Could you review my 2-weeks itinerary?

Hi,
First of all, I would like to thank you for all the nice suggestions and impressions you have given in reply to my previous post.
Now, I would like to present here my almost definitive itinerary... somehow looking for approval or revisions. I still haven't solved my dilemma Koyasan vs Takayama vs Kanazawa but I am working on it. Here I am therefore showing two alternatives:

May 10: Arrival at Kansai Airport (overnight in Osaka);
May 11: Osaka
May 12: Koyasan as a daytrip from Osaka

(in a guidebook I read that such a daytrip only takes part of a full day: do you think I could spare some time for the Aquarium before it closes at 8 pm)

May 13: Miyajima and Hiroshima (overnight in Hiroshima)
May 14: Himeji and Kyoto
May 15-16: Kyoto
May 17: Nara as a daytrip from Kyoto
May 18-23: Tokyo (including a daytrip to Nikko)
I will be leaving Japan from Tokyo-Haneda in the night between May 23 and 24.

My second alternative would be the same as the first one with the following differences:

May 12: Hiroshima and Miyajima
May 13: Himeji and Kyoto
May 14-15: Kyoto
May 16: Nara as a daytrip from Kyoto
May 17: Kanazawa (or Takayama?)
May 18: Some further hours in Kanazawa (or Takayama?) and journey to Tokyo in the late afternoon.

Do you think "these" are well balanced itineraries? It's really difficult to decide where to go based on guidebooks. Most of them insist on Takayama as TO BE included, but as I previously posted the idea of a very long train journey does not appeal me so much...
So, any opinions will be more than welcome.
Thank you so much in advance!!

(in a guidebook I read that such a daytrip only takes part of a full day: do you think I could spare some time for the Aquarium before it closes at 8 pm)
Not really: both would be awfully rushed....
But, if you left early enough in the morning for Koyasan, I suppose you could just make a brief trip to the aquarium: not my kind of day though...far too rushed and not doing either justice.
And the Whale Shark in the aquarium has passed away, so that�fs one less attraction there :(
It depends on what you want to do in Osaka on May 11: are you not able to go to the aquarium that day?

The alternatives really depend on YOUR interests: no one else can decide that for you, and rest assured, its not possible to �gdo it all�h: we are coming up for our 6th 2 week trip next year and haven�ft touched the surface.

Personally, I would ditch thoughts of Takayama: so eliminate that for starters.

As an aside, we did Hiroshima and Miyajima from Osaka as a day trip, including going up Mt Misen..long day, and planned in advance with train/ferry/tide times: but it saves a lot of time lugging baggage and changing accommodation (one of our pet hates)
If you did that, then the aquarium, then Himeji (if you are only going to the castle, and not Mt Shosa) can be on the one day, and then move onto Kyoto that evening, esp if you forward your luggage and live out of a day pack for 24 hours.
(We usually go to Kyoto on day/night trips from Osaka, as its only 25 mins on an express train: again, hate changing accommodation. But thats just us: we have also happily stayed in Kyoto, and done the reverse ie been to Osaka on day/night trips...)

Try not to tie yourself in knots doing it all: relax and enjoy your holiday.

Good luck!!

So the choice is whether to spend a day in Koyasan or in Kanazawa? Daytrips are too rushed especially with 2+ hours or access on either end. They are better done in an overnight instead, so if it was me I would pull one of my Tokyo days and do an overnight at a temple in Koyasan or an overnight in Kanazawa.

Btw, the Osaka Aquarium got a new whale shark in August if that's something you are interested in.

My suggestion would be to go with your second alternative with one adjustment
Kyoto really needs 3 to 4 days to enjoy. If you felt you have seen enough of Kyoto you can always do day 16 in Nara. I just feel there is enough to see and do in Kyoto it will feel too rushed with only 3 days

May 12: Hiroshima and Miyajima
May 13: Okayama and Himeji (maybe look at also seeing Okayama in the morning)
May 14-16: Kyoto
May 17: Kanazawa (day trip, grab first train in the morning)back to Kyoto
May 18: Journey to Tokyo in the late afternoon.

Hope this helps.

Looking at your itineraries, I see a lot of big city (Osaka and Tokyo. Kyoto's not exactly small either), not a lot of rural places, and no ryokan stays.

I assume that's deliberate.

If you want to visit Kanazawa and Takayama (both great in their own ways. I love both of them, and a night in Shirakawa is also something unique and memorable.), then I'd cut from Tokyo, as suggested. I'd also probably cut out Osaka altogether, making a solid 3-4 days to enjoy Kanazawa, Takayama, and overnight at Shirakawa (and/or a ryokan in Oku Hida?). Spend 3 or 4 days in that area, and make it worthwhile.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions! They are all very useful to me. I begin to believe that, should I drop the idea of Koyasan and itinerary 1, Kanazawa would be the town to go. I confess that I feel the appeal of big cities and that's a reason why Osaka and Tokyo are both there in my trip. To reply to Anne: I don't dislike at all your suggestion of going to Kanazawa as a daytrip from Kyoto but I was wondering if at this point it is not more practical to leave Kyoto in the evening on May 17 and move from Kanazawa to Tokyo by the last new Shinkazen on May 18...
Thank you again! I am getting thrilled at the idea of exploring wonderful Japan.

Kanazawa as a daytrip from Kyoto but I was wondering if at this point it is not more practical to leave Kyoto in the evening on May 17 and move from Kanazawa to Tokyo by the last new Shinkazen on May 18...
Kanazawa really deserves more than a day trip.
Sais that before. Oh, and do have fun in the shopping area in the station: great inexpensive Kanazawa crafts available.
That new Shinkansen will be amazing: cant wait for our time on it in April.
yllwsmrf: again, meaculpa: family hadn�ft filled me in on the NEW whale shark: may have been keeping it for a surprise...lol..seems we WILL take little one to the aquarium now , lol :)

Kanazawa as a daytrip from Kyoto but I was wondering if at this point it is not more practical to leave Kyoto in the evening on May 17 and move from Kanazawa to Tokyo by the last new Shinkazen on May 18...

You are correct, it would be better to go in the afternoon/evening to Kanazawa from Kyoto on the 17th and over to Tokyo on May 18.

I spent a day in Kanazawa last year in 2013. I did not have enough time to see everything, but I had enough time to see the sights I wanted to see. Kanazawa is great!

Why not take do plan 1, but out Nikko and give Kanazawa a night?

Nikko is similar to Kyoto. Kanazawa too is similar, but Kanazawa has amazing museums and a super garden that neither Kyoto nor Nikko has.