You should know that planning a trip to Japan is going to cost you a lot of time and money. We took two years to do a full round of the world, during which time we lived in a van with our two small children.

Despite this, planning a vacation to Japan sometimes seemed like an impossible task. The sheer number of variables, constraints, and roadblocks made it easy to feel helpless at times. Following what we believe to be a very successful first visit, we have compiled some of the best travel advice that we have learnt about Japan to assist you in organising your own once-in-a-lifetime adventure! As you choose to visit japan with family you can expect the best tips from us.

Preparation should begin as early as possible

We have visited every continent, sometimes changing hotels with just a few days’ notice, and consider ourselves to be avid explorers. Those that frequent our page regularly are already aware of this fact. I don’t foresee me doing it anytime soon in Japan. Ever. My number one piece of advice for anybody planning a trip to Japan is to give yourself as much lead time as they can reasonably manage.

It might be difficult to organise a trip to Japan because of the necessity to reserve dates and locations so far in advance. Allow yourself lots of time and try not to stress out; take things one at a time, and don’t be too disheartened if you are denied entry to a hotel or attraction. You may be certain that you will have a fantastic trip no matter what happens, and that you will most likely start planning to return while you are still there.

Think on the larger picture while planning your trip.

First and foremost in planning a holiday to Japan is determining the trip’s basic structure, such as flights and a rough concept of the sequence in which you will visit the major destinations. This post will go over many various strategies that may be used.

Choosing the Best regions

Narita and Haneda are both part of the greater Tokyo region, although Haneda is far more convenient for travellers. Kansai International Airport is the alternative option and can be reached by train from Osaka’s central station in about an hour. A family member who resides on the West Coast recently took a vacation with an open-jaw schedule that started in Osaka and finished in Haneda.

Using the Japan Rail Pass

That was smart since you avoided wasting two extra hours on the train and, depending on the details of your journey, it may have allowed you to purchase a Japan Rail Pass with a shorter validity term (more on that below). However, you should still examine your options depending on your airport and the dates you wish to travel, since we found that connections weren’t as good and the price was much more when we looked at a similar timetable.

Conclusion

The next step in planning your itinerary is figuring out the order in which you want to see Japan’s many spectacular sights. The three largest cities in Japan are Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, and Hiroshima, and most tourists spend about the same length of time in each. If you want to visit Tokyo several times (as the great majority of travellers do), you should give some attention to the order of your journey. If you’re lucky enough to have one of your flights make a stop at KIX, your schedule will almost build itself.