I'm sure you guys get these questions all the time, but after researching myself for a long time, I am kinda overwhelmed by all the options and would like to ask here for some advice. Context: My girlfriend and I are planning a 3-week trip through Japan in September.
The main issue I am having is figuring out if the JR pass (or any other type of pass) is worth it within the 3 weeks. I used some online calculators that give me some estimation, but again there are so many options. I am considering just buying the 21 day JR pass for the convenience, but don't want to spend money unnecessarily. What would you suggest for the below travel plans? If the 'To' column is empty, it just means we are exploring within the 'From' area, probably by walking and/or using the metro.
| Day | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narita Airport | Tokyo |
| 1 | Asakusa (Tokyo) | |
| 2 | Meiji Shrine (Tokyo) | |
| 2 | Harajuku (Tokyo) | |
| 2 | Shibuya (Tokyo) | |
| 3 | Asakusa (Tokyo) | |
| 3 | Kappabashi (Tokyo) | |
| 3 | Ueno (Tokyo) | |
| 3 | Ameya Yokocho (Tokyo) | |
| 4 | Central Tokyo | |
| 4 | Ahikabara (Tokyo) | |
| 5 | Tokyo | Kawaguchiko |
| 5 | Kawaguchiko | Tokyo |
| 6 | Tokyo | Nikko |
| 6 | Nikko | Tokyo |
| 7 | Tokyo | Kyoto |
| 7 | Fishimi Inari Taisha (Kyoto) | |
| 7 | Higashiyama & Gion (Kyoto) | |
| 7 | Pontocho alley (Kyoto) | |
| 8 | Arashiyama (Kyoto) | |
| 8 | Kinkaku-ji Temple (Kyoto) | |
| 8 | Central Kyoto | |
| 9 | Kyoto | Osaka |
| 9 | Osaka | Kyoto |
| 10 | Kyoto | Nara |
| 10 | Nara | Kyoto |
| 11 | Kyoto | Kobe |
| 11 | Kobe | Hiroshima |
| 12 | Hiroshima | Miyajima |
| 12 | Miyajima | Hiroshima |
| 13 | Hiroshima | Himeji |
| 13 | Himeji | Kanazawa |
| 14 | Kanazawa | |
| 15 | Kanazawa | |
| 16 | Kanazawa | Shirakawago |
| 16 | Shirakawago | Takayama |
| 17 | Takayama | |
| 18 | Takayama | Hida-Furukawa |
| 18 | Hida-Furukawa | Takayama |
| 19 | Takayama | Kamikochi |
| 19 | Kamikochi | Takayama |
| 20 | Takayama | Matsumoto |
| 20 | Matsumoto | |
| 21 | Matsumoto | Tokyo |
| 21 | Tokyo | Narita Airport |
Anyone have experience with a similar itinerary?
I hope this isn't too long haha. Thanks in advance for reading and for any suggestions and advice!
TLDR: If/what travel pass to buy? Any advice on 3-week itinerary?
by Tuur013