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Canada
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Tailor-made
Self-Guided Adventure
Modern Japan Explorer
from AU$13051 (Per Family)
9 Nights Trip Code: FFMJE
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, on a journey made for families who want pop culture, plenty of streetfood snacks and hands‑on experiences alongside the classics. Read more >
This itinerary has been developed specifically with teenagers and parents in mind. Most families arrive in Japan with a wish list already in mind – anime, neon-lit shopping streets, peaceful temples and maybe even a theme park or two. Modern Japan Explorer delivers the Japan highlights that made you want to go in the first place, with a few unexpected additions.
You’ll explore three of Japan’s most exciting cities without feeling rushed. First up is Tokyo – fast-paced, colourful and full of surprises. Your Insider will guide you through the metropolis, hitting anime and manga districts, and you’ll join an evening street food tour, too.
Kyoto offers a more outwardly traditional side to Japan. You’ll stay together in a classic machiya house, perfect for recharging after busy days exploring. Alongside the most famous temples and gardens, you’ll see an ultra-modern theatre show – part circus, part play – and explore the immersive art world of teamLab Biovortex.
Then it’s on to Osaka – Japan’s playground. Expect bold food, high energy, and a sword fighting experience, topped off with a full day at Universal Studios Japan. It’s an adrenaline-fuelled finale before returning to Tokyo.
Structure where you may need a little more guidance and flexibility for when you want to explore your own way, this trip blends modern Japan with the must-see classics, and leaves your family with memories you’ll still be talking about long after you’re home.
What's included
9 nights' accommodation
Breakfast in all hotels (self‑catered in machiya accommodation)
All transport between destinations
Private guide services in Tokyo and Kyoto
GEAR non‑verbal theatre performance in Kyoto
Digital Art Exhibition Tickets
Sword‑fighting experience in Osaka
Universal Studios Japan One‑Day Studio Passes
Pocket WiFi device
Your personalised InsideJapan Tours Info‑Pack
What's NOT included:
International flights
Local transport (buses, subways, taxis) at any destination unless otherwise specified
Any entrance fees including those for shrines, temples and museums
Baggage handling - you will be expected to carry your own bags for the duration of the trip
Trip Highlights
- Tokyo: street food, anime, shopping streets, and everyday neighbourhoods
- Mix temples and gardens with digital art and contemporary performance
- Universal Studios Japan as an optional end‑of‑trip highlight
- Kyoto machiya stay so you're all under one roof
- Osaka for more hands-on culture, fun and Japan's best B‑gourmet food
Ready to plan your trip?
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: + 61 7 2104 5561
What, where, when and how...
Modern Japan Explorer - 10 Days - Day by Day
Modern Japan Explorer - 10 Days - Accommodation
Modern Japan Explorer - 10 Days - Experiences
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Day 1-3
Start in Tokyo and explore: anime, manga and street food
Your Asakusa hotel works particularly well for families with older kids, with connecting rooms so you're all still together, but with enough space to spread out. To help get your bearings, you'll spend a full day with one of our Insider guides focusing on manga, anime and modern Tokyo culture, including a stop at the Tokyo Skytree for some of the highest city views. Otherwise, you're free to explore independently, from the multi-storey shopping malls of Ginza, to thrift shop browsing and café hopping around Shimokitazawa. You'll round off your time here with an evening food tour in Shibuya.
Overnight: Asakusa View Annex Rokku
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Day 4-6
Stay in a machiya, temple-hop with an Insider, then swap lantern-lit lanes for teamLab's trampolines and immersive art.
Speed away from the modern day metropolis to the traditional capital of Kyoto. Checking into a machiya, a Japanese traditional rental house, you're all under one roof but with plenty of space. You'll spend half a day with an Insider guide, mixing Kyoto's headline temples with a couple of quieter stops that most people don't bother with. But Kyoto has a playful side too. Take your seats at GEAR: part theatre, part circus, zero dialogue, and unexpectedly brilliant. Bounce around the Multi Jumping Universe at teamLab Biovortex, and then, a flexible day to shape yourselves: perhaps a day trip to see the deer in Nara, or the International Manga Museum, or a relaxed day cycling.
Overnight: Machiya Residence
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Day 7-8
Base yourselves in Osaka for street food, Osaka Castle, and a more modern side of Kansai.
Zip to Osaka by Shinkansen bullet train. You'll be based right in the centre, so it's easy to hop between neighbourhoods on foot and by train (and duck back to the hotel for a breather). Channel your inner samurai with a sword fighting experience, then head up the Umeda Sky Building for big city views. The next day is a true family highlight: Universal Studios Japan, complete with express passes – more time for rides and less time spent in queues.
Overnight: Hotel Intergate Osaka Umeda
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Day 9-10
Return to Tokyo to stay in a different area, with time for food, shopping and anything you missed first time.
You'll arrive by Shinkansen with a chunk of free time to play with: a final hit of ramen or yakitori, a proper sweep of the shops, and any pockets of the city you still want to explore. It's a nice moment to slow things down – you already know how Tokyo works now, so you can just get on with enjoying it.
Overnight: OMO5 Tokyo Gotanda by Hoshino Resorts
-
Day 1-3
Start in Tokyo and explore: anime, manga and street food
Your Asakusa hotel works particularly well for families with older kids, with connecting rooms so you're all still together, but with enough space to spread out. To help get your bearings, you'll spend a full day with one of our Insider guides focusing on manga, anime and modern Tokyo culture, including a stop at the Tokyo Skytree for some of the highest city views. Otherwise, you're free to explore independently, from the multi-storey shopping malls of Ginza, to thrift shop browsing and café hopping around Shimokitazawa. You'll round off your time here with an evening food tour in Shibuya.
Overnight: Asakusa View Annex Rokku
-
Day 4-6
Stay in a machiya, temple-hop with an Insider, then swap lantern-lit lanes for teamLab's trampolines and immersive art.
Speed away from the modern day metropolis to the traditional capital of Kyoto. Checking into a machiya, a Japanese traditional rental house, you're all under one roof but with plenty of space. You'll spend half a day with an Insider guide, mixing Kyoto's headline temples with a couple of quieter stops that most people don't bother with. But Kyoto has a playful side too. Take your seats at GEAR: part theatre, part circus, zero dialogue, and unexpectedly brilliant. Bounce around the Multi Jumping Universe at teamLab Biovortex, and then, a flexible day to shape yourselves: perhaps a day trip to see the deer in Nara, or the International Manga Museum, or a relaxed day cycling.
Overnight: Machiya Residence
-
Day 7-8
Base yourselves in Osaka for street food, Osaka Castle, and a more modern side of Kansai.
Zip to Osaka by Shinkansen bullet train. You'll be based right in the centre, so it's easy to hop between neighbourhoods on foot and by train (and duck back to the hotel for a breather). Channel your inner samurai with a sword fighting experience, then head up the Umeda Sky Building for big city views. The next day is a true family highlight: Universal Studios Japan, complete with express passes – more time for rides and less time spent in queues.
Overnight: Hotel Intergate Osaka Umeda
-
Day 9-10
Return to Tokyo to stay in a different area, with time for food, shopping and anything you missed first time.
You'll arrive by Shinkansen with a chunk of free time to play with: a final hit of ramen or yakitori, a proper sweep of the shops, and any pockets of the city you still want to explore. It's a nice moment to slow things down – you already know how Tokyo works now, so you can just get on with enjoying it.
Overnight: OMO5 Tokyo Gotanda by Hoshino Resorts
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