Leave Kyoto around 9:00–9:30am and take the scenic inland route via Koka toward Shigaraki—roughly 2–2.5 hours of driving before stops, depending on traffic and your exact starting point. The route uses smaller roads, so allow a little slack rather than trying to make up time; check your navigation before setting off and follow signs carefully around the rural junctions. Park at Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park and give the girls time to stretch their legs among the pottery-inspired grounds and galleries. Plan for about 1–1.5 hours; the grounds are generally free to explore, while exhibitions may charge admission. Check the park’s current Friday hours and exhibition details before you go.
Drive a few minutes to Ogama, a characterful former kiln complex with a pottery shop and café-restaurant. It’s a relaxed place for lunch and a browse rather than a quick roadside stop; allow 1–1.5 hours and budget roughly ¥1,500–3,000 per person. Lunch hours and menu availability can change, so check ahead—especially if you’re counting on a particular dish. Shigaraki is known for its earthy ceramics, and this is a nice chance to look for a small birthday-weekend memento without turning the stop into a shopping mission.
From Ogama, continue to NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town; allow around an hour or a little more for the drive, then use the hotel’s parking and arrival instructions and leave about an hour to check in and unwind. With the two stops, this makes for an easy-paced day but likely puts you at the hotel in the late afternoon. For the birthday dinner, le un is best treated as the evening’s main event: reserve in advance, mention the birthday and the children’s ages, and allow about two hours. Expect roughly ¥8,000–15,000 per adult, depending on the menu; confirm children’s options and the restaurant’s current service details when booking.
Start at Iga Ueno Castle when it opens, usually around 9am; allow 1–1.5 hours for the castle and park. The steep wooden stairs inside are part of the fun, but keep a hand on the younger one, and check the local opening notice before setting out in case hours or access change. Admission is roughly ¥600 for adults, with a lower child rate. Then walk a few minutes through the park to the Basho Memorial Museum for a quieter hour with the poet’s story and manuscripts; it’s generally open 9am–5pm and may close on Tuesdays, so Saturday should suit, but confirm nearer the date. The castle area has parking, though it can fill on a busy weekend.
Walk or drive into central Iga Ueno for lunch at Wakaya, a long-established tofu restaurant. Set aside about an hour and roughly ¥1,500–3,000 per person; tofu dishes make a nice change of pace after the castle, and there should be gentler choices for the girls. Lunch service can be limited, so check the day’s hours and consider calling ahead rather than arriving late.
After lunch, drive about 20–30 minutes to Nagatanien in Marubashira, where Iga-yaki pottery sits in a distinctly local landscape of kilns and wooded hills. Allow 1.5–2 hours, but check in advance whether weekend visitors can enter the facilities and whether a tour or hands-on pottery session needs booking—don’t assume the working kiln is open for drop-ins. If access is confirmed, this is a lovely, unhurried way to spend the afternoon; leave time for the drive back to your hotel before dinner.
Have breakfast at NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town before checking out; allow about an hour, then drive to Akame 48 Waterfalls via Route 165 and the local roads. It’s roughly 45–60 minutes from Iga Ueno. Aim to arrive in the morning so you have time to park and get onto the trail before lunch; allow around ¥700–1,200 for fuel, plus parking. Check the falls’ official notice for trail conditions before leaving, as rain or maintenance can affect access.
Allow 2–3 hours at a child-friendly pace, with snack and photo breaks. The full trail is a substantial out-and-back walk, so with a 5- and 7-year-old, enjoy the early cascades and turn around when everyone’s ready rather than feeling you need to reach the far end. Paths can be damp and uneven: grippy shoes, light rain layers and a change of socks are useful. Check the current admission fee and opening information before you go.
After the walk, head to Akame Onsen Kakurenoyu to unwind and have lunch; set aside 1.5–2 hours. Budget roughly ¥1,500–3,000 per person for lunch, and confirm in advance that the baths and dining are open to day visitors that Sunday. If bathing, bring towels or check whether rentals are available, and allow the children a proper warm-up after the trail.
Leave after lunch for Kyoto, allowing roughly 2–2.5 hours without a long stop; check traffic before setting off and take breaks as needed. With the waterfall walk and lunch, this is a full travel day, so keep the morning departure from Iga relaxed but purposeful.
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