Sacred Island & Merchant Towns

Days 1–6: individual fares

Use individual fares for:

• KIX → Rinku;
• Rinku → Kyoto;
• Kyoto → Himeji.

Days 7–11: Kansai–Hiroshima Area Pass

Activate the five-day pass on Day 7, not earlier.

This can cover:

• Himeji → Hiroshima / Miyajimaguchi;
• JR West Miyajima Ferry;
• Miyajima / Hiroshima → Okayama → Kurashiki;
• Kurashiki → Kansai Airport on Day 11;
• reserved Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima;
• eligible limited express and local JR services in the pass area.

Official adult price checked October 2026: ¥17,000 for five consecutive days.

The pass does not cover the Tokaido Shinkansen, including Kyoto–Shin-Osaka. Use the conventional JR line for Kyoto–Himeji before the pass starts.

Eligibility and extras: this pass is for eligible overseas visitors holding a foreign passport and Temporary Visitor entry status. Check JR-West’s full conditions. Only the JR-West Miyajima Ferry is included; the island’s ¥100 visitor tax is separate. Non-JR city transport, most taxis and optional attractions are outside the pass.

Meal plan in the signature version

Historical room plans provide approximately:

• Miyajima: 2 breakfasts + 2 dinners;
• Kurashiki: 2 breakfasts + 2 dinners.

Total: 4 breakfasts + 4 dinners.

Henn na, Kyoto and Himeji meals are not included unless a different rate is selected.

Luggage plan

Recommended:

• take the large suitcase from Rinku to Kyoto;
• forward it from Kyoto to Kurashiki or to the final airport delivery point;
• travel Kyoto → Himeji → Miyajima with a smaller bag;
• confirm whether Yoshii Ryokan can accept forwarded luggage before dispatch;
• keep medicine, documents and electronics with the traveller.

Suitability

This journey may not suit travellers who:

• cannot manage ferry boarding or old-building steps;
• require a private in-room bath at every hotel;
• dislike Japanese set meals;
• prefer modern cities to heritage districts.

Important:

• Miyajima sightseeing is largely on foot.
• The island shuttle must be coordinated with the hotel.
• Yoshii Ryokan’s historic rooms may not contain private showers or baths.
• Himeji Castle’s interior is physically demanding.

Rooms, meals and local charges

Prices are Australian dollars per person unless stated otherwise. Where a room is shared, the example means two travellers sharing one private guest room. An own-room example means one room per traveller; the Kyoto townhouse is a whole house shared by two.

Choose the exact room, occupancy and meal plan before booking. Private toilets, shared bathing facilities and an ensuite bath or shower are different arrangements. Tell each inn about dietary requirements before committing to a meal plan.

Allow for local accommodation and bathing taxes unless the selected rate expressly includes them, plus optional luggage services, insurance and shopping. Fares, exchange rates and hotel prices vary with your dates.

Luggage and a comfortable pace

Travel with a bag you can manage at stairs and station changes. Confirm luggage-forwarding delivery days and the receiving hotel’s arrangements before dispatch. Keep passports, medicine and essentials with you, and carry enough clothes for the nights before your main bag arrives.

Put the journey together

Check the whole route before booking, starting with the international flights and the small inns or townhouse. Match each arrival to the property’s check-in and dinner deadline. Then reserve trains where required and keep flexible outings for the weather and your energy.

Day 1 is arrival in Japan; the last numbered day is departure from Japan. An overnight flight home can arrive the following day.