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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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3 Days in Rome

July 27, 2017      Destinations, Europe, Italy

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.

Rome was the last stop on our Tour of Italy after visiting Venice and Florence. We spent 3 days in Rome and loved it. Rome is a great home base for day trips to the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompeii. We took full advantage of this and got out of the city during our visit.

How to Get to Rome from Florence

We traveled from Florence by train and would spend 3 days in Rome. The train ride was a quick hour and a half. Once we arrived we were able to walk from the train station to our accommodations.

Where to Stay in Rome

With a large group like our Airbnb was the most cost effective option. We found the one below that housed all 15 of us. New to Airbnb? Save $40 on your first stay by signing up here. Nervous about staying in an Airbnb? Here are 8 Tips to Guarantee a Great Airbnb Experience.

bedroom with window

What to Do With 3 Days in Rome

Day One in Rome: Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon

After settling into our Airbnb and having lunch we headed to the Pantheon. After admiring it we continued to walk around the area coming across the Spanish Steps, shopping and various lesser-known points of interests. Rome is very walkable which means you’ll be walking a lot so be sure to bring comfortable shoes. After getting lost in the streets of Rome we headed to the Trevi Fountain. Little did we know it was currently under construction so there wasn’t much to see and no possibility of throwing coins into the infamous fountain. Of course, this just means we’ll have to come back! You can learn about the Pantheon’s fascinating history and how it converted from a pagan temple to a Christian church during this 35 minute audio guided tour.

fountain under construction

Day Two in Rome: Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

On our second day we took an all day, 14hr tour of the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. It’s a 3 hour drive from Rome to the first stop, the Amalfi Coast. Along the way there we stopped for breakfast and viewpoints to take pictures, making the time go by faster. The long car drive also allowed us time to take some naps since we had to wake up at the crack of dawn. We spent about an hour walking around Amalfi admiring the coastline, homes tucked within the mountains and the architecture.

photo of amalfi coast

After spending some time in Amalfi we continued our drive to the town of Positano which was 45 minutes away. Here we had free time to walk the shops, get lunch on our own and hang out at the beach. If you skip sitting down for lunch and grab a quick bite to eat you might have enough time to take a scenic boat tour and you can find operators along the beach.

After leaving Positano it took us one hour to drive to Pompeii. Here we spent two hours with a guided tour learning all out this infamous city buried by ash from an eruption of a nearby volcano. Seeing the ruins from something that occurred in 79 AD was a very unique experience and well worth the long journey. You can explore Pompeii and Amalfi Coast during this skip the line tour, you travel by comfortable, air-conditioned bus in a small group of less than 18 people or you can choose a private option.

man frozen in place by ashed from pompeii

Day Three in Rome: St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, The Vatican, and the Colosseum

On our last day in Rome, we took two half day tours. Our morning tour was to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. I highly recommend this tour of the Vatican as without a tour you could be in line for hours. Besides being able to skip the line St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and The Vatican are huge. There is no way we would have seamlessly gotten through everything without a tour guide and we definitely wouldn’t have gained all the knowledge we did. Our guide knew so much about the artwork and just little things we would have no other way of knowing.

If you are doing this tour with a child I recommend ditching the stroller and using a carrier. It was so crowded when we went even though we did an early tour and I couldn’t imagine walking through with a stroller, trying to push through everyone. Also, there were many instances where there are stairs so you will have to carry the stroller up and down them.

After getting lunch and resting a bit from our morning tour we headed to our afternoon Ancient Rome and Colosseum Tour. Our tour started with a tour of the Roman Forum which is next to the Colosseum. After spending an hour exploring the Roman Forum we walked over the to Colosseum.

The tour of the Colosseum includes a behind the scenes tour that a regular ticket will not get you. We were able to go below ground to explore the Colosseum’s tunnels, chambers and pits. The tour also allows access to walk on the floor itself which is restricted to private tours.

3 Days in Rome mom and daughter standing in front of the colosseum

How to Get Around With 3 Days in Rome

Rome has great public transportation and is very walkable. There was no need for us to rent a car or get into a taxi during our visit. The only time we didn’t ride the train, bus or walked was when we did our day trip to the Amalfi Coast. Our 3 days in Rome was the perfect amount to explore the hot spots of the city.

Found this article helpful in planning your trip? Please share it!

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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Comments

  1. Luva says

    September 11, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    Could you please tell me what tour company was used for the Amalfi Coast/Positano and Pompeii day trip? Wasn’t sure that we could cram a visit to South Italy in our 4 day Rome itinerary, but reading your experience makes it sound a lot more feasible!

    • Monet says

      September 12, 2017 at 9:33 am

      Hi Luva,
      I am so sorry- thought I had the tour hyperlinked but I realize I didn’t. Here is the link https://www.partner.viator.com/en/23742/tours/Rome/Pompeii-and-Amalfi-Coast-Small-Group-Day-Trip-from-Rome/d511-2635POM. We booked a semi-private one since there were 6 of us but they have cheaper non-private ones.
      Monet

  2. Thanh says

    January 31, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    Adore your family philosophy and travels! I’m traveling with a 3 year old and 18 month old this September to Italy (Florence, Tuscany) and debating taking two car seats vs renting. What did you do for the flight over to Italy and when you rented cars? Thanks and love your site!

    • Monet says

      February 1, 2018 at 10:23 am

      Hi Thanh,
      Thank you for your kind words! Jordyn slept in the bassinet on our overnight flight to Italy and then sat in my lap on the way home. We didn’t rent a car at all for this trip, we took public transportation throughout the city and then our tour in Florence was on a coach bus.
      Monet

  3. Karisse says

    February 7, 2018 at 11:41 am

    Love this series on Italy. What time of year did you all travel there? It looks warm by your dress but do you recall the temperatures?

    • Monet says

      May 20, 2018 at 9:48 pm

      Hi Karisse,
      I am so sorry I am just seeing your comment. We went in August and it was HOT!

  4. Nikita says

    February 13, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    You are doing such a great job . Thank you for this !!!

  5. Tiffany Clinton says

    April 17, 2018 at 1:25 am

    We are planning a trip to Italy this summer. I see that you traveled by train, but did you have to use a taxi to get to the specific attractions? What did you do about a car seat? We have a 14 month old and will be starting in Milan and ending in Rome. We thought we were going to rent a car, but I’d love to know how you did the inner-city traveling.

    • Monet says

      May 20, 2018 at 9:47 pm

      Hi Tiffany! I am so sorry I am just seeing your comment. We did not use a taxi to get anywhere. We used public transportation or walked as our Airbnb’s were in the heart of the city. We traveled by train from one city to the next.

  6. Sarah says

    May 20, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    Hey! What did you use for your daughter to get around during the tours of the Vatican and Colosseum? A carrier? Thanks!!!

    • Monet says

      May 20, 2018 at 9:46 pm

      Hi Sarah! Yup, I used a carrier, a stroller is really inconvenient in those spaces, they were very crowded and some had narrow paths or stairs.

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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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