Alps Itinerary

Hello, I'm trying to figure out an itinerary for seeing the Japanese Alps region (around the end of October and the beginning of November).
For some reason no resource I could find would detail a route like the one I want.
The most important question - will this route be better by car or by public transport? And if by car - where to rent and return?
Also - I came up with the following itinerary. Is it too optimistic? If so, where should I add more nights?

1 - Land in Nagoya, sleep at Nakasendo
2 - Hike in Nakesndo, sleep at Matsumoto
3 - Matsumoto, sleep at Hakuba
4 - Hike Happo pond, sleep at Matsumoto
5 - Kamikochi, sleep at Takayama
6 - Takayama, Shirakawa-Go, sleep at Kanazawa
7 - Kanazawa, sleep at Kyoto

Thanks! This forum is awesome

Looks good to me. I think you can explore Takayama on day 5 after Kamikochi, so that you have time to explore Kanazawa in the afternoon of day 6 as well. I would always recommend car if you have small kids, but public transport will be sufficient for this itinerary. You can rent car from the airport and you can also get Chubu Expressway Pass (CEP), which will help you save a lot.

I haven't done the Naksendo but from what I read, most people would spend two/three days along the route. Depending on where you fly from, it can be tiring for your day 1 and 2.

When basing in Matsumoto, you can also visit Norikura Kogen, so can add a night or two in Matsumoto.
https://visitjapan-vegetarian.com/norikura-kogen-matsumotos-hidden-sce...

I'd also spend a night in Kamikochi. There are several hiking trails you can enjoy there.
https://visitjapan-vegetarian.com/kamikochi-nagano-japan-the-heavenly-...

Add a night to Takayama so you have a full day to Takayama. Then the next day can head to Kanazawa via Shirakawago. We spent a couple of hours there, including lunch.

From Kanazawa, you can also visit the Kaga onsen region.
https://visitjapan-vegetarian.com/kaga-onsen-the-charming-onsen-resort...