The journey
From a Cup Noodle-making workshop in Yokohama and a traditional sweets class in Kanazawa to Miyajima's floating torii and Kyoto's greatest shrines, fourteen days of Japan built for families, with kid-friendly museums and hands-on history at every stop.
Japan: A Family Journey is a fourteen-day introduction to the country built for travellers of every age. In Tokyo, explore the old town of Asakusa, craft plastic replica food in Kappabashi, and ride out to the futuristic island of Odaiba, with a day trip to Yokohama for the world's largest model train collection and a hands-on Cup Noodle-making workshop. In Kanazawa, wander the samurai district and Kenroku-en, one of Japan's three finest gardens, and learn to mould traditional sweets at a nearly 400-year-old confectioner. Ferry to Miyajima's floating torii gate from Hiroshima, home to the sobering Peace Memorial Park, before finishing in Kyoto, Japan's cultural capital, among thousands of torii gates at Fushimi Inari and 1,001 golden Buddhas at Sanjusangendo.
Highlights
- Craft plastic replica food in Tokyo's Kappabashi and ride out to the futuristic island of Odaiba
- Visit the world's largest model train collection and make your own Cup Noodle at Yokohama's Cup Noodle Museum
- Wander Kanazawa's samurai district and learn to mould traditional sweets at a nearly 400-year-old confectioner
- Ferry to Miyajima's floating torii gate and spot the island's famously tame deer
- Visit Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park and Museum, a moving tribute to the city's history
- Explore Kyoto's greatest shrines and temples, from Fushimi Inari's thousand torii gates to Nijo Castle's chirping floors
Included
Accommodation
13 nights across Tokyo, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and Kyoto
Activities
Asakusa and Senso-ji, Kappabashi plastic food workshop, Odaiba · Yokohama day trip (Hara Model Railway Museum, Cup Noodle Museum and workshop, Yamashita Park, Osanbashi Pier) · Kanazawa (Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa Castle, Omicho Market, Morihachi sweets-making workshop, Nomura House samurai residence) · Hiroshima and Miyajima day trip (Itsukushima Shrine, Daisho-in Temple, optional Mt. Misen hike) · Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Shrine, Sanjusangendo, Nishiki Market, Nijo Castle, Nanzenji Temple)
Also included
Meet and greet with return airport transfers · bullet train tickets between cities in ordinary class · English-speaking guides on Days 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12 · entrance fees and transportation fees on Days 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12 · breakfast daily from Day 2 (13 total), plus 6 lunches (Days 2, 3, 4, 6, 10 and 12) · self-guide app and travel documentation
The route
Fourteen days across Japan
4 stops · Tokyo to Kyoto
Tokyo
Kanazawa
Hiroshima
Kyoto
Stop 1 of 4
Journey's end
Fourteen days, four stops. Make it yours.
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Stop 1 of 4
Day by day
The route in detail
Day 1
Arrival in Tokyo
Arrive in Tokyo, where a local representative will be waiting to help with the transfer into the city, whether by train or shuttle bus to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Tokyo.
Day 2
Asakusa & Odaiba
Meet a local guide this morning for a walk through Asakusa, one of Tokyo's old shitamachi districts, where a traditional atmosphere still lingers. Visit Senso-ji, Tokyo's most famous temple, learning the basics of temple etiquette from purifying hands to paying respects, then sample Japanese snacks from the stalls nearby. A short walk away is Kappabashi, the so-called Kitchenware Town, where the family can try crafting plastic replica food, a uniquely Japanese souvenir, at one of the specialty shops. Stop for lunch, with Asakusa's tempura a local specialty, before continuing to one of the city's pet cafes to unwind. In the afternoon, take the automated train out to Odaiba, a futuristic man-made island with sweeping views over the city. Overnight in Tokyo.
Day 3
Free Day in Tokyo
Today is free to explore independently. Kid-friendly options in Tokyo include Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, or a day at Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea (tickets for Disney and the Ghibli Museum need to be arranged well in advance). For those wanting something more active, options include a private samurai sword lesson with members of the acclaimed Kamui sword performance troupe, a cycling tour through Tokyo's backstreets and hidden neighbourhoods, or a manga drawing class in Nakano, the city's anime and otaku district. Overnight in Tokyo.
Day 4
Yokohama Day Trip
Travel to Yokohama, a laid-back port city and popular day trip from Tokyo. Visit the Hara Model Railway Museum, home to the world's largest model train collection, then continue to the Cup Noodle Museum to learn the history of the Japanese invention and make a custom Cup Noodle of your own at the Cup Noodle Factory workshop. Stop for lunch at the Noodles Bazaar, sampling noodle dishes from eight countries, then walk to Yamashita Park, Japan's first seaside park, and nearby Osanbashi Pier for open-air views over the harbour. Return to Tokyo by a short boat ride and train. Overnight in Tokyo.
Day 5
Tokyo to Kanazawa
Today is free at leisure until the afternoon Shinkansen to Kanazawa. Overnight in Kanazawa.
Day 6
Kanazawa's Samurai Heritage
Meet a local guide to explore Kanazawa, a castle town that flourished as a centre of arts and culture in the 17th century. Begin at Kenroku-en Garden, ranked among Japan's three finest, home to the country's oldest fountain, and the neighbouring Kanazawa Castle, entered through the Ishikawa-mon Gate. Stop for lunch in Omicho Market, celebrated across Japan for its fresh seafood and sushi, then visit Morihachi, an artisan sweets shop operating for almost four centuries, to learn how wooden moulds are used to make the traditional sweets served in tea ceremonies. Finish at Nomura House, the restored residence of a high-ranking samurai family, with a cup of fresh green tea overlooking its small garden. Overnight in Kanazawa.
Day 7
Free Day in Kanazawa
Today is free to explore independently. Options include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, known for its progressive architecture and Leandro Erlich's "Swimming Pool" installation, or the Higashi Chaya district, one of Kanazawa's best-preserved geisha teahouse quarters, home to Hakuza, a gold leaf specialty shop with a tearoom entirely covered in gold. In the evening, join an optional food tour through the Korinbo District's back alleys for a taste of Kanazawa's seafood and sake. Overnight in Kanazawa.
Day 8
Kanazawa to Hiroshima
Today is free until the train to Hiroshima. After the journey, check into the hotel and rest or start exploring the city. Overnight in Hiroshima.
Day 9
Free Day in Hiroshima
Today is free to explore independently. A suggested route starts at the A-Bomb Dome, the ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall, before crossing Motoyasu Bridge to the Children's Peace Monument and its booths of colourful paper cranes. Continue past the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims to the Peace Memorial Museum, a moving record of the city before and after the bombing. Stop for lunch nearby, with okonomiyaki, a savoury Japanese pancake, a local specialty worth seeking out, before visiting Hiroshima Castle, a rare hirajiro-style castle built on flat ground rather than a hill. Finish at Shukkei-en, a garden of miniature mountains, valleys and forests, with tea and traditional sweets at the Sensuitei teahouse. Overnight in Hiroshima.
Day 10
Miyajima Day Trip
Ferry from Hiroshima to Miyajima, a small sacred island in the Seto Inland Sea. With a local guide, visit Itsukushima Shrine, one of Japan's three most beautiful views, its huge red torii gate appearing to float on the water at high tide, and Daisho-in, the island's most-visited Buddhist temple, its stairway lined with spinning sutras. Sample local delicacies like grilled oysters, saltwater eel and maple-leaf-shaped cakes, and keep an eye out for Miyajima's famously tame deer, with the option to hike Mt. Misen for sweeping island views. For families wanting more adventure, an optional kayaking excursion paddles out across the inland sea for a close-up view of the torii gate from the water. Return to Hiroshima with the guide in the afternoon. Overnight in Hiroshima.
Day 11
Hiroshima to Kyoto
Today is free until the train to Kyoto, Japan's reigning cultural capital and home to around 2,000 shrines and temples, 17 of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Family-friendly options for the afternoon include the Kyoto International Manga Museum or the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, a working film set and theme park dedicated to samurai-era cinema. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 12
Kyoto's Shrines & Temples
Begin at Fushimi Inari Shrine, where thousands of vermillion torii gates climb the mountainside in long tunnels, then continue by train to Sanjusangendo, home to 1,001 life-sized golden Buddhist statues inside the world's longest wooden building. Walk through Nishiki Market, known as "Kyoto's kitchen", before lunch at a nearby restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Nijo Castle, built for the shogun in the early 1600s and famous for its "nightingale floors", engineered to chirp underfoot, then finish at Nanzenji, a quiet Zen temple where monks have lived since 1291, with a rock garden open to each visitor's own interpretation. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 13
Free Day: Optional Osaka Day Trip
Today is free, with the option to take the train to Osaka, Japan's culinary capital, for the day. From Namba Station, explore Doguyasuji, a market devoted to kitchenware and the lifelike plastic food models used by restaurants, and Sennichimae, a lane of Osakan specialties like takoyaki and okonomiyaki. Duck into the backstreets to find Hozen-ji Temple and the narrow restaurant lane of Hozenji Yokocho, before emerging onto Dotonbori, Osaka's neon-lit entertainment district, and the famous Glico Running Man billboard at Ebisubashi. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 14
Departure from Kyoto
Enjoy a final morning at leisure before the shared shuttle transfer to Kansai International Airport for the departure flight.
Moments
Along the way
Keep exploring
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