traditional town of Takayama - japan family holiday tours

Japan Family Tour – 13 Days

This 13-day Japan family tour gives you and your family an opportunity to both discover incredible Japan in the modern age with impressive landscapes and has a memorable time together. Not only the beauty of modern Japan, but also do you will have a chance to experience the old Japan by visiting several ancient destinations and on top of that, but you and your family will also get an insight into the life of Japan in the time of Ninja. What can be more exciting than that?

Categories: East Asia Tours & Travel Packages, Japan Tours

General Information

Tour Highlights

Explore Tokyo & Kyoto with a private guide
Try your hand at making soba noodles
Cycle in the Hida countryside
Join a tatedo sword-fighting class
Stay in a traditional ryokan
Visit the Studio Ghibli Museum
Experience taiko drumming
Visit Osaka Aquarium

Tour Details

Duration: 13 Days/ 12 Nights
Start/ End: Tokyo / Tokyo
Tour Route: Tokyo – Matsumoto – Takayama – Kyoto – Osaka – Tokyo
Tour Type: Tailor-made tour
Tour Customizable: Definitely! Tell us your interest
Vehicle: private air-conditioned vehicle and licensed driver
Guide Service: private English-speaking guide
Tour Departure: No fixed departure. Anytime you wish!

Brief Itinerary

Full Itinerary

Day 01 – 03: Tokyo Arrival | Tokyo Explorer

Your Japan family tour begins. On your first full day in the capital, you will have the services of an expert private guide for a half-day tour of the city. We can prepare a sightseeing itinerary for you in advance, or you can decide your plan with your guide on the day. We highly recommend experiencing the hustle and bustle of Tsukiji Fish Market or exploring the fashion district of Harajuku to see what the latest teenage crazes are. 100-yen shops are a great place to let the children spend a little pocket money on stickers and stationery, after all - everything is so cheap!
With another full day in Tokyo, we have included tickets to the fabulous Studio Ghibli Museum. This is a fantastic chance to delve into the mysterious fantasy world of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films. Younger kids will love playing on the cat bus from My Neighbor Totoro and don't miss the cinema showing world-exclusive original animated shorts.
Overnight at Shiba Park.

Day 04: Tokyo – Matsumoto | Matsumoto Explorer

Swap the bright lights of Tokyo for the mountains of the Japanese Alps today as you catch a direct limited express train to Matsumoto - a journey of two-and-a-half hours. Matsumoto is home to own of Japan's few remaining original samurai castles, the "Black Crow", where you can climb up the steep staircases inside and imagine life in the time of ninja!
Overnight at the Dormy Inn Matsumoto.

Day 05 – 06: Matsumoto – Takayama | Takayama Explorer

Before leaving Matsumoto, you'll learn how to make the region's specialty dish: soba noodles. Under the expert supervision a chef from a local soba shop, the whole family can try their hand at making the buckwheat dough before kneading and chopping it into thin noodle strips. Of course, the fruit of your labor will be a hearty bowl of soba noodles for lunch.
In the afternoon your journey will continue with a scenic bus ride across the mountains to the traditional town of Takayama. For the next two nights, you'll stay in a traditional ryokan, sleeping on futon mattresses on tatami mat flooring. A Japanese-style dinner will be included tonight.
After a restful night at your ryokan, your next day in Takayama will be spent cycling through the beautiful Hida countryside outside the town. A 20-minute train ride will take you to meet your cycle guide, who will take you on a gentle, three-and-a-half-hour ride through the surrounding farmland, passing rice paddies, streams, and forests and meeting a few friendly locals on the way.
Overnight at the Yamakyu.

Day 07 – 09: Takayama – Kyoto | Kyoto Explorer

Here you'll be staying at another traditional family-run ryokan, handily located right by Kyoto Station. We recommend ascending the escalators in the station building today for the glass "skywalk" and fantastic views across the city.
On your first full day in Kyoto, you will once again be accompanied by an expert local guide for a half-day city tour, encompassing some of Kyoto's famous sights and hidden gems. The guide can take any special interests you may have into account to tailor an itinerary especially for you.
The afternoon will be free for you to spend at leisure and your Info-Pack will be full of sightseeing ideas. You may like to visit Toei Eigamura, a film set theme park where samurai action films are made. You can dress up as a geisha or samurai here!

On your next day in Kyoto, you will be joining a taiko drumming class. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing as you're sure to work up a sweat beating these huge traditional drums! The teachers will guide you through some basic rhythms and movements so that by the end of the class your family will have a little performance piece. Make sure you can record films on your camera!

Day 10 – 11: Kyoto – Osaka | Osaka Explorer

Osaka is home to Japan's movie industry, including a school dedicated to the art of stage fighting - where you'll be having a private tatedo lesson today! Dressed as samurai and using bamboo swords, the instructor will show you stylized movements to create your own ninja sword sequence. Bushido or "the way of the samurai" is as much about respect, dignity and mental training as it is fighting, and this philosophy will certainly be choreographed into your lesson.
Japan is an archipelago consisting of thousands of islands, so it's hardly surprising that it has some fantastic aquariums. Osaka's Ring of Fire Aquarium is one of the best, showcasing marine life from around the Pacific Rim in massive tanks that are several stories high and can be viewed from different levels. We've included tickets to the aquarium today.
Overnight at the Dotonbori Hotel.

Day 12 – 13: Osaka – Tokyo | Free Day in Tokyo | Tokyo Departure

Your last day of Japan family tour. You'll have one last journey on the bullet train, whisking you from Osaka to Tokyo in just under three hours. Tonight, you'll stay in an apartment hotel in Tokyo's neon-spangled Shinjuku district.
Sadly, your Japan family tour must come to an end, and on your final morning, you'll take a direct train from Tokyo's Shinjuku Station to Narita Airport in time to catch your flight home.
Your Asia tour ends. Hope you enjoyed it and wish that we could serve you next time in Japan.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:	• Domestic transportation • Public transport • Local guides (English speaking guides) • Domestic airfare (if any) • Accommodation (Twin bedroom sharing basis) • Meals, Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner (B – L – D) • Entrance fee
WHAT’S EXCLUDED:	• International airfare (enter Tokyo – depart Tokyo) • Visa fee • Personal Expenses • Single room supplement • Tips • Insurance