itinerary in the works
 

okay, here's my first draft of my itinerary for next year. I know it's kinda bare, but we're just trying to figure out how long we want to stay in what cities/areas and then we'll decide what to do/see.

Day - Location
1 - Tokyo (arrive in Narita, travel to Tokyo)
2 - Tokyo
3 - Tokyo
4 - Kyoto (while we're staying in kyoto, we'll be checking out surrounding areas including Nara. that's why we've put 4 days aside for Kyoto)
5 - Kyoto
6 - Kyoto
7 - Kyoto
8 - Hiroshima
9 - Hiroshima
10 - Hiroshima
11 - Hiroshima
12 - Okayama
13 - Okayama
14 - Shikoku(we haven't decided yet where in Shikoku we want to stay ^_^; )
15 - Shikoku
16 - Shikoku
17 - Osaka
18 - Osaka
19 - Nagoya
20 - Nagoya
21 - Narita (fly home)

does it look sensible? Are there any areas you think could use some tweeking? Any suggestions will greatly be appreciated ^_^

Take 2 days from Hiroshima and add them to Kyoto. Skip Osaka and Nagoya and add instead Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go.

Take two days from Hiroshima. Go to Shikoku from Hiroshima by hydrofoil to Matsuyama. Visit Matsuyama castle and Dogo Onsen. Go on to other points in Shikoku and then go to Okayama.

okay, here's my second draft ^_^ After talking to some people on other forums, I've made some changes. I took a day off of Hiroshima so we could spend an extra day in Kyoto. A lot of people said that If we really want to experience Kyoto we should stay for at least 5 days. I also took a day off of Okayama b/c there's really only one thing to see there which is the Kouraku-en garden. So one day there should be enough. So, b/c we cut out a day in Okayama we added a day to Tokyo before we leave to come home.

1 - Tokyo
2 - Tokyo
3 - Tokyo
4 - Kyoto
5 - Kyoto
6 - Kyoto
7 - Kyoto
8 - Kyoto
9 - Hiroshima
10 - Hiroshima
11 - Hiroshima
12 - Okayama
13 - Shikoku
14 - Shikoku
15 - Shikoku
16 - Osaka
17 - Osaka
18 - Nagoya
19 - Nagoya
20 - Tokyo
21 - Tokyo

(also note: we'll be doing a lot of day tripping so just b/c It says Osaka and Nagoya for two days each doesn't mean we're gonna stay within those cities for those days. When I asked on other forums, a lot of ppl thought we were just gonna stay in Osaka or wherever, lol!)

Why do you still have 3 days planned in Hiroshima? What exactly are you planning to do there for 3 days? I think Kim and mrwunrfl were right in their suggestions to take off two days from Hiroshima. Do you have something specific to do there for 3 days that made you decline their suggestion?

Since you now have 5 days in Kyoto (and I am assuming that this is your first trip to Japan) personally I would take another day off of Hiroshima and add that day to Shikoku. Although I don't have info on what you want to do and where you want to go in Shikoku, my own planning for my upcoming trip tells me that you could easily spend an extra day or even two on Shikoku (if you are planning on Matsuyama, you can also go to Kochi area, Takamatsu, other places).
Why are you ignoring mrwunrfl's advice to hydrofoil from Hiroshima to Matsuyama? Why don't you stop at Okayama on way from Kyoto to Hirshima (since all you want to see is the garden- and you can do that without staying overnight), then go on to Hiroshima. And then do the hydrofoil from Hiroshima to Matusyama?

I see you haven't shaved anythng off of Osaka or Nagoya. I assume you have some reason to stay that long in those cities that you are not sharing w/us.

You also haven't told us the dates of your trrp. People here could be more helpful if you'd give us dates.

Seems like OP prefers the advice from the other forum :) except for the apparently amusing part where they actually believed that when Osaka and Nagoya were on the itinerary that that meant that Osaka and Nagoya actually WERE on the itinerary.

A reason for not taking the hydrofoil would be the $40 cost not covered by the JR Pass.

I'm a bit confused about why you would go to Osaka and Nagoya to stay, but take day trips out of the cities. Wouldn't it make sense to stay where you wanted to be? Staying in a city to take a trip out of the city is a waste of time and energy if you ask me. What are you planning to do with 2 nights each in Osaka and Nagoya..what day trips? We could help you more if you were more forthcoming with what you are hoping to see and do.

I agree with emd...just seeing the garden in Okayama? Make it a stop for a couple of hours between Kyoto and Hiroshima. No need to stay a night there.

It seems like you are doing a major city tour. I encourage you to get into the country. Japan is much more than cities.

What other forum have you posed your questions to? Curious, that's all.

I'd cut Hiroshima to 2 nights max, assuming you want to see Miyajima as well...if not one night is enough in Hiroshima I think. Then also cut out the night in Okayama. That gives you two more nights to add to Shikoku.

I found the other forum you posted on...crisscross.com, right? My husband likes that forum for discussion of "issues" in Japan.