If Tokyo is all neon lights and futuristic energy, Kyoto is its more traditional counterpart, and is a beautiful mix of ancient temples, Japanese gardens, and historic streets. It’s also incredibly family‑friendly, with plenty of hands‑on cultural experiences, wide temple grounds for kids to explore, and some of the most iconic scenery in all of Japan. So, is five days enough for Kyoto? The honest answer is 'it depends'. Kyoto has more than 1,600 temples and countless corners

One of the things we loved most about travelling across Japan as a family, is that eating isn’t just about the food - it’s often an experience in itself. Restaurants can be interactive, playful, and sometimes even a little theatrical. Kids often get restless in restaurants, but Japan has a knack for keeping them entertained. Whether it’s grabbing sushi from a moving conveyor belt, pressing buttons on a vending machine to order ramen, or cooking (or having cooked) their own me

Planning a family trip to Japan is incredibly exciting, but it also means navigating timed tickets, lotteries, and attractions that sell out months ahead. After travelling extensively with our kids, we quickly realised that there are many things that you simply must book in advance in Japan if you don’t want to miss out - a lesson we learned the hard way more than once. As you plan your days, you might also find our family‑friendly Tokyo or Kyoto itineraries helpful. It not o

When we travelled to Japan, we missed out on getting tickets to the Nintendo Museum, and it was gutting - our kids were really disappointed. So why should you take advice from someone who hasn't even visited the museum? Well... because I ended up spending SO MANY hours researching how the system works, what we should have done differently, and how to actually secure tickets even if you lose the lottery. We eventually figured it all out - just a little too late for our own tri

Discover the charm of Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo with our in-depth review. Experience first-class service and serene Japanese gardens at Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo.

Japanese food can feel intimidating when you’re travelling with kids, especially if you imagine raw fish, bold flavours, or menus you can’t read. But the reality is far friendlier than it seems. Japan is actually one of the easiest countries in the world to eat as a family. Even picky eaters usually find plenty to enjoy. From noodles and rice bowls to mild fried foods and sweet treats, many dishes are familiar, comforting, and approachable. Related Content: Fun & Unique Food

If you’re travelling with kids, Ueno is one of the easiest areas to explore in Tokyo. There’s of course the famous Ueno Park, but you’ve also got great museums, a zoo, temples, and lively market streets all within a short walk of each other. It’s the kind of place where you can mix “grown‑up sightseeing” with kid‑friendly stops without having to rethink your whole day. This guide shares what we personally did in Ueno , along with practical advice, family‑friendly tips, and ou

Arashiyama sits on the western edge of Kyoto and is one of the city’s most popular districts for visitors. People come for the famous bamboo forest, historically preserved streets, Zen temples, the monkey park, and the iconic Togetsukyo Bridge that crosses the Katsura River. Although there is more than enough to fill two full days, most travellers visit on a single‑day trip since Arashiyama is a little removed from central Kyoto. That makes a focused one‑day itinerary a smart

If you enjoy a mix of ancient temples, futuristic technology, and world-class food, Tokyo is one of the most kid-friendly cities in the world and an exciting place to explore as a family. So, is 5 days enough time in Tokyo? It's one of the world's largest cities, and while there's more than enough to fill a few weeks, or even months, you can still cover a lot in five days  and come away feeling like you've really experienced it. We spent five days exploring Tokyo as part of

Sitting down to eat Sushi at our Japanese Cooking Class Finding a Japanese cooking class in Tokyo that actually works for families can be infuriatingly difficult. Trust us - we’ve been there. We spent hours trawling the internet , scrolling through Reddit threads, comparing reviews, and bookmarking options that looked promising… only to come up disappointed time and time again. So many classes looked great on the surface, especially when we were specifically hunting for a ki

If you’re heading to Tokyo and wondering whether Shibuya Sky is worth adding to your itinerary , and if Shibuya Crossing lives up to the hype, we’ve been there ourselves – and for us, the answer is a resounding yes . We visited Shibuya during our 100-day sabbatical , and the experience ended up being one of our favourite Tokyo memories. Taking in the city from above, watching Shibuya Crossing unfold beneath us , and then heading down to experience the chaos firsthand, felt li

Placing incense sticks by the graves of the 47 Ronin Sengaku-ji is a lesser‑known temple in Tokyo  that often gets overlooked by first‑time visitors, who tend to focus on the more central and popular temples like Sensō‑ji , Meiji Jingū  or Zojo‑ji . In fact, we only ended up visiting because it was an easy walk from the Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo Hotel where we were staying, and on our first full day in Tokyo we wanted to stay fairly close to our base. What we expected to be

Discover the charm of Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo with our in-depth review. Experience first-class service and serene Japanese gardens at Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo.

Have you seen those beautiful calligraphy stamps on Instagram and wondered where people get them? Or maybe you’ve heard about goshuin but aren’t quite sure what makes them so special, or even whether tourists can collect them. We’d heard of them too, but it wasn’t until the Japan leg of our 100‑day family sabbatical that we truly understood how meaningful (and fun!) they can be. What started as a small curiosity quickly became one of the girls’ favourite traditions as we coll

Explore Daigo-ji Temple on Day 10 of our RTW trip! Discover Kyoto's serene Daigo-ji, enjoy fluffy pancakes, and savor delicious curry!

Explore Daigo-ji Temple on Day 10 of our RTW trip! Discover Kyoto's serene Daigo-ji, enjoy fluffy pancakes, and savor delicious curry!

Explore Daigo-ji Temple on Day 10 of our RTW trip! Discover Kyoto's serene Daigo-ji, enjoy fluffy pancakes, and savor delicious curry!

7 October 2025 Steps: 24,187 Today was our biggest day yet (almost 25,000 steps), and while it was great to see so many amazing sights, we are all absolutely exhausted . Tomorrow we are just going to do a half day of sightseeing to try and recharge a bit, before heading down to Nara and Osaka, and then on to Hong Kong. Hokan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda) We decided to walk straight to the famous Yasaka Pagoda viewpoint from our hotel, as we got a Google alert telling it was 'les

6 October 2025 Steps: 21,590 We had to check out of Ben's Guesthouse by 11am, so we got out quite early to visit one of the most famous temples in Kyoto - the Golden Palace, as it was quite near to our hotel, and we had enough time to fit it in before check out. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Palace) We got to Kinkaku-ji Golden Palace , just after it opened at 9am, but there was already a steady stream of tourists walking up the path to the entrance. The viewpoints were quite busy, bu

Welcome back to our Round‑the‑World Family Sabbatical diary! We’re a Calgary‑based family travelling for 100 days, sharing the real, unfiltered experience of long‑term travel with kids - the good moments, the chaotic moments, and everything in between. This is Day 7 of our journey, spent exploring Kyoto’s beautiful Arashiyama district in the rain! You can browse the full 100‑day contents list here, but for now, join us as we wander through Arashiyama's historic streets, visit