Japan Package for Family of Four- April 2026

Sunny10 on 17/07/2025 - 22:11
Last edited 17/07/2025 - 22:57 by 1 other user

Hello everyone, I am planning first ever family trip to Japan next year April during school holidays. May 8-10 days max. We are family of four, two adults and two children's.

I don't know where to start from TBH. Is it good to book a package from a travel agent or book individually the flights and hotels? There are not many flights from Adelaide. Also, where to go in Japan first- NRT or HND? I am sorry, no idea how to book the package and whether I get any deals on flights etc?

Does anyone have any tips, advice please?

Thank you.

Travel Asia Japan

Comments

  • jv on 17/07/2025 - 22:21

    during school holidays.

    $$$$$$$$$

  • jv on 17/07/2025 - 22:22
    -2

    2A and 2C

    What if a really large person books 2B ??

    jv on 17/07/2025 - 22:22 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • HamBoi69 on 17/07/2025 - 22:28

      Or they have 2B between now and then…..

    • Baysew on 17/07/2025 - 22:44

      2B or not 2B that is not the question.

    • AustriaBargain on 17/07/2025 - 22:52

      Just ask someone to switch.

      • jv on 17/07/2025 - 22:56
        -2

        Will wait for the youtube video…

  • boomramada on 17/07/2025 - 23:02
    +2

    There are plenty of threads regards travelling in Japan online, if you still struggling, time for travel agent.

  • scrimshaw on 17/07/2025 - 23:10
    +7

    I have a feeling most Ozbargainers are against travel / holiday packages and prefer to do it DIY. That's what I personally would recommend to (if you're trying to save money).

    I recommend going to Japan Travel Tips subreddit or Japan Travel for itinery ideas. If you want to go the easy route just copy and paste someone else's travel plans and modify it as needed. Don't try and do too many things in one day though.

    Also, where to go in Japan first- NRT or HND?

    NRT and HND are both airports in the Tokyo region. Narita Airport is 60 Kilometers outside of Central Tokyo, and while there is an international airport there that specific region is not particularly touristy, so most travellers who fly into NRT will usually take an express train (Skyliner) or a bus into central tokyo for accomodation (where all the fun stuff is). Expect that trip to take around 50 minutes plus.

    Haneda is closer to the city centre so if you fly in there you are already quite close to Shinjuku — which is around 40 minutes by a limousine bus.

    As to the best places to stay — so long as you're close to a train station you're gravy. Many people opt for stations along the Yamanote Line because it's a circular loop and it covers all of the biggest stations / interchanges in Tokyo.

    For a family of four I recommend not getting a hotel but rather stay in a serviced apartment. It's usually a little cheaper, the rooms are bigger, & you get your own washing machine and enough space to air-dry your clothing (if you have clothes that can't be tumble dried). In hotels, laundry machines are coin operated and you might have to wait your turn if they're in use.

    If you are interested in the Golden Route — basically a trip that takes you from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, then you might want to fly open jaw. Basically fly in to Tokyo, but fly out from Osaka KIX airport.
    That saves you from having to spend hundreds of dollars on a Shinkansen back to Tokyo to catch a flight.

    Don't put too much effort into researching JR Passes or Subway passes — they used to be good, now no longer. The vast majority of them don't save you money, you'd have to squeeze in an unrealistic number of train trips within their validity period to break even. The first thing you do when you land is to just grab an IC card for each person. Apple Users can add IC cards to their digital wallet.

  • Benoffie on 17/07/2025 - 23:58
    +3

    Being in Adelaide myself and having relatively recently gone with a teen, I'll share my thoughts.

    • peak travel time on both ends. Consider applying for a school exemption to take kids out sooner to also try and get cheaper fares in March. As a teacher, unless it's SACE, no one will care.

    • we stayed in Azabu on the Toei red line and whilst the area was great, it was expensive. I would stay next time around the Shimbashi station area due to the local line connections.

    • we saw no value in JR. The price now is ridiculous for short-term stays. Better off making smarter local subway choices.

    • in terms of airport, HND is preferable and easier, NRT is a pita. SIA flies between both depending on schedule.

    • currently, from ADL, there's generally cheaper flights to Osaka and Fukuoka. If flying into KIX, you can take the kids to Universal, do the Castles, then move onto Kyoto. I would say, depending on ages, 3-4 days in each place.

    • in Kyoto, stay as close to the central train station as possible. The hop on/off tourist bus is great bang for buck if you start early or buy a 2 day pass.

    • getting to places like Ghibli theme park in Nagoya is a pita and requires local bus and Japanese

    • consider a travel agent. Honestly, they get as good, if not better pricing now as theyre running through the same online portals as consumers

  • cashless on 18/07/2025 - 08:30
    +2

    two children's

    Two children's what? Toys? Devices? Luggage?

  • TheBilly on 18/07/2025 - 08:32
    -2

    Consider going to China.

    It's way cheaper and extremely fun.

    People are so nice, food is wonderful, everything is so cheap to do and buy.

    I remember in shanghai I was catching Didi=Uber like 10-12 times a day at a rate of like $3-$6 per trip.

    From what I have heard about Japan (I have never been) you have to catch a train everywhere as taxis are super expensive and you have to WALK ALOT.

    When you have a family with kids, on a holiday movement and logistics between attractions and destinations is a very big deal.

    I have young children so you may start the day with a plan and head out somewhere and catastrophe strikes.

    • Tantrum
    • Nappy
    • Hunger
    • Whatever

    If you were in Japan you would then have to find a spot to deal with it or walk all the way back to the hotel and catch a train / bus or spend $50 on a taxi.

    In China I was literally catching Didi to just go get lunch from a restaurant and bring it back to the hotel or go buy a coffee.

    We would head out for an activity and the kids would get tired half way so we just Didi back for a few bucks and then rest in the hotel.

    When you are only spending $3 to $5 for a Didi you don't care about anything and excessive planning which is a big mental relief.

    This flexibility really changes your relaxed mindset on a holiday.

    Nothing is a problem, you can buy your way out of every situation because everything is so cheap.

    I spent about:

    $650 on return flights per person
    $70 -$140 on accommodation per night
    Then food, shopping, ubers is entirely up to you

    • bigbadaboom on 21/07/2025 - 15:12
      +3

      comparing a trip to China vs Japan is a stretch tbh… on any metic except "cheap".

      • TheBilly on 22/07/2025 - 17:51
        -2

        Fair call…I haven't been to Japan so you may be right if you've been to both… But China was impressive. I've been to other countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea… I don't see what would be exceptionally different about Japan but maybe there is that truly unique different experience that makes it stand above everywhere else and is worth triple the cost?

  • djkelly69 on 18/07/2025 - 12:20

    Given it sounds like you are pretty early in your research, just be aware April is one of the busiest (if not the busiest) times in Japan.

    But the weather is a lot better then than the July school hols, so something to weigh up I guess.

  • anfs on 18/07/2025 - 12:57
    +1

    Consider using AI like chatgpt to get started. It can plan itineraries by day, tell you which place needs to prebook and you can ask it for more details or change itinerary to focus more on specific things you want to do. If there's anything important always do extra research to confirm. Here's an example (I won't copy and paste the whole reply):

    "Make me a two week plan for Japan from Osaka to Tokyo and which hotels are recommended each night"

    Here’s a detailed 2-week Japan itinerary from Osaka to Tokyo, balancing culture, nature, cities, and relaxation. It includes daily destinations, key activities, and recommended hotels. Let me know your budget or preferences (e.g., luxury, mid-range, family-friendly, boutique) if you'd like this tailored more specifically.

    🇯🇵 2-Week Japan Itinerary: Osaka to Tokyo
    🗓️ Day 1–3: Osaka (3 nights)
    Highlights: Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market, Shinsekai, Umeda Sky Building, Universal Studios (optional)

    Hotel (Namba area):

    💰 Mid-range: Cross Hotel Osaka – Stylish, great location.

    💎 Luxury: Swissôtel Nankai Osaka – Above Namba Station.

    Day Trips (Optional): Visit Kobe or Minoh Park

    🗓️ Day 4: Nara (1 night)
    Highlights: Nara Park (with deer), Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha

    Hotel:

    🏯 Hotel Nikko Nara – Near JR Nara Station, comfortable and convenient.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Would you like this customized for:

    Family/kids

    Luxury or budget travel

    Anime/Pop culture focus

    Food & drink experiences

    Autumn foliage or cherry blossoms?

    Let me know, and I can refine your route!

    (END CHATGPT ANSWER)

    You can then ask it for extra info for specific days, tweak things to do to suit your situation like having young kids etc. It can seem overwhelming when there is so much info out there. Just know you can't do it all and there will be days where you feel you didn't 100% fully utilise the day and could have done more or wasted time somewhere, but it's okay. As long as you get your must-do things done, you will have a good time.

  • altomic on 19/07/2025 - 09:55

    If your kids are not in year 10 or below then just go during the school term.

    I’ve taken my kids out of school multiple times for overseas trips .

    Because tickets are less expensive and the school does not care.

    And you are not ruining their chance to complete school and to go to uni (because no one cares)

    My youngest is now in year 11 and she just took her laptop and did some remote study whilst there. Her teacher was like “cool, enjoy your trip”.

    Just find the cheapest tickets to Narita(Tokyo) or Kansai (Osaka) .

    Look up the million or so travel websites for Japan travel and pick some ideas.

    Also just spend a few days wandering aimlessly.

    I’ve taken my kids to Japan 4 times over the last 10 years (I lived there for 4 years , 20 years ago).

    Airbnb can sometimes provide great places to stay (especially booking last minute as prices drop on airbnb).

    I was there 2 months ago and grabbed an awesome 3 bedroom house for ~$240 a night.

  • Darkscythe on 29/07/2025 - 15:05

    I'd pull the kids out of school and save the $$$ on tickets if the kids are younger than Year 10 as school holiday prices are insane.

    Tour packages are a rip-off - only time I think tours may be worth it is if they're getting you somewhere that is hard to get to but Japan is insanely well connected. I'd also argue that booking flights/hotels yourself is the best option - travel agents charge a premium for convenience but then you're subject to all their cancellation fees, etc (Been bitten once, never again)

    There's more family style hotels around these days and you can also look at Airbnbs but I'd also consider booking 2 business hotel rooms as it may be cheaper.

    Regarding airports, either is fine. HND is closer to the city but there's excellent connections from Narita that will get you into Tokyo in 30ish minutes.

    If you've never been before, I'd stick to the "Golden Route" of Tokyo>Osaka/Kyoto and back. You can then add in day trips to Kawagoe/Kanazawa/Enoshima/Yokohama (for Tokyo) and Nara/Kyoto/Osaka from Osaka/Kyoto (as they're only 30 mins apart so just pick one as your base). It's super touristy but will cover the basics of what most people consider when they think "Japan". There's tonnes more to see in the country (and I'd always advocate going to smaller, less popular places to see the less touristy side) but I get that time is limited.

  • LeoDMD on 06/08/2025 - 10:15
    +1

    We went to Osaka and Kyoto for 10 days earlier this year from Adelaide.
    Jetstar had a Japan sale last year, so tickets for 2 people were $1,100 return.
    Osaka, Kyoto and their surroundings have enough to keep you occupied, so we didn't visit other regions.
    We will probably go on a separate trip to Tokyo in a couple of years, pending another airfare sale.

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