10D9N trip in Japan

Hello. I am about to go on my first solo trip to Japan which begins on the 4th of October. My flight is overnight so I land on the 5th. I plan to hike 2-3 mountains, go sightseeing and having some flexibility in my itinerary. I plan to go to Matsumoto right off the bat, followed by Nagano two days later, Kyoto for 3 days, and the rest of the trip spent in Tokyo.

Currently, I have planned about 2 days only. I feel quite lost and overwhelmed, but I still want to give it a shot. I was hoping to get some tips and advice by asking around here.

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Day 1

10:15pm to 6:15am : Flight to Narita Airport

06:20am to 7:20am : Arrival, immigration, purchasing SIM card and obtaining JR Pass (not sure if it’s worth the cost, especially since I heard the prices get crazy in October)

7:30am to 10:00am : Train from Narita to Matsumoto

10:10am to 1:00pm : Arrival, travel to accommodation (Couch Potato Hostel)

1:20 to 3:00pm : Settle down, get first meal and purchase essential items.

3:05pm to 3:30pm : Travel to Matsumoto Castle

\-rest of the day would be planned on the spot-

Day 2 (hike day)

5:00am to 6:00am : Wake up, have a small breakfast and travel to Matsumoto Railway.

6:05am to 6:53am : Take first bus to Norikuradake Kogen Tourist Centre (according to the Alpico bus schedule, the first bus is at 6:05am. Need more help on this and also if JR Pass covers this)

7:10am to 7:45am : Meal time

7:50am to 11:00am : Hike begins

11:15am : SUMMIT! (I hope.)

11:20 to 12:20 : Chill at the top

12:25 to 2:00pm : Hike down

2:10 to 3:55pm : Bus trip back to Matsumoto! (According to Alpico bus schedules, the bus comes at 2:13pm)

4:00pm to 4:15pm : Matsumoto station to accommodation

4:15pm to 17:15pm : Clean up, and leave for dinner and other responsibilities (laundry etc)

\-rest of the day to be planned on the spot-

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Hopefully I can get some advice as to what JR Pass I should buy, bus schedules, and any other small tips in general. Please help a brother out! Thanks!

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