**Hi everyone!** I’d love to get your insight on how I can make my 9-day itinerary easier for the feet and if anything could be better. I really wanted to take them around to my favorite country, while also enjoying things myself (fall foliage and food) but need to consider their limitations. For context, I’m taking my parents mid-end November.
**Please let me know if I’m missing any pretty sights such as fall foliage spots!! I’m also wondering how my Day 7-9 could be improved. Should I go to the Arashiyama/West Kyoto?**
Day 1: Late arrival in Tokyo, hotel in Ginza, eat sushi in Shibuya (yum)
Day 2: Early morning Toyosu, Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue, Shinjuku for lunch & shopping, Shibuya, dinner in Bunkyo Tokyo
Day 3: Tsukiji, Ginza lunch & shopping, dinner in Katsushika Tokyo
Day 4: Early morning Tokyo Tower and Zojo-ji Temple, Senso-ji, lunch in Chuo Tokyo, Yanaka Ginza, Shibuya, dinner in Suginami Tokyo
Day 5: Early morning train to Fuji, Chureito Pagoda, lunch nearby, Momoji Kairo, dinner at Ryokan
Day 6: Oshino Hakkai (or walk around), Lunch, Bus + Train to Kyoto (hotel in Gion), dinner in Gion, Eikando Temple Illumination
Day 7: Early morning Kiyomizudera, Eikando Temple, Osaka Castle, Kuromon Ichiba Market, Dotonbori
Day 8: Enjoki Temple, Ginkakuji, Philosopher’s Path, Nishiki Market, some temple illumination at night
Day 9: Gion, Lunch, more Gion, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Dinner, 11pm flight from Osaka
**Thank you in advance!**
4 comments
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Your points in Tokyo are kind of far from each other. I would try to re-organize them to be more in the same area.
Like… Bunkyo (where exactly) is a bit odd. Shibuya twice is a bit odd, Suginami is really not in the area of Yanaka… it’s kind of all over the place.
There is no Shinkansen to Kawaguchiko, at best there is the JR Fuji Excursion.
Day 7, that make no sense. So go to the market in Osaka, back to Kyoto for dinner in Gion then back again in Osaka for Dotonbori ? Just completely remove Gion from that day.
One option, though definitely not the cheapest, is the Hop On Hop Off Bus. You still walk quite a bit as it can be a ways to the temple/shrine/garden from where the bus drops you off but if you want to not worry/think too much and just explore the temples/shrines/gardens on the routes this could be a good option.
– [Kyoto Hop on Hop Off Bus](https://skyhopbus.com/kyoto/)
– [Tokyo Sky Hop Bus](https://skyhopbus.com/)
Or, you could use taxis or reserve a taxi tour for the day. This is pretty easy to do in Kyoto. Just Google Kyoto Taxi Tour for companies.
– [Taxis in Kyoto](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-taxis)
You can also use the [wheelchair accessible route option in Google Maps.](https://www.accessible-japan.com/tokyo-now-has-wheelchair-accessible-routes-in-google-maps/) This will make it *a bit* easier to find the elevators in train stations *but* you may walk longer to get to the exit/entrance with the elevator. Saves your knees from going up/down too many stairs.
Finally, be prepared that your parents may need a mid-day rest at the hotel. Your days are ambitious and you’ll likely be walking about 10 miles or more per day. Are your parents up for that for 9 days in a row? Be prepared to send them back to the hotel for a rest while you keep sightseeing/shopping in the mid-afternoon then meet back up at the hotel to go for dinner and to see any of the Autumn illuminations. Your parents should keep a business card for the hotel in their wallet so you can show to a cab driver to take them back to the hotel. This is a good tip for all travelers in Japan.
– [5 Best Places to See Autumn Illuminations in Tokyo](https://jw-webmagazine.com/best-places-to-see-autumn-leaves-in-tokyo-at-night/)
– [6 Kyoto Autumn Illuminations](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/temples-and-shrines-in-kyoto-are-holding-evening-illuminations-this-autumn-101321)
Hi! Did my first trip w my 67 year old mom in 2018 – she was also having knee issues. We did a bus tour each in Tokyo and Kyoto to see some of the sights that are far apart or hard to walk up to (Meiji shrine would have been a challenge). Found these to be great to cover more ground and get some information on the history of each place.
I would also recommend having a very flexible plan so that if they’re tired they can rest and you can have an activity to do near the hotel, so placement is key. This was great because we could still do something in the evening where we both had energy to have a nice dinner or go see something.