We are planning a trip to Japan this fall. So far we have come up with the following itinerary but are looking for feedback on the duration we've allocated to each city and if there are any other places we should visit instead:
5 nights in Tokyo (possible day trips to Nikko and/or Kamakura)
2 nights in Takayama
2 nights in Kanazawa
5 nights Kyoto (day trip to Nara)
2 nights in Tokyo
We are planning to fly in and out of Tokyo and our first day will be shot because of our flight/arrival time. I also really want to go to Tokyo Disneyland, which is why we have a lot of time devoted to Tokyo.
Are there any must-visit cities we are missing? Does the duration we are spending in each city make sense? Any other advice or suggestions would be appreciated

I feel like you may be spending too much time in Tokyo, but if you have things you have already planned on seeing, then it is fine.
I would spend more time around Kyoto/Nara/Osaka. Osaka is really pretty cool and I find had more culture to it than Tokyo (sort of like Toronto to Quebec City). I would definitely suggest Himeji if you can make it from Osaka or Kyoto. It has the nicest castle in Japan and if you really have time, you can go to Mt. Shosha (where The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise was mostly filmed). There is also a really cool ninja town called Iga a day trip away from Osaka. If you have time and money, Hiroshima can be reached for a day too using the shinkansen.
**Disclaimer - I lived in the Osaka/Himeji region for two years so I may be biased.

If you go To Himeji, consider Okayama. There's a castle and Korakuen which is a top garden. Kurashiki town nearby has an old "village" neighborhood too. Okayama has bullet train and 20min by regular train to Kurashiki. Sites are walking distance or short taxi away.

Tokyo is over rated and expensive. Osaka and Kyoto are a must. also make a point to go to Onsen baths (hot springs) and maybe stay in a capsule hotel and for sure a love hotel...nothing like it in Canada.

That's a great plan, but could be a bit tiring (especially with all of the side trips). Personally I feel that Nikko, Kamakura, Kanazawa and Nara, while all nice places, are rather similar. They also have similarities to Kyoto. I would drop Nikko and Kamakura, and possibly Kanazawa (unless you have some specific reason to see them), shorten your time in Tokyo, and lengthen your time in Kyoto. Keep the side trip to Nara, and add Koyasan and Osaka.

This is good advice

Oops, didn't see your comment until now! Yup, western Japan is more interesting (this from someone who lived 18 years in Tokyo).

Check out Trekking with Becky (lived and taught in Japan for several years)

I'd cut Kyoto down to 3 nights and check out the neighbouring Osaka for a night or two. It's only like 30 mins away via local train. And to those who have mentioned that it might be too long in Tokyo, it really depends on what your interests are. Tokyo is truly massive and there are so many different areas to visit. If food is a major thing for you, I'd say a week in Tokyo is not even enough. I have spent a total of 1 month in Tokyo alone (two separate trips) over the last year and a half because I love it so much. Sooooo much food!

Right, it totally depends on your interests. And if food is the main interest, I still think more time in Kyoto/Osaka than Tokyo is better, because the food in Kansai is fantastic. Pretty much everything you can find in Tokyo has a better version in Kansai, and of course Osaka and Kyoto each have their own unique food culture.

Kelvin I bet now you need to make another trip back since you haven't been to Kansai

Manveer S Samra

Personally I loved Nikko but I haven't gone to the other similar cities that someone mentioned. The hike in Nikko led you through various terrains and although superrr kitschy and touristy, the Edo period theme park out of Nikko was lots of fun. Where else can you get trained to become a ninja/samurai!?

You can do that in Kyoto
http://www.toei-eigamura.com/en/
TOEI-EIGAMURA.COM
Toei Kyoto Studio Park｜Toei Kyoto Studio Park is the only theme park in Japan where you can observe the filming of period dramas (jidaigeki films).

Kanazawa is pretty small so i would do one night there. If you can fit in Hiroshima, I would highly recommend it. It's sad but it gives a lot of context for what happened there during WWII.

I also really highly recommend Hiroshima. It was the city that I liked best and that surprised me most on my trip to Japan a few years ago.

You can probably combine Hiroshima with a trip to Miyajima to see the floating torii all in one day, if you get an early start.

Robot Restaurant in Tokyo

I lived in Japan for a year & you will NEVER have enough time to take in Tokyo. I'd second a trip to Osaka & have heard great things about Fukuoka. Def don't cut time in Kyoto. Nikko is nice but not a must. That's where I lived. Be sure to: climb(or at least see) Fuji-San, sing at a karaoke, spend time exploring Akihabara, if you are able to, go to see a concert (of any kind), see a sumo match, witness Kabuki, take purikura, see Kinkakuji temple, ride a rush hour subway in Tokyo, see the food halls (I suggest beneath Shibuya), stay at a capsule hotel (I suggest Hotel Nine Hours at Narita), visit Tsukiji market at dawn. Enjoy the TOTAL F'ING BEAUTY of this country!!!

The time you have alloted for Tokyo can be way to much if you're not a big city person or way too little. There is so much to explore there. I lived in Tokyo for a year and went to a new area almost every week and never got bored, so many different small neighbourhoods.
I would suggest Disney Sea instead of Tokyo Disneyland. It's a very unique Disney Park and Disneyland is just a smaller version of the American ones.

I to am planning a trip to Japan with Osaka being my starting point. (My daughter lives there). I want to see Kobe/Kyoto and visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Tokyo. My plan is to use the Japan rail pass. I can only do 14 full days in Japan with two or three days for travel from Canada.
Before I fully commit to any of this I want to make sure I don't end up with travel burn out. I travelled to Europe a few years back and had a great trip because I didn't over extend myself.

My parents got burnt out the first time they visited me in Japan. I had overplanned and took them to too many places, because I thought they wanted to do lots of sightseeing. It turns out they mainly just wanted to see me, with a little bit of sightseeing as a bonus. If you feel the same way, let your daughter know so she doesn't plan too much for you. On the other hand, if you're doing your own planning, know that one temple, shrine or castle is pretty much like the other, so you don't need to see them all.

Oh, and I think your plan is great, but if you're going to be based in Osaka you might consider skipping Tokyo altogether. You could easily fill 14 days in western Japan.

We might do maybe two days in Tokyo but I think that the starting point is going to work well. My daughter has a few places locally she wants me to see. From a historical perspective, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are significant for me since I was born 15 years after the war ended.
We already took a four day side to Hong Kong off the agenda. Too much airport time goes against the purpose of the visit.

Well it sounds like a good itinerary, just allow yourself a bit of time just to wander, relax, or hang out with your daughter. Hope you have a great time.

Thanks

Make a 1 day/night stop in Okayama to see castle and Garden.

Thanks Chico. I will have to pass on it though. My intent of this trip is to spend some quality time with my daughter who is living in Osaka.

Do not miss Osaka, Japan's kitchen!! Also, Hiroshima/miyajima is a great day trip from kyoto and both can be done in a day though 2 would be best.

Miyajima was good.

Rohana Bhatti

This is all fantastic information, thank you so much. We are wondering about Takayama and Kanazawa. Should we travel to both locations, just one, or none?

Are there any opinions or suggestions pertaining to Takayama and Kanazawa?

i have lived in tokyo for 3 months, i think you allocated way too much time to tokyo alone, 5-6 days is enough even if you are planning to spend disneyland for 1 day there too! pick the top attractions you want to see in tokyo, spread them out in the days and see if you need more days or not.

We stayed 1 week in Tokyo it's not enough.

Brandon Michael Christopher

Approx how much was your flight? Looking to go to Tokyo in October

Bring your rain coat

Thanks everyone for the input! Very helpful and will be kept in mind while we finalize our itinerary!
Does anyone have any opinions re: Takayama and Kanazawa? We keep hearing that they are interesting places to visit ....

I was in tokyo for 3 weeks and it still wasnt enough!