May 25, 2026
Japan Family Trip Part 2: Kyoto Hotels, Activities & Complete Points Cost Breakdown
Episode Description
Have you ever fallen so in love with a city that you started seriously considering moving there?
That’s exactly what happened to us in Kyoto. In part two of our Japan spring break trip recap, my husband Brandon and I continue our family travel story as we settle into five nights at the Park Hyatt Kyoto, a property so beautiful that I can confidently say it’s the most stunning hotel I’ve experienced anywhere in the world. Brandon and I share our honest take on each Kyoto activity we did as a family, from the interactive art experience at Team Labs that became our trip highlight to the Nintendo Museum visit that had Brandon rethinking our packing strategy, to discovering that the famous bamboo forest came with far more crowds than we expected.
We also talk about the incredible food we ate that genuinely made us fantasize about relocating permanently, the travel decision I made for our journey home that turned into a stressful mistake, and the full accounting of what this entire nine-day trip actually cost. Listen as I break down every flight and hotel so you can see the real investment required to make this happen for a family of four.
Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your travel wishlist. Don’t miss out! Click here to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy.
What You’ll Learn from this Episode
- What it’s really like staying at the Park Hyatt Kyoto with a family
- Which Kyoto activities were worth it and which ones we’d skip next time
- Why TeamLab Kyoto was the single best thing we did on the entire trip
- The travel home connection disaster and what we’d do differently
- How JAL business class compares to first class for families
- The complete points and cash breakdown for nine days in Japan with four people
Featured On the Show
- Find the RIckshaw tour here
- Find the Kyoto walking food tour here
- Book the Nintendo Museum here
- Book Team Labs Kyoto here
- Find the Otagi Nenbutsi-ji temples & Aarahiyama bamboo forest tours here
- Find the MOTOI Gyoza restaurant here
- Find the Ramen Miyako Gion restaurant here
- Follow me on Instagram
- Get on the waitlist for the Points Made Easy Course here!
- Get My Cash-Back Credit Card Cheat Sheet!
- If you have any questions or you want me to dive deeper into a specific topic, email me here: podcast@pointmetofirstclass.com
Click here to download the full episode transcript
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Point Me to First Class is the show for professionals and business owners with higher-than-average personal or business expenses, who want to learn to leverage these expenses into credit card points they can spend on travel.
Each week, I share valuable tips, tools, and strategies to help you uplevel your skills earning and redeeming credit card points, so you can expand your travel and expand your experiences.
