April 12-22, 2011 Trip help!!!!!!

[Pazzo]

Hello to all,
My name is David i just found this forum after finally made the decision to visit Japan in April 12-22, going to be 2 of us me and my wife.
This is our 1st trip to Japan and we really don't know much about this beautiful country.
Yesterday went to library and got few books to start reading...
This is our tentative schedule for the trip..please advise is something does not look right of if we are missing some important places to visit etc...

April 12 leaving Usa arriving Tokyo April 13 at 1600.
April 13-15 staying in Tokyo (no hotel yet?).
April 16 activate JRrail for 7 days, leaving Tokyo for Kyoto...(possibly stopping around Mt Fuji for the day, arriving Kyoto on April 16 late pm.
April 16-19 Kyoto with 1 night in Mt Koya. (still looking for accomodations).
April 20 leave Kyoto for Nagano province, planning to spend 2 nights around Nagano with visit to the snow monkeys park plus hopefully staying in a Ryokan and enjoying the hot springs of the area.( again no Ryokan or hotel booked yet!) Any advise on where to stay or what to see would be great!!!.
April 22 Leave Nagano (or around there) for Tokyo airport (narita) for 6pm flight back to Usa.

I am not sure if this plan is doable or not but any help on place to visit Ryokan to stay etc... basically we need help!!!!
A site for hotel/ryokan would be great!!!

PS: Ryokan budget is around $200-$250 per night or less

Thank you very much!!!
David

[JohnBraden]

I recommend Hyperdia | 乗換案内 路線検索 時刻表 ゴルフ場 旅費精算 通勤費なら for any train schedule-related issues since you will be using the JR Pass. (It's awesome, btw! Used it myself)

Please reserve the Kyoto seats on the Kodama/Hikari service on the Tokaido Shinkansen as soon as you can, since it can get crowded without reservations and since it's included, so much the better! But if you're going to stop by Fujiyama on the way, perhaps the bullet train may not be the best way for most of the trip to Kyoto.

As for the itinerary, it all depends on what you want to see.

I'm sure others here will provide more, and better, input!

[oumishounin]

Your plan is doable.but It has room for improvement.
a few things I can tell.

Originally Posted by Pazzo

April 16 activate JRrail for 7 days, leaving Tokyo for Kyoto...(possibly stopping around Mt Fuji for the day, arriving Kyoto on April 16 late pm.

"stopping around Mt Fuji"
There is nothing special to see around ｔhe nearest bullet train station to Mt fuji.
Usual Mt Fuji　sightseeing is going to Hakone, Kanagawa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or Fuji Five Lakes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Originally Posted by Pazzo

April 16-19 Kyoto with 1 night in Mt Koya. (still looking for accomodations).

One of the most popular accomodation　among foreigners in Mt Koya is　Welcome to Muryokoin Koyasan with　a Swiss　monk who speaks four or five languages.

Originally Posted by Pazzo

April 20 leave Kyoto for Nagano province, planning to spend 2 nights around Nagano with visit to the snow monkeys park plus hopefully staying in a Ryokan and enjoying the hot springs of the area.( again no Ryokan or hotel booked yet!)

If you are going to Monkeys park directly from Kyoto,you should leave Kyoto early enough.Kyoto Station, Japan to （株）地獄谷野猿公苑 - Google Maps
Shibu Onsen is popular hot spring area near the park.Snow Monkeys | Guide to Yudanaka Shibu Onsen area

A site for hotel/ryokan
[Rakuten Travel] Japan's Hotel and Ryokan reservation mega site
As far as I know,Rakuten is the only one major site for hotel which has English page and doesn't specialize for foreign tourists.