Hi,
Would very much appreciate advice for a first tome visit to Japan.
Dec 20 Arrive Tokyo. Overnight at airport
Dec 21 Train to Kyoto
Dec 21 -29 Kyoto with day trips to Osaka, Hiroshima
Dec 31 Train to Tokyo
Dec 31 -Jan 6 Tokyo with day trips?
Jan 7 Return home

Would you agree with this schedule and do you feel that a bullet train back to Tokyo on Dec 30 is doable or would Dec 30 be better?
Thanks so much for your advice

According to Hyperdia there are plenty of trains both days, but this suggests that Jan 1st might be better: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html

There's no airport in Kyoto. It's either Osaka-Kansai or Osaka-Itami.

Happy Travels!

I agree that Nara is superb and, depending on your interests, it would be a better day trip from Kyoto than Osaka. In fact, I'm glad I spent 2 full days in Nara!

I also agree that an overnight in Hiroshima -- or perhaps even better, Miyajima -- is worth considering.

If you haven't already seen it, I encourage you to spend lots of time -- LOTS! -- with japan-guide.com

Enjoy!

I personally wouldn't consider Kyoto to Hiroshima a day trip from Kyoto as it takes over an hour and a half to get there on the Nozomi Shinkansen. I was just on the Nozomi Shinkansen going from Tokyo to Fukuoka, where I am now, and remember the stop in Hiroshima. It would probably be best to overnight there.

Happy Travels!

Yes, I am aware of that. But KIX is a d*** sight closer to Kyoto than is Narita or Haneda. And no one has ever complained that Narita isn't in Tokyo, which in fact it is not, and therefore shouldn't be referred to as "flying into Tokyo",

@ thursdaysd:

lol -- I get criticized all the time for choosing to spend a night in a place that is even 2 hours away from what could be a base!

When I was planning my first trip to Japan, over three years ago, and people were mentioning to fly into Kyoto, it was confusing as at that point of my planning I was thinking that there was an airport in Kyoto only to find out that the airport was either at Osaka-KIX or Osaka-Itami. I ended up flying from Haneda to Osaka-Itami and then taking a van for over an hour and a half to Kyoto. I only mentioned that there's no airport in Kyoto due to the OP and possibly other newbies out there being NEW to planning a trip to Japan and hopefully not causing any confusion to those who might possibly be reading this thread and who might not be "aware of that". It was not to be critical of you, etc. Period.

Happy Travels!

Kja: Who is criticizing anyone? And I didn't write my comment with an exclamation point ( #11-Quote). The OP has posted an itinerary and asked for opinions of which there have been several. That's all.

Happy Travels!

It's an easy day trip. Take the 7.20 am Hikari Shinkansen (or a Nozomi if you don't have a JR Pass) and you'll be in Hiroshima by 9.05. Visit the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Park and Museum, detour via the Shukkeien Gardens on your way back to the station, have a late lunch and get the train back to Kyoto in time for tea.....

If you want to go to Miyajima, then it's preferable to stay overnight.

Not if you do some minimal research. Getting from KIX to Kyoto (one hour twenty by train) is about equivalent to getting from Narita to Tokyo (just under an hour by train), did you find that confusing?

FWIW:

• I did not say that anyone on this thread criticized me.
• I did not criticize any one.
• I did not mean to suggest, in any way, that you should not offer your opinion. As I've said many times, I believe people benefit from a wide range of comments -- vive la difference!
• I simply made a comment about what struck me as an ironic situation.
• I did not mean to add an exclamation point to your words -- I failed to delete the one that followed "Happy Travels"
• I wish you well, Guenmai, and wish you many wonderful travel moments.

Hi RNigel,

I am planning a trip similar to yours, focussing on Tokyo and Kyoto. I briefly considered going over the new year but eventually decided on January instead. I did look into travelling over the New Year period and read on another forum and that train travel on 31/12 was best avoided as it was likely to be very hard to get reservations and standing room only on very crowded trains was alomost certain. 1/1 apparently is likely to be much quieter.

I offer some unsolicited comments only because our plans seem very similar.
I agonised long and hard as to what day and overnight trips to add. This is our second trip to Japan so in some respects we are covering places that we visited 12 years ago.
1. I did consider Hiroshima/Miyajima as a two night stay but decided that an Onsen experience was what we really wanted so we are spending two nights in between Kyoto and Tokyo.
2. We may well take a day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima. Two hours each way on the train is no longer than my daily commute was into London so no big deal, but everyone has different travel tolerances.
3. Nara is easy day trip from Kyoto but werent overly impressed on our last visit there and don’t feel the need to return. In contrast, we spent 5 days in Kyoto and felt we shortchanged the place, hence the desire to return.
4. We have 4 days in Tokyo which is one more than we would have liked but that is the way the JR Pass worked for us. We will most likely take a day trip to Nikko where we haven’t been before.

@crellston - Interesting that you weren't impressed with Nara. I spent a three (?) nights and had a good time. Some of that was an interesting saki tasting with conversation with locals. But also houses in town, gardens, and a couple of temples out of town. Can't say I cared much about the deer.

I agree that 5 days is very little for Kyoto, but like thursdaysd, I found Nara a delight -- particularly the temples just outside of Nara in Ikaruga, including Chugu-ji and Horyu-ji. In Nara itself, the sculptures in Kofuku-ji's treasure hall are some of the most beautiful I saw anywhere in Japan; the National Museum holds some amazing work, well signed in English and with an intent to inform about the evolution of Japanese art; the stone-lantern lined walkway to Kasuga-taisha is, IMO, glorious; and the views from some of Tōdai-ji's outlying halls are stunning. I spent 2 full days in Nara, and could easily have used more time there. In fact, for me, Nara was a highlight of a highlight-filled trip.

I'm very glad I spent a night in Nikko so that I had plenty of time for it's temples, as well as time for Kegon-no-Taki, a short walk along Lake Chuzen-ji, and a stroll through the Kanmangafuchi Abyss.

RNigel - I just noticed some missing words in my post above. I meant to say that we are spending two nights in Kinosaki Onsen in between our time in Kyoto and Tokyo.

Thurs & kja. What can I say? Sorry but Nara just didn’t do it for me although to be fair it was 12 years ago so my recollection may be a little hazy. it just doesn’t stick in my mind the way that Kyoto, Takayama and Koyasan do. I do recall a very nice minshuku we stayed at, run, somewhat surprisingly, by two English guys from Birmingham and their Japanese wives. Much sake was consumed!

thanks for the tips on Nikko kja. sadly time does not permit an overnight stay but I shall look up those places you mention