# A weekend in Yokohama with kids Written 2026-09-27 by Play Day. A weekend in Yokohama with kids: Anpanman, cup noodles and a Ferris wheel on the waterfront, then a zoo on a hill and an aquarium island, with four hotels. 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. ## 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. ## Day 1: 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. ### Morning: [Yokohama Anpanman Children's Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/yokohama-anpanman-childrens-museum) (give it about two hours) 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 morning: [CUPNOODLES Museum Yokohama](https://ourplayday.com/places/cupnoodles-museum-yokohama) (give it about two hours) 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. Tip: How to book is on the listing. Book ahead so nobody misses out on making a cup. ### Afternoon: [Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/mitsubishi-minatomirai-industrial-museum) (give it about an hour and a half) 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. Tip: Got a train fan? The Keikyu Museum near Yokohama Station has a real old train car and a model railway diorama. Also: [Keikyu Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/keikyu-museum). ### Late afternoon: [Yokohama Cosmo World](https://ourplayday.com/places/yokohama-cosmo-world) (give it about an hour and a half) 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. Evening: 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. ## Day 2: 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. ### Morning: [Nogeyama Zoological Gardens](https://ourplayday.com/places/nogeyama-zoo) (give it about an hour and a half) 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. ### Afternoon: [Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise](https://ourplayday.com/places/yokohama-hakkeijima-sea-paradise) (give it about four hours) 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. Tip: 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: [Zoorasia](https://ourplayday.com/places/zoorasia). Evening: 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. ## About this plan The prose carries no prices, opening hours or ticket rules, because those change. Each place named links to its Play Day listing, which carries the kid facts (high chairs, changing tables, kids' menus, wheelchair access) with the source and month of each. Page: https://ourplayday.com/itineraries/a-weekend-in-yokohama