Best for · First-timers

Two weeks in Japan with kids

The 14-day first-timer route, framed for families. Three nights per city, real ryokan, manageable transit days, and the temple-with-Pocky-break version of every "must-see".

Nick van der BlomAuthorVisited Mar 20265 trips since 2018
14Days
6Cities
4Regions
2Ryokan nights
1Tokyo · 3 n2Kyoto · 3 n3Osaka · 3 n4Hiroshima · Day-trip5Takayama · 2 n6Hirayu Onsen · 2 n

Why this route

We kept Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka as three-night anchors because families need settling-in time, not sprint days: hotel changes alone exhaust children. Hiroshima becomes a day-trip from Osaka rather than a separate base, saving one hotel move. Takayama and Hirayu Onsen close the route deliberately: cooler air, slower pace, and a hot-spring valley with no agenda. Avoid August; the cities become genuinely dangerous with young children in tow.

Tokyo

3 nights·Day 01–03

Why Tokyo

Tokyo opens the route for a reason: three nights here absorbs the jet-lag, orients the family, and front-loads the urban density before everything slows down. The priority on arrival is Sensō-ji at dusk: drop bags in Asakusa, walk over as the lanterns come on, and eat ramen at a counter nearby. Day two belongs to the west side: Meiji-jingū early, before the forest fills, then south through Cat Street and up to Shibuya Sky for the sunset slot booked in advance. Save Shibuya Crossing for after dark when the scale finally makes sense. On the final morning, Yanaka Ginza and a slow walk through the old shitamachi keeps the pace low before the Shinkansen tomorrow.

17 things to see and do

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Where to sleep in Tokyo

3 nights
BUDGET · HostelBUNKA HOSTEL TOKYOAsakusaRenovated 80-year-old building, capsule rooms with curtains and lockable storage. Ten minutes from Sensō-ji. The café-bar downstairs is the bonus.¥4,500/nightSee rates ↗MID · HotelHotel Tavinos AsakusaAsakusaRecommendedNick's own pick. Stayed in 2022 and 2024. Manga-themed but the rooms are clean and quiet, the staff are used to first-timers, and it's a five-minute walk to Fuji Ramen.¥11,000/nightSee rates ↗LUXURY · HotelThe Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by HulicAsakusaBoutique stay with a rooftop terrace that frames Sensō-ji and Skytree. The deep bath in every room is part of the appeal. And rare in Tokyo at this price.¥45,000/nightSee rates ↗

Next: Kyoto · 3 nights

Shinkansen Hikari·2h 40

Tokyo Station → Kyoto Station · ¥13,320 · JR Pass · OK

Jump to Kyoto ↓

Kyoto

3 nights·Day 04–06

Why Kyoto

Kyoto earns three nights because no other city on this route asks you to move so slowly. The east side is the anchor: Kiyomizu-dera at opening, then down through Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka while the cobbles are still quiet and the shops still shuttered, pivoting through Yasaka Shrine into Maruyama Park before lunch. The afternoon belongs to the Philosopher's Path and Ginkaku-ji, with a detour to Hōnen-in, which is nearly always empty. Dusk at Yasaka Pagoda, then dinner at a counter seat in Pontochō. The second full day goes west to Arashiyama early, Tenryū-ji's Sōgenchi garden before the bamboo grove fills, and the return slow through Daitoku-ji's subtemples: the quietest gardens in the city.

16 things to see and do

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Where to sleep in Kyoto

3 nights
BUDGET · Capsule9 Hours Kyoto TeramachiTeramachi · 5 min to PontochōNick stayed here in 2017. Capsule hotel, futuristic. Stark white pods, sleek bathroom block, lockers replace closets. <strong>If a capsule night belongs on the trip</strong>, this is the easiest place to try one: central, English-friendly, and the lights wake you with sunrise simulation. Not for two-person travel. Each pod is for one.¥4,200/nightSee rates ↗MID · HotelHotel Kanra KyotoKarasuma · between Kyoto Station and downtownRecommendedTraditional-modern boutique with hinoki baths in every room and a tatami sleeping area. The right balance of "ryokan feel" without committing to a full kaiseki dinner.¥22,000/nightSee rates ↗LUXURY · HotelThe Ritz-Carlton KyotoNijō · Kamogawa riversideRiverside on the Kamogawa, ten minutes from Pontochō. The garden bath suites are the editorial pick. But the standard rooms also face the river.¥90,000/nightSee rates ↗

Next: Osaka · 3 nights

Shinkansen Hikari·14 min

Kyoto Station → Shin-Osaka · ¥1,420 · JR Pass · OK

Jump to Osaka ↓

Osaka

3 nights·Day 07–09

Day-trip · Hiroshima

Why Osaka

Osaka earns three nights because it absorbs the weight of the Hiroshima day trip and still has a full city left to explore. That day has a clear centre: the Peace Memorial Museum early, before the school groups arrive, then Hiroshima okonomiyaki at Okonomi-mura (layered, teppan-cooked, nothing like Osaka's version) and Miyajima only if the afternoon has energy to spare. The Osaka day itself runs from a Kuromon Ichiba breakfast through Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku to the Umeda Sky Building at dusk, with Dotonbori as the natural close both evenings: the Glico sign, takoyaki, and a dinner that doesn't ask anything of you.

14 things to see and do

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Where to sleep in Osaka

3 nights
BUDGET · HostelHostel Mitsuwaya OsakaNamba · 10 min to DotonboriRenovated old-town building, communal kitchen and lounge. The owner runs a free walking tour twice a week. Worth signing up on arrival.¥4,800/nightSee rates ↗MID · HotelCross Hotel OsakaShinsaibashi · 5 min to DotonboriRecommendedDirectly between Shinsaibashi shopping arcade and the Dotonbori canal. Five minutes to either. Modern rooms, decent breakfast buffet, the lobby café is a working spot.¥17,000/nightSee rates ↗LUXURY · HotelConrad OsakaNakanoshima · skyline-facingTop of the Nakanoshima Festival Tower, 40-some floors above the river. The bar on the top deck does the best martini in the city, and the breakfast is worth waking up for.¥65,000/nightSee rates ↗

Next: Takayama · 2 nights

Shinkansen Hikari + Wide-View Hida·3h 30

Shin-Osaka → Takayama · ¥12,500 · JR Pass · OK

Jump to Takayama ↓

Takayama

2 nights·Day 10–11

Why Takayama

Takayama is where the route earns its altitude. The Wide-View Hida from Nagoya follows the Hida River gorge for the better part of two hours, and by the time you step off, the cities feel genuinely far away. Arrive, drop bags, and walk Sanmachi-suji at dusk before the day-trippers clear out: the lanterns lift the old merchant streetscape into something quieter than it has any right to be. The next morning belongs to the Miyagawa riverside market, then sake tasting at Funasaka or Hirata-Shuzō, then the Takayama Jinya, Japan's only surviving Edo regional office, which takes under an hour and earns its entry fee. End the afternoon at Hida Folk Village: walk up, take your time among the gasshō-zukuri farmhouses, and come back down ready for Hida beef.

11 things to see and do

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Where to sleep in Takayama

2 nights
BUDGET · HostelK's House Hida-Takayama10 min walk from Takayama StationBackpacker classic in a converted machiya. Traditional wood frame, shared bathrooms, sociable common room. Best for travellers who want a guesthouse feel without committing to a full ryokan.¥4,500/nightSee rates ↗MID · HotelHotel Around Takayama5 min from Takayama StationRecommendedContemporary boutique with a top-floor onsen overlooking the mountains. The right middle ground if Hirayunomori is the planned ryokan moment. Modern bedding, breakfast, and a soaking option without committing to kaiseki dinner.¥18,000/nightSee rates ↗LUXURY · RyokanHonjin Hiranoya KachoanMiyagawa riverside, walk to SanmachiTraditional ryokan on the Miyagawa River with private onsen suites and a 12-course Hida-beef kaiseki. Distinct from Hirayunomori. Riverside-urban rather than mountain-rustic. If the trip allows two ryokan moments, this is the first.¥55,000/nightSee rates ↗

Next: Hirayu Onsen · 2 nights

Nōhi Bus·1 hour

Takayama → Hirayu Onsen · ¥1,600 · Cash only · no JR Pass

Jump to Hirayu Onsen ↓

Hirayu Onsen

2 nights·Day 12–14

Why Hirayu Onsen

Hirayu Onsen earns its two nights by doing almost nothing except existing at altitude. The Nōhi Bus from Takayama climbs into the Okuhida valley and deposits you at a hot-spring village with no agenda beyond the bath-meal-bath rhythm that a good ryokan enforces. Hirayunomori is the base: tatami, kaiseki built from Hida produce, and enough baths to rotate through all day. The free footbath at the bus terminal is the right arrival ritual; the morning rotenburo, early before anyone else surfaces, is the best hour of the fortnight. On the full day, the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway climbs to a 2,156-metre panorama of the Northern Alps: check the webcam first, skip it if clouds are sitting on the peaks.

10 things to see and do

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Where to sleep in Hirayu Onsen

2 nights
BUDGET · RyokanHirayunomori · Wakaba standard tatamiHirayu Onsen · forested entryStandard tatami room with shared baths only. Half-board (kaiseki dinner + breakfast) included. <strong>Same baths, same kaiseki</strong> as the higher tiers. The differences are room size and whether you have a private bath.¥18,000 per person · half-board/nightSee rates ↗MID · RyokanHirayunomori · Tsubaki tatami with private bathHirayu Onsen · forested entryRecommendedThe category Nick books: standard tatami room with a private hinoki bath looking out at the garden. Half-board included. The middle ground between Wakaba's shared-only and Matsu's full rotenburo suite. And the room category most first-timers should book.¥28,000 per person · half-board/nightSee rates ↗LUXURY · RyokanHirayunomori · Matsu suite with rotenburoHirayu Onsen · forested entrySuite with full outdoor rotenburo (hot-spring pool), separate living area, and premium kaiseki including Hida-gyū course. Two-person occupancy. The bath alone is private and uncovered to the mountain air. The editorial moment of the trip.¥48,000 per person · half-board with premium kaiseki/nightSee rates ↗

Next: Shinjuku

Nōhi Bus + Azusa Limited Express·4h 10

Hirayu Onsen → Shinjuku · ¥9,900 · JR Pass · partial (Azusa only)

More routes like this

14 days·First-timersFirst-timer's two weeks in JapanTokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Hiroshima · Takayama · Hirayunomori. The route I'd send my own family on, with a real ryokan at the end.10 days·First-timersFirst-timer's ten days in JapanTokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Hiroshima. The classic ten-day arc, without the mountain detour. Same big three, one heavy day-trip, home rested.10 days·First-timersA ten-day Japan honeymoonRyokan over hotels. Slow trains over Shinkansen sprints. Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka with the luxury tier as the default, plus an optional slow-travel anchor at the end (Naoshima, Kinosaki Onsen, or Okinawa).

Read before you go

Route map · 6 cities
1Tokyo · 3 n2Kyoto · 3 n3Osaka · 3 n4Hiroshima · Day-trip5Takayama · 2 n6Hirayu Onsen · 2 n
1Tokyo→2Kyoto→3Osaka→4Hiroshima→5Takayama→6Hirayu Onsen↺Tokyo