Is the JR pass worth it?

Hello,

For your itinerary, I would recommend the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass.

You can purchase individual tickets for your Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto to Tokyo legs. Once you are in the region, however, the pass will fully cover your travel between Osaka, Hiroshima, and Kyoto, including the high-speed Shinkansen and the ferry to Miyajima. You can find the full list of Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass exchange locations here.

This approach is significantly more cost-effective than a 7-day Nationwide JR Pass, as your itinerary is spread out over more than a week.

As you are travelling during Golden Week, I would strongly recommend reserving your Shinkansen seats immediately upon activating your pass.

I hope this helps!

Kind Regards,

Mariko