7-day JR pass itinerary for your first trip to Japan (How to make the JR pass worth it!) Tokyo to Kyoto to Hiroshima

Kon’nichiwa!

The 7-day JR pass will be worth it if you are a “I want to do everything” type of person.

Okay, you can’t do everything in Japan in 7 days. But you can do a lot if you don’t mind having long days, if you don’t mind time in transit, and if you don’t mind packing up every 2 nights!

Pack light so it will be easier to move around!

The way to make the JR pass worth it is by going to a lot of cities. It’s certainly not for everyone.

The JR pass becomes worth it when you take several shinkansen bullet train rides within 7 days.

Very generally speaking, it’s worth it if you take 5 long distance shinkansen train rides. Depending on your exact train routes, it might even be worth it for 4 shinkansen train tickets. A long distance shinkansen train ride is Tokyo to Kyoto or Kyoto to Hiroshima for example.

Once you have your JR pass in hand, basically you will just show this pass to the train station attendant at the ticket gate, and they will let you through!

 

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I’ve made a plan below that will make a 7-day JR pass worth it. I understand it’s a lot. There’s a lot you can do with a JR pass! I’ve listed the estimated cost of the JR tickets that you’d pay out-of-pocket if you travel without a JR pass.

Whether a JR pass is worth it will entirely depend on the individual route that you choose to do over 7 days. So you’ll need to add up what the cost would be to buy individual shinkansen train tickets and compare that with the cost of a 7-day JR pass. Google maps will give you an estimate of the train ticket.

There are different train companies in Japan, and JR is one of them. Locally, JR trains don’t go everywhere and/or sometimes it’s more convenient to go a non-JR way, so there will also be some additional transportation costs. I’ve included some of that too.

The vast majority of the time, this additional transportation can be paid with an IC card that you’ll load up with cash, and tap and pay. An example of an IC card is a suica card or pasmo card, and you can buy this at the first train station you arrive at in Tokyo. So even if you decide to get a JR pass, it’s useful to have an IC card too. (It absolutely does not matter whether you get a suica or pasmo… or icoca if you’re flying into Osaka!)

Japan has coin lockers for luggage storage at all major train stations, and many smaller stations too. Coin lockers are so helpful to maximize your sightseeing time. Arrive at a train station, drop your luggage off immediately, and off you go! These are self-service storage lockers. Nowadays at major train stations, you can pay for the coin lockers with your IC card. You can use an IC card to pay at many vending machines and convenient stores too.

 

 

This 7-day Japan itinerary leaves from Tokyo (and returns back), and it has a mix of classic sights (Kyoto and Hiroshima) and moderately-off-the-beaten-path experiences. It also has a lot of walking.

What is moderately off the beaten path? Basically they are still tourist destinations, but they are off the typical Golden Route Japan path to do more than only Tokyo Kyoto Osaka.

Day 1 begins when you are ready to leave Tokyo. So stay a few days in Tokyo without a JR pass (and get over jet lag), and then activate the pass for the day you’re heading to Kyoto.

Let’s go!

 

JAPAN TRAVEL > 7-day JR pass | TOKYO MAP | KYOTO MAP | NEW GOLDEN ROUTE ITINERARY

 

Tokyo to Kyoto shinkansen train time: 2 hours 40 minutes on Hikari shinkansen, 2 hours 10 minutes on Nozomi shinkansen

Note: The JR pass doesn’t cover the Nozomi shinkansen or Mizuho shinkansen. These are the fastest trains on their routes.

Overnight in Kyoto (2 nights)

 

 

Leave Tokyo as early as possible so you can maximize your time in Kyoto!

There are coin lockers at Kyoto Station both inside the station and outside the ticketed area, so upon arrival there, you can drop your luggage off and get started!

If it’s time for food when you arrive at Kyoto Station, there’s an underground area which has lots of food options. Leave the central exit and look for stairs going down and signs for food and dining (Porta shopping mall). You can also find “ekiben” spots within the train station. Don’t leave the ticket gate for this. Eki = train station, ben from bento. This roughly means train station lunch box, a classic Japanese thing.

It’s a 5 minute train ride from Kyoto Station to Inari Station, from which you will walk to the famous and iconic Fushimi Inari Taisha with 1,000 red torii shrine gates. You do want to make sure you take a train to Inari Station, and not Fushimi-inari Station, since Inari Station is the one that’s on the JR line. (If you are traveling without a JR pass, it doesn’t matter.)

You can walk as little or as much as you want through the torii tunnel. It’s a lot of stairs. After you’ve finished up your walk, you can head back to the train station to go to the next place on your personal list of must-visit in Kyoto. Option: Take a train to Gion and walk from Yasaka Shrine to Kiyomizu-dera Temple by way of the classic streets of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka.

In the evening, do a magical night walking tour in Gion!

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• Tokyo to Kyoto shinkansen bullet train: 14,370 yen
• Kyoto Station to Inari Station train: 150 yen

 

Non-JR tickets:

• Fushimi-Inari Station to Gion-Shijo Station train: 220 yen
• Kiyomizumichi to Kyoto Station bus: 230 yen

 

 

Kyoto to Nara train time: 45 minutes on regular train

Overnight in Kyoto

 

 

Next is one of the most classic day trips from Kyoto. A train ride to Nara!

Along with Kyoto, Nara is another city that used to be an ancient capital of Japan. Nara is Japan’s oldest capital.

Among the most significant temples here are the Todai-ji Temple with a big Buddha statue and the Kasuga Taisha Shrine.

And then there’s the deer that is a big part of what makes Nara so popular. At Nara Park, you can buy deer food when you arrive and feed the deer yourself. (Don’t feed your own food.)

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• JR Nara Line: Kyoto Station to Nara Station train: 720 yen
• JR Nara Line: Nara Station to Kyoto Station train: 720 yen

 

Kyoto to Himeji shinkansen time: 45-50 minutes on Hikari and Nozomi shinkansen

Himeji to Hiroshima shinkansen time: 1 hour on Sakura or Nozomi shinkansen

Kyoto to Hiroshima shinkansen time: 2 hours on Hikari shinkansen, 1 hour 45 minutes on Nozomi shinkansen

Overnight in Hiroshima (2 nights)

 

 

Next you can head to Hiroshima. But before you get there, you can stop at Himeji Castle which is along the way. Leave your luggage at the Himeji Station coin lockers, and then be on your way!

The Himeji Castle is considered one of the most significant castles in Japan. And then right nearby is the Kokoen Garden, where you can take a leisurely walk and see classic Japanese garden landscape. There is also a garden teahouse here where you can have traditional matcha tea. (For a more significant tea experience, do a tea ceremony in Kyoto!)

Return back to Himeji Station and pick up your luggage to continue on to Hiroshima.

 

Hiroshima is best-known for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. You will generally want to allow for 2 hours at the minimum, and it may take you half a day or more to really take everything in.

One of the biggest things to do is to take a walk through the park to see the different monuments which each tell a story of the local impact the global tragedy had on real people. The other big thing is the peace museum. This is an emotionally powerful museum. Check the hours before you go.

If you go to Himeji, you may not have time to do everything you want related to the Hiroshima peace memorial, but you can make time on another day too. It’s also said to be a special experience to walk through the peace park in the evening when it’s all lit up.

 

When in Hiroshima, the local food to try is okonomiyaki. You’ll find dedicated okonomiyaki spots all over the city, and there are a lot of them near Hiroshima Station, as well as at a place called Okonomimura (reviews), which is essentially “okonomiyaki village.”

If your dates line up, there is a baseball team in Hiroshima. There’s a dedicated cheering section that you can be a part of that makes baseball games a fun Japanese cultural experience! Check the schedule for the Hiroshima Carp team. Weekday games typically start at 6pm. Tickets go on sale about a month in advance. They play at Mazda zoom zoom stadium. (Yes, that’s what it’s really called. 😆)

If you have a few days in Tokyo, you can also check the schedule of the baseball teams in Tokyo.

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• Kyoto Station to Himeji Station shinkansen train: 5470 yen
  • If you don’t mind an extra 45 minutes on the train, the regular train (Tokaido Sanyo Line) will cost less, at 2210 yen without a JR pass.
• Himeji Station to Hiroshima Station shinkansen train: 9170 yen

 

 

Hiroshima Station to Miyajima time: 30 minute train + 10 minute ferry

Overnight in Hiroshima

 

 

Next is one of the most classic day trips from Hiroshima. It’s a ferry to Miyajima!

Miyajima Island is best known for the “floating shrine” (big red torii shrine gate) that may or may not be floating when you go based on the tide times.

You can check the tide times before you go, but if you are on Miyajima for a few hours, you will probably have a chance to see the shrine at both high tide and low tide. High tide means you’ll see it floating, low tide means you can walk out to it!

There are also lots of deer on Miyajima, and you won’t have to try hard to see them.

You can also hike up or take the ropeway up to the summit of the island for what’s considered to be one of the most beautiful views in Japan.

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station: 420 yen
• JR Miyajima ferry round trip: 400 yen
• Miyajimaguchi Station to Hiroshima Station: 420 yen

 

4 nights in Kyoto

Instead of 2 nights in Kyoto and 2 nights in Hiroshima, you could make it 4 nights in Kyoto. If you don’t like the idea of moving every 2 nights, then it is possible to do Himeji and Hiroshima in one day or Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day, as a day trip from Kyoto. It will be a long day though. So basically it’s either get back to Kyoto really late, or pack up and take it easy in Hiroshima in the evening.

 

Hiroshima to Nagoya shinkansen train time: 3 hours on Sakura/Hiraki shinkansen trains (transfer required), 2 hours 20 minutes on Nozomi shinkansen

Overnight in Nagoya (2 nights)

 

 

You can leave your luggage at Hiroshima Station coin lockers, and then finish up with the rest of what you haven’t done at the peace park.

This can be your dedicated Hiroshima Peace Memorial day before you leave Hiroshima. Consider doing the Hiroshima peace park walking tour for great context and appreciation of the local impact of the tragedy that changed the course of global history.

There are lots of okonomiyaki food spots near Hiroshima Station, so your last meal can be the food that Hiroshima is known for!

 

Next up is an overnight stop at Nagoya, so you can see rural Japan. (That’s a dedicated day trip, on the next day.)

If your dates line up, there is also a baseball team in Nagoya, and you can be a part of the fun cheering section here too. Check the schedule for the Nagoya Dragons team. Weekday games typically start at 6pm. Japanese baseball tickets go on sale about a month in advance. They play at Vantelin Dome.

 

Non-JR tickets:

• Hiroshima Station to Genbaku-dome-mae tram: 240 yen
• Genbaku-dome-mae to Hiroshima Station tram: 240 yen

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• Hiroshima Station to Nagoya Station shinkansen train: 15,010 yen

 

 

Nagoya to Nakasendo one-way time: 2 hours by train and bus

Overnight in Nagoya

 

 

Next is a day trip to see small towns in rural Japan! You’ll do this by walking a section of the Nakasendo ancient route, which is one of Japan’s classic historical travel routes between Kyoto and Tokyo.

This is a walking day! Well if we’re being real, they are all walking days. 😅

But one of the most popular ways to experience the Nakasendo samurai trail is by walking between the small towns of Magome and Tsumago.

It does require some transportation planning to do this, as you’ll need to take different trains and buses, and connecting to rural areas means they aren’t the most frequent. Google maps can help you out. On the way there, you’re going from Nagoya to Magome (Nagoya Station to Nakatsugawa Station train, then Nakatsugawa to Magome bus). Then, you can spend some time in Magome, and then walk to Tsumago. There are signs along the way. To get back, you’re going from Tsumago to Nagoya (Tsumago to Nagiso Station bus, then Nagiso Station to Nagoya Station train). See more about planning out your Nakasendo Trail itinerary.

 

You can also do the Nakasendo as a tour from Nagoya Station, which will not only take care of the logistics for you, but will give you more historical context of the ancient route.

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• Nagoya Station to Nakatsugawa Station JR Shinano train: 3270 yen
  • If you don’t mind an extra 30 minutes on the train, the regular train (Chuo Line) will cost less, at 1340 yen without a JR pass.
• Nagiso Station to Nagoya Station JR Shinano train: 3620 yen
  • Train timings aren’t great, but if you plan for it, there’s a regular train (Chuo Line) for 1690 yen without a JR pass.

 

Non-JR tickets:

• Nakatsugawa Station to Magome bus: 800 yen
• Tsumago to Nagiso Station bus: 300 yen

 

Nagoya to Atami shinkansen time: 2 hours on Kodama shinkansen (more frequent), 1.5 hours on Hikari shinkansen

Atami to Jogasaki Coast train time: 45 minutes

Atami to Tokyo train time: 40-45 minutes on Hikari or Kodama shinkansen

Overnight in Tokyo!

 

 

If you are not feeling too exhausted from the past week, your last day with a JR pass can be a full one!

Atami Station is a stop on the shinkansen line, and it’s a jumping off point for the Izu Peninsula. Leave your luggage at the Atami Station coin lockers, and you can make a day trip to walk the Jogasaki Coast to see the rugged coastline and ocean views that Izu is known for.

The Jogasaki coastal walk can be longer or shorter depending on how much you want to walk. Whether long or short, you can take the train to Jogasaki-Kaigan Station, and then walk to the coast to start the trail near Boranaya (map). The trail will lead you to Kadowaki Suspension Bridge and Cape Kadowaki. Continue on the trail. If you want to call it a day early, you can walk back to the train station from Cafe Restaurant Lily (map). There is also a bus stop here, but buses aren’t frequent so you’ll want to plan ahead. Google maps will work for this.

If you want to walk more of the trail, basically your destination is the Oyodo-Koyodo tide pools and Hashidate Suspension Bridge. Right near here, you’ll see a path that leads to Izu-Kogen Station, and from there, you can take a train back to Atami.

Then return back to Tokyo, staying near the airport for your flight out the next day!

 

Cost of JR tickets out-of-pocket:

• Nagoya Station to Atami shinkansen train: 8970 yen
• Atami Station to Jogasaki-Kaigan Station JR Ito Line train: 920 yen
• Izu-Kogen Station to Atami Station JR Odoriko train: 2570 yen
  • There is a non-JR train that costs 1010 yen without a JR pass.
• Atami Station to Tokyo Station shinkansen train: 4470 yen
  • Atami is getting pretty close to Tokyo. If you don’t mind an extra hour on the train, the regular train will cost less, at 1980 yen without a JR pass.

 

 

Instead of Atami, another option that makes for a quicker stop on the shinkansen line on the way back to Tokyo is Odawara. This can be a one hour stop to walk from Odawara Station to Odawara Castle. This castle shows up several times in the Netflix show House of Ninjas. Nagoya to Odawara is 2 hours. Odawara to Tokyo is 35 minutes by shinkansen.

If you spend the night in Odawara, the next day you can buy an Owakudani Pass at Odawara Station to go see the volcano valley in Hakone. Since your JR pass will be expired, you can take a regular (aka cheaper and slower) train back to Tokyo from Shinjuku if you don’t want to pay for the more expensive shinkansen ticket. (1.5 hours.)

Or from Odawara, take the slow route back to Tokyo and stop by Kamakura for the Great Buddha or Yokohama for Japan’s biggest Chinatown. (These can be reasonably done as day trips from Tokyo, too.)

 

How to calculate whether a 7-day JR pass is worth it

The best way to really know whether or not a 7-day JR pass is worth it for your specific itinerary is really to calculate out the individual train tickets and compare that to the cost of a 7-day JR pass.

I think the easiest way to do that for preliminary research is google maps.

For the local trains, it is sometimes not easy to know in an instant whether it’s a JR train or not, but it’s not the local trains that are really going to make the difference in determining if the JR pass is worth it. It’s more important to calculate the more expensive train tickets.

It’s going to be the shinkansen tickets and the JR limited express train tickets that will really determine if the JR pass will save you money, since these are the more expensive trains.

When you look up a train route, if it’s a shinkansen train, then it will say that. The JR limited express trains will usually (always?) will say that it’s JR. So basically any time you see shinkansen or JR come up in a suggested route, you can use that cost to calculate the total cost of your tickets.

On any given shinkansen route, there are faster and slower shinkansen trains. The difference is in the amount of stops they make.

With a JR pass, the fastest shinkansen trains of Nozomi and Mizuho are not included, but the next fastest trains are frequent enough and not that much slower so it’s generally not a problem. Just know not to get on these. When you get to the shinkansen ticket gate of the train station, there are digital signboards of the next trains, and it’s easy to figure out. If you see it in Japanese, just wait a little bit and it will flip to English.

Google maps generally gives you the fastest option for a given route so it may only show you Nozomi or Mizuho. But for purposes of figuring out ticket prices, it’s the same because non-reserved shinkansen ticket prices are based on origin and destination. When you actually want to plan out your train timings in more detail, you can use navitime. You can select “tourist pass” so it only shows you routes covered under the JR pass. There’s an app too.

If you opt to travel without a JR pass, you can buy shinkansen tickets at the ticket machine once you arrive at the train station.  Or buy the tickets in-person at the JR office of the train station, which you can do up to 3 days in advance.

 

👆 Google maps will give you an estimated cost of the shinkansen train ticket without a JR pass. It may not be perfect, but for purposes of calculating whether or not a JR pass is worth it, I think it’s helpful. (map)

 

👆 If you see “JR” like this, it’s likely a limited express train (aka more expensive train), especially when you see that it costs significantly more than the other options.

 

JAPAN TRAVEL > 7-day JR pass | TOKYO MAP | KYOTO MAP | NEW GOLDEN ROUTE ITINERARY