New Year
New Year With Kids: Meals-Included Stays for a Truly Relaxing Break
Skip the crowds and the cold and slow down as a family. Choose between three ways to spend the holidays: big resorts with meals included, warm southern islands, or snow and hot springs.
38 areas ยท 1545 hotels (total listings across these areas)
A family trip over the New Year holidays comes with a lot to juggle: trains and roads packed with people heading home to see relatives, crowded sightseeing spots everywhere, and kids who catch colds more easily in the cold weather. The plans that leave families with young children happiest are the ones that don't cram in sightseeing. You can stay put at a large resort with meals included, escape to a warm southern island, or hole up at a snowy hot spring inn. Decide how you want to spend the time first, and the right area and hotel follow naturally.
This guide lists areas for each of those three styles, then adds areas near major cities that pair well with visiting family or hatsumode (the first shrine or temple visit of the new year), plus a regional starting point. On each area page you can filter by features such as a kids' buffet, Japanese-style tatami rooms or combination rooms, heya-shoku (dinner served in your room), private dining rooms, and a kids' playroom, so you can find a hotel where your children can keep their own pace even when the building is busy over the holidays.
Whichever style you choose, two things decide a good New Year stay with kids: how much time you can comfortably spend inside the hotel, and whether you can avoid December 29 to January 3, when prices tend to peak.
If you want to dodge the crowds and the price peak as much as possible, our collection of hidden-gem hotels that stay calmer over the same holidays is a better fit. If you are still deciding whether to travel at all, start with our article on ways to spend the New Year holidays, including staying home, which makes it easier to get a sense of dates and budget.
Features to look for in this collection
Do nothing at a big resort with meals included (easy to reach from Tokyo and the Tokai region)
With dinner and breakfast included, or a buffet, there is no worrying about the bill or the menu. If the hotel has a kids' space or hot spring baths, children stay entertained without ever going outside.
Izu
Hot springs and ocean views, with plenty of large hotels offering dinner and breakfast
Atami
A hot spring town reachable by shinkansen (bullet train), where it is easy to find inns with private baths or in-room dining
Minami-Boso
An easy drive from central Tokyo and mild even in winter, with many large resorts that include meals
Ise-Shima and Toba
Easy to combine with a New Year visit to Ise Grand Shrine, with a good cluster of meals-included hotels
Nasu Highlands
Large highland resorts, many where you can spend the whole day inside, with snow play close by
Kinugawa Onsen
Large ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) along the gorge, some with indoor pools and play areas
Fukushima
Ring in the new year at big resorts with hot springs and plenty of on-site facilities
Shizuoka
Search meals-included hotels across the prefecture, including Izu and Atami
Chiba Prefecture
Search family-friendly hotels across the prefecture, focusing on seaside hotels with buffets
Head south to the warmth (for families worried about the cold and kids getting sick)
Even in winter, days are comfortable and there are plenty of chances to play outdoors. Book flights early.
Okinawa's Main Island
Resorts on the main island. Winter crowds are lighter, so you can enjoy big hotels' kids' facilities at a relaxed pace
Miyako Island
Welcome the new year beside Miyako's famously blue sea, at resorts with kids' pools or private villas with their own pool
Ishigaki Island
The slow pace of island life, with day trips from Ishigaki to nearby islands
Okinawa
Search family-friendly hotels across all of Okinawa Prefecture
Kagoshima
Hot springs in Ibusuki and Kirishima and a mild climate, ideal for a New Year trip in Kyushu
Nanki-Shirahama
A warm hot spring area close to the Kansai region, near places where kids can see animals
Hole up with snow and hot springs (a snowy New Year)
Play in the snow near the hotel, then relax with the hotel's baths and meals. Keep travel short by using the shinkansen or hotel shuttles. Within the same snowy areas, your shortlist changes depending on whether you choose by hot springs, by how easy snow play is, or by hotels right on the slopes. Our winter hot spring collection, snow play collection, and ski-in, ski-out collection show the same areas from those different angles, so if you already know your priority, starting there narrows things down faster.
Hokkaido
Big ski resorts with snow play and indoor pools. Check whether airport transfers are offered when choosing
Niseko
A world-class resort with well-equipped snow play facilities for kids
Echigo-Yuzawa
Hot springs and snow within walking distance of the shinkansen station. Short travel makes it great for babies and toddlers
Kusatsu Onsen
Ring in the new year in a hot spring town built around the Yubatake, its steaming open-air spring source, with snow play nearby
Nagano
Search snow play and hot spring hotels across the prefecture, including Karuizawa
Niigata
Search snow and hot spring hotels across the prefecture, including Echigo-Yuzawa
Combine with visiting family or a New Year shrine visit (near the cities)
Add a night on the way to or from relatives, or alongside a hatsumode shrine visit. Choose a city hotel with facilities for families.
Osaka
Easy to combine with New Year shrine visits and theme parks, with many large family-friendly hotels
Kyoto
Home to many famous spots for New Year visits. To beat the crowds, choose a location that lets you head out early in the morning
Tokyo
Choose central Tokyo hotels by their on-site facilities and transport access
Fukuoka
The gateway to Kyushu. Pair it with a New Year visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Kanazawa
Winter food and hot springs, reachable on the Hokuriku Shinkansen
Browse by region
Over the New Year holidays, the journey itself can wear kids out, so narrowing down to a region within easy reach of where you are coming from speeds up choosing a hotel. In Kansai, you can weigh options that differ in both travel time and how you spend your days: Arima Onsen with its short journey, Nanki-Shirahama on the Kuroshio limited express train, Naruto in Tokushima reachable overland via Awaji Island, and Kyoto with its famous New Year shrines and temples. Hotels offering private dining rooms or in-room dining are available too, which suits families who want their New Year's Eve meal away from a crowded dining hall. Central Kansai draws big crowds for shrine visits during the first three days of January, so narrowing your choice to either a location close to the station or a hotel big enough to spend the whole day inside makes getting around easier. In the Kanto region, many hot spring areas such as Hakone, Nasu Kogen, and Kusatsu Onsen can be reached by train and bus. Check first whether the hotel runs a shuttle, and you can plan your trip without relying on expressways, where holiday traffic jams are hard to predict. Kyushu offers a wide range of hot spring areas, including Beppu Onsen, Kurokawa Onsen, and Kagoshima, and whether you pick the coast or the mountains changes both how easy holiday travel is and how cold it gets. In the Tokai region, the choice narrows to a New Year shrine visit in Ise-Shima or Gero Onsen, which makes planning your dates simpler.
Hakone
Reachable by train from central Tokyo, so you avoid holiday expressway jams and can predict travel time more easily
Nasu Highlands
The shinkansen keeps travel time down, and choosing a hotel where you can spend the whole day inside, after checking for a shuttle, helps you avoid New Year crowds
Kusatsu Onsen
The area around the Yubatake gets crowded at New Year, so a hotel where the hot springs and meals are all on site lets you relax
Arima Onsen
Many inns have private baths, so families can bathe together while avoiding the busiest times at the large public baths
Nanki-Shirahama
A seaside hot spring area that suits families who want to stay away from the New Year shrine crowds
Kyoto
A short trip from other parts of Kansai, making it easy to plan dates that combine stays
Beppu Onsen
The town center gets busy at New Year, so a hotel where you can enjoy the baths on site means less moving around with kids
Kurokawa Onsen
Tucked in the mountains, so getting there takes time. Planning not to go out once you arrive keeps kids from getting worn out
Kagoshima
Easy to combine the trip from the airport with city sightseeing. Shrine crowds peak in the first three days of January, so adding a day relaxing in the hotel's hot springs cuts down on travel
Ise-Shima and Toba
Ise Grand Shrine is busiest during the first three days of January, so shifting your stay before or after makes travel easier
Gero Onsen
Hotels are clustered in the hot spring town, so travel is short, but shops in town may close over the holidays, so plan to have all your meals at the hotel
Naruto
Reachable overland from Kansai, an option for families who want to avoid crowded holiday flights and shinkansen
Tips for traveling with kids
- checkOver New Year, a plan with no sightseeing tends to be the most satisfying. Choose a large resort where everything is on site, or an inn where in-room dining and private baths let you stay in your room.
- checkJapanese-style tatami rooms, combination rooms, and rooms with a kids' area are limited at each hotel. There may also be minimum stay or multi-night requirements, so check the room type and booking conditions together.
- checkIf you are combining the trip with visiting family, travel by shinkansen or choose a hotel with a shuttle. Expressway traffic over the New Year holidays is unpredictable.
- checkIn case your child suddenly runs a fever, check when cancellation fees start and where the nearest holiday clinic is when you book.
- checkWinter hotel rooms tend to be dry. Before booking, check whether the hotel lends out humidifiers.
Recommended hotels in this collection (76)
Selected automatically from the top-ranked hotels in each area.
Pleasure Resort Izu Akasawa Onsen (Akasawa Onsen Hotel)
Izu Kogen Hanairotei
Kamenoi Hotel Atami
Hotel New Akao
Kisui no Yado Monya
Grand Mercure Minamiboso Resort & Spa
Todaya
Toba View Hotel Hanashinju
Grand Mercure Nasu Highlands Resort & Spa
Hotel Epinard Nasu
See all hotels in this collection (76)expand_more
- Pleasure Resort Izu Akasawa Onsen (Akasawa Onsen Hotel)
- Izu Kogen Hanairotei
- Kamenoi Hotel Atami
- Hotel New Akao
- Kisui no Yado Monya
- Grand Mercure Minamiboso Resort & Spa
- Todaya
- Toba View Hotel Hanashinju
- Grand Mercure Nasu Highlands Resort & Spa
- Hotel Epinard Nasu
- Kinugawa Onsen Hotel
- Kinugawa Onsen Asaya
- Hotel Listel Inawashiro Wing Tower
- Tsuchiyu Onsen Hotel Sansuiso
- Hotel Wellseason Hamanako
- Mars Garden Wood Gotemba
- Kameyama Onsen Hotel
- Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel
- PGM Hotel Resort Okinawa
- Fukugi Terrace
- Hotel Shigira Mirage
- Hotel Breezebay Marina
- Fusaki Beach Resort Hotel & Villas
- ANA InterContinental Ishigaki Resort
- Vessel Hotel Campana Okinawa
- Okinawa Prince Hotel Ocean View Ginowan
- Kirishima Bijin no Yu Yuyuan
- Kirishima Kokusai Hotel
- Shirahama Coganoi Resort & Spa
- Shirahama Onsen Hotel Sanrakuso
- Hotel Naturwald Furano
- Kitayuzawa Mori no Soraniwa
- Ki Niseko
- Niseko Annupuri Onsen Yugokorotei
- Angel Grandia Echigo Nakazato
- Atema Kogen Resort Belnatio
- Hotel Sakurai
- Kusatsu Onsen Kusatsu Now Resort Hotel
- Dormy Club Karuizawa
- Shirakaba Resort Ikenotaira Hotel
- Echigo Yuzawa NASPA New Otani
- Tsukioka Onsen Shiratama no Yu Kaho
- Moxy Osaka Umeda
- Anda no Mori Osaka Tennoji Tower
- Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma
- farm-inn Toricotoya
- Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel
- Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo
- Mars Garden Hotel Hakata
- The358 SORA
- Hotel MyStays Premier Kanazawa
- Kanazawa Yuwaku Onsen Hyakurakusou
- Sengokuhara Shinanoki Ichinoyu
- Hakone Hotel Kowakien
- Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Nasu
- Pension Ajiwai
- Kusatsu Onsen Boun
- Kusatsu Onsen Pension Hino Ataru Basho
- Arima Onsen Hyoe Koyokaku
- Arima Onsen Arima Grand Hotel
- Shirahama Yanagiya
- Nanki Shirahama Marriott Hotel
- Mibu Doudan Momiji
- Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo
- Beppu Onsen Shinhorii
- Suginoi Hotel
- Kurokawa Onsen Yumerindo Hanadomari
- Kurokawa Onsen Kurokawaso
- Kyukamura Ibusuki
- Koshikano Onsen Ryokan & Glamping
- Ise Shinsen
- Grand Mercure Ise Shima Resort & Spa
- Gero Onsen Fugaku
- Gero Onsen Ogawaya
- AoAwo Naruto Resort
- GLAMPREMIER Naruto
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should we book a New Year trip with kids?
expand_more
Popular hotels and family-friendly room types start filling up in the fall. Book as soon as your dates are set, by October or November at the latest, and check the cancellation policy for peace of mind. Prices are higher than usual over the New Year holidays, and some hotels require a minimum number of nights.
Where is easiest to spend the New Year holidays with a baby?
expand_more
Large resorts that are a short trip away and where you can spend the whole day inside work well, as do hot spring inns where in-room dining and private baths let you stay in your room. If you are worried about the cold and your baby's health, warm areas such as Okinawa are also an option. On each area page you can filter by features such as Japanese-style rooms, in-room dining, and crib rentals.
What are the benefits of choosing a hotel with meals included over New Year?
expand_more
Over the New Year holidays, nearby restaurants are often closed or crowded, so a hotel with dinner and breakfast included takes the worry out of meals. Hotels with a buffet or kids' menu make it easier to handle picky eaters, and you skip heading out into the cold to eat. You can also choose hotels that offer allergy-friendly options.
Can we visit snowy areas over New Year without a car?
expand_more
Areas close to a shinkansen station, such as Echigo-Yuzawa, and large resorts with shuttles are easy to plan without a car. If you are not used to driving on snowy roads, it is safest to choose an area you can reach entirely by train and shuttle. Please check each hotel's information to confirm whether a shuttle is offered.
Won't the New Year crowds make the kids fussy?
expand_more
How busy the large public baths and buffet halls get depends on the time, so going early or late lets you enjoy them in calm. Choosing a hotel with in-room dining or private baths lets you avoid the crowds altogether. A kids' playroom on site gives children somewhere to go whatever the weather.
Are there cheaper days even over New Year?
expand_more
At the same hotel, December 29 to January 3, especially the nights around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, tend to be the price peak, and shifting before or after can bring prices down. If your end-of-year work schedule or shrine visit plans have any flexibility, compare nightly rates on booking sites; moving just one day off the peak can sometimes get you the same room type for less. Our article on when to book also covers booking timing and how prices move.
Will the hotel serve osechi, toshikoshi soba, or hold mochitsuki?
expand_more
New Year dishes and events differ from hotel to hotel, and even at the same hotel they can change from year to year. Whether a hotel serves an osechi-style multi-course meal (osechi are traditional New Year dishes), toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles eaten on New Year's Eve), or holds mochitsuki (rice cake pounding) often depends on your stay date and rate plan, so please check each hotel's New Year plan details before booking. It is also worth checking whether portions for children are provided.