Japan Cherry Blossom

Japan is the ultimate holiday destination for kids - it's colorful, fascinating, fast-paced, and safe. Plus, it’s the birthplace of Pokémon and anime and it has an incredible video game culture!

Join us for an epic adventure through Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo during the incredibly beautiful cherry blossom season.

This adventure is all about fun, discovery, and cultural exploration. It’s a fantastic opportunity for kids to gain a fresh perspective on the world, explore their curiosity and experience something completely different with a a group of new friends.

For parents, it’s the perfect way to enjoy overseas travel. Traveling with us means you’ll be safe, supported, and able to fully relax.

Make friends. Make memories.
But do it your own way, at your own pace.

  • Our trips offer all the freedom and flexibility of solo travel, without the worry.

    Explore on your own terms, knowing our trip leaders are always nearby to offer support.

  • Kids love traveling together, and parents can relax, knowing they’re happily entertained.

    With new friends to share the fun, every activity becomes an adventure.

  • Connect with other families when you’re ready and recharge whenever it feels right.

    It’s the perfect balance of friendship and personal space for kids and parents.

  • Our trips are designed around flexibility - light on schedules, big on options.

    You choose the activities that suit your family's budget, interests and need for downtime.

Trip details

  • You can secure your spot with a $400 per person deposit and the balance is due by 1 January 2025.

    The price is $4655 for adults and $4350 for kids aged 5-17. Kids aged 4 and under are free. That’s an amazing price for cherry blossom season, which is by far the most magical time to visit Japan, but unfortunately also the most expensive.

  • The ticket price includes accommodation at premium hotels for 11 nights, tickets for the bullet train rides between Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, a group dinner at a local restaurant, tickets to the Samurai and Ninja Museum and a shuttle from the airport to the hotel when you arrive.

    You’ll travel with a group of families and a trip co-ordinator, who will make sure everything runs smoothly and all of the kids have lots of opportunities to bond and make friends.

    The trip co-ordinator will also let you know what tours and sights are available in each area and will suggest activities for the group to do together.

    Flights are not included.

  • This trip will start on 26 March and end on 6 April 2025

  • Our trips are designed specifically for families.

    We want kids to have the time of their lives and we want adults to have the kind of relaxing holiday that just isn’t possible if you’re stressed about entertaining the kids the whole time.

    You’ll travel with other families and a trip co-ordinator, who will suggest activities along the way, make sure everything runs smoothly and help the kids get to know each other.

    We also set up a private group chat for people who are going on the trip, so that everyone can get to know each other before it starts and share photos along the way.

  • If you have kids in your life and you’re keen to make amazing memories and show them the world - this is for you.

    Kids have more fun when they travel together and parents get to relax and enjoy their company, instead of constantly worrying about entertaining them.

    Most of the people who join our trips are homeschoolers, but families with school kids are very welcome too.

    Our trips are not the usual group tours. Everything is built around giving kids an opportunity to make friends, have amazing educational experiences and travel at their own pace.

    The day-to-day experience of our trips is also very different. We set up a private group chat to talk about options and get to know each other before we go. It’s perfect for a quick shout out to the group if you’re heading out to the market and want some company. If you want to spend time alone, that’s totally fine too.

  • As with all of our trips, you’re welcome to join in as much or as little as you like. It’s totally up to you.

    Everything is very flexible. We understand that some people love to be constantly on the go and surrounded by friends, and others need time to themselves and rest days to recharge.

    We just want everyone to have an amazing holiday, feel comfortable and have a memorable experience safe in the knowledge that they’re not alone if they need support.

FAQs

  • Prices in Japan are similar to Australia, but food is cheaper.

    A good quality meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around $15 and a 3-course meal at a mid-range restaurant costs around $50. You can grab a bento or noodles for lunch for less than $10.

    A Coke costs $1.50, a bottle of water costs $1.20 and a loaf of bread costs $2.10.

    Tickets for Disneyland and other big activities are expensive, but if you're on a budget you can skip those and still have an amazing time. Just being in Japan is cool and your kids will love wandering around looking at everything. There are lots of activities that are free or cost very little.

  • Tipping is not expected in Japan and is considered impolite in some places.

  • We’re visiting the most tourist-friendly parts of Japan, so many people speak English. Most of the signs and menus have English translations.

  • It's easy to find any kind of food in Japan. Good quality sandwiches and basic salads are available on every street corner, most restaurants have options like plain beef or chicken and there are lots of fast food places like McDonalds.

    No matter how fussy your kids are, you will be able to find food that they love.

  • Jetstar regularly runs sales on flights to Japan. They often have tickets available for less than $500 return. Jetstar releases tickets around 10 months in advance, so they will be available from around May 2024.

Here’s what we have planned:

Days 1-5: Osaka

We’ll spend the first five nights of the trip in the heart of beautiful Osaka, visiting world-famous cherry blossom sites including Kema Sakuranomiya Park and Osaka Castle Park.

We’ll organise a shuttle to pick you up from the airport and have dinner together at a local restaurant, so the kids can meet their travel buddies.

There is so much to do in and around Osaka. You can take day trips to amazing locations, like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Himeji Castle, visit Super Nintendo World or just wander around the streets and take in all the colour and atmosphere.

Days 6-8: Kyoto

On day six we’ll take the bullet train to Kyoto, where we’ll spend the next three nights in the middle of Old Town, with its amazing landscapes and fascinating history.

Kyoto has a much calmer vibe than Osaka or Tokyo and is a great place to see the cherry blossom.

The Samurai and Ninja Museum is always a big hit with kids, so we’ll spend a couple of hours there together, dressing up and throwing ninja stars.

Depending on your interests, you might also like to visit the wild deer at Nara, experience a tea ceremony or see monkeys at the bamboo forest.

Days 9-11: Tokyo

On day nine we’ll catch the bullet train to the most vibrant part of Tokyo - Shinjuku. We’ll stay right in the centre of town for three nights, so you’ll get the full experience.

There’s so much to do around Tokyo, depending on your interests. There’s Disneyland and Disney Sea, the Pokemon Centre, Hello Kitty Land, as well as otter, hedgehog and chinchilla cafes. There’s amazing cherry blossom, crazy museums, the Akihabara gaming district, Skytree and every kind of shop you could ever imagine.

It’s such a great city for making memories with your kids.

Here’s what people are saying

  • We are just rolling back into Adelaide after the most incredible two week trip to Uluru with Bold Gorilla. What an adventure!

    We were travelling just in our swags with temps hitting 0 degrees several nights and whilst we were prepared, Brook and Brenda checked in each day to see if we were warm enough, supplying us with extra blankets for the frostiest of nights.

    We were supplied with devices to help us connect in remote areas if we ran into any trouble and the BG team were always at the back of the convoy, looking out for everyone.

    It was the perfect balance of planned activities versus free time and free play for the kids. Of our own freedom, as well as connection whenever we wanted it.

    All the families on our trip were absolute legends. We met amazing characters in each town, some lovely, some cranky, some hilarious and all making up the colourful chapter that this trip will be in our family's story forevermore.

    Highlights for us were - the cuttlefish, campfires, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Tom's Mine and the great crew.

    We are absolutely buzzing. Huge thanks to the BG team for creating such a wonderful opportunity for us as a family to be together in this way.

    Lissie T

  • My daughters (9 and 7) and I recently returned from the Uluru convoy.

    The trip far exceeded my expectations on every level - the organisers, the people, the itinerary, the planned activities and the pre trip planning.

    Brooke the business owner picked the most wonderful itinerary and group activities clearly based on her experience as a parent, her love of travel and adventure and the relationships she has built with business owners over the years.

    My girls loved every minute of the convoy and shined each day as they absorbed the beautiful scenery, chatted and played with their new friends and learnt so so many new things.

    The frequency and type of activities that Brooke arranged for the group were perfect including attending a kangaroo sanctuary and touring a live opal mine.

    All activities were optional and you could dip in and out of the group as you wished but always knew you were in the competent and kind hands of Brooke and James which I found incredibly reassuring as a sole parent travelling with two children.

    As a result of this exceptional experience, and Brooke and her team, my girls and I have found a new love for travel and adventure. Thank you so much Bold Gorilla. We are now planning our next trip with you. It was a life changer for us!

    Nicola C

  • I’ve never seen my son be so social! He took a couple of days to come out of his shell, but after that we couldn’t pry him away from his new friends. He is usually too anxious to talk to anyone or make friends. It was great for his confidence and I can’t wait to take him on another trip.

    Juliet F

  • This is our 2nd time travelling with Bold Gorilla. We recently travelled with Bold Gorilla on the Uluru convoy and had the most amazing time.

    We went from swimming with giant cuttlefish, noodling for opals, to seeing the beauty of Uluru all in one big adventure.

    It was so nice to experience the trip as a group and Brook and Brenda went out of their way to ensure we were looked after. Not only did they pack extra camping chairs and mattresses for us upon hearing that our car was full to the brim, Brook also lent us her hot water bottles and other supplies that we hadn't thought to bring.

    Would definitely recommend travelling with Bold Gorilla and can't wait for our next adventure.

    Laura C

  • The Uluru trip offered by Brook and her team exceeded our expectations. Brook and Brenda looked after the group ensuring our need for information and support were provided with a smile and care.

    The trip was well planned. Safety was provided by the support trucks and all families had a communication device.

    Nothing was too much for the team.

    We all enjoyed the group campfires and the opportunity to connect with other families.

    Really recommend these tours - not too much structure but just right for a relaxing journey through remote parts of SA and NT.

    Jacqui H

  • The trip was amazing and everyone made us all feel welcome and helped me out with both my son and his assistance dog when I was struggling with my knee injury.

    Just be aware with injuries it may be a little difficult to get out of barge and back on at the island as had to climb over side. But everyone was willing to help me and our dog off.

    Bel C

  • Thanks for the memories my family & I take away from our experience on the Uluru convoy which has left us feeling so grateful to Brook, Brenda & the team, who were absolutely amazing, they all went above and beyond to do their absolute best to ensure things went as smoothly as possible for everyone, sometimes in trying circumstances beyond their control in a large group....

    I can't recommend dealing with this company highly enough & will most definitely seek to join them on future adventures & will happily recommend them to others.

    Belinda R

  • My family have enjoyed three trips with Bold Gorilla: two within Australia and one overseas. All three were wonderful experiences.

    Bold Gorilla trips strike a great balance between structure and flexibility. Even though you are travelling with the support and companionship of a group you don't have the pressure and stress that is often a part of group travel.

    Jennifer R

  • Amazing experiences organised, I am blown away with the quality of them.

    Louise C

  • The experience with Bold Gorilla was awesome.

    My son and I travelled to Japan with them, my son made some great friends and we had such a good experience. It was so good to have the experience of the tour organiser to guide us on all things Japanese - how to catch PT, where to eat, activities to do etc.

    Have already booked my next two trips with them.

    Note- while you're with a group, it's still very self-directed and free meaning you can make the trip your own, while being in the safety of the group.

    Shashi H

  • Uluru convoy was brilliant. Brooke & James could not have been more helpful. We felt safe & supported & had an awesome time.

    Tracey M

  • This is our second trip to Private Island with Bold Gorilla and it won't be the last :-) Although the trips are unstructured, pesky logistical details were taken care of before I could even think about them myself. Myself and my son had a ball, felt secure and part of a special group of travelers that just click together. I recommend Bold Gorilla to anyone who will listen. Great memories and great learning opportunities for my homeschooler.

    Ivana O