Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe in 7 days with parents

[km16]

Hello!

I am going to Japan in July for a week with my parents who are in their early sixties, and we plan to go to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe (just for the steak).
It’s gonna be my parents’ first time in Japan. We will be visiting my mom’s cousin in Tokyo, but my parents don’t really enjoy big cities, they prefer seeing natural, non-manmade sights.
Will be getting the 7-day JR Pass, will be arriving in Narita on the 16th of July.
How many days should we stay in each city? Is 4 cities too much? Thanks in advance, guys

[newtypezaku]

Bouncing between a lot of hotels can get rough; I’d recommend staying in Osaka commuting to/from Kyoto and Kobe on the days you want to visit them.

[q10]

agree that staying in one place in kansai is a good idea. I remember enjoying staying near JR kyoto station and using as a base for day trips to osaka,kobe, even himeji and hiroshima.

so one option is 2-3n near tokyo station (shinkansen option if you want to take a trip to a more quiet area like mt fuji or gunma) and 3n near kyoto station.

[Jill]

Keep in mind your parents will have to do a lot of walking and stairs…and it tends to be very hot during the summer.