Destination guides, city guides, itineraries and practical travel notes from places The Wander Crew has visited.
Our first Wonder of the World was not a quick Great Wall viewpoint. We spent two days hiking quieter sections of the wall, stayed locally, climbed back up for sunrise, and learned what the 1177 mission actually feels like when the goal gets hard.
Nagashima Spa Land was one of the days our kids were most excited about in Japan. Here is what our family learned about the rides, lines, summer heat and knowing when a theme-park day is finished.
We had about 11 hours for our first full day in Tokyo before catching the Shinkansen to Nagoya. Here is what we actually managed, what got cut, and what we learned about planning Tokyo with kids.
Our Osaka stop mixed Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, street food and a lot of walking into a short family travel day. Here is what stood out and what we would plan differently next time.
Our Kyoto day packed Nishiki Market, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Monkey Park and an evening attempt at Gion into one very busy family travel day. Here is what worked and what we would change.
Our first family trip to Japan took us through Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. These are the practical lessons we would carry into the next trip, from pacing and transit to food, heat and leaving room for mistakes.
