Day trip Kyoto to Himeji and Hiroshima

I will have a 7 day JR pass and would like to take a day trip to Himeji Castle and Hiroshima museum. Which trains, times, taxis, buses, would I need to take for the round trip and what would be a good itinerary from the Hotel Monterey Kyoto?

Day trip Kyoto to Himeji and Hiroshima

Access information:

…hiroshima.jp/frame/…guide2_4.html

www.himeji-castle.gr.jp/ENGLISH/visitor.htm

Train schedules and fare here - www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

Day trip Kyoto to Himeji and Hiroshima

I read on the forum that you could arrange a trip in one day to go from Kyoto to Himeji and also Hiroshima using the 7 day JR pass. I can%26#39;t seem to get a schedule to work, that is why I made this post, hoping someone familiar with Japan and the train schedules could route it for me to do in one day.

The following train schedules are based on the new timetable effective 14th March.

From the hotel, walk to Subway Karasuma-Oike Station and head to Kyoto Station, five minutes, 210 yen each way.

http://tinyurl.com/chzh9p

Then take the Shinkansen Hikari to Himeji.

Kyoto 8:02 -%26gt; 9:00 Himeji

Himeji Castle visit guide:

…blogspot.com/2008/10/visit-to-himeji-castle…

Head onto Hiroshima by Hikari.

Himeji 12:52 -%26gt; 13:54 Hiroshima

Catch the tram or a taxi to the meseum.

…blogspot.com/2008/08/getting-around-hiroshi…

Then return to Kyoto on the Hikari.

E.g. Hiroshima 19:51 -%26gt; 21:48 Kyoto (direct service)

Optimistk, thank you once again for exactly what I needed.

Optimistk, the blog you sent me to regarding the castle gives me some questions.......1) the tower will be scaffolded from April 2009 and I will be going in May, so how will that change the visit, do you think, and 2) there seems to be some confusion about which exits to take, and since I am on a limited time frame to get back to take the train to Hiroshima and don%26#39;t speak any Japanese, do you think this trip too ambitious for a lone elderly woman traveler? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Don%26#39;t worry about being able to speak Japanese. Many Japanese (especially working on the railways, etc) speak enough English and are eager to help visitors. You can see Himeji Castle from the train coming into Himeji - so just turn west at the station and you%26#39;ll bump into it. The tram to Hiroshima Peace Park leaves from the railway station entrance. If you%26#39;re thinking of going to Hiroshima, you should not miss Miyajima Island (but Himeji, Hiroshima Peace Park, Hiroshima Museum, and Miyajima Island would be virtually impossible in one day.

I contacted the Himeji Castle and JR West, the operator of Himeji Station.

The construction work in Himeji Castle will commence this autumn, the tower will be scaffolded from next spring and it will continue for a year. Therefore you can enjoy a great view of the tower.

I apologize for the fact that the info on my blog wasn%26#39;t precise as to the period of the renovation work there. I%26#39;ve just amended it.

Himeji Station has reportedly been a mess. When you exit the Shinkansen premises, you might ask a station clerk which exit to get out of in the station to head onto the castle. Many foreign tourists use the station so the clerks are accustomed to handling them. As stated by the above poster, you son%26#39;t have to worry.

Happy travels.

Thank you all for your swift and helpful replies.

We visited Himeji in October and I don%26#39;t remember there being any confusion as to which exit to take so I assume that it must have been well signposted. Don%26#39;t worry!

I was just there last month. There is some significant construction going on but I would not consider it a mess. It%26#39;s very orderly and the signs are very clear, in English, too. Inside the station area there are some detours to get to the castle side but it%26#39;s not difficult to navigate at all.