Yet another itinerary

Yes, another itinerary, but I%26#39;m hoping you guys can help me adjust and finalise my plans. Also wanting to make sure that I%26#39;m not over-reaching or over-travelling, or if I%26#39;ve made any glaring omissions. My air tickets are not open jaw, arriving/departing from KIX

Day 1- Arrive KIX late evening. Train to Kyoto

Day 2- Kyoto. Ginkakuji, Nanzen-ji, surrounding areas.

Day 3- Nishiki market, downtown Kyoto. Other temples, sights tbd

Day 4- Gion and surrounding areas.

Day 5- Shinkansen to Hiroshima (JR pass). Afternoon in Hiroshima- A bomb dome, Peace Memorial park etc.

Day 6- More Hiroshima. May include Miyajima. Is Miyajima worth the trip, or is it overhyped? How much time should I allow for this trip? ie. can i do 1/2 day Miyajima, 1/2 day Hiroshima?

Day 7- Shinkansen to Tokyo

Day 8- Shinjuku area

Day 9- Harajuku/ Shibuya

Day 10- Tsukiji market, Ginza and maybe Ueno or Asakusa sights.

Day 11- Transfer back to Kyoto. Check out any other interesting aspects and wander

Day 12- Day trip to Nara

Day 13- Transfer to Osaka. Check out Osaka nighlife, food, bars etc.

Day 14- Day in Osaka, fly out evening.

My travel style is to wander and explore, so I am trying to find the balance between seeing a lot that Japan has to offer, without creating a mad 2 week crush for myself. Also finding a balance between seeing sights, but not forcing myself to see absolutely everything, surrounded by bus tours day in, day out. So, for instance, I have not squeezed Himeji into the schedule, which may or may not be a good idea. Any advice, tips etc you could offer would be greatly appreciated

Yet another itinerary

You schedule is actually a bit too loose. For example, on day 7, Shinkansen does not take all day to get to Tokyo. I suggest you make a stop at Himeji for a few hours on that day.

Shinjuku takes about 1/2 day. I suggest going there late in the afternoon, wander around the shops a bit. When the sun sets, the area becomes very lively. Stroll through Kabuki-cho, walk the streets of neon lights, get something to eat, go to the Skyscraper District at the west side to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for the free observation deck view. You don%26#39;t need a whole day unless you will be shopping. The same can be said for Harajuku and Shibuya except at Harajuku, Meiji Jingu is worth a couple of hours.

A worthy half day is Kichijoji, about 20 minutes west of Shinjuku on JR. It has a much more local feel with some small shops and cafe.

There isn%26#39;t much to see at Ginza so besides its proximity to Tsukiji, it%26#39;s not a requirement. Sensoji and Nakamise-dori at Asakusa take about 2 hours. You can then ride the ferry to Odaiba although keep in mind all attractions there are man-made.

Ueno, being an older traditional neighborhood, is worth a bit of time as well but may be optional depending on your interests.

Yet another itinerary

Thanks for the advice. I am thinking if my time in Tokyo is a bit loose, I may be able to aqueeze in a trip to the Ghibli museum on one of the days.

Good idea on breaking up the trip from Hiroshima to Tokyo with a stop in Himeji. Are there lockers at the station in Himeji where I can leave my luggage while having a look around?

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