Exploring Nara, Koyasan & Hiroshima
 

Here’s my proposed itinerary in mid-October for the 6 days in the Western Honshu region—but I’m open to suggestions. Relevant info: previously to the 6 days, I will have spent 15 days with a tour visiting Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa and ending up with two days in Kyoto. First visit to Japan.

Day 1: Continue to explore Kyoto. (The two days I’ll have been there on my tour are not enough.) Any suggestions for ryokan/hotel in Kyoto in $200 range?

Day 2: Day trip to Todai-ji Temple Complex in Nara; return to Kyoto.

Day 3: Check out from my Kyoto ryokan/hotel and take train to Koyasan, where I would spend the night in a temple, I hope. Any suggestions for Temple? Will I be able to ship my suitcase from Kyoto to a hotel in Osaka, where I will be heading from Koyosan?

Day 4: Explore Mount Koya area, and return to Osaka that evening, checking into my hotel. Any suggestions for a quiet hotel in $200 range in Osaka? (Hope my suitcase will have arrived from Kyoto.)

Day 5: Relax in Osaka.

Day 6: Day trip to Hiroshima. Return to Osaka in evening.

Day 7: Depart from Osaka Kansai for USA.

Is there any way I can squeeze Himeji Castle into this itinerary, or is that pushing things? I don’t think it would work for me to visit Himeji Castle on the way to Hiroshima; I would end up not doing justice to either. Thanks in advance.

For temple / hotel info, please check your other thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...l-in-osaka.cfm

I agree that 2 days is not enough in Kyoto, so I think your are wise to add more time there. FWIW, I spent 4 days in Kyoto and 2 days in Nara, and left both with a LONG list of things I hope to see in the future!

"Will I be able to ship my suitcase from Kyoto to a hotel in Osaka"

Yes indeed! Take advantage of Japan's excellent luggage-forwarding option so you only need to take an overnight bag with you. Luggage-forwarding is called takuhaibin; here's the info:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html
(BTW, japan-guide is, IMO, the single best source of info on travel in Japan anywhere -- you might want to browse it a bit!)

"Day 5: Relax in Osaka.... Day 6: Day trip to Hiroshima. ... Is there any way I can squeeze Himeji Castle into this itinerary..."

Do you have a particular interest in visiting Osaka? I ask because you might consider spending a night in Miyajima, which is very near Hiroshima. Depending on how you route your trip -- and I'm not an expert on that aspect of travel! -- you might be able to spend a night at a ryokan on Miyajima (I stayed at Momiji-so, which is more affordable than many ryokan and which still gets good reviews) and, on either the way there or back, stop in Hiroshima or Himeji. If the idea appeals to you, you might play around with some alternative routing options....

Hope that helps!

It does help, and thanks for this and the other response.

Himeji is only an 61 min and ¥1,490 from JR Osaka station on a Special Rapid Service train. You could go there in the morning on Day 5 or 6.

mrwunrfl, thanks for the suggestion; it's appreciated.

Please see your other posts.