Kid in Kansai: How to nail Kansai with a toddler in tow (Part 2)

The second morning, we set off for Shitennoji, a famous temple in Osaka. Wary of walking too much after yesterday's long distance between the subway station and Osaka castle, we decided to chose the station that was the absolute nearest even if it required some changing of lines.

Shitennoji temple

If you will be spending a few days in Kyoto, you will find that the temples, shrines and castles in Osaka pale in comparison to those in Kyoto. Not to put a damper on the spirits, but just for your consideration, that you might want to spend your time in Osaka doing other things (ie. eating... and eating... and eating... and maybe some shopping).

Kid alert: How do you keep your young one entertained while visiting heritage sites? Honestly, there is nothing much to attract the kid here. But for some reason, our little one enjoyed walking through the pebbles / gravel which abound in all the sites in Osaka and Kyoto. (He pretended it was the "muddy puddles" which is so often featured in one of his favourite cartoons, Peppa Pig).

The site in Osaka most worth going, in our opinion, is Sumiyoshi Taisha, which is way more beautiful than Shitennoji, though it is quite a distance out of the city centre. When taking a train out, it feels almost as though you are going into the suburbs but it is a lovely tranquil oasis which is a complete contrast to the buzz of Osaka city.

Kid alert: Junior will like it here. A pretty red bridge is there for him / her to climb, overlooking a pond with turtles, fish and ducks.

Sumiyoshi Taisha - way out, but worth the effort!

After that, it was back to the hotel for a rest, before heading out for dinner.

We didn't pack too much today as we knew it would be super tiring the next day when we went to Himeji and Kobe.

And if you're wondering why we didn't go to Universal Studios, we felt that our little one, who at the ripe old age of three, could only enjoy two or three rides, given his tendency to shy away from all things dark, big and loud. Mommy and Daddy were similarly not into heights and roller-coasters, hence could not maximise the tickets either to justify going there.

Stay tuned for more!

The complete itinerary:
Day 1: Osaka (Kuromon Market, Osaka Castle, Dotonbori)
Day 2: Osaka (Shitennoji, Sumiyoshi Taisha)
Day 3: Kobe, Himeji (Himeji Castle, Mount Rokko, Harbourland)
Day 4: Nara (Todaiji, Kohfukuji, Nara Park)
Day 5: Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tenryuji, Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji)
Day 6: Kyoto (Kiyomizudera, Sannenzakai, Ninenzakai, Ishibe Koji, Maruyama Park, Shoren-in, Chion-in, Nanzenji, Path of Philosophy, Ginkakuji)
Day 7: Inari, Uji (Fushimi Inari Taisha, Byodoin Temple, Kaiseki)
Day 8 & 9: Kyoto (Nijo Castle, Kyoto Station, Pontocho, Gion)