My wife & I have been to Jpn before but due to COVID kids have not been able to go; below are the plans. My boys are 9 & 6 years old. We know it will be cold & hopefully, the kids can experience some snow
Have not planned such a long trip before; happy to hear some suggestions.
Day 1
* Arrive at Osaka KIX at 3 pm & get Haruka 14 day *return-ticket*
* Arrive in Kyoto for check-in
* Dinner@Ryokan & probably stay in
Day 2 – Kyoto
* Arashiyama Day – Monkey Park, Togetsukyo Bridge, Bamboo Forest, Okochi-Sanso Villa
* Lunch @ Tenryuji (will need to make reservations)
* Tenryuji & Kinkaku-ji
* Back to the Ryokan to rest & dinner
Day 3 – Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera Temple
* stroll in Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka
* stop at the Ghibli Store!
* rest at Maruyama-koen Park & Yasaka Shrine (have some snacks)
* Lunch@Nishiki Market
* Back to the Ryokan to rest
* Out to Dinner@the riverbank?
Day 4 – Nara
* Train to Nara
* check-in/drop bag at the accommodation
* Lunch TBD
* Kōfuku-ji & Nara Park
* back to the hotel for a rest
* Dinner TBD
Day 5 – Nara
* Todai-ji Temple & Nara Park again
* lunch
* attend **Wakakusa** **Yamayaki** (4th Sunday of Jan) starting from 12pm / if it’s canceled will leave for Osaka after lunch
* Leave for Osaka
Day 6 – Osaka (will be the base of the rest of the trip)
* Morning at the Tennoji Zoo
* lunch
* Osaka castle & stay for the Osaka Castle Illumination (are there any other illuminations in Jan?)
* Dotonbori for dinner & walking around
* Ferris Wheel at Ebisu Tower
Day 7 – Osaka (Himeji and Kobe Daytrip)
* 1-day JR West Kansai Rail Pass to take the special rapid train to Himeji and spend a half day visiting Himeji Castle
* stopover in Kobe & spend the afternoon and evening in Kobe
* Dinner Kobe beef!
* back to Osaka
Day 8
* Full Day at USJ
* Osaka Takoyaki musuem
* back to the hotel for rest
* Dinner TBD
Day 9
* Kita & Umeda Area mainly
* Lunch at Harukoma Honten (been so long since we have been)
* Kids Plaza Osaka , Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
* Umeda Sky building
* Dinner at Takimi Koji (basement of Umeda Sky building)
Day 10
* Morning at the Kuromon Ichiba Market
* Haruka to KIX
​
1. Do let me know if I am being too ambitious or if there are any kid-specific things to do at any of the cities we are visiting
2. We will return to KIX from Osaka; if we get the 14-day return will it allow us to travel from Osaka to KIX on the return journey? Or is the return specific per line?
3. any suggestions on a Ryokan for a family stay in Kyoto? This would be the 1st Ryokan stay for all of us
4. i was hoping to squeeze in a trip to Hiroshima mainly to take the shinkansen; the boys are really into Shinkalion ([t.ly/V5n7](https://t.ly/V5n7))