Out of all the trips I have planned for 2017, there is one I most look forward to – my first trip to Kyoto! After waiting for the past 10 months, the trip is finally here, less than two weeks away. There will be a lot of first-time experiences on this trip and I am so excited!
First trip to Kyoto
I went to Japan for the first time in April 2014, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! I spent five days in Tokyo with my brother. We visited many temples and parks, Â enjoyed the incredible cherry blossom scenery everywhere. The city was so clean, everyone was so nice, the subways and trains were so easy, and the food was just so delicious! I fell in love with Japan and I have been wanting to go back ever since! But I always knew that the next destination in Japan must be Kyoto.
First time flying Japan Airlines
I love flying Asian airlines (well excluding those from Mainland China). I have flown first class on Cathay Pacific and business class on several airlines, but I have yet to fly Japan Airline. I heard JAL has a fantastic premium cabins. I will be flying their business class SkySuites on Boeing 777-300ER.  I am really looking forward to my first JAL flight! I loved the food on my ANA flight to Tokyo last time, I can’t wait to see what JAL serves.
Dan and his wife flew JAL first class from Chicago to Tokyo last year. A first class award seat actually popped up yesterday for my exact flight. But since I don’t drink and I am not six-feet tall, business class seat is usually enough for me. The first class seat came and disappeared, only to reappeared few days later and stayed there for another week. I felt like it was calling my name, so I decided to splurge and called AA to upgrade my seat. I am so excited to try out JAL first class!
My daughter’s first trip to Japan
Two years ago, I took my middle daughter to Taiwan and China during Chinese New Year when she was in 6th grade. To this date, she still talks about her first Chinese Lunar New Year experience thanks to the big mother-daughter trip I took her on.
This year my youngest daughter is in 6th grade and it is her turn for the big mother-daughter trip. When I told her 10 months ago that we would be going to Japan, she was ecstatic! She loves Japanese food especially ramen noodles! She could eat them every meal every day and she wouldn’t complain! I can’t wait to see the big smiles on her face.
First overseas trip with my best friend
Besides my daughter, I am also traveling with my best friend Laurie and her younger son. Back in the college days, we loved going places. But during the past 15 years, we had been so busy raising our own kids that we don’t see each other often although we only live 30 minutes apart. It wasn’t until about two years ago we started talking about taking trips again. This will be our first oversea trip together. We are so looking forward to spend time together just like the good old days (when we were single and kid free, you know. 🙂 )
Things to do in Kyoto and Osaka for Kids
Kyoto is known for its countless temples and shrines, but we most likely only visit a few. Because we are traveling with two 10 and 11 year old kids, our activities will be tailored to them as much as to us adults. So far on our list to do inside Kyoto include visiting:
- Fushimi Inari Shrine for the ultimate toriii gate experience;
- Arashiyama bamboo grove and nearby Tenryuji Temple, along with a famous vegetarian lunch at Shigetsu Restaurant.
- Nishiki market to explore the variety of culinary delights that Kyoto is famous for;
- Gion district for geisha sighting;
- Higashiyama District to walk the narrow historical street;
- Kyoto station and aquarium (our Kyoto hotel actually locates directly above the station).
Perhaps the one thing we all most look forward to is a day trip to Nara and feed deers in Nara park, an experience we unlikely forget.  We are spending two nights in Kyoto and five nights in Osaka, but the two cities are only a short train ride from each other. Besides the aquarium in Osaka, I haven’t done much research about activities for kids to do in Osaka.
Have you been to Kyoto and Osaka, especially with kids? If so, do you have any recommendations for my first trip to Kyoto?
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Love love love Kyoto. I found there isn’t that much in Osaka for kids. If I had to do it over again I would spend more time in Kyoto than Osaka. The aquarium is great but I found it to be more of a big city. You can do a little boat trip up and down the river, but it’s short and not very interesting. Mostly wandering the outdoor covered malls. A side trip to Mijjayama island would be recommended for kids. Cute town, deer roaming freely, a cable car and of course the Tori gate you can walk to at low tide.
In kyoto the temple of 1000 statues is actually an awesome visit, even our cab driver said “it makes his heart happy”. One block from the Hyatt. Have fun
I want to visit Mijjayama island but everything I read said it is better to stay overnight nearby. I may have to leave it for next trip. Thanks for the tip of temple of 1000 statues. I will add that to the list.
We were in Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka with our 4 daughters last June for an all too brief visit. In addition to the bamboo grove at Arashiyama, we climbed “monkey mountain”, both a very nice hike and a chance to visit the monkeys where they are free to roam where they choose. Also, a must for any ramen fan is Menbakaichidai, fire ramen. We enjoyed the ramen, but what really makes it special is the experience and the people who run it. All sorts of fun and right near Nijojocho, so if there is a wait, you can pick up a number and visit the castle in the meantime, although when we were there, we were able to be seated for fire ramen for all 7 of us including our guide right away.
Sorry, one more note. The bowing deer at Nara, for us, were a bit of a disappointment. Probably the one thing in our whole trip to Japan that we probably would have skipped and done something else with our day. The deer can be pretty mean, pushing and nipping at you to get their “cookies”. When you go, wear loose clothing. My wife was wearing tight clothes and when they nipped at her clothing, they were biting her.
Japanese deer are not nearly as polite as Japanese people!
Thanks for the tip about the monkeys! My daughter said maybe she would not feed them! lol. I actually read about Menbakaichidai on Tripadvisor and had it on the list of places to eat! Will have to see how to fit that in. I begin to feel like I do nothing but eat in Kyoto. 😉
I HIGHLY recommend taking the kids to the Monkey Park, as it is awesome. If you are up for it, biking there is easy / fun too. The Deer at Nara are a bit aggressive but most of them are pretty chill… we fed them an apple and it was fun. The largest temple there is astounding.
Looks like I have to go see the monkeys! several readers recommended it too. Thanks.
Was just wondering if you managed to get all free tickets using AA miles on JAL Business class. If so did you use the ba.com website?
Yes we did, it was 60K per person one-way in business class. You can check JAL availability on both BA.com and Alaska website. Here’s a new post I just wrote this morning and you might find it useful.https://www.pointswithacrew.com/best-routes-cheapest-miles-japan-mainland-u-s/
For Osaka, try and ride the ferris wheels in front of the Kaiyukan or Aquarium and the one on top and of the Hep 5 mall in Osaka Station. Great views of the city scape.
There is also a smaller but equally nice aquarium in Kyoto. How about a green tea ceremony? My 5 year old actually sat still for this lovely experience. There are shops that offer this in both Osaka and in Kyoto, there is one along the picturesque street of Ninnenzaka.
As to the deer in Nara, be careful some of them can be pretty aggressive specially when they smell food on you. There are warning signs about the deer. To feed them, buy the deer biscuits sold throughout the park which they love.
In Kyoto station, on the 9th floor is a place called Ramen Alley where they have 9 of the some of the best ramen from around Japan.
My bias is for Kyoto — I would recommend more than 2 nights here. Aside from Fushimi Inari, you must see Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Kiyomizudera, although it is undergoing renovation now.
Enjoy!
Oh I will have to check out green tea ceremony! Thanks for the tip! I know very well from the beginning of planning this trip that I should spend more nights in Kyoto. But the whole trip was booked because I booked 5 nights at St Regis Osaka for 12,000 points per night (and 5th night free) prior to the last year’s SPG devaluation. It has two double beds that fits 2 adults and 2 kids. Most hotels in Kyoto don’t fit 4 in one room or without additional charges. I figure we would just train back and forth between Osaka and Kyoto.
My daughter lived in Kyoto for a year when she spent her junior year there. Then she lived and worked in Japan for three years after she graduated. Her last two years were in Osaka. We visited 3 times. I LOVE Japan.
I agree with the other advice about more nights in Kyoto than Osaka… unless you are getting JR train passes. The Shinkansen takes 10 minutes between Osaka and Kyoto. With a train pass, you can get to Nara (I agree to be careful of the deer. They can be nasty. One gored my husband and ripped his shirt), Himeji for a spectacular castle and Hiroshima/Miyajima. If you are flying into Tokyo and taking the train to Kyoto, a JR pass really makes sense.
We stayed at the Westin in Osaka. It is an easy walk to one of the two main train stations (which are 5 minutes train ride apart).
You might also make arrangements with tourist offices to arrange for a local guide or two. They are free, but it is polite to buy them lunch. They are usually college students who want to improve their English.
Have a great time!!!
I am not sure I can buy the JR pass after arriving in Japan? There are so many different ones that they are quite confusing! I am leaning towards either the JR Kasai Wide Area pass (but it is for 5 days) or the ICOCA & Haruka pass which is IC card but offers no discount. When I went to Tokyo last time, we purchased SUICA card which was really convenient!
Kyoto was definitely one of our favorite stops in Japan. I highly recommend the Arashyama monkey park as well, but just know that it’s a 15-20 min fairly steep hike up the hill to get to the monkeys! Totally worth it, but I would’ve worn different shoes had I known. Also in Kyoto, pretty much my favorite place we ate in all of Japan was this tiny, tiny little (literal) hole-in-the-wall place with maybe 8 seats called Yakitori Daikichi Nijo – about a block away from Nijo castle. It’s tiny and hard to find, but you’ll see a few red paper lanterns outside. It’s on the north west corner of the roads marked 37 & 38 on google maps, diagonally opposite a 7-11. You can’t really see that there’s a door, but there is a sliding opening. It was the most amazing yakitori and such fantastic service… we ended up eating there twice in three days! Hope you check it out. Would love to hear whether you found it, if you do! Have a great trip!!
I found the restaurant on google map! Is it this place?http://www.daikichi.co.jp/ My friend who live in Tokyo is joining us for a weekend in Kyoto and she speaks Japanese! As long as we can fit it into the schedule, we will find it! Sounds like the perfect place for lunch after a visit to Nijo castle in the morning.
Yeah, that looks like it could be it! The pics look a little more glamorous than I remember, hee hee, but it looks like the right food! We tried to find any info about it online while we were there, but we were having trouble using data on our phones, even though we bought a local data plan. Anyway, we found it by following the smell of our noses, and man, was it good… You are in for such a fun trip!!
I have enjoyed reading your plans and the great tips from commenters, as Japan us on my “must see” list.
But I’m moved to comment because of your title and the perspective it offers. I came to world travel (and miles and points) relatively late in life (mid-fifties). As such, I have 2 related bad habits I have developed.
The first is the typical American fault — I figure “as long as I’m in X, I should see Y and Z.” This can be singapore and hong kong, bali, or vienna, salzberg, frankfurt. In any event, it makes for some exhausting travel and too much time packing and changing hotels.
The second problem I have, which you clearly do not have, is thinking every trip to a place is my last. The very concept of my FIRST trip anywhere sounds like a young person’s perspective, but I am going to try to adopt it. I may well die with a long list of wonderful places I didn’t return to, but it’s better than a lifetime of trying to cram everything into one trip. Thanks for a fresh new perspective on travel. From now on my trips will be “my first visit to . . .!”
We didn’t start traveling heavily until about 5 years ago, pretty much when I started seriously collecting miles and points. Over the past 15 years, I have learned from my husband and 3 daughters not to squeeze every minute in on our trips! When one is tired and therefore cranky, it makes everyone miserable if we don’t stop. 😉 We balance our trips between sightseeing and relaxing, enjoy the local culture and most importantly enjoy each other’s company and building memories. The sights and scenery that we don’t get to see will most likely still be there when we come back on the next trip. It is a motivation to keep the mile collecting hobby going! For this reason I have never booked a 23 hour layover in one city just to see a couple sites. Memories are best made when we enjoy ourselves without being exhausted.
MBH – I definitely have that first problem. There’s just so many things I want to see that whenever I’m anywhere in the area I think MAN I gotta go see X ,Y and Z… 🙂
Definitely do not miss eating at Dotonbori! Our favorites were the ramen at Ichiran Ramen and the okonomiyaki at Mizuno! Also if possible, visit Fushimi Inari early in the morning. It gets really crowded later in the day.
Thank you for the tip!
We just did this with a 1 year old and a 2 year old.
Small tip for sanity – skip the JR. It gets pretty crowded and the stations aren’t always easy to navigate with strollers and suitcases.
Instead I recommend flying to ITM and using MK shuttle to take you to the hotel. It will cost about $35 + 4500 British Airways points – which in my mind is a bargain. (And a bit less than JR train + taxi’s, etc.)
It also helps if you are either going to NRT on your way back or coming straight from NRT.
JAL is great. Collect the toys and don’t forget to try all the flavors of sky ramen. 🙂
One final note – don’t forget the sunsets. Typical tourist itineraries are all about going to all the sites – which – since they are close together – is pretty easy – but going to any of the temples at sunset is an experience on its own so try to make sure you take advantage of that!
We are flying through HND and connecting to KIX on the way there and returning from ITM. We will get a taste of both airports in Osaka. I don’t think my hotel in Osaka is a stop for airport limousines bus. Luckily our kids are 10 and 11 and way pass the stroller age!
I believe you can use MK Shuttle for both airports.
http://www.mktaxi-japan.com/kyotoshuttle
I hear they get very full on-season but the shuttle was empty when I used it a few weeks ago.
Thanks for sharing the link. We will probably just take JR from KIX to Kyoto, it might be faster. On the way back we will have to find a taxi or other ride from St Regis Osaka to ITM.
I grew up in Kyoto and though I live in the US now, I visit Kyoto fairly often. Here are my tips:
1. Kansai vs. Itami Airports-doesn’t really matter…just pick the flights with the best price/itinerary. From Kansai, take JR Haruka. When I do this, I usually buy Haruka-ICOCA, which is a good deal. Also, it is so much easier to use an IC card when taking Kyoto subway/busses. From Itami, you can take either the airport bus (to JR Kyoto Station) or MK Skygate Shuttle (anywhere in the city). You pick bus vs MK shuttle based on where your final Kyoto destination is. If the hotel is near JR station, bus is easier. If the hotel is far from JR station or more importantly, from from a subway station, I would do the MK shuttle.
2. Where to stay in Kyoto: This is a personal decision. However, we usually stay in central downtown Kyoto, since then things are easy walking distance from everything. I especially like neighborhoods between Karasuma and Kawaramachi, south of Oike and North of Shijo. There are tons of hotels in this neighborhoods, and a bunch of restaurants/shopping are nearby. I’m not a big fan of staying near JR Kyoto Station.
3. Staying in Osaka to visit Kyoto: I don’t recommend it. You would end up spending your precious time in JR train stations and in transit instead of actually visiting Kyoto. Obviously, there are sights in Osaka that’s worth visiting (Osaka Castle, Aquarium, Tsutenkaku, etc.).
4. JR Passes: only a good deal if you plan on taking a lot of shinkansen rides around the country. If you are going to be in one region, it’s a waste of your money.
5. Transit in Kyoto: Subway and bus are the primary public transport options within Kyoto. JR trains don’t really serve within the city. They are more for travel to other cities (like Osaka or Tokyo). So, I would think Haruka-ICOCA is a good investment. Also there are bus-only or subway plus bus passes that can be purchased in Kyoto. I have used them often.
Thank you for taking the time to write such helpful tip! I think we might take the MK shuttle, and I do plan to get a ICOCA card because it is just so convenient having an IC card to ride the train (like the SUICA card in Tokyo). Thanks again.
Are you already aware of the Osaka Amazing pass? It is a transportation pass for using in Osaka and with free entrance to many facilities.
http://www.osaka-info.jp/osp/en/facility/free.php
Also check out the website klook travel (https://www.klook.com/), where you can prebook and pick up on the airport, you will save a lot time for lining up.
No I didn’t know. Thanks for the tip and I will check it out.
In Osaka…
First of all, get the Amazing Pass. It will save you money.
Well, you can take a day trip to Himeji. Should cost you 2900 yen per person for a same day return limited express, and will take you about an hour and 20 minutes to get to the Himeji. Admission to Himejijo (castle) is 1000 yen.
Himejijo is amazing. Don’t miss the side gallery with the small museum. While there, might as well visit the zoo.
You could go to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. It’s really good, although getting there by subway is a bit long and awkward. On my personal list, it’s better then Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and slightly below Monterrey Bay aquarium. If the weather cooperates, you might want to take a trip on Santa Maria around Osaka bay. But if it’s cold, prolly not the best idea. Stick to the Ferris wheel instead.
Universal Studios Japan is there as well. While fun, you probably don’t have the time.
If you go to see Himeji castle, visiting Osaka one will probably be underwhelming. For one, Osakajo has elevators. But it was featured in the recent historical drama “Sanada Maru”, so there was another surge of popularity.
Go (window) shopping somewhere, like Tennoji MIO, or heck, even BIC Camera in Namba.
Take selfie in front of Glico running man. Eat at Dottonbori.
You may want to look into Kansai Thru Pass, especially if you are shuttling between Osaka and Kyoto.