Japan Rail Pass Now - Japan Travel Guide

14 DAY PASS - BEST OF THE WEST
CHERRY BLOSSOMS ITINERARY
Day 10: Sightseeing outside Hiroshima
Not too far from Hiroshima is the island of Miyajima, which is also an excellent place to experience cherry blossoms in peak bloom.
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Miyajima – Famous for its large, seemingly floating torii, Miyajima has approximately 1,300 cherry trees scattered around Itsukushima
Shrine and its hiking trails. From Hiroshima Station, board a train on the JR Sanyo Line going to Miyiajimaguchi Station, which is a short
walk from the pier for ferries to Miyajima Island. Both the train and ferry are covered by the JR Pass.
Day 11: Hiroshima to Hakone (Spend 2 nights in Hakone)
Next city on the itinerary is Hakone, which is about a four and a half hour train trip from Hiroshima.
From Hiroshima Station, take a Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka Station and then transfer to another Shinkansen to Odawara Station. This part of the
journey is fully covered by the JR Pass. Then, at Odawara Station, buy a Hakone Free Pass that costs 4,000 yen (valid for 2 days) to get unlimited
use of certain buses, cable cars, trains, boats and ropeways within the Hakone area.
Day 12: Sightseeing in Hakone
There are many cherry blossom viewing spots around Hakone, such as:
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Hakone-en, located on Lake Ashinoko’s eastern shore
Gora Park
Hakone Detached Palace, found on Lake Ashinoko’s southern shore
Hayakawa Riverbank, particularly at Miyagino
Day 13: Hakone to Tokyo
To go back to Tokyo, use your Hakone Free Pass to travel from Hakone to Odawara. Then, from Odawara Station, have your JR Pass ready to
take a 35-minute ride to Tokyo.
Spend the rest of the day checking out the Tokyo sakura viewing spots that you missed during your first couple of days!
Day 14: Tokyo to Narita Airport
Reserve a seat on the Narita Express at a JR Ticket Office at Tokyo Station or one of the other major JR train stations in Tokyo. The journey to
the airport should take less than an hour.
Note: Peak cherry blossom season varies per region every year, so be sure to check the internet for cherry blossom forecasts and reports so
you can plan your trip accordingly.
153 - Japan Travel Guide