North of Japan itinerary for Fall 2020

I am planning my autumn trip to Japan and would be grateful for any advice. My plan so far is as follows:

30/10 - Arrival to Sapporo in the morning (Acclimatization and City Centre/Odori Park)
31/10 - Day trip to Otaru from Sapporo
01/11 - Sapporo - Historical Village, Evening train to Hakodate
02/11 - Hakodate - City centre and the mountain view
03/11 - Morning train to Hirosaki, Hirosaki, Evening train to Sendai
04/11 - Day trip from Sendai to Hiraizumi
05/11 - Day trip from Sendai to Yamadera, Evening train to Koriyama
06/11 - Morning train to Aizu, Aizu and Ouchijuku, Higashiyama Onsen
07/11 - Morning train to Nikko, Nikko City
08/11 - Lake Chuzenji and Waterfalls, evening train to Tokyo
09/11 - 13/11 - Tokyo

I know what I want to do in Tokyo, since it's gonna be my 2nd time there, but I have little idea about the north of Japan. I am also wondering if I should stay in Nikko at all, given that I can only do it on the weekend. I will use JR-East - South Hokkaido pass for all of my long-distance trips.

In Sendai, you can consider sendai area pass 1 day=1320 yen
Or,sendai Marugoto pass 2 day=2720 yen

If you are interested in autumn colors you may want to consider:

- Lake Towada + Oirase Stream https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3776.html
- Naruko Gorge & onsen https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5177.html
- and Geibikei http://www.geibikei.co.jp/en/attraction/index.html

Have a look at https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+171596 where I posted my itineraries (one at the top and one at the bottom) and people gave me many interesting advices

Backtracking to Iwate from Sendai is wasting about 2 hours of time round trip, from what I see. Hiraizumi is good - Chusonji is one of the highlights of the region - but as mentioned above, don't skip the other - Geibikei is magnificent.
https://youtu.be/NNsGoa4wWOo

The other gem not to miss is in Hirosaki - the castle area is nice, but don't miss the Fujita Garden next to it. It is one of the finest in the area.
https://youtu.be/tfyYJV1LTjc

For Nikko, aside from the shrines in the main area, Kegon Falls in Okunikko is the crown jewel.
https://youtu.be/17Tza6USdYM

Sapporo has some more sights to see - you might put in a couple more hours before going to Otaru.

Thanks everyone for the tips! I'll make sure that Geibikei is part of my visit to Hiraizumi

@Ale345: would Lake Towada be accessible in November? I read on japan-guide that they close all the bus routes for winter and I don't have a driver's license. Do you know if there is a way of getting there on public transport from Hirosaki?

@Ken:
- Would you advise staying in Ichinoseki overnight, when visiting Hiraizumi?
- I heard that Nikko is packed in November and there miles-long traffic jams on the way to Chuzenji/Waterfalls. Do you think my itinerary would be feasible, given that I can only do it on the weekend?
- What would you recommend in Sapporo?

You should stay in Nikko, Oku-Nikko in autumn leaves is a wonderful experience.
https://youtu.be/t5O5SC4xuo0