Itinerary Check & Advice, 14 days, 20/9-4/10

Hello! First time going to Japan and seeking some advice; questions are after the itinerary. I used the structure of the itineraries posted on this website and added what I wanted to see but I might be too ambitious with what I can do in this amount of time. This is my international trip I've planned and have lodging, transportation & activities mapped out but willing to change them as I have not booked any of the Airbnb's after leaving Tokyo yet. I'm going to be a bit broad as my entire itinerary is about 200 rows on Excel. Any advice for a first timer is greatly appreciated!

About Us:
Both in our mid 20�fs and packing light. Mostly here to enjoy some Japanese culture & food. Would love to get in some great views of the night sky while soaking in an onsen. We both feel satisfied with temples & shrines between Kamakura, Kyoto & Koyasan.

Day 0, Wednesday 20/9
Depart from LAX to NRT

Day 1, Thursday
13:30 - Arrive to NRT, 16:00 - Narita Express to Tokyo Station 17:10 - Checkin to Airbnb (8 minutes from Tokyo Station), Explore near Harajuku and then Shinjuku/Kabukicho in the evening

Day 2, Friday
Imperial Palace, Ginza/nearby area, back to Airbnb, Akihabara in the evening

Day 3, Saturday
09:00 - Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo Game Show 2017 at Makuhari Event Hall in Chiba, Airbnb, explore nearby after a nap or just relax

Day 4 - Sunday
Checkout of Airbnb, train to Kamakura to drop off bag at my friends place (she lives in Kamakura and joins us for the rest of the day), explore Kamakura, possibly Enoshima if time permits

Day 5, Monday
Train to Kyoto, Checkin/drop off bag at Airbnb, Explore Eastern Kyoto

Day 6, Tuesday
Explore Kyoto/Arashiyama

Day 7, Wednesday
Checkout of Airbnb, train to Osaka in the morning, checkin/drop off bag at Airbnb, explore Osaka/Kobe

Day 8, Thursday
Checkout of Airbnb, Nara in the morning, back to Osaka to transfer to Koyasan, overnight in Koyasan at temple

Day 9, Friday
Back to Osaka , train to Hiroshima, checkin to Airbnb, explore Hiroshima

Day 10, Saturday
Train to Mine-shi in Yamaguchi-ken for Akiyoshidai quasi-park/caves, back to Hiroshima, enjoy some more nightlife

Day 11, Sunday
Checkout, train from Hiroshima to Kanazawa, checkin to Airbnb, Kenrokuen and explore the area

Day 12, Monday
Kanazawa to Nagano. Transfer Nagano to Takasaki. Takasaki to Kusatsu, checkin to ryokan . Hike and enjoy onsen.

Day 13, Tuesday
Back track. Ride Hokuriku-Shinkansen from Nagano to Tokyo Station, checkin to Airbnb, possibly meet my other friend in Yokohama or even stay at an Airbnb in Yokohama

Day 14 - Wednesday
Flight is the evening so I plan on relaxing in the city until it is time to leave



Questions

Am I wasting too much time on trains for short little trips?
Am I committing a cardinal sin for missing Nikko? Takayama?
Day 8 - Am I not allocating enough time for Nara? Cut it out?
Day 9 - Detour to Hemji Castle prior to Hiroshima?
Day 10 - Squeeze in Miyajima? The Airbnb has a pretty nice view from Hiroshima of Itsukushima Shrine
Day 11 - Is it worth the detour to Kanazawa? I mostly wanted to just see Kenrokuen. After Day 10, I�fm open to ideas on how to finish my itinerary. I was just trying to make a reasonable path to Kusatsu/Manza and back to Tokyo.
Day 12 – From your experience, do you think replacing Kusatsu with Manza is worth it? Open air onsen on a mountain looked unbelievable in Manza Onsen / Prince Hotel.

It was only after I finished this itinerary that a 7 day JR pass starting on day 5 would not get me home from Kusatsu before it expired. It is still slightly cheaper to go with the 7 day JR pass and buying tickets for the transit time to Kusatsu and later to NRT. I�fm open to ideas though.

Thanks a ton in advance!

Hi. The itinerary looks pretty full on but good.

Comments : really I'd spend your last night at Enoshima. It is awesome there and the NEX comes to Ofuna so you can get to the airport direct from there (be careful of the timetable as not all trains go that far). Staying the last night in Enoshima lets you have a relax away from the city and the island has plenty to do in the day, if you get bored walk across the bridge to Kamakura;
- Nara is one of our favorite places, I like it much better than Kyoto. A half a day isnt a lot but it is worth it if you can. We usually stay overnight and it is good to get out in the park for an early walk;
- I can take or leave Nikko. I do like Takayama but I wouldnt make a huge detour to get it in, it is more a place to spend a night at. Especially if you like beef, or squirrels (there is a squirrel park there that is great);
- I wouldnt bother with Miyajima unless you are going to spend the night. It is too busy during the day;
- I wouldnt bother with Himeji castloe. It is pretty but way too busy. Have a look at stopping at Hikone (just near Maibara) and seeing that castle instead. Hikone is a fun little town;
- I dont know that I'd go all the way to Kanazawa just to see Kenrokuen. It is very pretty but I think you'd need to be a landscape architect to appreciate the best of it, and Kyoto is full of nice gardens anyway some of which are very close to the station. Also I find Kanazawa a bit of a let down after Kyoto, though if you see it before Kyoto your expectations wouldnt be as high.

Have fun!

Really appreciate you taking the time to read through the wall of text and responding to each - thank you!

Same as above.

I dont imagine to ride train more than 5 hours from Hiroshima to Kanazawa to just see garden. You must love Japanese garden.

Alternatively for garden you can go to Okayama where Korakuen located (it is one of the three best garden together with Kenrokuen in Kanazawa). It is between Hiroshima and Osaka so less time in train.