26 Day Itinerary Review

Hi All -
I have been doing some research for my 26 day trip to Japan from Mid October to Mid November. I have a fairly solidified schedule that i have reviewed with a few folks who are either Japanese natives or have traveled themselves to japan.

Currently, my request for feedback is mostly around the travel blocks (getting from Point A to point B). I'm positive that these are the areas i'd like to go to, but would like to confirm that traveling from location A to location B are reasonable expectations, and aren't too difficult. It seems like certain travel blocks are fairly difficult and time consuming (Nikko to Jigokundai, getting to Miyajima). Any advice on how to do these segments, or if i'm oversimplifying certain things would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

| Date | Day | Day Activity | Night Activity | Staying In |
|-------|-----------|--------------------------|---------------------------|------------|
| 10/17 | Tuesday | Flight | Flight | Airplane |
| 10/18 | Wednesday | Arrive Tokyo | Travel Kyoto | Kyoto |
| 10/19 | Thursday | Kyoto | Kyoto | Kyoto |
| 10/20 | Friday | Kyoto | Kyoto | Kyoto |
| 10/21 | Saturday | Kyoto | Kyoto | Kyoto |
| 10/22 | Sunday | Kyoto | Kyoto | Kyoto |
| 10/23 | Monday | Travel Nara1 hr | Nara | Nara |
| 10/24 | Tuesday | Nara | Travel to Koyosan1.45 hrs | Koyosan |
| 10/25 | Wednesday | Travel to Hiroshima4 hrs | Hiroshima | Hiroshima |
| 10/26 | Thursday | Travel to Miyajima2 hrs | Miyajima | Miyajima |
| 10/27 | Friday | Miyajima | Travel to Osaka6 hrs | Osaka |
| 10/28 | Saturday | Osaka | Osaka | Osaka |
| 10/29 | Sunday | Osaka | Osaka | Osaka |
| 10/30 | Monday | Travel to Kinosaki | Kinosaki | Kinosaki |
| 10/31 | Tuesday | Kinosaki | Kinosaki | Kinosaki |
| 11/1 | Wednesday | Travel to Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 11/2 | Thursday | Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 11/3 | Friday | Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 11/4 | Saturday | Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 11/5 | Sunday | Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 11/6 | Monday | Travel to Nikko | Nikko | Nikko |
| 11/7 | Tuesday | Travel to Jigokundai | Jigokundai | Jigokundai |
| 11/8 | Wednesday | Travel to Takayama | Takayama | Takayama |
| 11/9 | Thursday | Takayama | Takayama | Takayama |
| 11/10 | Friday | Travel to Kanazawa | Kanazawa | Kanazawa |
| 11/11 | Saturday | Kanazawa | Kanazawa | Kanazawa |
| 11/12 | Sunday | Travel to Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo |
| 11/13 | Monday | Tokyo | Flight | Airplane |

I personally find it a bit strange that after going up to Nikko you go again back down to Takayama and Kanazawa. Wouldn't it make more sense to go from Kansai area to Kanazawa, then Takayama, Jigokundai and then Tokyo ? Have a look at the travel times, but it feels like back tracking a lot. Also combining Jigokundai with Nikko (or with Takayama as in my proposal) requires in both instance a long travel. So you might need an additional day there, or skip something.
Have a look at Google maps (or similar) to see the travel times between these destinations, then you can decide if the time spent in train vs. time spent actually sightseeing is paying off for you.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Probably would be better to list out train times and what you are seeing to see the whole trip in perspective. Also wondering why Kansai to Tokyo to Nikko to Takayama and back. Is there a specific date or event that is happening in say Tokyo?
Otherwise Kansai to Kanazawa to Takayama to Tokyo with side trip to Nikko would be better route. But your trip is so close already, probably won't be able to switch around too much.

Hope this helps!

Thank you both for your feedback. I've modified the trip a little bit and I've posted the new one below.

What I omitted was two fold -

1. I'd like to spend weekends in cities (i'm not sure if this is really necessary, but it seemed to make the most sense)
2. My friend will be in Tokyo from 10/25 to 11/3 so i'd like to make some time to spend with her.

Date Day Day Activity Night Activity Staying In
10/17 Tuesday Flight Flight Airplane
10/18 Wednesday Arrive Tokyo Travel Kyoto Kyoto
10/19 Thursday Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto
10/20 Friday Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto
10/21 Saturday Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto
10/22 Sunday Kyoto Kyoto Kyoto
10/23 Monday Travel to Kinosaki Kinosaki Kinosaki
10/24 Tuesday Kinosaki Kinosaki Kinosaki
10/25 Wednesday Travel to Hiroshima4 hrs Hiroshima Hiroshima
10/26 Thursday Travel to Miyajima2 hrs Miyajima Hiroshima
10/27 Friday Travel to Osaka6 hrs Osaka Osaka
10/28 Saturday Osaka Osaka Osaka
10/29 Sunday Osaka Osaka Osaka
10/30 Monday Travel Nara1 hr Nara Osaka
10/31 Tuesday Travel to Koyosan1.45 hrs Koyosan Koyosan
11/1 Wednesday Travel to Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo
11/2 Thursday Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo
11/3 Friday Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo
11/4 Saturday Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo
11/5 Sunday Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo
11/6 Monday Travel to Nikko Nikko Tokyo
11/7 Tuesday Travel to Nikko Hakone Hakone
11/8 Wednesday Travel to Takayama Takayama Takayama
11/9 Thursday Takayama Takayama Takayama
11/10 Friday Travel to Kanazawa Kanazawa Kanazawa
11/11 Saturday Kanazawa Kanazawa Kanazawa
11/12 Sunday Travel to Tokyo Tokyo Tokyo
11/13 Monday Tokyo Flight Airplane

11/6 Monday Travel to Nikko Nikko Tokyo
11/7 Tuesday Travel to Nikko Hakone Hakone

I don't really get what you want to do here, are traveling to Nikko twice then from there to Hakone or is it a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko on 11/6, then a trip from Tokyo to Hakone on 11/7 staying overnight there then the next morning travel to Takayama from Hakone?

From Nikko to Hakone you have to change trains in Tokyo anyway, besides why do you want to go to Nikko twice?

Ah then in that case, the itinerary should be fine as you are meeting with someone or already have made arrangements for those dates.

Have fun on the trip!

11/6 Monday Travel to Nikko Nikko Tokyo
11/7 Tuesday Travel to Nikko Hakone Hakone

I don't really get what you want to do here, are traveling to Nikko twice then from there to Hakone or is it a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko on 11/6, then a trip from Tokyo to Hakone on 11/7 staying overnight there then the next morning travel to Takayama from Hakone?

From Nikko to Hakone you have to change trains in Tokyo anyway, besides why do you want to go to Nikko twice?


Sorry that was a typo, tuesday should read travel to Hakone! Thanks for catching that!