Itinerary Check: Traveling with Older Parents May 2023

I am planning a trip to Japan from May 10-30. This will be our first international trip together in many years. They are in their early 60s, and we (sibling, my partner, and me) are ~30.
Our main interests are nature/anime/cars/games/shopping.

A few challenges:

– Since there are 5 of us, we felt quite limited with our choices for accommodations. Many places seem to only allow max of 2 people per room with connecting rooms being quite rare. We ended up having to book 2 rooms for our accommodations except for the Machiya in Kyoto.
– Am I packing too much into my itinerary? I’m worried that there might be too much moving around for my parents. The Fuji Speedway Part can’t be removed as that as the one request for this trip from my partner.
– My parents are quite mobile for their age. We did Disneyworld last year with 20-30k steps daily for 10 days, so I’m not too worried about the walking, but I still don’t want to overpack the daily itinerary. Since I’ve never been to Japan, it’s hard to gauge just how long we would spend at each location.
– I did skip the theme parks this time as we are planning a future trip once the new area of Tokyo Disney opens.
– Skipped Ghibli Theme Park as it’s not completely open yet and reviews seem to be lukewarm. Parents have no idea what it is so I don’t want to drag them to an okay experience.
– Hiroshima to Tokyo by Shinkansen seems like a long trip back at very late in the day. Is there anywhere you guys might suggest that would be good for an overnight stop to break up the trip a little bit?

Accomodations:

1. Tokyo Oakwood Azabu Hotel: Chose this area partially hoping the new TeamLab project will be open by then. Plus its a 2 min walk from the metro.
2. Fuji Speedway Hotel: 1 hr drive away from Hakone and Kawaguchiko for day trips and driving on Touge Roads
3. Kyoto Machiya: Located in Southern Higashiyama
4. Miyajima: Haven’t picked a ryokan yet
5. Mesm Tokyo: Convenient for access to Haneda, View of Hamarikyu Gardens

Day 1:
– 3PM Arrival at Haneda
– Check in to hotel
– Tokyo Tower

Day 2: Explore area around hotel in case of jet lag
– Explore Azabujuban/Roppongi
– National Art Center
– Aoyama (Lexus Intersect)

Day 3:
– Tsukiji Outer Market
– Ginza
– Akihabara (Check out Kanda Matsuri)
– Night: Shinjuku or Odaiba

Day 4: Activate 14 Day JR Pass
– Morning: ?
– Tokyo Station (Early lunch at the station, Mitsubishi Garden Square)
– Leave around 330 PM: 80 min JR train to Ashikaga Flower Park (night time illumination)

Day 5:
– Yoyogi Park
– Harajuku (just passing by)
– Omotesando
– Shibuya (Scramble, Shibuya Sky, Miyashita Park, Shibuya Parco)

Day 6: Hakone
– 8 AM: Pick up rental car and drive to Hakone
– Hakone shrine
– Hakone Yumoto Station for Lunch
– Drive Hakone Touge
– Owakudani
– Check in to Hotel

Day 7:
– Fuji Speedway Museum
– Relax at hotel

Day 8: Kawaguchiko
– Shibazakura Festival
– Shira-Ito Falls

Day 9: Head to Kyoto
– Check out and drop off rental car at Mishima Station
– Check in and send luggage to Machiya
– ShinPuhKan
– PM: Pontocho, Gion (Yasaka Shrine)

Day 10: Early Day
– 6 AM: Kiyomizudera
– Higashiyama
– Kodaiji
– Kennin-ji
– Maruyama Park
– Nazenji
– Sunset: Silver Pavillion

Day 11:
– Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
– Tenryu-ji
– Hozugawa River Boat Cruise
– Togetsu-kyo Bridge
– Monkey Park
– Kimono Forest

Day 12:
– Rest Day/Shopping or
– Quick Trip to Nara

Day 13: Thinking of hiring a private car tour with guide for this day
– Fushimi Inari Shrine
– Tofukuji
– Sanjusangendo
– Ryoanji
– Golden Pavilion

Day 14:
– Kibune Kawadoko River Dining
– Kifune Shrine

Day 15: Himeji & Miyajima
– Leave at 7 am for Himeji
– Himeji Castle
– Miyajima: Lunch
– Check in to Ryokan

Day 16: Hiroshima
– Noon: Take ferry to Peace Memorial Park
– Peace Memorial Museum
– Atomic Bomb Dome
– 5 PM: Train Back to Tokyo

Day 17: Open (Ghibli museum?)

Day 18: Hamarikyu Gardens/Last Minute Shopping

Day 19: Go back to whatever we missed

Day 20: Fly home