16 nights itinerary

We, 2 adults and 10 year old girl are going to Japan for the first time 16 nights (26th June – 12th July) in Tokyo and out Osaka and unable to decide our itinerary. Hotels in Tokyo and Osaka have booked but can be cancelled.
Night 1-6 Tokyo (include Disneyland and Disney sea)
Night 7 Kanazawa (activate days JR card)
Night 8 Takayama (visit Shirakawago on the way from Kanazawa)
Night 9-11 Kyoto
Night 12 Hiroshima/ Miyajima
Night 13-16: Osaka (day trip to Nara, Kobe..)

Feedback and suggestions are welcome:)
Thank you in advance!

Hi,

Your child might be different from mine, but mine (currently a 9 year old girl) would be bored to tears at Shirakawa Go. She did however enjoy Hida no Sato village because it was a lot more participatory.

I don't know where you are from and I am sure other people will tell you this as well, but Japan during that period is very hot and humid and sometimes rainy. I frequently go that time of year, it's when we don't have school, but if you are not used to heat and humidity it can be hard and it can particularly be hard for kids. Last trip we spent a lot of time indoors at the Kyoto Handicraft Center doing crafts. They were unique and popular.

Make sure you know how long it will take you to get from your accommodations to Tokyo Disney. Weekdays in late June tend to be off season, but the parks still get crowded (unless the weather is really bad) and if the parks open at 9:00 there will be people waiting to get in at 7:00 am. I say this as someone who has gone to TDR 2x now during this time period. Sea in particularly is very popular and very crowded.

I'm not sure what you plan to do in Kobe? I've not taken my child because I don't really know anything there she would find that compelling outside shopping which we do in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Mine liked Nara a lot though.

Good luck!

Less time in Osaka. More Kyoto time. A day in Osaka is enough. But you can just commute to Kyoto if you dont wanna shift bookings etc.

Thank you rkold and Hakata14 for the advice.
We are from Melbourne, Australia and have 2 weeks school holiday in late June and early July.
I think my daughter will love Hida Folk Village where we will visit in the morning before heading to Kyoto.
Are 2 days in Disneyland and sea enough?
Is it worth to visit the parks after 3PM (cheaper fare) and then stay until the fireworks?

Thank you rkold and Hakata14 for the advice.
We are from Melbourne, Australia and have 2 weeks school holiday in late June and early July.
I think my daughter will love Hida Folk Village where we will visit in the morning before heading to Kyoto.
Are 2 days in Disneyland and sea enough?
Is it worth to visit the parks after 3PM (cheaper fare) and then stay until the fireworks?

Hi!

I have never been fortunate enough to visit Australia, but just be prepared for humidity. If you've been to the US state of Florida in the late Spring or Summer you're set. I get why you are going then, as I said we normally go then because it is when my kid doesn't have school. I have complete sympathy, but it's important to be prepared for the heat and possible rain and have some flexibility in your plans.

For Tokyo Disney, please understand this is my opinion based on having gone 3 times recently (Summer 2017, 2018, and 2019) I live in the USA and have been to Disney World in FL and Disneyland in CA. So for me, I find 2 days is plenty. I like to do a day at Sea and a day at Land. There are plenty of people who feel like they need more time, I am just not one of them. If you're talking a ticket that starts at 3:00 on a week end, just don't. We did that in 2018 with Sea. Everything, including the Sinbad ride and all the kiddie rides, had at least a 30 minute line. There were no fast passes left. I guess you could see the fireworks? I have a hard time imaging Disneyland proper was any better. People will start to line up by 14:00 or earlier for the 15:00 or 3:00 pm entry.

BTW don't go to either park over the week end, plan it for week days, preferably Tuesday-Thursday.

I assumed you were moving to Osaka to go to USJ. My 9 year old loved it as well. I'm thinking of commuting down from Kyoto though next trip because I prefer Kyoto to Osaka.

I have not taken my child to Hiroshima. I took her to Miyajima but it was before the construction. I am unsure how the construction is affecting things. I heard from someone last Summer that during high tide the torii is not under cover and can be seen, but I don't know from personal experience.

Good luck!

Queensland summers are the same. If you have been in Queensland for dec jan feb? Then you can handle Japanese summer.

Thanks rkold,
We will be at Disneyland and Sea on Tue and Wed.
However, if we come there from 9AM , I think the kid will feel very tired to wait until fireworks.
That why i'm thinking about the afternoon admission and we can be around 9PM.
Do you think 1 night @ Kanazawa, 1 ngiht @takayama and 1 night @Hiroshima/ Miyajima are too much for the 10 year old kids?
We visited universal studios Singapore late last year. Is it worth to visit USJ?
Thank you

Hi!

I've not been to Universal Singapore, the only Universal I've been to is USJ. I'd like to take my kid to Orlando Universal at some point, but I wanted her to be tall enough for all the height lines. USJ is actually considerably cheaper than Universal Orlando once you get to Japan. If you're not going to USJ I'm not really sure why you would stay in Osaka at all, unless you have friends you are meeting?

On week ends there is an after 15:00 Pass, (Starlight) but on week days it is this one: https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/treasure/lp/en/after6_pass.html which doesn't start until 18:00. I'm not really sure how much you are going to accomplish if you don't enter the park until 18:00 unless the weather is terrible in which case there will be no fireworks. I personally love visiting theme parks in the rain. The lines are considerably shorter.

You can go to the park later, but the first hour of touring immediately after opening at a park is always the best in terms of lines because they just usually build through out the day. This is true for any Disney park I've ever visited. Fast Passes do run out. I guess if you're staying close enough you could go back to your accommodation and take a nap before the evening. Personally, I would rather have shorter lines and miss the fireworks than longer lines and see the fireworks, but I have limited patience for line waiting. The only trip I remember where the lines didn't build was the one in the pouring rain, and I think the fireworks were canceled that day because... it was pouring rain. It did make a lot of popular rides walk ons though, which is what we prefer.

My kid doesn't like changing hotels too often, but she has gotten better about it as she has gotten older. I just try to keep transit times reasonable and not have too many long day trips in a row. I loved Kanazawa and she liked the garden but didn't enjoy the temple we went to. She loved Hida no Sato in Takayama.

Since most of your trip doesn't involve a lot of hotel changes I know mine could handle 3 single nights in that case.

Good luck!

Thanks rkold,
My kid loves Harry Potter, so we are going to visit USJ.
For 1 night @ Kanazawa, should we stay close station or castle/ garden?
I'm going to book a hotel but unable to decide Dormy Inn Kanazawa Natural Hot Spring/Hotel Nikko Kanazawa/UAN kanazawa/ Kanazawa Hakuchoro Hotel Sanraku?

Hi!

Someone on this forum recommended the Nikko in one of my threads on Kanazawa and I think someone else like Hakuchoro, when others have asked about Kanazawa. I looked at Uan, which was new at the time. I stayed somewhere cheap near the station because we arrived at 22:00 or 22:30 and I didn't want to have to travel to get to the hotel. I ended up in the Vista, I am not sure if the Dormy was open when I stayed there. The room was a room, I liked the public baths. I am not sure I would pick to stay there again. The room would be small for 3, but we were just two. My spouse doesn't come with us.

We'll probably be heading to Tokyo when you head towards Kansai. lol

We've stayed at the Dormy in Kanazawa, the room was small-ish (not that unusual for Japan) but the bath is nice, and it's a very convenient position.

The buses that go around town from the station (clockwise and anti-clockwise directions) are very convenient and will whisk you to the castle and park in no time.

Have a wonderful time in Japan.

My trip is also upcoming so I don't have experience to give. However, I'll chime in to say that I booked Uan because it's within walking distance of the castle and eventually the garden. We are coming luggage free (will be forwarding luggage to our next destination, bypassing Kanazawa which is a short stay) so we feel that traveling from the train station to the hotel would be manageable whether we take the taxi or bus.
It'll also sound superficial but I'm very impressed by their website, which is thoughtfully designed and easily navigateable, with better Kanazawa promotional materials than one can hope for from an official tourism website. From pictures and measurements, their rooms look spacious and well appointed. Hopefully I'm not setting myself up for disappointment :)
But overall I think I would've been happy anywhere as the average hotel ratings in Kanazawa seem much better than any other city I've visited.

On the outskirts of Tokyo is Kitty's amusement facility, Sanrio Puroland. The surrounding area is dotted with shrines and temples where you can experience history and culture

Enjoy amusement for children and shrines and temples of Japanese history and culture that satisfy the intellectual curiosity of adults

https://www.puroland.jp/?target=seasonal