Hi, will be travelling to Japan for the first time in mid April. We are a family of passionate foodies, we like some nature and sightseeing but elderly in the family cannot walk well or for long. We are not big on temples, anime, or very crowded places.
Would appreciate:
1) Hotel recommendations around Osaka and Kyoto that’s comfortable, convenient/accessible, and <$90/person/night, with lots of food options nearby.
a. In Osaka, we shortlisted some hotels around Umeda, because it seems cheaper than those around Namba and Dotonburi. (might go for the Hankyu Respire because Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba has poor reviews)
b. For Kyoto, we’re probably going to book an accom near Kyoto station. Still trying to shortlist one.
2) Must eat and hidden gem food places. Food is the entire point of our trip. We are excited to try the kaisekis, the beef, shokudos, and all the street food stalls. I am still eagerly researching the food aspect though, food is a work in progress.
3) Sanity check on our itinerary that we’re still developing (anything that I should take out/put it/too rushed for elderly who really cannot walk too far):
D1 (13/4)
– Fly from Singapore to Osaka Itami Airport thru Tokyo Haneda
– Have lunch at the airport
– Take the bus/bullet train to Kyoto
– Check in at Kyoto hotel
D2 (14/4) – Kyoto
– Breakfast at Shokudo nearby
– Ryoanji Temple?
– Lunch @ Ryoanji Yudofuya
– Arashimaya Forest
– Sagano Scenic Train
– Dinner TBC
D3 (15/4) – Kyoto
– Breakfast at Conbini
– Fushimi Inari Shrine
– Lunch TBC
– Dinner TBC
D4 (16/4) – Kyoto
– Breakfast at Shokudo nearby
– Nishiki Market
– Lunch TBC
– Dinner TBC
D5 (17/4) – Kyoto to Osaka
– Take bus/bullet train to Osaka
– Check into Osaka hotel
– Explore hotel vicinity
D6 (18/4) – Osaka
– Instant Ramen museum
– Dotonburi
– Shinsaibashi Shopping street
D7 (19/4) – Nara Day Trip
– Visit Nara (but might take this out if we have insufficient time because we’re not big on aggressive deers)
D8 (20/4) – Osaka
– Kuromon Market
– Osaka Bay
D9 (21/4) – Kobe Day Trip
– Visit Kobe
– Eat Kobe beef
D10 (22/4) – Osaka
– Free day
– Might find another shopping street
D11 (23/4) – Osaka
– Finish up souvenier shopping
– Head to the airport at 1910h
Thank you.
6 comments
I feel the need to ask that if you’re not into walking, major parts of japanese culture, or crowds…then, why Japan? The food is great but the vibes/atmosphere/culture are part of the reason to go, otherwise it feels a little of a waste (to me personally! I’m not meaning to be rude).
Fushimi Inari has lots of steps, is on a huge incline, and can take a couple of hours to get through. Will definitely be very difficult with the elders, and depending on when you go will be *very* crowded.
If walking is something to be minimised, i think Nara should be taken off, as should Fushimi-Inari. Perhaps consider a day trip to Uji instead, arguably the birthplace of matcha.
Re food, i would focus more on making a list of food you want to try, and look for restaurants on-the-fly according to your itinerary. There is an abundance of good sushi/wagyu/ramen/teishoku/local specialities everywhere. I tried to look for places in advance for my last trip and I ended up with over 200 that all looked excellent. The exception is kaiseki, you’ll need to book in advance there, but Kyoto is the place for it on your trip.
I feel as though you don’t understand how much you will need to walk while in Japan. And it seems as though you are not interested in the major parts of Japanese culture, and don’t like crowded places. Why are you going to Japan? Probably everywhere you go is going to be crowded with lots of walking. I would scrap this trip and go somewhere else that you’ll actually enjoy.
Some comments on your itinerary:
* Arashimaya Forest – It’s not as crowded as pre-pandemic but still crowded. There are food stalls by the entrance, too.
* Fushimi Inari Shrine – Like what others have said, you should scrap this if you want to avoid lots of walking and crowd.
* Hotel vicinity – What area in Osaka do you plan to stay?
* Shinsaibashi Shopping street – It’s always crowded here, and the only things you’ll see here are boutiques and probably some restaurants. This is in the same area as Dotonbori (with the Glico ad).
* Souvenir shopping in Osaka – You can buy some in Dotonbori.
* Nara – The view around Todai-ji is excellent, but to go here, you have to pass a few deer. In my experience, as long as you don’t feed them (or just by having food on you) or stare at them for too long, they’d leave you alone.
* Kobe – I suggest going to Chinatown in Kobe for some street food. I remember seeing a Kobe beef sushi stall somewhere in the area (near the Spiderman statue). It’s just that it’s not a huge Chinatown, so it could be crowded.
One thing I’d like to mention, especially since you say you’re traveling with elderly family, is that there are surprisingly little to no places to sit at or near common tourist attractions (or really in many places). Like, public benches are not common at all and are almost non-existent in many busy train stations as well. Thought this would be helpful to keep in mind when planning your trip.
Also, Gyoza ChaoChao in Kyoto is very delicious if you like gyoza 🙂
As others have said, omg there is so much walking in Japan. 🙃 how much walking is too much walking for you? Fushimi inari is a big climb, so idk if you want to do that!
If you’re not big on deer, you don’t have to feed them there, you can just go to the shrine.
The aquarium is Osaka is wonderful!