I am traveling to Tokyo with my 3 friends from 28th Oct 2018 to 10 Nov 2018.
We would like to spent 7 to 8 days out of Tokyo and stay 1 to 2 days in these places (nikko, hakone, matsumoto, kanazawa, shirakawa-go, takayama). After in which back to Tokyo for the rest of the trip.
Anyone able to guide whether how should we go about traveling to these places and whether would it be better to get JR passes for 7 days.
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You could take a week and go from Tokyo to Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Shirakawago, and back to Tokyo from Takayama. Shirakawago access is by bus only though, and is not covered by the JR Pass. You would barely break even on a pass with those plans.
You could then go see Hakone from Tokyo with an Odakyu Hakone Free Pass and see Nikko on a Tobu Nikko Free Pass.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
Do you think this is visible?
Day 1 - Tokyo, Asakusa (Limo bus)
Day 2 & 3 - Nikko (Nikko 2 day pass)
Day 4 & 5 – Hakone (Hakone 2 day pass)
Day 6 & 7- Matsumoto (JR Pass)
Day 8 & 9 - Kanazawa (JR Pass)
Day 10 - Shirawa-go (bus)
Day 11 - Takayama (bus)
Day 12 & 13 - Tokyo (JR Pass)
If i give Hakone a missed, guess I will have more time in central tokyo.
Nikko -(JR train)- Kanazawa (2 nights), 17680 yen
Kanazawa -(Nouhi bus)- Shirakawago (1 night), 1850 yen
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/shirakawago.pdf
Shirakawago -(Nouhi bus)- Takayama (1 night), 2470 yen
Takayama -(Nouhi bus)- Matsumoto (2 nights), 3190 yen
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/matsumoto.pdf
Matsumoto -(Alpico bus)- Shinjuku, 3500 yen
http://www.alpico.co.jp/en/transportation/detail.php?id=1
Shinjuku -(Odakyu train)- Odawara (2 nights), 874 yen
Odawara -(Odakyu train)- Shinjuku (2 nights), 874 yen
Depending on the arrival time, I would go to Nikko directly from the airport. I would go to Kanazawa directly from Nikko, not getting back to the central Tokyo. I would go to Matsumoto directly from Takayama. I would go to Odawara, not stopping at Shinjuku. If you want more nights in Tokyo, just drop some, as you suggested for Hakone. I might steal one night each from Matsumoto and Hakone to make four nights for Tokyo.
10.3 Nikko/Senjogahara, Ryuzu no taki
10.10 Nikko/Yudaki, Yumoto
10.15 Nikko/Chuzenjiko, Kegon no taki
10.20 Nikko/Kirifuri Kogen
10.22 Nikko/Irohazaka
11.1 Nikko/Kirifuri no taki
11.2 Nikko/Rinnoji
11.7 Nikko/Toshogu, Futarasan
You come to Nikko rather late. On a conservative side, you could just buy a Kirifuri falls Free Pass (600 yen). In that case, you may not need two nights in Nikko. For a challenge, you may consider Kirifuri Kogen Free Pass (1200 yen) and/or Chuzenji Onsen Free Pass (2000 yen). Other expensive passes might be a waste of money.
http://www.tobu-bus.com/en/nikko/
On the contrary, there would be no concern in buying a Hakone Free Pass at Shinjuku. Only going and back would take 874 yen * 2, larger than the difference between a pass from Odawara (4000 yen) and the Shinjuku one (5140 yen).
https://www.odakyu.jp/english/passes/hakone/
Asakusa - 1 night
Nikko - 2 nights
Kanazawa – 2 nights
Shirawa-go – 1 night
Takayama - 1 night
Matsumoto - 2 nights
For the Nikko passes, i am thinking of getting the Nikko Pass World Heritage Pass. Does that pass cover the bus to Kirifuri Falls?
With all the bus ride that we are taking from place to place, I think i would no longer need the JR Pass right?
As it shows the bus routes on the page link:
http://www.tobu-bus.com/en/nikko/pdf/nikko_en_4.pdf?201708
And as you said, if you choose the bus rides, then you don't need the pass.
The bus from Matsumoto is certainly cheaper - but it does take at least 30 minutes longer. Not a big issue for most, but if time is critical then the train may be a better option.
http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/pass/all.html
http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/pass/twoday.html
Japan Rail Pass has a merit to use Shinkansen trains multiple times. If you take the following route, you could ride a Shinkansen five times; Ueno-Utsunomiya, Utsunomiya-Nagano, Nagano-Kanazawa, Nagoya-Odawara, and Odawara-Tokyo. Actually, Hakone would be at the peak of Koyo in early November.
Asakusa
Nikko
Matsumoto
Kanazawa
Shirakawa-go
Takayama
Hakone
Tokyo
I could read some other places expected to be at the peak of Koyo in early November in the Jorudan database.
Shinjuku Gyoen
Hakone
Nikko
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/migoro_11a_3.html
Shirakawa-go
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/migoro_11a_6.html
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/migoro_11a_5.html
https://sp.jorudan.co.jp/leaf/migoro_11a_4.html
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/about_jrp.html#bm_002
Asakusa 1
Nikko 2
Matsumoto 2
Kanazawa 2
Shirakawa-go 1
Takayama 1
Hakone 2
Tokyo
10/28
10/29 5370 https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Ueno&to=Nikko&date=10/29/2018&time=09:00&ft=0&sub_lang=nosub&estf=Ueno&estt=Nikko
10/30
10/31 12580 https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Nikko&to=Matsumoto&date=10/31/2018&time=09:00&ft=0&sub_lang=nosub&estt=Matsumoto
11/01
11/02 10890 https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&from=Matsumoto&to=Kanazawa&date=11/02/2018&time=09:00&ft=0&ic=&ut=&up=&us=&nzm=&sub_lang=nosub
11/03
11/04
11/05
11/07 12460 https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Takayama&to=Odawara&date=11/07/2018&time=09:00&ft=0&sub_lang=nosub&estf=Takayama&estt=Odawara
11/08
11/09 3220 https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/japan-rail-pass/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Odawara&to=Tokyo&date=11/09/2018&time=09:00&ft=0&sub_lang=nosub&estt=Tokyo
11/10
For the bus-intensive iteneray, the Nikko-Kanazawa part only costs 17680 yen. No need for the pass.
10/31 17680 https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?p=0&xpd=1&from=Nikko&to=Kanazawa&date=10/31/2018&time=09:00&ft=0&ic=0&us=0&up=0&ut=0&nzm=0&sub_lang=nosub&estf=Nikko&estt=Kanazawa