Tailor-made Vacation · Japan
Family-Friendly Japan Tour: Tokyo, Hakone & Kyoto
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At a glance
Japan works remarkably well for a family trip because children and adults rarely have to compromise on what they want to do. A morning at a temple can be followed by manga, gaming or a sumo stable, while the train journeys between cities are short enough to keep the route moving without turning every other day into a travel day.
This 10-day trip starts in Tokyo, where private guiding makes a huge difference for families.
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Alongside Asakusa and Meiji Shrine, there is time for a manga drawing class, Harajuku and Akihabara. The balance can be adjusted depending on the children’s ages, so a teenager obsessed with anime does not need the same Tokyo as a family travelling with younger children.
Hakone gives you a break from the cities. Spend the day around Lake Ashi and Owakudani before staying at a ryokan, ideally with a private onsen so the family can enjoy the bathing experience together.
Kyoto can easily become temple-heavy, so this itinerary mixes its major sights with cycling, a rickshaw ride and a hands-on samurai experience.
You then finish in Osaka, where markets and street food make for a much more informal final couple of days.
Day by day
This is a sample plan, not a fixed departure. Days can be added, removed or reordered, and almost every client changes something. Prices are an entry-level guide; your quote will be exact.
Day 1: Welcome to Tokyo – A Luxurious Family Retreat
Arrive in Tokyo, where you will be met at the airport and transferred privately into the city.
Check in at Keio Plaza Tokyo, with a family room giving you more space than a standard city hotel room. Keep the first evening free. If everyone still has some energy after the flight, Shinjuku is right outside the door and easy to explore without committing to a full evening out.
Day 2: Gardens, Temples & Old Tokyo
Meet your private guide and start at Hamarikyu Gardens, one of Tokyo’s best-known landscape gardens. The teahouse here gives the family an easy introduction to a traditional tea ceremony without turning the morning into something overly formal.
Continue to Asakusa and Senso-ji, then spend some time around Nakamise Street.
The afternoon is left free, which is useful on a family trip. You can keep exploring if everyone is up for it, or head back to the hotel if jet lag catches up.
Day 3: Sumo Legends & Tokyo’s Pop Culture Scene
Begin with a visit to a sumo training stable, where you can watch wrestlers during their morning practice.
Later, move into a very different side of Tokyo. Head through Shibuya and Harajuku, with time for the fashion, shops and pop culture that make these neighborhoods particularly good with older children and teenagers.
Akihabara can also be included depending on how much anime and gaming the family wants to build into the day.
Day 4: Manga Class and Nakano Broadway
Today is more hands-on.
Join a manga drawing class in Nakano and learn some of the techniques used to create Japanese comic art. Afterwards, explore Nakano Broadway, one of Tokyo’s best places for anime collectibles and retro pop culture.
Continue to Akihabara for arcades, gaming stores and anime shops. This is the day to lean into whatever the children are actually interested in rather than treating Tokyo as one long sightseeing circuit.
Day 5: Hakone and a Ryokan Stay
Leave Tokyo for Hakone, where the trip shifts away from the city.
Visit Owakudani, an active volcanic valley known for its steaming vents and black eggs cooked in the hot spring water. Continue to Lake Ashi, with views toward Mount Fuji when the weather cooperates, then spend time at the Hakone Open-Air Museum.
Tonight you stay at Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu. Your room has an open-air bath, giving the family a more private way to experience Japanese bathing culture.
Day 6: Travel to Kyoto and Cycle the City
Continue to Kyoto and check in at Hotel Granvia Kyoto.
Later, explore part of the city by bike with a guide. The route takes you through Gion and along the Shirakawa Canal before continuing toward the Imperial Palace and the Kamogawa River.
Cycling is a useful way to break up Kyoto sightseeing, particularly for families who do not want to spend the entire visit moving from temple to temple.
Day 7: Arashiyama and Samurai Experience
Head to Arashiyama for the morning and explore by rickshaw, passing through the bamboo area and surrounding streets before crossing the Togetsukyo Bridge.
Later, take part in a samurai sword experience. Dress in traditional clothing and learn some of the movements used in kenbu, a form of sword dance, before watching a demonstration by experienced practitioners.
It is one of the more interactive days of the trip and gives children something to do.
Day 8: Kyoto to Osaka and Food Tour
Travel from Kyoto to Osaka and check in at Zentis Osaka.
In the evening, join a private food tour. Osaka is particularly good for this because so much of the city’s food culture is informal and easy to try in small portions.
The exact stops can be adapted to the family, but the tour might include local dishes such as kushikatsu, yakitori and oden, as well as some of the city’s smaller bars and eating spots where appropriate.
Day 9: Castles & Cityscapes of Osaka
Spend your final full day exploring Osaka with a guide.
Start at Osaka Castle before heading south to Shinsekai. Try takoyaki along the way, then visit Isshinji Temple before finishing at Abeno Harukas for views across the city.
Compared with Kyoto, Osaka feels much less formal, which makes it a good place to end the trip.
Day 10: Departure from Osaka
A private transfer will take you to Kansai International Airport for your flight home.
Our Experts
Japan is often at the top of people's travel bucket-list, and for good reason. It's a country where you can find whatever it is you want, from the bustling cosmopolis of Tokyo to the luxury resort lined shores of the smaller islands.
The beauty of Japan is the amazing blend between old and new. You can enjoy the futuristic neon glow of Tokyo whilst also exploring some of the world's most culturally significant sites.
Stellar service. Stellar products. Stellar people and it gets so much better when you pick up the phone and call.
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Super client centred service. From first contact I have had warm, efficient, friendly and flexible service.
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I’m confident in giving Out Of Office a 5-star review! They are one of the leaders in this space without a doubt.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Out Of Office do?
Out Of Office is a luxury LGBTQ+ travel company specializing in tailor-made vacations and extraordinary journeys around the world. We create bespoke luxury vacations, LGBTQ+ honeymoons, safaris, cruises, beach escapes, private tours and group trips, with every itinerary designed around you. Our travel specialists combine global expertise, first-hand destination knowledge and trusted local partners to create seamless, highly personalized experiences.
Is Out Of Office a gay travel agency?
Out Of Office is an LGBTQ+ owned and run luxury travel specialist, with particular expertise in gay and LGBTQ+ travel. We understand the additional considerations that can come with traveling as an LGBTQ+ person or couple, from local laws and customs to finding genuinely welcoming hotels and experiences.
We welcome every traveler, including friends, families and allies. Many of our clients are not members of the LGBTQ+ community, but choose Out Of Office for our luxury travel expertise, personalized service and discretion.
Do you create tailor-made LGBTQ+ vacations?
Yes. Every tailor-made trip with Out Of Office is designed from scratch around your interests, travel style, budget and the way you want to experience a destination. We can arrange luxury hotels, private transfers, flights, guides, excursions, cruises and special experiences as part of one personalized itinerary. The journeys shown on our website are there to inspire you rather than restrict you; only clearly identified group departures operate as fixed itineraries.
How do you choose LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and destinations?
We combine first-hand destination knowledge with trusted local expertise to recommend luxury hotels, resorts and experiences where LGBTQ+ travelers can feel informed and welcome. We also consider the laws, customs and attitudes of each destination, because LGBTQ+ rights and experiences differ around the world. Our team regularly visit many of the properties we work with and where a destination requires greater awareness, we give you clear and considered advice so that you can make an informed decision about where and how you travel.
We plant trees for every booking
For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.
We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.
Start Planning Your Trip
Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of traveling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.
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