Hello everyone!
My cousin and I (we’re both in our early 20s) will be traveling to Japan for the first time with our grandparents (83M and 76F) in mid-April. I tried to create an itinerary for our trip with the help of my mom, who has been to Japan twice, but unfortunately miscommunication happened with the plane bookings and we now have an extra day to stay in Japan (not that we’re complaining haha).
We’re planning to hit Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, and we also narrowed down the activities quite a bit so we don’t tire our grandparents out too much. I have had to stretch out some activities to fit the 8-day trip. Some things I have been considering/questions I’d like input on:
1. Our grandparents are quite active for their age and they are still able to walk distances, albeit slowly. We decided not to have a “home base” and instead book hotels at the places we’re going to so they no longer need to endure a returning commute.
2. I initially dedicated the Entire Day 3 for Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi, but I’m wondering if this is the best way to maximize the day. Should I turn the third day into a day trip to Kobe instead? I was thinking of taking them to Nunobiki Herb Gardens (my grandma loves plants). Or perhaps we could stay in Osaka and add the Kuromon Ichiba Market.
3. Is it worth going to the Sakuranomiya Park in mid-April? I think based on the forecasts, we’ll be two weeks late to full bloom in Osaka, unfortunately. 🙁 I’m highly considering scrapping it off the list if there’s not much to see after cherry blossom season.
4. On our Kyoto day, my mom recommended visiting just Golden Pavillion and Fushimi Inari Taisha at the very least since the crowds in Kyoto could overwhelm my grandparents. But I would like some input on whether this is too little to do for such an iconic city.
5. I’d also just like input on the overall feasibility of the itinerary. Did I stretch it out too much that we’re going to miss several must-see’s or must-do’s? Are there things I could take out? It’s also my first time to travel with my grandparents internationally (though they’re very well-traveled themselves), so any other tips on traveling with seniors to Japan would be highly appreciated!
Thank you so much in advance!
**Day 1 (Landing)**
* Arrive at Kansai Airport at 7 PM
* Dinner, check in at the hotel
**Day 2 (Osaka)**
* Osaka Castle
* Sakuranomiya Park
* Umeda Sky Building
**Day 3 (Osaka)**
* Visit Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi (my grandma loves to shop haha)
**Day 4 (Kyoto)**
* Visit Golden Pavillion and Fushimi Inari Taisha
**Day 5 (Kyoto/Hiroshima)**
* Spend the whole morning at the Gion District
* Catch the shinkansen to Hiroshima
* After check-in, we’ll check out the Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Shukkeien Garden
**Day 6 (Hiroshima)**
* Day trip to Miyajima, will also check out the Itsukushima Shrine while we’re there
**Day 7 (Kansai – we’ll be staying at an airport hotel)**
* Return to Kansai area and check in airport hotel
* Take the sky shuttle to Rinku and spend as long as we can there (again, my grandma loves to shop and it’s one of the things she loves to do in a new country)
**Day 8 – Return flight home**
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