8 Days | Take the family on a colourful adventure through Japan’s highlights
Grab the kids and head to the place where spiritual tradition meets modern tech – Japan of course! Start in Tokyo, where you’ll explore the Harajuku district, kawaii culture and ancient shrines. Learn how to play the Taiko drums and soak up the neon lights before heading to the countryside. Enjoy a farm stay experience in Kawane to get a breath of fresh air and tuck into a farm-to-table feast with your gracious hosts. Wander through temples and markets as you immerse yourself in the culture and tradition of Kyoto. End it all in Osaka, where you’ll take a sushi-making class and toast to a trip well-travelled!
Trip overview
- Start
- Tokyo, Japan
- Finish
- Osaka, Japan
- Theme
- Family
- Destinations
- Japan
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Original
- Ages
- Min 5
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 16
- Trip code
- CJFS
- Start your trip by diving into Japanese culture with a fun and immersive Taiko drumming workshop in Tokyo. End your trip in Osaka with a super fun sushi-making experience (the perfect skill to bring home from your trip to Japan).
- Step into the world of youth subculture and quirky fashion in Harajuku – the centre of Tokyo’s pop culture, known for its colourful street art, vintage clothes shops and hole-in-the-wall bars and restaurants.
- Travel past Mt Fuji via bullet train and settle into rural Japanese life at a local farm stay, where you can help harvest tea and prepare a home-cooked, farm-to-table feast for dinner with your hosts.
- Immerse yourself in the history and tradition of Kyoto among shrines, geishas and temples before a food tasting tour of the markets where the sesame ice-cream is sure to be a hit with the kids!
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Eden Reforestation Projects. Donations help them provide local employment opportunities and tackle climate change one tree at a time as they restore forests across 10 different countries.
- While this is not an active trip, there is still quite a bit of walking involved, so you'll need a good fitness level to enjoy all activities. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.
- It’s recommended to pack light or in backpacks on this trip as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train stations and to hotels, which can include going up and down multiple flights of stairs in crowded areas.
- This trip involves some long travel days, which can be tiresome but offer a quintessential experience of the Japanese landscape and people.
Itinerary
Inclusions
7 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Metro, Local Train, Bullet Train
Hotel (6 nights), Farm stay (1 night)
- Tokyo - Welcome dinner
- Tokyo - Shibuya Crossing
- Tokyo - Harajuku Walk & Meiji Shrine Visit
- Tokyo - Taiko Drumming Experience
- Kawane - Dinner Making Experience
- Kawane - Tea Farm Experience
- Kyoto - Gion Walk
- Kyoto - Breakfast Making Experience
- Kyoto - Nishiki Market Visit with Snack (Lunch)
- Kyoto - Fushimi Inari - Taisha
- Osaka - Sushi Making Experience (Lunch)
- Kyoto - International Manga Museum - Free
- Kyoto - Authentic samurai experience - Free
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you.
2. Minimum age for children on this trip is 5 years old.
3. A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children 17 years and under at time of travel.
4. A Single Supplement is currently not available for this trip due to limited rooms at our chosen accommodation.
5. It is essential you pack light and compact for rail travel in Japan. Size restrictions for luggage on Shinkansen (bullet) trains apply. Luggage over 160–250 cm may require an additional USD 10 fee per train journey. Luggage over 251 cm will not be permitted on the Shinkansen trains at all. Please notify your tour leader at your welcome meeting if your luggage is over 160–250 cm so they can make the necessary arrangements! Failure to notify your tour leader of luggage over 160–250 cm will require the passenger to pay the oversize luggage fee.
6. Accommodation in Japan can be difficult to secure at short notice. If you are travelling in Japan before or after your trip, we recommend booking accommodation at least one month in advance of travel. For families wanting to book a triple room we can request these, however they may not be available in all cities. Where a triple room is not available we can request a twin share room plus a single room.
7. March to May and September to November are both high seasons for tourism in Japan. While the weather is good during this period (and March to April is great for viewing cherry blossoms), you will find major sites are very crowded with both Japanese and international tourists during these months.
8. We know the idea of travelling overseas with picky eaters, particularly kids, can be daunting. However, most of our families find the diversity of Japanese food surprising. Trying different foods is great fun and an opportunity to understand a little about Japanese culture. Some of the different meals you can enjoy include sushi, soba noodles, ramen noodles, monjaki and okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), takoyaki (ball-shaped fried snack – a bit like the Japanese equivalent of fish fingers) and yakitori (skewered chicken). There are also great treats to try including green tea Kit Kats and ice-creams, pounded-rice desserts such as mochi and dango and sweet red bean in a variety of forms. Yum! For anyone in search of food for a picnic the majority of department stores have food halls (depachika) with an eyepopping selection of different types of food. Also, convenience stores (combini) are around nearly every corner and have snacks to tempt the fussiest eater. If in doubt and needing a little taste from home, the Japanese chain Moss Burgers have great hamburgers and you can find western options like pasta, pizza and great bakeries in the major cities. If you have any concerns, chat to your leader at the start of the tour.
9. Some of our families are surprised by the traditional Japanese breakfast foods and the western variations that our accommodation provides. Rice or noodles with fish or meat are common breakfast foods in Japan. Typical western foods available generally include toast, eggs, tea and coffee and sometimes cereals.
10. We are not able to book airport shuttle service for Japan now. Japan has an extensive and efficient public transport system and the joining and finishing point instructions are listed in the Essential Trip Information.
11. Please note that there are generally less double rooms in Japanese hotels, even those in Western style. While every effort will be made to accommodate double room requests, this may not always be possible.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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