Hello r/JapanTravel! There’s only 3 weeks left to our trip to Japan and we are all very excited. We are a group of 9 people, 5 of which are senior citizens above the age of 65. Us (the younglings) are in our early thirties.
The younglings have been to Japan several times, but it’s the first time for the elderlies. The elderlies are in relatively good health but some of them cannot walk for long distances. So this itinerary was made with them in mind. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations or suggestions. Thank you and pardon my poor formatting.
Below is our itinerary:
**13 May (Saturday)**
* Arrive at 10pm at Haneda Airport.
* Check into Hotel
**14 May (Sunday)**
* Asakusa
* Kappabashi Dougu Street
**15 May (Monday)**
* Meiji Shrine
* Marion Crepes
* Shibuya
* Mega Donki
* Tokyo Metropolitan Observation Tower
**16 May (Tuesday)**
* Ueno Zoo
* Ueno Park
* Ameyoko Street
**17 May (Wednesday)**
* Tsukiji Outer Market
* Imperial Palace Gardens
* Shopping around Tokyo Station
**18 May (Thursday)**
* Wake up early to catch first train to Haneda Airport, flight to Asahikawa at 7am
* Visit Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park
* Check in to hotel in Monbetsu
**19 May (Friday)**
* Visit Shibazakura Takinoue Park
* Asahikawa Ramen Village
* Otokoyama Sake Brewery and Museum
**20 May (Saturday)**
* Takikawa Canola Festival
* Furano Cheese Factory
* Ningle Terrace
**21 May (Sunday)**
* Farm Tomita
* Check into Airbnb at Sapporo
* Mount Moiwa
**22 May (Monday)**
* Just going to spend the day in Sapporo, around the station, Odori Park and Susukino
**23 May (Tuesday)**
* Drive to Otaru
* Walk around Sakaimichi Street
* Visit Sankaku Market and Otaru Canal
**24 May (Wednesday)**
* Drive to Lake Toya
* Lunch at Soup Curry Mog Mog
* Mount Usu observatory
* Check into The Lake Ko No Sumika and enjoy the onsen
**25 May (Thursday)**
* Drive to Hakodate
* Catch night view at Mount Hakodate
**26 May (Friday)**
* Visit Goryokaku
* Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
**27 May (Saturday)**
* Hakodate Morning Market
* Last minute shopping in Hakodate
* Flight to Tokyo at 4.45pm, so we will have to be at Hakodate Airport by 3.30pm
* Return flight to Singapore at 10.55pm. So we will just be spending the rest of the time at Haneda Airport.
3 comments
Onsen for the elderlies? I am just dropping by to say that this makes me smile 🙂
I would check the website for the Shibazakura to make sure there are flowers in bloom. They were at their best last year in April so late May might just be the last of them, but I don’t know for sure. It’s a long-ish drive for there not to be flowers at the end of the journey! But it is a beautiful area regardless.
I’m just wrapping up my own two week trip with elderlies (77m and 74f) and here’s what we’ve learned (this was their first trip in almost 5 years and their bodies have changed considerably):
-walking was okay, but standing (either waiting in lines or reading at museums) really hurt their feet.
-We averaged about 15k steps per day, with one lighter day every 3 days or so. Initially, I had a lot more packed in, but I made sure I prioritized the items so I knew what to cut when they got tired.
-it’s going to be tough for you to find places to eat with a group that large (I was in Japan with a group of 7 a few months ago and were frequently had to split into two or three groups). I’d recommend making as many reservations as you can or going to malls so you can explore the basement food courts or nicer restaurants on the top levels.
-after so many days of walking, my dad started manifesting new and (un)exciting back pains. I’d recommend traveling with ibuprofen or your favorite painkillers (you can also buy these easily while you’re out and about). The many, many subway stairs were surprisingly hard on my mom’s ankles, so I bought her some ankle braces from 7-11 to give her more support.
-I always carried a few onigiri and other conbini snacks, which ended up saving the day a few times when the elderlies got cranky. We also ended up taking way more cafe breaks than I’d anticipated. Also make sure your elderlies are drinking tons of water because Japanese food has a lot of salt and my elderlies are complaining of feeling swollen.
-the flowers bloomed several weeks early this year. I followed the Instagram accounts of all the flower festivals/gardens I wanted to visit to make sure things would look good when we were there; I ended up moving the itinerary around to accommodate the early blooms.
-Ameyoko St is okay, but very touristy. My parents liked Yanaka Ginza a little more, which is a short bus ride/walk away from Ueno Zoo and is within striking distance of Nezu shrine if they have the legs for a 15 min walk (one way)