11 Day Family Package - Tokyo, Nagano and Kyoto

Take a day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima. From Kyoto Station, we recommend you board the Hikari #491 bullet train at 07:20am which arrives in Hiroshima at 09:05. If you use this train you don't need to change trains at Shin-Osaka.

Commence your sightseeing of Hiroshima by boarding a tram to the Peace Park and visit the A Bomb Dome, Atomic Bomb Epicentre and the Memorial Peace Museum. Return to Hiroshima Station and after lunch take a trip to Miyajima Island - a very popular Island with foreign tourists who want to see the real Japan.

Board a local train from Hiroshima station to Miyajima Guchi Station. (25 min) Using your Japan Rail Pass, board the JR ferry to Miyajima Island which is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine whose long wooden corridors reach out into the sea. Miyajima is also famous for Mount Misen which is said to boast one of the three best panoramic views in Japan. Make sure you take the ropeway to the peak. Spend the day exploring the many walks, temples, shrines and gardens of Miyajima.

Make your way back to Hiroshima in the late afternoon. In the evening make sure you visit one of the okonomiyaki restaurants located within Hiroshima Station. Okonomiyaki is a layered noodle pancake which is a specialty dish of Hiroshima. Cooked on the hotplate in front of you, the contents may include chicken, pork or seafood. Okonomiyaki is a cheap and entertaining night's dinner.

To return to Kyoto, board the Sakura bullet train #568 at 19:51 which arrives in Shin-Osaka at 21:25. Within Shin Osaka Station board the Kodama #696 at 21:33 which arrives in Kyoto at 21:48.

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Take day trip to Osaka. Osaka is Japan's 2nd largest city and is famous for delicious food and bargain shopping. Osaka is only 30 minutes from Kyoto Station on the JR Special Rapid Service.

Osaka has a long history as one of the oldest seaports in Japan and has flourished as a window open to the culture and the goods of the Asian continent is known for its bargain shopping and delicious restaurants. For entertainment and shopping the Umeda and Namba districts have it all. Umeda, centred on Umeda Station, has a number of modern arcades which are always teaming with visitors and shoppers.

The Namba area boasts a 700-metre long arcade leading to the Dotombori River, a man-made canal completed in 1615. In the Edo Period, the area along the river was the city's amusement quarter where five theatres entertained the citizens. Today, theses theatres are still there, though transformed into cinemas and comedy halls. Dotombori is even busier at night glittering with colourful neon signs, extravagant restaurant decorations and alive with pop music.

Continue your exploration of Osaka with a visit to the city's most prominent symbol, Osaka Castle which was built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who succeeded in unifying the entire country in the 16th Century. The inside of the castle has been made into a museum which has a number of exhibits celebrating Japan's samurai history. A panoramic view of Osaka City can be seen from the observation deck on the 8th floor. The castle grounds now form a large tree-filled park. Only a 15 minute walk from Morinomiya Station on all lines or Tanimachi 4-chome Subway Station.

Stay: Mimaru Kyoto Station - 4/4