I am traveling in October to Kansai region with my almost 2 year old and husband for the first time. We have travelled a lot before but this is our first time with a kid. So, we decided to keep it low key, stick to just Kansai, and avoid most of the very busy places. We are expecting a lot of breaks in between our trip to ensure the little one is comfortable too. We are also going around with a stroller. So, with all that in mind, please let me know if the following trip itinerary will work well. We have been working on this itinerary for the last 3 months with the help of this forum and Japanguide.
Things to buy – JR Kansai Wide Pass, ICOCA Card, Sim cards (Ubigi e-sim)
Meal plans for the 2 year old is mainly conbini snacks and fruits.
Day 0 – Landing in the evening
Day 1 – Osaka Castle (early morning), then spend day at Kinosaki Onsen (any reviews on Shinonomesou?)
Day 2 – Nishiki Market, Shoren-in temple, Chion-in Temple, Maruyama park, Yasaka Jinja, Ninenzaka
Day 3 – Fushimi Inari (early morning), Nara park, Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, something ANIME related (a store in AEON mall?)
Day 4 – Kiyomizu-dera (early morning), Namba yasaka shrine, Kids Plaza Osaka, Shinsaibashi shopping, Dotonbori
Day 5 – USJ (can we exit and re-enter?)
Day 6 – flight in the evening so we have the morning fully free
4 comments
I am not sure I would have planned it like that with a 2 year old, but I never gave it any real thought, and every kid is different.
It sure looks like a lot of walking, for example day 3. are you sure a 2 year old wont quit at like 10am? I wish you luck
the sake museum will be really boring for a kid. and sure, the samples there wont make you drunk unless you really go way overboard, but still, I have the feeling you cant fully enjoy that with a kid…
that said, the day is also quite full when I assume you cant start too early and walk too fast….
ahh yes now I see stroller… so the kid wont need to walk everywhere….
nishiki market with a stroller will be a nightmare.
fushimi inari with a stroller. I am not sure how this would ever work?
nara park/todaiji/kasuga taisha will work pretty well. I think there were some steps in kasuga taisha, but all in all, nara is pretty flat, so no problem
not sure the kid will be fully able to enjoy kinosaki.
I can think of a few animal themed things to do in osaka and kyoto. have you considered a zoo or something? for the kid?
whatever I said, please take always into consideration you know your kid. I dont.
I will also say, maybe the best thing for you guys is to make a few alternating itineraries and backup plans and piecemeal the plan together on the fly. that way you can adjust according to weather and mood and what else might be needed.
A stroller will definitely help some places, but at least when my child was 2, they would not have been happy just sitting in the stroller most of the day. They’d want to walk around and be physically active until they were ready to be in the stroller again.
I’m not sure where you are staying. Trains, like the ones between Kyoto and Osaka can be quite crowded, especially in the morning and evening.
Are you just going to Kinosaki as a day trip? That seems like a long trip for a day trip with a toddler.
Most anime shops have super narrow aisles, unless we are talking someplace like the Pokemon Centers, many of those are more stroller friendly.
You can not exit and re-enter USJ without buying another ticket.
I am not sure I would want to do something overstimulating like USJ the day before you leave, unless you live a short flight (under 3 hours) away from Japan.
You will be fine as long as you’re not too attached to your itinerary. When I traveled with my 2 y/o all she wanted to do was ride the escalator in the train station up and down.
I have a two year old and live in Japan! When we went to USJ a couple months back, you could not exit and re-enter, so I would plan on a stroller nap.
Also, if your two year old is over 92cm, they can ride so many things! If they are not yet 92cm, they will not even be allowed on the majority of little kid rides, including the yoshi ride (😭😭).
Idk why, it’s very weird. At 90cm a toddler can ride splash mountain at Tokyo Disneyland, but the slow moving yoshi ride is somehow too much. 🤷🏼♀️
Also! I don’t know your kid, but my little one loves rice, noodles, nori, and pizza here, so hopefully your little one does too! Those things are very easy to find.
Also, Daiso has tons of little sticker books that we buy in bulk. They occupy my little one on trains or at longer meals. Highly recommend!