Itinerary Check – 20 Day Family Trip to Yokohama, Hakone, Atami, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Narita

My family (wife, 2 kids aged 1 & 6) will be in Japan mid-Feb to mid-March for 20 days. We plan on staying in Yokohama, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, and Narita and day tripping from them. This is my wife’s and I second trip to Japan (we saw major attractions the first trip and doubt kids are interested) so we intend to take it easy. We are interested in food, family attractions, and shopping. We like most Japanese food and cook it at home regularly. I haven’t reserved any restaurants or reached out to concierges yet until I finalize the itinerary. We love sweets and plan to fill up on snacks, ice cream and mochi. We will visit both Tokyo Disney parks and other family museums, play areas, and arcades/gashopon venues. We enjoy visiting malls for food halls and kid friendly spaces. With this in mind, I drafted this itinerary to allow for slower travel with kids, extra luggage, and to see and do a few highlights/tourist attractions.

Should I order currency from local bank or exchange at airport or go to ATM beginning of trip. Plan to have at least $200 on me at all times for gashopons and street food. 

The JR Pass calculator fare for a 7-day pass was breakeven for Atami-Kyoto-Osaka-Tokyo so we won’t get them. Should I make reservations or book trains at the station to not have too long of a wait for next available train. I saw the Shinkansen timetables and they run frequently. Will I need a ticket or notify ticket agent of my 1 year old lap toddler. 

When sending luggage to the next destination, will it arrive same day let’s say between Yokohama-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka-Tokyo-Narita? Why send it if it will arrive two days later, won’t you need your stuff that night?

On Feb 28 from Yokohama to Hakone, we plan to rent a car and keep it in Hakone and Atami to tour around. Pros of renting from Yokohama, easier to travel with kids and luggage from one destination to next, Google Maps shows its faster, don’t have to trek to Shin-Yokohama JR station to catch Shinkansen, and don’t need to take bus/train from Odawara station in Hakone.. Con the rental agency charges a small fee for OW drop off. 

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2/25 Sat

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Arrive NRT Airport, NEX train to hotel in Yokohama (3 nights)

2/26 Sun

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Yokohama – Anpanman Children’s Museum, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, Yokohama Hammerhead,

2/27 Mon

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Yokohama – Cup Noodle Museum, Chinatown, Gundam Factory, Queen’s Square, Little Planet

2/28 Tue

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Yokohama-Hakone (2 nights) – Rent car in Yokohama and drive to Hakone, Ropeway course

3/1 Wed

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Hakone – Drive around Odawara Rd, stop at shops and day use onsens

3/2 Thur

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Hakone-Atami (1 night) – Drive around Izu peninsula, stay in Atami hotel with in-room onsen

3/3 Fri

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Atami-Kyoto (3 nights) – Return car, Shinkansen to Kyoto, Kyoto Imperial Palace or Nijo Castle, Poncho Alley

3/4 Sat

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Kyoto – Arashiyama Monkey Park, Nishiki Market, Gion for dinner

3/5 Sun

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Kyoto – Nara to feed deer

3/6 Mon

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Kyoto-Osaka (3 nights) – Shinkansen to Osaka, Lucua Osaka Mall, Izakaya Toyo

3/7 Tue

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Osaka – Hankyu Saban Gai, Hep 5, Dotonbori

3/8 Wed

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Osaka – Grand Front Osaka, Links Umea, Herbis Plaza Osaka, Diamor Osaka

3/9 Thur

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Osaka-Tokyo (5 nights) – Shinkansen to Tokyo in Shinjiku, Shubaya Crossing, Starbucks Reserve

3/10 Fri

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Tokyo – Disneyland

3/11 Sat

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Tokyo – DisneySea

3/12 Sun

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Tokyo – Marounouchi Brick Square, Kitte Marunouchi, Takashimaya

3/13 Mon

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Tokyo – TeamLabs, Tokyo Plaza, Ginza Six, Ginza Core, Monster Cafe

3/14 Tue

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Tokyo-Narita (2 nights) – First Ave Tokyo Station, NEX train to hotel in Narita

3/15 Wed

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Narita – Rent car and drive to Ibarakki for Comorebi Ibaraido Forest

3/16 Thur

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Narita – Aeon Mall Narita for last minute shopping