Some of you are wondering if you should use JR pass or not for one way trip from Tokyo to Osaka via Hakone and Kyoto. Actually JR pass does not meet this trip. The price of 7-day JR pass is 29100 yen. One way base fare from Tokyo to Kyoto or Shin-Osaka plus Shinkansen surcharge is around 14000 yen. As long as you have one way trip from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka, JR pass is way more expensive than single fare. Even if you use JR pass when you stay in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, it is not realistic to spend another 15000 yen. Base fare in these cities is 200 to 500 yen.
In this post, I show you the sample itinerary and some deals in these cities.
*When you follow this sample itinerary, please check the updated timetable. You can find more information about timetable at the link below:
Guide to plan your trip. How to find Japan Railway’s timetables
Day 1 Narita or Haneda airport to downtown Tokyo
Suggested deals for Narita passengers
There are many deals available. Please refer the following link about Narita deals:
Suggested deals for Haneda passengers
Please refer the following links:
Day 2 Tokyo
Enjoy sightseeing in Tokyo.
You can find the detailed information of train system in downtown Tokyo in the link below. You also can find the information about the deals:
In Tokyo, the single fare is very reasonable because of a short trip. The regular fare may be cheaper if you visit one or two places. You may use IC card, such Suica or Pasmo instead:
Day 3 Tokyo to Hakone
Suggested itinerary
08:53 Shinjuku
Odakyu railway’s limited express “Romancecar” Hakone 9
10:35 Hakone-Yumoto
Leave your baggage at hotel or locker at the station. Enjoy sightseeing Hakone all day.
Odakyu Railway is most convenient to get Hakone and cheaper than JR trains. You can purchase base fare ticket and Hakone Free Pass Odawara departure at Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center at Shinjuku station.
Suggested deals
Base fare ticket (Shinjuku – Odawara) and Hakone Free Pass (Odawara departure 2 days)
You may find more information about Hakone Free Pass and Odakyu Railway in the link below:
Hakone Free Pass official site
Shinjuku departure Hakone Free Pass (5140 yen) is not required for this itinerary. Because it includes round trip to/from Shijuku. But you do not come back to Shinjuku and leave Hakone then go to Kyoto next day. Of course single fare for Shinjuku-Odawara is cheaper than the difference between Shinjuku departure Hakone Free Pass and Odawara departure Hakone Free Pass.
Once you get Hakone, use Hakone Free Pass as much as you can. You can get most of places in Hakone by this pass.
I recommend you to stay in Hakone for at least one night. But if you want to visit Hakone as “luggage free” day trip from Tokyo, Hakone Free Pass Shinjuku departure is the best deal.
I have the post which explains about the access to Hakone and the trip plan in Hakone in the link below:
Day 4 Hakone to Kyoto
Suggested itinerary
09:40 Hakone-Yumoto
Hakone Tozan Railway
09:54 Odawara
10:08 Odawara
Hikari 507
12:13 Kyoto
Odawara station is the nearest JR station to Hakone. You can catch the the Tokaido Shinkansen to get Kyoto. Please find the details about Odawara station at the following:
There are some Shinkansen train, “Hikari” stop at Odawara and takes you to Kyoto without any transfer. I picked 10:08 departure, Hikari 507. Please see the timetable at the link below and find the train what you want to take:
JR Central official site – The Tokaido and the Sanyo Shinkansen timetable
You may find Hikari which stop at Odawara mostly every two hours. Please try to catch this kind of Hikari. This is the fastest and direct way to get Kyoto from Odawara.
There is no deals to cover the trip from Odawara to Kyoto. The base fare ticket and the Shinkansen seat fee ticket are required to take the Tokaido Shinkansen. You can purchase these tickets in advance if you want. The Shinkansen and limited express surcharge tickets can be purchased at most major JR stations that have reservation window, a.k.a. “Midori no Madoguchi”. The base fare ticket also can be purchased with surcharge ticket at same time. If you do so, you can just transfer from Hakone Tozan Railway train to the Shinkansen at Odawara.
If you follow my suggested itinerary, you have half day for sightseeing in Kyoto. I recommend you to visit south part of Kyoto, like Fushimi Inari. It’s just 5 minutes away from Kyoto station by Nara line local train. If you want, you can visit even Nara.
If you need some more information about Kyoto station, please refer the link below:
Day 5 Kyoto
You can enjoy in Kyoto for all day.
Please refer the links below to find the information of train system in Kyoto and deals in Kyoto.
Day 6 Kyoto to Osaka
Suggested itinerary
09:14 Kyoto
Special rapid
09:43 Osaka
I use JR train, Special Rapid which is the fastest way to get Osaka (Umeda). It is a sort of commute train. Only base fare is required to take this train.
There are many other trains running between Kyoto and Osaka. Please see the link below to find the train network in Kansai area:
After arriving in Osaka, you may add the deal as you need.
Day 7 Osaka to Kansai airport
There are some deals available. Please see the link below:
Summary and total costs
If you have one way trip from Tokyo to Osaka, as you read above, the key is how to combine some local deals and the regular fare ticket. In this itinerary, approximate total cost is 23,000 to 26,000 yen. It is cheaper than JR Pass 7-day. And JR Pass does not cover Hakone area, subway and city bus in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. You might feel the total cost is very close to JR Pass 7-day. But actual different is much bigger.
I show you 7 days itinerary but you can extend staying in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto or Osaka. And also I have another sample itinerary that includes Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka only. Please see the following post to find it.
I hope this post will help you to build your trip plan to Japan!
Comments
Dear Takeshi san,
I have the following itinerary,
Arrive in Tokyo 26th July till 28th.
Kyoto – 29th
Nara – 30th
Osaka – 31st Jul till 2nd August
Kobe – 3rd August
Hiroshima – 4th Aug till 5th Aug
Back to Osaka – 6th Aug
Depart Japan from Osaka 7th Aug.
Would it be worthwhile obtaining the 14 Day JR Pass?
Thankyou kindly.
Regards,
Tim
Hi Time,
14 days pass is too expensive. Can you visit Hiroshima before Osaka and Kobe? If you can, you can use 7 days pass for Tokyo-Kyoto/Nara-Hiroshima-Osaka. You don’t need JR pass for Osaka and Kobe. Subway pass for Osaka and single ticket is okay for Kobe. There are lots of choices to get KIX.
https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/airport-access/kansai-kix/how-to-choose-the-deals-for-access-tofrom-kansai-airport.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Thanks so much for your useful website. I had a couple of questions:
You say that “So for example, you can make stopovers at Osaka (Umeda) and Imamiya.”
But I thought that the rules (https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/for-non-jr-pass-travellers-guide-to-use-jr-single-ticket-basic-rules-validity-and-stopover.html) say that you cannot make stopovers in the same city (Osaka). Can you clarify what the rules are?
Also, you say that you can extend the trip past 7 days and stay some extra time in some of the cities, but in the rules link above, you say that for ~600 km, the ticket is valid only for 5 days. Is there an issue there?
Thanks so much for your advice!
Hi Brandon,
If your ticket’s last destination is Osaka, you cannot stopover at any stations in Osaka. Once you exit, it’s expired. But if your ticket is to other stations. like Kansai airport, you can make stopover as many as you want. That is a restriction of stopover in major cities.
The ticket is valid for 5 days. I meant this is a sample itinerary and you can change the itinerary whatever you want.
If you extend the trip, you have to make an adjustment. If you stay in Kyoto more, you may be able to use one base fare ticket for maybe just for Odawara to Kyoto. You may add another single fare ticket for Kyoto to Osaka or maybe you can use one base fare ticket from Odawara to Osaka. it depends on your itinerary.
It’s a bit complicated. But in ticket rule, 600 km ticket is valid for 6 days only.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi,
Could you kindly please advise if JR pass should be purchased for the following itinerary?
Jun 13th – Jun 15th – Tokyo
Jun 16th – Hakone
Jun 17th – Jun 18th – Kyoto
Jun 19th – Jun 21st – Tokyo
Many thanks!
Amy
Hi Amy,
Yes. You can use JR pass 7 days. You can start to use the pass on either Jun 13 or Jun 15. As long as it covers Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Tokyo, it’s okay.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi takeshi,
I am going to japan for 8 days, here’s my plan :
April 11 – 13 tokyo
April 13-16 kyoto and osaka
April 16-18 tokyo
Should i buy jr pas or not? Please advised, thanks
Hi Helen,
Yes. JR Pass 7 days will work for your trip. As long as you use JR Pass for Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka-Tokyo, it works.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi!
Is there a pass for unlimited train for downtown tokyo + visit to Mt fuji, like an all one ticket.
will visit Tokyo Disney Sea, Imperial palace,Asakusa Sensoji Temple,Tokyo tower,Odaiba, Ueno Park, then MT fuji. Is that in corrent order.
thank you!
Hi April,
Kanto Area Pass is most affordable choice.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/jr-east-kanto-area-pass-perfect-choice-for-tourist-who-want-to-go-to-fuji-izu-nikko-for-a-day-trip.html
But some places in Tokyo cannot be accessed by JR line. You have to add single fare for subway. The following post shows you about JR Tokunai ticket. But the coverage in downtown Tokyo is same as Kanto area pass.
https://jprail.com/destinations/kanto-area/tokyo-metropolitan-district-pass-tokyo-tokunai-pass-good-choice-for-sightseeing-in-tokyo.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
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Hi!
What is the nearest JR station in Best Western Tokyo Nishikasai hotel ?
Thank you.
Hi Janie,
There is no JR station within walking distance. Subway Tozai line is the best way. JR line does not work. You can transfer to Tozai line Tokyo station. Subway line station is Otemachi. But you can walk from Tokyo to Otemachi.
Cheers,
Takehsi / JP Rail
Hi, takeshi
i am planning trip 7days to japan in july (10-17th)
day 1: arrive at kansai airport – osaka – kobe-oska
day 2: osaka -kyoto( sight seeing :kinkankuji – ginkanku ji,fusimi temple
day3: kyoto( bamboo forest in arashiyama and osen bath)
day4: kyoto-tokyo and tokyo- hitachi park- tokyo
day5: tokyo ( sight seeing around tokyo)
day6: tokyo- fuji mount- osaka
day7: osaka allday
day8 : leave japan
so, can you give me advice about jp pass, or buy ticket one by one for point to point.and how to use jp pass for that interniry
thank so much, hope to see your reply
Thao ms,
Hi Thao,
You can use JR pass for day 1 to 7. There are several deals to get Kansai airport on last day.
https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/airport-access/kansai-kix/how-to-choose-the-deals-for-access-tofrom-kansai-airport.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Takeshi-san,
Thank you for all the information and would appreciate your highly sought after advice. We are planning a trip in June and our itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Arrive in Narita airport
Day 2: Tokyo with half day to Yokohama
Day 3: Tokyo to Hakone
Day 4: Hakone to Kyoto
Day 5 to 8: Kyoto with day trips to Nara and Kurashiki
Day 9: Osaka
Day 10: Osaka to Tokyo
Day 11 to 14: Tokyo
Day 15: Depart from Narita airport
Note that we are getting the Hakone free pass for the Hakone part of the trip. We have no choice but to arrive and depart from Narita airport.
Is it best to do the 7 day JR rail pass + suica or should we get the 14 day JR rail pass?
Thank you kindly,
Trevor
Hi Trevor,
I recommend you to use 7 days JR pass for day 4 to 10, Odawara (Hakone) to Tokyo.
You may use Hakone Free Pass to/from Odawara and add single fare to Odawara from Shinjuku by Odakyu Railway.
For arrival and departure at Narita, you can use N’ex Round Trip Ticket or other deals.
https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/airport-access/narita/the-list-of-deals-for-access-to-downtown-tokyo-from-narita-airport.html
Suica ia a nice option but it does not give you unlimited ride. If you take subway more than 4 times a day, you can use subway pass.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/compare-many-discount-tickets-and-passes-for-sightseeing-tokyo-how-to-choose-the-right-tickets.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi Trevor,
I recommend you to use 7 days JR pass for day 4 to 10, Odawara (Hakone) to Tokyo.
You may use Hakone Free Pass to/from Odawara and add single fare to Odawara from Shinjuku by Odakyu Railway.
For arrival and departure at Narita, you can use N’ex Round Trip Ticket or other deals.
https://jprail.com/sample-itineraries/airport-access/narita/the-list-of-deals-for-access-to-downtown-tokyo-from-narita-airport.html
Suica ia a nice option but it does not give you unlimited ride. If you take subway more than 4 times a day, you can use subway pass.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/compare-many-discount-tickets-and-passes-for-sightseeing-tokyo-how-to-choose-the-right-tickets.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail
Hi,
I’ve been reading this post as part of my planning to Japan. I want to ask, if I am departing from Itami International Airport in Osaka instead of Kansai as mentioned above, would it be advisable for the Shinkansen ticket to be: Odawara-Osaka? Or what would you recommend? Thanks in advance!
Hi Mark,
Yes. Odawara – Osaka single ticket is the best choice. Itami airport cannot be accessed by JR trains. Limousine bus is the easiest way to get airport from Osaka (Umeda).
http://osaka-airport.co.jp/en/access/bus/
Cheers,
Takeshi / JP Rail