Another Itinerary Check (18 Days)

Hello,

Here is another itinerary for your review. I've spent about a month fine tuning it and am reasonably happy with it but can't be too sure...

It's been a challenging exercise, but I think we'll get see a good mix of Japan at a reasonably relaxed place. I would have loved to see a bit of Kyushu and Skikoku but will save it for next time.

Please let me know if you feel this itinerary can be improved or if there's any particular sites worth seeing in the below destination. I like nature, art, history and food.

Many thanks!

Wednesday, 15 July 2015: Home-Tokyo
Thursday, 16 July 2015: Tokyo
Friday, 17 July 2015: Tokyo-Nikko-Tokyo
Saturday, 18 July 2015: Tokyo
Sunday, 19 July 2015: Tokyo
Monday, 20 July 2015: Tokyo-Kiso Valley-Kanazawa
Tuesday, 21 July 2015: Kanazawa
Wednesday, 22 July 2015: Kanazawa-Shirakawago-Takayama
Thursday, 23 July 2015: Takayama-Kamikochi-Okuhida-Takayama
Friday, 24 July 2015: Takayama
Saturday, 25 July 2015: Takayama-Himeji-Hiroshima
Sunday, 26 July 2015: Hiroshima-Myajima-Hiroshima
Monday, 27 July 2015: Hiroshima-Naoshima-Osaka
Tuesday, 28 July 2015: Osaka-Koyasan-Osaka
Wednesday, 29 July 2015: Osaka-Kyoto
Thursday, 30 July 2015: Kyoto
Friday, 31 July 2015: Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto
Saturday, 1 August 2015: Kyoto
Sunday, 2 August 2015: Kyoto-Home
Monday, 3 August 2015: Home

If it were me, I'd;
- stay a night in Shirakawa and cut a night from Takayama
- stay a night in a ryokan in the Oku-Hida region (cutting a night from Takayama, but spending the morning there before travelling to Oku-Hida)
- consider how much time you're going to get in Naoshima (I don't think your plan allows you to do much more than land there and leave again).

Re Naoshima, if you've not already found it, the Benesse House site has all the info about ferry times, and bus times around the island, so you can work out how long you might actually get to see the art. Assuming you're going from Uno Port to Okayama to rejoin the shinkansen line, this journey takes 50 minutes but the trains don't run all the time and don't always coordinate with ferry arrival/departure times.

If you're going to Naoshima and not staying the night, and you want to see at least the Chichu and Benesse museums, as well as some of the art house projects, then you need to get to the island early in the morning in order to leave by late afternoon.

It looks as if you will use a 14-day JR Rail Pass, starting on July 20. If so, I would take the new Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa. It takes only 2-1/2 hours.
Then go to Shirakawa, Takayama and Kiso, etc.

Thanks for the feedback.

WV, We want to avoid spending the night for only one night where possible. Would you recommend staying in Okuhida and using that as a base to see Takayama and Kamikochi? It would be nice to spend some nights in the countryside. Thanks for the info about Naoshima. Would we be better staying in Okayama and doing a day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima one day, then a day trip to Naoshima the following day?

DH, It seems if I want to do a day trip to Kiso Valley I'll have to squeeze it in between Tokyo and Kanazawa. If I go there after Takayama I won't have anytime to see Himeji en route to Hiroshima. How do you think I should plan it?

Thanks again,

Staying in Okayama sounds ideal. It is a good linkage point between Kansai, Hiroshima, and the islands south of it.

Between Kyoto and Tokyo Airport you could stop by Kiso?

I'll be sure to investigate Okayama. We are flying out of Kansai so the Kiso trip will happen while we are in the alps. Thanks! :-)

Looking closer at train times, from Takayama to Hiroshima takes more than 6-1/2 hours.
From Kanazawa to Hiroshima takes about 4 hours.
Based on that, you ought to go Tokyo-Kiso-Takayama-Shirakawa-Kanazawa-Hiroshima. Check the times on Hyperdia.

Thanks again for the feedback. Our itinerary has been revised and can be found below.

Unfortunately we culled Kiso Valley from our itinerary due to travel times. We moved our day trip to Nikko to the Saturday so we can experience Tokyo on a weekday. This also means we can use a 14 day green rail pass instead of a the 21 day ordinary pass.

Wednesday, 15 July 2015: Home-Tokyo
Thursday, 16 July 2015: Tokyo
Friday, 17 July 2015: Tokyo
Saturday, 18 July 2015: Tokyo (day trip to Nikko)
Sunday, 19 July 2015: Tokyo
Monday, 20 July 2015: Tokyo-Kanazawa
Tuesday, 21 July 2015: Kanazawa
Wednesday, 22 July 2015: Kanazawa-Takayama (via Shirakawago)
Thursday, 23 July 2015: Takayama (day trip to Kamikochi and Okuhida)
Friday, 24 July 2015: Takayama
Saturday, 25 July 2015: Takayama-Hiroshima (via Himeji)
Sunday, 26 July 2015: Hiroshima (day trip to Miyajima)
Monday, 27 July 2015: Hiroshima-Kyoto (via Naoshima)
Tuesday, 28 July 2015: Kyoto
Wednesday, 29 July 2015: Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
Thursday, 30 July 2015: Kyoto (day trip to Koyasan)
Friday, 31 July 2015: Kyoto
Saturday, 1 August 2015: Kyoto-Osaka
Sunday, 2 August 2015: Osaka-Home

Hi All,

Just wanted to say a big thanks to your help planning our holiday. You comments, insights and content on this site are very valuable.

We have booked our flights so now all we need to do is get a two week rail pass and a few other small things. Oh, and I need to get a new passport as it's about to expire...

We have made three significant changes to our itinerary without changing our original route too much. The first being we're doing the ryokan onsen experience in Okuhida for two nights rather than staying in Takayama for three nights. The other change is we culled Kiso Valley from our trip due to unfavourable logistics - I'm sure we'll see it next time! The last major change is we decided to stay in Kurashiki and use it as a base for a couple of day trips in Chugoko. It seems Kurashiki is somewhat off the beaten track and may offer us something a little bit different.

If anyone has any advice or is aware of any lesser known sites they consider worth seeing in the destinations mentioned below, please let me know.

Thanks again. :-)

Wednesday, 15 July 2015: Home-Tokyo
Thursday, 16 July 2015: Tokyo
Friday, 17 July 2015: Tokyo
Saturday, 18 July 2015: Tokyo (day trip to Nikko)
Sunday, 19 July 2015: Tokyo
Monday, 20 July 2015: Tokyo-Kanazawa
Tuesday, 21 July 2015: Kanazawa
Wednesday, 22 July 2015: Kanazawa-Takayama (via Shirakawago)
Thursday, 23 July 2015: Takayama - Okuhida
Friday, 24 July 2015: Okuhida (day trip to Kamikochi)
Saturday, 25 July 2015: Okuhida-Kurashiki (via Himeji)
Sunday, 26 July 2015: Kurashiki (day trip to Naoshima)
Monday, 27 July 2015: Kurashiki-Kyoto (day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima )
Tuesday, 28 July 2015: Kyoto
Wednesday, 29 July 2015: Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
Thursday, 30 July 2015: Kyoto (day trip to Koyasan)
Friday, 31 July 2015: Kyoto
Saturday, 1 August 2015: Kyoto-Osaka
Sunday, 2 August 2015: Osaka-Home

(Just out of interest - in case we go there again) where are you staying in Oku Hida?

We stayed here: http://www.cyouza.com/

Hi WV,

Cyouza looks amazing. We would have loved to stayed in that area but we don't have enough time unfortunately.

In the alps we are staying in a ryokan at Hiyaru Onsen.

http://www.okadaryokan.com/eng/warakutei.html

Doing the ryokan onsen experience in the alps between Takayama and Kamikochi is one of things we're most looking forward to in regards to accommodation - right up there with four nights at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo (we got a decent deal...).

Just realised there were a couple of mistakes in my revised itinerary so here it, again:

Wednesday, 15 July 2015: Home-Tokyo
Thursday, 16 July 2015: Tokyo
Friday, 17 July 2015: Tokyo
Saturday, 18 July 2015: Tokyo (day trip to Nikko)
Sunday, 19 July 2015: Tokyo
Monday, 20 July 2015: Tokyo-Kanazawa
Tuesday, 21 July 2015: Kanazawa
Wednesday, 22 July 2015: Kanazawa-Takayama (via Shirakawago)
Thursday, 23 July 2015: Takayama - Okuhida
Friday, 24 July 2015: Okuhida (day trip to Kamikochi)
Saturday, 25 July 2015: Okuhida-Kurashiki (via Himeji)
Sunday, 26 July 2015: Kurashiki (day trip to Naoshima)
Monday, 27 July 2015: Kurashiki (day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima )
Tuesday, 28 July 2015: Kurashiki-Kyoto
Wednesday, 29 July 2015: Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
Thursday, 30 July 2015: Kyoto (day trip to Koyasan)
Friday, 31 July 2015: Kyoto
Saturday, 1 August 2015: Kyoto-Osaka
Sunday, 2 August 2015: Osaka-Home