Hello! It is our first trip to Japan (two people traveling from may 11, 2016 to may 26, 2016) Wondering if you could check our itinerary and let us know if it looks ok? Thank you :)
MAIN QUESTIONS:
1. should we get the 7-day or 14-day pass?
2. is it ok to travel straight to osaka from our tokyo arrival? already booked plane ticket to NRT but want to start in osaka and end in tokyo so it's not stressful in the latter portion of our trip..
3. on DAY 5 should we do the traveling to kyoto that night OR stay night in osaka and leave early for kyoto on DAY 6?
3. on DAY 9 should we do the traveling to tokyo that night OR stay in kyoto that night and leave early to travel to tokyo on DAY 10? basically is it better to travel the night of or the next morning??
ITINERARY:
DAY 1 | (wed, 11): Arrive Tokyo NRT (12:50pm) take bullet train to osaka, explore, Stay night in Osaka.
DAY 2 | (thurs,12): Free day in Osaka. explore Osaka (Mondial Koffee, Dotonbori plus the Umeda Sky Bldg or Abeno Harukas). Stay night in Osaka.
DAY 3 | (fri, 13): Leave early for Hiroshima/Miyajima day trip. Leave early enough to return and stay night in Osaka.
DAY 4 | (sat,14): Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden..½ day at Himeji Castle and return to osaka to explore, eat, sleep.
DAY 5 | (sun,15): Leave Osaka early to Nara (FULL day trip - stay night in osaka OR travel to kyoto and stay night in kyoto
DAY 6 | (mon,16): Kyoto explore the following: Kiyomizu-dera Temple - Fushimi Inari - Sanjusangendo temple or Shugaku-in Villa - Stay night in Kyoto
DAY 7 | (tues,17): Free Day in Kyoto: koke-dera - koto-in temple - gio-ji moss garden, Stay night in Kyoto
DAY 8 | (wed,18): Kyoto day trip to Arashiyama and monkey park. Tenryu-ji Temple - Bamboo Forest - Okochi-Sanso Villa - Kinkaku-ji Temple - Daitoku-ji Temple - Otagi-Ninbutsu ji..Stay night in Kyoto
DAY 9 | (thurs,19): Explore eastern side of Kyoto - Kiyomizu-dera, Nanzenji and further to the south, the Fushimi Inari Shrine - stay night in kyoto OR travel to tokyo and stay night in tokyo.
DAY 10 | (fri, 20):Leave early to Tokyo (if stayed in kyoto). Ginza -Visit the Edo-Tokyo Museum - Stay night in Tokyo
DAY 11| (sat, 21): Travel to fuji five lakes/kawaguchiko station. Stop at kawagushiko/saiko, spend day on Mt Fuji. hike to top and return to tokyo - Stay night in Tokyo
DAY 12 | (sun,22): Free day to explore Tokyo - Stay night in Tokyo
DAY 13 | (mon, 23): trail running around tokyo: okutama, hakone, tanzawa, takao area?? Explore Tokyo at Night Roppongi Crossing (Evening) or Tokyo Skytree after Dark for view - Stay night in Tokyo
DAY 14 | (tues, 24): Free day in tokyo
DAY 15 | (wed, 25): ) Explore Tokyo east districts or Explore Tokyo at Night Roppongi Crossing (Evening) or Shinjuku for neon lights, more trail running! Stay night in Tokyo
DAY 16 | (thurs, 26): early trail run. leave tokyo (get to airport at 11a/12p, flight leaves at 1:50pm)
thank you for your help! :D