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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The only things non-negotiable are the month of travel (August - yes I know, very hot) and amount of days spent there.

We are a family of five so moving from hotel to hotel is a pain too frequently will be a pain. We have 3 teen/tween boys who have never been to Asia. I really want to visit a traditional Ryokan with Onsen. I thought about going to Hakone for a Ryokan on our way to Kyoto but I am worried that is just too many moves for the five of us, but if someone tells me that the experience will be much better we could do that. Otherwise we are pretty open - I have one aquarium/zoo lover, one who is really into sports. We are not super into shopping - maybe this is a day too long in Tokyo?

We are looking at hiring a guide to take us to some places since we do not speak Japanese and we want to make sure to have a good experience.

Here is what I am thinking:

Day 1: arrival mid-day, go to Tokyo and go to bed!

Day 2: Explore Tokyo

Day 3: Explore Tokyo

Day 4: Explore Tokyo

Day 5: Go to Disney Sea (somewhat non-negotiable, the kids love Disney and this is our nod to our typical Disney vacation...should we stay overnight there or just stay in our Tokyo hotel TBD?)

Day 6: Bullet Train to Kyoto. Explore Kyoto in the afternoon and stay at a Ryokan

Day 7: Kyoto sightseeing, overnight at Ryokan again

Day 8: Day trip to Nara, overnight in Osaka

Day 9: Explore Osaka, to the aquarium, take late evening flight - we are meeting extended family at a resort so will have several days of R&R to recuperate from our Japan adventure!

As you can see I don't have specifics laid out as what to do in Tokyo or Kyoto, but I am interested if Japan experts think this is an overall good amount of time to spend in these places, if I should rethink our movements, spend less time in Tokyo?

Thank you for any input! [/quote]

Lived in Japan for a couple years - Kyoto, Tokyo, Yokohama - and traveled a lot. This is pretty good trip for a first-timer although I would consider allotting an extra day to Kyoto and subtracting one from Tokyo. Depends how much you like temples - there are a LOT in Kyoto, all beautiful, and you cannot see more than two in a day and give them proper attention. And there are other lovely traditional areas too. Nijo Castle, Nishiki market, Pont-o-cho and the geisha area.

Nara is terrific. Osaka is fun for the teens.

Hakone is beautiful and is a wonderful experience but at least when I was there, it was really just hiking and onsen. If you're not prepared to spend your whole day doing that, it might not be the best for the first trip, with potentially restless teens.

Don't go to bed as soon as you arrive though. Force yourself to stay awake, have an early dinner at like 5-ish - anywhere is fine, find a katsu place or something, casual and delicious - and then go to bed. That will help you adjust.

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