Tokyo and Kyoto in 8 days, with a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old
April is busy in both cities, so this plan puts one main thing in each day and keeps everything else within walking distance of it. If the younger one needs to sleep at two in the afternoon, you lose one stop and not the day. Tokyo runs four days from a single hotel near Ueno, then a mid-morning bullet train carries the family to Kyoto in about two and a quarter hours. From Kyoto you reach Arashiyama, Nara and the airport without packing again.
Day 1 — Land at Narita, then a level walk around the pond in Ueno Park
Any information counter lends a stroller, and taking one right after customs saves a long walk to the trains. The Skyliner reaches Ueno in about 41 minutes.
- Train ~95–155 min (est.)
The loop around the pond stays level almost the whole way. Cherry blossom runs about two months here, from the early varieties to the late double-flowered ones.
Day 2 — A day inside Ueno Park — the zoo, lunch and the museum all stand in it
Elephants have a pond deep enough to lie down in, and they drink and bathe just beyond the glass. The pandas are not here anymore — they moved to China in January 2026.
- Walk ~5 min
An elevator reaches the fourth floor, where the nursing room and the changing place are. Closed on Mondays.
- Walk ~5 min
In the archaeology room, a hands-on corner lets a child ring a replica bronze bell. The family room is in the same building, Heiseikan.
Day 3 — Asakusa on foot: the temple first, then rides that sit a few steps apart
There is no nursing room on the temple grounds. The nearest is on the second floor of the tourist information center facing the outer gate, with two rooms that close, a formula-water heater and a changing bed.
- Walk ~5 min
Everything is packed onto one small site, so the next ride is always a few steps away, and small children ride with a grown-up.
- Walk ~5 min
Asakusa Imahan Kokusai Street Head Restaurant
The first floor has chair tables and a raised tatami area, and the restaurant stands next to exit A2 of Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express.
Day 4 — One park for the whole day, with the playgrounds split by age
Strollers are lent free at every gate, and the two playgrounds are split by age — the park itself tells you to choose by your child's age. The Nishi-Tachikawa gate is a two-minute walk from the station, and there are eight baby rooms for nursing and changing.
Day 5 — Bullet train to Kyoto, then an aquarium fifteen minutes from the station
Fifteen minutes on foot from the central exit of Kyoto Station, with ramps and elevators inside, so the stroller goes in with you. At feeding time the penguins are called one by one, by name.
- Walk ~15 min
Ten ramen shops from different parts of the country share the tenth floor of the station building, each with its own seating.
Day 6 — Arashiyama: the garden opens onto the bamboo path, and lunch ends at 14:30
The pond garden was laid out some 700 years ago, and the north gate opens straight onto the bamboo path, so you walk out of the garden into it.
- Walk ~5 min
The path is a public road, so there is no toilet, nursing room or changing table anywhere along it. The nearest are at JR Saga-Arashiyama Station and at Burari Arashiyama, open 10:00-17:00 and free to enter.
- Walk ~5 min
Last orders are at 14:30. Most of the seats are box seats for six, and a window at street level sells rice balls and skewers to eat on the chairs outside.
Day 7 — Nara for the deer, and the red gates on the way back
The deer are wild and share the paths with you, and a standing deer meets a small child at eye level, so hand the crackers over yourself. There is not one trash can in the park — the deer die from eating what is dropped.
- Walk ~5 min
The Great Buddha stands nearly fifteen meters tall inside a wooden hall, and the temple publishes the figures down to the face: 5.33 meters. The two guardians in the first gate are over eight meters.
- Train ~55–75 min (est.)
Many visitors turn back at the halfway point instead of climbing to the summit. JR Inari Station sits right at the entrance to the approach, and the toilet inside its ticket gates has a baby bed.
Day 8 — One train from Kyoto to Kansai Airport, about 80 minutes
The Haruka runs through from Kyoto in about 80 minutes without a change. The baby rooms are built for whole families, with hot water for formula and bins that compress used diapers, and the play corners are past security.
Before you go
Do not put the Ueno day on a Monday — the zoo, the museum and the restaurant in the park all close that day. Hanayashiki has no fixed weekly closing day and publishes its calendar in advance, so check the date before you go. On the shinkansen there is a multipurpose room the crew will open for nursing or a diaper change, and the accessible toilet has a changing table. April fills up in both cities: reserve rooms and seats early.
Sources and evidence (4)
- A Lovely Planet — 10-Day Japan Family Itinerary with a Baby & a Toddler（東京と京都の2拠点・新幹線の日・奈良への日帰り）
- Inside Kyoto — Kyoto Itineraries for Families with Children（6歳未満向けの1日の型・ベビーカーで回れる道・嵐山を1日にする）
- Parenthood Adventures — The Perfect Itinerary for Japan with Little Kids（宿の移動を減らす・1日に大きな予定は1〜2つ）
- JR西日本 公式 — 東海道・山陽新幹線の設備（多目的室・多機能トイレのおむつ替え台）