because you need to change trains, cablecar and ropeway to go around Hakone. You can get Takayama directly from Nagoya and one bus ride to Shirakawago.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  2. pia says:
    September 2, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    hi Takeshi
    thank you for the great articles about jpan
    i will travelling to japan on feb 16 – feb 26 2018 , with a group total 0f 8 pax…can u help me to see my itinerary below

    16 feb landing Kansai, stay at osaka
    17 feb visit kiyomizu dera, fushimi inari, gion and back to osaka
    18 feb visit arashiyama,osaka castle, shinsaibashi and stay osaka
    19 feb visit universal studio, dotombori and stay at osaka
    20 feb going to shirakawago and stay at takayama > renting a mini van cost 95000 yen
    21 feb going to jigokudani monkey park and going to tokyo and stay at tokyo > renting a mini van cost 95000 yen
    22 feb going to gotemba, can we go to mt fuji level 5 at this time? because my friend say that level 5 is close in this period.
    23 feb disneyland
    24 feb harajuku, ginza, odaiba
    25 feb fish market, asakusa,roponggi hills, ueno market
    26 feb shibuya, shinjuku and go to haneda airport

    can u please advise me from my itinerary, do i still need to buy JR? thanks

  3. May says:
    August 10, 2017 at 9:24 am

    Hello Takeshi-san,
    Me & my friend will be traveling Japan on Nov 14 days ( Nov 12 – 25 ). Below is our planned itinerary.

    Day 1. Arrive Khansai
    Day 2 & 3. Kyoto
    Day 4. Nara & Osaka
    Day 5. Hiroshima & Miyajima
    Day 6. Takayama & Shirakawago
    Day 7. Tateyama Kurobe Apline Route
    Day 8 & 9. Tokyo
    Day 10. Kamakura
    Day 11. Hakone & Mt.fuji
    Day 12. Hitachi seaside park
    Day 13. Disneyland
    Day 14. Back to Singapore

    Can u advise us which passes we need to use and is it ok to stay in just 2 cities ( Kyoto & Tokyo ) for whole trip ?

    Thank you

  4. Kurebiz says:
    August 9, 2017 at 8:41 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    Your articles have helped tremendously in my plannings!

    I am planning to travel to Japan from 11th to 21st Sept. Please give your opinion on my itinerary.

    11th Sep: I will reach NRT in the morning, will buy the Narita Express / collect my JR pass and take the train to Shinjuku. From there, will purchase the fuji-hakone pass and a 1-way bus ticket to kawaguchiko (stay 2 nights till 13 Sep)
    13 Sep: Take bus from Kawaguchiko to Gotemba (Would just like to confirm that this is covered by Fuji Hakone pass?). From there, sightseeing around Gotemba/Hakone area.
    14 Sep: Take Train in the morning a. Gotemba to Mishima (JR Gotemba and JR Tokaido), b. Mishima to Shin-Osaka (Shinkansen Hikari), c. Shin-Osaka to Osaka (JR Kyoto Line)
    15 Sep: Day trip to Nara
    16 Sep: Osaka to Kyoto (I have the option of taking Shinkansen Hikari or the JR Special Rapid Service. Would you be able to advise on which would be better in terms of crowd? As we will be travelling with luggages – maximum size of luggage is about 26″ luggage)
    18 Sep: Kyoto to Shinjuku-Gyoemmae (Shinkansen Hikari, followed by Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)
    21 Sep: from Shinjuku-Gyoemmae (via Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line), transfer to Shinjuku and take the Narita Express to Narita

    I have calculated and if I take the JR trains within Osaka/Kyoto/Tokyo, I will be able to make the JR pass worthwhile.
    I believe that I would need to buy the 2-way Narita express ticket as my JR pass would not be valid on the 21st, since I am activating it on the 14?
    Will the trains that I am taking for my journey be crowded during 8 to 9am?

    Thank you.

    Kurebiz

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      August 9, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Kurebiz,

      I mostly agree with your planning. Your have researched very much and I don’t have many things to tell you actually.

      1. Fuji Hakone Pass.
      It covers Lake Kawaguchi to Gotemba/Hakone. You can take bus from Gotemba to Mishima by this pass.

      2. Special rapid VS Shinkansen
      Shinkansen is faster and spacious. But you need to change trains at Shin-Osaka with luggage. As a result, the trip time is not much different. If I were you, I will stay on Special rapid. It’s more crowded but direct from Osaka to Kyoto.

      I don’t recommend you to take a local train in Tokyo and Osaka between 7:00 and 9:00 on week days.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  5. Hanh says:
    August 9, 2017 at 8:40 am

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    we’re family of 4 (2kids 6yrs and 10yrs) travelling to Japan from 3-10Sep17 as below itinerary:

    3Sep: Arrive Kansai (midnight). Stay at Kansai airport hotel
    4Sep: Train to Shin-Osaka and city tour in Osaka on own.
    Night train to Kyoto. O/N in Kyoto
    5Sep: Kyoto city tour on own. Night train to Nagoya. O/N in Nagoya
    6Sep: Fullday tour to Shirawakago (join group and not use JRpass). O/N in Nagoya
    7Sep: Nagoya – Tokyo. Morning city tour Nagoya on own and take noon train to Tokyo.
    8Sep: Fullday to to Disneysea on own.
    9Sep: Full day in Tokyo on own
    10Sep: Halfday in Tokyo on own and depart for Narita at 3pm

    I have made many search for train schedule and fare on Hyperdia and other sites but seems fares are not correct.

    Could you please help to advise if it is worth buying 7days JRpass for above itinerary?
    We prefer using JRpass for city tour own on in both cities.

    Many thanks
    Hanh

  6. Lee Sock Han says:
    August 4, 2017 at 6:06 am

    Hi Takeshi-san,

    My family of 4 would like to travel to japan on Dec25 – 2Jan 2018. Kindly advise us a most cost saving trip wth least hassle during Dec Xmas until New year holidays. How about 7days JR Pass, is it worth buying for our 9days tour as shown as below?

    24/12 Sun …. 22:30 (+1 day arriving 06:35) kul-tokyo
    25/12 Mon …. Reach hotel early morning in tokyo. City
    tour. (3N Airbnb near Ueno tokyo stn)
    26/12 Tues …. in tokyo
    27/12 Wed …. day trip to Hakone Mt.Fuji stay in tokyo
    28/12 Thurs…. early morning take shinkasen JRail to
    Takayama. Upon arrival 11am++. Chk in
    Country Takayama hotel opposite train
    stn 90m. Take Nouhi bus day trip to
    Shirakawa-go Unesco site. (1N
    Takayama ) 29/12 Fri …. take JR to Osaka arriving evening 16:00
    (4N in Osaka incl day trip to Kyoto)
    30/12 Sat …. in osaka
    31/12 Sun …. take JR 20mins for kyoto day trip
    1/1/18 Mon … day trip to kyoto
    2/1/18 Tue … returning home from osaka. Kix-kul
    09:55

    All in 8nights : (3N near Ueno tokyo station) (1N Takayama) (4N near shin-osaka station)

  7. Audrey Chai says:
    July 28, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    Hi Takshi,

    I will bring my parents (60 years old +)to visit japan in this October. Would like your comment on my initial planning. Hope is it not too tight and is a relax trip to cover for them.

    7/10 arrive at kansai airport 9pm – overnite at osaka
    8/10 – will do a visit in osaka
    9/10 – will go to kyoto in the morning or afternoon (should i buy JR pass & activate here?)
    10/10 – @ kyoto
    11/10 – plan to go shirakawago & spent one night there – is it better to access here from kyoto —>kanazawa—> shirakawago? i will take the nouhi bus to shirakawago.
    12/10 – to depart from shirakawago in late morning to mount fuji – intend to stay one night there as well and have a look at the Lake Kawaguchiko.
    13/10 – will go to tokyo area from late morning as well from mount fuji
    14/10 – sightseeing at tokyo (plan to add in hakone or i should leave it for next trip)
    15/10 – walk around tokyo as well & go to narita airport in late evening

    Thank you very much.

  8. May says:
    July 15, 2017 at 12:59 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    I am planning to visit to Japan on October with my mother (68 years old). Your article really gives me the insights into the planning of the trip in Japan.

    I would like to switch Tokyo and Nagoya in the itinerary like this Nagoya > Hakone > Kyoto > Osaka because I would like to see scenery and likes to visit to temples and parks. Air-ticket price to fly to Nagoya or Osaka is cheaper than Tokyo.

    I cannot provide my details itinerary yet as I was just planning for the trip. May I know how to access Hakone from Nagoya?

    Appreciate your help in advance.

  9. IK says:
    June 12, 2017 at 9:16 pm

    Hi Takeshi,

    May i ask your suggestion between Takayama and Kanazawa which one worth to visit?

    Please advise.

    Thank you.

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      June 12, 2017 at 9:53 pm

      Hi IK,

      It’s very hard question. I like Takayama more than Kanazawa. Takayama is much smaller than Kanazawa and it’s very easy to walk around. Hida beef is very tasty and that is one of the reason why I love Takayama.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • IK says:
        June 12, 2017 at 10:47 pm

        Hi Takeshi,

        Thanks for responding my query.

        Ah.. i love beef.. i want to try Hida beef as well. Unfortunately the hotel in Takayama mostly fully booked 🙁 left with the expensive one. That’s why i’m thinking to ho Kanazawa instead.

        • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
          June 13, 2017 at 5:56 am

          Hi IK,

          It happens very often because Takayama is small town. The choice of hotels in Kanazawa is much wider than Takayama.
          Kanazawa is very lovely and attractive city. It does not disappoint you.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

          • IK says:
            June 13, 2017 at 9:00 pm

            HI Takeshi,

            Sorry.. 1 more question. if i would like to go around Kansai area and i want to just stay in 1 city which city is better, is it stay in Osaka better or Kyoto better? As i will be traveling with my parents, so i’m thinking it’s better to stay longer in 1 place rather than change places since go around Kansai with train very fast and convenient.

            Thanks.

            • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
              June 14, 2017 at 6:02 am

              Hi IK,

              Osaka is best place because it’s located in the middle of Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Osaka has lots of hotels. And alsoin Osaka, Namba, Umeda (JR Osaka) and Shin-Osaka are the best location to stay. Namba and Umeda are downtown core of Osaka and Shin-Osaka is one station away from Umeda by JR train. But average hotel rate is more reasonable than Umeda and Namba.

              Cheers,

              Takeshi / JPRail.com

  10. Wil says:
    May 23, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    Hi Takeshi

    I enjoyed your articles and that has help me in my planning.

    Am planning to travel this November 10 – 20 with my family (2 gals 5 and 7)

    Can you take a look at the itinerary below?
    10 Nov – Arrive in Tokyo. Stay at Ueno
    11 Nov – Day trip to Hakone (Activate JR 7 day pass)
    12 Nov – Trip to Takayama from Ueno. From there, side trip to Shirakawago. Overnight at Takyama
    13 Nov – Travel to Kyoto
    14 – 15 Nov – At Kyoto. Depart Kyoto on 15 Nov evening to Hiroshima. Overnight at Hiroshima
    16 Nov – Hiroshima and Miyajima. Overnight at Hiroshima
    17 Nov – Depart for Tokyo. Side trip to Himeiji while along the way back to Tokyo
    (End of 7 day JR pass)
    18 – 20 Nov – Stay in Tokyo

    My questions:
    1. Is the above itinerary feasible? Is it very tight?
    2. For the return trip to Tokyo from Hiroshima, which do u think is a better option? Visit Himeiji or Lake Kawaguchi
    3. Is it better to get subway passes in Tokyo or just use the Sumica card?
    4. For my gal who is 5 years 6 months old at point of travel, does she need to purchase a JR rail pass? I read somewhere that she can ride for free. just want to confirm.

    Thank you very much

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