First Time to Japan Nov '25 Draft Itinerary
 

I have done lots of trip planning over the years and enjoyed it but coming up with an itinerary for Japan has been a challenge. I have been doing a deep dive into Japan-guide.com and Trip Reports by (among others) @progol, @memejs, @ms_go, @PJTravels, @plambers, @mrwunrfl, @Tripplanner001. Thank you all so much for such helpful information, great photos and first hand tips. I am now ready to put our draft itinerary out there for review.

Travel Dates (tentative) Nov 1-23 but flights not booked yet, waiting for Zipair November schedule to be posted.
We must travel via Narita Airport in both directions
Aware of 2 holidays: Culture Day Nov 3, Labour Day Nov 23
Prefer travel by train/bus with and use luggage transfer service when possible. We travel with carry-on only.
Mix of accommodations but want to experience Ryokan and Onsens.
Ages 68 & 71 but used to self guided travel with some small group guided tours (Goodwill Guides)

Arrival in Tokyo (from Vancouver) mid-day
Nov 2,3,4 Tokyo - thinking Asakusa Tobu Hotel
Nov 5,6,7 Kanazawa - thinking Machiya Kikunoya
Nov 8,9,10 Takayama - Thinking Yarimikan
Nov 11 - thinking Yamanaka Onsen
Nov 12-17 - Kyoto + day trips - thinking Hotel Mume
Nov 18,19 - Miajima (via Hiroshima stopover)
Nov 20-22 - Tokyo - thinking Hotel Century Southern Tower
Nov 23 Departure mid-afternoon

My thought is Tokyo during the 2 holiday times might work out if people will be using the day off to visit sites out of town (wishful thinking and am aware it's a huge, crowded city). We would rather break up our time in Tokyo than have 6 nights at the start or the end.

The segments I am most confused about are the Kanazawa, Takayama segments. I can't figure out the most logical way to do it and how long to stay in each place. We would like to visit Kamakochi and stop in Shirakawa-go and do some hikes/walks/bike rides in the countryside weather permitting.

IMO, 3 nights is a bare minimum for Kanazawa and 2 nights is a bare minimum for Takayama. You can visit Shirakawa-go in between. If you want to visit Kamikochi from Takayama, add a night to T. If you want to hike around Takayama, add yet another night there.

Should be a great trip!

Thank you kja That is just the type of information I am hoping for to help me organize our trip.

Your itinerary makes a lot of sense, especially if you are looking for a well-rounded look at the core of Japan. How you've distributed the nights at each stop is logical.

From Tokyo to Kanazawa is an easy bullet-train ride. From Kanazawa to Takayama, you would take a bus that goes via Shirakawa-go; at Shirakawa-go, you can store your luggage while you go exploring if you don't use the luggage delivery service. There are buses that go from Takayama to Kamikochi but you will need to change at Hirayu Onsen; the signage is good and half of the bus if not more will be doing the same.

Breaking up to Tokyo so that the end of your stay will be later in November means that you may be able to catch some of the autumn foliage there, although fingers crossed you will see and experience the colorful leaves throughout your journey. Another thought, if you are looking for a different end to your trip, is to have the final couple of days in Hakone, Kamakura, or somewhere on the Izu Peninsula.

Hi tripplanner001 , I followed your wonderfully detailed trip report from 2023 with interest and it definitely informed some of our choices so far, including considering the Machiya Kikunoya in Kanazawa if it's available. As we fine tune things I will also keep in mind your suggestion of considering somewhere other than Tokyo for our last few days. Thanks again!

francebound,
Overall, a good plan though there are a few areas that I would reconsider.

1) Yarimikan is not in Takayama and is a 1 1/2 hour bus ride from the city. Yarimikan is locate in the Okuhida region of the Japanese Alps. We traveled there from Matsumoto via 2 buses: Matsumoto to Hirayu Onsen (transfer bus stop) and another bus to the stop closest to Yarimikan. When we traveled to Takayama, we were able to go by a single busride. If you were to stay in Yarimikan and wanted to go to Kamikochi, you would need to take 2 buses - again, changing in Hirayu Onsen, and changing for another bus as they are in different valleys. I would stay in Yarimikan for 2 nights; much as I loved it, the ryokan experience is expensive and 2 nights was just right.

I'm off on a trip today so don't have time to work out a way to organize this, but while I do recommend a stay in Yarimikan, I don't think of it as an alternative to staying in Takayama.

2) And going on to Yamanaka doesn't make much sense. There's no easy access from Yarimikan or Takayama unless you're driving. I would skip Yamanaka and add that day elsewhere. While it's accessible from Kanazawa (train and then shuttle from accommodation), it's not easily accessible otherwise.

3) If you want to stay in Hotel Mume, contact them as soon as you have confirmed dates. They are very popular and also don't confirm reservations until 3 months or so prior to your stay. There's often a waitlist so get on it as soon as you can. I highly recommend it as a place to stay as they take care of you like no other place will and it'll really feel like your home in Kyoto.

Looks pretty good. Get the shinkansen to Kanazawa on the morning of the 5th. Two full days in Kanazawa and then you visit Shirakawago on the 8th enroute to Takayama. Two full days in in Takayama 9-10th.

You want to leap-frog some of your stuff, sending a bag to Takayama to be there when you arrive on the 8th. Travel hands-free on the 8th. You mentioned two carryons. Good. You could share space in each and send one ahead: one goes to Takayama from Tokyo probably, and the other gets shipped from Kanazawa to Takayama. Or you might add a small bag with a trolley sleeve, or a small backpack. I found a foldable backpack with a trolley sleeve for my last trip, and it worked well.

Yamanaka is out of order. You could go there from Tokyo and then back to Kanazawa. You would want to go to Shirakawago from Kanazawa. Unazuki Onsen is on the way between Tokyo and Kanazawa (and between Kanazawa and Takayama).

An easy option with your itinerary would be Gero Onsen on the 11th. Or maybe Yarimikan that day

With the Hokuriku Shinkansen now going beyond Kanazawa you can get a Kagayaki train thru to Kagaonsen Station (from Tokyo). From there to Yamanaka Onsen by taxi 10 min $25 or bus or maybe your ryokan has a shuttle.

Thank you @progol for clarifying for me that Yarimikan is some distance from Takayama.
New plan: From Tokyo we would stay 7 nights, 3 in Kanazawa and 4 in Takayama. We still would like to figure out how to enjoy a traditional Onsen Ryokan experience, but I agree going by bus to Yarimikan for just 1 night is not ideal. Also have taken Yamanaka out.

As we are going to Kyoto next, it seems the best way is to go from Takayama via Nagoya on the train. I will be sure to contact Hotel Mume and ask to be put on a waitlist. We have confirmed dates now.

@Mrwnrfl you are right, hands free on the 8th is the way to go. The luggage transfer system sounds great!

Have you checked your ryokan options on Miyajima? I loved Mojijiso, though it doesn't have an onsen. Booking.com, japaneseguesthouses.com, and japan-guide.com should each help identify options.

Luggage forwarding (takuhaibin) is a wonderful service!
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

>> figure out how to enjoy a traditional Onsen Ryokan experience
I gave some input for this. Yamanaka makes sense if you go there from Tokyo. The description of "tradional" limits your ryokan options. The onsen requirement excludes some traditional ryokan. The experience you are seeking is one of the best you can find in Japan. But there are options, variations on the theme.

>> seems the best way is to go from Takayama via Nagoya on the train
That is correct. The Wide View Hida limited express trains on the Takayama Line go (via Gero Onsen(where it is easy to find a ryokan hotel with nice baths) to Nagpya where you transfer to the shinkansen. There is a once-per-day limited express train that goes all the way from Takayama to Kyoto (and Osaka) - no transfer but it takes a bit longer. Ltd. Express Hida 36(for OSAKA) departs Takayama at 15:34

With four nights in Takayama you could visit Hida no Sato and skip Shirakawago. Better yet, spend a night in S-go and enjoy the Ogimachi and viewpoint in the morning before the day tripper buses arrive.

There are traditional ryokan in Takayama, but not with onsen. One is Sumiyoshi. There is also a famous one in the town but I can't think of the name right now.

kja, progol found that Momijiso closed. There are other good traditional ryokan on the island (no onsen).

>> going by bus to Yarimikan for just 1 night is not ideal
True, but it is still a good idea because it is a traditional onsen ryokan (with Western bed options). One bus for 1.5 hours from/to Takayama. And you get to ride the Shinhotaka Ropeway during the day. There are other options in Hirayiu Onsen, closer to Takayama.

Of all of the places you have mentioned so far, Kamikochi was the first one to toss.

Too bad about Momiji-so! I'm lucky to have stayed there.
But I thought Iwaso had an onsen? I could be wrong.

Well, Iwaso says they do.

I'd better get started looking for ryokan options in Miyajima so we have some choice. I didn't know about japaneseguesthouses.com, so thanks for that! And I have bookmarked the Takuhaibin site.

If you want a ryokan with an onsen, Iwaso might be your only option on Miyajima. I could be wrong.

[QUOTE=mrwunrfl;17634668]>> going by bus to Yarimikan for just 1 night is not ideal
True, but it is still a good idea because it is a traditional onsen ryokan (with Western bed options). One bus for 1.5 hours from/to Takayama. And you get to ride the Shinhotaka Ropeway during the day. There are other options in Hirayiu Onsen, closer to Takayama.

Thank you mrwunrfl . I think we'll steal a day from the 2nd half of the trip so we can spend 2 nights in Yarimikan and 3 in Takayama. I think we'd like the Okuhida area and Yarimikan very much and would enjoy the Shinhotaka Ropeway, especially if we're lucky with the weather. I checked 2024 November temperatures for the area and was surprised that early November was not as chilly as I expected so with luck it will be nice for walking around appreciating nature at its finest. Next year, who knows?

Yes! 2 nights in Yarimikan and 3 in Takayama are perfect. That’s what we did, anyway😉!

We did go on the Shinhotaka ropeway though when we were there, it only went up to the first stage and not to the top as they were doing some repairs or other work. It was still worth the visit but we didn’t get the full view, which was disappointing. The Okuhida region and Takayama were both wonderful for their autumn color, too.

japaneseguesthouses has a good description of ryokan styles and customs under Resources. I have used the site to find ryokan but booked elsewhere.

An excellent, comprehensive, description of ryokan is at japan-guide: Ryokan - traditional Japanese inns
The video, text, and the Ryokan Guide links will prepare you for the experience.

I found this room layout when I wanted to find the word for the "sitting area" in the room (hiroen). When you arrive, you will likely find a small plate on the table in the hiroen with some mochi or cookies to have with green tea. Relax there and take in the view. These room features, like the tokonoma and hiroen, are typical for any ryokan style.
]Introduction to Japanese-style room “washitsu” at onsen ryokans | SELECTED ONSEN RYOKAN | best in japan, private hot spring hotel, open air bath, luxury stay

Good plan. The ropeway and, I think, the ryokan are at an elevation above Takayama and will be colder. On your full day there you can consider visiting Kamikochi. One way is to walk down from one of the ropeway stations to Kamikochi and then bus (or maybe taxi) back. On the way back I would find a bath in Hirayu Onsen (a public bath or ryokan with public hours). I did this on the way from Takayama to Kamikochi as there was a small public bath at the bus stop. Followed that with a soak at a lodging in Kamikochi because why not. Both of those baths were small and I was the only bather.

I usually try to book a ryokan directly. Otherwise, I use agoda.com to book lodging in Japan and highly recommend them, especially after my experience last November. My next go-to is japanican.

Then benefit of using the ryokan website is to see all of your options. Two years ago, I used a ryokan website that was only in Japanese which I translated using a browser option. There, I saw that they had several meal options while the OTAs (agoda, japanican, rakuten) only offered the standard meal. I used that website to book the room and a deluxe meal. The ryokan websites are often managed by a third party but you can communicate with the ryokan staff if needed.

Years ago, I booked the Rihga Royal in Hiroshima on their Japanese website to get a big discount that was not available on the English page. That was before webpage translation was available. Used the URLs for the links to find my way.

This is so helpful mrwunrfl thank you

Second Itinerary Draft, 21 nights total

Nov 2 - Arrive in Tokyo Narita mid day
3 nights Tokyo: Asakusa Tobu Hotel
Nov 5 - To Kanazawa
3 nights Kanazawa: Machiya Kanazawa Kikunoya (on request, too early to book)
Nov 8 - To Okuhida Hot Spring Village, Shinhodaka Onsen
2 nights Yarimikan (open for booking 8am, June 1)
Nov 10 - To Takayama
3 nights Takayama: Sumiyoshi Ryokan (request sent)
Nov 13 - To Kyoto
6 nights Hotel Mume (pending confirmation, we’re on their list)
Nov 19 - To Hiroshima and overnight Miyajima
1 night Miyajima: Auberge Watanabe
Nov 20 - To Tokyo
3 nights Tokyo: Okakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower
Nov 23 - Depart Tokyo Narita early evening

Still to work out is transportation between locations and within Tokyo and day trips from Takayama and Kyoto but I’ll take a breather now before the next trip-planning impulse kicks in. Lots of fine tuning still to do. Thanks everyone!

Looks like a nice plan to me!

You have Okuhida after Kanazawa..That would make it impossible/impractical/inadvisable to stop at Shirakawago, of course. The travel on the 8th would then be shinkansen to Toyama, limited express train to Takayama, and then the bus. I recommend stopping in Takayama whether or not you go via Shirajawago or go by JR. Also, would add a night in Hiroshima, probably the night after Miyajima.

Thanks for your comments mrwunrfl . Do you think it's better to have our 3 day stay in Takayama before going to Yarimikan for the 2 nights? My thought was to skip Shirakawago and go right to Okuhida, stay there 2 nights, go to Takayama and after our 3 nights there head to Kyoto. I thought that would make for an easier 1 day journey to Kyoto. Maybe I've got it backwards. Shirakawago is not a must-see for us so I didn't mind giving it up as a stop.

I am still mulling over the tail end of the trip so perhaps another night in Hiroshima and reduce Tokyo to 2 nights is a good idea.

FWIW, I visited Hiroshima en route to Miyajima and had all the time I wanted for my priorities in Hiroshima (the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park, and Peace Museum) and still make it to Miyajima by late afternoon. BUT I was coming from Kurashiki (with a stop in Okayama before Hiroshima) AND I was traveling in May, not in November, and both of those factors could make a difference. And maybe you want to see more or other things in Hiroshima.

I think May must be a nice time to travel in Japan. That's when our son and his girlfriend are going this year. They are only getting started with their planning though unlike me. I start months in advance and am not the go-with-the-flow type at all, rather the analysis paralysis type!

There were things that were wonderful about traveling through Japan in May -- iris in full bloom in most of the places I visited and (depending on location) azalea and other beautiful flowers and flowering shrubs. And I was able to see an incredible number of cultural events, such as an odori and ukai and kabuki and a firefighters' festival.

That said, I think traveling in the fall has many advantages and hope you see lots of autumn foliage and have some wonderful experiences. It is a fascinating place!

In terms of transportation:

Tokyo -> Kanazawa - direct Shinkansen
Kanazawa -> Okuhida - bus via Takayama
Takayama -> Kyoto - train to Nagoya and Shinkansen to Kyoto; there is a direct train from Takayama to Kyoto in the afternoon once a day as well
Kyoto -> Hiroshima - direct Shinkansen
Hiroshima -> Miyajima - you can take a direct ferry by the A-bomb Dome or you can take a train to Miyajimaguchi and then ferry
Miyajima -> Tokyo - ferry back to mainland, train to Hiroshima, direct Shinkansen to Tokyo

If this is your first visit and you have 3 days in Tokyo, there will be plenty to keep you busy. If you really wanted to get outside of the city, then popular day trips include Nikko (Toshogu Shrine is awesome, but there's also a lake and waterfalls), Lake Kawaguchi (for Mount Fiji), and Kamakura (temples as well as the Great Buddha). There are many more less discovered options as well.

From Kyoto, you could go to Uji for its green tea, Nara (temples as well as the Great Buddha there), Himeji Castle (one of the best preserved original castles still standing), and Lake Biwa, among others.

Actually, your plan is fine. I took a look and it turns out that the Nohi Bus, Kanazawa to Takayama, might take less time than the JR route that I mentioned and with no transfer. The bus goes via S-go and I think you c/would transfer buses in Takayama and get to your Okuhida ryokan to check in between 3 and 5 PM, even after spending a few hours in S-go. I definitely would want to reserve the bus seats in advance for the bus(es) from Kanazawa to Takayama. IDK if reservations would be necessary for the (Nohi) bus to/from the stop near Yarimikan. Would be worthwhile spending some time at the Nohi website to see what the options are.

That works. Kyoto would be just 40 minutes longer than from Kurahiki to Hiroshima and would be all on the shinkansen. Easy on a Nozomi. November same as May. Could send a bag ahead to Miyajima. From the station take the streetcar to Genbaku-Dome-Mae stop, see the dome, peace park, meuseum, and then ferry from near there to Miyajima (otherwise would go back to Hiroshima Station on the strettcar from the stop near the museum)

A good option is to go directly from Kyoto to Miyajima.to have much of the day there. Shinkansen and then JR local to Miyajimaguchi and then the JR ferry to the island, Leave a bag at the ryokan and visit the island. Next day, send the bag to Tokyo and then take the ferry that goes to near the Peace Park, etc. Less schedule pressure, I think.

To add a night in Hiroshima I would take a night from Kyoto, not from Tokyo. Could even have early dinner in Kyoto and spend the night in Hiroshima to then have a choice of going into Hiroshima next morning or straight to Miyajima. Other option is Hiroshima for a night after Miyajima.

Hiroshima Station has a city side and a shinkansen side. The streetcar and JR locals are on the city side. I really liked staying at the Sheraton on the shinkansen side of the station. It is maybe 3 min from the shinkansen platform. There is also the Granvia which is a minute closer. The Rhiga Royal is nice but there are other hotels near the PP and museum.

It is. The azalea bloom can be found at Hamarikyu Garden. It is baseball season and the grand sumo tournament is in Tokyo (November it is in Fukuoka). IIRC, the Kamogawa Odori is held in May. That is the geisha performance (dance) in Pontocho, Kyoto, and I would not want to miss it. Big festival in Tokyo mid-May.

The longer they wait to book lodging for May the fewer options they will have and the higher the cost.

Different strokes - I'd take the time from Tokyo, not Kyoto.

Dear tripplanner001 , thank you for your straightforward explanation of transportation options. With the help of you and others on the forum, what seemed at first like a puzzle I could not solve now seems completely doable. I will start familiarizing myself with the Nohi bus schedule and learn more about train travel. The Japan.com website has some great videos.

I think we’ll keep to the plan of having our last 3 days in Tokyo. Unlike at the start of the trip when we'll be tired from a long flight and jet lag we will be able to appreciate the city and do things like go to TeamLab, shop a little, and visit some gardens, hopefully dressed in their fine autumn colours.

[QUOTE=mrwunrfl;17635333]
A good option is to go directly from Kyoto to Miyajima.to have much of the day there. Shinkansen and then JR local to Miyajimaguchi and then the JR ferry to the island, Leave a bag at the ryokan and visit the island. Next day, send the bag to Tokyo and then take the ferry that goes to near the Peace Park, etc. Less schedule pressure, I think.

mrwunrfl What a brilliant idea!!

>> I think we’ll keep to the plan of having our last 3 days in Tokyo.
Good to stick with that instead of taking a night from there for Hiroshima.

Ok, then with one night for Miyajima/Hiroshima here is some info for your transit options. There are two maps at the link below.

The first map shows Hiroshima and in the lower left Miyajima. See the grey Sanyo Line, the JR local from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi where you have a short walk to the ferry port. Take note of the red tram line between Miyajimaguchi and the Peace Park.

That map shows the ferry from Miyajima to the PP. That port is closer to the Genbaku Dome than I thought, which is good because that is a great place to start. After the (A-bomb) dome, go over the bridge to the PP and on the museum.

The second map shows the transit in the city. After the museum you just cross the bridge and take that orange tram line to Hiroshima Station.

In November, when the leaves on the maple trees turn color, it will be prime time for Miyajima. Probably want to get the tickets for the PP ferry (the Aquanet ferry) in advance, either the first day when you arrive at Miyajima Port or the next morning. Or you can choose to try to get tickets at the last minute knowing that you can always take that red tram line to Genbaku-Dome-Mae or the Sanyo Line options.

Definitely look into whether or not you will need timed-entry tickets for the Peace Memorial Museum.

I see they have a tourist loop bus now. The tram lines used to operate supercool old-time streetcars. Maybe they are not all gone, replaced by the modern ones.

Tokyo to Hiroshima: How to get to and around Hiroshima - Access, Transport and Orientation

Thanks so much mrwunrfl !

You will want to keep an eye on the progress of koyo season, especially for your Miyajima visit. The Momiji room in a Miyajima lodging is promising, I think. :)
Momiji: Japan’s Spectacular Red Leaf Maple Trees - Sakuraco

FWIW, I chose to go to Miyajima after visiting Hiroshima because I anticipated (correctly) that I would find Hiroshima an emotionally powerful place. I’m very glad I visited the Peace Park and Peace Museum, but after doing so, I wanted a quiet evening to permit reflection. By the next day, I felt sufficiently rejuvenated to enjoy Miyajima and, when ready, to move on.

Just something to consider….