Tokushima Pref
Family-Friendly Hotels in Tokushima: Whirlpools, Mount Tsurugi and Family Stays
Family-friendly stays across Tokushima, from Naruto to Mount Tsurugi, chosen to match your travel style
24 family-friendly hotels in Tokushima, verified by Kids Stay: 14 with tatami rooms, 3 with private onsen baths, 8 with in-room baths, 5 with crib rental and 6 with private cottages and villas. Every listing is checked against the official hotel website or Rakuten Travel.
When you are looking for a family stay in Tokushima Prefecture, what you should look for changes depending on whether you are going to see the Naruto whirlpools, enjoying the nature of Mount Tsurugi and the Iya Valley, or simply taking it slow along the coast. Even between two Japanese-style rooms, an inn where you sleep on futons laid out on the tatami and an inn that also lends baby beds and baby baths feel very different in practice, depending on how old your child is.
The prefecture takes in areas such as Naruto, and the style of your trip changes which part of it is easiest to choose. Naruto brings together spots the whole family can enjoy, including the Otsuka Museum of Art and the whirlpool sightseeing boats, and it is also where kid-friendly accommodations are relatively concentrated. Tokushima City makes a natural base for getting around, while Oboke, Iya and the area around Mount Tsurugi suit trips built around nature experiences such as the gorge and the Kazurabashi vine bridge. Anan and Kaiyo Town sit close to the sea, and tend to be chosen by families who want to make the most of their time by the water.
When it comes to rooms, 14 properties offer Japanese-style or Japanese-Western rooms, so even with a baby or toddler you can lay out futons and sleep side by side, which is reassuring. On the dining side, 12 properties can accommodate food allergies and 6 prepare a toddler meal menu, so families whose child has just moved on from baby food still have plenty to choose from. There are 8 properties with an in-room bath or a guest room with its own open-air bath, which suits families with small children who are not yet used to a large communal bath.
In the Naruto area, AoAwo Naruto Resort supports stays with a baby through baby bed and baby bath rentals, gentle low-irritant baby soap, and Japanese-style and Japanese-Western rooms. Also in Naruto, Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge offers a kids' buffet, a kids' room and allergy support, making it an easy place to spend time with children anywhere from toddlers to elementary school age. In the Oboke and Iya area, the gorge hot spring inn Obokekyo Mannaka lets you combine a private bath with a toddler meal menu, so the family can bathe together while looking out over the valley. And if you choose a property with an in-room bath in the form of a detached villa, cottage or whole-house rental, such as Hoshifuru Bettei WANASA in Kaiyo Town, you also get the appeal of spending your stay without worrying about anyone around you.
Highlights
- checkNaruto is handy for classic sights like the whirlpools
- checkMostly Japanese-style rooms, reassuring with babies and toddlers
- checkOboke and Iya are popular for nature experiences
Family-friendly features in Tokushima
Recommended hotels (24)
AoAwo Naruto Resort
Obokekyo Mannaka
GLAMPREMIER Naruto
Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge
Iya Bijin
Hotel Iyaonsen
Hotel Kazurabashi
Awa Kanko Hotel
Hotel AreaOne Naruto
Tokushima Grandvrio Hotel
See all hotels in Tokushima (24)expand_more
- AoAwo Naruto Resort
- Obokekyo Mannaka
- GLAMPREMIER Naruto
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge
- Iya Bijin
- Hotel Iyaonsen
- Hotel Kazurabashi
- Awa Kanko Hotel
- Hotel AreaOne Naruto
- Tokushima Grandvrio Hotel
- Sunriver Ooboke
- Hotel O. Naruto
- Hotel Astoria
- Hotel Senshikaku
- Daiwa Roynet Hotel Tokushima Ekimae
- Tsubaki House
- Hotel Route Inn Anan
- Smile Hotel Tokushima
- Hotel Taiyo Noen Tokushima Kenchomae
- HYPER INN MAYUP TOKUSHIMA
- Hyper Inn Hotel Echihisa
- APA Hotel Tokushima Ekimae
- Hoshifuru Bettei WANASA
- First Avenue House
Kid-friendly facilities at family hotels in Tokushima Prefecture
Kids Stay checked the official information of 24 family hotels in Tokushima Prefecture and found 60 kid-friendly facilities on site. Here is a sample by category so you can compare facilities before choosing a room.
Indoor playrooms and kids' spaces(2 hotels, 2 items)
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · Playroom (babysitting): Babysitting is available in the playroom, which is staffed by trained personnel. Advance reservations are required.
- Awa Kanko Hotel · Picture-book corner: The lobby lounge of the cafe Awa BLUE LABEL has a corner where you can sit on a sofa and read picture books, with a selection of titles from Japan and abroad.
Pools and water play(2 hotels, 2 items)
- AoAwo Naruto Resort · Outdoor pool (children's area and Family Night Pool): The outdoor pool, open in summer, has a children's area that is 80 cm deep, compared with 120 cm for the adult pool. Arm floats for children under school age are also available. Th
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · Garden pool (summer-only infinity pool): The garden pool is open in summer only, usually from mid-July to late August. Designed as an infinity pool where the sky, the sea and the water's surface seem to become one, it is
Baby gear you can borrow(5 hotels, 14 items)
- AoAwo Naruto Resort · Baby-item rentals (stroller, bed guard, diaper pail and more): Strollers, bed guards, step stools for children, children's toilet seats, diaper pails, baby shampoo, baby baths, baby bath chairs and temperature-controlled kettles are available
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · Baby and kids' item rentals: Items available to borrow for your room include a desk lamp, a crib, a lidded diaper bin, a DVD player, UNO, playing cards, hanafuda (Japanese flower cards), Othello, the Game of L
- Tokushima Grandvrio Hotel · Crib available to borrow: Cribs for babies and toddlers are kept at the hotel, and one will be arranged in your room if you ask at the front desk.
- Daiwa Roynet Hotel Tokushima Ekimae · Free crib rental: Cribs are lent free of charge for children under 1 year old. The number of cribs and the room types that can take one are limited, so please contact the hotel in advance. For safet
- Obokekyo Mannaka · Baby and children's equipment: A wide range of equipment is on hand for families with babies and young children, including a Bumbo seat, a diaper-changing table, a baby bath, a bouncer, a bed guard, a children's
Kids' meals and baby food(5 hotels, 15 items)
- AoAwo Naruto Resort · Children's dining (Kids Meal Passport and kids' menus): Children ages 3 through the year before elementary school on a dinner-and-breakfast plan can use the Kids Meal Passport at Irodori, Umikaze and the seasonal Family Buffet. Four Sea
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · 5 restaurants (kids' menu available): There are 5 restaurants, serving French, Japanese and other cuisines. A kids' menu is available, and unbreakable children's tableware is available to borrow. Meals accommodating al
- First Avenue House · Children's tableware: The kitchen's tableware includes children's tableware along with children's chopsticks, forks, spoons, knives and glasses, which makes preparing meals easier with young children.
- Hoshifuru Bettei WANASA · Kids' dinner (advance reservation required): Dinner is by advance reservation, and you can choose between eating in your room and eating at the affiliated Pension Shishikui. Either way, children are served a kids' dinner, and
- Tokushima Grandvrio Hotel · Children's chairs at the restaurants: Children's chairs are available at each restaurant, including the Japanese-Western kaiseki restaurant Awa and the buffet restaurant MYRICA. For babies who cannot sit up yet, using
Baby-friendly bathhouses(5 hotels, 6 items)
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · Communal bath and open-air bath (artificial spring, sea views): A communal bath and an open-air bath looking out toward the sea. They are barrier-free, with handrails at the tubs, and bath towels and shampoo are provided. Note that the water is
- Obokekyo Mannaka · Private-hire bath (family bath): A private-hire bath for staying guests only, where a family or a couple can bathe on their own. Each session lasts 40 minutes and costs 1,800 yen by reservation; it has no view of
- Sunriver Ooboke · Japanese-style tatami room with an in-room open-air bath: An 8-tatami-mat Japanese-style tatami room with its own onsen open-air bath, sleeping 2 to 3 guests. Your family can bathe on your own while looking out over Koboke Gorge, but the
- Hotel Iyaonsen · Private-hire bath Yamagiri no Yu: A private-hire bath with onsen water flowing directly from the source, suited to small groups. Reservations are required, and the charge is 3,000 yen for 60 minutes for staying gue
- Hotel Kazurabashi · Private-hire baths (Takenoko no Yu, Sagiri no Yu and others): These private-hire baths are for staying guests only and are available for a fee. They are recommended for families. The private-hire open-air bath Takenoko no Yu is available from
Themed and family rooms(5 hotels, 7 items)
- AoAwo Naruto Resort · Rizotta Room (children's themed room with bunk beds): A children's themed room with bunk beds, decorated in bright colors such as red and green. It sleeps 4 in total (2 adults plus 2 children in the bunk beds), with the bunk beds prov
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · Sanctuary Villa (adjacent super suites): On the same grounds, XIV Naruto Sanctuary Villa (opened in 2003, 22 rooms) and Sanctuary Villa Due (opened in 2005, 22 rooms) are separate super-suite buildings where every room is
- Sunriver Ooboke · Moonlight Ooboke (railway-themed room): A guest room produced by railway photographer Masami Tsubouchi and limited to one group per day. It is decorated with the headmark (front nameplate) from the Taraboke, a special tr
- Hyper Inn Hotel Echihisa · Japanese-style tatami rooms and Japanese-Western rooms (co-sleeping possible): The Japanese-style tatami rooms (6 tatami mats and 8 tatami mats) and the Japanese-Western rooms use futon bedding, so children can co-sleep. The 6-mat Japanese-style tatami rooms
- Hotel Iyaonsen · Standard room 316 (suited to families with young children): This 42 sq m room has a 15-tatami-mat Japanese-style area and accommodates 2 to 6 guests. It is furnished with two generous beds measuring 160 cm by 213 cm, so a co-sleeping child
Kids' programs and activities(3 hotels, 3 items)
- AoAwo Naruto Resort · Tanukids Program: As a hotel that welcomes children and supports family trips with little ones, it offers the Tanukids Program, with free rental items and hands-on programs that are popular with fam
- Grand XIV Naruto The Lodge · Golf, spa and on-site activities: The same grounds are home to the 36-hole Grandee Naruto Golf Club 36 and the Aroma House spa and beauty treatment building. Seasonal events are also held, including weekend firewor
- Hotel O. Naruto · SUP, fishing and other seaside activities: You can try SUP on the calm sea at Naruto, and a fishing rod and tackle are also provided for 1,500 yen for 4 hours. For SUP, where you stand on a board and paddle, wetsuits and sw
Kitchens for self-catering(3 hotels, 3 items)
- Tsubaki House · Kitchen with an induction cooktop, dishes and cooking utensils: The house, rented as a whole, has a kitchen with an induction cooktop, along with dishes and cooking utensils. Since the plans do not include breakfast or dinner, the family can pr
- First Avenue House · Kitchen equipment (self-catering): The kitchen on the first floor has a refrigerator, microwave, toaster and electric kettle, free to use for anything from getting breakfast ready to putting together a few snacks. S
- Hoshifuru Bettei WANASA · In-room kitchen and cooking space: The room has a kitchen, a washer-dryer, a refrigerator, a microwave and cutlery, so it is set up for longer stays. It has a full cooking space where you can prepare your own meals,
Outdoor play and gardens(3 hotels, 8 items)
- Hoshifuru Bettei WANASA · The beach within the affiliated Pension Shishikui: Staying guests may also use the beach within the affiliated Pension Shishikui. Nearby leisure options include swimming, fishing and diving, and there is also a surf shop offering S
- GLAMPREMIER Naruto · Play area with a swing: The play area on the grounds has a swing that children can use. It is available from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., free of charge. Children can stretch their legs r
- Hotel O. Naruto · Seaside courtyard and outdoor garden: Two gardens: a courtyard facing the sea and an outdoor garden where the trees sway. A campfire space is set up, and at night illuminations light up the trees. You can also open up
Nearby attractions
Travel tips
Getting around Tokushima Prefecture tends to revolve around a car, and there is real distance between the Naruto and Tokushima City area and Oboke, Iya and the area around Mount Tsurugi, so narrowing your trip down to one base area keeps the strain on children to a minimum. Access is mainly by expressway and bridge, so families who are not used to traveling by car will feel more at ease if they build extra time into the journey.
Best season
How well the whirlpools show themselves changes with the season and the time of day, so many families check in advance before setting out. Around Oboke, Iya and Mount Tsurugi the valley scenery is at its best in the fresh greenery of spring and the autumn colors, while in coastal areas such as Kaiyo Town more families visit in summer and pick a property within walking distance of the sea and the beach.
Getting there
Tokushima Prefecture is most commonly reached by car via the expressway, with the route over the Onaruto Bridge used by visitors coming in from outside the prefecture. There is also an airport near Tokushima City, and because travel times differ noticeably between the Naruto and Tokushima City area and the rest of the prefecture, it is worth checking the distance from your destination when choosing where to stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
From what age can families enjoy a trip to Tokushima?
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Some spots work from preschool age, such as the whirlpool sightseeing boats in Naruto and the Otsuka Museum of Art, while others, like the Kazurabashi vine bridge in Iya, suit children who are already steady on their feet. Choosing a Japanese-style room or a room with its own bath makes the stay itself easier to manage, even with a baby or a toddler in tow.
Are there properties you would recommend for families with a baby?
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AoAwo Naruto Resort has baby-friendly amenities including baby bed and baby bath rentals and gentle low-irritant baby soap. There are 5 properties in the prefecture that offer baby bed rentals, so you still have options even when traveling in the early months.
Is Tokushima inconvenient without a car?
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Travel within Tokushima Prefecture tends to revolve around a car, and there is real distance between Naruto and Tokushima City and Oboke, Iya and the area around Mount Tsurugi. There are 4 properties within walking distance of the sea or a beach, but if you plan to combine several sights in one trip, a car gives you far more freedom to move.
Is there anything to enjoy on a rainy day?
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The Otsuka Museum of Art is viewed entirely indoors, which makes it an easy choice when the weather is uncertain. As for accommodations, there are 6 detached villas, cottages and whole-house rentals, which suit families who would rather spend an unhurried day indoors.
When is the best season to visit?
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How well the whirlpools show themselves changes with the season and the time of day, so it is worth checking before you head out. Around Oboke, Iya and Mount Tsurugi the valley scenery is easiest to enjoy in the fresh greenery of spring and the autumn colors, while in coastal areas such as Kaiyo Town, trips that include swimming in the sea are popular in summer.