Trip to Japan 14 -15 days from 10 Dec 18

Hi..

Would like some help in planning the order of visit for the following cities:

Tokyo, Mt FuiJi area, Kyoto, Osaka, Takayama to see shirakawago and Sendai.

Staying with friends at Tokyo and Sendai.

Have not booked flight as not sure whether return trip from Tokyo or Osaka would be cost effective or multiple city would be better. Also considering the cost of get JR Pass and which pass to purchase.

Thanks in advance.

Anne

A seven day pass would pay off, but you cannot do all those places in seven days. A fourteen day pass would be better, but only if you do a round trip from either Osaka or Tokyo. If you start at one and finish at the other, then one way single tickets would be cheaper than any pass.

Tokyo Sendai Fuji Takayama Osaka (Tokyo)... or reverse.

Hi,
Decide what you want to do in each city first and allocate how many days you need for each.
Check with a travel agent about ticket prices and choose one that suits you whether it will be return from Tokyo or in through Tokyo and out through Osaka (or vice versa)

if you start from Osaka, you can do Osaka and Kyoto (you can choose to stay in either of them and commute to the other for sightseeing as they are only about 30-45min apart.

From Kyoto you can the Shinkansen to Mishima from which you can visit Lake Kawaguchiko to see Mt Fuji or you can go to Odawara and visit Hakone (also a place from which you could see Mt Fuji). I would recommend an overnight stay in a ryokan in either of these locations. You can take the Shinkansen from Odawara to Takayama through Nagoya. From Takayama you can take the bus to see Shirakawago as a day trip. Then from Takayama go to Tokyo and then Sendai and back to Tokyo for your flight.

You can do this in the opposite order if it suits you better