Hey everyone! We are traveling to Japan at the beginning of April with our toddler (2). It’s a joint trip with Korea so we are actually flying into Korea on the Sunday and flying out to Japan the next morning for the first leg of our trip (this was the most economic option for us and I’m hoping to sleep a little on the plane to Japan). I wanted some advice on my itinerary, especially if it’s reasonable to go from Okayama to the airport in Osaka by 2pm on the same day or if I should adjust so we return to Osaka the evening before.
In general, I like to keep the itinerary flexible and with a few different ideas, so I can adjust depending on how our toddler is doing. I also try to balance between visiting more historical sites (my main interest), outdoor activities (my partner’s main interest), and activities for kids.
I should note our toddler is pretty chill and travels well. She loves walking and nature (though she is a bit scared of animals so I plan to use Nara as a test to whether the monkey sanctuary at Arashiyama is a good idea or not). She sometimes gets overwhelmed when she gets too much attention from strangers but she did eventually adapt to that when we were in Korea last year. We tend to be up super early because she’s normally awake by 6:30/7. Any advice or suggestions for things to do with her would be most welcome.
**Monday, April 1 (Osaka)**
Depart Seoul at 7:55am, arrive at Kansai at 9:40am
Chill day:
\- If toddler isn’t too tired, Kids Osaka Plaza
\- If toddler is tired, stroll through waterfront park to Osaka Castle
**Tuesday, April 2 (Osaka, Nara)**
Morning and lunch in Osaka – still figuring out what to do (our hotel is near Osaka station)
Travel to Nara from Osaka Station in the afternoon (\~1 – 1.5 hours)
Nara National Museum
**Wednesday, April 3 (Nara, Kyoto)**
Hike around Nara Park (temple, deer)
Travel to Kyoto in late afternoon
**Thursday, April 4 (Kyoto)**
Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Pilgrimage Circuit Hike to Summit in morning
Wander around Gion and Higashiyama District
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
**Friday, April 5 (Kyoto)**
Day in Arashiyama:
\-Bamboo Grove
\-Monkey Park
Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple
Potentially afternoon at Rail museum or Kyoto Samurai and Ninja Museum
**Saturday, April 6 (Kyoto)**
Kurama to Kibune Hike
Afternoon:
Ginkaku-ji Temple
Path of Philosophy
Nanzen-Ji Temple
**Sundary, April 7 (Kyoto)**
Toei Kyoto Studio Park
Go to a geisha show
***Other options while in Kyoto:***
Maibara day trip
Kinosaki Onsen day trip
Tamba-Sasayama day trip
Uji day trip
Kobe Day Trip
Himeji Castle Day Trip
Day trip to Lake Biwa to see floating shrine
**Monday, April 8 (Kyoto, Okayama)**
Travel to Okayama in the morning
Okayama Korakuen Garden
Walk down Asahi Sakura Garden Road
Okayama Castle
**Tuesday, April 9 (Okayama)**
Walk around Kurashiki District
Take a boat canal tour
**Wednesday, April 10 (Okayama, Osaka, Seoul)**
Travel to Osaka in the morning
Fly back to Seoul (flight at 5pm)
