Category: trip reports

3 days in Salzburg, Austria with Kids

Background For Winter Break 2023-2024, our family visited Germany and Austria! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. Planning this big multi-city trip was so fun. We saw Christmas markets, snowy villages, ice-skated in 3 cities, and loved loved loved train rides with gorgeous scenery. European travel is quickly becoming one of my favorite things with family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our 3 full days in Salzburg, Austria. When people think of Salzburg, many think of Mozart and Sound of Music. We did those things and so much more. Read on to learn about our favorite spots! Read all of our European Christmas Market posts at the following links: Our 2023 Germany and Austria Trip: Flights and Logistics 2 days in Munich, Germany with Kids Day Trips from Munich with Kids: Nuremberg & Neuschwanstein Castle 3 days in Salzburg, Austria with Kids 3 days in Innsbruck, Austria with Kids Getting around Salzburg From Munich’s main station, it was an easy 2 hour trip to the main Salzburg station. On our trips between cities, we generally booked tickets the night before and were able to get really inexpensive tickets. On the train, operators stopped by to scan our qr-codes and give us a receipt. We used the website seat 61 to get some guidance but it was really straightforward. The Bayern ticket is a family ticket that is a great deal for unlimited travel in Bavaria (Munich and surrounding areas) on regional trains and is good for Salzburg day trips or even one-way trips like ours. In salzburg, we had the salzburg card and it included public transport Where we stayed: We stayed at Hotel Europa near the train station. Prices were a little high in the old town area due to the holiday season and we prioritized access to public transport and basic needs over some of the fancier options nearer to the main square. We used the Salzburg card (more below) which came with public transport which made it really easy to head to the old town area daily. The hotel gave us some small welcome drinks and had a nice (while expensive) breakfast that we did on one of the days. We would stay here again. Salzburg Card Tips When exploring highlights of cities, we often like to look at cards that include multiple museums and attractions. The Salzburg Card was a great deal and included many of the attractions we were most interested in seeing. I included in our itinerary below if it was part of the card. We purchased a 72 hr 3 day card to give us more flexibility but could have been more efficient/squeezed it in 2 days. Definitely make a plan to do non-included things outside of the window if you’re there for a little longer. For itinerary planning, the salzburg info website was really helpful. Our 3 day itinerary in Salzburg: Day 0: Salzburg (Christmas Eve): Transit to Salzburg, Austria, Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf We arrived in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, and after checking in to our hotel, we went back to the train station to head to the city of Oberndorf for a Christmas Eve event. This cute Austrian village is the town where the composer of the song Silent Night lived and debuted the song for the first time 200 years ago.On Christmas Eve, the city puts on a service with readings, carols, and a group singing of the song. We enjoyed the little market shops and snacks and stood on the hill near the small church to listen to the music. It was very fun! Definitely worth a trip if you’re there on Christmas eve. At other points of the year, you can still stop by to visit the church and museum but there won’t be the same level of festivity Day 1: Salzburg (Christmas Day): Cathedral, Christmas Markets, Dom Museum Salzburg Cathedral One of the reasons why we organized our trip in the order that we did was because the Salzburg markets stay open longer. After googling dates of Christmas markets, we decided that Germany before Christmas and Austria after made the most sense. On Christmas morning, we started our day with a church service at the Salzburg cathedral. You can tour at various times of the day (with a small donation) but we loved going to the mass service. We were able to listen to the German service, try to sing along and ooh and ahh at the ceilings and paintings. The Roman Catholic Salzburg Cathedral was founded in 774, but the current Baroque structure dates to the 17th century. Christmas Markets After the service, we explored the cute Christmas market right outside the Cathedral in the main square. This was our favorite market. There were excellent Austrian Christmas treats like Salzburger Nockerl (a fluffy soufflé dessert), gingerbread cookies, Lebkuchen (spiced honey cakes), and Kiachl (fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar). We loved the pretzel and soup stands as well. Of course, we had to get a cute mug of Glühwein (mulled wine) and hot chocolate to warm up as well. The market stands had familiar items and new items. The nativity scenes and ornaments were gorgeous and the whole environment was really charming. Dom Quartier Museums In the afternoon, we visited the DomQuartier museums. This collection of museums was right next to the Cathedral and is included as part of the Salzburg card. The Residenz was the official residence of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg for centuries. The staterooms were beautiful with traditional staterooms and impressive ceilings. We used the included audio guides and there were kids stories in each room. There were also several kids focused activities along the way such as seek and find and puzzles. This was a really

Day Trips from Munich with Kids: Nuremberg & Neuschwanstein Castle

Background For Winter Break 2023-2024, our family visited Germany and Austria! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. Planning this big multi-city trip was so fun. We saw Christmas markets, snowy villages, ice-skated in 3 cities, and loved loved loved train rides with gorgeous scenery. European travel is quickly becoming one of my favorite things with family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our 2 day-trips from Munich to Nuremberg and Nueschwanstein. Read all of our European Christmas Market posts at the following links: Our 2023 Germany and Austria Trip: Flights and Logistics 2 days in Munich, Germany with Kids Day Trips from Munich with Kids: Nuremberg & Neuschwanstein Castle 3 days in Salzburg, Austria with Kids 3 days in Innsbruck, Austria with Kids Easy Day Trips from Munich by Train Munich is a great spot to day-trip from. The main Munich train station, Hauptbahnhof, was well-labeled and easy to navigate. From our hotel, it was a quick trip to the main station and there were numerous options to various sites all around Germany and beyond. We generally booked tickets the night before and were able to get really inexpensive tickets. On the train, operators stopped by to scan our qr-codes and give us a receipt. We used the website Seat 61 to get some guidance but it was really straightforward. The Bayern ticket is a family ticket that is a great deal for unlimited travel in Bavaria (Munich and surrounding areas) on regional trains. Day trip #1: Nuremberg On one of our days in Munich, we took an all-day trip to Nuremberg. This city regularly makes lists of top Christmas markets in Europe and it lived up to the hype! The city transforms into a winter wonderland with its renowned Christkindlesmarkt, festive atmosphere, and gorgeous historical churches and buildings. Getting to Nuremberg Just an hour away by train from Munich, Nuremberg is the perfect day trip. It was really easy to find directions on google and buy a train ticket! Easy trip! The kids loved their kindle time and it was a beautiful trip. Sightseeing in Nuremberg From the train station, we walked towards the main Christmas market areas and oohed and ahhed at all the cute buildings and cobble streets. We passed by Frauentorturm, the old tower at the corner of the city walls and stopped briefly at St. Lorenz Church (Lorenzkirche) which is a gorgeous Gothic church from the 15th century. We then headed to the central market square, Hauptmarkt. The Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) is one of the most impressive churches in Nuremberg. At noon every day, the Männleinlaufen glockenspiel (a mechanical clock) puts on a display. Mechanized figures come out from just below the church clock, with princes dancing around the Holy Roman Emperor. The main square is also where the Christmas market is located. After watching the glockenspiel, we back-tracked towards the Children’s market Christmas Markets! Our next stop was back to the main Christkindlesmarkt. The main attraction is the Christkindlesmarkt, one of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets in the world. It dates back to the 16th century and boasts over 180 stalls selling traditional Christmas decorations, handcrafted gifts, and delicious treats like gingerbread, roasted chestnuts, and Nuremberg sausages. In the middle of the square is the Gothic Schoner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain), a replica of a fountain from the 14th century. I read a story that spinning the rings in the fence of the fountain three times brings good luck! Our next stop was the Nuremberg Toy Museum or Spielzeugmuseum . The adults were interested in some of the nostalgic toys and displays. The kids were more interested in playing! On the top floor, there were several puzzles, wooden games, and fun play areas. On the walk back towards the train station, we stopped for some yummy schnitzel at tucher mautkeller. On the train ride back, the kiddos read a little but also just rested after a big day. This was a really fun and full day trip. I’m so glad we were able to make the small side trip to experience the Christmas festivities. If you visit at non-Christmas times, be sure to look up other things to do as well such as the Nuremberg Castle, the DB train museum, dungeon tours and other historical sites like the Nazi grounds or trial areas. Day Trip #2: Neuschwanstein Castle If you’re interested in another fun day trip from Muncih, Neuschwanstein Castle is gorgeous! Getting to the Castle There are several bus tours that run with stops at multiple castles but we decided to take public transport. The kids love riding trains and reading books and we were able to follow google maps along the route and transfers. It did take about 3 hours from Munich Central station to get to where we were going so plan for a full day of adventure. Castle Views! Built in the 19th century by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, Neuschwanstein is the most iconic castle in Europe. With its fairytale appearance, it served as an inspiration for Walt Disney’s logo. If you’ve ever done the Soarin ride at Disney, it flies over the castle! We took several trains and a bus to the cute little town and were immediately greeted by gorgeous views and cute shops. We didn’t visit the inside of the castle but we did do an hour hike to the Neuschwanstein Castle bridge. We bought some hiking snacks and made our way to the bridge, also known as Marienbrücke. The hike took about an hour to the bridge and back. There is also an option for a horse-drawn carriage. The bridge is a must-see for any visitor to the iconic Bavarian castle. Situated directly behind Neuschwanstein Castle, offering breathtaking

Two Days in Munich, Germany with Kids

Background For Winter Break 2023-2024, our family visited Germany and Austria! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. Planning this big multi-city trip was so fun. We saw Christmas markets, snowy villages, ice-skated in 3 cities, and loved loved loved train rides with gorgeous scenery. European travel is quickly becoming one of my favorite things with family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our 2 days in Munich. Read all of our European Christmas Market posts at the following links: Our 2023 Germany and Austria Trip: Flights and Logistics (this post) 2 days in Munich, Germany with Kids Day Trips from Munich with Kids: Nuremberg & Neuschwanstein Castle 3 days in Salzburg, Austria with Kids 3 days in Innsbruck, Austria with Kids Arrival in Munich Munich International airport has great options for flights from the US. See this post here for more details on how we used points and miles from credit cards for our flight. At the time of our visit, the luggage was sooooo slow to arrive at the carousel. More reason to be team carry-on. Our usual routine is to take an uber from the airport to our hotel on the first day and get the hang of public transport and other options throughout the trip. A great option in Munich is the Lufthansa Express Bus. It takes you to the central train station where you would need to then transfer to your final destination. For a family ticket of 28 euro, you can get into the city (compared to $50-$80 for ubers/taxis) Transportation in Munich We love train-travel in Europe. We used the MVGO app and bought daily unlimited family passes. It was super easy to buy tickets for our day trips and train to Salzburg, Austria at the end of our stay. We used this website for tips and recommendations. We also just used google maps frequently which was synced to the schedules. One top tip for international travel is to download the city map to google so that it doesn’t continue to use data every time you load. Hotel In Munich, we stayed at the Andaz Munich. The hotel is located in the Schwabing district. Views were absolutely gorgeous and the hotel was fantastic with a lovely spa/pool area, great breakfast and bar and super kind staff. We were able to get upgraded to a suite which let the kids be on a pull-out and us be in a separate room. Plus 2 bathrooms! The hotel was a short walk and quick 15 minute bus/train combo to the city. We thought about trying to stay closer but wanted our free breakfast <3. A block away, there was a really cute playground! Our 2 day itinerary in Munich: Day 1: Arrival, Christmas Markets, Hoffbraus After our afternoon arrival, we checked into the hotel (yay for free welcome drinks) and then headed out to Old Town and the main city area. The Marienplatz area was easy to get to and full and bustling with Christmas cheer. The New Town Hall (Neue Rathaus) building is a beautiful landmark and a great backdrop to our first day of adventures. One of the main reasons we visited Germany and Austria was for the Christmas markets and this area had a giant one with hundreds of little kiosks. Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt: No trip to Munich’s Christmas markets is complete without a visit to the Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt. This iconic market, nestled in the heart of the city’s main square, is the oldest and largest in Munich. With over 100 stalls selling traditional Bavarian crafts, ornaments, and delicious treats, it’s a sensory overload in the best possible way. Be sure to soak up the festive atmosphere, with the twinkling lights and the sound of Christmas carols filling the air and try a mug of steaming Glühwein (mulled wine). At the market, you pay a pfand (deposit) of 3-4 euro and pay 4-5 euro for the actual drink. The deposit is the cost for that adorable mug. If you don’t return it, then you forfeit the deposit. However, if you return it, you get the deposit back. This is environmentally friendly and a nice way to use lots of cute little mugs. They had kid non-alcoholic punch but the kids were not huge fans. We also stopped by a cute cheese shop and sampled some fun snacks. So great! Hofbraeuhas: For dinner, we walked a few blocks to Hofbraeuhas. This is one of the most famous breweries in the world. If you’ve ever been to a US german-themed beer hall, it is probably modeled in part on this brewery. It was founded in the 1500s and lived up to its hype. It is so touristy but that’s part of the joy. There was live tuba music, large liters of beer, pretzels and schnitzels and large tables full of tourists from all over. We chatted with another family who adventured from Australia and were on a full monthly adventure. I wish! Day 2: Munich: Glockenspiel, Residence Palace, Viktualienmarkt, City Walking, Ice Skating, More Christmas Markets Glockenspiel Glockenspiel: This was our main full day in Munich so we had to make it count! After a late start and hotel breakfast (Yay for nutella croissants!), we headed to see the glockenspiel at 11a. Back at the Marienplatz main square, the large clock tower has a show at 11a, 12p and sometimes at 5p. The short 15 minute show has characters dance around and recounts a royal wedding, jousting tournament and ritualistic dance. It was a little rainy and it didn’t hold our kid’s attention span the whole time but it was fun (Get a cookie snack as a distraction/peace offering) Munich Residence Munich Residence: After watching the show, we walked 10 minutes to the Munich residence.

Germany and Austria Christmas 2023: Flights and Logistics

Trip motivation For Winter Break 2023-2024, our family visited Germany and Austria! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. This big multi-city trip was so fun. We saw Christmas markets, snowy villages, ice-skated in 3 cities, and loved loved loved train rides with gorgeous scenery. European travel is quickly becoming one of my favorite things with family-friendly towns, easy navigating with trains and so much history and beauty. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our flights, itinerary, planning process, and international logistics such as using the subway, getting a phone card, and finding budget restaurants. Read all of our European Christmas Market posts at the following links: Our 2023 Germany and Austria Trip: Flights and Logistics (this post) 2 days in Munich, Germany with Kids Day Trips from Munich with Kids: Nuremberg & Neuschwanstein Castle 3 days in Salzburg, Austria with Kids 3 days in Innsbruck, Austria with Kids Planning our Itinerary I love planning trips, especially through well-traveled places where there’s a ton of information to read through and make plans for. Many online blogs were really helpful! We were in each home-base for around 4 days and read numerous blogs and books. One tip for traveling with kids is take a 3-day best of guide and cut out half of it to make it actually realistic to manage in those same 3 days. Mix in some kid-focused/less touristy options like malls, playgrounds, hotel pool. We also took several day trips which felt like a lot of moving but our kids loved reading their new kindles on the trains and this was a great time for just chatting and reconnecting with gorgeous views. Several months before, I sketched out our plan in excel and on google maps with a balance of activities, rest time, food, rest, and fun. We made sure to research how far areas were and tried to schedule several anchor points with a few optional activities so we didn’t overstuff our schedule. Overview Day 1: Arrival in Munich, Marienplatz Christmas Market, Hoffbraus dinner Day 2: Munich: Residence Palace, Viktualienmarkt, City Walking, Ice Skating, More Christmas Markets Day 3: Day trip to Nuremberg: Christmas Markets, Kid’s Activities, Toy Museum Day 4 (Christmas Eve): Transit to Salzburg, Austria, Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf Day 5 (Christmas): Salzburg: Cathedral, Christmas Markets, Dom Museum Day 6: Salzburg: Day trip to Berchtesgaden salt mine tour and Christmas market, Mozart House, Augustiner Dinner Day 7: Salzburg: Science museum, Strudel class, Funicular and Fortress Museum, Mozart Concert Day 8: Transit to Innsbruck, Ambras Castle, Evening Light Show Day 9: Innsbruck: Top of Innsbruck cable cars, Zoo, Sound Museum Day 10: Innsbruck: Swarovski Crystal World, Kid’s NYE festival, Local hockey game! Day 11 (NYE): Innsbruck: Day trip to Seefeld, Hike, Pool with waterslides, NYE run Day 12: Transit to Munch, Day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle Day 13: Fly home! Flying RT to Munich We were able to use United points to fly for 63k points per person and flew a combination of United and Lufthansa planes. Chase Sapphire Preferred Apply Here Chase Sapphire Reserve Apply Here Chase Hyatt Apply Here Tips for Long Plane Rides Sleeping on planes West to East: Plan to sleep! For the overnight red-eye flight to Europe, we emphasized that after dinner service, everyone was going to try and get some sleep. I gave each kid a dose of melatonin and they passed out pretty immediately. We packed these cheap pillows from Amazon (They came with eye masks!). On arrival, get outside and try to limit naps so you can readjust. Activities for long flights East to West On the long flight, the kids were happy playing with the personal screen and alternating between coloring, reading, tv, games, and snacks. Ellie has been loving the Magic Treehouse books and when they were little, they used to love activities in the Magic Ink and small play pack coloring books (Amazon links). We have one Nintendo Switch that the kids love. For more on our favorite activities and tips for flying, see our post here. Transportation in Europe Train travel and public transportation is one of our favorite things about Europe. Everything is pretty straightforward and inexpensive. In Munich, we used the MVGO app and bought daily unlimited family passes. One top tip for international travel is to download the city map to google so that it doesn’t continue to use data every time you load. It was also super easy to buy tickets for our day trips and 2 hour train to Salzburg, Austria at the end of our stay. The Bayern ticket is a family ticket that is a great deal for unlimited travel in Bavaria (Munich and surrounding areas) on regional trains and is good for Salzburg day trips or even one-way trips like ours. In Salzburg, we had the salzburg card and it included public transport. From Salzburg’s main station, it was an easy 2 hour trip to the main Innsbruck station. On our trips between cities, we generally booked tickets the night before and were able to get really inexpensive tickets. The price for all 4 of us was 44 euro and it was a double-deck train (Ellie was so excited!) In Innsbruck, we had the Innsbruck car for bus travel around the city. It was easy to get tickets back to Munich at the end of our stay. I love how easy train travel is in Europe. We used the website Seat 61 to get some guidance but it was really straightforward. We mapped destinations using google maps and compared the time/cost/effort to use a taxi, train, bus, or walk. We used uber or the train depending on where/how far we were going. If you have little ones, it might be harder to use a taxi due to the car seat. If you plan on using a stroller

2023 Year in Review

2023 was a big year for our family! I’ve said before that there are pros and cons to every age of travel. With our kids being lower elementary (6 and 8), they are curious, kind, genuinely excited by little joys and love hugs and attention. They are past the age of needing naps and throwing big feeling tantrums and can read kindle books for 5 hour train rides through Europe. My sweet Ellie still skips everywhere and loves playgrounds with monkey bars more than anything else. She still demands an elaborate bedtime tuck in routine and has loved being at the same school as her brother this year. My Carter read 5 Harry Potter books in 2023, has navigated friendships and sibling competition and constantly reminds me that even though he’s past my shoulder in height and a pro at navigating public transportation, he craves snuggle hugs more than anything (this kid needs a weighted blanket) I’ve highlight our year and have listed out our travels and posts from the previous year below. For more ideas, check on our 2021 and 2022 recaps! January We did a quick overnight to Louisville with friends, an easy but fun trip. We’ve done longer weekends in the past (link) but this was just a quick overnight to the science center and Dinosaur World (link). It’s become a bit of a tradition to head to Raleigh, NC (link) to visit one of our best college friends and their adorable little one. February For President’s Day weekend, we took the kids to LA! (link) We have family in Cali and my parents flew in from Hawaii to meet us. A great weekend in the Huntington beach area (and Disneyland, of course!) March For spring break, we spent some time in DC (link). We actually made several trips to DC in 2023 for family, work, and vacation. It was fun touring all the great museums and seeing the Capitol! At the end of the month, Ben signed up for a race in St Louis (link) and we all tagged along for some fun! We met up with some friends and had a blast doing new and old favorites (City museum is still our number one museum) April During the long Easter weekend, we drove to Dallas. We have a few friends in the city and always love spending time catching up. This city is a frequent visit and while we do a few tourist attractions, we’re also happy to go on a small hike or play wingspan with friends. We renewed our Dollywood passes and made a quick overnight trip at the end of the month. May From Nashville, the gulf beaches down in Alabama and Florida are the closest beaches. After school ended in May, we drove to visit panama city (link) and then went to Pensacola to visit family (link) June In the beginning of the month we flew to DC for a family wedding. We enjoyed spending time with family and we took some time to explore a little bit of the capital. I also broke my shoulder. Not a very exciting month. (Or a very exciting month in not good ways) July We were fortunate to be able to work remotely and spend some time with family in Honolulu, HI on Oahu. (link) My family lives here and we make this trip yearly, but it is still always a special trip full of food, family, and wonderful sights. From Hawaii, we took a bonus trip! We like using Hawaii to break the long trip across the Pacific. We spent four days in south Korea (link) and four days in Kyoto (link) and Osaka (link) where we ate so much good food and had an absolute blast making new memories. August Took a break from traveling 🙂 Just kidding. We planned to take a break from travel in August but make a quick weekend trip to DC for a funeral. We are fortunate to have a bunch of points and miles and were able to help family with flights and hotels. A blessing to be together to celebrate Ben’s grandma. September We drove to Raleigh for Labor Day to visit friends. We also pulled the kids out of school for a 4 day weekend in Las Vegas (link). Although not typically thought of as a kid destination, we loved shows, food, nearby hikes, and great pool weather. October For fall break, we flew to Clearwater beach, FL close to Tampa. (link) The beaches were lovely. We had visited for a short visit in 2022 and wanted to repeat the trip. Ben did a run and we enjoyed the warm weather. We also made a quick one day trip to Atlanta to explore the giant aquarium and coke museum. Whenever there’s a school break, I love to plan a trip! (Really, whether there’s a school break or not) At the end of the month, we drove out to Waynesville, NC to visit some friends! This has also become a frequent repeat trip. Always a joy and we enjoyed exploring main street and the many cool sites around town. November November was busy busy busy with 4 trips! We flew up for a weekend to Chicago to visit our dear friends who just had new babies. We love Chicago and the many fun museums (and pizza!) (link) Ben and I took a quick adults only to New Orleans for a work conference. This is actually a great city to explore with kids with lots to do. For Thanksgiving, Ben said no traveling so we compromised and we did 2 small trips. We went to Dollywood for 1 day and visited friends in huntsville December For Christmas break, we did an epic trip through Germany and Austria for Christmas markets and New Years celebrations. (Recap pending!) We based ourselves in Munich, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, with side trips to Nuremberg, Oberndorf, Berchesgarten, and Seefeld This big trip to Europe over 2 weeks was full of pretzels, gluwhein,

Our Trip to Vegas with Kids 2023

On our fun trip to vegas, we explored the strip area, saw some cool shows and sports, and did a hike at red rock canyon!

Kyoto and Osaka, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info

Trip motivation In July 2023, our family visited Kyoto and Osaka! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. We visited in late July and combined this trip with a Hawaii visit and 3 days in Seoul. We visited Asia previously (Tokyo 2017) but this was the first time Ellie came and the first time we visited the Kyoto/Osaka area. Traveling internationally with kids can be daunting but with a little preparation and research and tips from other travelers, we had a successful trip! This post covers our flights, hotel, itinerary, planning process, and international logistics such as using the subway, getting a phone card, and finding budget restaurants. Read all of our 2023 Korea/Japan posts at the following links: Seoul, South Korea: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Seoul Day 1: Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok, Seoul Tower Seoul Day 2: Hanbok rental, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanham square, Hongdae Seoul Day 3: Gangnam Area, COEX Aquarium, Myeongdong Night Market Kyoto, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Kyoto Day 1: Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori Kyoto Day 2: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Kyoto Day 3:Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery Kyoto Day 4: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple Planning our Itinerary I love planning trips, especially through well-traveled places where there’s a ton of information to read through and make plans for. Many online blogs were really helpful! One tip for traveling with kids is take a 3-day best of guide and cut out half of it to make it actually realistic. We spent 4 nights in Kyoto and had 4 full days of exploring. Several months before, I sketched out our plan in excel and on google maps with a balance of activities, rest time, food, rest, and fun. We made sure to research how far areas were and tried to schedule several anchor points with a few optional activities so we didn’t overstuff our schedule. Overview Day 1: Arrival, Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Day 2: Universal Studios Japan, Osaka Dotonbori Day 3: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Gion Day 4: Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri, Gion Day 5: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple Some spots in the Kansai area we’ll save for our next trip: Railway Museum Samurai exhibit Golden Temple Fushimi Inari red shrines Side trips to Himeji, Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima Flying to Kyoto/Osaka Prior to this portion of our trip, we spent some time in Hawaii visiting family and a few days in Seoul. From Seoul airport to Kansai airport, we booked one-way flights on Jeju air. The flights were 2 hours. We use miles for a lot of trips and we did use miles for our Japan to Nashville portion. Its not all or nothing. We were able to save money in other ways on this trip and decided to pay cash for this portion. We used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to get more points for our next trip! See more detailed tips on using points and miles here. Flying to the US Flying back from Japan to the US, we used United points to fly from the Kansai area to Tokyo to New York to home. We had some travel difficulties coming home but ultimately made it back together. Sleeping on planes West to East: Plan to sleep! For the overnight red-eye flight, we emphasized that after dinner service, everyone was going to try and get some sleep. I gave each kid a dose of melatonin and they passed out pretty immediately. We packed these cheap pillows from Amazon (They came with eye masks!). On arrival, get outside and try to limit naps so you can readjust. For more on our favorite activities and tips for flying, see our post here. Headphones Melatonin Airplane pillows Hyatt Place Kyoto For 2 nights, we stayed at the Hyatt Place Kyoto. We booked 2 connecting rooms! We used our Hyatt credit card to get points for future Hyatt stays. You can also use points from this stay. You can earn Hyatt points from Hyatt stays, the Hyatt credit card and Chase points which can be transferred to Hyatt. Learn more about points here. Chase Sapphire Preferred Apply Here Chase Sapphire Reserve Apply Here Chase Hyatt Apply Here We were glad to have 2 rooms so we could spread out. We even set up the kids TV with the nintendo switch! For more on sleeping on vacations, see this post here. All team members spoke excellent English and were very willing to help us. The location was about a 5 minute walk to the train station and taxi rides were $10-$15. Airport Hotel On our last night, we stayed at an airport hotel so we could save time in the morning. The hotel was great and very convenient right across the terminal. Transportation in Kyoto Hello Kitty Train! We kicked off the Japan portion of our trip with a ride on a Hello Kitty Train! The Haruka runs from Kansai airport to Kyoto station and has cute decoration, seats, and even bathrooms lo. Tickets are about $24 per adult and half-price for kids In the, we mapped destinations using google maps and compared the time/cost/effort to use a taxi, train, bus, or walk. We used uber or the train depending on where/how far we were going. If you have little ones, it might be harder to use a taxi due to the car seat. If you plan on using a stroller on the subway, many have elevators, but be prepared to fold it and carry up stairs. Eating in Japan Our hotel came with free breakfast, and we enjoyed starting the day filling up with omelets, noodles, and rice dishes. During the day, we tried to balance quick meals with sit-down meals. We didn’t do any true gourmet fancy meals but did have some excellent food. A few

Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori

Background In July 2023, our family visited Kyoto and Osaka! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. We visited in late July and combined this trip with a Hawaii visit and 3 days in Seoul. We visited Asia previously (Tokyo 2017) but this was the first time Ellie came and the first time we visited the Kyoto/Osaka area. This post covers our visit to Universal Studios Japan and a brief visit to the Osaka area. Read all of our 2023 Korea/Japan posts at the following links: Seoul, South Korea: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Seoul Day 1: Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok, Seoul Tower Seoul Day 2: Hanbok rental, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanham square, Hongdae Seoul Day 3: Gangnam Area, COEX Aquarium, Myeongdong Night Market Kyoto, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Kyoto Day 1: Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori Kyoto Day 2: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Kyoto Day 3:Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery Kyoto Day 4: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple General Tips for Amusement Parks Research: As early as possible, start researching your plans and have a rough idea of what your priorities for the day will be. There are also constantly changing procedures for how the lines work with names such as fastpass, maxpass, lightning lane, genie, etc. Even reading what other people have done 2 months ago may not apply to your visit, but it’s still good to get a general idea. Get there early! I know it’s vacation and sleep is valuable, but the first hour of the park is a prime time to get as many rides in as possible, and then you can take a mid-morning break to re-group and figure out the rest of the day. If you’re staying off-site, you’ll need to add time for driving in, going through security, and making your way through the turnstiles. Also, often the parks will actually open 30 minutes before official. Again, read some of the blogs that are dedicated to staying up-to-date on current procedures. Save time and money on dining: We packed some snacks and ate them while walking between rides. Take advantage of mobile ordering in the park and quick-service options. Share a meal when possible, and save room and money for snacking (Both brought from home and purchased at stands) Prepare yourself and kids for lines: Unless you’re going on a truly slow day such as a rainy Wednesday in the off-season, you’re going to experience lines. Activities and snacks and patience patience patience are so important. Phone apps and other games are nice to bring along. Also, many lines have theming that you as the adult can help direct attention to and ask to point out characters and colors. Don’t minimize “small” rides and experiences: This is a tip for myself as well as others. Don’t be overly focused on big-name rides. Some of the characters will have minimal waits and some of the artistry shouldn’t be rushed through just to get on to the next item on a to-do list. This is especially true when line waits get long. Is it better to wait in a line for an hour for a 5 minute ride or spend some time in a playground or looking at fun sculptures. Park Highlights and Itinerary Universal Studios Japan Date of visit: July 2023 Kids’s ages: 5.5-year-old Ellie and a 8-year-old Carter. Highlights: Nintendo Land, Jurassic Park Coaster We decided on this trip to not purchase the extra add-ons Express Passes. These options allow you to pay fees to skip lines either for a group of rides or individual rides. One of the key tips for all theme park trips is to start your day on time. “Rope drop” is the term used for arriving 30 minutes early and being at the entrance turnstiles when the rope drops to mark opening. In the morning, we took a train from our hotel in Kyoto to Universal City where we spent the morning and afternoon at Universal. Although the park was open from 9a-8p, we compromised with our theme park hating family members (cough cough) and prioritized a few sections with arrival at 8am and plans to stay until lunch and then explore Osaka. This was a rough itinerary of all the highlights we hit: Universal Studios Japan: We bought tickets ahead of time from Klook and got to the front gates at 8a, one hour before official opening. We didn’t buy any express passes and planned to head straight to the Nintendo area. For the Nintendo area, you need a specific entry pass which you can get as soon as you enter the gates. I messed up my app (turn it off and turn it back on Jennifer!) and we ended up getting tickets for 11am. We did some rides in the Jurassic area and Harry potter world. Ellie was not big enough for the Harry potter ride but the rider swap system worked out great for this area. We watched a short parade and then headed back to our main reason for making the trip to Universal: Nintendo Land! Nintendo Land: Oh my goodness, this area was so fun!! Even besides the rides, the whole area was so cool with moving scenery and characters to visit. We didn’t purchase power bands or any snacks in this area (because sometimes we’re cheap lol) but still enjoyed the area so much. Ideally, we would have entered earlier when lines weren’t as long but it is what it is. We grabbed a lunch ticket for the cafe (that we ended up not using) and went to the yoshi ride. This wait was about 45 minutes and there were lots of sights along the line. We also brought books and snacks and made sure to potty break ahead of time. The ride itself was a slow tour around the area. Really

Kyoto: Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery

Background In July 2023, our family visited Kyoto and Osaka! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. We visited in late July and combined this trip with a Hawaii visit and 3 days in Seoul. We visited Asia previously (Tokyo 2017) but this was the first time Ellie came and the first time we visited the Kyoto/Osaka area. This post covers our visit to central Kyoto including Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market and the Pokemon Center Read all of our 2023 Korea/Japan posts at the following links: Seoul, South Korea: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Seoul Day 1: Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok, Seoul Tower Seoul Day 2: Hanbok rental, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanham square, Hongdae Seoul Day 3: Gangnam Area, COEX Aquarium, Myeongdong Night Market Kyoto, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Kyoto Day 1: Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori Kyoto Day 2: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Kyoto Day 3:Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery Kyoto Day 4: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple Day 4: Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri This day was a detour in our plans. We had originally planned on heading to Nara with deer and other fun sites. The kids were feeling the end of the trip running around woes and we decided to re-group and do some more kid focused activities. We had a great time and got to see some spots that I’m sure wouldn’t make many people’s must do itineraries but were fun additions to our day Aeon mall: I saw on an instagram a fun arcade area in a mall near Kyoto station. This would also be a good detour if the Kyoto Railway museum is on your list. At the mall, we stopped by UNIQLO for some cute outfits and pokemon shirts. I always love uniqlo in Hawaii. We also went to DAISO, a dollar store where we spent too much money on small trinkets, toys, chopsticks, and washi tape. So much washi tape! At the arcade, the kids loved the pokemon and kirby game and we watched some streamers do some really complicated taiko drumming. So cool! Nishiki Market: We didn’t get to wander the korean markets as much as I wanted to so we prioritized a spot at Nishiki market, a long strip of food stands and little market shops. We ate so well and for relatively cheaply. Ellie was in heaven with crab stick, Carter continued his love of eel, and we had takoyaki (octopus balls), tempura (fried shrimp), beer, mochi, and more. Note that you shouldn’t eat and walk so we kinda hovered at each stand. There were also options for sushi, steak, oysters and more. Pokemon Center: After all the planning we did to avoid crowded places on weekends, we did not think about the craziness that would be the pokemon store on a Saturday afternoon. The line took about 30 minutes. There were lots of unique items and people playing games, both online and card games. It wasn’t particularly cheap but some of the items are exclusive to the store including really cute sleepy stuffies. Gion Matsuri: We happened to visit in July during the Gion Matsuri Festival season. Although we didn’t see the actual parade, we were still able to see a really cool gallery exhibit next to the park that has pictures and a small gift shop. The floats are huge! We stopped for ramen for dinner, one of our favorite foods in Japan! More Asia 2023 Posts Read all of our 2023 Korea/Japan posts at the following links: Seoul, South Korea: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Seoul Day 1: Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok, Seoul Tower Seoul Day 2: Hanbok rental, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanham square, Hongdae Seoul Day 3: Gangnam Area, COEX Aquarium, Myeongdong Night Market Kyoto, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Kyoto Day 1: Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori Kyoto Day 2: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Kyoto Day 3:Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery Kyoto Day 4: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple

Kyoto: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens

Background In July 2023, our family visited Kyoto and Osaka! This has been at the top of our family wish list for a few years. We visited in late July and combined this trip with a Hawaii visit and 3 days in Seoul. We visited Asia previously (Tokyo 2017) but this was the first time Ellie came and the first time we visited the Kyoto/Osaka area. This post covers our fun day in the Arashiyama area including a boat cruise, monkey park, and bamboo gardens! Read all of our 2023 Korea/Japan posts at the following links: Seoul, South Korea: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Seoul Day 1: Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok, Seoul Tower Seoul Day 2: Hanbok rental, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanham square, Hongdae Seoul Day 3: Gangnam Area, COEX Aquarium, Myeongdong Night Market Kyoto, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Kyoto Day 1: Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori Kyoto Day 2: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Kyoto Day 3:Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery Kyoto Day 4: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple Day 3: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Gion Hozugawa River Boat: This was a highlight of our trip! A common recommended route for people visiting the Arashiyama area is to take a train west to Kameoka station and then a riverboat back. We went straight to the Kameoka station from our hotel to start our day. This area itself was really cute with a huge soccer stadium and some small shops nearby. The boat ride was about $50 for adults. From my reading of reviews, I thought this would be a relaxing picturesque ride. It was so much more! Parts were peaceful, but parts were rapids-ey with bamboo poles pushing us within inches of rocks. As I was writing this blog post, I also saw that there have been capsize accidents in the past. A good reminder to do research ahead of time. We would do this tour again. There were cool animals to see and really fun sights. Towards the end of the ride, a small motorboat pulled up with snacks! So fun! Lunch: Per the recommendations of several blogs, we stopped at Arashiyama Yoshimura, a really yummy tempura and soba spot. We were able to get a window seat and relax. The food was delicious! A little pricier than other spots we went to throughout the week but it was great. Although the boys said give them ramen over soba anyday. Iwatayma Monkey Park: This park has Japanese Macaques living all over the park. There is a steep 20 minute climb to the top of the hill and a small entrance fee. At the top there are monkeys swimming, monkeys playing, monkeys being mean to other monkeys. So many monkeys! There was a small area where humans could get in a room/cage and feed the monkeys. It was very silly 🙂 The area also has nice views of the city including all the way towards Kyoto city. Bamboo Gardens: By this point, we were kinda tired but we wanted to see the famous bamboo grove. It was really cool to see the tall stalks moving in the wind. It was really hot during our visit and we didn’t do this full hike as the kids were exhausted. Hotel time: With most of our itineraries, we try to plan lots for the morning, take a break after lunch (used to be nap time but it’s a little more flexible now) and then head out for dinner and maybe one more activity. While we were in Kyoto, we set the kids up in their own room and hooked up the switch to the TV. Dinner: Conveyor Sushi: Near the Kawaramachi area, we planned on doing some shopping and eating dinner. We were pretty exhausted and did some wandering around the Pontocho alleys and decided on conveyor belt sushi at Morimori. Around this part of town there are also fun spots like Kiddyland toy store, Takashimaya department store and other cool spots. We also stopped at a grocery store to grab some drinks so we would stop stopping at every vending machine More Asia 2023 Posts Read all of our 2023 Korea/Japan posts at the following links: Seoul, South Korea: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Seoul Day 1: Myeongdong, Namsangol Hanok, Seoul Tower Seoul Day 2: Hanbok rental, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanham square, Hongdae Seoul Day 3: Gangnam Area, COEX Aquarium, Myeongdong Night Market Kyoto, Japan: Flights, Logistics, and Hotel Info Kyoto Day 1: Higashiyama Temples: Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Kiyozdemeru Osaka: Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Dotonbori Kyoto Day 2: Arashiyama River Cruise, Monkey Park, Bamboo Gardens, Kyoto Day 3:Aeon Mall, Nishiki Market, Pokemon Center,Gion Matsuri Gallery Kyoto Day 4: East Kyoto Temples: Philosophers Path, Nanzeji Temple

Traveling Little Morsels

Sharing memories and tips for enjoying travels with littles. Always looking forward to our next adventure!

❤ Jenn Morse ❤

TRAVELING LITTLE MORSELS