Japan Family Adventure

A family holiday that mixes Japan’s classic sights with hands-on activities and two theme park days, with your flights, hotels, rail travel and transfers all arranged.

Start with five nights in Tokyo, including a private family-focused tour, a sushi-making class, a day trip to Nikko and a full day at Tokyo Disney Resort. Then spend a night in a traditional ryokan in Hakone, with Mount Fuji views and time for a lake cruise and the ropeway.

Kyoto is your base for five nights, with a private guided tour, an arts and crafts workshop, and day trips to Nara, to see the Great Buddha and the deer, and to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island. Finish with two nights in Osaka, with a taiko drumming or shamisen workshop and tickets for Universal Studios Japan.

Family rooms are limited and school holidays book up early, so it pays to plan ahead. Like all our trips, it’s easy to adjust to your children’s ages and interests.

Is this a private trip, and can I change it?

It’s a private trip built around your dates, not a group tour on fixed departures. A private guide plans a family-friendly day for you in Tokyo and another in Kyoto. The day trips to Nikko, Nara and Hiroshima are self-guided, and we’ll give you everything you need to find your way. Tell us your children’s ages and interests and we’ll shape the trip around them. You can change anything: add nights, swap places, upgrade hotels or slow the pace, and we’ll reprice it for you.

When is the best time to go?

Spring (late March to May) and autumn (October and November) have the most comfortable weather. Most families travel in the Easter or summer holidays. Easter often catches the cherry blossom, while summer is hot and humid, so it helps to plan slower afternoons.

Family rooms are limited, especially in the school holidays, so book early.

Which airlines do you use?

We most often use British Airways or Japan Airlines, which fly direct from London to Tokyo, or Finnair via Helsinki, which is often good value. We can also book flights from regional UK airports.

Flights to Japan are overnight, so you arrive the day after you leave. Most flights home leave in the morning and land in the UK the same day, though some connecting flights are overnight.

What are the hotels like?

In the cities we choose well-run hotels close to the main stations, which makes travelling by train much easier. Boutique hotels are rare in Japanese cities, so many are modern business-style hotels. They’re spotless and efficient, but the rooms are small, especially in Tokyo. Check-in is usually from 3pm and check-out around 10 or 11am. On most trips you can upgrade to superior or deluxe hotels.

What’s it like staying in a ryokan?

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. You sleep on futons laid out on tatami mats, dinner is usually a multi-course kaiseki meal, and most have hot spring baths. The baths are often shared and separated by gender, and some still don’t allow visible tattoos. If that’s a concern, we can choose a ryokan with a private bath. We can add a ryokan night to any trip.

View itinerary in detail

To get a feel for the trip, choose one of the options below to view a sample day-by-day itinerary. This will open in a new window.

All of our Japan holidays are completely tailor-made, so this is simply a starting point.

We can of course adjust the route, hotels and pace to suit your plans.