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….