Family Trip to Japan

Welcome to choose our Japan family tour, with days and itinerary flexible to be customized according to your needs! Upon your arrival at the Tokyo Airport, our English-speaking assistant will warmly greet you to board a well-prepared shared car to your hotel. Enjoy the street view outside the car window along the comfortable drive and get your first impression of Japan. Have a good rest after checking into the hotel, or take a walk around the neighborhood, if you arrive early, to see how busy but organized this cosmopolitan city looks.
► Tip: The Shinjuku Golden Gai and Kabukicho entertainment district near your hotel are popular places to go.

Accommodation: Hotel Century Southern Tower (4 stars) or Hilton Tokyo (5 stars)

► Group tour with shared bus and guide.
Many people put the Mount Fuji on their travel bucket list and would also make it the first stop of their trip to Japan. Before 8:00 in the morning, please take a taxi or walk to the departure point of the Fuji bus, Keio Plaza Hotel, which is a 15-minute walk northwest of our 4 stars hotel Hotel Century Southern Tower, while a 6-minute walk southeast of our 5 stars hotel Hilton Tokyo. Board the shared bus for a 2-hour relaxing ride, and a wonderful Fuji journey will thrill you step by step. Here are what you’ll get:

1. Conquer Mt. Fuji 5th Station: The bus will take you to the Mt. Fuji 5th Station at 2,305 meters (7,562 feet) above sea level. Here you can start an exciting short hike to see the Mount Fuji up close, or stop by the souvenir shops at this leisure terrace halfway up the mountain, or send postcards to family and friends from the post office here.

2. Special Lunch: Delicious Japanese Sukiyaki (hot pot) will satisfy your appetite and replenish your energy, plus seasonal fruits and unlimited coffee.

3. Lake Ashi Cruise: After lunch, follow the guide to board our specially arranged boat to cruise on the Lake Ashi. Floating in the turquoise water of the lake would make the most relaxing moment of the afternoon. The vermillion torii gate of the lakeside Hakone Shrine tells the Japanese faith, while the Mount Fuji in the distance shows ultimate elegance and tranquility.

4. Hakone Komagatake Ropeway: Take the ropeway up the mountain to a prime location with panoramic views of the Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi, and you will know why Mount Fuji, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world, is a sacred mountain in the eyes of the Japanese people, and a symbol of the nation. Admire its perfect cone topped with snow, walk a short circle, and then take the ropeway down.Finally, take the bus back to Tokyo and you’ll arrive at Shinjuku Station West Exit around 20:00. Walk 7 minutes south to the 4 stars Hotel Century Southern Tower, while 10 minutes northwest to the 5 stars hotel Hilton Tokyo.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Century Southern Tower (4 stars) or Hilton Tokyo (5 stars)

After breakfast, meet our guide in the hotel lobby, and we’ll then head to the Ghibli Museum, a whimsical museum that will fascinate adults and children, designed by the famous animator Hayao Miyazaki based on his Studio Ghibli. Explore freely in the labyrinth-like museum and be amazed by the scenes from various Japanese anime. Take a photo with the giant Totoro at the entrance, learn about the creative process of the animators, and go to the rooftop garden to see the life-size 5-meter-tall statue of a robot from the movie ’Castle in the Sky’. This morning will be the most memorable experience of your family tour to Japan.

► Notes:
1. Photography is not allowed inside, but you can take photos of the exterior and outdoor garden.
2. The museum is very popular and the admission is by reservation only. Tickets for the next month usually sell out within an hour of going on sale on the 10th of each month. If you would like to visit it, be sure to contact our travel consultants two months or more in advance and we will do our best to arrange it for you.
3. If the tickets are sold out, or if you come on Tuesday when the museum is closed, we will arrange the Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Zoo as an alternative.

★ Sushi Making Class and Special Lunch
At noon, we will arrange a special experience for you. Under the guidance of a professional sushi master, you and your kids could learn how to make authentic Japanese sushi – prepare a nori sheet onto a bamboo sushi mat, spread a thin layer of rice over the nori sheet, add your filling of choice, like tuna, salmon and cucumber, grip the mat and roll up, and chop the sushi roll into slices. Enjoy your handmade sushi with your favorite sauce.In the afternoon, we’ll go to the Imperial Palace, which is the residence of successive emperors of Japan. After visiting the gardens and the Nijubashi Bridge outside the palace, we will then head to the Senso-ji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Its stately prayer hall and towering five-story pagoda will give you an insight into Japan’s long history and the most traditional folk beliefs. The lively Nakamise-dori Street outside the temple is also a must-see, with about 90 shops left over from the Edo Period (1603 – 1867 AD), selling a variety of souvenirs, folk crafts, kimonos, local snacks, and special local products. If you’re interested, you can buy Asakusa’s most famous food Ningyo-yaki (doll-shaped cakes) to have a try, or rent a kimono to put on and take photos. Finally, the guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Century Southern Tower (4 stars) or Hilton Tokyo (5 stars)

Meet our guide in the hotel, and we’ll get to the pier to take the Tokyo Cruise (Himiko/ Hotaluna/ Emeraldas). The entire hull of the boat is covered with a glass ceiling, giving you good views and a visually striking voyage. Setting sail from Asakusa, you will see many of Tokyo’s landmarks, such as the Asahi Beer Head Office Building, Tokyo Tower, Fuji Television Network, Inc., and Rainbow Bridge. In 50 minutes, you’ll arrive at Odaiba, an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, boasting many ultra-modern malls, interesting museums and rides.

Our guide will first take you on a scenic walk through the Odaiba Seaside Park to see the iconic mini Statue of Liberty, and then go to the Palette Town, a massive entertainment complex featuring a large Ferris wheel towering above the facility. Its interior shopping mall Venus Fort and car-themed amusement park Mega Web are both places you will love. Next, we will visit the Toyosu Market (formerly Tsukiji Market), the largest fish market in Japan, where you’ll find many restaurants and shops, and follow our guide up to the observation deck overlooking the seafood auctions.

In the afternoon, we will visit the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, where the most cutting-edge technology and innovation in various fields are displayed, which will definitely make your children’s eyes open. The science communicators in the exhibition hall will give explanations and conduct a variety of interactive experiments with you, so that every visitor can think about the meaning of science and technology and envision the future of humanity. Before dark, the guide will accompany you back to your hotel.
► Tip: On Tuesdays when the museum is closed, Decks Tokyo Beach, an indoor recreation complex, will be arranged as an alternative.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Century Southern Tower (4 stars) or Hilton Tokyo (5 stars)

Please pack up and check out after breakfast, and get ready to embark on an intercity trip. Get to Tokyo Station for a train to Nagoya on your own (train tickets reserved and included).

Take the bullet train to reach Nagoya in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Our Nagoya guide will greet your family at the train station. After dropping off your luggage at the hotel, let’s go to the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology to learn about Japanese automotive culture. It would be an incredible experience, educational for both kids and adults, seeing the informative exhibition in a former factory showing the history of Toyota as a brand for nearly a hundred years, from a Toyota steam loom to today’s automotive giant. Develop your child’s imagination with fun Toyota model dismantling and demonstrations of future technological innovations.
► Note: The museum is closed on Monday. If it happens to be a Monday or a special holiday, we will visit the SCMaglev and Railway Park instead.

In the afternoon, we’ll see the downtown landmarks, Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER (Nagoya TV Tower) and Oasis 21, and then visit Sakae, which is the most prosperous commercial and entertainment district in Nagoya, with nearly 10 department stores, and gathering the most popular shops and restaurants. Finally, the guide will take you back to the hotel, or you can wander around Sakae for dinner and make your own way back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Nagoya Tokyu Hotel (4 stars) or Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel (5 stars)

In the morning, our guide will pick you up from the hotel. First, we’ll go to the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Garden, a lovely paradise for kids. Visit the most popular chimpanzee, gorilla and koala areas and meet the zoo’s star, the handsome gorilla Shabani, who is talented in tightrope walking. You’ll love this lowland gorilla who was born in the Netherlands, raised in Australia, and now resides at the Higashiyama Zoo. Next, visit the Atsuta Jingu Shrine, which is said to have been built as early as the reign of Emperor Keiko (71 – 130 AD) and houses a legendary sword.

In the afternoon, the guide will take you to Nagoya Railway Station, from where you will travel 35 minutes on your own to Kyoto by train (tickets reserved and included). Once you arrive, walk east for a minute or two to the hotel next to Kyoto Station. Check in and have a good rest.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Kyoto Station (4 stars) or The Thousand Kyoto (5 stars)

Meet our guide at the hotel and start Kyoto tour by local bus or train. We’ll first go to the Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji Temple), of course to visit its most prominent Golden Pavilion, a three-story building on the edge of a pond, with its upper two floors covered in gold leaf, very gorgeous and eye-catching. Listen to our guide tell the story of its owner, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408 AD), the third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, who received envoys from Chinese and Korean courts several times at the Golden Pavilion, laying the foundation for a century of steady growth in East Asian trade.

Next, head to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, where the Senbon Torii is a highlight – an endless line of 10,000 red torii gates stretching from behind the main hall all the way up the hill. Let the guide, actually a master photographer, take pictures of your family for a good memory. The scene of sunlight coming through these torii gates is very photogenic. At noon, we will visit the Nishiki Market. The dazzling array of food stalls will make your head spin, and the exquisite Japanese cuisine will make your mouth water.We will spend a leisurely afternoon in the Pure Water Temple (Kiyomizu-dera Temple) and Gion area full of cultural atmosphere. Walking into the 1,200-year-old Pure Water Temple, you will be impressed by its quaintness and elegance. Discover fun things to do in this World Heritage site: drink water from the Otowa Waterfall for longevity, wisdom, or health; step onto the hanging Kiyomizu Stage and immerse yourself in the surrounding green; enjoy the cherry blossoms in spring and the red maple leaves in autumn. After visiting the temple, start a walking tour of Gion with our guide. Go up and down the flagstone ramps of the lively Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets lined with various small shops, visit the Yasaka Shrine, and then arrive at the heart of Gion, Kyoto’s largest geisha district. Here, you can see protection areas of classical wooden buildings open as shops or tea houses, and sometimes geishas or maikos occasionally passing through in elaborate kimonos and typical Oshiroi make-up. The guide could escort you back to the hotel, or you can stay longer and take a 10-minute taxi back by yourself.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Kyoto Station (4 stars) or The Thousand Kyoto (5 stars)

After breakfast, our guide will pick you up from your hotel for a 20-minute local train ride to Arashiyama, a natural resort in west Kyoto.

★ Travel Different: See Arashiyama by Cruise
Unlike ordinary travel agencies that only offer land excursions in Arashiyama, we offer a trip like no other, giving you a 2-hour Hozugawa River Boat Ride from Kameoka to Arashiyama, through the winding canyons with picturesque scenery. Sailing down the sometimes calm and sometimes billowing river will bring you wild fun and laughter.

Get off the boat and walk onto the Togetsu-kyo Bridge to take in the wide vision of the green valleys and sparkling river. It is said that any couple who crosses the bridge together will love each other forever and will not be separated. Next, the guide will take you on a quiet path into the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Feel surrounded by the dense bamboo stalks that provide a tranquil green space. Visit the Nonomiya-jinja Shrine along the bamboo path, which is black and simple, but is said to bless marriage. The next hour will be spent at the children’s favorite Monkey Park Iwatayama on a nearby hill. Easily climb to the top, feed the wild monkeys, enjoy a commanding view, and try the big slide down with your kids.Recreational and Educational Tour at Kyoto Railway Museum
In the afternoon, we will return to downtown Kyoto and spend a happy time at the Kyoto Railway Museum. Here you and your kids will marvel at the rolling stock in the museum, from the oldest steam locomotives to the fastest bullet trains used by the Shinkansen you ride these days. Participate in interactive games to learn about the operation of trains and the history of railway development. You can also operate a driving simulator and virtually drive a bullet train as if you were a driver. What a wonderful railway science class! Finally, the guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mitsui Garden Kyoto Station (4 stars) or The Thousand Kyoto (5 stars)

Please pack up and check out this morning, Follow our guide to take a train to Nara.

Visit Toshodai-ji in Memory of Monk Jianzhen
First, the guide will take you to the Toshodai-ji Temple. The site of the temple was originally the former residence of a Japanese prince. In 759 AD, it was given to Jianzhen, a famous monk from China. He presided over the construction of the temple, taught and studied Buddhist doctrine here, and advanced Japanese Buddhism, medicine, and architecture.

► Story of Jianzhen’s Six Attempts to Visit Japan
Jianzhen (688 – 763 AD), a prominent Chinese monk during the Tang Dynasty, came to Japan to spread Buddhism at the invitation of the Japanese emperor. Starting in 742, he made six voyages to Japan, but failed five times, for obstruction by local officials, pirates, rough seas, and the poor shipbuilding and navigation technology of the time. His fifth failure at the age of 60 was the most tragic. That year, as soon as he set out, he encountered strong winds and waves, and drifted south for 14 days, subsisting on raw rice and sea water. On the way home, Jianzhen became seriously ill and blind! However, such a heavy blow did not defeat the old man. Finally, the sixth time, he made it to Japan in 753, bringing many Buddhist sutras and medical books to Japan. He presided over important Buddhist ceremonies, gave systematic lectures, and became a Buddhist guru. He instructed the local doctors to identify herbs, spread Tang architectural techniques and sculpture art, and supervised the construction of the Toshodai-ji Temple. After the death of Jianzhen in 763, his disciples made a sitting statue for him, which is still enshrined in the temple today as a national treasure.

★ Leisure Time in Nara Park – Kingdom of Sika Deer
The guide will take you through the park. Get ready to be amazed by the historic temples and World Heritage sites, and surrounded by the vast green space and refreshing natural scenery. We will visit the Kofuku-ji Temple, Great Eastern Temple (Todai-ji Temple), and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Walk into the Great Eastern Temple built in 752 AD, look up at its Great Buddha Hall, the world’s largest ancient wooden building, and admire the 16-meter high bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha. Different from other parks, here you can spend a leisure time wandering with the tame deer, which is a very interesting experience. Deer has long been protected as a symbol of holiness and dignity in the hearts of Nara people since ancient times. There are now about thousands of deer in the Nara Park. If you like, buy some crackers yourself to feed the deer and take pictures with them.Delve into Local Life in Naramachi
Later, our guide will lead you on a walking tour of the backstreets and residential areas, to see the true life of Nara people. You’ll see many antique townhouses of the Edo Period (1603 – 1868 AD). Visit the Naramachi Koshinoie (Grid House), a typical traditional residence. On the side of the house facing the street, there is a grid fence made of fine wood that is both artistic, airy and privacy-protecting. Take off your shoes to step inside to see the two floors – the first floor used for living, while the second used as a shrine and warehouse.

Finally, our guide will escort you to the Kintetsu-Nara Station, where you’ll take a half-hour train to Osaka (tickets reserved and included). Upon arrival, check into the hotel by yourself.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Namba Oriental Hotel (4 stars) or Swissotel Nankai Osaka (5 stars)

Meet the guide in the hotel lobby in the morning, and first head to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. The world’s largest aquarium is sure to make your kids squeal with excitement. Follow the guide to take the elevator to the 'Japan Forest' on the top floor, and then take the unique route down the spiral ramp and be amazed by its huge whale shark. Seeing these rich and diverse sea creatures from nature, you will understand how they grace the world we live in. Next, we will arrange a special Osaka Bay Cruise for you. Head to the marina to take the Santa Maria Cruise for 45 minutes along the coastline with great views. Feel the gentle sea breeze, and see the famous landmarks like the Universal Studios Japan, Osaka Port, Minato Bridge, and Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel.

In the afternoon, let’s check out the Osaka Castle Park. Admire the famous Osaka Castle in the center of the park built in the 17th century. Climb to the top floor of the castle to look out over the vast Osaka Plain from the Mt. Ikomaku to Osaka Bay. Afterwards, visit the nearby Osaka Museum of History to learn about the vicissitudes of the city, from the Naniwa Palace Site 1,400 years ago to modern-day Osaka.

★ Kids’ Favorite – Nipponbashi Denden Town
Later, the guide will take you into Nipponbashi, a special street to experience Japan’s fanatical anime and pop culture. It is known as a paradise for otaku or anime and manga fans. You can find collectibles related to your favorite anime, such as comic books, magazines, cosplay costumes, and anime figurines. The guide will take you back to your hotel, or you can stay here as long as you want, and finally walk north for about 10 minutes to the hotel by yourself.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Namba Oriental Hotel (4 stars) or Swissotel Nankai Osaka (5 stars)

► No guided tour for today.
We’ll give you a day for your own arrangements. You can refer to the following two activities:

1. The Universal Studios Japan is highly recommended. Although free admission is granted to children under the age of 4, there are many exciting rides with height restrictions for safety. If your kids are over 10 years old, take them along for a day of fun. Interacting with Minions, riding the Mario Kart, and venturing into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are all exciting and memorable experiences.
► How to Get There: 29 minutes and USD 3 by metro: walk 7 minutes northwest to Osaka-Namba Station, take the Hanshin-Namba Line for 8 minutes (4 stops) to Nishikujo Station, walk 3 minutes south to transfer to the JR Yumesaki Line for another 5-minute ride to Universal-City Station.
► Opening Hours: Opening time from 8:30 to 10:00; closing time from 18:00 to 22:00.

2. If you want to shop and find local food, then we recommend Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, the most popular business and food districts in downtown Osaka. All kinds of brands, boutiques and souvenir shops can be found here. When you’re tired, just dine in a favorite restaurant in Dotonbori or the nearby Kuromon Market. Feast on authentic local food like Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Sushi, and Kushikatsu. The night view of the Dotonbori Canal would be the perfect end of the day.
► How to Get There: It is a 7 or 8 minutes’ walk north from your hotel.
► Opening Hours: All day long for Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori; 9:00 to 17:00 for Kuromon Market.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Namba Oriental Hotel (4 stars) or Swissotel Nankai Osaka (5 stars)

This is the end of your trip. Relax and sleep in as there is no sightseeing plan. Please check out and make your own way to the Osaka Kansai International Airport for your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast