Tokyo itinerary: 10 days tour with kids in December (winter trip)

Welcome! Are you looking for a Tokyo itinerary to plan your trip?

Japan is one of our top favourite countries to visit due to its delicious food, culture, people, being safe for kids, etc.

Tokyo is a fantastic city, and there are so many things to do here. E.g. Tokyo Skytree, Imperial Palace, Sensoji, Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, Disneyland, shopping places like Shinjuku & Shibuya and refreshing parks like Ueno Park & Yoyogi Park. And the list can go on and on...

If you are travelling with kids, it will make things tougher when planning your itinerary. There are a lot of other itinerary guides for Tokyo, but most of them are not kids friendly.

For us, we are travelling as 2 adults plus 2 kids. We often visit 2-3 tourist spots per day.

We always plan for less walking distance between attractions and food. Most of the places are kids friendly while the adults can enjoy themselves.

It's kind of a "SLOW" type of itinerary.

Yes, we may miss out on a lot of places. But we are okay with it.

We do not rush from one spot to another after taking a few photos so that we can post on Facebook or Instagram.

If you are looking for a "compact" itinerary or to visit as many places as possible, this may not be a useful reference.

Here is the summary of our itinerary over 10 days.

1. Airport to Hakone: 2.5 days in Hakone
2. Hakone to Tokyo: 4 days in Tokyo
3. Tokyo to Yuzawa: 2.5 days in Yuzawa
4. Yuzawa to airport hotel: 1 day in Narita

Here are some photos that were taken during our trip. Interested?

Flights to Tokyo

Okay. Firstly, how to get there?

There are many direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo. It usually ranges from RM 1,500++ (USD 400++). Ideally, we should either:

1. Plan early and book the flight during the promotion period. But it is often not applicable to the holiday season or school holidays.
2. Again, plan early and book early. Even without a promotion, you still can get a good price.
3. Last minute booking using Skyscanner. Skyscanner searches over 1000 airlines for the cheapest fare with various options.

Since our kids are studying in primary school, option 1 is out. For us, we usually go for option 3 since we always don't plan early > <

For a long flight, which is more than 5-6 hours, we typically choose full-service airlines. For this trip, we decided on Malaysia Airlines because they are using the Airbus A380!

And we topped up RM 160++ to choose the upper deck seats.

My recommendation is to go for Malaysia Airlines if you have more budget! If not, check out Skyscanner or plan earlier.

Where to stay in Tokyo with kids or families?

Tokyo has many accommodation options, from hotels to Airbnb. The cost ranges from RM500++ up to thousands.

Most of the hotel rooms are less than 20 m² in size.

Travelling with 2 kids and carrying big luggage? Good luck.

Airbnb is another option but often the price is not cheap. And most of the units might be on the upper floors like 3F or 4F without a lift. Again, if you are carrying big luggage with kids, think twice.

For us, the best accommodation for kids or family must be spacious and a short walking distance to the train/subway station. We mainly use Agoda or Booking.com to book our accommodation.

Again... Plan and book early, especially if you are travelling in peak season or a local holiday! You will get more choices and a better price.

Internet connectivity in Japan

I used to get a pocket WiFi when reaching Japan.

For this trip, I am using Roaming Man, which costs RM 12 per day and connects up to 5 devices. You can pick up or drop off at KLIA/KLIA2. It's cheaper and easier to pick up.

If you are a foreigner, you can get a pocket WiFi via Klook with unlimited data that connects up to 14 devices.

Transportation around Tokyo

The best option to travel around Tokyo is by trains or subways. You can move around to almost any tiny place within Tokyo.

But you still need to walk quite a bit on and off.

E.g. We walked 800-900 meters just within Shinjuku Station to get the right train to Disneyland.

The bullet train or Shinkansen is a good option if you are travelling far for day trips.

For us, we also rented a car for 2 days in Hakone as it is more convenient to visit all the tourist spots.

I usually rent a car from Toyota Rent a Car. The rate is slightly higher, but they have a lot of drop off points. They often upgrade the car to a bigger and nicer car too.

Renting a car is easy and does not require any deposit. Just make sure you prepare the international driving permit (IDP) when picking up your car.

I once forgot to bring my IDP on an Okinawa trip. I ended up not being able to rent any car at all.

Tokyo 10 days itinerary + Hakone & Yuzawa

To get started, I first list all the places to go or things to do in Tokyo with kids.

Then, I use Google My Maps to add all the destinations. By viewing all the destinations on a map, we can quickly group nearby places in one day.

Planning a kids friendly itinerary for Tokyo is challenging because the main transportation is either trains or subways. So, we must plan the right station with the minimal walking distance when heading to or back from our destinations. I use Google Maps a lot as it has the option to suggest the best route with minimum walking distance.

Firstly, we were heading down from Tokyo to the south, Hakone, for 2 days.

Hakone is one of the best places to experience the greenery, which includes Gora Park, the Botanical Garden, the Open-Air Museum (more on this later), the ropeway and a cruise ride on Lake Ashinoko.

Then, we moved back to Tokyo for 4 days.

As you might know, Disneyland and DisneySea are must-visit places when you come with kids. So, there go 2 days from our plan.

We planned another day for the city tour, which covers the Asakusa area, the famous Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Shrine, Nakamise shopping street and Tokyo Skytree.

Lastly, we moved to the west, to Yuzawa, a famous place for ski and snow play, which can be reached within 1++ hour by the bullet train from Tokyo. It is a fantastic experience for us who grew up in tropical weather.

Now, let's dive into the detailed itinerary...

Day 1: Tokyo Narita Airport, Shinjuku to Hakone

It was a busy day for us to move from Narita Airport all the way down to Hakone, the famous mountain town with a lot of hot spring resorts and natural tourist spots.

Highlights:

• Getting to Hakone from Tokyo Narita Airport
• Hanging around Hakone Yumoto Station
• Where to stay in Hakone: private onsen (hot spring) at Hotel Okada

How to get to Hakone from Tokyo Narita Airport

Generally, we can take the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Odawara Station and change to a local train to Hakone Yumoto Station. Or we can take the Limited Express Romancecar at Shinjuku Station to Hakone Yumoto Station.

We picked the second option because we do not need to switch many trains with big luggage.

We landed at Tokyo Narita Airport at 7:15 am. We had a quick breakfast at the airport and took the Airport Limousine Bus to Shinjuku Station.

The train/subway is not an option since we had a few big pieces of luggage. For me, it is stressful to move 3 big pieces of luggage myself while still needing to take care of the kids.

The bus is a better option for those who are travelling with kids. You can find more details about the bus schedule here.

Next, we took the Limited Express Romancecar at Shinjuku Station to Hakone Yumoto Station.

Hakone Free Pass

We also bought the 3 days Hakone Free Pass. A 2 days pass is available too. You can enjoy unlimited free transportation (bus, train & ropeway) and some discounts on entrance tickets. Check out more about the Hakone pass.

Where to buy the Hakone Free Pass?

You can buy the Hakone Free Pass at the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center at Shinjuku west station.

Check out the map below:

Guide to ride the Limited Express Romancecar to Hakone

• You need to purchase a Free Pass or regular ticket + an additional fee (1090 yen) to ride on the express train.
• If you only purchase the Free Pass or regular ticket, you still can reach Hakone but with the regular train.
• The regular train will take 120 mins (75 mins for the express Romancecar) and doesn't have proper seating.
• Find out more about the train and fare here.
• You can book the express Romancecar ticket here. You can choose the time and type of train.

For us, we chose the 60000 series MSE train as the timing suited us better. And, we had our lunch on the train.

Stopping by Yumoto Station

We arrived at Yumoto Station at 2:30 pm. It is a small & less crowded train station. It was freezing once we stepped out from the train and we quickly rushed into the Hakone café just beside the station exit.

There is a shopping street near the train station. We had a quick tea break at Hakone café and took a taxi to Hotel Okada.

There is a bus service that stops at most of the hotels there, but it is challenging for us with big luggage. You also need to wait in a long queue to get on the bus.

The taxi rate in Japan is costly for long distance travel. It is okay for our case as it's just a 2km ride.

Where to stay in Hakone?

We chose Hotel Okada to stay in Hakone because it has a private onsen beside the room. Most of the resorts have a public onsen. Honestly, we might not get used to undressing and going into an onsen with strangers.

For us, we booked via Agoda by searching with 2 adults. But when we were checking in to our room, we got charged an additional fee for the extra 2 kids, which is about an extra 50% of the total room rate. This is expected as certain hotels have stringent rules. So, be prepared and accept it...lol.

This is also our first experience with a private onsen.

One word... Amazing!

The onsen is set on the balcony and covered with a wooden wall & window. The outside temperature is freezing (< 10 C) but the water temperature is 38-40C. And we can't go into the onsen immediately. So, it is freezing outside while preparing to get into the onsen. But once we got into the onsen, it was so relaxing and we never wanted to get out again.

We rested and hung around the hotel area for the rest of the day as we were almost tired to death after travelling for the whole day. We had a traditional Japanese dinner at Hakonenomori Okada, which is just a few steps from our hotel. The food and price are okay.

Day 2: Things to do in Hakone

After recharging for the whole day in the hotel, it's time to get some sightseeing outside. We had planned a lot of tourist spots in Hakone. But as usual, we always miss some of them and won't make it to all of them. It's good to read on to avoid the same mistakes we made.

Highlights:

• Hopping around Yumoto Station shopping street
• Open-Air Museum: must-visit with kids
• Hakone Lake Ashi pirate ship: we missed the ship
• Hakone Ropeway: our 10 mins stop at Owakudani
• Late shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets
• Things we planned but didn't make it to

Hopping around Yumoto Station shopping street

We had our breakfast at マイアミ (Maiami), a Western-Japanese fusion kind of café on Yumoto shopping street. We didn't have many choices as most of the restaurants open at 11 am.

There are a lot of local souvenir stores, and food and dessert sellers on this street. It seems less commercialised compared to those you can find in Tokyo.

We were also hanging around a pedestrian bridge near the Haya River. This is a must-visit spot for everyone who comes to Hakone.

There is a lot of free transportation, including trains and buses, covered under the Hakone Free Pass. But for us who travel with kids and are not able to walk far, we chose to rent a car, which is more convenient. Toyota Rent a Car is always our first choice when coming to Japan.

We walked over the pedestrian bridge and took an "outdoor" lift (yes, it's located outside any building) to Hotel Yumoto Fujiya. Here is where we picked up our car.

Hakone Open-Air Museum

We drove about 20 mins or 9 km from Yumoto town to this museum. If you take the train, you can stop at Chokokunomori Station, which is just a few minutes' walk to the museum.

Don't get confused by the "museum" name. It is much more fun for kids compared to other typical museums. I would say it is more like an outdoor park with individual indoor exhibition buildings.

There is a lot of cool and fun stuff for the kids. Curved Space, Woods of Net and Symphonic Sculpture are perfect for kids. There is also a café within the park.

Check out some of the photos here.

We spent close to 3 hours here... Our kids still had a black face (sulking) when leaving the park. This is where our schedule started to overrun.

Quick tip: if you are travelling around winter, make sure you bring more warm wear as it is pretty windy and cold here.

You can find out more at: https://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/

Hakone pirate ship, sightseeing cruise at Lake Ashi

Lake Ashi, a scenic lake, is another must-visit spot if you come to Hakone.

You can ride the popular cruise (pirate ship) from the Hakone Pirate Ship Togendai Port to the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise checkpoint. Then, stop by to visit a few small museums. If the weather is good, you can view the famous Mount Fuji on the cruise.

Unfortunately, we reached there quite late, at about 3 pm.

And the cruise was closing as it is winter, when the operating hours are shorter compared to other times. So... We missed the ship!

Well, that is part of the game while travelling with kids.

We had our late lunch at Togendai View Restaurant and were looking at the last pirate ship departing.

Hakone Ropeway: Owakudani

From Togendai, we headed over to ride the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani. The same ropeway can reach the other side, Gora.

Unfortunately, the ropeway from Owakudani to Sounzan Station was closed during our visit. Sounzan Station has another ropeway that can lead to Gora.

This is the first time our kids rode a ropeway. They were scared and excited. The small one refused to ride initially but was persuaded after we agreed to get her a new toy if she was willing to ride the ropeway.

The smell of sulfur is strong, and it's very windy once we step out from the station. It was drizzling and super cold. Kids were screaming because it was too cold and windy. We quickly snapped a few pictures and returned to Togendai.

I would suggest visiting this place in the morning to avoid the bad weather. The chances of rain in the afternoon are always higher compared to the morning.

Late shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets

Once we reached Togendai, it was already 5 pm. The day was getting dark, and we couldn't visit any other parks or natural tourist spots. We decided to drive to Gotemba Premium Outlets, which is about a 30 mins drive (18km) from Togendai.

But driving there took us some time because it was raining and there were a lot of zig-zag roads.

It has more than 200 outlets, including a few nice cafés and restaurants. This is my wife's favourite place, where she can enjoy shopping at a big discount.

But honestly, this is one of the biggest premium outlets I have visited so far. The price is low, especially for rare size clothing. Whether you are too thin or too fat, you can get a great discount here.

We shopped until all the outlets closed at 8 pm (winter time). FYI, the mall closes at 10 pm during summer time.

Find out more at https://www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/en/gotemba/

Other attractions that we didn't make it to

As usual, we missed out on a few other attractions. Here are the famous tourist spots we were not able to make it to this round.

• Gora Park
• Hakone Museum of Art
• Pola Museum
• Botanic Garden
• Hakone Aquarium
• Komagatake Ropeway

If you are a food lover, check out these places:

• Tamura Ginkatsutei: dinner/lunch (Gora)
• Itoh Dining by NOBU: lunch (Gora)
• Chimoto Ekimaedori: dessert
• Nisshin Tei Honten: dinner/lunch (hotel)

Find out more food reviews here.

Day 3: Hakone to Shinjuku

Everyone slept late today. The plan was to get back to Shinjuku and hang around the nearby shopping area.

Highlights:

• Heading back to Shinjuku
• Shinjuku Prince Hotel: spacious twin room, 31 m²
• Ikebukuro shopping area: Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo
• Dinner at Menya Musashi Ramen in Nishi-Shinjuku

Heading back to Shinjuku

We returned our rented car and grabbed a quick breakfast near Yumoto Station. Then, we took the reverse route of how we got here. For the return trip, we booked the latest model of Romancecar, the 70000 series GSE. There are observation deck seats that provide an excellent view. Unfortunately, they were fully booked. Again, plan earlier if you want this unique experience.

Shinjuku Prince Hotel

After checking multiple nearby hotels, we selected the Shinjuku Prince Hotel. The main reason is it has a spacious room at an affordable rate. It is also well connected to Shinjuku Station via an underground tunnel.

We stayed in a twin room sized at 31 m². Most of the hotels in Tokyo are very small. This one just fits well for travellers with kids.

Ikebukuro shopping area: Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo

After checking in to the hotel and resting for a while, we went to the Ikebukuro shopping area. Our kids had been asking for it since day one when we reached Tokyo. Ikebukuro is a popular & crowded shopping area. We got off at Ikebukuro Station and walked about 10 mins to the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo at Sunshine City Alpha.

As usual, kids will like this place as it offers an extensive collection of Pokémon related toys and gifts.

We also dropped by a Snoopy shop to pick up some small gifts.

Menya Musashi Ramen

Lastly, we went back to Shinjuku and had our dinner at Menya Musashi near the Nishi-Shinjuku area. Menya Musashi is one of my kids' most favourite ramens in Malaysia. So, we went to try the Japanese version.

The noodles are much thicker compared to Malaysia's version. The place was also tiny and crowded. The taste is not too bad, but I like Malaysia's version better.

Day 4: DisneySea

The Disney parks (DisneySea & Disneyland) are another must-visit attraction if you are travelling with kids.

We bought the 2 days ticket pass at one of the FamilyMart convenience stores. We tried to buy it online at the official site (https://reserve.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/sp/ticket/search/), but the site didn't accept our credit cards (we tried a few cards from different international banks).

Getting the ticket online will be cheaper. The other alternative is KKday or Klook. But you need to plan early and can't get it at the last minute.

https://www.kkday.com/en/product/19252

We chose to go to DisneySea first.

Getting to DisneySea by subway

Most people will take the trains or subways to DisneySea/Disneyland. We took the subway from Shinjuku Station. The entire journey took about 45 minutes. But there was a lot of long walking distance.

E.g. I walked about 800-900 meters just within Shinjuku Station to go to the right subway platform. I don't recommend it if you are travelling with kids.

So, for the rest of the day, we took the more convenient bus. The entire journey took about 50++ minutes, which was about the same as the subway.

Find out more about getting to Disneyland by bus.

If you are travelling from Shinjuku, you need to take the bus at the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal.

Things to do in DisneySea with young children

Again, we followed some of the attractions suggested by the official site: DisneySea with young children.

Mermaid Lagoon is highly recommended.

Here are some photos taken in DisneySea.

We took the bus to go back to Shinjuku. It leaves from another bus station, Tokyodeizunishi, near the DisneySea main entrance. Bus tickets are on a first come, first served basis.

We had our dinner at the NEWoMan food mall again as it's in the same building as the bus station.

Day 5: Disneyland

Tokyo Disney Park is too big. You won't be able to visit 2 parks on the same day.

But before heading to Disneyland, I had an important mission.

I needed to find a laundry shop to wash all the old clothes. It is impossible to bring 10 sets of clothes to wear for 4 persons.

Luckily, I managed to find one about 700 meters away from our hotel, Laundromat Futaba.

The place is clean and operated by a friendly old auntie. Highly recommended if you are staying around here.

Getting to Disneyland by bus

We chose to take the bus to Disneyland as there is less walking distance and no need to switch subways.

There is a specific bus schedule to Disney Park. Make sure you reach there early to buy the ticket as they only sell same day tickets. Check out the bus schedule from Shinjuku to Disneyland.

Things to do in Disneyland with young children

I won't share so much detail here. You can find complete guidance on the Disney official website.

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdl

Depending on how old your kids are, not all attractions are suitable for them.

For us, we followed many of the attractions for young children suggested by the site, Disneyland with young children.

It is considered low season during our visit. But it was still very crowded and we often waited up to 30 minutes in the queue for one attraction.

We strongly suggest you check the Disney crowd calendar to find out the best day to visit.

Here are some photos taken in Disneyland.

And this is the weather at 4 pm.

We left around 7 pm and took a bus back to Shinjuku. The bus terminal is just beside the main entrance of Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland Bus Terminal West.

The bus ticket is on a first come, first served basis. And you can't buy the ticket in advance.

We reached the Shinjuku Express Bus Terminal at Shinjuku Station around 8 pm and had our dinner at the NEWoMan food mall. There are many choices here and it is mostly filled with young people or working adults.

Day 6: Asakusa, Ginza & Odaiba

This is the day for a city tour.

Honestly, there are so many attractions and things to do in Tokyo. It is not possible to do it all in one day. Thus, we only chose a few of them, which are kids friendly.

Highlights:

• Asakusa area
• Ginza: Yamaha Music head office
• Odaiba: Legoland Discovery Center

The popular Asakusa attractions

This is another must-visit attraction for first-time visitors. There is a list of popular spots within this area including Kaminarimon (Kaminari Gate), Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Shrine, Sumida Park, Nakamise and Shin-Nakamise shopping streets.

You can find out more about Asakusa attractions (https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3004.html).

Tokyo Skytree is just on the other side of the riverbank. We didn't go there as the kids refused to take the lift up the tower.

Visiting Yamaha Music in Ginza

This is the 7 floor Yamaha Music head office located in Ginza. The main reason we went there is to buy some piano books & organ music, which are hard to get in Malaysia. It is large and full of different types of instruments and books.

There are also a lot of branded shops within the Ginza area. We didn't spend long here as we were rushing to meet friends in Odaiba.

Odaiba: popular attraction for kids

Odaiba is another popular attraction for kids. We took the Yurikamome train from Shinbashi Station near Ginza to Odaiba-Kaihinkoen Station.

The train rides over the Rainbow Bridge to the Odaiba area.

We reached Odaiba around 4 pm to meet our friends at the Legoland Discovery Center. It is just a small indoor park, but the kids like it very much.

Odaiba can be your one-day tour destination as it still has so many other attractions, as below:

• Nippon Television (NTV) Headquarters
• Odaiba Kaihin Koen
• Daiba 1-Chome Shotengai
• Fuji Television Headquarters
• National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
• Telecom Center Station

We walked over to Teleport Station and took the direct train back to Shinjuku Station.

Day 7: Shinjuku to Yuzawa, ski and snow play

This is the day we were waiting for. Yuzawa is a small mountain town located in the west of Japan. Gala Yuzawa resort is a popular ski and snow play place in Yuzawa. The kids will have their first snow play experience here.

Highlights:

• Getting to Yuzawa
• First snow experience
• Yuzawa New Otani
• Dinner at Yasuyoshi, Yuzawa

Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa

Echigo-Yuzawa can be reached by taking the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo within 75 mins. You can ride the Joetsu Shinkansen from either Tokyo Station or Ueno Station.

You can take a day trip to a ski resort and come back in the evening. But a day trip is very challenging if you are travelling with kids. Thus, we stayed 2 nights in Yuzawa so that we could have one full day at Gala Yuzawa resort.

We bought the JR Tokyo Wide Pass, which is valid for 3 consecutive days. It covers the Shinkansen fare and free unlimited rides on the local trains. It cost 10,000 yen for adults and 5,000 yen for children.

You can't get it online and are only able to buy it at a JR East Travel Center.

I bought the JR Tokyo Wide Pass at Shinjuku Station.

I couldn't find the "New South Gate" center and was only able to locate the "East Exit" center. It's located in the same building as the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal.

You will need to bring your passport along in order to buy the Wide Pass as it is only valid for foreigners. You can also pre-book the train & seat at the same center. Check out the timetable and type of train here.

In case you miss the train or want to change the time, you can always visit the JR counter to request new seats.

After checking out from our hotel, we took a JR train from Shinjuku Station to Ueno Station.

When the train arrived, we had to move the luggage quickly and make sure the kids were following. This is always the challenging part while taking the train.

The same rules apply when we ride the Joetsu Shinkansen at Ueno Station. The bullet train stops at the station for 60 seconds. Yes. 60 seconds! So, we needed to make sure 4 pieces of luggage + 2 kids were on the train within 60 seconds. Stress!!!

We had our lunch on the bullet train. The average speed of the train is about 230++ km/hour... Not too bad, as this Shinkansen has been in use since the year 1982!

First snow experience

There was not much view from the train except buildings & paddy fields under a hot sunny day. After departing for about 1 hour, we started to get into a very long tunnel (called the Daishimizu Tunnel), which took about 6-7 minutes and is 22.20 km long.

Again, please don't laugh at us as this is the first time the kids saw real snow!

After getting off the train (again within 60 seconds), we waited for the hotel shuttle bus to Yuzawa New Otani. The kids started playing in the snow in front of Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

Yuzawa New Otani

Why this hotel? This hotel provides a traditional room with futons, and the room is quite spacious.

During the daytime, the staff helped us put away all the futons. Once we were back from dinner, they helped us to arrange all the futons nicely. The hotel is a bit old but very clean. The price is affordable compared to other newer hotels.

Dinner at Yasuyoshi

I found many good reviews on TripAdvisor and the Google business page for this restaurant. It is just a 5 minutes' walk from our hotel.

We had a hotpot (aka steamboat for Chinese) here. That was the best time and place to enjoy the hotpot, delicious hot soup, fresh meat & veggies! The staff are friendly, and the price is okay.

Honestly, so far, I haven't met any rude staff or waiters in Japan. That's the reason why we never get tired of visiting Japan again and again.

Day 8: Gala Yuzawa

There are 3 snow mountains, called the Big Mountain Yuzawa Snow Link, in Yuzawa: Gala Yuzawa, Yuzawa Kogen and Ishiuchi Maruyama.

Gala Yuzawa is kids friendly and offers various activities as below:

• Skiing & snowboarding
• Snowmobile sleigh tour
• Kanjiki snow fun tour
• Snow trekking
• Snow tubing
• Sledging & snow play with the "snow escalator"

Highlights:

• Getting to Gala Yuzawa Ski Center
• Sledging & snow playing

Getting to Gala Yuzawa Ski Center

We had our simple buffet breakfast at the hotel and got ready at the hotel lobby at about 9 am for the free shuttle bus to Gala Yuzawa.

The free shuttle bus took us to Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort, aka Gala Yuzawa train station. If you plan to have a day trip, you can choose the right train to reach this station without the need to transfer at Echigo-Yuzawa Station.

We paid the entrance fee and rented all the necessary equipment, including snow wear (jacket & pants), sledges and rubber boots at the Ski Center Cowabunga (the resort's main entrance). Gloves are not for rent. You can buy them at 1000 yen. Goggles are not necessary if you are not skiing or snowboarding.

There are many lockers and changing rooms there as well. Once we got everything ready, we took the ropeway to the Rest House (Cheers). This is where all the fun activities get started.

Sledging & snow playing

Skiing or snowboarding is not an option for us. So, we went to the snow enjoyment park for sledging and snow playing. There is a "snow escalator" that brings everyone to the higher part to sledge down to the lower ground. Kids like it very much. Snow play or snowball fighting was another fun experience for us.

We had our lunch at the canteen inside the Rest House. We tried to take the ropeway to The Bell of LOVE observation deck but no luck. You can only ride that ropeway if you are skiing or snowboarding.

We left the resort around 4 pm and went back to our hotel.

We had our dinner at Hifumi Kappou restaurant. The taste is good. I recommend giving it a try if you are staying nearby.

There are also many other interesting places in Yuzawa but we were not able to make it this round.

Day 9: Yuzawa to Narita

Snow started falling early in the morning. The kids were excited and couldn't wait to go out for fun.

After breakfast, we headed to Echigo-Yuzawa Station and back to Tokyo, to Hotel Nikko Narita.

Our flight the next day is in the early morning. Thus, we needed to stay near the airport.

There are a few local souvenir shops at Echigo-Yuzawa Station. We did some last-minute shopping here for some snacks and food.

We took the Joetsu Shinkansen back to Tokyo Station and had our lunch there. Then, we took the airport limousine bus to Narita Airport. There is a shuttle bus to bring us to Hotel Nikko Narita.

After checking in to the hotel around 5 pm, we took a taxi to Aeon Narita Mall for our dinner and some shopping. There is a free shuttle bus from the hotel to the mall, but we missed the scheduled time. The taxi fare cost us about 3,500 yen (USD30++) for a 7 km ride. Taxis are damn expensive in Japan!

Aeon Mall is one of our favourite shopping places because you can get a lot of local products at local prices. There is also a Molly Fantasy, a children's playground and arcade game center for young children.

We took the free shuttle bus back to our hotel around 9:30 pm.

Day 10: Last minute shopping at the airport

Our flight was at 10 am. After check-in and passing through the immigration checks, we did some quick shopping at the tax-free airport shops.

That's the end of our itinerary for this trip.

Home sweet home...

In short

I hope this itinerary can give you some tips or guidance to plan your upcoming trip.

Again, this is a "SLOW" itinerary and may not fit everyone.

If you are travelling with kids, this post might be useful, especially when it comes to accommodation and transportation planning.

And if you like to go for natural sightseeing with kids, Hakone and Yuzawa are good choices that can be easily accessed from Tokyo.

Feel free to email me at hello@ysfeet.com if you have any question. I am glad to help!

Written by Adam Yong. First published on ysfeet.com on 27 June 2019. Moved to this new site in October 2026 with spelling and grammar fixed; the trip details are as they were. Prices, timetables and links are from that time, so please check the official sites before you go. Questions? Write to hello@ysfeet.com.