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Post by Susan on Aug 24, 2016 16:30:05 GMT -5
I am wondering what the level of physical activity is on the tour. What is the range of miles walked on average per day?
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Post by Odysseys Unlimited on Aug 25, 2016 8:46:05 GMT -5
Hi Susan,
In general, we suggest that our guests be able to walk approximately three miles per day, though not all at one time. If you have concerns about the rigors of Insider's Japan, please contact our Customer Service department so you can discuss in more detail: toll-free at (888) 370-6765.
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Post by JimS. on Aug 25, 2016 11:51:22 GMT -5
I recall no strenuous or lengthy walks on our tour three years ago. An optional bicycle tour was offered in Kyoto. Unlike most of our visit, streets in Nara are not all flat, but nothing very steep and most of the walking was at our own pace. The stunningly beautiful parks involve walking on paths of course, but most were flat and not long. Japan is a country of elderly people. A fair test might be if you feel comfortable walking around a mid-size American city block. If so, I don't believe you'd have a problem. I've found Odysseys Unlimited guides have been very accommodating of anyone not comfortable participating in a segment of a tour, but that was not necessary on our tour.
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Post by Mel on Oct 27, 2016 19:25:57 GMT -5
We just returned from the Japan tour. We are a family of 4, 3 generations ranging in age from 26 to 85. My 85-year-old MIL walks for exercise but this time she brought a cane. At the goodbye dinner, our tour companions were nice enough to say that she was able to keep up and many of them were very gracious in helping her along, even though there were 3 of us family members along for "granny herding". Nonetheless, she was slow and there were some long sightseeing days that were very tiring. Two particular sights come to mind - Shrine with 1000 torii gates in Kyoto (don't remember the Japanese name) was uphill and downhill shallow steps, no handrails and tour up Mt Misen in Miyajima during the Hiroshima extension. Tour up Mt Misen involved uphill walking to the shuttle bus stop (which can only take 28 people, so most of our companions walked up), then 2 cable cars then additional walking up uneven steps (no handrails) to get to the viewpoint. Because the day was hazy (and also this was the last day and last tour stop), we did not feel that the view was worth the effort but YMMV. If you have been to Hong Kong, the view is similar to the view of Hong Kong harbor from Victoria Peak, with less boat traffic. Because of the haze, we did not see the mountains of Shikoku (?). (BTW, we felt that the Hiroshima extension was well worth the money.)
I wore a pedometer (Omron brand) and was averaging 4-5 miles (in steps), but I tend to pace instead of standing around. Odysseys provided whispers (tour guide had a mic and we had receivers) and I could wander around a bit at a sight and still hear the guide.
One thing you do have to watch out for is height of doorways and ceilings. My husband is 6'3" and there were 2 other guys at least 6' in the group. They had a a running tally of who hit his head the most on the lintels. The first cable car on the ropeway is also quite low - I'm 4'11'' and I hit my head on the ceiling upon entry when I didn't duck low enough.
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