Is Takao worth trading for the big 3?

Hi all,
I will be in kyoto from 16th nov to 21st nov, my main purpose of this trip is to see beautiful koyo autumn leaves. My itinerary as follows :

16nov (reached kix 720), kinkakuji, Nijo-jo castle or Takao

17nov Ginkakuji, philosophy path, eikando, nanzenji

18nov Ohara sanzenin, hosenin or jikko-in

19nov Tofukuji, Kiyomizu-dera, Maruyama park, yasaka, kodaiji night

20nov Arashiyama

21nov fushimi inari, gekkeikan sake brewery museum, Uji

22nov Nara

in  your opinion, is it worth trading ryoanji, kinkakuji and Nijo-jo castle for takao? Cos i know it's almost 100% chance of seeing koyo peak in takao in 16th nov, the day we arrived. However that means i have to sacrifice kinkakuji, Nijo-jo castle and ryoanj. Please advise if it's worth for my reason. If there is a almost 100% high chance i can see beautiful koyo in arashiyama in 20th nov then I no need to go takao.

With Mother Nature, there is no 100% guarantee of anything. But if you are there in the middle of November, your chances are pretty good.

Ultimately only you can decide if the autumn colours are more worthy of your attention than the 3 places you mentioned. But it seems to me you are presenting a false choice - you should be able to see both in your allotted time, or else see enough colours during your other days to other places.

Hi Ken,
U mean i can see takao and the big 3 on same day? But my arrival is 720 in airport hence will only reach kyoto close to noon. As for other days are quite pack and out of the way plus the days are short in near winter. Forgot to add On 2nd day i am adding shisen do and enkoji.

On the next statement, do U mean i can see great close to peak colours on other days in other parts of kyoto so there is no need to travel all the way to takao?

The 19th and possibly the 20th are not packed days as written. You could see more on those days if you want.

Yeah I would swap the 16th and the 19th. You could do all that you want on day 19 in half a day, especially if you're planning to see some of the evening illuminations.

Reason why i choose 19th for Kiyomizu-dera kodaiji n arashiyama is due to the hotel i managed to book somewat near that area, and the check out from previous hotel n check in to new hotel left me to start the day around 11am. In fact if time permits I m adding Sanjusangendo in between tofukuji n Kiyomizu-dera.

Arashiyama wise i plan to visit many places started from otagi nenbutsu temple to monkey Park..

If both takao vs ryoanji, kinkakuji and Nijo-jo castle are non skip able , can i hear your opinion if i should skip any other places that may not be nice in mid November? Thanks.

Well, others have already answered it. Plus, I don't see how you calculate it taking over 4½ hours to get from KIX to Kyoto, even with Customs/Immigration and the bus/train to Kyoto taken into consideration. A Haruka+Icoca combo should help you a lot.
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/travel-information/pass/icoca-haruk...
For the colours, as I said before, there are no guaranteed dates. But mid to late November is usually a good time.
Many of the places you mention don't take long at all. Ginkakuji is nice, but not huge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4PAzJ0x3Ws
Kinkakuji you could be though in 30-45 minutes without rushing at all. Fushimi Inari could take a couple hours to much more depending on how much you want to explore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EandKTAwfOM
Even Kyoto Stn. at night is worth looking through - and it's not even a tourist attraction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XVIFadHzZ8
For some nights you could even go over to Osaka after the temples and shrines close down around 5 PM, and go see Dotonbori, the Umeda Sky Bldg and Abeno Harukas Bldg. All are terrific.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LcPcmoSg-jkgQdiQlK2bcKCzr2pJQ...
For Arashiyama, you could do a half or full day (and fit in Kinkakuji with it).
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950_arashiyama_half.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950_arashiyama_full.html
Definitely don't miss the Otagi Nenbitsuji - it is one of the most whimsical places in Japan you will ever see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efvtB_5jmjA

Hi ken,
Thanks for making me realise my time allocation may be too much. Will rearrange see if i can fit everything. However, if based on your analysis, i think i should skip takao. It's a v far journey, so if i can see beautiful enough colours on other days and place i will not need to go all the way to takao.

If i reach 720am during peak season, how long is the estimation of clearing custom etc? I read reviews for kix custom and recently takes hours see this http://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/kansai-airport/