Bain Global Travel Series: Kyoto, Japan

Japan is a country that all mothers mention, and Kyoto is a city we think is very suitable for traveling with babies. Like spring's "hanami" (cherry blossom viewing), autumn's "momijigari" (autumn leaf viewing) is a representative nationwide autumn outing in Japan. Every year from September to November is the season when maple leaves are in full bloom, filling the entire city streets with abundant maple leaves. If you missed the cherry blossom season, mothers should definitely take their babies to Kyoto during the maple leaf season.

After having a child, traveling is no longer as carefree as when you were single, but it's not as scary as many mothers imagine. As long as we prepare in advance, the joy of travel is still endless. I've omitted items that can be brought or not, leaving only the essentials.

Simple medicine kit: includes thermometer, fever reducer, mosquito repellent spray, vitamin C tablets, etc.

When going out, mothers are most worried about their baby's health. These are all everyday items that are convenient to carry.

Mommy bag: A must-have item for mothers traveling with children.

Convenient for carrying baby's belongings, the best choice for a mommy bag is a backpack. It frees up your hands so you can hold the baby with one hand and take photos with the other, without missing a beat.

Spoon: You don't need to bring a bowl for eating, but it's best to bring a spoon.

If the restaurant provides baby utensils that are not the right size, it can affect the baby's eating. Ensuring the baby eats well is always a top concern for mothers.

Sleep sack or small blanket: Helps the baby sleep more soundly when traveling.

Hotel blankets are either too large or too thick. Bringing the sleep sack the baby usually uses ensures peace of mind. Also, traveling can tire the baby out; when sleeping in the car, using the sleep sack as a cover prevents the baby from catching a cold due to excessive air conditioning.

Bring enough diapers, and a changing pad is also essential.

I recommend mothers prepare plenty of diapers. For babies over 1 year old, pull-up pants are more convenient. When traveling abroad, it's recommended to bring large packs of diapers along with some travel packs.

PAPABEANS has designed individually packaged diapers for mothers on the go, safe and hygienic. For a half-day trip to attractions, just bring one extra travel pack to meet most mothers' needs.

「Food Tour」

When you come to Japan, you must talk about Japanese cuisine.

Here are a few restaurants suitable for dining with babies.

Kyoto's must-eat wagyu yakiniku restaurant "Hiro"

The overall decoration style of this restaurant is elegant and sophisticated, with traditional Japanese-style private rooms. I recommend mothers with babies make a reservation in advance and request a private room.

Their thick-cut beef melts in your mouth and is extremely fresh. The mango tongue is also thick and tender, but it's limited daily.

Older babies can eat the grilled meat mixed with rice.

Overall, this wagyu yakiniku restaurant offers great value for money, around 400 per person.

Kyoto's Kitchen "Nishiki Market"

Nishiki Market has a history of 400 years. It's a must-visit for food-loving tourists in Kyoto, where you can taste authentic Kyoto cuisine. Custard buns, tamagoyaki, mochi, etc., can be given to your baby to try. There is also a very famous sashimi shop "Sakana Kimura" in the market, which is very affordable and fresh. However, babies cannot eat raw food! Mothers and fathers can try a little at each shop and have a full meal.

Perhaps the best ramen shop in Kyoto

"Menya Inoichi"

This is a very special ramen shop. When mentioning Michelin restaurants, most people think: delicious but expensive. This ramen shop, with an average of 70 per person, has also been recommended by Michelin. As for the taste, just the ramen itself is completely different, with a very chewy texture. The soup base contains wagyu or pork, making it very delicious. The shop has only 20 seats, and the queue during peak hours can be quite long. Mothers may consider visiting during off-peak hours to experience this ramen shop.

I recommend their signature Japanese ramen (white soup). The noodles are moderately soft and very elastic, and the soup base is generally on the lighter side, very suitable for babies.

「Fine Parent-Child Hotels」

Kyoto Kamanza Hotel

A hotel especially suitable for family trips.

The rooms in this hotel are super spacious. Opened in 2019, the decor is relatively new. I recommend booking their exquisite suite, which is 43 square meters. You can open three large suitcases in the room, so you never have to worry about being unable to walk after spreading out luggage. Upon check-in, the staff will thoughtfully provide blankets, souvenirs, and snacks for the baby. The hotel is located near Nijo Castle. It's less than a 7-minute walk to the subway station, and the surrounding area is well-equipped with convenience stores and shopping streets.

Hotel the Celestine Kyoto Gion

An elegant and stylish boutique hotel.

The style combines traditional Japanese style with modern Western elements. The location is excellent, close to Gion. You can reach Shijo within 10 minutes for shopping. Mothers traveling with babies don't need to worry about the baby's sleep; the hotel provides comfortable cribs and free juice for the baby.

The hotel's breakfast is from the Michelin one-star "Ento", a chain specializing in tempura, offering you and your baby a different hotel buffet breakfast experience.

I think if you bring a baby and have high requirements for accommodation quality, you can choose this hotel, and it will definitely not disappoint.

「Transportation」

The transportation within Kyoto city is different from other major Japanese cities. Travel between attractions is mainly by bus, with rail transit as a supplement. Generally, with a one-day bus pass, you can conveniently tour the city. To visit suburban attractions, you need to take JR, subway, or private railways.

When planning your trip, mothers should pay special attention to attractions along the same direction or line. Visiting them together saves time and money.

The common transportation recharge cards in Kyoto are PiTaPa and ICOCA. Whether taking the subway, bus, or private railway, just tap the card as instructed. If your itinerary within Kyoto is extensive, consider purchasing the Kyoto City One-Day Pass. This pass allows unlimited use within designated areas of city buses, city subways, and Kyoto buses for a full day.

[One-day pass: Adult 1,200 yen, Child 600 yen]

[Two-day pass: Adult 2,000 yen, Child 1,000 yen]

「Parent-Child Travel Attractions」

In deep autumn, Kyoto's red leaves are brilliant, blending with its ancient buildings and clear mountains and rivers, like an elegant and moving painting. Mothers, if you are fortunate to visit this ancient capital when the red leaves are in full bloom, these attractions are not to be missed.

If going in autumn, you can take the sightseeing train. The train stations have nursing rooms and diaper changing tables. However, because of the crowds, it's best to reserve seats in advance. To see the best scenery, choose the right side seat for the Kameoka direction and the left side seat for the Saga-Arashiyama direction. If bringing a baby, avoid open carriages.

There are nursing rooms at the sightseeing train station and Arashiyama Station, where mothers can feed their babies.

With the bamboo grove as the boundary, the south has classic attractions like Sagano Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji, Togetsukyo Bridge, and the Premier Zhou Memorial Poem Stele; the north offers less crowded and interesting walking routes, with shrines and temples related to Japanese classical literature, such as Giō-ji, Jōjakkō-ji, Daikaku-ji, and Rakushisha, as well as quiet and comfortable walking paths.

Here you have natural scenery and cultural sights, perfect for taking photos with your baby.

If you want to find a restaurant to rest along the way, you can stop by Hirokawa Unagi and % ARABICA KYOTO coffee shop near Togetsukyo Bridge.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the number one attraction on Qyer. Its Senbon Torii (thousands of torii gates) is extremely captivating. Hundreds of vermilion torii gates form a path leading to the mountaintop, about 4 kilometers long, making it one of Kyoto's most representative landscapes.

However, it also has the highest number of visitors in all of Japan. So, if mothers want to see the beautiful, crowd-free Senbon Torii as shown in the picture, you have to get up early!

Most of the path consists of steps. If you want to take the baby up, use a carrier for small babies; larger babies can only be carried. For strollers, you can push them to the foot of the mountain. This is where the endurance of mom and dad is tested!

Kiyomizu-dera is the oldest temple in Japan. In autumn, the red maples are stunning, making it a must-visit for leaf viewing. The main reason it's suitable for bringing babies is that you can push a stroller. There are stroller and wheelchair accessible paths, fewer people, and beautiful scenery. It's very pleasant to push the stroller along. You can also push the stroller inside the main hall. The main hall is crowded, but if you go around to the other side of the mountain, the crowd diminishes, and you can find a quiet corner to rest.

Diaper changing areas are in the restrooms. The multi-purpose restrooms have changing tables. The restrooms are very clean, but unfortunately there is no nursing room. If the baby needs milk, you'll have to find a secluded corner.

Hanami-koji (Gion)

Early morning on Hanami-koji has few tourists. As a photographer, I love this scene. There are many stylish restaurants to choose from. The facades of these restaurants are works of art, making you want to take photos at every shop. Walking along Hanami-koji, you might also see women dressed in kimono hurrying by, adding to the atmosphere. This is also one of the filming locations for the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha."

Mothers can rent kimonos for themselves and their babies in advance, and after changing, take photos with their babies here.

After walking over a kilometer, you reach the most elegant and stylish Hanami-koji in Kyoto! Seeing Hanami-koji, you'll be captivated by the attraction—it's absolutely beautiful.

All public restrooms here have diaper changing tables, making it very convenient to change diapers.

Kyoto is the center of Japanese traditional culture. Mothers can explore ancient buildings with a history of over a thousand years, wear traditional Japanese kimonos and take photos with their babies, see the endless red leaves on the mountains, and taste various delicious Japanese dishes. Without a doubt, Kyoto is an unmissable stop for a family trip to Japan.

If you like this series, you can privately message us to tell us the country or city you want to visit with your baby.

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