Solo mom with almost 5 year old traveling for almost one month, Late March- April 2024.
Travel style: Lots of options with flexibility to be somewhat chill.
Preferences: Small towns, mountains, local interactions BUT most exciting activities for kids are in cities.
I am looking for help with my Kyoto itinerary right now. I am quite concerned that it will be **BONKERS crowded** while I am there, the last week of March. For context, my overall plan is below. Here is the start of the Kyoto plan:
**KYOTO (3/25-3/30)**
Hotel currently fairly close to Kyoto Station, move closer to Gion? Seems lots more expensive
Roughly 4 full days, 4 mornings
\- Day 1: travel from Tokyo, Ninja cafe Gion in the early ish afternoon, walk around Gion… or go to Philosophers path (sakura) & Kinkaku-ji
\- 1 morning: Kiyomizudera (opens at 6 AM), Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka, maybe Toei Kyoto Studio Park in the afternoon to keep us up?
\- One full day in Arashiyama,
\- 1 morning: Fushimi Inari Shrine, maybe Nara in the afternoon?
\- Last morning: XX, head to Hiroshima; would have to leave earlier to stop at Himeji
**Options**
E-bike rental w/ child seat- but might be too crowded to get around and most e assist bike rentals with child seats are located by Kyoto station, near my current hotel but fairly far from tourist attractions, which I want to go to first think in the morning while we are still jet lagged.
Philosophers path (sakura) & Kinkaku-ji
Nishiki Market
Nara afternoon- I’m sort of meh about Nara but people love it and I’ve heard the deer calm down by the later part of the day.
Toei Kyoto Studio Park (4 – 5 hours)
Kyoto train museum
All the other shrines/ temples
**OVERALL PLAN**
\* Tokyo one night, landing in Narita
\* kyoto 4 nights
\* Hiroshima 2 nights
\* Miyajima 1 night
\* Legoland Nagoya one night
\* cheaper Nagoya hotel one night, rent a car
\* Drive to Magome, Magome to Tsumago hike or halfway to teahouse, bus back to Magone, night in Magome/ Tsumago area, ideally in a minshuku
\* Drive around Kiso, Narai, night in Kiso/ Narai, ideally in a minshuku
\* Drive from Kiso/ Narai to Shirahone onsen and ropeway, night in Shirahone
\* Takayama, 3 nights in Takayama,
\* overnight in Ainekora gassho (ideally)
\* Drive to Kanazawa, drop car off, Kanazawa one night
\* 7 nights Tokyo, with the first night in Tokyo Disney, rest TBD
\* 2 nights in Hakone
\* 1 night Tokyo and then leave Narita
TIA!!!!