Originally Posted by aaac
I suggest that you get straight down to Kyoto and work your way up to Tokyo. This way you can take it easy the last few days knowing that you can jump on the Narita Express and get to the airport any time you like. Plus you can make the full use of the JR pass to visit Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara and the suroundings of Kyoto. On the way back, you can use it partially to Nikko (I would suggest you to get the Tobu line) or Kanamura. You can spend the last few days zipping around Tokyo with tourist day passes.
What the JR pass buys you is the flexibility of when you decide to board the train. Once arrive at your destination, go to the ticket counter and get a return ticket at the time you like. Then when visiting, if you like the place so much, you can just throw the return ticket away and get a new one whenever you are back at the station.
Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara, Nikko
as well as Tokyo & Kyoto??? In 10 days?
That's a
really full on itinerary. Personally I'm all for a good tour - but it's really hard work and takes a
lot of research.
Perhaps that's the real danger of a JR pass - if you have one, you'll feel obliged to make use of it. Anyone going to Kyoto will feel they are committing an injustice by giving the city any less than five days. Same with Tokyo (at least for
most people....).
Did you mean Kamakura? (I think there is a place called Kanamura, but that would be pretty obscure for a first time visitor. Kamakura makes a wonderful day trip from Tokyo and can be combined with an evening walk along Yokohama port - Sakuragicho area)