We have one night to splurge in our October/November Japan trip. I have iterations of itineraries for each. Our basic plan is Tokyo 6 nights, Kyoto 5 nights, Takayama 3 nights, Kanazawa 4 nights, Okayama 3 nights, Matsumoto 3 nights ( slow travelers!). The order depends on the splurge.
Any opinions appreciated.

cindyjo, I have no suggestions, but we have a very similar itinerary for a similar time frame! I’ve been tweaking my itinerary multiple times and, for now, have included Hiroshima/Miyajima. We are also visiting the Okuhida onsen region between Matsumoto and Takayama. But the basic framework is very similar. And, we, too are slow(er) travelers!

And, of course, now I’m wondering if we should stay in Okayama instead of Hiroshima, though I’m tempted to stay on Miyajima. Iwaso looks beautiful though currently planning just a day trip to the island.

I’d also been considering Koyasan, but have decided (for now!) against it as the schlep factor just seems too great. We’re not only slow travelers but we’re sticking to public transportation and don’t want a complicated or overly long trip between destinations.

Splurge, you mean on lodging?

>> The order depends on the splurge.
IDK what you mean by that. The order depends on where you arrive and depart Japan. You can find a splurge in any of those location.

Iwaso is on Miyajima, near Hiroshima, which is not on your itinerary. I see that for one night in July the rate for two with meals is ¥‎59,400. I guess that gives an idea of what level splurge you mean.

You can certainly find a high end ryokan in Kyoto. Or fancy hotel in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Here is one site you could use: Your Japanese Ryokan Experts | Curated Ryokan Selection and Personalized Reservation Service. (japaneseguesthouses.com)

>> Okayama instead of Hiroshima
cindyjo, why Okayama? Choosing between those two locations Hiroshima would be a slam dunk (for me),

I visited Okayama on a day trip from Hiroshima (lodging next to shinkansen side of the station made it easy). Nice garden and castle. Had glass noodles for lunch. I also checked out Kurashiki that day and could have spent more time there. An overnight would have been worthwhile.

Three nights, with one on Miyajima and two in Hiroshima would work well. At least, it is easy for me to see how I would spend that time.

But, if I did stay in Okayama then I would be able to visit Kojima (blue jeans capital of Japan) and get the view of the Seto Ohashi bridges. The day trip would include taking the train across the bridge system to Shikoku side for the view and a small rail museum. A day trip from Okayama to Matsuyama (Ehime) would be a bit far, 2 hr 40 min each way. (I took the train from Okayama to Matsuyama, crossing to Shikoku around sunset and the views were fantastic. I was just last night watching an NHK rail tour from somewherte east of Imabari to Matsuyama and on south from there.

progol, we stayed at Iwaso on Miyajima and enjoyed the ryokan experience there. Staying a night instead of a day trip insures you can visit Itskushima Jinja at both low and high tide, an iconic view. Daisho In Jinja is a ten minute walk and is worth a visit as well.

Iwaso itself is a splurge but rates include a sumptuous dinner and breakfast in their downstairs dining room. The sento is very nice as well, but then I’m a huge fan of Japanese furo bathing. Our room had a great view, very peaceful and service from the staff was excellent. The inn will pick up and drop off guests at the ferry terminal.

Thank you, though for me, Iwaso is above my splurge level! But since the OP expressed interest, this recommendation might help make a decision😉

I’m considering adding a day on the island but would like something a little less splurge-worthy!😉

Momijiso is an affordable ryokan on Miyajima. It is in/near Momiji-dani which I understood to mean maple tree valley, but google translate says it is "autumn leaves". The reservation website is gambo-ad, same as 20 years ago, and shows no availability for the next couple months. IDK what is up with that. Maybe email would be best to inquire. I would not be too surprised to learn that they limit reservations during peak color to Japanese only, simply because they are sure to sell out, but am guessing.

Wow, such great responses.

curiousgeo, there are consistent reports of huge crowds in Miyajima which is a definite drawback and our reason for an overnight. Thanks for confirming an overnight is warranted. We will be travelling during Koya and by the already diminishing hotel openings, we expect a continued crowd crush.

mrwunrfi - our Iwaso reservation is a total of 79,500 yen total, almost $600. Even with meals, that is a splurge for our usual travel budget. And sorry, should have been more explicit with our itinerary. We are using Okayama as a base for day trips to Onomichi. Kurasaki and Takamatsu for a visit to the Noguchi Museum and the Ritsurin Garden. We do have 1 night planned in Hiroshima following the Iwaso night. And this 1 night could turn into 2 if we drop Iwaso and visit Miyajima as a day trip.

progol - re Koyasan: The World Heritage Ticket with direct limited express add on from Namba Station in Osaka simplifies the trip by knocking out 1 train transfer and cutting time to 80 minutes. This seemed less daunting to us than the other options. The temple stay is also pricey at around $450 with breakfast and dinner.
https://www.nankaikoya.jp/en/images/

our trip is complicated by meeting family halfway through the trip and planning for their priorities which are Tokyo, Kyoto and Takayama.. We have 3 nights in Takayama travelling from Kyoto so may drop our last night and take the last day to bus to Matsumoto with stops at the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway and Kamikochi with an overnight in Matsumoto before train to Tokyo. This plan does seem a bit packed but allows us to at least see the castle in Matsumoto and a bit of the Japanese Alps.

Will keep you informed as things progress.

Thanks for clarifying, cindyjo. I was just coming back to this thread to say that maybe 3 nights Okayama makes sense for a slow traveler. Or somebody who shops. I found an excellent ohashi store in Kurashiki and got a couple pairs of chopsticks. Going to Takamatsu will take you across the Seto Ohashi, yay.

<<progol - re Koyasan: The World Heritage Ticket with direct limited express add on from Namba Station in Osaka simplifies the trip by knocking out 1 train transfer and cutting time to 80 minutes. This seemed less daunting to us than the other options. The temple stay is also pricey at around $450 with breakfast and dinner.
https://www.nankaikoya.jp/en/images/ >>

Thank you. As we will likely be in Kyoto, this ticket doesn’t really work. There is a seasonal bus that does go from Kyoto direct to Koyasan, but it’s still a longish ride. I thought about it a lot and decided that it really was just too much of a schlep for a relatively small reward.

I've been doing a search for a while and it doesn't appear that Momiji-so is accepting any bookings for the ryokan. I'm guessing that it might not be open as a ryokan anymore. I wrote to them via gambo-ad and haven't heard back, while several other places have written back fairly quickly, even if it was outside their booking period. There does seem to be a restaurant by that name, though.

Oh, that's too bad. Maybe the pandemic got them or a typhoon or old age.
I think your timing might be right for a visit to Momijidani for fall colors.

Before deciding to splurge for one night at Iwaso, we were seriously looking at Jukeiso ryokan.