10-Day Extended Golden Route

Overview

Extended Golden Route in 10 days: adds Chubu — Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa — between Tokyo and Kyoto.

• Hotel base: 2 Tokyo + 1 Hakone + 2 Takayama/Kanazawa + 3 Kyoto + 1 Osaka
• Transit: 7-day JR Pass ¥50,000 (break-even days 4–10)
• Budget: ¥365,000/person

Days 1–2 — Tokyo

Day 3 — Hakone overnight

Day 4 — Hakone → Takayama

• Shinkansen Tokyo → Toyama → JR Hida Wide View → Takayama (~5h)
• Or Romance Car to Odawara → shinkansen to Nagoya → JR Hida → Takayama
• PM Takayama: Sanmachi + sake tasting

Day 5 — Shirakawa-go day-trip

• 50-min bus from Takayama
• UNESCO gassho-zukuri village
• Eve back to Takayama ryokan

Day 6 — Takayama → Kanazawa

• 2h bus ¥4,000 or train
• PM: Kenroku-en garden + Kanazawa Castle + Higashi Chaya
• Eve Katamachi izakaya

Day 7 — Kanazawa → Kyoto

• Limited Express Thunderbird 2h ¥7,000
• PM Higashiyama Kyoto

Day 8 — Kyoto Arashiyama

Day 9 — Kyoto Fushimi + Uji

Day 10 — Osaka day → fly Kansai

Hotels

• Takayama: Honjin Hiranoya Annex ¥18,000 (ryokan)
• Kanazawa: Hotel Nikko Kanazawa ¥14,000
• Kyoto: Hotel Granvia ¥18,000

JR Pass break-even

• Single total: ~¥58,000
• 7-day Pass ¥50,000 + singles for 3 Kyoto days = ¥56,000
• Save ¥2,000–4,000

Tip

Book JR Hida Wide View a month ahead — only 7 services/day Nagoya↔Takayama.