A weekend in Yokohama
Written September 2026
Imagine a city where you can walk from a cartoon superhero's bakery to a museum of instant noodles to a Ferris wheel, all along one waterfront promenade. That's Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, and it feels a world away. There's a harbor, wide promenades along the water and way more room to breathe. And for kids, Minato Mirai, the waterfront district, is basically one big playground: a kids' museum, a noodle museum, a Ferris wheel and the water, all a few minutes' walk apart.
So this plan gives day one to the waterfront, all on foot, and day two to a zoo and an aquarium island a train ride south. Do it as a night away from Tokyo, or as two day trips if you'd rather not repack.
Where to stay
Stay on the waterfront in Minato Mirai. Everything on day one is a walk from these hotels, and a room with a harbor view means Ferris wheel lights at bedtime (instant calm, mostly).
InterContinental Yokohama Grand
The sail-shaped hotel at the end of the pier, with the harbor on three sides and the Ferris wheel out the window.
Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu
Right next to Cosmo World and the shopping mall, so day one starts at your door.
Yokohama Royal Park Hotel
Up at the top of the Landmark Tower, with views over the whole bay and, on a clear morning, Mount Fuji.
Hotel New Grand
The classic: the old grand hotel across from Yamashita Park, a short walk from Chinatown.
Some booking links here pay Play Day a commission. It does not change which hotels are named or the order they are in.
At a glance
- Walking
- 2 to 3 miles on day one, all flat along the water. Day two is mostly trains, with one steep hill up to the zoo.
- Ages
- Stroller age and up. The Anpanman museum is for toddlers and preschoolers, and the rest of the weekend works for everyone.
- Season
- Any time of year. The waterfront is breezy in winter and hot in summer, and the museums are indoors.
Getting around
From Shibuya, the Tokyu Toyoko Line runs straight onto the Minatomirai Line, so it's one train from central Tokyo to the waterfront in about 40 minutes. From Tokyo Station, take the JR line to Sakuragicho, a short walk from the Ferris wheel.
In Minato Mirai, you walk. The promenades along the water are wide, flat and car-free, and day one's stops are all within a mile of each other. On day two, the Keikyu Line runs south to Kanazawa-Hakkei, where a small driverless train, the Seaside Line, goes out to the aquarium island.
Minato Mirai, on the waterfront
Today is all on foot along the water. Start with Anpanman for the little ones, then make your own cup noodles, and finish on the Ferris wheel as the lights come on over the harbor.
- MorningGive it about two hours
Yokohama Anpanman Children's Museum
If your kid knows Anpanman, the superhero with a head made of bread (yes, really), this is the highlight of the trip. It's a play museum built like the cartoon's town, with a bakery to play in, things to climb and shows with the characters on stage. Kids who've never heard of him still love it as a play space.
- Late morningGive it about two hours · 0.8 mi from the last stop
CUPNOODLES Museum Yokohama
A museum about instant noodles, and way more fun than that sounds. The best part is making your own cup noodle. You draw on the cup, pick the soup and toppings, and watch a machine seal it up. There's a play area built like a noodle factory for younger kids, too.
How to book is on the listing. Book ahead so nobody misses out on making a cup.
- AfternoonGive it about an hour and a half · 0.9 mi from the last stop
Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum
A museum of big machines: rockets, engines and a simulator where kids get to fly a helicopter. Perfect for a school-age kid who's into how things work.
Got a train fan? The Keikyu Museum near Yokohama Station has a real old train car and a model railway diorama.
Also here: Keikyu Museum
- Late afternoonGive it about an hour and a half · 0.9 mi from the last stop
Yokohama Cosmo World
A small amusement park on the water right in the middle of the city, with no gate to get through. The giant Ferris wheel with a clock in the middle is the one to ride. It lights up at night, and the view from the top is the whole harbor.
Walk along the water to the Red Brick Warehouses and on to Yamashita Park, then eat dinner in Chinatown, where kids can snack their way down the street on steamed buns.
A zoo on the hill and the aquarium island
Today starts with a small zoo up the hill from Sakuragicho, then heads south on the train to Hakkeijima, an island that's part aquarium, part amusement park. The train ride there is half the fun.
MorningGive it about an hour and a halfNogeyama Zoological Gardens
A small zoo on a hill above the city, with giraffes, red pandas and a petting area where little kids can hold guinea pigs. It's up a steep hill from the station, so the stroller will need a real push. Small enough to see in a morning.
- AfternoonGive it about four hours · 7.4 mi from the last stop
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
An island in the bay with aquariums and an amusement park. The aquariums are the main event: walruses, polar bears, dolphins and a whole building where kids can get close to the fish and touch them. The rides include a coaster over the water for big kids and gentle ones for little kids, so siblings who want totally different things both win.
It's about an hour south of the waterfront by train, and the last bit is the Seaside Line, a little driverless train that runs along the coast. Kids love it.
Rather do a big zoo than an aquarium? Zoorasia, in the hills west of the city, has huge open habitats and a shuttle bus between them, so it feels more like exploring than walking past cages.
Also here: Zoorasia
From Hakkeijima it's about an hour back to central Tokyo on the Keikyu Line. Or head back to Yokohama for one more dinner in Chinatown (we would).
If it rains
Day one is mostly indoors already: Anpanman, the Cupnoodles museum and the Mitsubishi museum. On day two, skip the zoo and go straight to Sea Paradise, where the aquariums are all under cover.
With a toddler
Give the whole morning to Anpanman, then a nap and the Cupnoodles museum's play area. Skip the Mitsubishi museum, and only tackle the hill up to the zoo if you have a carrier. Sea Paradise is a great afternoon for the littlest ones, who'll want to stay with the fish forever.
With big kids
Skip Anpanman and spend more time at the Mitsubishi museum and the Keikyu Museum. At Sea Paradise, ride the coaster over the water. Want room to roam? Kodomo no Kuni, a huge park in the hills north of the city with a long slide, boats and a small zoo, is a whole day out.
What to skip
The Anpanman museum with a kid who's already past it, which happens around six (they'll tell you). And trying to fit Sea Paradise and Zoorasia into the same day. They're in opposite directions, and each one is a full afternoon.
Questions
Is Yokohama worth a day trip from Tokyo with kids?
Yes, totally. Minato Mirai is about 40 minutes from Shibuya, and it's one of the best kid days near Tokyo, with the Anpanman and Cupnoodles museums and the Ferris wheel all on one walk.
What is there to do in Yokohama with toddlers?
The Anpanman Children's Museum, the play area at the Cupnoodles museum, the Nogeyama zoo and the aquariums at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise.
How do you get from Tokyo to Yokohama?
The Tokyu Toyoko Line from Shibuya runs straight onto the Minatomirai Line, about 40 minutes to the waterfront. From Tokyo Station, the JR line goes to Sakuragicho.
Photos
Yokohama Cosmo World: DocChewbacca (BY-SA 2.0) · Yokohama Anpanman Children's Museum: Thirteen-fri (BY-SA 4.0) · CUPNOODLES Museum Yokohama: Rs1421 (BY-SA 3.0) · Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum: *_* (BY 2.0) · Nogeyama Zoological Gardens: Dddeco (CC BY 2.5) · Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise: Nesnad (BY 4.0)
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