Our Two-Week Japan Itinerary With Teens

Hey there! Planning a trip to Japan? Wondering where you should go and what you should do?

I know exactly how you feel.

My family visited Japan in June 2023. My teens were ages 16 and 19. There was SO MUCH we wanted to do and SO MANY details to figure out that we first felt overwhelmed.

We flew in and out of Tokyo. After researching some options, we decided on Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. We focused on each city's highlights and the activities my family would enjoy most.

This itinerary is filled with fun activities for teens. My daughter took charge of the first draft, and my husband and I refined it. Then we made changes during the trip when we needed to. This itinerary is what we did – not what we planned. Use our itinerary as the starting point for YOUR perfect Japan itinerary!

CLICK HERE to get the printable itinerary that I used on our trip.

Check out these articles too: 12 Tips for Your First Trip to Japan and What Does a Trip to Japan Cost.

Here's our two-week Japan itinerary, with tips for making the most of your trip.

Day 1 – Tokyo

Arrive at Haneda Airport. We arrived in the afternoon. There were a few things we had to do before we left the airport, including:
- Customs. I recommend that you do this in advance online at https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp
- Pick up our Japan Wireless portable Wifi device at the airport. Get more tips for staying connected in Japan here.
- Exchange JR voucher or buy JR (Japan Rail) Pass at the airport office. We waited in a long, hot line for this and could have done it later at any JR train station, so this is optional if you don't need to ride a JR train immediately.
- Buy a Suica Card (or other transportation card) at an airport machine to take the train from the airport. Public transportation worked well for us. The train is clean, safe, and efficient in Japan. Google Maps helped us find the most efficient and least expensive routes.
Check in to JR East Hotel Mets Tokyo Bay Shinkiba. We chose this hotel because it was two train stops from Tokyo Disneyland, had easy access to the rest of Tokyo, and was moderately priced. We got 2 rooms for our family of four.
By the time we had done all that, plus the time difference, we were EXHAUSTED. We grabbed dinner from a convenience store and spent the evening settling in at our hotel. FamilyMart, 7-11, and Lawson's convenience stores are everywhere in Japan. They are perfect for quick, inexpensive meals.

Related: Tips for Dealing With Jet Lag

Day 2 – Tokyo

Toyosu or Tsukiji Fish Markets – Jet lag woke us up early, and Tokyo's famous fish markets are at their best in the early morning. We chose Tsukiji, but Toyosu is newer. Eat breakfast here at one (or more) of the food stalls.
TeamLab Planets – This interactive, photo-friendly museum is fun for kids and teens. It's popular, and reservations were required at the time of our visit. Wear short or loose pants. One exhibit requires you to walk through water up to your knees.
Hachi Statue and Shibuya Crossing – The Hachiko Statue is a famous Tokyo landmark, and Shibuya Crossing is one of the busiest and most famous intersections in the world. Both are just outside Shibuya Station. We traveled by train from TeamLab Planets to Shibuya.
Lunch at Gusto Cafe – This family-friendly chain restaurant overlooks Shibuya Crossing. The food was so-so (it reminded me of Denny's), but everyone in my picky family found something they liked. Bonus: You order on an iPad and a robot brings your food.
Shopping in Shibuya – If you like to shop, there are a lot of familiar and new (to us) stores in the malls surrounding Shibuya Crossing.
Meiji-Jinko Shrine and Yoyagi Park – This lovely and historic shrine is in Yoyagi Park, not far from Shibuya. We took the bus to Yoyagi Park.
Takeshita Dori – This narrow, crowded shopping street is in the heart of the Harajuku neighborhood, and it's fun to wander down it. We stopped at Marion Crepes for a delicious snack.
We headed back to the hotel early due to a minor injury. Otherwise, we would have enjoyed one of the many restaurants in Harajuku for dinner.

Days 3 and 4 – Tokyo

Tokyo Disneyland Resort – We spent two precious days at Tokyo Disneyland Resort – one at Disneyland and one at Disney Sea. It was SO FUN and I highly recommend it if you love Disney parks. Bonus: Tokyo Disneyland Resort was about half the price of Disneyland or Walt Disney World at the time of our visit. Be sure to read all my tips for visiting Tokyo Disney Resort.

Day 5 – Tokyo

Check out of the Shinkiba Hotel. We wanted to move to a neighborhood with more personality after our Disneyland days.
Check in to Richmond Hotel Premier Asakusa International. This hotel was more centrally located in Asakusa – a historic part of Tokyo. We loved this location, and this was our favorite hotel. The only downside was that it was less convenient to public transportation. Once we had stashed our bags, we started exploring our new neighborhood, including:
- Senso-ji Shrine – one of the most popular and colorful shrines in Tokyo. It was practically next door to our hotel.
- Nakamise Dori – shopping at small street stalls around Senso-ji
- Shopping at Don Quijote – this is a chain department store in Japan. It's a great place to stock up on inexpensive snacks and souvenirs. Imagine EVERY flavor of Kit Kat…
We left for the Ghibli Museum 2 hours before our 4 PM reservation. It's located just outside Tokyo. It's not hard to reach, but it takes time to get there and you can't be late!
Ghibli Museum – We love Studio Ghibli movies and were lucky to get tickets to this popular and whimsical museum. Reservations sold out in minutes, and we didn't get our first choice of date or time. We enjoyed it, but it's a small museum in a somewhat inconvenient location. Unless you are a huge Ghibli fan, don't worry if you miss this one.

Day 6 – Tokyo

Shopping in Asakusa, the neighborhood around our hotel. More Don Quijote!
Conveyor Belt Sushi at Kura Flagship in Asakusa. This is a chain restaurant, but we had never done conveyor belt sushi before. It was a lot of fun!
Yayoi Kusama Museum – Modern art museum in Shinjuku. It's a popular and acclaimed museum, but small and not near other attractions. My family likes modern art, but we didn't think this museum was worth getting a reservation and going out of your way unless you love Yayoi Kusama.
Shinjuku sightseeing – Bright colors, flashing lights, Godzilla statue on the roof… that's the Shinjuku neighborhood of Tokyo. It's an iconic Tokyo neighborhood, and it was fun to spend an hour or two in the afternoon here.
We took the train to Tokyo Skytree, where we had an evening reservation
Tokyo Skytree – There are two or three tall towers where you can see all of Tokyo. This is the one that we chose. Our reservation got us right in, and it was fun to walk around and see the twinkling lights of Tokyo in every direction. Make reservations in advance online. Skytree is built on a sleek mall with plenty of familiar brands.

Day 7 – Hiroshima

Travel to Hiroshima on Shinkansen (bullet train/JR Pass). 4-5 hours. We made reservations at a train station kiosk a day or two in advance to be sure we all got seats together.
Check in to Capsule Hotel CUBE. A capsule hotel is a uniquely Japanese experience, and we are glad we did it for one night. CUBE has a walkable downtown location. Ages 16+ only. Men and women are on different floors. Great price. The beds were not very comfortable, but our teens didn't notice.
Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park – There was one building left standing after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and the Atomic Bomb Dome still stands as a reminder of that day. The Peace Memorial Park is a beautiful public park. The museum was well done and worthwhile, but sobering.
Dinner at Okonomiyaki Village – This was one of our favorite meals of the trip, especially for my son, who didn't often find good vegetarian food in Japan. Imagine three floors of stalls, all serving okonomiyaki. It's a pancake piled with meat, eggs, vegetables, and other toppings. It was easy to customize for individual preferences, and we were lucky to pick a stall where our server spoke fluent English.

Day 8 – Hiroshima

We checked out of the capsule hotel and stored our luggage in lockers at the train station. From there, we took the train to Miyajima Island.
Train and ferry to Miyajima Island. Both the train and ferry were included with our JR Pass.
Floating Torii Gate – a 10-minute walk from the ferry. May be underwater or not, depending on the tides. We did not pay to go inside the Itsukushima Shrine.
Daisho-in Temple – We meant to go to this one, but I think we saw Daigan-ji. It's smaller, closer to the Torii Gate, and also lovely.
Shopping and Street Food on Miyajima Omotesando – If you like oysters, this is a good place for them. We ate lunch here.
Wild Deer – These animals wander all over near the ferry. They are cute but can be a little aggressive.
Ferry/Train back to the Hiroshima train station
Travel by Shinkansen (bullet train/JR Pass) to Kyoto – about 1 hour 40 minutes
Public transit to Ranzan hotel – this was a ryokan in Arashiyama. We had the option of a traditional Japanese room with futons on the floor or a Western-style room. We chose the traditional Japanese room with a gorgeous garden view.

Day 9 – Kyoto

Iwatayama Monkey Park – I skipped this one because of the steep uphill hike, but my husband and kids enjoyed seeing monkeys in the wild. It was just across the famous Togetsu-kyo Bridge from our hotel.
Tenryu-ji – this lovely Buddhist temple was next to our hotel.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest – accessible from several points in Arashiyama. We entered near Tenryu-ji. It gets crowded. My husband and daughter returned early on our last morning to get photos without other people. Walk through as much of it as you like.
Lunch in Arashiyama – there are lots of fun places here, and most of them close before dinner. Most people only take a day trip to the Arashiyama neighborhood. Since we stayed here, it was easy to beat the crowds, but tricky to find a restaurant for dinner.
Public transit to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Palace) – one of the top sights in Kyoto
Ryoan-ji Temple – Walk from Kinkaku-ji for a famous rock garden. Uncrowded and peaceful by comparison. I loved just sitting quietly here.

Day 10 – Kyoto

Fushimi Inari – Famous red Torii gates. We arrived early to avoid the crowds and are glad we did. Hike up as far as you want. I sat on a bench near some shops up the hill where the gates started to thin and waited while my family hiked farther up. It was an excellent spot for people-watching.
Nijo Castle – Historic Imperial Palace
Lunch at Menbaka – a short walk from Nijo Castle. FUN ramen restaurant with a vegetarian set menu option. Expect a wait.
Higashiyama District/Kiyomizu-dera Temple – winding streets with traditional shops and famous temples. This neighborhood is a must if you visit Kyoto.
Gion neighborhood – Historic geisha district. It's easily walkable from Higashiyama
Nishiki Market – food stalls and shopping in downtown Kyoto. This is a few blocks from Highashiyama and Gion.

Day 11 – Kyoto

Scenic train trip from Arashiyama to Kameoka – My son refused to visit any more shrines and temples. I couldn't blame him. This scenic train trip winds through forested mountains to the small town of Kameoka. I'm glad we did it. We just wandered near the station (there isn't much nearby) and returned on the next train.
Karaoke! This was the perfect alternative to shrines and temples. It was inexpensive to get a karaoke booth midday in downtown Kyoto.
Shopping/Nishiki Market in downtown Kyoto – We were too tired to enjoy these places the first time, so we returned. I'm glad we did because they were fun this time!
Gion/Dinner in Pontocho Alley – This historic alley is chock-full of restaurants and character. Do some online restaurant research in advance because there are a lot to choose from.

Day 12 – Kyoto to Tokyo

Our last day was a travel day, the longest Friday of our lives. We woke up in Kyoto and traveled to Tokyo by train. We left Tokyo in the afternoon and landed in Los Angeles several hours earlier ON THE SAME DAY. Then we sat around LAX a few more hours before our flight home to Salt Lake City. We were exhausted.

I usually build in a day or two to rest after all our trips. It's the vacation from the vacation that we need.

Alternate/Additional Activities

We walked 15,000-20,000 steps per day and were worn out by the end. But the pace and variety of activities fit our family's personality and goals.

If we had more time or were to do a couple of things differently, here are some activities we considered, but didn't do.

Tokyo

Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station neighborhood
Dinner or karaoke in Roppongi neighborhood
Shopping/sightseeing in Akihabara neighborhood
Ueno Park
Tokyo National Museum

Kyoto

Day trip to Nara
Philosopher's Path – more shrines and temples

Osaka

This is a city we would have loved to visit! Next time…

Conclusion

Japan was a dream trip! Honestly, it wasn't my dream before we went, and I felt sleep-deprived and a little overwhelmed during most of it. But as I reflect on all the beautiful and interesting places we visited there, I long to return. It's one of my favorite trips.

I hope our experience helps your family plan a great trip to Japan!

Happy travels!

Allison

Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of two children, ages 17 and 20, living near Salt Lake City, Utah. We took our first child on a two-week road trip when she was four weeks old and we have been traveling as a family ever since. We love to get out of the house to see and do fun things, both far away and in our own neighborhood.