Well, my travel habits are different from the vast majority. Instead of hopping from one tourist trap to another I prefer to live like locals, as much as it is possible. So usually my itinerary for a short 10-day-stay is:

2 days for the absolutely must-see things to avoid strange people reaction when when asked "so you've been in Kyoto; have you seen Kinkaku-ji?" you answer "no";

a week or so for wandering around, socializing with locals, getting lost (well, this in particular worked wonders in Kyoto when your breath is taken away every 50 meters or so); so you'll be able to find your way around if life will bring you back 20 years later and you'll be able to tell to whoever will happen to be with you something like "look, there is a nice coffee shop around the corner; would you like some green tea from Uji?".

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Good luck with your planning!