Japan Family Holidays

Don’t underestimate the heat! Japan is often left out of the ‘hot country’ bracket, but in the height of summer, temperatures in some parts can regularly push 40°C plus. Make sure you’re prepared, and drink plenty of water while wandering.

Japan is a wonderful place to visit all year round, and has the familiar benefit of four distinct seasons with different highlights in each. Visit in spring to see the famous sakura cherry blossom, or in autumn for the koyo leaf-falling festivals. Winter trips are crisp and cool with the possibility of snow, while hot summer visits fill up Kyushu’s southern beaches.

Having our experienced, knowledgeable and welcoming local guides on hand during your trip can be invaluable. They’ll meet you upon arrival, and can help make everything go as smoothly as possible. In Japan, much of your trip will be self-guided, thanks to the country’s fantastically smooth transport and infrastructure, with guides on-hand as much or as little as you like in each destination. We pride ourselves on using only the best guides in a given region and all our guides are trained to the highest level, and fully certified and licensed.

Japan is one of Asia’s most up-and-coming destinations for family holidays, and has a comforting familiarity to many aspects of daily life. It combines a warm welcome with an efficient infrastructure and seamlessly-smooth travel, making family holidays a breeze. It’s a safe, supportive and reassuring destination with plenty of kid-focused culture. Within that seeming familiarity, however, some things will still feel strikingly different from what you’re used to, as in every new destination. If you’re unsure of anything at any time, our guides and local contacts are always on hand to offer help and advice.

When planning a trip to Asia, it’s important to consider the possible requirements for vaccinations and immunisations. Most importantly, we stress that you should contact your doctor or medical practitioner well before you depart to get their advice on any vaccinations you may need for your trip. If you’ve travelled recently and believe that you are already up-to-date, it’s still worth checking as vaccinations have a varying life span. It’s always worth checking out the NHS Travel Vaccinations site for extra health travel information.

Citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and most European countries do not require a visa to visit Japan for up to 90 days. Notable exceptions are citizens from Russia, China and the Philippines who have to apply for a visa directly with the Japanese Embassy in their country of residence. All other nationalities should check with the Japanese Embassy in their country of residence for the most up-to-date information.

Just the essentials! On the whole, Japan is a surprisingly casual nation. Smart business suits aside, formal dress isn’t very common in everyday circumstances, and there’s not usually a need to ‘dress for dinner’. Make sure you take appropriate clothing for the season, though, as temperatures can vary hugely depending on the time of year you travel; think scarves and thermals for winter, loose cottons and sun hats for summer. As you might expect, you can buy more or less everything you might need in Japan, so if you forget something it’s not usually a problem. Many areas do have midges and mosquitoes during the summer, so make sure you take a good repellent. If you’re travelling with tinies, consider taking a really good baby carrier, as push-chairs might be a pain to get around with.

Japan is, perhaps surprisingly, still a cash-dependent society and some shops and restaurants do not accept debit and credit cards. Therefore you’ll need to carry some Japanese Yen whilst visiting Japan. It is possible to obtain Yen in advance of your arrival but ATM machines are widely available throughout the country. It is also possible to exchange US dollars, GB pounds and Euros cash upon arrival at the airport.