Tailor-made
Self-Guided Adventure
Japan Highlights for Families
from CA$10358 (Per Family)
9 Nights Trip Code: FFGR
Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto at a pace that works for your family, with time to explore, slow down and enjoy being there together. Read more >
This is Japan’s classic trip: Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto, customised for your family by our experts, with fewer bases and a pace that works well when travelling with children. There’s time to settle in, and plenty of flexibility to adapt as you go, with the option to add easy day trips or extra experiences when you feel like it.
Your family's trip begins in Tokyo, staying in modern apartment style accommodation that gives everyone a bit more space to relax after a long journey. Day one is spent with a private guide, focused on helping your family feel comfortable navigating the city and seeing some world-class sights like Asakusa's Sensoji temple. There will be few surprises in the mix too. Perhaps a morning in TeamLab's immersive digital art world, or exploring a relaxed neighbourhood like Kichijoji, with cute cafes and a swan boat lake.
From Tokyo, you head to Hakone – a mountain area with hot springs and easy day-to-day travel. Mix light outdoor experiences with classic Hakone sights: ropeways with Mt Fuji views, walks through forested areas, and a pirate boat crossing on the lake that tends to go down well with kids. Your Hakone Freepass makes getting around straightforward. Staying in a ryokan inn, you’ll experience traditional Japanese hospitality with futon beds and onsen bathing.
Zip via bullet train to Kyoto. Take part in a group tea ceremony, where you’ll learn the deep traditions of respect and why eating sweets is encouraged. Stop by the Samurai & Ninja Museum for interactive exhibitions, costumes and even a bit of ninja training. Staying in a traditional machiya townhouses gives your family a more local way of experiencing this historical city – and a bit more space to do your own thing.
The trip finishes with a final night back in Tokyo, completing the classic Japan loop. This trip is designed with families in mind, but every family is different. Tell us what you’re most looking forward to in Japan, and we’ll make it happen.
What's included
9 nights' accommodation
Breakfast in all hotels (self‑catered in apartment and machiya accommodation)
All transport between destinations
Airport transfers
Private guide services in Tokyo and Kyoto
Digital Art Exhibition Tickets
Hakone Freepass (local transport, ropeways and lake boat)
Group tea ceremony in Kyoto
Samurai & Ninja Museum tickets
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
- Private guide day in Tokyo to help get everyone settled and moving with confidence
- Hakone Freepass day: ropeway, lake boat, and (often) Mt Fuji views
- Kyoto machiya stay plus tea ceremony and the Samurai & Ninja Museum
- teamLab digital art and then free time to explore at your own pace
- Ryokan night with onsen and tatami rooms
Ready to plan your trip?
For more information email us: [email protected] or call: +1 303 952 0379
What, where, when and how...
Japan Highlights for Families - 10 Days
Destinations
Japan Highlights for Families - 10 Days - Day by Day
Japan Highlights for Families - 10 Days - Accommodation
Japan Highlights for Families - 10 Days - Experiences
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Day 1-3
Explore Tokyo with a dedicated guide, with some free time as a family
Your Japan adventure starts in Asakusa, a family friendly area that's easy to get around and well connected by public transport. Staying in apartment-style rooms, you'll have a bit more space to settle in after a long flight.
One of your full days is spent with a private guide. They'll shape the day around your interests – food, pop culture, temples or neighbourhood walks – in a way that focuses on the bits you want to see, without cramming too much in, and giving you the confidence to explore independently afterwards. We'll give you some Tokyo self-exploration ideas to guide you, anything from cafes and shopping to anime. Another family favourite is a visit to teamLab Planets, where large-scale digital installations respond to movement and light.Overnight: Mimaru Apartment Hotel
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Day 4-5
Explore Hakone in the Mount Fuji area and stay in a traditional ryokan
After sending your main luggage ahead, speed towards the countryside by bullet train, winding through wooded hills and small towns. Hakone is scenic, calm and easy to navigate, thanks to your Hakone Freepass, which covers buses, trains, cable cars and boats.
Don't expect any old hotel stay here. You'll be sleeping in a traditional ryokan. Tatami mat rooms, futon bedding and the option to try hot spring bathing – a comfortable introduction to the more traditional side of Japan. Hakone is a great place to be a little unstructured and play it by ear. You might explore part of the Hakone sightseeing loop, visit the famous open-air museum (where kids can literally climb on the artwork), or take a pirate ship across the lake.Overnight: Ichinoyu Susukinohara
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Day 6-8
Explore Kyoto's temples, shrines and historic districts from a central machiya style house.
Continue to Kyoto by Shinkansen, arriving in a city that feels more compact and walkable than Tokyo. With several nights in the city, mornings can be slow and plans adjusted around weather or your energy levels. We recommend a mix of sightseeing and simply wandering through smaller neightbourhoods. You'll join an afternoon group tea ceremony, set up for families curious about this traditional art form (plus, there are often sweets). Stop by the Samurai & Ninja Museum for hands‑on learning, with ninja training available and costumes to try on. You'll stay in a traditional machiya townhouse with plenty of western comforts, and space to make your own food.
And for families who feel up for it, Kyoto also makes a great base for simple day trips, from feeding the deer in Nara to a street-food hopping in Osaka or a visit to Himeji's castle.Overnight: Machiya Residence
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Day 9-10
A final night in the capital
Return to Tokyo by bullet train, and this time, you're staying in a different area of the city. Your Info-Pack will be full of ideas, tailored to you and your family. You may like to explore somewhere new, revisit a favourite neighbourhood, or do any last‑minute shopping. Ending the trip in Tokyo keeps the journey home straightforward and avoids unnecessary transfers on departure day.
Overnight: Keio Plaza Tokyo
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