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3 places to see Mt. Fuji (save + share this post): 3 places to see Mt. Fuji (save + share this post):

If you don’t have enough time to spend days in Hakone visiting Mt. Fuji it’s easy to take a day trip here from Tokyo. It’s only about 90 minutes by car and we spent the day exploring the area. There is a swing at the top for an additional fee where you literally swing into Mt. Fuji and they have a souvenir shop and small food vendor to purchase snacks.

Location 1: Mt. Fuji Panorama Ropeway which cost 900 for adults and 450 for children for a roundtrip ride on the cable car. They do sell one way cable car tickets if you want to hike down the mountain.

Location 2: Kawaguchi Asama Shrine, there is a small fee of 100 per person but children are free. This place is really only for pictures besides the view there isn’t anything else to do. They have it set up with a line to capture photos in front of the tori gate and each group has 3 minutes to take pictures, yes they actually time you, to make sure the line keeps moving.

Location 3: Arakurayama Sengen Park where you’ll need to climb 398 stairs or take the curved paved path to the top for views of the mountain and Chuerito Pagoda. The stairs are a straight shot but the path makes it accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

We were truly blessed to be able to see Mt. Fuji as it’s often not visible. When I visited in 2015 we made the trip here and it was gloomy and cloudy and we couldn’t see anything. We did go to the base of the mountain on that trip and do the ice cave exploration so all wasn’t lost but I am so happy Jordyn and I got to see the full mountain with our own two eyes on this trip!

There are lots of other places you can view Mt. Fuji but with only one day we couldn’t visit them all. The other 7 best places to see Mt. Fuji are on a boat tour on any of the 5 lakes that surround the mountain (Kawaguchi, Yamanakako, Saiko, Shojiko, or Motosuko), Koyo-Dai Lookout Platform, Sanko-Dai Lookout Platform, Oshino Hakkai Springs, Fuji Q Highland Amusement Park, Rooftop of Fujisan Station, Shin-Fuji Station Platform and in Hakone.

Have you ever seen Mt. Fuji’s beauty? Would you add this to your Japan itinerary if you haven’t?

#mtfuji #lakekawaguchiko
How we spent 48 hours in Kyoto (save + share this How we spent 48 hours in Kyoto (save + share this post):

1. Start your day at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We arrived here at 7:30am and there were quite a few people here already. We didn’t visit but in Arshiyama you can also visit the Monkey Park to see the Japanese Macaques (snow monkeys).

2. Head to Kinkaku-ji to see this stunning Temple of the Golden Pavilion. They open at 9am and we arrived at 8:45am and by time the opened the door at 9am the line was extremely long.

3. Walk through the gorgeous Tori Gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha. Before or after your visit be sure to walk through the street vendors for some amazing food. We tried noodles, mochi and just enjoyed learning more about the local foods. We visited here around 11am and even though it was so crowded if you want photos without people wait until you’re walking through the gates to exit and there are often moments where the area is empty, just be a little patient. 

4. Book a session at @kyoto_samurai_experience to learn about the history of the Samurai, watch a demonstration and get to try your hand at using the samurai sword yourself.

5. Eat your way through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. You will be able to walk through these narrow streets (with some hills) and try ice cream flavors such a matcha, green tea, white peach, Sakura (if in season), Black sesame, caramel and more and yes, we tried them all! There’s also tons of mochi and other treats. You’ll find the Starbucks with a traditional Japanese home interior here as well as Yasaka Pagoda and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, be sure to visit.

6. Walk around Gion and catch a Kabuki show at Minamiza Theatre.

7. Visit Daigo-ji temple, it’s not frequented by a lot of tourists so it’s rarely crowded and you can have a moment on zen here!

While we didn’t have time this visit as the weather altered some of our plans on my last visit to Kyoto in 2015 I also visited Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), Nijo Castle which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ryoanji Temple and highly recommend going. 

Some other things we were interested in but just didn’t have time for were a calligraphy class and if you are into manga you can visit the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
This is your sign to rent a kimono in Kyoto! It wa This is your sign to rent a kimono in Kyoto! It was an honor to be dressed by Japanese women & taught about the Kimono. Here’s everything you need to know about renting a kimono & a tiny history lesson on them(save + share this post):

1. Originally kimono was the Japanese word for clothing but is now used to refer specifically to traditional Japanese clothing. Kimono’s date back to the Heian period of 794-1185 and were every day wear until western culture was brought to Japan.

2. There are 8 layers in a kimono in addition to the Tabi (white socks) which are specifically made to wear with Jori (traditional Japanese shoes). Even though there are 8 layers it doesn’t take long to be dressed.

3. Today kimonos are mostly worn for special occasions such as NYE, weddings, gradations, tea ceremonies & summer festivals. But geishas, maikos, kabuki actors and a few traditional professions wear them every day.

4. We rented our Kimono’s from this shop https://kyoto-kimonorental.com/kimono/. It’s less than a 5 minute walk from Hokan-ji. We made a reservation in advance but you will find kimono rental shops all over Kyoto. They open at 9 and you have to return the Kimono’s by 5.

5. They offer multiple packages which vary in the type of material the kimono is. The package I got was the ¥4,900 ($37.50) one and Jordyn’s child price was ¥3,900 ($29.87). You can get your hair and makeup done for an additional ¥1,200. The value of the yen is down now so be sure to check exchange rates whenever you make it to Japan for accuracy.

6. This shop offers photo packages directly through them or you can take your own or hire a separate photographer.

7. If you’re worried about renting a kimono and wearing it in Japan being seen as cultural appropriation, don’t be. I obviously can’t speak for every Japanese person but from hearing it first hand from Japanese people in Japan and the large amount of Kimono rental shops all over Japan encouraging visitors to try kimonos, the Japanese are so excited to see foreigners embracing their culture and wearing kimonos respectfully! We received so many compliments from the local community as we explored Kyoto this day.

📍Daigo-ji temple & Hokan-ji
After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. Here’s how to get here and where we stayed (save + share this post):

1. You can take the Shinkansen (bullet) train from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station if you have the JR Pass and it will only take you 15 minutes. If you don’t have a JR Pass the Shinkansen ticket costs about 1,420 yen (right now that’s about $11). 

2. If you don’t have the JR Pass you can take the Hankyu Kyoto Line or Keihan Main Line. These are regular non express trains and will increase your travel time to from 15 minutes to 45-55 minutes but they only cost 400 yen (about $3) so you can save money, especially for a large group.

3. There is also a bus that leaves picks up at Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, Universal Studios Japan and Namba and goes to Kyoto Station. I’m not sure of the costs.

4. If you flew into Osaka you can also take the Haruka Express train from the airport to Kyoto Station. 

In Kyoto we stayed at The Chaper Kyoto which is a Marriott property. The rooms are on the small side but the hotel is clean and modern. There is a bus stop down the block which we could take to get to Gion in 9 minutes. The room was about $240/night since it’s busy season.

The weather this time of year is pretty sporadic. Some days it was hot and sunny and some days cool and gloomy so definitely pack a variety of attire and bring some layers and the weather changes throughout the day. Will be sharing our itinerary soon.

Have you been to Kyoto? If you have other accommodation recommendations please share them below to help others!

📍Fushimi Inari Taisha
Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal St Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan? You need to know this (save + share this post):

1. Just because you have tickets to the park doesn’t mean you’ll get into Super Nintendo World, it requires a timed entry ticket. These do run out so it’s not a guarantee you’ll be able to enter! If you get your park tickets in advance you might be able to grab an advanced booking in the app but if these are all gone by time you get your tickets you’ll need an area timed entry ticket. These are only available the day you’re visiting & you can only attempt to get it once you’re actually in the park! We got to the park when they opened at 8am & there were only two entry times left so arrive early! You can get them on the app (you must grant the app permission to see your location so they know you’re inside) or you can go to one of the ticket kiosks.

2. To really enjoy you’ll need a power band which are sold for about $35. If you don’t have one you can walk around & go on the 2 rides but you can’t play the games & collect coins.

3. The wait times for both rides are usually 1-3 hours! To avoid this you can purchase an Express Pass (most people said this reduces wait times to a mere 15 minutes). Express Passes were sold out the day we went so we only got to ride Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge but not Yoshi’s Adventure. To avoid the 2 hour wait for Mario Kart we actually went through the singles line. We did end up in two different karts but we only waited 20 minutes to ride instead of 2 hours. Yo Shi’a Adventure doesn’t have a singles line or we would have done that too!

4. If you want to eat at Kinopio’s Cafe you also need a timed entry ticket so be sure to grab this as soon as you get inside Super Nintendo World. It’s usually a 1-2 hour wait once you get your timed entry ticket.

5. Once you leave you cannot reenter (if timed entry tickets are required at the time) so be sure to do everything you want before leaving.

Universal Studio Japan is extremely popular & tickets do sell out often so buy in advance. The most popular sites to buy them are Klook (where we bought ours) & KKDay.

Hope this helps! Who has Super Nintendo World on their list?
How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this post):

1. Kicked off the day trying soufflé pancakes, you’ll find restaurants all over the city that sell these. We personally had them at Belle-ville Pancakes.

2. Visit the Cup of Noodles Museum where you can make your own Cup of Noodles logo and then customize the flavor and toppings for your noodles. They also offer a ramen making class here in addition to the museum where you can learn the history of the company.

3. If you’re visiting in March check to see if the March Sumo Wrestling Tournament is taking place at Edion Arena Osaka. If so def try to get tickets in advance (they go on sale a month prior) or arrive early to get same day tickets. It’s a fun afternoon.

4. We also did a Tea Ceremony class but photos/videos weren’t allowed.

5. End the first day getting cheesecake at the infamous Rikuro’s for their jiggly Cheesecake.

6. The other day spend at Universal Studios Japan for thrilling rides, shows and to relive your childhood at Super Nintendo World.

Where to stay in Osaka? The W Osaka is gorgeous but a little pricey and the Fairfield by Marriott is more budget friendly with nice, modern clean rooms just less amenities and smaller rooms (will post stories of both so you can see).

How to get to Osaka from Tokyo: We took the Shinkansen bullet train which takes 3 hours but is such an experience as it goes up to 199mph. Be sure to sit of the right side of the train for views of Mt. Fuji. You can also take a quick flight!

Other things to do in Osaka we didn’t travel time for:

1. Visit the Osaka Castle

2. Go to the top of the Umeda Sky Building

3. Go out in the Dotonbori

4. Walk around Kuromon Market

5. Watch a show at the National Bunraku Theater

6. Explore the Sumiyoshi Shrine

Which activity would you most want to do? If you’ve been to Osaka before what other recommendations do you have?

#osakajapan #travellingwithkids #cupofnoodles #universalstudiosjapan
6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAV 6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAVE + SHARE this post):

1. Link your Lyft and Skymiles accounts to earn 1 mile per $1 on US rides and 2miles per $1 on airport rides.

2. When booking Airbnb stays go to delta.com/Airbnb instead and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on airbnbs.

3. Order groceries online with instacart? Go to instacart.com/delta to link your accounts and earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent. If you’re new to instacart you can also get 3 months free.

4. Link your Starbucks account with your Skymiles account at delta Starbucks.com and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent at Starbucks. Plus on days your flying with Delta, you’ll earn DOUBLE stars at Starbucks.

5. Sign up for SkyMiles dining at  Skymilesdining.com and is link your credit or debit card. Every time you use your card at a participating bar or restaurant, you’ll earn between 1-5 miles per $1 spent.

6. And nope you don’t have to use a Delta credit card to get miles for any of the above, no matter how you pay you’ll earn BUT is you do pay for them with a Delta co-branded credit card (there are several and depending on which one you have) you can earn anywhere from a additional 1-5 miles per dollar spent on purchases, even if they aren’t Delta airline tickets.

The cash price for the flight we took to Tokyo was $2,600pp so it would have cost me over $5,000 for this since it’s peak travel to Japan (never in my life would I pay that, we would have went somewhere else). Instead I only paid $118 total by using all of these ways to earn Delta miles over the past few years which gave me enough miles to redeem even though we don’t get to fly Delta on a regular since they don’t have the strongest presence at MIA airport as it’s American’s hub.

Do you use travel credit cards and/or points and miles from loyalty programs to offset the cost of travel? If so what are your favorite ones? Let’s all travel for less!

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48 Hours in Paris with Kids

November 22, 2017      Destinations, Europe, France

48 Hours in Paris with Kids

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

There are many things to do in Paris with kids. On our first trip we we only had one day in Paris as it was a side trip from Amsterdam. We were lucky enough to revisit this time spending 48 hours in Paris with kids.

This trip was taken in partnership with and sponsored by Eurail. Disclosure: “Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.”

How to Get From London to Paris by Train

We were exploring Western Europe with our Eurail Pass allowing up to visit 6 cities in 5 countries by train on one booking. We started the trip by flying into London and then used our pass to take the Eurostar to Paris. We arrived to Paris via Gare du Nord, which is in the center of the city, much closer, then Charles de Gaulle airport. Traveling by train allowed us to avoid going through customs, immigration, and baggage claim upon arrival. We just grabbed our suitcase, exited the train and walked outside, so stress free!

Where to Stay in Paris with Kids

We stayed at Hotel Du Plat d’Etain, it was close to the train station and just a 13 minute bus ride to The Lourve. The hotel is great for families as they have rooms that have two beds, which we had. It had a King sized bed plus two twin sized beds and a bathroom with a tub. Finding a hotel in Paris with an elevator can be tricky and while this hotel’s elevator was small I was very happy to it had one. The neighborhood seemed nice enough and there were plenty of restaurants in walking distance. The hotel offered breakfast at an additional cost but we opted to eat elsewhere.

What to Do in 48 Hours in Paris with Kids

Day One: The Louvre,  Sacre Coeur, Place du Tertre and  Moulin Rouge

The Lourve

The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays so we had to see it on Monday.  It closes at 6PM so we made it our first stop! We took the public bus from the restaurant to The Louvre. It was fall so the lines weren’t extremely long but if you visit in the summer I highly suggest you purchasing your tickets online in advance. You can do so directly from The Louvre’s website at no additional charge.

Girl standing in front of the pyramid at The Lourve in Paris

Have more than 48 hours to explore the city? Then check out these hidden gems in Paris!

Kennedy slept through our entire Louvre visit, she was not playing around with her nap time but I still had to get a picture of her with the infamous Mona Lisa!

baby sleeping in stroller in front of the Mona Lisa

Sacre Couer

After we explored The Louvre we visited Sacre Coeur. From October to April the Dome is only open from 9AM-5PM so we arrived too late to climb up but it’s accessible from 8:30-8PM the rest of the year. You can go inside the Bascilica year round from 6AM-10:30PM. I was a little bummed at first that we missed seeing Sacre Coeur during the day time but it ended up being beautiful at night.

Mom and two daughters sitting in front of a church in Paris

Place du Tetre

Just a 5 minute walk from Sacre Coeur is Place du Tetre. It’s a famous square in Paris with restaurants and an abundance artists looking to draw your portrait. Jordyn asked to get hers drawn and I was hesitant at first because I thought she wouldn’t sit still and waste my money but she really surprised me. She was so excited to get herself drawn she sat still for a full 35 minutes, even if the picture looks nothing like her! Never take the first price you are quoted, we ended up paying half of what the artist originally stated. They don’t have any printed price sheets so you know they are just spewing what they hope than get get from you. Try to see the artist draw someone else first to determine if you want them to draw you. It was late so there weren’t a lot of people when we arrived and only a few artists left so we didn’t get to follow this rule.

Girl getting get portrait drawn by an artist in Paris

Moulin Rouge

While watching a cabaret at the Moulin Rouge is not kid-appropriate stopping by to see and take pictures in front the infamous playhouse is still doable. It’s a 15 minutes walk from Place du Tertre. You go down some serious hills so hold on to your stroller if you’re using one.

Mom and daughter posing in front of the Moulin Rouge

Day Two: Notre Dame, Jardin du Luxembourg, Palais Royal,  Trocadero, and the Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

We started our 2nd day off visiting the Notre Dame which is free to enter but notorious for long lines. The only way to avoid these long lines is by booking a skip the line tour. If you want to climb the tower, that is at an additional fee and the line is typically extremely long. We had plans of climbing and actually booked this tour but we overslept and missed it, smh. After our time at the Notre Dame, we hopped on the L’Open Tour Hop-On Hop-Off Bus to visit Jardin du Luxembourg.

You May be Interested in Reading: 7 Least Expensive Countries in Europe: Places to Visit When Budget Traveling

 

Mom and two daughters sitting on top of a hop on hop off bus in fron of the Notre Dame in Paris

Jardin du Luxembourg

After eating a ton of pastries for breakfast the girls were ready to burn off some energy so Jardin du Luxembourg was the perfect place for our next stop. They had a great time running around the park, smelling the flowers, and even playing with rocks, because kids. Fall really brings out some major beauty in Paris, and since we live in Florida the girls never see leaves changing colors or falling so that was a great experience for them. The park is beautiful and we all enjoyed the scenery, it was an afternoon well spent.

Toddler girl posing in garden in front of castle in Paris Two ladies walking down a treed path holding hand with two girl toddlers

You May Be Interested in Reading: Tips for Taking Vacation Photos

Palais Royal

We hopped back on the bus and went to Palais Royal or a toddlers heaven as I will call it from now. It’s a great place for the kids to burn off some energy. It’s literally only a square with black and white columns but the kids had so much fun running up and down them. This audio-guided tour directs you through the gardens of Palais-Royal and stroll through the beautiful covered passages of Paris.

mother and daughter running in a courtyard in Paris

Trocadero

The next major stop on the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus was the Arc de Triomphe. We really wanted to get to the Trocadero as the sun was setting so we opted to skip the Arc de Triomphe as we have visited on a previous trip to Paris. If you visit during the summer when the sun sets much later or don’t spend as much time as we did at each of the previous locations you can stop before the Trocadero as it’s the stop right before the Trocadero on the hop on hop off. The Trocadero is one of the best spots in Paris to get a picture with the entire Eiffel Tower in the background.

two toddler girls standing in front of the Eiffel Tower

You can hop back on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus from here to take you closer to the Eiffel Tower but we chose to walk and stop by the carousel on the way to the Eiffel Tower. There is one directly in front of the tower but I assumed it would have been a lot more crowded so we opted for the one closer to the Trocadero.

 

I don’t think the Eiffel Tower requires an introduction but here are a few tips on visiting. If you want to go all the way to the top be sure to buy your tickets online well in advance. The downfall is you have to select a time slot and if you are more than 30 minutes past your time you could be denied entrance. You can buy a ticket all the way to the top or to the 2nd floor and the prices varies based on your selection. Children under 4 are free and kids 4-11 are 50% off.  If not you will be forced to stand on an extremely long line or buy a skip the line tour from a 3rd party operator. Viator has never let me down so I typically stick to booking tours through them.

The tower is open from 9:30AM-12AM but allows its last visitors in at 11PM.  Every night on the hour, starting at sundown, the Eiffel Tower lights up for 5 minutes. During the summer the last show is at 2AM and the rest of the year it ends at 1AM.

 

We didn’t get to make it to the Palace of Versailles but note the Castle is closed on Mondays so plan accordingly. If you have an interest in visiting the Catacombs of Paris also note they are closed on Monday’s.

After our amazing two days in Paris with kids, we were off to use our Eurail Pass again. This time we were heading to spend 24 Hours in Brussels.

Did we help to plan your 48 hours in Paris with kids? If so please share this article!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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  1. Hairat says

    November 28, 2017 at 9:24 am

    The hotel looks great. Did you request a king?

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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