By land or by sea? Here are 2 ways to see Japan

National Geographic

25-04-2025

Dreamy videos of Kyoto blanketed in pastel cherry blossoms and Tokyo's anime-inspired street fashion have saturated social media, making it the top bucket list destination for families with teenagers.
While there's plenty for all ages to enjoy in Japan, from the more affordable Tokyo Disneyland to ancient samurai villages, monkey parks, and castles, planning a trip there can be daunting, says Tamatha Frederick, senior Japan specialist with Audley Travel.
Once you get out of Tokyo, English language translations on websites and family-friendly hotel accommodations—such as connecting rooms, and vacation rentals with a kitchenette—can be hard to find.
That's why many parents opt for the ease of a cruise or guided land tour around Japan. Each has some advantages over land tours, but also some tradeoffs. Here are some points to consider when choosing between a cruise or land tour, and the option that holds the advantage.
(Related: Top 10 things do in Japan) Ease and convenience (Winner: Cruises)
Both cruises and land tours have something to offer for children of all ages. However, the kids and teens clubs on cruise lines offer a break to exhausted parents and entertainment for wired kids, provided your child is at least three years old and potty trained.
Cruises also provide an easy source of kid-friendly menus at breakfast and dinner, allowing travelers to grab a quick meal before sampling authentic set lunches and hot pot meals in town. Most importantly, you only have to unpack suitcases, gear, and toys once.
Your stateroom may not be as big as some hotel rooms, but it is close to the areas where you will be eating, and the ship provides safe spaces such as ice cream bars and pools for older kids to escape to, as well as big screen movies to watch on deck or evening shows, like a performance by a famous balloon artist.
Many cruise lines also offer premium packages with food and drink delivery to the room, which is handy if you or your kid are too tired to dine at a restaurant after a long day touring.
Of course, this convenience means you don't get to experience the authentic stays and cuisine available on land tours, like going to Japanese inns or Ryokans, with traditional tatami mats, low tables and onsens, or hot springs. Range of activities (Winner: Land tours)
One area where custom land tours have a definite edge is in curating itineraries to meet the needs of individual families. They can provide more hands-on experiences to keep younger kids engaged, such as ramen-making experiences, taiko drumming, and ninja dojo classes, in addition to the shrine and samurai village tours that are a staple on both land and sea tours.
Cruise lines do provide visits to kid-friendly attractions like aquariums and hot springs, but they are trying to cater to big groups of people, not your family's special interests. InsideJapan Tours, for instance, can do a whole itinerary just for theme park enthusiasts, including Tokyo Disneyland, Hello Kitty's Sanrio Puroland, and Fuji-Q Highland's rollercoasters. Tour operators can also get hard-to-get tickets to events or attractions such as the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, and off-the-beaten path experiences, which can be valuable during the peak tourist season between April and June. The water tank at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is one of the largest in the world. Photograph by Yagi Studio, Getty Images The Shining Flower Ferris wheel at Fuji-Q Highland gives riders a prime view of Mount Fuji. Photograph by Jon Arnold Images Ltd, Alamy Stock Photo
Bethan Grant, whose husband Simon King co-founded InsideJapan Tours, says it's some of these off-the-beaten-path experiences that stood out for her and her family when they vacationed there last summer, such as taking taxi boats near Tokyo, wandering into a tour of the National Diet (Japan's parliament), going to a sumo tournament, or paddle boarding around Lake Ashi near Fuji.
'There's only so much trailing around and looking at things before kids get bored,' she says.
(Related: How to avoid touristy spots and experience Japan like a local) Choice of cities (Winner: Land tours)
Cruise line touring is limited to the ports you visit for that specific sailing. There's almost no limit to where you can go on a land tour, thanks to taxis, buses, and the efficient train system in Japan, including the Shinkansen bullet train, which can cover 311 miles in two-and-a-half hours.
That does not mean that you cannot see some of the most popular areas outside of Tokyo such as Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, or Mt. Fuji on a cruise, you just need to choose the right sailing. If your specific vacation window doesn't include a sailing with that stop, then you're not seeing it. And on many cruises, you're limited to only one day per destination.
You can, though, add days to the front and back-end of your stay to see places not included on your trip, such as the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo or a major league baseball game near the cruise port in Yokohama.
(Related: Tried street food in Osaka? Then go to Fukuoka) Affordability (Winner: Cruises)
Cruises can be the more affordable option depending on your accommodations. However, once you start adding in excursions in each port, Wi-Fi, and premium food and drink packages for those morning lattes and evening cocktails, the cost starts to add up.
The base price per day of my 11-day sailing on Princess Cruises with my teenage son cost between $193 to $694 per day, starting from inside staterooms to those with a balcony. Cruise line promotions, which can range from a child sailing free to stateroom upgrades, can bring down that price, so it's important to shop around. There are several other family-friendly cruise lines that sail around Japan, such as Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Holland America.
Custom land tours such as those offered by Audley average around $500 to $700 per person a day, and include transportation such as train tickets, admission, accommodations, and local guides.
Both can provide a memorable family vacation. It's just a matter of what you're comfortable with, and what works best for your family's budget, and interests.
(Related: 6 heritage towns in Japan to rival Kyoto) Melinda Fulmer is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor with travel, food, and wellness bylines in the Wall Street Journal, Robb Report, AFAR, BBC, Los Angeles Times, Time, and the Washington Post. She loves outdoor adventure and is a passionate advocate for more accessible and inclusive travel. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @melindafulmer.