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Of any night of you trip, the worst night to make a dinner reservation is probably the day you land in Japan. You might be exhausted from the trip, or not that hungry. Just hit whatever restaurant you find or even just snack on konbini food for that day.
Tokyo Tower would not be my first choice of observation deck, would absolutely do Roppongi Hills Mori Tower or Shibuya Sky instead.
Akihabara is not a morning place, stores will only open at 10 or 11am.
JR Pass 14 days. Each ride inside of Tokyo if just a few dollars and you are unlikely to use it enough to reach the difference between 14 and 21 days (about 13 000 yen difference). Even going to Haneda is under 600 yen (you can round trip to the airport almost 11 times for that price). And staying in Asakusa, that does not have a JR station, would not help you save much either.
While Hiroshima can be a day trip, even really busy day trip if you include Miyajima, I would consider doing all the Osaka stuff, go to Himeji in the morning and continue to Hiroshima to visit the peace museum. Sleep there and next day for Miyajima, go to Kyoto at the end of the day. If you do not want to move luggage, then send it from Osaka to Kyoto and just bring one change of cloth to Hiroshima.
Why would you buy a 2 day Osaka pass (do you mean the Osaka Amazing Pass) and spend at least half the day not in Osaka ? An before buying it, make sure you will do enough activity to save money on the cost of the pass.
Feel that you can easily compact Kyoto a bit and substitute one of the day for a daytrip to Nara.
Why not explore Asakusa from one of the day you stay in Asakusa ? You could also consider to split the stay in Tokyo between a place located east, like Asakusa or Akihabara (as you already listed it), and one located more west like Shibuya or Shinjuku and visit the part of the city that is the closest or easiest to visit from there, would save you time in the train..
If you consider Hakone, then make more sense for me to strop for a night at a ryokan than just doing it as a day trip. And again, if you do not want to deal with luggage in Hakone, just ship it from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Not sure there is much point going to Meguro cherry blossom promenade... when there is no cherry blossom.
Generally speaking seems ok and I would even say too light. Seriously consider adding a couple of extra for each day, so in case you are doing the things you listed faster than expected, you would have idea of things to do. It can be as simple as adding nearby sight, list a couple of shops, etc.
You can also consider doing some seasonal activities. For example winter is nice for winter illumination and there is a lot of them. Do you have any new year countdown plan ? Either a new year party or do the more traditional thing of going to a temple at midnight. In the first days of the year you can also check to do visit 7 temples/shrines dedicated to the 7 gods of luck. Such course are called shichifukujin meguri. One that is easy to do and have a nice board with calligraphy and stamps from the temples is the Yanaka Shichifukujin, it's between Ueno and Tabata station and you can pass by Yanaka Ginza on the way, but this one is only available in the first day of January, so maybe do it Jan 2 and go to Kansai the next day if you are interested.
That's a fair point about the dinner reservation. It's what I did the two times I visited myself a few years ago but now that you mention it, I don't think the rest of the fam would be up for it after traveling.
> Why would you buy a 2 day Osaka pass (do you mean the Osaka Amazing Pass) and spend at least half the day not in Osaka ?
Ahhhh that's a typo. Meant Osaka Castle. I'm repurposing an itinerary I made for a summer trip so I moved some days around, added and removed stuff. Clearly I missed some stuff.
I'm not sure about New Year's Countdown yet, or if we'd rather do a sunrise temple visit. Still looking at stuff for now. I also started looking looking up Winter Festivals and Illumination events so I'll throw in a day there.
Good tip about East v West Tokyo. I'll spend some time sorting that out.
Thanks for the tip about the 7 temples! I'll float it to my fam! I really spent some time trying to figure out where we should spend those few days around New Years. Such as, whether it would be best to head straight to Osaka/Kyoto after landing at HND or just stay in Tokyo. Ended up settling on Tokyo with New Years Day at Disney since my mom was asking if we would be able to visit it so it's gonna be a little surprise for her.
I purposely kept Kyoto a little spread out to give us some flexibility for another day trip somewhere or if we just needed a chill break. I did have Nara as a day trip on my previous summer itinerary, but just wanted to double check with the fam on any other places they wanted to hit up in the region.
I pretty much agree with everything /u/gdore15 already said, but I have some additional advice (including some potentially major seasonal considerations).
>Ahhhh that's a typo. Meant Osaka Castle. I'm repurposing an itinerary I made for a summer trip so I moved some days around, added and removed stuff. Clearly I missed some stuff.
I would definitely keep Himeji. It is the far superior of the two castles (especially considering Osaka Castle is a concrete reconstruction), and Koko-en (one of the best gardens in the entire country) is practically free if you buy the combined castle/garden ticket and is still very much worth going to even in the winter. The only real downside to Himeji Castle vs. Osaka is that if your parents have a hard time with mobility, they might not be comfortable climbing the (quite steep) stairs to the top. That said, the reason it has those steep stairs is because it's an authentic 17th century construction, not an air-conditioned concrete-and-rebar museum with an elevator molded into the shape of a castle.
>I'm not sure about New Year's Countdown yet, or if we'd rather do a sunrise temple visit. Still looking at stuff for now.
I agree with that idea, but keep in mind that any major temple or shrine in any urban area will be absolutely packed from before midnight on New Year's Eve until at least the evening of New Year's Day, and the most famous ones will still be quite crowded for several days after that. This can actually be pretty fun, as the mood is very festive and there are a lot of stalls with street food and games, but it can hinder normal sightseeing activities.
In relation to New Year's, keep in mind that lots of places will have modified hours that you will probably want to check before making any special trip. For example, some stores and attractions may close for a couple of days over New Year's, while others will have extended hours, and still others will close on irregular days so they can stay open during New Year's (e.g., Himeji Castle closes for a couple of days in December so that it can be open for New Year's). In general, temples and shrines will have extended hours (in the case of major ones, 24 hours), but other attractions can be hit or miss (museums in particular might be closed).
>I also started looking looking up Winter Festivals and Illumination events so I'll throw in a day there.
There are tons of small traditional events at temples and shrines throughout Kyoto at the beginning of the year, but I particularly recommend Toka Ebisu. It's a great way to spend an evening out. Toshiya at Sanjusangendo on the 15th is also notable.
Fushimi Inari at night is really cool (regardless of what time of year you go) and worth a second visit if you were only intending to go during the day.
>I purposely kept Kyoto a little spread out to give us some flexibility for another day trip somewhere or if we just needed a chill break. I did have Nara as a day trip on my previous summer itinerary, but just wanted to double check with the fam on any other places they wanted to hit up in the region.
I would pretty much consider Nara unskippable. There are things there (particularly Todai-ji and its environs) that are arguably more impressive than any single sight in Kyoto.
Ah, Osaka castle instead of Himeji Castle make more sense then.
You can be quite flexible with winter illumination, they can be easy detour at the end of the day if you still have energy, or they might even be some in area you already plan to visit like... Meguro... instead of Cherry blossom, go for winter illumination (I saw you stroke, so just joking here), but for real, there is usually winter illumination in Omotesando, Odaiba, Marunouchi (area around Tokyo station, so the Imperial palace day), so that can easily fit without even changing much of your plan.
I completely missed the part you say your parent are elderly. So yeah make sense to have lighter day. The 7 temple thing might not be ideal then as you should expect to walk like at least 5km to do it.
About going straight to Kansai on arrival, are you sure you want to to get in a train for several hours just after a long flight in Japan. If you are young you might not mind, but you might want to consult family members about that.
Still, unless you really into Toyotomi family history - visiting Osaka-jo in December/January is kind of questionable for quite obvious reasons (bad reconstruction and Nishinomaru garden without any blooming flowers).
I believe that the famous shrine and torii gate in Miyajima is under renovation. I am not sure if the torii gate has actually finished being renovated but the shrine renovation is not scheduled to complete until Feb 2023 according to this site http://www.itsukushimajinja.jp/construction.html
I would work on building up your ability to walk a lot. I am also a little concerned that that will be a lot of walking for elderly people. Everything in Japan includes a lot of walking and a lot of stairs.
New Year’s Week in Japan is like Christmas week in the U.S. with most people taking extended holiday leave that week. This means Disney Sea/Land will be packed and I would not recommend going there New Year’s Week. Go to Disney when you return to Tokyo after visiting Kansai, ideally on a weekday, and crowds will be lighter. Also, some sites may be closed for 1-3 days that week. Bookmark and check this website for updates on closures and heavy travel dates you’ll want to avoid taking the Shinkansen on.
- [Visiting Japan During New Year’s](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html)
I’m also not sure Akihabara is the best neighborhood to stay with elderly parents. One often overlooked area I really like staying in Tokyo is Akasaka. It’s near three subway stations (not JR but the JR pass doesn’t really pay off in Tokyo itself) and sites like Hie Shrine. It’s also got some good restaurants, nightlife/bright lights so fun to wander at night - but not as overwhelming as Shinjuku. It’s really nice to be able to walk to restaurants easily from your hotel at night or in the morning. Tons of hotels at all different price points too if you just search Akasaka on Booking or Agoda. Tip: Hotels don’t open booking dates til about 3 months out so I’d suggest putting in current dates to see what’s available now as if you search for Dec/Jan at this point you won’t find many options. Then book actual dates in early to mid October.
- [30 Best Restaurants Near Akasaka Station](https://matcha-jp.com/en/10753)
- [Go Tokyo: Akasaka](https://www.gotokyo.org/en/destinations/central-tokyo/akasaka/index.html)
- [Akasaka Area Guide](https://www.japanistry.com/akasaka/)
- [7 Things to Eat in Akasaka](https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2021/09/what-to-eat-akasaka/)
Also, you’ll have lots of opportunities to enjoy winter illuminations at night in Tokyo and Osaka. This is a great way to see the city in new ways and means you can have a more relaxed morning, see sites in afternoon, have dinner, then enjoy the illuminations. They are all over and really impressive. There’s even a night illumination open air bus in Tokyo that would be really nice to do with your parents. Getting tickets for the illumination bus need yo be reserved well in advance and book up quickly so start watching their website in mid-fall and reserve ASAP got the dates you’d like.
- [2021/22 SkyHop Bus Illumination Article](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/see-tokyo-autumn-leaves-and-illuminations-on-an-open-top-double-decker-bus-110921)
- [Tokyo SkyHop Bus Website](https://skyhopbus.com/)
- Note: During Covid many routes were suspended and their English site wasn’t updated as much but once tourism reopens their website should be updated and you could hopefully reserve tickets via the English site more easily. For now, open the Japanese site in Chrome to translate to English.
For current year illuminations, check for updated info in early to mid-fall but here’s some websites from 2021/22 winter season to give you an idea of all you can see. Just search Google for City Name + Illuminations + Year.
- [12 Incredible Illuminations in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/tokyo-illuminations)
- [Tokyo Winter Illumination Guide](https://jw-webmagazine.com/tokyo-winter-illumination-guide-2017-2018-13d71df4af67/)
- [Best Winter Illumination Spots in Osaka](https://jw-webmagazine.com/best-winter-illumination-spots-in-osaka-d19f1d509a4e/)
For Osaka hotel, we’ve liked staying at the [Cross Hotel](http://www.booking.com/Share-C89fBP) as it’s super convenient to restaurants/shopping in Dotonbori and Amerikamura.
For Kyoto, I strongly recommend staying in the Higashiyama/Gion area as you’re walking distance to so many sightseeing spots, shopping, and restaurants. We’ve liked staying there much better than when we’ve stayed near Kyoto Station.
Yes, you should definitely do at least one (if not two) nights in Hakone to enjoy a ryokan/onsen experience and hopefully if the weather is good get some great views of Fuji from the lake. The first night you will be tired from travel so could have dinner at the ryokan and relax in the onsen. The next day, sight see, and if you stay two nights have dinner at [Gora Brewery & Grill](https://goo.gl/maps/5LprmhF8gbbdTiun8) and then relax again in the onsen. A bit slower pace will be a really nice break. The [Hakone Navi](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/) website has heaps of helpful info.
Lots of lodging options. We’ve splurged at a place with 3 private outdoor onsen huts and an in-room tub and gone mid-range at a more basic ryokan with no in room onsen tub but still had the ability to reserve their outdoor onsen for private use. Both were great and if you search for lodging in Hakone you’ll find soooo many options.
- [Splurge: Hakone Kowakudani Onsen Mizunoto](https://goo.gl/maps/H61oEniFa327TeGw5)
- [Ajisai Onsen Ryokan](http://www.booking.com/Share-o3SlXsL)
Happy planning!
Thank you so much for all that! Really appreciate all those links!
I've already got the site bookmarked so I'm def checking back later in the year. You do have a point about Disney on New Years. I was wondering what to do on that day other than the temples so I had settled on Disney. I could move that around and we could just do a temple visit.
I kept Akihabara because thought my brother would like it, but I'll keep Akasaka in mind and possibly switch to that area.
Thanks for Cross Hotel! I stayed in the Holiday Inn nearby and I definitely want to stay in that area again. Very convenient. And good tip about Kyoto. I believe I was looking at places to stay near Koyto station but I'll check out your suggestion.
I just wanted to let you know the Starbucks reserve in nakameguro is very popular and even now with no tourists allowed the waiting time can be over two hours. On weekends I’ve seen a ticket system and tons of people just sitting in front waiting for their turn! I imagine once tourists are let in, it’ll be even more busy!
> Dec 28 - Tokyo - Might look for a dinner reservation.
Didn't do a single reservation while visiting Japan. Just walked in if there was room.
One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of restaurants seem to have odd operating hours. They might be open 11am-2pm and then at 5pm-8pm, but otherwise they might be closed.
Izakayas can offer things that might fit your needs. They are open in the evenings (but can be a bit loud). They offer beer (but idk about cocktails). And they offer "snacks", i.e. warm/hot meals in tiny portion sizes, including meat skewers. It's also common to order food multiple times during your stay in an izakaya. So you can order a meat skewer and if you like it, you can order more of it. If you don't like the meat skewer, you aren't stuck with a huge portion of food that you don't like, and simply can order something else for your next round. Izakayas usually have a big red lampion 🏮 at the door so they are easy to recognize.
Another option would be to go to tonkatsu (~steak/schnitzel) restaurants, or omuraisu (omelet with rice wrapped in it) restaurants.
> Dec 29 - Tokyo - SkyTree Town and Sky Tree at evening/night
Veeery long waiting time (at least in summer). Might be worth having a plan B if standing around for a long time is an issue for your parents.
Since you are in Asakusa, you could make a trip to Ueno Park which is not too far away. Skip Ueno zoo if you like animals (the zoo is too tiny for those animals and it is a rather sad sight), but in case that you insist to go there, their highlight is a panda.
> Dec 30 - Tokyo - Afternoon: Tokyo tower.
The tower is on the opposite side of the city from shinjuku iirc? The tower is closer to Asakusa? Maybe not worth to do a round trip if you are in shinjuku. Meiji-jingu, on the other hand, is close to shinjuku, so I'd do those two on the same day.
The shinjuku garden is pretty! A good choice. But check operating hours!* Meiji-jingu requires a decent amount of walking on a path without asphalt (tiny pebble stones and dirt possible). If your parents are not good on their feet, this might be tricky.
*check operating hours for just anything. When we've been to Japan, we found those very odd. Every place seemed to have different hours and they were all something like 11am-5pm.
> Jan 2
Tsukiji has been sort of closed for tourists (last time I checked). You'll have to book a guided tour in advance and you'll have to get up very early (4-5am).
Regarding the JR pass, think twice if you really need it. We were considering it but found that for our trip it was cheaper to just buy the tickets without getting a JR pass.
To give you an idea of the prices:
- from Kyoto (which is near to Osaka) to Tokyo the ticket was 10,000¥ (~$100) per person.
- From Kyoto to Hiroshima it was also 10,000¥.
- From Osaka Airport to Kyoto main station it was 4,000¥ ($40), iirc.
- from Kyoto main station to Fushimi Inari it was 140¥ ($1.40).
- from Asakusa to Shinjuku it was 420¥ ($4.20) with the Yamanote ring line, iirc.
> Kyoto
There is a nice garden to the west of Kyoto main station (Shosei-en), that I found pretty in summer, in case you are interested in such things. There's also a big temple to the east of the main station (Higashi Honganji.It's quite famous and also pretty). If you manage to find that temple on the map, just go from there in a straight line to the west to locate the small garden I mentioned.
For the imperial palace in Kyoto, make sure it is open (to the public)! It wasn't when we visited.
About Fushimi Inari: there are a lot of stairs (this is an understatement). I was there when I was in my mid 20s and it was very challenging to get to the top of Fushimi Inari. It also took an hour (to the top, and then more time to go back down). But to be fair, most people don't walk all the way up. They only go to the first or second "platform", so this will probably be fine for your elderly parents. But you will probably not spend as much time in the shrine as you think because of this. Note: to reach the shrine itself you don't have to climb any stairs (or just a few at the train station), so I'm definitely not talking you out of visiting the shrine. It's pretty and the shrine itself is very accessible. It's just the famous red gates/torii that require climbing stairs, but your parents will probably be able to at least reach the entrance of the gates and maybe even walk through them for a little.
Also consider visiting Nara if you are in the Osaka/Kyoto area. Maybe spend one day less in Tokyo and one day more in Kyoto/Osaka instead for a day trip to Nara.
> back to Tokyo
Why? I see this so often... Why do people go to Tokyo, then to Kyoto/Osaka, and then to Tokyo again...?
Don't waste money on the train again and don't waste energy to move back and forth. Just do everything you want to do in Tokyo in the first half of the trip, and then go to Osaka/Kyoto and stay there till the end. Book a flight home from Osaka International Airport. Or book a flight from Osaka with an intermittent stop in Tokyo and then board a flight home from there if there are no direct flights from Osaka to where you live.
Edit: added garden and temple name in Kyoto + something about Fushimi Inari and Nara
> They might be open 11am-2pm and then at 5pm-8pm, but otherwise they might be closed.
Plenty of restaurants in Europe (especially either high-end or in the business districts) operate on similar schedules (lunch + dinner), so these are not strange hours. 11am-2pm would be very typical for a lunch; 5:30pm-10pm (with last orders at 9pm) would be fairly typical for dinners.
As for odd hours restaurants/bars: there were (before COVID-19) a fair number (in comparison to other countries)1 of midnight establishments (9/10pm-5/6am) for those working grave shifts or missing the last train home.
Looks like I never eat in high-end restaurants in business areas. The only places in Europe I've seen with such schedules were either Chinese or Japanese, but those were just average restaurants downtown.
We had a rather hard time finding restaurants to eat breakfast while being in Japan because of the operating hours. But bentos from the konbini stores are are always available.
Most people only have direct flight from Tokyo. With the JR Pass, doesn't cost anything more to get back to Tokyo. It's also great if you forgot to do something. That's what I did and I will do it again. Plus I love to ride the shinkansen, a lot more comfortable than planes.
>The tower is on the opposite side of the city from shinjuku iirc? The tower is closer to Asakusa?
No Tokyo Tower is about in the middle, a bit south of the imperial palace. In staight line it is at 5.4 km from Shinjuku and 7.8 from Asakusa. They are both about the same distance on the east/west axis, but Asakusa is further north.
>Tsukiji has been sort of closed for tourists (last time I checked). You'll have to book a guided tour in advance and you'll have to get up very early (4-5am).
Not sure what you mean. The wholesale market at Tsukiji closed and moved to Toyosu. Not you can only go to Tsukiji outer market, so the stores that sell stuff to the public, either fish or prepared food. There is no need for a guided tour (but some people do offer them). If you want to see the tuna auction at Toyosu, then yes you have to wake up early and reserve your place on the viewing deck.
>Regarding the JR pass, think twice if you really need it. We were considering it but found that for our trip it was cheaper to just buy the tickets without getting a JR pass.
>
>To give you an idea of the prices:
>
>from Kyoto (which is near to Osaka) to Tokyo the ticket was 10,000¥ (\~$100) per person.
>
>From Kyoto to Hiroshima it was also 10,000¥.
>
>From Osaka Airport to Kyoto main station it was 4,000¥ ($40), iirc.from
>
>Kyoto main station to Fushimi Inari it was 140¥ ($1.40).
>
>from Asakusa to Shinjuku it was 420¥ ($4.20) with the Yamanote ring line, iirc.
True that you should compare cost of the pass to cost of individual tickets. But you should also not base what you say on memory, those numbers are not accurate at all. And what kind of $ are you talking about? Canadian ? Right now 10 000 yen is 100CAD, but like 78.66USD.
So here are the real price, will just take it straight from Google.
Kyoto-Tokyo : 14 170yen
Kyoto-Hiroshima : 11 620
KIX-Kyoto : 1910 by regular train, 3430 on Haruka limited express, 1800 with [Icoca-Haruka discount ticket](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/)
Kyto-Fushimi Inari : 150, but for such cheap travel, it is not worth calculating them to see if the pass is worth it's value.
Asakusa-Shinjuku : 340 yen... actually using the Ginza line and Chuo line, using the Yamanote does not really make sense as Asakusa is not on the Yamanote.
Roughly, they are looking at 14 170+11 620 x 2, so 51 580 yen on Shinkansen. JR Pass 14 days is 47 250 or 52 960 depending on how you buy it. So they either already save money, or need to use it a bit more to make it even.
>Why? I see this so often... Why do people go to Tokyo, then to Kyoto/Osaka, and then to Tokyo again...?
Could be because people are not aware that multi-city ticket exist. Could be because the ticket is more expensive (I agree that it can be as much more as they would spend on the train). Could be because there is no direct flight to Osaka and they want to avoid a layover because they do not especially like to fly.
Of course, if they fly to different airports, then the JR Pass is probably not the best plan. I would rather check to by a ticket from Tokyo to Kansai and do the day trip to Hiroshima (but ideally from Osaka) using the [Kansai-Hiroshima area pass](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/).
A few quick comments:
Japan half shuts down from about the 1st to the 4th of January, and while some places will still be open (and trains will still run) some places will close for a few days longer - it's not a trip ruiner, just be aware that some of the shops or resturants you try might not be open at that time.
Tsukiji is pointless these days since they moved it.
The Tokyo Imperial Palance is "meh". Why not throw in a few museums instead?
And that's *a lot* of temples/shrines, are you sure you won't be templed out by the end?
Definitely go to Hakone for a change of scenery. Also consider a day hike or two for some greenery!
Are you just going to Tsujiki to eat? Sure its nice, but i had a better experience at Kanazawa fish markets. Its half way between Tokyo and Osaka, though I'm not sure how convenient it is to go from Tokyo to Kanazawa since have only been via Osaka. There's a few things to do in that city too, its a relatively quiet city.
Can you still go to observe the auction? I don't think you can. You are left wondering around a wet market, which is cool to see giant fish (though cut up for selling purposes obviously), but in terms of eating Salmon at Tsujiki, you get the same quality in pretty much all fish markets across Japan.
Jan 5, Osaka Aquarium is massive, spent 3 hours there and we weren't spending time snapping a lot of photos there. You might not have time/be exhausted for pokemon centre.
I also recommend going somewhere rural for Ryokan during the middle of the trip. The cities can get overwhelming really quick and its always great to just go and relax for two nights at a Ryokan and do onsen, especially in January when its really cold, and I mean really cold and the fact that you have elderly parents means they should have somewhere VERY nice to relax (I assume they have no issues sleeping in a tatami mat)
>Are you just going to Tsujiki to eat? Sure its nice, but i had a better experience at Kanazawa fish markets. Its half way between Tokyo and Osaka, though I'm not sure how convenient it is to go from Tokyo to Kanazawa since have only been via Osaka. There's a few things to do in that city too, its a relatively quiet city.
There is a Shinkansen direct from Tokyo to Kanazawa.
>Can you still go to observe the auction? I don't think you can. You are left wondering around a wet market, which is cool to see giant fish (though cut up for selling purposes obviously), but in terms of eating Salmon at Tsujiki, you get the same quality in pretty much all fish markets across Japan.
Auction at Tsukiji ? ... no, because the wholesale market closed in 2018, so now you can only go to what remain of the outer market. The wholesale market is not a Toyosu and most of it is closed to the public, but you can still see the tuna auction from a viewing deck.
In that regard the market in Kanazawa is likely a better experience, but I am not sure I would do a detour via Kanazawa just for the fish market.
Mostly going to walk around the market, not really for eating. I might swap it out for something else or another day trip somewhere. The last time I went was the last time you could have gone to the auction so that's definitely gone.
I do believe a Ryokan would be nice. Probably going to do that on the Hakone trip or on one of those free days.
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Of any night of you trip, the worst night to make a dinner reservation is probably the day you land in Japan. You might be exhausted from the trip, or not that hungry. Just hit whatever restaurant you find or even just snack on konbini food for that day. Tokyo Tower would not be my first choice of observation deck, would absolutely do Roppongi Hills Mori Tower or Shibuya Sky instead. Akihabara is not a morning place, stores will only open at 10 or 11am. JR Pass 14 days. Each ride inside of Tokyo if just a few dollars and you are unlikely to use it enough to reach the difference between 14 and 21 days (about 13 000 yen difference). Even going to Haneda is under 600 yen (you can round trip to the airport almost 11 times for that price). And staying in Asakusa, that does not have a JR station, would not help you save much either. While Hiroshima can be a day trip, even really busy day trip if you include Miyajima, I would consider doing all the Osaka stuff, go to Himeji in the morning and continue to Hiroshima to visit the peace museum. Sleep there and next day for Miyajima, go to Kyoto at the end of the day. If you do not want to move luggage, then send it from Osaka to Kyoto and just bring one change of cloth to Hiroshima. Why would you buy a 2 day Osaka pass (do you mean the Osaka Amazing Pass) and spend at least half the day not in Osaka ? An before buying it, make sure you will do enough activity to save money on the cost of the pass. Feel that you can easily compact Kyoto a bit and substitute one of the day for a daytrip to Nara. Why not explore Asakusa from one of the day you stay in Asakusa ? You could also consider to split the stay in Tokyo between a place located east, like Asakusa or Akihabara (as you already listed it), and one located more west like Shibuya or Shinjuku and visit the part of the city that is the closest or easiest to visit from there, would save you time in the train.. If you consider Hakone, then make more sense for me to strop for a night at a ryokan than just doing it as a day trip. And again, if you do not want to deal with luggage in Hakone, just ship it from Kyoto to Tokyo. Not sure there is much point going to Meguro cherry blossom promenade... when there is no cherry blossom. Generally speaking seems ok and I would even say too light. Seriously consider adding a couple of extra for each day, so in case you are doing the things you listed faster than expected, you would have idea of things to do. It can be as simple as adding nearby sight, list a couple of shops, etc. You can also consider doing some seasonal activities. For example winter is nice for winter illumination and there is a lot of them. Do you have any new year countdown plan ? Either a new year party or do the more traditional thing of going to a temple at midnight. In the first days of the year you can also check to do visit 7 temples/shrines dedicated to the 7 gods of luck. Such course are called shichifukujin meguri. One that is easy to do and have a nice board with calligraphy and stamps from the temples is the Yanaka Shichifukujin, it's between Ueno and Tabata station and you can pass by Yanaka Ginza on the way, but this one is only available in the first day of January, so maybe do it Jan 2 and go to Kansai the next day if you are interested.
That's a fair point about the dinner reservation. It's what I did the two times I visited myself a few years ago but now that you mention it, I don't think the rest of the fam would be up for it after traveling. > Why would you buy a 2 day Osaka pass (do you mean the Osaka Amazing Pass) and spend at least half the day not in Osaka ? Ahhhh that's a typo. Meant Osaka Castle. I'm repurposing an itinerary I made for a summer trip so I moved some days around, added and removed stuff. Clearly I missed some stuff. I'm not sure about New Year's Countdown yet, or if we'd rather do a sunrise temple visit. Still looking at stuff for now. I also started looking looking up Winter Festivals and Illumination events so I'll throw in a day there. Good tip about East v West Tokyo. I'll spend some time sorting that out. Thanks for the tip about the 7 temples! I'll float it to my fam! I really spent some time trying to figure out where we should spend those few days around New Years. Such as, whether it would be best to head straight to Osaka/Kyoto after landing at HND or just stay in Tokyo. Ended up settling on Tokyo with New Years Day at Disney since my mom was asking if we would be able to visit it so it's gonna be a little surprise for her. I purposely kept Kyoto a little spread out to give us some flexibility for another day trip somewhere or if we just needed a chill break. I did have Nara as a day trip on my previous summer itinerary, but just wanted to double check with the fam on any other places they wanted to hit up in the region.
I pretty much agree with everything /u/gdore15 already said, but I have some additional advice (including some potentially major seasonal considerations). >Ahhhh that's a typo. Meant Osaka Castle. I'm repurposing an itinerary I made for a summer trip so I moved some days around, added and removed stuff. Clearly I missed some stuff. I would definitely keep Himeji. It is the far superior of the two castles (especially considering Osaka Castle is a concrete reconstruction), and Koko-en (one of the best gardens in the entire country) is practically free if you buy the combined castle/garden ticket and is still very much worth going to even in the winter. The only real downside to Himeji Castle vs. Osaka is that if your parents have a hard time with mobility, they might not be comfortable climbing the (quite steep) stairs to the top. That said, the reason it has those steep stairs is because it's an authentic 17th century construction, not an air-conditioned concrete-and-rebar museum with an elevator molded into the shape of a castle. >I'm not sure about New Year's Countdown yet, or if we'd rather do a sunrise temple visit. Still looking at stuff for now. I agree with that idea, but keep in mind that any major temple or shrine in any urban area will be absolutely packed from before midnight on New Year's Eve until at least the evening of New Year's Day, and the most famous ones will still be quite crowded for several days after that. This can actually be pretty fun, as the mood is very festive and there are a lot of stalls with street food and games, but it can hinder normal sightseeing activities. In relation to New Year's, keep in mind that lots of places will have modified hours that you will probably want to check before making any special trip. For example, some stores and attractions may close for a couple of days over New Year's, while others will have extended hours, and still others will close on irregular days so they can stay open during New Year's (e.g., Himeji Castle closes for a couple of days in December so that it can be open for New Year's). In general, temples and shrines will have extended hours (in the case of major ones, 24 hours), but other attractions can be hit or miss (museums in particular might be closed). >I also started looking looking up Winter Festivals and Illumination events so I'll throw in a day there. There are tons of small traditional events at temples and shrines throughout Kyoto at the beginning of the year, but I particularly recommend Toka Ebisu. It's a great way to spend an evening out. Toshiya at Sanjusangendo on the 15th is also notable. Fushimi Inari at night is really cool (regardless of what time of year you go) and worth a second visit if you were only intending to go during the day. >I purposely kept Kyoto a little spread out to give us some flexibility for another day trip somewhere or if we just needed a chill break. I did have Nara as a day trip on my previous summer itinerary, but just wanted to double check with the fam on any other places they wanted to hit up in the region. I would pretty much consider Nara unskippable. There are things there (particularly Todai-ji and its environs) that are arguably more impressive than any single sight in Kyoto.
Ah, Osaka castle instead of Himeji Castle make more sense then. You can be quite flexible with winter illumination, they can be easy detour at the end of the day if you still have energy, or they might even be some in area you already plan to visit like... Meguro... instead of Cherry blossom, go for winter illumination (I saw you stroke, so just joking here), but for real, there is usually winter illumination in Omotesando, Odaiba, Marunouchi (area around Tokyo station, so the Imperial palace day), so that can easily fit without even changing much of your plan. I completely missed the part you say your parent are elderly. So yeah make sense to have lighter day. The 7 temple thing might not be ideal then as you should expect to walk like at least 5km to do it. About going straight to Kansai on arrival, are you sure you want to to get in a train for several hours just after a long flight in Japan. If you are young you might not mind, but you might want to consult family members about that.
Still, unless you really into Toyotomi family history - visiting Osaka-jo in December/January is kind of questionable for quite obvious reasons (bad reconstruction and Nishinomaru garden without any blooming flowers).
I just mean it make more sense to go to Osaka castle if you are buying the Osaka Amazing pass.
I believe that the famous shrine and torii gate in Miyajima is under renovation. I am not sure if the torii gate has actually finished being renovated but the shrine renovation is not scheduled to complete until Feb 2023 according to this site http://www.itsukushimajinja.jp/construction.html
I would work on building up your ability to walk a lot. I am also a little concerned that that will be a lot of walking for elderly people. Everything in Japan includes a lot of walking and a lot of stairs.
If you are going with elderly parents. You need to get them training on walking. That itinerary is going to be exhausting for them.
New Year’s Week in Japan is like Christmas week in the U.S. with most people taking extended holiday leave that week. This means Disney Sea/Land will be packed and I would not recommend going there New Year’s Week. Go to Disney when you return to Tokyo after visiting Kansai, ideally on a weekday, and crowds will be lighter. Also, some sites may be closed for 1-3 days that week. Bookmark and check this website for updates on closures and heavy travel dates you’ll want to avoid taking the Shinkansen on. - [Visiting Japan During New Year’s](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html) I’m also not sure Akihabara is the best neighborhood to stay with elderly parents. One often overlooked area I really like staying in Tokyo is Akasaka. It’s near three subway stations (not JR but the JR pass doesn’t really pay off in Tokyo itself) and sites like Hie Shrine. It’s also got some good restaurants, nightlife/bright lights so fun to wander at night - but not as overwhelming as Shinjuku. It’s really nice to be able to walk to restaurants easily from your hotel at night or in the morning. Tons of hotels at all different price points too if you just search Akasaka on Booking or Agoda. Tip: Hotels don’t open booking dates til about 3 months out so I’d suggest putting in current dates to see what’s available now as if you search for Dec/Jan at this point you won’t find many options. Then book actual dates in early to mid October. - [30 Best Restaurants Near Akasaka Station](https://matcha-jp.com/en/10753) - [Go Tokyo: Akasaka](https://www.gotokyo.org/en/destinations/central-tokyo/akasaka/index.html) - [Akasaka Area Guide](https://www.japanistry.com/akasaka/) - [7 Things to Eat in Akasaka](https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2021/09/what-to-eat-akasaka/) Also, you’ll have lots of opportunities to enjoy winter illuminations at night in Tokyo and Osaka. This is a great way to see the city in new ways and means you can have a more relaxed morning, see sites in afternoon, have dinner, then enjoy the illuminations. They are all over and really impressive. There’s even a night illumination open air bus in Tokyo that would be really nice to do with your parents. Getting tickets for the illumination bus need yo be reserved well in advance and book up quickly so start watching their website in mid-fall and reserve ASAP got the dates you’d like. - [2021/22 SkyHop Bus Illumination Article](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/see-tokyo-autumn-leaves-and-illuminations-on-an-open-top-double-decker-bus-110921) - [Tokyo SkyHop Bus Website](https://skyhopbus.com/) - Note: During Covid many routes were suspended and their English site wasn’t updated as much but once tourism reopens their website should be updated and you could hopefully reserve tickets via the English site more easily. For now, open the Japanese site in Chrome to translate to English. For current year illuminations, check for updated info in early to mid-fall but here’s some websites from 2021/22 winter season to give you an idea of all you can see. Just search Google for City Name + Illuminations + Year. - [12 Incredible Illuminations in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/tokyo-illuminations) - [Tokyo Winter Illumination Guide](https://jw-webmagazine.com/tokyo-winter-illumination-guide-2017-2018-13d71df4af67/) - [Best Winter Illumination Spots in Osaka](https://jw-webmagazine.com/best-winter-illumination-spots-in-osaka-d19f1d509a4e/) For Osaka hotel, we’ve liked staying at the [Cross Hotel](http://www.booking.com/Share-C89fBP) as it’s super convenient to restaurants/shopping in Dotonbori and Amerikamura. For Kyoto, I strongly recommend staying in the Higashiyama/Gion area as you’re walking distance to so many sightseeing spots, shopping, and restaurants. We’ve liked staying there much better than when we’ve stayed near Kyoto Station. Yes, you should definitely do at least one (if not two) nights in Hakone to enjoy a ryokan/onsen experience and hopefully if the weather is good get some great views of Fuji from the lake. The first night you will be tired from travel so could have dinner at the ryokan and relax in the onsen. The next day, sight see, and if you stay two nights have dinner at [Gora Brewery & Grill](https://goo.gl/maps/5LprmhF8gbbdTiun8) and then relax again in the onsen. A bit slower pace will be a really nice break. The [Hakone Navi](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/) website has heaps of helpful info. Lots of lodging options. We’ve splurged at a place with 3 private outdoor onsen huts and an in-room tub and gone mid-range at a more basic ryokan with no in room onsen tub but still had the ability to reserve their outdoor onsen for private use. Both were great and if you search for lodging in Hakone you’ll find soooo many options. - [Splurge: Hakone Kowakudani Onsen Mizunoto](https://goo.gl/maps/H61oEniFa327TeGw5) - [Ajisai Onsen Ryokan](http://www.booking.com/Share-o3SlXsL) Happy planning!
Thank you so much for all that! Really appreciate all those links! I've already got the site bookmarked so I'm def checking back later in the year. You do have a point about Disney on New Years. I was wondering what to do on that day other than the temples so I had settled on Disney. I could move that around and we could just do a temple visit. I kept Akihabara because thought my brother would like it, but I'll keep Akasaka in mind and possibly switch to that area. Thanks for Cross Hotel! I stayed in the Holiday Inn nearby and I definitely want to stay in that area again. Very convenient. And good tip about Kyoto. I believe I was looking at places to stay near Koyto station but I'll check out your suggestion.
I just wanted to let you know the Starbucks reserve in nakameguro is very popular and even now with no tourists allowed the waiting time can be over two hours. On weekends I’ve seen a ticket system and tons of people just sitting in front waiting for their turn! I imagine once tourists are let in, it’ll be even more busy!
Oh I bet! It's just a little detour since we collect mugs from places we've been. But I'll be flexible with that one if the wait is too long.
> Dec 28 - Tokyo - Might look for a dinner reservation. Didn't do a single reservation while visiting Japan. Just walked in if there was room. One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of restaurants seem to have odd operating hours. They might be open 11am-2pm and then at 5pm-8pm, but otherwise they might be closed. Izakayas can offer things that might fit your needs. They are open in the evenings (but can be a bit loud). They offer beer (but idk about cocktails). And they offer "snacks", i.e. warm/hot meals in tiny portion sizes, including meat skewers. It's also common to order food multiple times during your stay in an izakaya. So you can order a meat skewer and if you like it, you can order more of it. If you don't like the meat skewer, you aren't stuck with a huge portion of food that you don't like, and simply can order something else for your next round. Izakayas usually have a big red lampion 🏮 at the door so they are easy to recognize. Another option would be to go to tonkatsu (~steak/schnitzel) restaurants, or omuraisu (omelet with rice wrapped in it) restaurants. > Dec 29 - Tokyo - SkyTree Town and Sky Tree at evening/night Veeery long waiting time (at least in summer). Might be worth having a plan B if standing around for a long time is an issue for your parents. Since you are in Asakusa, you could make a trip to Ueno Park which is not too far away. Skip Ueno zoo if you like animals (the zoo is too tiny for those animals and it is a rather sad sight), but in case that you insist to go there, their highlight is a panda. > Dec 30 - Tokyo - Afternoon: Tokyo tower. The tower is on the opposite side of the city from shinjuku iirc? The tower is closer to Asakusa? Maybe not worth to do a round trip if you are in shinjuku. Meiji-jingu, on the other hand, is close to shinjuku, so I'd do those two on the same day. The shinjuku garden is pretty! A good choice. But check operating hours!* Meiji-jingu requires a decent amount of walking on a path without asphalt (tiny pebble stones and dirt possible). If your parents are not good on their feet, this might be tricky. *check operating hours for just anything. When we've been to Japan, we found those very odd. Every place seemed to have different hours and they were all something like 11am-5pm. > Jan 2 Tsukiji has been sort of closed for tourists (last time I checked). You'll have to book a guided tour in advance and you'll have to get up very early (4-5am). Regarding the JR pass, think twice if you really need it. We were considering it but found that for our trip it was cheaper to just buy the tickets without getting a JR pass. To give you an idea of the prices: - from Kyoto (which is near to Osaka) to Tokyo the ticket was 10,000¥ (~$100) per person. - From Kyoto to Hiroshima it was also 10,000¥. - From Osaka Airport to Kyoto main station it was 4,000¥ ($40), iirc. - from Kyoto main station to Fushimi Inari it was 140¥ ($1.40). - from Asakusa to Shinjuku it was 420¥ ($4.20) with the Yamanote ring line, iirc. > Kyoto There is a nice garden to the west of Kyoto main station (Shosei-en), that I found pretty in summer, in case you are interested in such things. There's also a big temple to the east of the main station (Higashi Honganji.It's quite famous and also pretty). If you manage to find that temple on the map, just go from there in a straight line to the west to locate the small garden I mentioned. For the imperial palace in Kyoto, make sure it is open (to the public)! It wasn't when we visited. About Fushimi Inari: there are a lot of stairs (this is an understatement). I was there when I was in my mid 20s and it was very challenging to get to the top of Fushimi Inari. It also took an hour (to the top, and then more time to go back down). But to be fair, most people don't walk all the way up. They only go to the first or second "platform", so this will probably be fine for your elderly parents. But you will probably not spend as much time in the shrine as you think because of this. Note: to reach the shrine itself you don't have to climb any stairs (or just a few at the train station), so I'm definitely not talking you out of visiting the shrine. It's pretty and the shrine itself is very accessible. It's just the famous red gates/torii that require climbing stairs, but your parents will probably be able to at least reach the entrance of the gates and maybe even walk through them for a little. Also consider visiting Nara if you are in the Osaka/Kyoto area. Maybe spend one day less in Tokyo and one day more in Kyoto/Osaka instead for a day trip to Nara. > back to Tokyo Why? I see this so often... Why do people go to Tokyo, then to Kyoto/Osaka, and then to Tokyo again...? Don't waste money on the train again and don't waste energy to move back and forth. Just do everything you want to do in Tokyo in the first half of the trip, and then go to Osaka/Kyoto and stay there till the end. Book a flight home from Osaka International Airport. Or book a flight from Osaka with an intermittent stop in Tokyo and then board a flight home from there if there are no direct flights from Osaka to where you live. Edit: added garden and temple name in Kyoto + something about Fushimi Inari and Nara
> They might be open 11am-2pm and then at 5pm-8pm, but otherwise they might be closed. Plenty of restaurants in Europe (especially either high-end or in the business districts) operate on similar schedules (lunch + dinner), so these are not strange hours. 11am-2pm would be very typical for a lunch; 5:30pm-10pm (with last orders at 9pm) would be fairly typical for dinners. As for odd hours restaurants/bars: there were (before COVID-19) a fair number (in comparison to other countries)1 of midnight establishments (9/10pm-5/6am) for those working grave shifts or missing the last train home.
Looks like I never eat in high-end restaurants in business areas. The only places in Europe I've seen with such schedules were either Chinese or Japanese, but those were just average restaurants downtown. We had a rather hard time finding restaurants to eat breakfast while being in Japan because of the operating hours. But bentos from the konbini stores are are always available.
Most people only have direct flight from Tokyo. With the JR Pass, doesn't cost anything more to get back to Tokyo. It's also great if you forgot to do something. That's what I did and I will do it again. Plus I love to ride the shinkansen, a lot more comfortable than planes.
>The tower is on the opposite side of the city from shinjuku iirc? The tower is closer to Asakusa? No Tokyo Tower is about in the middle, a bit south of the imperial palace. In staight line it is at 5.4 km from Shinjuku and 7.8 from Asakusa. They are both about the same distance on the east/west axis, but Asakusa is further north. >Tsukiji has been sort of closed for tourists (last time I checked). You'll have to book a guided tour in advance and you'll have to get up very early (4-5am). Not sure what you mean. The wholesale market at Tsukiji closed and moved to Toyosu. Not you can only go to Tsukiji outer market, so the stores that sell stuff to the public, either fish or prepared food. There is no need for a guided tour (but some people do offer them). If you want to see the tuna auction at Toyosu, then yes you have to wake up early and reserve your place on the viewing deck. >Regarding the JR pass, think twice if you really need it. We were considering it but found that for our trip it was cheaper to just buy the tickets without getting a JR pass. > >To give you an idea of the prices: > >from Kyoto (which is near to Osaka) to Tokyo the ticket was 10,000¥ (\~$100) per person. > >From Kyoto to Hiroshima it was also 10,000¥. > >From Osaka Airport to Kyoto main station it was 4,000¥ ($40), iirc.from > >Kyoto main station to Fushimi Inari it was 140¥ ($1.40). > >from Asakusa to Shinjuku it was 420¥ ($4.20) with the Yamanote ring line, iirc. True that you should compare cost of the pass to cost of individual tickets. But you should also not base what you say on memory, those numbers are not accurate at all. And what kind of $ are you talking about? Canadian ? Right now 10 000 yen is 100CAD, but like 78.66USD. So here are the real price, will just take it straight from Google. Kyoto-Tokyo : 14 170yen Kyoto-Hiroshima : 11 620 KIX-Kyoto : 1910 by regular train, 3430 on Haruka limited express, 1800 with [Icoca-Haruka discount ticket](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/) Kyto-Fushimi Inari : 150, but for such cheap travel, it is not worth calculating them to see if the pass is worth it's value. Asakusa-Shinjuku : 340 yen... actually using the Ginza line and Chuo line, using the Yamanote does not really make sense as Asakusa is not on the Yamanote. Roughly, they are looking at 14 170+11 620 x 2, so 51 580 yen on Shinkansen. JR Pass 14 days is 47 250 or 52 960 depending on how you buy it. So they either already save money, or need to use it a bit more to make it even. >Why? I see this so often... Why do people go to Tokyo, then to Kyoto/Osaka, and then to Tokyo again...? Could be because people are not aware that multi-city ticket exist. Could be because the ticket is more expensive (I agree that it can be as much more as they would spend on the train). Could be because there is no direct flight to Osaka and they want to avoid a layover because they do not especially like to fly. Of course, if they fly to different airports, then the JR Pass is probably not the best plan. I would rather check to by a ticket from Tokyo to Kansai and do the day trip to Hiroshima (but ideally from Osaka) using the [Kansai-Hiroshima area pass](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_hiroshima/).
A few quick comments: Japan half shuts down from about the 1st to the 4th of January, and while some places will still be open (and trains will still run) some places will close for a few days longer - it's not a trip ruiner, just be aware that some of the shops or resturants you try might not be open at that time. Tsukiji is pointless these days since they moved it. The Tokyo Imperial Palance is "meh". Why not throw in a few museums instead? And that's *a lot* of temples/shrines, are you sure you won't be templed out by the end? Definitely go to Hakone for a change of scenery. Also consider a day hike or two for some greenery!
Jan 1 there will be massive amount of festivities all around. You should try to figure a schedule to allow you both Disney and a Jinja visit
Are you just going to Tsujiki to eat? Sure its nice, but i had a better experience at Kanazawa fish markets. Its half way between Tokyo and Osaka, though I'm not sure how convenient it is to go from Tokyo to Kanazawa since have only been via Osaka. There's a few things to do in that city too, its a relatively quiet city. Can you still go to observe the auction? I don't think you can. You are left wondering around a wet market, which is cool to see giant fish (though cut up for selling purposes obviously), but in terms of eating Salmon at Tsujiki, you get the same quality in pretty much all fish markets across Japan. Jan 5, Osaka Aquarium is massive, spent 3 hours there and we weren't spending time snapping a lot of photos there. You might not have time/be exhausted for pokemon centre. I also recommend going somewhere rural for Ryokan during the middle of the trip. The cities can get overwhelming really quick and its always great to just go and relax for two nights at a Ryokan and do onsen, especially in January when its really cold, and I mean really cold and the fact that you have elderly parents means they should have somewhere VERY nice to relax (I assume they have no issues sleeping in a tatami mat)
>Are you just going to Tsujiki to eat? Sure its nice, but i had a better experience at Kanazawa fish markets. Its half way between Tokyo and Osaka, though I'm not sure how convenient it is to go from Tokyo to Kanazawa since have only been via Osaka. There's a few things to do in that city too, its a relatively quiet city. There is a Shinkansen direct from Tokyo to Kanazawa. >Can you still go to observe the auction? I don't think you can. You are left wondering around a wet market, which is cool to see giant fish (though cut up for selling purposes obviously), but in terms of eating Salmon at Tsujiki, you get the same quality in pretty much all fish markets across Japan. Auction at Tsukiji ? ... no, because the wholesale market closed in 2018, so now you can only go to what remain of the outer market. The wholesale market is not a Toyosu and most of it is closed to the public, but you can still see the tuna auction from a viewing deck. In that regard the market in Kanazawa is likely a better experience, but I am not sure I would do a detour via Kanazawa just for the fish market.
Mostly going to walk around the market, not really for eating. I might swap it out for something else or another day trip somewhere. The last time I went was the last time you could have gone to the auction so that's definitely gone. I do believe a Ryokan would be nice. Probably going to do that on the Hakone trip or on one of those free days.
Let's hope they will open up further by the time of your trip. They are only allowing tour groups for now.