Sushi, samurai and the fast-paced shinkanzen
This 18-day family tour begins in the dazzling, cosmopolitan city of Tokyo, which you will quickly get to know with a local guide on a street food tour; sushi will certainly not be missing. You will also visit the hip, interactive museum TeamLab Borderless, the famous Shibuya Crossing (one of the busiest and most iconic intersections in the world) and the statue of Hachiko, Japan's most famous dog. After the many impressions of Tokyo, travel by superfast Shinkanzen to Matsumoto, a charming castle town surrounded by rice fields, vineyards, wasabi farms. In the Japanese Alps, take a scenic hike along the historic Nakasendo Trail past rustic mountain villages.
Exciting day trips in and from Kyoto
Through Kanazawa, a city full of history with samurai and geisha neighborhoods, travel on to Kyoto, the cultural heart of Japan. By bicycle, you can easily explore different parts of Kyoto, such as Monkey Park Iwatayama, the Samurai Museum, the Fushimi Inari Shrine with as many as 10,000 torii gates and the iconic Arashiyama bamboo forest. Take a day trip to Nara Park, also called Deer Park because of its tame deer, and visit the impressive Todaiji Temple. After tasting the famous, freshly made mochi at Nakatanidou, the journey continues to Osaka, better known as "the cuisine of Japan. In Hiroshima, take a day trip to Miyajima Island, where the famous Itsukushima Shrine and the floating red torii gate can be admired.
Tips and Tops Family Travel Japan:
- Attend an exciting sumo match in Tokyo
- In Kappabashi-dori in Tokyo is known as the "cooking street" or "fake food street," where the very realistic fake food replicas are made
- From Tokyo, a day trip is possible to Kamakura, a former capital on the coast with many temples
- In Tokyo, visit the Shibuya Sky, where an elevator takes you to the 45th floor for a fantastic view of the city
- Meiji Jingu, the iconic Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji; walk through impressive tori gates to the forest with more than 100,000 trees
- Hike part of the Nakasendo Trail, one of five ancient trade routes from Edo that were under the control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the 8th century
- Rent electric bikes in Kanazawa and explore the Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa Castle and the 21st Century Museum of Modern Art
- The extraordinary Otagi Nenbutsu Temple in Kyoto has thousands of small Buddha statues
- Visit the A-Bomb Dome and Orizuru Tower in Hiroshima, where you can fold a crane, a symbol of a long and happy life
- After kayaking from Miyajima, you will take the Aquanet ferry to downtown Hiroshima, near the Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- In Osaka, a day at Universal Studios is a must for the whole family
