Itinerary for Japan

Self-touring in Japan is not difficult, I think you will be pleased with a DIY itinerary that you can control to your liking. I would suggest studying some maps of the larger train stations before leaving. For instance, several Tokyo stations can be confusing, but there are many English speakers available to help and English signs. A little knowledge of the stations can be a time saver.

Have you checked your itinerary against one of the travel apps to see the journey times and departure/arrival options?
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?sub_lang=nosub
https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/

From my perspective, you've included lots of great highlights, but the actual time at many of the locations would be too brief for me. 2 nights = 1 full day - for instance 2 nights in Kanazawa only allows for a one day trip to Shirakawa, not also time to explore Kanazawa (unless you can time your trains well allowing for partial days on arrival and departure - that may be possible). I do tend to be a "slow" traveler, so my preferences are not everyone's.

Run your itinerary against the cost of a train pass. The prices went up significantly a few years ago and it may not pay back. https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ Also, the pass might not be good on routes to Nikko depending on which train company you use.

I think your order makes sense. I don't know that clockwise or counter-clock is preferable.

I can recommend this company for a Shirakawa-go day tour from Kanazawa. I used them 9 months ago. I booked directly on this website. We did the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama World Heritage Village Tour - English spoken, very organized, very efficient and well managed. https://whitering.co.jp/index.html

Which airport do you arrive in? I'm assuming Haneda or Narita. Check the transport to Nikko from the airport. It may be preferable to visit Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo.

Edit - Yes, it can be very overwhelming to plan!!!! I have found the on-the-ground to be easier than the decision-making!

We did 8 days prior to a cruise from Tokyo to Hong Kong, stopping in 5 Japanese ports in 2015 and di most of the places you mentioned in your proposed itinerary.

We took a local Japanese company's tours going to Nikko (lived that one) as well as Kamakura and sites in Tokyo. Also, we took a multiday tour of Kyoto and Nara that included the high speed train (forgot the name). We did an afternoon in Nara and three days in Kyoto. Our Kyoto tour included two days of sites in that city with another day on our own. We loved Kyoto. Recommend taking tours, since the sites are not real close to each other, except the Philosopher's Walk, which we did on our free day, having to take a taxi each way, which cost a bit.

We did Himeji Castle, Osaka Castle and Nagasaki on the cruise as well as a few other sites.

First, I would go north to Nikko on a day trip, do Tokyo and other day trips before moving south.

Since you have traveled extensively in Europe there should be no problems in Japan. Same type of stuff. If you do similar itineraries in Europe then same in Japan.
Travel experience style is personal. One night, two nights, enroute stops, packed days, etc. It is all your style.
I am headed for Taiwan shortly for a month and my style has been hardened over the years and I figure it all out based on that. I do not post itineraries for review as the replies would only cause endless more research of which I have already done. You cannot see and do everything.
Travel is always a compromise. Do your thing.

I would sugges Miyajima as a day trip from Hiroshima. Very easily done.

The other thing that is very important, if this is your first trip to Japan, is to learn the unwritten etiquette rules:

Japan--Tips and Customs for a Successful Stay

You may also want to read up on the Konbibi--Japanese convenience stores. They are everywhere and nothing like the ones we have in the US. (Even if the names sound familiar).

Another big thing to realize--there is no tipping. None. Zero. Nada. It may be considered an insult. Don't do it.

We are planning a similar trip in late October, though we're doing it in a slightly reversed fashion and we're staying for 28 days, so adding in few more places where we'll stay for a few nights (Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Okayama/Kurashiki and are extending our stay in Tokyo to 5 nights and Kyoto to 7 nights (will do a couple of day trips from there).
We're flying into Tokyo (Haneda) and home from Osaka (KIX), so we'll end our trip with the stay in Kyoto and the last night will be at an airport hotel at KIX. So the route will be: Tokyo-Matsumoto-Yamanouchi-Takayama-Kanazawa-Hiroshima-Miyajima-Kurashiki-Kyoto. Plans right now are to rent a car when we leave Matsumoto and return it when we get to Kanazawa.
Happy planning!!

Hi, does anyone have any recommendations on whether my family should spend the last 2 nights of our 2 week Japan trip at Lake Yamanaka or Izu? We will not have a car and plan on taking the train to Narita on our last day.

What is the transport from Lake Yamanakako? Bus and train?? Not clear to me if you were hoping to get to Narita on the same day as leaving from Fuji Five Lake area, but I wouldn't risk catching a plane when leaving from the region. I confess to being conservative on departure day travels - you may feel differently!

Izu - not sure where you mean. Somewhere on the Peninsula? Check the train schedules from the location you are considering. https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?sub_lang=nosub
(My personal preference (I fly in and out of Narita) is to stay in Tokyo or at Narita the night before a flight. A number of hotels near Narita and Narita city is itself a charming spot. Again, personal choice. )

I strongly suggest you do not travel until late Oct, at the earliest. Foliage season in Japan is awesome and you don't want to get there before the leaves turn color. Also, do note that the season starts on different dates according to altitude and latitude. For example, Nikko and Takayama/Nagano will have foliage earlier than the other cities.

After listening and more planning, and booked flights on October 30th for 20 days this is my tentative itinerary - Tokyo(5 nights, Hakone (2 nights), Hiroshima (2 nights), Miyajima (1 night), a stop at Himeji Castle en route to Kyoto (4 nights) with a day trip to Nara, Kanazawa (2 nights), a day trip to Shinokowago Village en route to Takayama (2 days), Matsumoto Castle en route to Nagano (2 night), then onto the airport. I appreciate any help and suggestions offered. The trip from Kanazawa onward was and is the most confusing to me. Any suggestions on how best to arrange this would be most appreciated; also, would this be the best direction to go, or should it be reversed, e.g. Tokyo to Nagano and ending in Hakone? I am still working on the economics of the rail plan.

I want to chime in on a few Apps or cards that will make your trip much easier

Japan Rail App- This is a terrific app and will really help with subway and train connections. Put in your start, finish, and it gives several possible routings, times and costs.

Sucia Card- (one of the IC cards in Japan) I put it on my phone in the wallet. I pre-purchased this card and loaded it with 5000 yen before I left for Japan. It works great for transportation, groceries, 7-11's (where good snacks, supplies and ATMS are found). Most service areas along the freeways also take them as well as many other stores. Easy to reload with as much or little yen as you like. One advantage. When you load money onto it using your credit card, it comes through as a merchandise purchase. You are getting the equivalent of "cash" without paying any cash advance fees.

Google translate: the camera feature is particularly helpful in scanning Japanese text and immediately having it transformed to English. I used it a lot in shopping and also reading signage in museums.

You are so right, traveling around Kanazawa - Shirakawa-go - Takayama - Matsumoto/Nagano is not as easy as the rest of your routes. (No news for you there!) The below assumes you do not wish to rent a car for the area.

Check these bus companies and routes:
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/
https://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/en

I have used Nohi - very professional. I would probably book in advance - seats can sell out. Were you thinking Shirakawa-go as a day trip returning to Kanazawa or continuing on? As a day trip the company I linked in my post above is very good: https://whitering.co.jp/index.html . If continuing on, check the bus routes in this post for your next stop.

Getting to Nagano efficiently from Takayama is probably not possible. Check the bus schedules above as well as Jorudan for possible train connections, but I don't think there's anything direct. https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?sub_lang=nosub It can be done easily - train - from Kanazawa.

I am wondering if the swing to Nagano and Matsumoto is absolutely necessary to your visit given the logistical difficulties? If you have visited Himeji, you will have seen what most would consider the "best" and most complete with extensive gardens of the historic castles. Matsumoto is fine with much historic preservation, but the castle itself simply can't compare with Himeji (my opinion, of course). Himeji has many more opportunities for exploring a complete castle grounds - much larger than Matsumoto. I wondered what you hoped to see in Nagano. Snow monkeys? (Rhetorical question - answer not required)

To be honest - a year ago, I tried to arrange what you hope for and gave up! I was taking a first timer and eventually decided I needed to make some decisions about leaving some places out. We didn't try for the Nagano Snow Monkeys which simplified things for including the priority items we had.

I think any order - clockwise or counter - would be fine. When I have had similar questions, I've often lined things up on a timeline with dates so I can check that places I want to visit in a town/city are open, I am aware of local festivals that I might want to include or avoid, special exhibition dates, hotel availability. I've flipped a few itineraries after realizing there was a "glitch" in my original planning because I'd missed an opening or closing date or a hotel was unavailable.

Adding - With your 5 days in Tokyo, I hope you are considering a day trip to Nikko.
https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/ticket/nikko/all.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

Kamakura is also a treat.

I booked our flights beginning on October 31, and I am still working on my itinerary and trying to work out the weather and fall foliage logistics. Tokyo for 7 nights (3-day trips), Nagano for 2 nights, Takayama for 2 nights, Kanazawa for 2 nights, and 5 nights in Kyoto, ending with 2 nights in Hiroshima, where we would fly to Haneda airport. My other option is to start in Nagano and end in Tokyo after training from Hiroshima. Your thoughts on whether to begin or end in Tokyo would be appreciated, as well as any other suggestions. Also, for 7 days in Tokyo, would you suggest Hakone be a daytrip or overnight?

Kathy - as I've said above, I don't think there is any difference in beginning in Tokyo vs Nagano, all things being equal. Of course, you might consider jet lag and an acclimatization period which would argue to begin in Tokyo. Relax, recover, get your feet on the ground.

If you don't like that thought, I can give you details on how I've arranged schedules when I've had routes where there were multiple possible directions. I lay everything out on a spread sheet with dates, then check my preferred hotel accommodations for each city. ( I learned this trick after booking multiple places in various Spanish cities, then discovering that Barcelona had a major convention with very high prices and low availability for the hotel dates I needed. I had to redo all the bookings....) If hotel accommodations look fine, I lay out the activities, performances, exhibits I am interested in in each city. Not infrequently, there is a problem with something not being open on a day I've scheduled a city. Then I have to juggle.

Re the Hakone visit - I have always done overnights, but my trips didn't include the same itinerary and number of stops in one go as yours. (I've had recent trips which have included your stops, but not all on a single visit to Japan. Multiple visits since re-opening in 2022.) Ordinarily, I would suggest placing Hakone in between Kyoto and Tokyo - as a stop on the return to Haneda. However, with your itinerary which includes flying from Hiroshima (or Osaka????) back to Haneda, this isn't a good solution. It seems that your options might be connecting between Hakone and Nagano (or Takayama or Kanazawa) by train or traveling Tokyo to Hakone for an overnight then back to Tokyo for departure to Nagano - awkward. If you reversed your trip and headed from Tokyo toward Kyoto and on to Hiroshima first, then an interim stop at Hakone would work well for an overnight. Continue the loop from Kyoto to Kanazawa/Takayama/Nagano (if you've figured that transport out.) A car would simplify the process.

Hakone is both loved and hated. I am a hiker, art lover, history lover, outdoor explorer. The area holds much more of interest for me that I could include in 3 days much less one - I've visited multiple times. Others are much less interested and want to experience the circuit of train, cable car, ropeway, cruise ship, bus. If that is your interest, it can be accomplished as a day trip from Tokyo (simplifying scheduling). Start early and be prepared for crowds and delay. I have always used taxis at some point in my trips as the transport is not quite as efficient as indicated in the advertising literature and travel brochures.

Best of luck.

If you want to "chase" foliage, then visit colder places first. Foliage season starts much earlier on higher altitudes. In Tokyo and Kyoto, foliage peaks in late November.

If you want to visit the Japanese Alps, don't miss Kamikochi. It's scenic but the park closes in mid November.

One more app: Timeshifter. Your first round trip is free, first two if you have a United Air account. It bosses you around, but if you follow the instructions about when to go to bed and when to wake up, when to drink coffee, when to wear sunglasses you'll find it pretty effective. At least it has been for me over four trips to Europe. Here are some experiences using it: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/jet-lag-i-tried-the-timeshifter-app

Japan’s culture is very different than any other country. I’d recommend learning the etiquette of Japan before you just show up! Tons of YouTube vids to watch out there.
These guys (https://youtu.be/0soNoTlf8w8?feature=shared) have lived in Japan and have tons of helpful videos about Japanese etiquette. I watched most, if not all, of their videos before my trip.