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

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.

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

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

Welcome to our Round‑the‑World Family Sabbatical diary ! We’re a Calgary‑based family travelling for 100 days , documenting each step so other families can get an honest, real‑life look at long‑term travel with kids - the highs, the chaos, and everything in between . This is Day 6 of our journey, where we wrapped up our time in Tokyo with an incredible cooking, calligraphy and origami class called 'Homecoming TAKA', before catching the famous Shinkansen to Kyoto. You can bro