Itinerary for 3 weeks in October

Hello everybody,

We are 2 ladies (about 70 y.o.), planning a trip to Japan (first was on Sakura time, now the foliage time). could you help with suggestions, including schedule and best transportation to take,
probably using JR pass, taking into consideration our interests:
scenery, gardens and nature, special architecture buildings, art museums, and Onsen when possible.
My favorite places are: Tokyo, Hakone, Fuji, Kiso valley, JP Alps, Kyoto (on the 22nd - the Matsuri festival), Hiroshima, Naoshima, Koya San.
Airports would be Tokyo and Osaka.
Thanks a lot,

Nira

If autumn foliage is your primary objective, then you should be looking in Tōhoku and Hokkaido areas. October is too early for fall colors in Tokyo and Kyoto.
See this map: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2014.html

The above is correct, but another opportunity is the Japan Alps. Lots of early autumn colors you can try and see. You could also see some in the Fuji 5 Lakes area, Nikko, Oze, Minakami, Koyasan, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, and Shosenkyo Gorge in Yamanashi.
And while too early for the autumn colors, if you like nature there are many large traditional gardens you can see in the cities as well.
https://goo.gl/KoqErH

And if you like special architecture, go see Meiji Mura in Inuyama City, near Nagoya. It has the country's finest open-air museum in the country.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3353.html
https://is.gd/JRlfyW

Agreed. Our trip in 2018 was from about the 25th October through to early November - Kamikochi was already past peak when we got there, but the trip from Kamikochi to Takayama was spectacular, and Takayama was awesome and about peak when we were there around the 30th October.

Hello all,

Thanks so much Ken for great ideas unknown to me, as well as to Kyo and Lazy Pious for their recommendations.
Hokkaido seems to me a bit complicated (transportation wise) for scenic autumn views in public rides, unless somebody can help me in that matter.
Would love a help to organize your ideas Ken in a logical (transportation wise) manner, or the sequence you suggested is a good one?
I know that Tokyo and Kyoto are too early for enjoying the foliage, but my friend is keen on visiting them.
While visiting Hiroshima feels like a must to me.

Hope for your precious help,

Nira

Hokkaido might be transportation wise a bit more complicated, but there is Tohoku as well. Probably the easiest accessible spot for koyo is Tazawako. Even has a Shinkansen station.

Eg you could do 1 week in Tohoku. Something like Tokyo-Hiraizumi-Nyuto onsen /Hachimantai- Kakunodate-Yamadera (close to Yamagata and back to Tokyo.

All those places are easy to reach by Shinkansen or train.

Then you still have 2 weeks for Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima.

Just an idea.

Enjoy planning your trip to Japan!

Regarding the transportation issues, I am glad to help if I can, but first you need to decide on where exactly you are going, and only you know your own interests and favorites best - so do your research. I mentioned a lot of places and you can easily look them up on this site as well as elsewhere, and then make a plan. Afterward, you can decide the best way to get there, or remove an idea if it is impractical or impossible. Please be aware also that some places like Yamadera may be very nice, but it entails a thousand steps climb up a mountain.

Hello again, going back to my planning, I would appreciate your opinion if my plan makes sense for 3 weeks in October, using public transportation mainly, and passes if useful:
First 5 nights in Tokyo (4 days)
Takayama on the 9th to enjoy the festival, sleep there (day or more?).
A day trip to Shirakawa-Go and continue to Toyama for the night (day 2) to get closer to the Alpine Road, or else?
The Alpine Road and sleep in Shinano-Omachi (day 3),
Or continue to Nagano for the night? If we rent a car A day trip to Yamanuchi to Jigokudany and back to Matsumoto to head for the Kiso valley (day 4).
Visiting the Kiso valley Walk from Magome to Tsumago, visit Agematsu
(Nozame-No- toko ),sleep day 5?
Take the Chou line to Kofu continue to Shosenkyo gorge,sleep day 6 ?
Heading for the area of Fuji mountain: 3 nights,( days 7,8,9) your suggestion?
From Fuji taking the Shinkanzen to Nagoya to visit Meiji Mura. Sleep day 10?
TO Hiroshima and Miagima, Naoshima (days11,12)
Koyasan night 13,
Kyoto – festival on the 22, stay 3 nights (from 21-24).
Is it worth taking any pass for parts of the trips? Or using an organized tour when it�fs easier to get around?
Thanks a lot for your attention and suggestions,
Nira