Itinerary Advice - is this ok?

No problem:

13 September: Arrive Tokyo at 10.45pm
14 September: Tokyo
15 September: Tokyo
16 September: Tokyo / Hakone
17 September: Tokyo to Kagoshima (flight)
18 September: Kagoshima + day trip to Ibusuki
19 September: Kagoshima to Hiroshima
20 September: Hiroshima to Kyoto
21 September: Kyoto
22 September: Kyoto (Arashiyama and Sagano)
23 September: Kyoto / Nara
24 September: Kyoto to Kanazawa
25 September: Kanazawa to Shirakawago
26 September: Shirakawago to Takayama
27 September: Takayama to Tokyo
28 September: Tokyo
29 September: Tokyo
30 September: Leave Tokyo at 10.20pm
1 October: Arrive in London at 1.15pm

Would welcome any more tips!

[17 September: Tokyo to Kagoshima (flight)

If you take 7:40 flight, it will land Kagoshima at 9:25. Now the fare is 41 GBP.

https://goo.gl/idk0Az

Airport bus will take you to Kagoshima-chuo station before 11:00.

As mentioned, Sakurajima is not always seen, but as far as I know the situation is much better than you see Mt. Fuji from Hakone. This is everyday Sakurajima from Yamakataya department store in Kagoshima city.

http://goo.gl/UBjPV3

You may want to see Sakurajima more closely. There are two bus tours. JR Kyushu's bus tour will start at Kagoshima city and then take ferry to Sakurajima and go up to Unohira observatory then around entire Sakurajima.

http://www.jrkbus.co.jp/teikikanko/sakurajima.html

Sakurajima island view runs smaller area of Sakurajima including Yunohira observatory which is the nearest to see the mountain (2 km from the crator).

https://goo.gl/pf9LU1
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If you want to use Sakurajima island view, you should buy 1 day pass including tram, bus in Kagoshima city, ferry and Sakurajima island view. The name of the pass is CUTE (1200 yen one day).

http://ekagen.net/archives/post-5682.html

17 September: Tokyo to Kagoshima (flight)
I'd agree with above. The early flights are cheaper and you'll be in Kagoshima by luchtime. You can head to Sakurajima after lunch.

You don't need to worry about tours. Just catch the ferry over and get a tourist loop bus. It is 160 yen each direction on the ferry and the loop bus is 500 yen from memory. It loops around once per hour.

19 September: Kagoshima to Hiroshima

Hopefully you'll go early in the morning. It is about a 2.5 hours train trip. So you can still arrive around noon and see the city sights. Then save a full day Miyajima the following day.

Loop bus:-
http://www.kagoshima-kankou.com/for/whatsnew/2011/11/introducing-the-s...

This is the PDF file explaining how to Travel Kagoshima city including Sakurajima. You can see the information of loop bus in Sakurajima and Kagoshima city.

https://www.kagoshima-yokanavi.jp/english/documents/en_tranceportguide...

I recommend you to buy CUTE one day (1200 yen).

Thanks so much for all your help so far.

I've made some good progress (I think) and booked some places to stay for the first bit of Tokyo, Kagoshima and a temple stay in Kyoto.

I've hit a stumbling block in going to Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go and Takayama as there doesn't seem to be any availability on any places to stay at Shirakawa-go on that date (i was quite keen to stay in a farmhouse). Does anyone have any suggestions for an alternative itinerary on those days or a way to make that work? I was coming from Kyoto and heading back to Tokyo.

A couple of other questions:

- Are there any good hikes on the itinerary I have suggested (perhaps around Kyoto as we have a bit more time there)

- Do let me know if you have any suggestions for places to stay in Miyajima Island, Kanazawa or Takayama (if that stays as part of the itinerary)?

Thanks!

Dan

Kyoto there is Kurama. For trekking there is covering Enryakuji. That places is large. Need about 6 hours to cover the mountain full of temples.

Nearby Kobe has Rokko and Osaka has Minoo.

Ive stayed in Castle Inn Kanazawa. Nothing spectacular. It had a hot bath in a separate building which i thought was funky. It is near the train station and along the main street making it good for food and transport. Though, Kanazawa has a mass of hotels. The most expensive one is the one with the hot spring. Rest just uses hot water. You can also stay in one of the many hot spring resorts in the region. Kaga onsen, Yuwaku onsen, etc

there doesn't seem to be any availability on any places to stay at Shirakawa-go on that date (i was quite keen to stay in a farmhouse). Does anyone have any suggestions for an alternative itinerary on those days or a way to make that work?

Shirakawago on 25th Sep? I don't have my personal experience, but as far as I searched, there seems to be no rooms on the major portal booking sites such as Tribago. I think Japaneseguesthouses is the only actual path for non-Japanese to book Minshuku in Shirakawago. You must "sign-in" and communicate with them via e-mail.

http://japaneseguesthouses.com/ryokan-search-results/?area=Shirakawa-g...