Three countries, five cities, five hotels, and our family of five, all during fall break! We started in Taiwan, continued to South Korea, and finished in Japan, using points and miles to help make the flights and hotel stays happen.

This trip took us from Taipei’s night markets and Jiufen’s lantern-filled streets to Busan’s coastline, Seoul, and the Nara and Osaka area of Japan. We even squeezed in a two-hour STARLUX business-class flight with lie-flat seats. We found a great deal for 15,000 miles plus $15 instead of $600.

Was this a slow, relaxing trip? You probably already know the answer! With traditional school schedules and limited time off, we love fitting as much as possible into the time we have. This itinerary is for families who enjoy seeing several places in one trip and do not mind moving hotels. However, we did take our days slower than normal since we were moving around a lot.

As a family of five, booking the hotels took some extra strategy. We used a mix of hotel points and Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings, stayed at properties including Park Hyatt and St. Regis, and booked two rooms at most stops. In total, that added up to 15 room nights across five hotels.

Below, I’m sharing our route, how we booked the flights and hotels, and a day-by-day breakdown you can adapt for your own family.

Trip Dates:

October 9th–19th, arriving in Taipei on October 11, 2026. (5 people)

Our 9-Day Asia Trip at a Glance

• Day 1: Arrive in Taipei, explore the city, and visit Raohe Night Market.
• Day 2: Morning in Taipei, followed by a day trip to Shifen and Jiufen.
• Day 3: Fly to Busan on STARLUX and check into Park Hyatt Busan.
• Day 4: Full-day Busan tour, including the Sky Capsules, followed by an evening train to Seoul.
• Day 5: Explore Seoul’s neighborhoods, cafés, and sights, with shopping and a night-market visit.
• Day 6: Fly to Osaka and arrive in Nara in the late afternoon.
• Day 7: Morning with the deer at Nara Park, followed by a stroll through Kyoto before taking the train to Osaka.
• Day 8: Full day exploring Osaka, including anime shops and the city’s famous sights.
• Day 9: Last-minute shopping and a visit to the Nintendo store before our evening flight home.

Where We Stayed (Hotels)

• Nights 1 and 2: Episode Daan Taipei (2 Rooms: 12,000 Hyatt points per room per night)
• Night 3: Park Hyatt Busan ( 1 Room: 20,000 Hyatt points plus a suite upgrade)
• Nights 4 and 5: Andaz Seoul Gangnam (2 Rooms: 25,000 Hyatt points per room per night)
• Night 6: JW Marriott Hotel Nara (2 Rooms: Used Fine Hotels $300 credit for each, paid $44 each)
• Nights 7 and 8: The St. Regis Osaka (2 Rooms, Mixed points of 226,000 Marriott points plus one FHR + $271)

Across all five hotels, we booked 15 room nights for just $469 out of pocket! We also received complimentary breakfast at our Hyatt stays through our Globalist status and at Marriott either through our Platinum Status or Fine Hotels benefits. Park Hyatt Busan limited breakfast to four guests, so David skipped breakfast there.

Our Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings each included a $125 property credit and daily breakfast for two per room. Neither St. Regis Osaka nor JW Marriott Nara charged us for our fifth person’s breakfast, which we really appreciated! We also have Marriott Platinum status, which provided another avenue for breakfast benefits at these properties.

One of our favorite details at St. Regis Osaka was the butler service. Each morning, we ordered complimentary drinks—freshly squeezed orange juice for the kids and coffee for me—and had them delivered through the butler box. Such a fun way to start the day!

We received room upgrades at several hotels, too! Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply hoping for an upgrade, use my hotel email template before your next stay. An upgrade is never guaranteed, but it never hurts to ask!

How We Booked Our Flights with Miles

We flew into Taiwan and returned from Japan, with a flight to South Korea and a train between Busan and Seoul along the way, and a flight to Osaka.

Flight to Taiwan: Phoenix → Taipei

• Airline: China Airlines
• Cabin: Economy
• Route: Nonstop Phoenix (PHX) → Taipei (TPE)
• Cost: 37,000 miles + $129 per person
• For five: 185,000 miles + $645
• Booked through: Flying Blue

Our flight was around 14.5 hours, and we arrived in Taipei around 7 a.m. Having a nonstop from Phoenix meant we could start the international portion of the trip without another connection.

We found 5 seats on China Airlines pretty easily through Flying Blue when the seats were released 11 months out. We did have to call to get our seat assignments, but after that I was able to check in online. At the gate, they made almost everyone, even business class, check their bags, so that was disappointing. They said the limit was 7kg.

Taiwan → South Korea: STARLUX Business Class

• Route: Taipei (TPE) → Busan (PUS).
• Cabin: Business class + Economy class
• Business Cost: 15,000 Atmos miles + $15.50 per person (1 seat)
• Economy Cost: 7,500 Atmos miles + $15.50 (paid miles for 2 & paid cash for two $160 each)
• Booked through: Atmos Rewards

A two-hour flight with a lie-flat seat? Yes, please! I had lounge access and got to experience STARLUX business class on a short flight between Taiwan and South Korea. Except I was really hoping to experience the Galactic Flagship lounge, but I was in the smaller terminal.

Related: STARLUX Airlines Business Class Review: Full Experience on the A350

The lounge was still nice. There was a menu to order from plus a buffet. Food was just ok though. I was hoping to upgrade one of my family members to business, but they quoted me $550 at the gate, which was almost the same as the cash price, so that was a no.

The cash fare for business class was around $600. So it was a great value for 15,000 miles and $15.

Busan→ Seoul

We took the high-speed train from Busan to Seoul, and it was about 2.5 hours. For our family of five, it was about $175. We booked through Rakuten and Klook to earn some extra miles. We booked just a couple of weeks out and went from Busan Station to Suseo Station, which was closer to our hotel.

South Korea → Japan

We flew from the Seoul area to Kansai International Airport for the Japan portion of our trip.

• Airline: Peach Aviation
• Departure airport: GMP
• Arrival airport: Osaka Kansai (KIX).
• Cost for five: $827
• Booking method: Cash, booked directly

Flight Home: Japan Airlines Economy

• Route: Osaka Kansai (KIX) → Los Angeles (LAX).
• Airline: Japan Airlines.
• Booked through: Atmos Rewards
• Standard cost: 37,500 miles + $43 per person.
• Companion certificate: We used a 25,000-point global companion certificate, reducing the 4th & fifth traveler’s mileage cost to 12,500.

For five, that came to 137,500 miles + $215, based on the amounts above.

Positioning Flights

We flew from Los Angeles to Phoenix on Southwest Airlines, using points plus a companion pass plus taxes of $5.60 each.

Our Long-Haul Flight Totals

The Phoenix–Taipei and Osaka–Los Angeles flights together came to 322,500 miles + $860 for all five of us.

That subtotal does not include Taiwan–Korea, Train Ride, Korea–Japan, or the trip home from Los Angeles to Phoenix.

Total Miles and Cash: 352,500 plus $2,250. (I did not add the Southwest miles, but they were like 5,000 per person).

Getting Around Taiwan, South Korea and Japan

We used public transportation almost exclusively. Some countries’ transportation was easier than others.

• Taipei: Use metro and trains, with tap to pay
• Jiufen: We arranged a private tour
• Busan: We used a van taxi from the airport for just $45 (60,000 KRW). Then did a private tour the following day.
• Busan → Seoul: KTX train.
• Seoul: They did not have tap to pay, so we bought individual tickets with a credit card at the machine for each ride. This was just easier for us since we were only there one day.
• Japan: Used tap to pay for each ride

Day 1: Arriving in Taipei, Ximending and Raohe Night Market

Route: TPE Airport → Episode Daan → Taipei sightseeing
Hotel: Episode Daan Taipei
Transportation: We arrived at our hotel around 9 am.

We arrived at our hotel around 9 a.m. after a slight flight delay. Thankfully, we had all slept well on the plane and were ready to explore! Our rooms weren’t ready yet, so we stored our luggage and headed out.

Breakfast Plans and Alchemist Coffee

Our first stop was M Café, but we couldn’t get in without a reservation. We did make it there on our last day in Taipei, and it was amazing!

Instead, we headed to Alchemist Coffee for coffee, hot chocolate, and a few pastries. The food selection was limited, so this was more of a coffee stop than a full breakfast, but I loved my coffee and the cute atmosphere.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Yongkang Street

Next, we visited Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall before heading to Yongkang Street for lunch. We picked up a takeout order from Din Tai Fung and tried mango shaved ice, which was amazing! Definitely a treat worth making room for.

Shopping and Bubble Tea in Ximending

From there, we headed to Ximending for shopping, a stop at Pop Mart, Hello Kitty 7-11, and brown sugar bubble tea. After exploring, we returned to the hotel to get ready for our dinner reservation.

Birthday Dinner at Capybara House

It was my daughter’s birthday, and all three kids had been begging for some kind of animal café experience. We chose Capybara House, and ended up loving the food even more than the capybaras! 😂

The meal was an all-inclusive hot pot experience. You choose your meat and broth, then help yourself to noodles and plenty of toppings. I wasn’t sure how much my kids would enjoy it, but they loved it! There was a ton of food, plus a soda fountain and ice cream included in the meal.

You visit the capybaras at the end. There were two large ones we could feed, and we spent about 5–10 minutes with them. The space was small, so we felt a little awkward lingering. I’d think of this as a fun hot pot dinner with a short animal encounter rather than a long café visit with capybaras.

We paid approximately $125 for our family of five, and it was a fun way to celebrate her birthday.

Raohe Night Market

We originally planned to visit Raohe Night Market after dinner, but we were so full from hot pot that we decided to call it a night. The trip would also have taken about 30 minutes each way on the metro.

We didn’t make it there, so I can’t give a firsthand review, but it came highly recommended. If you’re following a similar itinerary, consider saving it for an evening when you haven’t just finished an all-you-can-eat dinner!

Day 2: Taipei and a Private-Driver Trip to Jiufen

Route: Taipei → Shifen → Jiufen → Taipei
Hotel: Episode Daan Taipei
Transportation: Private tour booked via Viator

We really wanted to visit Jiufen, but I didn’t want to figure out the transportation. You know I love planning things myself to save money, but after organizing so many trips this year, I had officially run out of brain space. When I found a private tour covering Shifen and Jiufen for $325, I booked it. Here’s the exact tour.

I chose a 1 p.m. pickup so we could be in Jiufen around sunset. With pickup and drop-off right at our hotel, it made the whole afternoon easy.

A Morning in Taipei

Breakfast was included for four people at our hotel, but the funny part? It was served at the Texas Roadhouse in the hotel building! Unfortunately, the breakfast was terrible.

We were up early and headed to Dihua Street, only to discover that most of the shops weren’t opening until around 11 a.m. Our early start didn’t accomplish much, so I’d save this area for later in the morning. We still got plenty of walking in before returning to the hotel for our tour.

Shifen: Sky Lanterns and a Waterfall

Our first stop was Shifen, where we decorated a sky lantern and released it together. It was a cute, memorable experience with the kids. Afterward, we browsed the souvenir shops and watched a train pass through the village.

Next, we visited Shifen Waterfall, walking across the bridges and stopping at the different viewpoints.

Our guide was great, and having someone handle the driving and logistics made this part of the day so easy.

Jiufen Old Street and the Lantern Views

Jiufen was incredibly cute, but the crowds around the famous lantern-lined staircase and tea-house view were on another level. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever experienced that much pushing and shoving just to reach a photo spot.

I asked my family to hang back while I worked my way toward the viewpoint. I eventually found it, but I’m still not sure the photo was worth the squeeze! Some people lingered for a long time despite the crowd waiting behind them, which made the whole experience frustrating.

The village itself was beautiful, but the crowds and our limited time there made it harder to enjoy. While I loved the convenience of the private tour, I would have liked more time to explore Jiufen beyond that busy photo spot.

Day 3: STARLUX Business Class to Busan and Park Hyatt Busan

Route: Episode Daan → TPE Airport → PUS Airport → Park Hyatt Busan
Hotel: Park Hyatt Busan

We had an early afternoon flight at 2:30 pm because I wanted to experience StarLux Business Class, but I regret it a little bit. It would’ve been nicer to get to Busan earlier in the day.

We skipped the Texas Roadhouse included breakfast and went to M Cafe. It was so good! It’s just a short 5-minute walk from the Hotel. You must go if you stay there. My favorite was the creme brulee latte!

We took the trains back to the airport since we felt confident we knew the way, and honestly it was pretty easy with just one change. We flew to Busan on STARLUX. The flight was only around two hours, but I booked business class for me and economy for the rest of the family. I planned to upgrade one seat for my daughter since it was her birthday, but they wanted to charge me $550, so that wasn’t worth it.

Checking Into Park Hyatt Busan

We took a van taxi to the hotel, and it was about an hour. We got stuck with a new taxi driver that was very confused and could not find our hotel for a while. We finally made it! It was a little crazy.

Park Hyatt Busan was our only hotel stop where we booked one room for all five. They allowed it over email, but didn’t mention we would be short a bed. Thankfully, there was a couch that my youngest slept on. We were not charged, as they waived it. It was booked with a suite upgrade award.

Day 4: Exploring Busan and Taking the KTX to Seoul

Route: Park Hyatt Busan → Busan sightseeing → Busan Station → Seoul → Andaz
Hotel: Andaz Seoul Gangnam

We spent one night in Busan before continuing to Seoul by KTX. With limited time and a long list of places I wanted to see, I quickly realized that public transportation wasn’t going to let us fit everything in. Busan’s sights are spread out!

I found a small-group tour that included everything on my list for around $550 for our family of five. It ended up being such a good fit for this part of the trip. Plus, we didn’t get picked up until 9:30am so we had plenty of time to sleep in and enjoy breakfast at the Park Hyatt.

Haeundae Sky Capsules

A couple of weeks before our trip, I tried to book the Sky Capsules and discovered they were already sold out. Apparently, those tickets go fast! This tour ended up being our secret weapon because it still had Sky Capsule tickets available.

The capsules are adorable and move very slowly, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the ocean and city views. Think of it as a relaxing sightseeing ride rather than a thrill ride. We loved it!

Temples, Coastal Views and Colorful Villages

Our tour also included Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, a coastal ocean walk, Gamcheon Culture Village, and a stairs monorail stop. Having transportation between all these places made it possible to see so much in one day.

The best logistical detail? They picked us up at our hotel, let us bring our luggage, and dropped us off at the train station afterward. No returning to the hotel for bags or arranging another transfer. It worked perfectly for our itinerary!

Evening KTX to Seoul

We took the 8:15 p.m. KTX to Seoul, then used the metro to reach Andaz Seoul Gangnam. The hotel is directly connected to the subway station, which made the final part of the journey easy.

We didn’t arrive until after 11 p.m., so it was a late night, but we had squeezed a full day of exploring Busan into our trip before moving on!

Day 5: Seoul’s Hanok Streets, Cafés and Shopping

Route: Andaz → Seoul sightseeing → Andaz
Hotel: Andaz Seoul Gangnam

Our Stay at Andaz Seoul Gangnam

We stayed at Andaz Seoul Gangnam for two nights in two rooms, using 100,000 Hyatt points total. I had been watching MaxMyPoint alerts to secure that second room because I really wanted this location, and I had heard great things about the breakfast.

The room setup, however, was disappointing. I had shared our party size when requesting an upgrade, but we didn’t receive one. We then learned that our standard king and twin rooms couldn’t accommodate a rollaway and didn’t have a sofa. Although our booking allowed three guests in one room, that meant sharing the king bed with my youngest.

After spending 100,000 points, that wasn’t the setup I had hoped for!

Breakfast, thankfully, was amazing. I also did something I don’t normally do: a family member couldn’t use a Guest of Honor award I had planned to give them, so I moved one room reservation into David’s name and attached the award. That ensured our fifth person’s breakfast was covered.

I was surprised we didn’t receive a suite upgrade, especially since I could see suites available to book. Normally, I would have asked about our options, but after our late arrival, I simply didn’t have the energy.

Bukchon Hanok Village

Don’t miss Bukchon Hanok Village! The traditional Korean homes and picturesque streets made this such a lovely part of our day.

Afterward, we found ourselves stopping at one cute café and bakery after another. I bought way too many pastries, but it was hard to resist!

One of my favorite stops was London Bagel Museum. The bagels were on another level—so delicious! We tried a few more bakeries along the way before continuing to Ikseon-dong.

Café Hopping in Ikseon-dong

Ikseon-dong was full of beautifully designed cafés, and I had several saved that I wanted to try. The problem? We had already eaten so many treats that we mostly wanted to split something.

The cafés we considered required each person to order, so sitting down as a family of five meant ordering more than we wanted. This was the moment I regretted all that earlier snacking!

My advice: save some room and plan to sit down at one of these cafés. There were so many creative spaces, and I would have loved more time to enjoy one.

Dinner, Night-Market Snacks and Shopping

That evening, we headed to the Myeongdong Night Market for more snacks. I don’t think we sat down for an actual meal all day!

We also fit in plenty of shopping at Olive Young and a few other fun stores. Between the traditional neighborhoods, amazing bakeries, creative cafés, and shopping, we loved our day in Seoul and would definitely return.

Day 6: Flying to Japan and Checking Into JW Marriott Nara

Route: Andaz → Seoul departure airport → KIX → JW Marriott Nara
Hotel: JW Marriott Hotel Nara

Our next stop was Japan! We started in Nara, where we stayed at JW Marriott Hotel Nara in two rooms.

We booked both rooms through Fine Hotels + Resorts, using a separate $300 card credit for each booking. Each room cost approximately $344 before the credit, leaving just $44 out of pocket per room. Each booking also included a $125 property credit, breakfast for two, a room upgrade, and late checkout.

Getting From Kansai Airport to Nara

We ended up taking a direct airport bus to Nara and discovered that one of its stops was right across from our hotel. It cost approximately $60 for our family of five.

We had to wait about 45 minutes for the bus, and I was getting impatient, but it ended up being faster, easier, and much more comfortable than the train option we had considered. The bus was about half empty, too. My kids even asked why we don’t take buses more often!

Our First Evening in Nara

We loved the hotel’s design. For some reason, I had pictured it surrounded by nature rather than in town, but that was on me for not researching the location more closely!

The rooms were beautiful, and the service was exceptional. We also had lounge access, which included afternoon snacks, an evening happy hour, drinks throughout the day, and the option to have breakfast there. We chose to eat breakfast in the restaurant instead.

The evening lounge service was limited to guests aged 13 and older, so we brought our oldest daughter. While we were there, the staff surprised her with a birthday cake!

What made it so special was that we hadn’t asked for the cake in the lounge. They recognized us, knew we were celebrating her birthday, and brought it over. That kind of thoughtful service made the stay memorable and made my daughter feel incredibly special.

We ate dinner at the restaurant with our credits, and the food was ok.

Day 7: Nara Sightseeing and Moving to Osaka

Route: JW Marriott Nara → sightseeing → St. Regis Osaka
Hotel: The St. Regis Osaka

We started the morning with a good breakfast at the hotel before heading to Nara Park. The train station was about a 10-minute walk from JW Marriott Nara, and getting to the park was straightforward.

Nara Park: Visiting the Deer

We spent about an hour with the deer. Some were pretty aggressive, but my kids still loved the experience and didn’t want to leave!

Since we were already so close to Kyoto, we decided to revisit its historic streets. It’s one of my favorite places, and I couldn’t resist squeezing it into our day.

A Quick Visit to Kyoto

Getting to Kyoto from where we were turned out to be much more confusing than expected. Google Maps suggested one route, while the station staff directed us another way. Between figuring out the trains and making our way there, we lost a lot of time and had less time to explore than we had hoped.

Of the transportation systems we used on this trip, Japan’s trains were the most confusing for us. We struggled to match the station names and directions in Google Maps with what we saw at the stations. It eventually seemed that several routes would have gotten us to Kyoto, but figuring that out in the moment was frustrating.

I still loved being back, but I would leave more time for this excursion if I did it again.

Back to Nara, Then onto Osaka

We made it back to JW Marriott right around our 4 p.m. checkout, and thankfully, the staff didn’t seem concerned about our timing.

The hotel hadn’t charged us for our fifth person’s breakfast, so we still had property credits left to use. We ordered three pizzas to go; the pizza was pretty good, and we grabbed drinks from the lounge before heading to Osaka.

Thankfully, this train journey was much easier, with just two stops on the route we took. The station was also very close to St. Regis Osaka, making our arrival simple.

Checking Into St. Regis Osaka

St. Regis Osaka was our final hotel of the trip, and we received a warm welcome, drinks, and helpful service. Our rooms were upgraded so we could have connecting rooms, which was such a nice setup for our family.

The rooms were spacious, with beautiful city views. We even spotted fireworks from our room shortly after checking in!

Later, we headed out for ramen, explored a little more after dinner, and returned to the hotel for the night.

Day 8: Osaka Shopping, Food and Neon Lights

Route: St. Regis Osaka → Osaka sightseeing → St. Regis Osaka
Hotel: The St. Regis Osaka

We started the morning by ordering drinks through the butler. You simply call with your order, and I asked for ours to be delivered through the butler box. Enjoying delicious coffee in my robe before breakfast? Such a treat!

Breakfast was good, although we had an awkward seating experience the first morning. The pastries were delicious, and I enjoyed the French toast from the menu. David tried the Japanese breakfast the following morning and thought it was okay. It wasn’t our favorite breakfast of the trip, but we loved the restaurant’s atmosphere.

Namba, Anime Shops and Ramen

I let David plan this part of the trip. He wanted to return to Japan, and when we found award flights home from Osaka—a city we missed on our first visit—we decided to explore it.

Our day included plenty of shopping, eating, and anime stops. We returned to Ichiran for ramen, and almost everyone enjoyed it! My 15-year-old ate hers but wasn’t quite as impressed. The experience was just as fun as I remembered.

Onitsuka Tiger, Starbucks and Snack Shopping

My daughter and I split off to look for Onitsuka Tiger shoes. She wasn’t interested in getting a pair, but I found some for myself!

We also stopped at Starbucks and tried a fun cat-themed drink before meeting the rest of the family at Don Quijote, where we stocked up on snacks to bring home.

3D Drinks and Fluffy Pancakes

We also made it into a café I had really wanted to try, with 3D drinks and souflee pancakes. The pancakes were so good! This was such a fun stop.

Dotonbori

From there, we headed to Dotonbori, where shops, restaurants, and bright signs line the river. It was incredibly crowded and had a bit of a Vegas feel to me.

It wasn’t my favorite part of Osaka, but that’s okay! I’m glad we saw it, even if I preferred some of our other stops.

A Funny Room-Service Moment at St. Regis

That evening, we had drinks and snacks in the hotel bar to use our $100 property credit. We tried to order fried chicken to take up to the kids, but the staff explained that they didn’t have takeout boxes and offered to bring it to our room instead.

A little later, room service arrived with a linen-covered table carrying the fried chicken—and the rest of my burger! Such a fancy delivery for our leftovers and the kids’ dinner.

The chicken was really good, too!

Day 9: Flying Home From Osaka on Japan Airlines

Route: St. Regis Osaka → Kansai International Airport → Los Angeles → Phoenix

We enjoyed one last breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Nintendo store and fitting in some last-minute shopping. Then we took the trains to the airport and began our journey home.

Even though we visited three countries and five cities, this trip was more relaxed than our usual pace. We slept in most mornings, skipped things when we were tired, and didn’t feel pressured to check off every stop on our list.

We still saw most of what we wanted, while leaving room to enjoy the little things along the way. For us, it was a great balance of exploring new places and following our family’s energy.

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