14-day itinerary Nov - need help

I will be visiting Japan in Nov with my family. This is the second time we're visiting. Travelling with 5 kids (age 14 to 4) and a senior citizen. We plan to buy a 7D JR Pass as well as a Japan ICan Shinkansen tour - one way - to Kyoto. Rough itinerary below as follows:

Day 1 Tokyo
Day 2 Tokyo Disney Resort
Day 3 Tokyo Disney Resort
Day 4 Kyoto
Day 5 Nara
Day 6 Kobe + Arima Onsen
Day 7 Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima

From Day 8 to Day 14 is where my problem lies.

Option 1 - rent a car and drive around Shikoku, Okayama, Kurashiki and the small fishing towns of the Inland Sea eg Tomonoura.

Option 2 - activate rail pass and cover Kanazawa, Takayama, Tsumago, Nagano.

I have to be back in Tokyo for the 14th night in order to catch my plane home on the 15th day.

Is this too much of a rush, considering the ages and the size of the group I am travelling with?

Which itinerary would be more interesting (Option 1 or 2)?

Appreciate all comments. Thanks!

It's all okay up until day 7... I think you'd struggle to fit all of that in.

I'd aim to go to Hiroshima via Himeji (they have lockers available for luggage), and perhaps go to the A-Bomb dome and Peace Park that day - if you have time. Stay overnight in Hiroshima, and the next day... head to Miyajima. It is very beautiful there, and I'm glad I put enough time aside to get up Mt Misen. Also, spending the night ensures that if you didn't have enough time to see all the sights in Hiroshima you intended, you will be able to in the morning or afternoon the next day, prior to going to Miyajima (check the times for high tide to see it at it's most beautiful).

So that would make it days 7-8, Hiroshima/Miyajima.

Day 9 and thereafter is a matter of personal preference, but from what you've suggested, I'd activate the JR pass and head to Okayama for a night (day 9), then to Kanazawa via JR Kyoto, as it only takes 2 hours from there (day 10).

Takayama can be accessed by highway bus from Kanazawa - I forget how long it takes, but I'm fairly sure it's under 1.5 hours, and goes via Shirakawa-go (I really liked it there).

Is there anywhere in particular in the Nagano prefecture you want to see, or do you just want to see the city? Matsumoto in the prefecture can be accessed relatively easily by train or bus from Takayama, as can places such as Kamikochi (bus). I'd probably need more info before I can offer any more suggestions...

I just re-read your post, and realised the amount of kids you're traveling with. Since the 2nd half of your trip is a little off the typical beaten track, keep in mind transportation isn't as frequent and chances are you'll be waiting longer periods of time.

Keep in mind, you are trying to cover a lot more than most would in 14 days, and it's up to you whether you feel such a large family with kids could manage it all, and still have an enoyable time.

So far from what you've mentioned, I'd do something like this...

Day 1 Tokyo
Day 2 Tokyo Disney Resort
Day 3 Tokyo Disney Resort
Day 4 Kyoto
Day 5 Nara
Day 6 Kobe + Arima Onsen
Day 7 Hiroshima via Himiji
Day 8 Hiroshima / Miyajima
Day 9 Okayama
Day 10 Kanazawa
Day 11 Takayama
Day 12 Takayama - maybe a day trip, if you have the energy?
Day 13 - Somewhere easily accessible in the Nagano prefecture.

Also, for visiting Nara, I'd stay overnight in Kyoto again, and visit as a day trip, as opposed to carrying luggage around. With all this said, it's still a pretty intense trip.

Nagano - was thinking of going to a resort but I think its a bit too early for snow activities.

Okayama - not sure what I can see/do there, apart from the garden.

Would Koyasan be approriate for kids?

Thinking of deleting Kobe and Arima Onsen.

So my itinerary would now look like this:

Day 1 Tokyo
Day 2 Tokyo Disney
Day 3 Tokyo Disney
Day 4 Kyoto
Day 5 Ohara/Arashimaya
Day 6 Nara
Day 7 Himeji + Kobe
Day 8 Hiroshima and Miyajima
Day 9 Kanazawa
Day 10 Kanazawa to Takayama
Day 11 Takayama + Shirakawago
Day 12 Kiso valley
Day 13 Kiso valley
Day 14 Back in Tokyo for the night
Day 15 Board plane for home.

Hi again,

Yes, Koyasan would be appropriate for the kids.. they'd probably enjoy it.

Not sure where you'd fit it into your itinerary though? If you plan to depart from Osaka, it will easily eat up an entire day. I left bright an early, and returned in the dark, fairly late.

Hi Lisaca

Thanks for replying! Really appreciate this.

Was thinking of making Koyasan an overnight stop instead of a day trip. Might not need 2 days for the Kiso valley so I'll just adjust from there.

Was concerned about koyasan - seems to be a 'holy' reverential sort of place and not sure if kids fit into the picture there.

Thanks for all your help!

Hi mamacat ,

I took my two children to Koyasan one April a few years ago ,and they got totally bored with the place. November could be a better time? Snow ??

If you are still planning to visit NAGANO, a day trip to "Jigokudani Monkey Park" would be a treat for the children. Could also be snow in the area in November. But the 30 minute walk from the bus stop to the park, a pleasant walk like in a forest, could be a bit challenging for the 4 year old.


http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6025.html

Okay, things are getting a bit clearer now. Thanks for all the input, Liem and Lisaca.

Nagano/Jigokudani sounds tempting but looking at the itinerary, maybe no way to squeeze this in. Meanwhile the consensus here is to go for Koyasan. Okunoin sounds intriguing.

So the itinerary looks like this:

Day 1 Tokyo
Day 2 Tokyo
Day 3 Tokyo
Day 4 Kyoto - overnight Kyoto
Day 5 Nara - overnight Kyoto
Day 6 Himeji - overnight Kyoto
Day 7 Koyasan
Day 8 Koyasan to Kanazawa, via Osaka
Day 9 Kanazawa
Day 10 Kanazawa to Takayama
Day 11 Takayama + Shirakawago
Day 12 Takayama to Kiso Valley?

I need help from Day 13 onwards. I would like to cover Kiso Valley but also wonder if we would be ODing on too many old towns, old streets, old houses??

If I go to Kiso Valley, then I'll have to to skip Nagano and Zenko-ji (which I think would be fun to find the key of enlightenment?) and also Togakushi and the Jigokudani.

Or skip Takayama and head for Nagano straight after Kanazawa?

So many places, so little time!