I'll be traveling to Japan for the first time in Oct/Nov for 12 days. Instead of exploring the usual Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto circuit I plan to do Hokkaido & Tohoku with a bit of Tokyo.
This is my planned itinerary:
Day 1: Reach Tokyo early morning, take shinkansen all the way to Sendai (I will be purchasing 7-day JR Pass). I will spend 2 nights there. First day will be spent exploring the town itself
Day 2: Take train to Omoshiroyama Kogen and walk to Yamadera from there. I heard it is a 2-3 hours walk. Hopefully I'll be able to catch the autumn foliage. Return to Sendai in the evening.
Day 3: Matsushima. Will be spending the night here at a ryokan. will try to visit Shiogama-jinja (shrine) close to Hon-Shioama Station. Any other activity that I can do?
Day 4: Take train to Hakodate. Will be spending 2 nights here since by the time I reach it will be evening time. Will explore the town in the evening. Is there anything to do at night in Hakodate?
Day 5: Hakodate morning market, Kanemori Warehouses, Motomachi and take ropeway to Mt Hakodate in the evening to catch the evening / night scenery
Day 6: Take train to Sapporo. Again, will just spend the rest of the day exploring the town. Any place for a good view?
Day 7: Sapporo morning market and have a day trip to Otaru. (Last day for JR Pass)
Day 8: Fly to Tokyo/Take the bullet train
Day 9: Either go Kamakura or check out Odaiba, Roppongi, etc
Day 10: Tokyo cities - Harajuku, Asakusa, etc
Day 11: Explore Mt. Fuji. Tokyo cities - Harajuku, Asakusa, etc
Day 12: Flight home
I have a feeling I am exploring less of Hokkaido. I can reduce the number of days in Tokyo and use them in Hokkaido. Can anyone suggest if this is a good way to travel or i should make some changes?
Also, will one JR pass for 7 Days be OK to explore Hokkaido & Tohoku or do I need another one like JR South Hokkaido Pass?
Thanks in advance!