Japan Family Holiday

Tour details Collapse

Tour Provider	Intrepid Travel
Number Of Days	12
Price From	RRP: $8,275 Our price: $7,448
Start Location	Tokyo, Japan
End Location	Kyoto, Japan
Age Range	Avg. 30+
Group Size	2 to 16
Tour Style	Standard
Tour Themes	Family, Rail
Physical Rating	Easy to Moderate

Itinerary Expand all

Day 1: Tokyo

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Tokyo – Japan's modern capital steeped in ancient tradition. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm in your hotel tonight, where you'll meet your local leader and the other families. If you arrive early, why not wander Tokyo at your own pace or take an Urban Adventures day tour? After your meeting, consider joining the group for an optional dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Tokyo

Kick things off with a visit to Sensoji in Asakusa – Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple (about 1300 years old) set on the banks of the Sumida River. Nearby, you’ll discover a great shopping street where you can find a quirky Japanese souvenir or sample some traditional snacks. You’ll then have a free afternoon to find some lunch or maybe visit a manga (Japanese comic and cartoon) market in Akihabara. Enjoy free time in the afternoon. Tonight, head out for a dinner on a boat, cruising through the Tokyo Bay. Surrounded the sparkling lights of the city, you’ll enjoy monjayaki (a non-sweet pancake with a soft batter as base) cooked on a sizzling hot plate.

Day 3: Tokyo

This morning, head to Shinjuku and take part in a traditional calligraphy lesson. You and the kids will learn how to write your name in Japanese (and maybe learn to say a few words, too) with the help of a local teacher. After, grab some lunch at a local restaurant with your group then visit Harajuku – a neighbourhood simultaneously known for its eccentric tribes and teen pop culture. Sample one of Harajuku’s famous crepes or try some of its 3D latte art as you explore the iconic Takeshita Street. Finish the afternoon in Shibuya, where you’ll have some free time to grab dinner or head back to the hotel.

Day 4: Hakone

Say goodbye to Tokyo and catch your first shinkansen bullet train of the trip to Hakone, travelling up to 285 km an hour! In Japan, trains operate with amazing precision and the sight of a white-gloved guard bowing to a carriage full of travellers is something the kids are sure to remember! Part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Hakone is a place of staggering natural beauty. Here, you can also soak in hot spring onsens, go on bush walks, chill out by the lakes, take in the views of Mt Fuji (if you’re blessed with good weather!), or explore an open-air modern art museum. Tonight, you’ll experience Japanese ryokan (traditional inn) hospitality – sleeping on futons in a tatami mat room, wearing yukata (a light kimono-style robe) and soaking up (literally) the onsen culture.

Day 5: Hakone

Today, you’ll take a ropeway (cable car) up to the top of Owakudani (Geothermal Valley) and hopefully catch views of Mt Fuji. Continue to Lake Ashinoko – a natural caldera formed after a major volcanic explosion some 3000 years ago – for a cruise aboard a pirate boat. Back on land, visit the Karakuri Secret Box Museum and try to open these beautifully hand-crafted boxes (or purchase a unique gift to take home). With your free afternoon, you might like to hike through the grasslands of Sengokuhara or pamper yourself at Hakone’s large hot spring theme park, which has an amazing variety of baths ranging from the traditional to cave baths and water slides!

Day 6: Hiroshima

Back on the bullet-train, you make the journey to the city of Hiroshima. A visit to Hiroshima is sobering, but the tragedy that happened here is an important part of history to confront. In the afternoon, visit the Genbaku (A-Bomb) Dome and the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, both of which stand as an emotional testament to the fateful day in August 1945 when Hiroshima became the first target for nuclear attack. The dome was just metres from where the bomb detonated and managed to retain its shape, eerily standing exactly how it was prior to the attack. These days it stands as both a symbolic reminder and a monument to peace. Tonight, you might like to seek out the savoury pancake okonomiyaki – also a signature Hiroshima dish with its own particular twist.

Day 7: Hiroshima

This morning, head for the island of Miyajima, just a short ferry ride across the Inland Sea. The island is home to the Shinto shrine of Itsukushima, famous for its huge bright orange gate (torii) which is a sight to see when the tide is high! Maybe take a stroll through Momiji Park (known as Maple Valley) or take the cable car up to the top of Mt Misen (keeping an eye out for the hungry deer that roam the island) for panoramic views of the Inland Sea and its many islands. Return to Hiroshima in the afternoon, and in your free time, maybe visit the five-storied Hiroshima Castle, which originally dates from the 1590s, though it was destroyed by the bomb and reconstructed after the war.

Day 8: Kyoto

Jump aboard the bullet train to Kyoto this morning. On the way, stop at Himeji Castle – Japan's most impressive samurai castle. The building, which has survived earthquakes and war since the mid-16th century, was restored to its full glory in 2015 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The moats, towers and walled alleyways were ingeniously designed to trick attackers! Explore the castle that was once home to over 10,000 samurai families and look out over the city below. Continue to Kyoto on the bullet train. While you're here, you'll see some of the finest temples, shrines, palaces and gardens in the country. In the afternoon, visit Nishiki-Koji Market in the heart of Kyoto’s downtown area to see what gs into Kyoto’s famed Kyo-ryori (Kyoto cuisine). Then, spend your evening wandering the Gion district, seeing if you can spot geiko (geisha) or maiko (apprentice geisha) dressed in elaborate kimonos and make-up on their way to events and functions.

Day 9: Kyoto

Today, you’ll head to Kyoto’s famed Fushimi Inari Shrine – known throughout the world as the ‘Path of the Red Gates.’ If you like, maybe walk further than most visitors and experience both the well-known part of the shrine and the quieter corners. After, your leader will take you to another one of Kyoto’s UNESCO-listed temples or shrines (there’s 17 and counting!) which will give you an insight into Kyoto’s history as the seat of imperial power for over 1000 years. In the afternoon, you have time to do your own exploring – you might like to catch a maiko cultural performance, participate in a tea ceremony demonstration or do an obanzai (Kyoto-style) cooking class.

Day 10: Kyoto

This morning, take a boat cruise down the scenic Hozu River in the Arashiyama area, in the hills west of Kyoto. Look along the banks for Japanese maples in autumn or plum and cherry blossoms in spring. At the end of the ride, you’ll visit Tenryu-ji Temple near a bamboo grove. This bamboo forest is one of the most photographed sights in the city, and you'll see why! In your free time, you might like to take the family on a rickshaw ride (two-wheeled wagons pulled by fit young men in traditional garb) around the Arashiyama area. Or you may like to visit the nearby Ti Kyoto Studio Park – a theme park used for the shooting of period dramas (jidaigeki films) set in the Edo period. Back in central Kyoto, you could also experience a performance of traditional swordplay.

Day 11: Kyoto

Today is yours to enjoy Kyoto however you like. Perhaps head out with the family and explore on a bike. This is definitely one of the best ways to navigate the city, and one of the most popular routes is following the Kamo River from the northern outskirts of Kyoto down through the city’s heart, stopping for a bento box lunch along the way. Kyoto is regularly voted one of the best bicycle cities in Asia, and for good reason! The city is largely flat and the roads are well maintained. If cycling is not your thing, you could check out Kyoto’s Manga Museum or try your hand at making your own bowl of ramen. Alternatively, consider a complete kimono makeover and transform yourself into a maiko, samurai lord or ninja for the day!

Day 12: Kyoto

With no activities planned after breakfast, your family adventure comes to an end today. If you would like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Inclusions Expand

Meals: 11 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners.
Transport: Bullet Train, Train, Cable car, Taxi, Tram.
Accommodation: Hotels (9 nights), Ryokan (2 nights).
Tokyo - Sensoji Temple.
Tokyo - Monjayaki Dinner on Boat.
Tokyo – Harajuku walk.
Tokyo - Japanese & Calligraphy lesson.
Hakone - Lake Ashinoko boat cruise.
Hakone - Cable car/Ropeway.
Hakone – Karakuri Secret Box Museum.
Hiroshima – Peace Park and A-Bomb Dome.
Hiroshima - Miyajima Island.
Himeji - Himeji Castle.
Kyoto - Nishiki-Koji Market.
Kyoto - Gion District walk.
Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Kyoto - Arashiyama sightseeing.
Kyoto - Tenryuji Temple Gardens (additional JPY300 to visit the temple).
Kyoto - Hozu River boat ride.

Departure dates Expand

Start	End	Availability	Price AUD
28 Mar 2026	08 Apr 2026	6	$9,390 $8,451
30 Mar 2026	10 Apr 2026	4	$10,530 $9,477
01 Apr 2026	12 Apr 2026	9	$9,355 $8,420
03 Apr 2026	14 Apr 2026	16	$9,360 $8,424
04 Apr 2026	15 Apr 2026	7	$8,960 $8,064
06 Apr 2026	17 Apr 2026	1	$8,630 $7,767
08 Apr 2026	19 Apr 2026	10	$8,795 $7,916
10 Apr 2026	21 Apr 2026	11	$8,690 $7,821
11 Apr 2026	22 Apr 2026	14	$8,690 $7,821
27 Jun 2026	08 Jul 2026	12	$8,275 $7,448
28 Jun 2026	09 Jul 2026	16	$8,275 $7,448
30 Jun 2026	11 Jul 2026	12	$8,275 $7,448
01 Jul 2026	12 Jul 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
02 Jul 2026	13 Jul 2026	14	$8,995 $8,096
17 Jul 2026	28 Jul 2026	10	$8,995 $8,096
21 Jul 2026	01 Aug 2026	8	$9,190 $8,271
25 Jul 2026	05 Aug 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
27 Jul 2026	07 Aug 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
03 Aug 2026	14 Aug 2026	14	$8,995 $8,096
06 Aug 2026	17 Aug 2026	14	$8,995 $8,096
24 Sep 2026	05 Oct 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
25 Sep 2026	06 Oct 2026	13	$8,275 $7,448
26 Sep 2026	07 Oct 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
28 Sep 2026	09 Oct 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
30 Sep 2026	11 Oct 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
01 Oct 2026	12 Oct 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
03 Oct 2026	14 Oct 2026	16	$8,995 $8,096
26 Mar 2027	06 Apr 2027	16	$8,275
27 Mar 2027	07 Apr 2027	13	$8,690
28 Mar 2027	08 Apr 2027	16	$8,995
29 Mar 2027	09 Apr 2027	16	$9,445
02 Apr 2027	13 Apr 2027	16	$9,820
05 Apr 2027	16 Apr 2027	16	$9,035
07 Apr 2027	18 Apr 2027	16	$9,035
10 Apr 2027	21 Apr 2027	14	$9,035
12 Jun 2027	23 Jun 2027	16	$8,275
19 Jun 2027	30 Jun 2027	16	$8,275
26 Jun 2027	07 Jul 2027	16	$8,690
28 Jun 2027	09 Jul 2027	16	$8,275
01 Jul 2027	12 Jul 2027	16	$9,445
24 Jul 2027	04 Aug 2027	16	$9,445
26 Jul 2027	06 Aug 2027	16	$9,445
31 Jul 2027	11 Aug 2027	16	$8,995
02 Aug 2027	13 Aug 2027	16	$9,445
05 Aug 2027	16 Aug 2027	16	$9,445
18 Sep 2027	29 Sep 2027	16	$8,275
20 Sep 2027	01 Oct 2027	16	$8,275
25 Sep 2027	06 Oct 2027	16	$8,690
27 Sep 2027	08 Oct 2027	16	$9,445
01 Oct 2027	12 Oct 2027	16	$9,445
02 Oct 2027	13 Oct 2027	16	$9,445

Japan Family Holiday

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