Hi guys, I hoping to get some advice on questions below and feedback on my itinerary below. I am planning to be in Japan for 19 days starting May 13 to May 31. My wife and I have been to Japan before (Mar/ Apr 2023). This time we will be joined by mom (60s) and son (9 month old) so total 3 adults and 1 infant. We visited a lot of places during our first trip and want this trip to be more relaxing given my mom and infant. I have included itinerary and then some questions below. Any feedback is appreciated.
Day 1 – Narita/ Chiba
Land at Narita airport around 5 PM. Check into a hotel near Narita or Chiba to avoid excessive unpacking/ packing and checking in/ out.
Hotel: TBD
Day 2 – Kyoto
Activity: take shinkansen from Narita/ Chiba to Kyoto (approx 3.5 – 4 hrs)
Hotel: Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo
Day 3 – Kyoto
Activity: Kiyomizu-dera, Hokan-ji, and surrounding streets
Hotel: Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo
Day 4 – Kyoto
Activity: day trip to Nara (Nara Park and Todai-ji)
Hotel: Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo
Day 5 – Kyoto
Activity: Kinkaku-ji, Sagano Romantic train, and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Hotel: Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo
Day 6 – Kyoto
Activity: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Sanjusangendo, Byodo-in
Hotel: Mimaru Kyoto Kawaramachi Gojo
Day 7 – Lake Kawaguchiko
Activity: take shinkansen from Kyoto to Mishima (approx 2.5 hrs). Rent a car at Mishima and drive to Lake Kawaguchiko (approx. 1.5 hrs).
Hotel: TBD
Day 8 – Lake Kawaguchiko
Activity: Chureito Pagoda, Shimoyoshida/ Honcho street
Hotel: TBD
Day 9 – Lake Kawaguchiko
Activity: Fuji Panoramic ropeway, Kawaguchiko Music Forest
Hotel: TBD
Day 10 – Lake Kawaguchiko
Activity: day trip to Hakone (Open Air Museum, Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi)
Hotel: TBD
Day 11 – Lake Kawaguchiko
Activity: relax and hopefully get some nice views of Mt. Fuji or take a day trip to Mishima/ Fuji Speedway
Hotel: TBD
Day 12 – Tokyo
Activity: drive from Lake Kawaguchiko to Mishima (approx. 1 hr) and return rental car. Take shinkansen from Mishima to Akasaka station.
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 13 – Tokyo
Activity: Nakameguro (morning), Akihabara (afternoon)
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 14 – Tokyo
Activity: Asakusa, Senso-ji, Tokyo Sky Tree
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 15 – Tokyo
Activity: Meiji Jingu, Shibuya, Harajuku
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 16 – Tokyo
Activity: Tokyo Tower, teamLab Borderless, A-Pit Autobacs
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 17 – Tokyo
Activity: day trip to Kamakura (Hokokuji Temple, Kamakura Daibutsu)
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 18 – Tokyo
Activity: day trip to Yokohama (Sankeien Garden, Minato Mirai, Daikoku PA)
Hotel: Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka
Day 19 – Tokyo
Take Narita express for flight home
Questions:
1. Does this itinerary seem too relaxed or aggressive? Lake Kawaguchiko and Kyoto were our favorite from our first trip so we wanted to revisit. We considered Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa but we are worried it will be too much with an infant and elderly parent.
2. We want to avoid hotel changes and unpacking/ packing as much as possible. Does it make sense to stay near Narita airport (flight arrival 5 PM) and head to Kyoto the next day vs. breaking up Tokyo stay in two (start and end)? Any hotel recommendations for Narita/ Chiba area?
3. We felt the buses took forever in Lake Kawaguchiko so we thought a car rental would be best. I drove JDM cars (GT-R and NSX) around Hakone last time (albeit it was for 2 hrs) and plan to get an international permit this time for car rental. Does it make sense to rent a car in Mishima and drive around Lake Kawaguchiko? I was thinking about driving outside of Lake Kawaguchiko (e.g. Hakone, Fuji Speedway, Mishima Sky Walk) if time permits.
4. Any hotel recommendations with private onsen and views of Mt. Fuji near Lake Kawaguchiko? We stayed at Fufu last time and loved it but it isn't available this time around.
by racecar474979