Hi everyone,

I'm planning my first trip to Japan with my wife and would love some feedback from those who have visited before. I've done quite a bit of research and have revised the itinerary multiple times already, but I'm at the stage where I'm trying to optimize the allocation of nights between regions.

Travel Dates: Oct 23 – Nov 5 (13 nights)

Travel Style:

• Couple in early 30s
• Interested in nature, scenery, local culture, food, and walking around cities
• Not particularly interested in nightlife or clubbing
• Happy to do moderate day trips
• Mid-range budget (not luxury travel)
• Trying to balance cities with mountain/alpine experiences

Tokyo – 5 Nights

Staying in Ginza

Current plan:

• 3 days exploring Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara, etc.)
• 1 day trip to Kawaguchiko for Mt. Fuji views
• 1 day at DisneySea

Tokyo feels like a city where we could easily spend more time, but I'm trying to balance it with the rest of the trip.

Takayama – 3 Nights

The main reason for including Takayama is to experience a different side of Japan and spend some time in the Alps.

Current plan:

• 1 day exploring Takayama itself
• 1 day trip to Shirakawa-go
• 1 day trip to Kamikochi

Originally I considered adding a ryokan stay, but I've decided to skip it for now to keep overall trip costs under control.

Kyoto – 3 Nights

Current plan:

• Fushimi Inari
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Gion
• Arashiyama
• Nishiki Market
• Possible day trip to Nara

Osaka – 2 Nights

Current plan:

• Dotonbori
• Namba
• Shinsekai
• General food exploration
• Easier departure for return flight

Questions

1. Does 3 nights in Takayama make sense for: Or would I be better off reducing it to 2 nights and allocating the extra night to Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka?
2. Is Kamikochi worth a day trip at the end of October?
3. If I were to add a 4th night in Takayama, would Shinhotaka Ropeway be worth it, or is that overkill for the region?
4. For a first-time visitor, would you allocate the nights differently between:
   • Tokyo (5N)
   • Takayama (3N)
   • Kyoto (3N)
   • Osaka (2N)
5. Any major attractions, day trips, neighborhoods, or experiences that I'm missing?

I love nature and mountain scenery, which is why the Alps are appealing, but I don't want to over-allocate time there at the expense of Japan's major attractions.

Would appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or itinerary tweaks. Thanks! 🇯🇵🙏

Disclaimer: Used ChatGPT for refinement