1 day itinerary in Asakusa with kids
Asakusa is a must-see destination in Tokyo, Japan. It is full of history, culture and fun however, it can be overwhelming with crowds.
This area has so much to see and do, it’s worthwhile allocating a whole day to this one area.
It’s important to plan your day as timing will help avoid crowds and exhaustion!
With this 1-day itinerary in Asakusa with kids, you can limit the exhaustion and enjoy the area to its fullest without any stress.
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Itinerary overview
- Dress in kimono
- Visit Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple
- Take your pick of activities: Tea ceremony or rickshaw ride
- Interactive drum museum
- Ninja Museum
- Boat cruise or Japan’s oldest theme park
Dress in Kimono
Senso-ji is a wonderful place to take photos dressed in kimono. Many people dress traditionally here so you won’t feel like you’re the only one.
Senso-ji becomes extremely crowded, so the best way to experience the temple is by visiting early.
Book the earliest kimono dressing appointment. This is usually around 9:00am.
Kimono Miyabi Asakusa provides an early start (9:00am) plus, it offers many kimono or yukata (summer version) options. They are also conveniently located close to Asakusa Station and a 3- minute walk to Sensoji Temple.
Kimono dressing
Many people dress in kimono when visiting Sensoji Temple, so join in the fun! Locals and foreigners dress traditionally here, and many locals appreciate foreigners experiencing Japanese culture in this way.
Senso-ji Temple
This temple is the oldest in Tokyo and receives 30 million visitors a year.
The temple dates back to the 7th century when the area of Asakusa was only a small fishing village.
However, during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), the Shoguns prayed at Senso-ji, increasing its prominence and importance.
In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu (the first Tokugawa Shogun) designated Senso-ji as the place where prayers for the Shogunate would be offered.
After this time in the 18th Century, Edo became the biggest city in the world, and Asakusa became its cultural hub.
Arrive at Senso-ji early in the morning!
Senoso-ji is one of the busiest tourist attractions in all of Japan, so arrive as early as possible to experience it without the hordes.
What to do at Senso-ji
Take photos! Dress in kimono and take photos at the various beautiful sites around the temple grounds.
Waft healing smoke. In front of the temple you will find a jokoro, a large incense burner. The smoke is believed to be healing and purifying. Here you can use your hands to waft the smoke over your head or parts of your body with ailments.
Go shopping in Namikase Dori. The street which leads up to the temple is filled with small stores selling all sorts of souvenirs and snacks. This street becomes particularly crowded so visit early!
Get a fortune (omikuji). If you arrive early enough to avoid the crowds you can make a 100 yen donation to receive your fortune. Make your donation, then pick up the metal canister (mikuji-bo) and shake until a stick falls out. The number on the stick corresponds with a drawer. Find the matching one and pull out your fortune. If your fortune is bad, tie it to the rope at the temple, if it’s good, take it home with you.
Enjoy the gardens. Behind Senso-ji, there are some pretty gardens with koi fish. It’s worth spending a little time exploring and getting photos.
Take a rickshaw ride. Around the temple, you will find rickshaw drivers waiting to take you on a tour. A 30-minute ride for two people usually costs around 9,000 yen, however shorter and longer options are available. You can book online or you can find a rickshaw operator on the day.
Tea ceremony and kimono. A Japanese tea ceremony is a spiritual experience and best experienced in kimono if possible. While enjoying the traditional area of Asakusa, a tea ceremony can be the perfect experience to complement the day. Please note, a tea ceremony is probably not recommended for small children.
Enjoy lunch or snacks
Asakusa is known for having some delicious, one-of-a-kind take-away snacks (add these pins to your Google Maps for easy access):
- Asakusa Kagetsudou is famous for its soft cream-filled melon pan
- Imo Pippi has the most delicious sweet potato desserts
- Anshin’ya offers Taiwanese, crispy, flattened fried chicken
- Asakusa Strawberry Daifuku is the place to try the freshest strawberry desserts on Namikase Dori.
- Tokyo Curry Pan has the most delicious pork tonkatsu cheesy bun
If you’d prefer a sit-down lunch, be prepared to eat at around 11:30am. After this time, lines at restaurants get long!
Eat lunch at 11:30am in Japan
If you don’t have a lunch booking, it’s best to try and eat early at around 11:30am in Japan. By noon, lines start growing outside restaurants and by 1:00pm you may be hangry and desperate.
Try Oribe Tonkatsu in Asakusa for a delicious, family-friendly and affordable lunch. The restaurant has been operating in Asakusa since 1966! They have upstairs table seating also.
Their crumbed and fried pork cutlet is succulent and a crowd pleaser, especially for kids. There are large and smaller options and some include fried prawns. Sets come with rice and miso.
Visit the Drum Museum
The Miyamoto-Unosuke Drum Museum is a wonderful hidden gem in bustling Asakusa and a great way for kids to burn off some energy!
This small, upstairs museum is packed with around 800 drums. It has been open since 1988 and showcases drums and instruments from all over the world, including Japan.
The museum is interactive with many instruments available to play! Look for the signs with a music note for those you can try. Some instruments on display are up to 150 years old!
Enter through the shop on the ground floor and buy your museum ticket at the counter in the shop. You will then be escorted upstairs to the instrument room.
Spend as much time as you like here playing all different types of taiko drums and other percussion instruments.
Hours: 11am – 4pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
Cost: 500 yen for adults, 150 yen for children
Address: 2 Chome-1-1 Nishiasakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0035
Samurai Ninja Museum Tokyo
This museum is so much fun for the family. It’s informative, interactive and so entertaining.
You must book in advance to visit this museum a they only take a certain number of people per time slot. You can do this online or at the museum on the day. However, if you leave it to the day, they may have run out of time slots or you won’t get the time you wish.
The start of the tour begins with dressing up in samurai gear with seriously heavy helmets! Staff also help to take photos of you here.
After your samurai dress-up, venture upstairs where staff will explain samurai history in Japan with interesting facts and details.
The staff we encountered spoke fluent English, were extremely charismatic and made the complex history of samurai, easy to understand via their succinct timeline.
After viewing samurai armour, visit the ninja star-throwing room and test out your ninja skills.
There is also a small shop at the end selling samurai and ninja merchandise.
There is also a branch of this museum in Kyoto if you intend to visit there also.
Hours: 9am – 7pm
Cost: 2,700 yen per person for the 60-minute tour. However, they also offer many interesting upgrades. Choose the tour that suits you.
How to book: Book online at the Samurai Ninja Museum website
Address: 1 Chome-8-13 Nishiasakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0035
Visit Capsule Toys Shop
Capsule Toys Shop in Asakusa has a great range of collectables such as Smiskis and Sonny Angels! They also have plenty of Gachapon (capsule toys) on the ground floor and upstairs.
Capsule toys cost around 300 yen each and kids have fun looking for and collecting the options they like, such as mini characters or cars for example.
*Please remember to take the toy out of the spherical capsule at the store and leave the capsule there. These can be resused. Usually they have a basket somewhere to collect the capsules.
*Also remember to bring plenty of 100 yen coins for the gachapon.
Hours: 9am – 6pm every day
Cost: Smiskis cost 1,210 yen each and capsule toys cost around 300 yen each
Please note this store does not accept cash, only card for purchases. However for capsule toys you must use 100 yen coins.
Address: 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome−19−3 Mys浅草雷門
Take a futuristic boat cruise
The best way to end a day in Asakusa is with a boat cruise on the Sumida River at sunset.
The Emeraldas cruise boat was designed by a manga artist named Leiji Matsumoto. He described the design as a ‘ship that children would want to ride and see’.
The route goes from Asakusa pier to Odaiba and vice versa along the stunning Sumida River.
The cruise from Asakusa to Odaiba takes 55 minutes and the boat is equipped with bathrooms and a cafe.
The slim-line boat is designed to fit sleekly under all the bridges on the Sumida. However, when you move into the open part of the river, you can venture to the top deck and see the view from the outside.
Depending on where you are staying, you may wish to do this cruise as a day-trip to Odaiba instead. For example, if you are staying in or near Asakusa, use this cruise as a day trip option to explore Odaiba and then return again in the evening.
Hours: From 11:00am – 6:25pm, view the timetable
Cost: 2,000 yen per adult (one way), 1,000 yen per child (one way)
How to book: Book online. Reservations open on the first day of the month prior.
Address: 1 Chome-1-1 Hanakawado, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0033
Visit Tokyo’s oldest amusement park – Hanayashiki
Hanayashiki Amusement Park was first opened in 1853 as a botanical garden. Today, it still has a few scenes reminiscent of that time such as its ornamental bridge over a pond and a pretty garden which is lit up at night.
The park is like an old-fashioned fairground with retro rides and games.
Hanayashiki also has Japan’s oldest working roller coaster that has been operating since 1953!
The best thing about this park, I believe, is the amazing view over Senso-ji towards Skytree from the top of the park.
Hours: 10am – 6pm
How to book: It’s not necessary to book in advance. However, it may be easier as the ticketing system is not straight-forward and with a lack of Japanese, you may find it difficult.
If you wish to book in advance, buy an entry ticket plus a one-day unlimited rides pass here.
Cost: Entrance fees are separate to ride fees.
Entrance fee cost:
From 13 to 64 years old: 1,000 yen
From 7 to 12 years old: 500 yen
Over 65 years old: 500 yen
Physically disabled: Free
Rides cost 100 yen each or you can buy an unlimited one-day ride pass for:
From 13 to 64 years old: 2,300 yen
From 7 to 12 years old: 2,000 yen
Over 65 years old: 1,800 yen
6 years and under: 1,800 yen
Address: 2 Chome-28-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032
Where to stay in Asakusa with kids
Mimaru Tokyo Asakusa
If you wish to stay in Asakusa with a family, I suggest you look at booking the Mimaru Tokyo Asakusa family apartment.
The Mimaru hotel chain usually offers family-style accommodation and rooms with interlocking doors in Japan. Mimaru rooms also usually offer kitchenettes and dining spaces so families can prepare food.
This hotel offers coin laundries and is just a 3-minute walk to Senso-ji.
Asakusa Kokono Club
A really interesting hotel in the Asakusa area is the Asakusa Kokono Club. This funky hotel has interesting loft-style rooms, some with terraces that overlook Tokyo.
The hotel also offers an on-site cafe with breakfast and lunch options. This hotel is a few minutes walk to Senso-ji and around 15 minutes walk to the nearest station.
Round up of 1 day itinerary in Asakusa with kids
Asakusa can be busy and crowded, but with the right planning, you can have a wonderful time in this area.
Remember to visit Senso-ji as early as you can to avoid crowds and have the opportunity to take a fortune, waft the healing smoke over your face and get some photos without a million people around you.
Enjoy Asakusa’s delicious street food or indulge in a sit-down tonkatsu lunch that the whole family will enjoy. I suggest the latter so you can have a break and relax on this busy day of walking. However, make sure you eat lunch around 11:30am to avoid crowds.
Enjoy some hands-on play at the drum museum then learn all about Samurai and Ninja history at the Samurai and Ninja Museum.
In the evening, enjoy a ride in a futuristic manga boat at sunset, or visit Japan’s oldest amusement park.
Enjoy Asakusa, all its history, culture and fun without feeling stressed and overwhelmed by planning ahead.
