kja

Sorry, but I must admit that I think it would be very difficult to achieve your plan for Nov. 27 through 30. Hiroshima will likely take at least 4 hours at a bare minimum, IMO, maybe more (particularly if you want a mid-day meal), so you could, perhaps reach Hiroshima, visit it, and get to Miyajima on the 28th -- if all works and your start out VERY early. But then you would probably want a chunk of the 29th to visit Miyajima, and it is a LONG trip to Koyasan, so I'm not sure you can manage that day unless you skip some of what makes Miyajima worth visiting, like Mt. Misan. But, playing along and assuming that you could actually manage that, too, then you would really need some time on the 30th to explore Koyasan. And one of the highlights of Koyasan is seeing Okuno-in around dawn or dusk, which would add constraints to your timing because of the time of year at which you are traveling, with its relatively short nights. And then you would face another LONG trip to anywhere.... I could be wrong about some of these travel legs, but whether I am or not, I think you would do well to plot your ambitions out on a calendar and make sure that any plan you pursue would actually have a chance of meeting your desires.

I think you've make some great progress in trimming your trip. Unfortunately, I think you might want to trim a bit further. JMO! And FWIW, my experience is that the hardest part of planning ANY trip is cutting enough to make a plan feasible. It's so hard!

BTW, I understand that you really want to participate in the marathon, and I respect your commitment to your sport. Just one question: Given that you can actually run ANY where in the world, are you truly committed to devoting your otherwise irreplaceable and very limited time in Japan to participate in a marathon? I only raise the question because I've known marathoners who decided to go somewhere, only to realize that actually running would mean sacrificing precious time to explore the surrounds. No right or wrong answers, just something to consider, and I hope you don't mind that I raised the question....

Good luck!

pgautam01

Kja. I thought as much. Also with the marathon we really wanted to run one in Japan which has a great running culture and tradition. But now I am realising that this is making the entire scheduling pretty difficult. But we love running as much as we love travelling. In fact we have done running tours in Prague and Budapest!! We have always wanted to participate in an international event. So yes while it throws out schedule off track I'm keen on it if we get the spots. In case we don't then we will have a more elaborate schedule. Wi

kja

Totally your choice! We all travel for different reasons and with different priorities, and IMO, viva la difference! Wouldn't the world be boring if we all wanted to do the same things?!? I hope you are able to get into the marathon, because that's what YOU want, and I'm sure you will be able to come up with a back-up plan in case that plan falls though. So my advice = GO FOR IT!!!

But work on that pesky part of your trip at the end that really is a bit too crunched.... ;-)

mrwunrfl

>>Also is the 27th, 28th and 29th doable?

I agree with kja and I wouldn't do it, but the actual answer to the question is yes, doable, but not really desirable.

You shortened the travel on the front end of the Miyajima part but lengthened it on the back end. It is a 5-hour trip and not straightforward: ferry, JR local, shinkansen, at least one local or subway, at least one Nankai train, cable car (i don't know, this might sound more difficult than it actually is, but still).

I don't see much point in tweaking this anymore between now and mid-June.

I think that your plan of running in the marathon is one of the best ideas of any Japan plan that I've seen here. You get to participate in something you love with Japanese (and others) who share your enthusiasm. It is a guaranteed good day (if you get in then having that entry in hand would make it more compelling, knowing that it is an opportunity that others wanted but did not get).

My first trip to Japan was built around attending the Japan Cup horse races in Tokyo. Trade that for another day in Kyoto or more Tokyo sights? No way.

pgautam01

After a lot more reading and many trip reports we have come up with this

Nov 17th. Arrive in Tokyo 7am. Tokyo Day.
Nov 18. Tokyo
Nov 19. Leave for kawaguchiko. Night at a kawaguchiko onsen.
Nov 20. Leave 9.30 am by bus to mishima and connect to Kyoto reaching Kyoto by 1.45 pm.
Nov 21. Kyoto
Nov 22. Kyoto
Nov 23. Kyoto
Nov 24. Leave for Hiroshima / miyajima
Nov 25. Back to Hiroshima and on to Osaka
Nov 26. Osaka. Leave at 4.45 pm to Takayama and reach by 8.20 pm.
Nov 27. Takayama. Shin hotaka.
Nov 28. takayama. Sgo.
Nov 29. Takayama to Tokyo
Nov 30. Tokyo day.
Dec 1. 11 am flight out of narita.

How does this look!

Thanks!

mrwunrfl

Nov 20 -
You have a good travel plan

You are getting the 11:48 Hikari from Mishima to Kyoto. Good to avoid the Kodama.

You must be catching the bus at Fujikyu Highland. The trip to Kyoto is over 4 hours, but you have multiple nights there, your plan is quicker and simpler than taking trains to a shinkansen station, plus you get a 50-minute break in travel.

Nov 26 -
So your run is over in the morning and you have time to clean up before checking out of your hotel.

You mean depart JR Osaka at 16:25 (not 16:45) so that you can get the last limited express train of the day from Nagoya to Takayama, arriving 20:19.

You will be staying in hotel (not ryokan) for that first night, at least, in Takayama

mrwunrfl

I think that the following caveat applies to your 9:30 bus departure from Fujikyu Highland:

Stops at the highway bus stop near the park's main entrance instead of the regular bus stop next to Fujikyu Highland Station and the park's secondary entrance.

But, you probably saw that.
http://www.japan-guide.com/bus/gotemba.html
and you are going to get a bus seat reservation and verify the departure time and location on or before the 19th.

Am wondering if Fujikyu bus has a pass that would cover that and a highway bus from Shinjuku.

mrwunrfl

7 AM arrival probably means Tokyo Haneda and not Narita Airport. ?

kja

Seems much better to me!
Enjoy

pgautam01

Yes it's 16.25 from Osaka and 16.43 from from Shin Osaka. So we expect to complete the run by 2.00pm and other formalities by 3.00pm and head to shin Osaka. Will get our luggage sent to Takayama before hand. Just need to figure out a place to shower and change after the run. I'm hoping they will have some arrangement for showers and changing rooms at the finish at INTEX Osaka. I believe it's a 40 min travel to shin Osaka from INTEX Osaka. Yes we will need a hotel with late check in for that night at Takayama.

Just booked our international tickets yesterday. Mumbai -Narita arrives at 7.45am.

Also reevaluating kawaguchiko and hakone. Maybe we will chose hakone over kawaguchiko.