You would benefit from using a regular 14-day JR pass for all train travel including the NEx to and from Narita(if that is your flight destination in Tokyo).

Kawaguchiko and Nikko are long day trips from Tokyo with at least 4-hours or more of train time round trip each. I would advise at least an overnight if you want to see anything at a leisurely pace in those areas. They can be both done as a day trip but you will be rushing. Other than that your itinerary looks fine.

Aloha!

Another thing that just jumped out at me is that you will be traveling in prime cherry blossom season so your hotel reservations if not made already should be made very shortly with lots of places already probably at their short end of available hotel rooms.

Aloha!

Thank you - we're going to book some things tonight

We are flying into Narita.

We were in Hawai'i this past July - loved it!

mebanana...as promised here are some Tokyo-Kyoto pics that will help you plan...I didn't shoot in Nara, but it's well worth a half day..as is Miho Museum out in the boondocks of Kyoto. It's a 15 minutes train ride,and a 40 minute bus ride to the very remote I.M. Pei masterpiece. Try to fit it in.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/MoreKyoto#

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/KyotoMihoMuseumIMPei#

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/ChinaAndJapanPartTwo#

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/JapanKyotoThreeSistersInnAndOtherScenes#

ht, you think that the 14 day JR pass is necessary? mebanana is leaving and returning to Tokyo within 7 days....is the extra cost worth it to go to NRT and Kamakura, Nikko, etc....?

Yes if the OP uses for NEx round trip=¥6,000
Tokyo-Nikko r/t=¥10,800
Tokyo-Kawaguchiko r/t=¥8,400
Tokyo-Kamakura r/t=¥1,750
Total is ¥26,950

Difference between 7(¥28,500) and 14-day(¥45,100) JR pass=¥16,800

OP could make all reservations while redeeming vouchers at Narita saving time and money if they plan on doing all the day trips that is. They can also use the heck out of that JR Yamanote Loop line that some fodorites favor using while in Tokyo

Aloha!

Well, ht, I guess as a budget traveler I look for cheaper ways to travel...lol....I see what you are saying...

I misunderstood and thought OP was just taking one of those trips not all three (Nikko, Kamakura, Kawaguchiko).

So it really depends on the completed itinerary imo....particularly since by using the Tobu pass it is much cheaper to go to Nikko....¥3600 or ¥4400 round trip depending on which pass is used....

> They can also use the heck out of that JR Yamanote Loop line...

...to say nothing of the JR Chuo Line, over which some Shinjukuphiles go gaga.

Mara, I was just teasing you

I realize there are other passes but for a newbie to Japan dealing with all the passes and different rail lines might....not always....can be confusing.
I know I am still confused and sometimes sound confused, lol

mebanana-love your screen name btw. Another thought is that the JR Shin-Fuji station is reached by the Kodama shinkansen only. There are two types of shinkansen you can catch with the JR railpass, Hikari and Kodama. The Hikari is an express shinkansen with stops at only a few main stations while the Kodama is the shinkansen that stops at every station taking longer to get to Kyoto if that is any concern for you. Chances are in you will not see Fujisan anyway unless in the early morning hours on a clear day or a clearing day after a rain. Check the weather while in Tokyo beforehand but definitely no guarantees of seeing Fujisan. See this site for a few Fuji shots taken from the high speed shinkansen somewhere between the Shizuoka and Shin-Fuji stations. Look at pictures 16 through 31 for the fuji/train pics

http://hawaiiantraveler.smugmug.com/Travel/Fall-2011-in-Japan-Kyushu-and/20359156_zJzmBp#!i=1613490744&k=8NCmtNq

Shinjukuphiles rule Asakusaphiles drool!

Aloha!

ht - your photo link needs a password to open.... ):

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/10/img6387v.jpg/

Here's one I took from the train....

Ooops

Follow the link and the password is:

Fall 2011

Capital F and a space between the words.

Hello everyone,

Thanks for all that info - especially the photos. We're even more excited now!

I must confess, I am a bit bamboozled by the trains at the moment. As Mara said we need to decide exactly what we want to see first! We'd really like the idea of the bullet train, just for the novelty value - is it worth it, do you think?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html

For a better understanding of the shinkansen (bullet train) see above link - if you go from Tokyo to Kyoto and then on to Hiroshima you will be on it....

Hello again folks,

Well, we've booked our flights - woo! Sadly, BA had increased their prices by a huge amount just in the last few days, so we've gone with KLM which means we lose an evening. I'm a teacher, so we have to stick to the school holidays - very annoying!

Anyway, here's our revised itinerary:

23/03/2013 Travel to Tokyo
27/03/2013 Nikko Day Trip
28/03/2013 Travel to Kyoto
30/03/2013 Nara Day Trip
01/04/2013 Travel to Hirsohima
02/04/2013 Miyajima Day Trip
04/04/2013 Travel to Tokyo
05/04/2013 Travel Home

Any comments would be welcome, but I'd especially appreciate input on the following points:

1) We fly in and out of Narita - what's the best way to get to and from Tokyo from there? On our return journey, would it be worth staying in Narita rather than Tokyo? Is there much to see?

2) Out of the three day trips from Tokyo we were considering (Nikko, kawaguchiko, kamakura), we're thinking Nikko - good idea?

3) Even if we paid for our Nikko tickets separately, we'd still need 8 days of rail travel with the above itinerary. I'd be loath to cut our time anywhere, as it's be too rushed. As the difference between a 7 and a 14 day rail pass is a fair bit, I'd really welcome any bright ideas from people who know the rail system better than us!!

Thank you so much for your help - Fodor's is fab!

Well, is it impossible to compress your round trip from Tokyo into seven days like you had it originally...then you could manage with the 7 Day Pass as I can't see that your day trip to Nikko and your rt to NRT will justify a 14 Day Pass...

Also there are inexpensive domestic flights although not sure if it would save that much - that is, to fly from Hiroshima back to Haneda.

Have you perused the japan-guide.com site? There are answers to many of your questions in the Transportation section...
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e627.html

imo, your Kyoto hotel reservations are the most important at this time - everything else can wait until you decide your exact itinerary...

what is the plan for April 3?

mrwunrfl - had planned to spend it in Hiroshima, as otherwise I don't know if we'd have enough time there?

Mara - thanks, that's a great site, it'll definitely help us plan. We'll get onto Kyoto hotels asap! From the usual cherry blossom dates I think we'll be a little bit early, but hopefully we'll see some!

3 nights in Hiroshima could be considered overkill. You can travel back to Tokyo on the evening of the 3rd as day 7 of a 7-day JR Pass.

Ah, yes, good catch, mrwunrfl - I didn't see that and I agree - even if you spent one night in Hiroshima and one on Miyajima it would be fine imo....and the trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima is only about two hours....so I would think there is plenty of time to sightsee...

thank god HT is my travel assistant so i will do things right.

mindless

Thanks everyone, great idea - we'll travel back on the evening of the 3rd.

rhkkmk - not sure I understand your comment, but HT's advice and photos were very helpful.

So excited!

http://www.otenki.jp/sp/art/sakura/kaikayoso.html

Here's a cherry blossom/sakura forecast linked from the japan-guide.com site. It's in Japanese obviously but you can see the map and dates. If you have a Japanese translation tool you can scroll down and see more details for each area....ht, are you in agreement?

Mara,
Looks like they are getting earlier and earlier with their predictions like they are getting competition from somewhere else
Yes, I said a few months back that this year 2013's cherry and koyo season would be closer to the normal dates this year than in the previous two years. La Nina is all about fizzled out and an ENSO neutral period is beginning here in the Pacific. I know....what the heck is and ENSO neutral

Aloha!

I knew you'd be right on top of this, ht....okay, I'll bite - what is ENSO - it sounds like a scary disease.

And btw, the sakura forecast seems to work for my Shikoku itinerary.