Zen & Now Family Holiday

Welcome to Tokyo! Explore the parks, museums, wacky restaurants and skyscrapers of the world's greatest capital.

This is a holiday of two halves - first up: Tokyo. You'll stay in one of our favourite mid-range hotels close to Tokyo Tower and Zozo-ji Temple, with excellent public transport links to all the main sightseeing areas in the capital.

Our complimentary Info-Pack has lots of family-friendly sightseeing ideas and advice, from our favourite playparks, where to see robots, fashion spots and the best time to visit the fish market. We've also included tickets up the Tokyo Skytree so you can see the mega metropolis from above, as well as our fantastic Tokyo Mystery Game. Solve the clues to progress from one district to another and along the way visit both famous sites and secret fascinating spots.

In Shinjuku, the Tokyo Toy Museum children can play with 15,000 toys from across the world. There are also workshops for kids to make their own toys. If your children are obsessed with Pikachou and co., there are two Pokemon megastores in Tokyo selling all manner of merchandise.

For something more educational, try the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Historically significant buildings were relocated and reconstructed here, and a walk around the museum grounds is a fun way to relive Japanese history.

Teenagers will love the outlandish fashion shops, creperies and ice cream parlours of Harajuku. Don't miss the three-storey Daiso 100 yen shop here – pocket money has never stretched so far!

A day trip across Tokyo Bay to the man-made island of Odaiba is well recommended. Here you'll find some great museums including the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. The former is filled with hands-on science exhibits, while the latter is the place to go to meet Asimo the walking robot. Also on Odaiba is the Legoland Discovery Centre, and Joypolis, a Sega amusement park with video games and rides.

Overnight: Shiba Park

Take the bullet train to Kyoto, home of Japan's finest temples, shrines, gardens and geisha.

Next up Kyoto, the heart of Japanese tradition and culture. Your home for the next first nights is a traditional machiya townhouse now converted into self-catering accommodation while retaining its charm and character.

You'll have lots of time to explore Kyoto at your own pace taking in as many or as few temples as suits you all! We have loads of great ideas for sightseeing in Kyoto. Japan's best railway museum is here housing 53 trains from steam locomotives to the most recent bullet trains.

Kyoto sits in a flat basin making it an easy place to walk or cycle. Bikes can be rented easily and a great route is to cycle along the banks of the Kamo River. The Imperial Palace grounds are another place to let off steam. There's an excellent playground in the northeast corner of the park.

If you don't mind parting with some yen, the parallel shopping arcades of Teramachi and Shinkyogoku in the city centre is the beloved hangout spot of Japanese schoolkids. Shops sell all manner of kitsch from pencil cases, to key rings, to flavoured KitKats. There are also plenty of gorgeous craft shops and vintage stores to keep adults happy.

Kyoto is also a great place for a day trip. Nara is just 40 minutes by train, home to picturesque temples set in a sprawling deer park. Or why not visit Himeji Castle, 45 minutes away on the bullet train.

At the end of your stay in Kyoto we'll arrange a shared shuttle bus transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport ahead of your flight home.

Overnight: Machiya Residence