Finalizing itinerary
 

Dear All,

First of all, we will like to say thank you mrwunrfl, kja, Adastra2200, Kavey, curiousgeo for helping us in our planning of our itinerary. In a month time, we’ll be travel to Japan. However, we still have some doubts before we could finalize the plans. Below are our incomplete plans. Please have a look of it and enlighten us whether:

1. take a bus from Takayama to Tokyo(bus from 5:30 hours) , spent a night in Tokyo before we proceed to Kawaguchiko for 2 nights or

2. take a bus directly to Kawaguchiko(depart 8:10am and arrive 1.00pm ~ 5 hours journey), spent 2 nights there and then travel to Tokyo .

We’ll much appreciate if you could give us some constructive comments and suggestions. Thank you in advance.
Day 1
26.11.18 Depart from K.L to Hong Kong
27.11.2018
Tuesday (Arashiyama,Kyoto/1N)
Landed in Osaka (Kansai Airport) at 6.20am.
Take JR Haruka express train to Kyoto.
Drop luggage at the apartment.
Walk to Tenzan no Yu to experience onsen
Check in.Arashiyama Saganoarisugawachō

Day 2
28.11.18 (Wed, Kyoto/3N)
Depart to Arashiyama at 7 am. Cycle around.
Check out at 11 am.
Check in at Grids Hotel at 4p.m.
Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Gion in the evening.
Villa,Golden Pavilion,Stroll along Pontacho Alley.

Day 3
29.11.18 (Thurs, Kyoto)
Botanical Garden and Philosopher’s Walk. Visit Nishi Market.

Day 4
30.11.18 (Fri, Kyoto)
Day trip to Nara .Night bus/train to Kanazawa.

Day 5
1.12, 18(Sat, Kanazawa/2 N)
reach early visit Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle
Stay Emblem Stay

Day6
2.12.18 (Sun,Kanazawa)
Visit Higashi Chaya (zoo, free), stroll along Nagamachi District.

Day 7
3.12.18(Mon, Takayama/1N)
Go Shirakawago for few hours; visit the villages, (Ogimachi Village for scenic viewpoint).
SUMIYOSHI RYOKAN

Day 8
4.12.18(Tues, Takayama/N)
Stay Oyado Yamakyu

Day 9
5.12.18(Wednesday)Tokyo

Day 10
6.12.18 (Thursday,Kawaguchiko)

Day 11
7.12.18 (Fri, Kawaguchiko))
?
Day 12
8.12.18 (Sat, Tokyo/2N)

Visit Imperial Palace & Ueno Park and Asakusa(Nakamise Dori) if time permits.
Super Hotel Lohas Musashi Kosugi Ekimae

Day 13
9.12.18(Sun,Tokyo)
Harajuku (Takeshita Dori, Jingu Gaien), Shibuya(Yoyogi Park, Icho Namiki), Shinjuku (TokyoMetro Govt Bldg)

!0.12.18 Home sweet Home

Well, you are refining your plans, and ultimately you know what you want better than anyone.
That said, there are some obvious logistics problems. Your Day 2 looks like a big headache - you have Arashiyama, Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and Kiyomizudera all bundled up - and they are all on opposite sides of the city - so I just don't see how you are going to get all that done. You'll be rushing all over the city. You didn't mention the other top sight, the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
For Tokyo, I found the Sensoji Temple+Nakamise St much more interesting than the imperial sights. And while Ueno Park is not bad (very good museums), if you want scenery, I suggest you try some of Tokyo's many beautiful historic gardens. Koishikawa Korakuen is especially famous and gorgeous for its autumn colors.

Good point about day 2, Adastra2200! :tu:

Overall your itinerary feels too ambitious to me, so much time travelling and not enough time to simply stroll and enjoy.
Of course, only you know your pace of travel and perhaps you like to be on the go a lot more than most?
Personally, I think you have not enough time in Kyoto and whereas I liked Kanazawa a lot (as part of a slower itinerary), I'd drop it to give more time to both Takayama and Kyoto. Or drop Takayama and keep Kanazawa I guess.
I don't think this itinerary would work for me, or most of the friends I help with their trips, but that's not to say, with a bit of tweaking, that it isn't right for you.

Thank you adasra2200, kja and Kavey for the helpful feedback. Unlike most of the westerners , we tend to visit as many places as we can as we most likely will not visit the same region again. However, we are grateful there're always kind and experienced travllers who always lend a helping hand in refining our plans. Your kindness is much appreciated.

We'll omit Nara so we have more time in Kyoto and we will directly travel to Kawaguchiko after visitng Takayama in order to save time. Thank you again.

Zhung, I totally understand! When I first start planning a trip, I always have this tendency and wish to squeeze in as much as I can, but I know our travel style doesn't suit that kind of pace, so even though it's painful, I always shave the itinerary down to something more realistic (for us). But as I said, it will depend on how you guys travel and if you have lots of stamina and like full-on days, you will be able to do a lot more in the same time period as some of us!

I think how to respond to that dilemma is a very personal choice and one to which there is no right answer. Personally, I approach every trip as one that will be my last to whatever area I visit, and the LAST thing I want to do is spend most of that time in transit. The world is full of places I want to see, so if I decide to visit a place, I want to see every aspect of it that appeals to me. So (for example) if I chose to visit Kyoto / Nara, then I would give them at least 6 full days. (In fact, that's what I did -- and wish I'd given it more. And those were FULL days!) There are always places I'd like to see that are tempting and could be seen if I chose to skim; that's not my choice. Again, no right or wrong answers -- just a trade off between skimming with lots of time in transit, but a glimpse (however representative or not) of many different locations vs. committing to a smaller set of locations where you can see and experience more with less time in transit.

After you get off the train in Kyoto you should stow your luggage in a locker at the station and then just take what you need for your one night in Saga. (or just send luggage from Kansai Airport to your Kyoto). If you travel light, like just a small backpack or two then maybe you can check out before you go to Arashiyama. You won't have to return to Saga after your bike ride to collect your luggage (I think that is what you are planning with that 11 AM checkout).

I am not sure whether there is any difference between your two bus options.

Maybe it has changed, but I think that your Option 1 would involve a city bus traveling from Takayama station, going east through town, and into the hills. At some point you would transfer to a highway bus bound for Shinjuku.

Am sure (don't know) that you can get a bus from Shinjuku Bus Center (or nearby) to Kawaguchiko. There is a train route from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko involving JR and Fujikyu Railways.

Your option 2, is probably what I described as option 1 plus the bus from Shinjuku to K-ko.

This is all assumikng that the road over the mountains from Takayama to Matsumoto is open. Which I hope that you actually know that it is.

I hope you like Sumiyoshi - you want a room on the river side. They have a shared soaking bath, so I hope you know how to use it if you choose to.

Looks like Oyado Yamakyu is on the eastern edge of the city at the foot of the hills. It is very close to the road that the bus will take. You can catch the bus at a stop instead of going to the bus center at Takayama station.

You really could use two days in Takayama. on for the main sites in town that you can visit from Sumiyoshi. The second day for Higashi-Takayama sites from Yamakyu. (not that walking from the station, across town, to Yamakyu is a big deal, it is an easy walk and not that long).

Thank you Kavey, kja and mrwunfl for the valuable feedback. Mrwunfl, I will take Nohi bus from Takayama to Kawaguchiko.
Is there anyone been staying in Wafu Guesthouse Kashiwaya 3710 Funatsu,, Fujikawaguchiko, Fujikawaguchiko:? I have to decide which place to stay : Wafu Guesthouse which is near Kawaguchiko Station or Maisan-chi airbnb which is near Fujisan Station? Which place will be more scenic and easy access to places of interest? We will mainly use public transport. Thank you.