Hi my partner and I are heading to Japan late December to mid January, staying in Tokyo for the first 6 nights, ending in Osaka for 4 nights. We have 6 nights in the middle of our trip we are unsure about.

Initial thoughts are:
Tokyo (5 nights) > Nagoya
​​​​​​Nagoya (1 night) > Takayama
Takayama (2 nights) > Kanawaza
Kanawaza (3 nights) > Osaka (4 nights) possible night in Koyasan

We are traveling by public transport including high speed trains. We are in our late 30's. I have been to Japan twice my partner has not been. However I have only really visited big cities. Willing to cut a night at Tokyo or Osaka also.

Suggestions would be awesome

No time in Kyoto?

I have been to Kyoto previously, I thought to visit Kanawaza inplace of Kyoto this time around. We are meeting friends in Osaka

Why stop in Nagoya for one night? You can just change trains at Nagoya (or Toyama) from shinkansen to limited express to Takayama.

I very much enjoyed a one-night stay in Shirakawago in early January several years ago. Would be on the way from Takayama to Kanazawa.

Your time in both Takayama and Kanazawa seems short to me. It depends, of course, on what you want to see and experience, but FWIW, I think there's plenty in each place to justify adding a night to each.

I truly enjoyed my night on Koyasan! If you decide to include that experience, I'd urge you to choose your temple carefully. I was pleased with Shojo-shin-in; I hear good things about Eko-In.

Thanks mrwunrfl

A stop in Nagoya was just to break up the travel a bit and visit a random city on the way 😆, get the early train to Takayama in the morning - but I see your point. I could add the extra night to Shirakawago?

As kja mentions that extra night could be added to Kanazawa or Takayama. Where would you add the extra night? The temple I have tentatively booked is indeed Eko Inn! Is it relatively east to travel to koyasan from Osaka ? And would it make sense to travel from Kanawaza straight to Koyasan (or Takayama to Koyasan) and end in Osaka?

Japan 5 nights > Takayama 2 > Shirakawago 1 > Kanawaza 3 > Koyasan 1 > Osaka 3

Or drop Shirakawago for a day trip add the extra night on Takayama or Kanawaza? And would it make sense to go from Tokyo to Kanawaza first then Takayama etc?

Thanks so much for your help!

>> stop in Nagoya was just to break up the travel a bit and visit a random city on the way
Not a good enough reason. Actually, it is no reason. Just stay inside the station to make the connection instead of heading outside in January weather.

>> I could add the extra night to Shirakawago?
Yes, that is what I would do. Up to you. You could day trip or skip it. It is going to be under 4 ft or more of snow. Some of the gassho zukuri could be closed so it could be difficult to book one. KimJapan helped me book Koemon with an agent in Kanazawa at maybe one day in advance. I think the agent had to call a couple places to find one that would take a guest. Ton of fun. That was January 2005 and things have changed, particularly the big increase in foreign visitors.

But your travel could be impacted by the holidays. Busy domestic travel and business closing. When are you arriving or leaving Tokyo? You need to be booking your lodging now. Good that you have started.

Getting to Koyasan from Kanazawa or Takayama. You would be much better of going from Osaka to Koyasan and returning to Osaka.

kja was right that you could use more time in Kanazawa/Takayama. Then 5 nights you have for the two is pretty much the minimum. Instead of adding days to those places I suggest dropping one of them. Or drop Koyasan, but I think that is a priority for you.

Something like this:
Tokyo 5 nights > Kanawaza+Shirakawago 5 (with first night in Kanazawa) > Osaka+Koyasan+Osaka) 4 (with first and last night in Osaka)

Then you just take the Hokuriku shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa and spend the night. You can return from Shirakawago to Kanazawa to stay some more or just connect there on the way to Osaka.

But you are on the right track. You need to look into what it takes to get to Osaka and especially, what it takes to get to Koyasan. Scratch Nagoya.

Or here's another option: Because Tokyo and Osaka are among the easiest places to reach in Japan (they each have international airports), take some time from one or both and add it to your Kanazawa / Takayama loop.

I don't think I'd say its easy to travel to Koya-san from ANYWHERE! But it's easier from Osaka than just about any where else:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4904.html

thanks again guys this is a great help.

mrwunrfl I noticed you did not mention staying in takayama? do you suggest more time in kanazawa? Also is it best to go from Tokyo to Toyama to get to Takayama or via Nagoya?

We have booked accommodation in Tokyo and tentatively takayama and koyasan so far. As it will be busy I am keen to purchase our train and bus tickets at soon as they become available, which is one month prior to date?

Thanks for the infobon koyasan kja! 😊

I was suggesting that you could skip Takayama. Then you could visit Shirakawago as a day trip or an overnight. You could return from S-go to Kanazawa or continue on to Osaka for the night. Or you could skip Kanazawa and do the same from Takayama. Or you could do what kja suggested or stick with your original plan of 2 nights and 3 nights.

>> from Tokyo to Toyama to get to Takayama or via Nagoya?
Either way is good. It would just be a matter of the wait time when you change trains. Neither city is worth a stop given your time and interests (IME), unless you are a big ramen fan and want to try the black ramen in Toyama but IDK if it is worth it.

For Takayama to Kanazawa you would go by train via Toyama or by bus (with reserved seats) via Shirakawago. If by train, then I would want to get to Takayama via Nagoya for the scenery on both legs of the Takayama Line (i.e. Nagoya - Takayama - Toyama).

Skip Nagoya and you have an extra night add elsewhere. You really want to stay the night in Osaka before going to Koyasan. Getting there from Takayama or Kanazawa is not a good idea, too long and just makes it more complicated. If you go from/to Osaka to Koyasan then you only need to take what you need for the night, leaving your luggage in Osaka. If adding that "extra" night to Osaka makes it more doable for you then I highly recommend doing that.

You need to find out if the buses to/from S-go are operating at the time of you visit. The Kanazawa bus is probably running but maybe not the one from Takayama. They are serious about snow plowing in that area so good chance both routes are open.

You are going to need appropriate footwear You can expect unavoidable slush/snow in Kanazawa (and Takayama) and definitely snow in Shirakawago. My shoes were good enough (water resistant) but the snow boots that Koemon had available for guest were better (and, surprisingly, fit). I remember pitying a young woman at the S-go bus stop whose shoes were inappropriate.

Have you spent time in an onsen town? A unique Japan experience. Suggest that you look at spending a night or two in Kino Saki Onsen, near Kyoto; Arima Onsen, so close to Osaka, it can be done as a day trip; or Hakone Onsen, close to Tokyo. We are now in Japan, my 10th trip, and while we like a few cities, the peacefulness of the countryside is wonderful. This trip has included visits to visits to onsen towns, Kino Saki, Yufuin, Beppu, Arima Onsen.

Yes this is a great recommendation. Stunning.

Best onsen towns for OP's itinerary would probably be Kaga Onsen near Kanazawa or Arima near Osaka. Unazuki Onsen is not far from Kanazawa and has a scenic train, though it will be cold, and snow could have an impact, assuming the train runs at that time of year and is not closed for the holidays.

Thank you again for your advice, takayama via Nagoya is what we are thinking so far, then onto kanazawa. However I noticed a location during my research near Kanawaza and Toyama called Nanto? Would this area be worth a short stay / base instead of takayama or kanazawa? I came across a temple stay called Moritosha.

We have never stayed in an onsen town, and would love too especially in winter. I did look at a few potential places in gifu but not sure where to start. Ideally, a temple stay, and an onsen stay on our trip would be perfect.

Nanto, Toyama-ken. Had to look that place up. Bus from Kanazawa with a transfer to get to Nanto or rail +bus. Train from Takaoka and then bus. Nanto has gassho zukuri like Shirakawago but also a nice temple. Unlike Shirakawago, Maybe there is a bus from Takayama to Nanto. I had to bus from Takaoka to S-go and am wondering if that bus goes via Nanto.

Nanto would be off the beaten foreign tourist path. Looks like a nice stop but not a base.

Your route would be Takayama to Toyama and then shinkansen to Kanazawa (via Shin-Takaoka and Unazuki Onsen which I mentioned earlier).

What places did you find in Gifu? Gero Onsen is on the way from Nagoya to Takayama. I stayed there one night at an onsen ryokan hotel. You are probably looking for a traditional onsen ryoakan.

In Gifu-ken:

"Gero is a well-known onsen hot spring spa town and traditionally counted as one of Japan’s top three hot spring resorts. The other two are Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture, and Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture. Gero is surrounded by scenic mountains which can be viewed in all seasons while bathing outdoors in open-air baths."

Gero Onsen - What to do around the Gero Hot Springs (japan-guide.com)

Gero Onsen | Travel Japan - Japan National Tourism Organization (Official Site)

Moritosha look good. Appears to me to be an inn and not a temple stay place, but I could be wrong. The gassho-zukuri that I thought were in Nanto might actually be in Ainokura.

From the klook website:
With a stay at Moritosha in Nanto, you'll be within a 15-minute drive of Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village and Johanabetsuin Zentokuji Temple. This hotel is 3.8 mi (6.2 km) from Shiko Munakata Memorial Building and 5.1 mi (8.3 km) from Takase Shrine.

You've gotten some good advice above, but I just found this and thought I'd throw in my two yen to the thread...
- I've had Nanto on my to-go list for years. It is a bit out of the way, unless you'll be in Kanazawa, which it sounds like you will. I've wanted to stay at the Hyakurakusou inn, mainly because I heard the food was great! Moritosha looks very nice too, but I don't think its a temple stay, just an inn?
-I am not a fan of temple stays in summer or winter, as they often don't have great heat or AC. It's been a few years since I've done one though, and things may be better now.
-Nagoya is one of the very few places in Japan that I don't care for. Several visits all reinforced that opinion. I just find it boring.
-I'm surprised someone above said that Kinosaki is a short distance from Kyoto. It's around 3 hours by train from either Osaka or Kyoto. That said, it's a cute sweet onsen town and well worth a visit. Hakone and Arima are much closer in, Hakone is about an hour and a half train ride from Tokyo and Arima Onsen is about an hour trip from Kyoto or Osaka.

Thanks again for the advice, I am thinking of sticking to similar plan but from Tokyo to Kanazawa

Tokyo (5 nights)
​​​​​​Kanazawa (3 nights)
Takayama (3 nights)
Osaka (3 nights)
Koyasan (1 night)

I may change Kanazawa to 4 nights, Takayama 2 nights however as there seems to be more to do in Kanazawa, and add a day trip in somewhere from Kanazawa.

As it is during peak season, would I need to book all transport in advance? including bus from Kanazawa to Takayama? I was planning on purchasing trains as soon as they come available - which is one month before trip I read, correct me if I am wrong.

You have it right. It is the 21st in Japan now and you can buy tix for as far out as the 20th of next month.

Tokyo->Kanazawa
Buy from JR East: JR-EAST Train Reservation | Top Page
You don't need a pass, so click on Purchase tickets, Search by Line, Hokuriku Shinkansen
Enter the search options and Search
Scroll the results page: you prefer a Kagayaki train
I recommend that you leave this checkbox unchecked: Purchase tickets such as the Super (Limited) Express Train ticket only
(you could check it and pay less now but you have to pay the base fare eventually which am 99% sure is refundable, but you should make sure)

For Takayama to Osaka buy from JR West, I think.: West Japan Railway Company - Timetables, Route Maps, and Station Maps
The typical routing is Limited Express Hida from Takayama to Nagoya then shinkansen to Shin Osaka then special rapid train (unreserved) to Osaka Station.

There is a Limited Express Hida train that goes from Takayama to Osaka Station with no change of trains. Am 99% sure it is once a day in mid-afternoon (after 3PM-ish).
Time required: 4:16 price: 8,450 YEN

The typical routing via shinkansen is more frequent, more expensive, and quicker even with two transfers:'
Time required: 3:47 Price: 12,380 YEN

You could daytrip to Shirakawago or stop there enroute or overnight. Yes, on getting bus seat reservations. Your other travel option is by rail Kanazawa to Toyama to Takayama. It is a good option, a bit over 2 hours. Buy rail tix from JR West, I think.

I wrote "JR West, I think" because their timetable shows the routes you want. Kanazawa is a JR West station but the Hokuriku shinkansen is op by JR East as is the Hida L'ex from Toyama to Inotani. I think there is a crew change at Inotani. From Inotani to Takayama and Nagoya, the Hida train is op by JR Central as is the shinkansen Nagoya to Shin Osaka and your destination is JR West. Actually, JR East might sell the Kanazawa to Takayama tix.