Hi there,

I am a solo traveler to Japan this spring (2024). Hopefully I will catch the peak of the cherry blossoms! I will be there 12 nights and 13 days, and while I have clear some of the spots to hit (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Hakone), I still have some doubts regarding a couple of spare nights. Here is my draft itinerary:

Day 1: lunch time arrival to Tokyo. First contact and night in Tokyo.

Day 2: Tokyo

Day 3: Tokyo

Day 4: side trip nearby (Kamakura?) (Also thinking to change this for night in Takayama)

Day 5: Arrival to Kyoto (around lunch)

Day 6: Kyoto

Day 7: Kyoto

Day 8: Arrive to kayosan around lunch. Night in a temple.

Day 9: Morning-lunch arrival to Osaka. Night in Osaka

Day 10: Hiroshima. Night in Miyajima

Day 11: Arrival in the evening to Hakone

Day 12: Hakone-Fuji

Day 13: departure

My questions are:

Option 1: to skip the side day trip near Tokoyo and travel to Takayama for 1 night. I know that the detour is quite long (around 5h to get there) so I do not know whether it makes sense to go for only 1 night and two half days (1 pm and 1 am to visit the market before going to Kyoto). The rest of the itinerary remains the same.

Option 2: Keep the side trip near Tokyo on D-4, go to Takayama on D-5 and skip the night in Osaka on D-9, what implies travelling directly from Koyasan to Hiroshima (I know it's about 4.5h).

Option 3: stay 4 nights in Kyoto, with a side trip to Nara and Osaka in the evening? and go to Koyasan on D-9, what implies again travelling directly from Koyasan to Hiroshima on D-10.

Overall, I have the question on whether 4 nights in Tokyo area and 4 in Kyoto area is too much and it is worthy to skip one night in one of the two areas (which one better?) and do detours (like Takayama)

Thanks in advance!!!