A couple of questions about an upcoming trip

We had a few questions for our coming trip during cherry blossom season:

We are planning on hiking the Nakasendo Trail from Magome to Tsumago-juku. Is this best in the morning, afternoon, or evening?

We are planning on going to see Mount Yoshino and the Nachi waterfall. What is a good amount of time to spend in the Kii peninsula area? Is 2 days sufficient? Or is that overkill. We will be renting a car to get around this area.

Is it worth going out of our way for iconic cherry blossom spots, like Himiji Castle or Hanamiyama Park? We are already going to the above mentioned destinations and Kyoto.

We are planning on going to Yamanakako or another town in the area with Fuji views. What are people's recommendations here?