If I wanted to be right in the middle of big city style Tokyo , I would choose Shibuya over Shinjuku every time ( I talk about why more here, if you’re interested.)
Its right in the middle of everything ( if you like that big city holiday) but if you also love getting lost down little alleyways but have lots of child friendly restaurants as well as options with food halls and high chairs and tourist friendly options. There are also large food halls/ delis in the basements of the large department stores here so it makes for great options for taking an array of yummy foods “home” to your accommodation and keep the costs down but still get everyone to bed on time.
You can also walk to Harajuku easily from here!
***Personally, I recommend Shibuya hotels most to families with just one baby in a baby carrier (strollers are a little harder with lots of construction works, but not impossible. OR families with kids who are 8 years and over (they can definitely walk around and don’t need playgrounds etc to blow off steam right outside of the hotel. Please note that Shibuya is very much sort after because of the convenient and bustling location. That means taht hotels tend to be expensive here – AND room sizes are often smaller than other parts. You are paying for the location. **
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Local stations: Shibuya Station (Lines: JR, Tokyu Toyoko, Tokyu Denentoshi, Ginza, Hanzomon, and Fukutoshin)
Closest JR Yamanote Line ( City Loop) Station: JR Shibuya Station ( JR Harajuku is also walking distance)
If you like exploring the city on foot like I do? You can walk to:
– Harajuku ( 14 mins on foot or approx 4 mins/900 yen in a taxi or 3 mins on the Yamanote line for 130 yen per ticket )
– Daikanyama ( 14 mins on foot or approx 6 mins/1200 yen in a taxi or 8 mins on the subway with a 6 minute walk for 120 yen per ticket or 12 mins by bus to the Daikanyama T-Site bus stop for 150 per ticket )
– Ebisu ( 14 mins on foot or approx 6 mins/1100 yen in a taxi or 2 mins on the Yamanote line for 130 yen per ticket )
– Naka-Meguro ( 31 mins of foot or approx 10 mins / 1900 yen in a taxi or 10 mins on the subway with a 12 min walk for 120 yen per ticket)
– Roppongi ( 40 mins on foot or approx 9 mins/2000 yen in a taxi or 15 mins on the subway with a 5 min walk for 200 yen per ticket )
What is actually in this area?
For family friendly options in Shibuya see my post here.
For date night options without children , these are my favourites. (see here if you are looking for babysitting options in Tokyo.)
How to get here from Narita and Haneda airports?
The airport limousine buses stop at Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu and the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel ( if you aren’t staying at these hotels you can still use the bus and then taxi or walk to your closest, final destination.
The Narita Express (train) stops in Shibuya.
But isn’t Shibuya too crazy to stay there with kids?
No way. Images online of Shibuya Crossing might have confused you but I don’t find Shibuya to be too much at all (although it may not be the best option if you have a child with sensory issues such as an auditory sensitivity – but I’d say that about Ginza or Shinjuku too.) Shibuya is bustling on the weekend but it’s not like you can’t comfortably walk down a street or use a stroller or anything. In fact, if you have a baby in a carrier – an only child who can bed share – then I recommend Shibuya most !
Before I share my Shibuya recommended hotels…..
I do get lots of messages from families who have their heart set on staying in Shibuya but are taken back by the prices of accommodation. Staying on or near Shibuya Crossing is a bit like trying to stay on Times Square in New York. It will, of course, not be a “cheap stay” for families. If budget is your number one focus, I recommend seeing my full list of recommended hotels in Tokyo – so that you can compare and find something that is right for you.
If you have a family of 5 or more, here are the places I recommend staying while in Tokyo.
Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, Shibuya
This hotel is 7 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing. They have some connecting rooms available.
They also have a 20 meter indoor swimming pool *for 18 years older only*- however, like many Japanese hotels, pool use is not included in the price of the hotel room. It’s an additional 2,200yen per adult per day.
Shibuya Excel Tokyu & Shibuya Stream Excel Hotel Tokyu
These are two separate hotels about 10 minutes walk apart. Both aren’t the cheapest options so if you find a good rate – jump on it fast!
The hotel is modern, popular, room size is pretty good for Tokyo. The whole hotel is well-established, clean, polished, reliable. Many of the rooms have fantastic views of the city.
The Shibuya Excel Tokyu has the most amazing view from their top floor breakfast restaurant – on a clear day you can even spot Mt Fuji!
Shibuya Tokyu Rei Hotel
This is the most modest and most affordable of my Shibuya hotel recommendations. Tokyu Rei in Shibuya is 2 mins walk from Shibuya Station. If arriving on the Metro (subway) take exit B2. The rooms here are simple, modern and clean. Rooms accommodate 1-3 people (ask for two rooms next to one another if booking for you and teenagers.) The hotel has it’s own breakfast restaurant and children under 6 eat free. (I recommend trying the curry bread on the breakfast buffet!)
This Shibuya hotel is particularly accommodating if you are gluten free ( best to email them in advance to let them know and bring a printed out dietary requirements card to the restaurant.)
All Day Place Shibuya
This hotel is just a few mins walk from Shibuya Station and the outside and lobby kind of gives “mid-range” hostel vibes. The rooms are small (there are slightly larger family rooms but that will also come with a hefty price tag – especially considering it doesn’t include kitchen options etc for families.). The rooms are clean. We paid $50AUD extra per night (me + two kids) in order to get a twin corner room over a normal twin room and I’m so glad we did as the corner section gave us more space for suitcases and just dumping our stuff in general. For the three of us- we booked a room with twin beds as my youngest is old enough to bed-share (not everyone’s cup of tea but it can save you literally hundreds of dollars on a booking in this area if you do.)
The beds are both on a raised platform and we pushed the two mattresses together in order to make one giant bed for all of us -and it worked well.
Our room had a small mini-bar fridge, a beautifully newly renovated shower (no bath) and the tv was set up so that we could sign in to our own netflix account from our room.
There is a coin laundry on the 8th floor – so handy for families.
*A little note on coin laundries in hotels in Japan. The detergent is almost always built into the machine. If someone in your family has allergies to certain washing powders it is probably best to email in advance to find out what they use and what your options are. Oh.. and another note.. if the washer and dryer is built into one machine – the dryer setting really only works well for 1-2 items (big items like a pair of jeans and a long sleeved top, I mean) so don’t do what I do and just put in heaps of things to dry for longer – hoping that they will dry. It doesn’t work like that. Best to do little tiny drying sessions for the best drying results. It a lesson in patience but it will save you lots of coins in the long run
The staff all speak English well and the check in system is automated – so it’s nice and quick and easy.
There is a pizza restaurant and bar within the hotel – both are busy with lots of university aged students – it’s not noisy to stay here though.
To sum up – this hotel is expensive for the room size you get, not in a particularly beautiful part of Shibuya but it is so convenient and the room/hotel has everything that families could need (as long as you don’t mind squishing together and just using the room for sleeping.)
I feel that this hotel would be great with a little baby who can’t yet properly walk or families with kids 8 years old + as there isn’t a lobby to run around in or anything and the rooms are too small for little ones to blow off any steam easily (that’s my nice way of saying – you’ll drive one another crazy.)
Although I haven’t stayed here personally, the family guest house Submarine House, run by Tokyo Family Stays is in a fantastic location. Many of my readers have stayed here and say they had a fantastic time.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
If you are exploring Tokyo and are finding it to be too hot or too rainy to be outdoors, please see my full one day kid-friendly itinerary in Tokyo.
