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Planning a Trip to Japan: DOs & DON’Ts (2024)

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This post is based on an amazing guide our friend Amy Dunn-Cham compiled us full of her Japan tips on how to plan a trip to Japan years ago. We have since visited Japan five times and update this post regularly with what we’ve learnt.

Ah Japan, irasshaimase! Welcome to the land where everything just works. The land of convenience, the land of delicious food, paradox, naked strangers, and where respect permeates through every part of society and culture.

In Japan the food can be described as clean and minimalist, but never simple, which probably sums up Japan as a whole. It’s a place that both lives up to, and out does, any expectation you have upon arrival.

Uh-huh, they have the fastest, sleekest, most efficient trains (ever!), but they still have paper posters pegged up on their Tokyo subway. Yeah, they have amazing futuristic architecture, but they also have countless traditional wooden buildings in amongst it all. 

Yes, they have the busiest people crossing in the world (Shibuya), but at no point is it ever chaotic, no need for anyone to bang on a cab screaming, “Hey, I’m walking here!”. 

Yes, they have scores of scarily trendy, funkily clad young people who like to cosplay on weekends, but they also have evening family outings to sentos (public bathhouses).

In this Japan travel guide, we’ll help you make sense of it all and share our best tips for planning a trip to Japan.

2024 Update: No Japan Travel Restrictions

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Japan reopened to independent international tourists on 11 October 2022.

Remaining restrictions were dropped on 29 April 2023, so visitors no longer need to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test.

The government also dropped the indoor masking recommendation. Many Japanese people still wear masks (on our late 2023 trip, I’d say about 30-40% of people wore them), but you are unlikely to be required to.

With the yen at the lowest it has been for decades, now is a great time to travel to Japan.

Health care is expensive in Japan, so I highly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers Covid-19 medical expenses.  SafetyWing Insurance  is an excellent budget option, especially for travellers on longer trips and families (as children under 10 are free). It’s available worldwide.

If you want a more comprehensive policy with cancellation cover, check out Heymondo travel insurance , which we used on our last Japan trip (it came in handy when Simon broke his foot!). It’s also available worldwide and offers 5% off for our readers.

Back to Contents

We’ve visited Japan in all four seasons and don’t think there’s a bad time to go. 

In winter , it’s chilly and gardens are a bit bare, but crowds are lower, you’ll find great deals on accommodation, and you’ll really appreciate those onsens (hot springs). You can also go skiing or snowboarding and have the best chance of seeing snow-capped Mount Fuji.  

In summer , it is steaming hot and humid (and June is the rainiest month), but there are fewer foreign tourists around and lots of local festivals to enjoy. It’s also the best time to visit the many beaches and the only time you can climb Mount Fuji. 

The most popular and best overall times to visit Japan are spring (March-April) and autumn (October – early December). This is when you can enjoy the gorgeous cherry blossoms (sakura) or autumn leaves (koyo). It’s more crowded and expensive, but the weather can be ideal and it is just stunning. 

See our guide to visiting the Kyoto cherry blossoms for more information on the popular sakura season. 

On our recent autumn trip, we had warm weather (up to 77ºF/25ºC) with very little rain from October until mid-November, when the temperature in Kyoto suddenly plummeted ahead of the leaves turning colour.

Shoulder seasons May and late-September/early October  are also good times to visit with warm weather and lower crowds.

Two times of year I would avoid for a vacation to Japan are:

Golden Week in early May – In 2024, Golden Week is from 27 April – 6 May. This is a series of national holidays so many Japanese travel domestically, trains and hotels book up, and popular spots will be extra crowded.

New Year – Late December to early January. This is also a busy time with local travellers and most businesses close for up to four days.

How long do you need in Japan? As long as possible!

There is so much to see—we have spent months in the country and still have a long bucket list.

For first time visitors, I recommend visiting Japan for two weeks. This is enough time to see some highlights—Tokyo, Kyoto, and one or two smaller destinations. See our Japan two week itinerary for suggestions.

A week is the minimum time I recommend for a Japan trip. For a more relaxed Japan vacation, spend the whole week in Tokyo or Kyoto and take day trips. Or if you don’t mind rushing about, visit both major cities with an overnight stop on the way (such as Hakone).

Read our guide on the best places to visit in Japan to decide where interests you most and come up with an itinerary. You’ll find some suggestions at the end of this guide.

Watch this video for Japan trip ideas.

• Check if you need a visa . Visa-free travel is possible for citizens of 68 countries for stays of up to 90 days (including US, UK, Canada, Australia and the EU). Do have a return or onward flight out of the country as they may grill you upon arrival. It was the nicest immigration interrogation we’ve ever had, though.
• Purchase your Japanese Rail Pass exchange order before you travel to Japan (if needed, more on that later).
• Learn some Japanese —numbers are especially useful! While you can get by with Google Translate, it’s much more fun to learn some Japanese (which isn’t as hard as you might think) and locals really appreciate it. We are currently learning with the comprehensive Rocket Japanese online course , which includes audio lessons with natural dialogue, grammar and culture tips, and voice recognition to test your pronunciation. It’s a little pricey but unlike most subscription-based courses, you get lifetime access and discounts are often available.
• Get an International Driving Permit . You’ll need this for go-karting on the real Tokyo roads dressed as your favourite character. Insanity but one of the most fun things we’ve done in Japan.
• Arrange travel insurance. Healthcare is expensive in Japan, so make sure you are covered in case the worst happens. We’ve used and recommend Heymondo and  SafetyWing (both available worldwide). 

• Apply for a Mastercard credit or debit card – If you don’t already have one. Some Japanese websites don’t work with Visa so it’s good to have a backup. We used a Starling Bank debit card (UK only), which has free international transactions and cash withdrawals.
• Walk as much as possible – You will walk a lot in Japan cities so it helps to get some training in beforehand (and wear in some comfy shoes).
• Practice using chopsticks – You’ll need them to eat in almost every restaurant (curry is the exception as it’s eaten with a spoon). Getting used to sitting on the floor is a good idea for some restaurants and experiences too.

• Buy a pre-paid transport IC card  for local trains, metro and buses. You just tap on and off and don’t have to worry about buying a ticket. In Kyoto and Osaka, it’ll be an ICOCA card, and in Tokyo, it’s a Suica or Pasmo, but you can use any of the cards all over the country. Physical cards are currently in short supply (due to a chip shortage), so I recommend adding Suica to Apple Wallet on your phone or watch. Visa doesn’t work as a payment method so use Apple Pay, Mastercard, or American Express to top up. We just tapped on transport with our Apple watch and didn’t even need to open the app. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for Android phones bought outside Japan.
• Set up an Airalo eSIM – You’ll want affordable data on your phone as having access to maps and Google Translate makes life so much easier. A digital eSIM is simple to set up before you arrive and prices at Airalo start at just US$4.50. We used it on our last Japan trip and it worked great. If your phone doesn’t support eSIMs, you can buy a physical Umobile SIM from a vending machine at Tokyo Narita Airport (make sure your phone is unlocked).
• Sign up to the Timeout Tokyo newsletter – To learn about special events during your stay.

• Buy tickets for Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park – If you are a Studio Ghibli fan, you might want to visit the museum in Tokyo or new park in Nagoya. It’s essential to book ahead. See below for details.
• Research what else to book in advance – Many attractions and restaurants in Japan require advance booking so decide what’s important to you (ideally at least three months ahead) and set reminders for when bookings are available. At the end of this post you can see the timescale for what we booked for our latest trip.

• Consider a Japan Rail Pass . The luxury of shinkansen (bullet train) hopping is exhilarating. No need to book seats in advance, just choose a train, wave your pass and hop on. These passes are only available to foreigners and you can order online from  JRailPass.com . Read our guide to whether a Japan Rail Pass is worth it for everything you need to know after the price increase in October 2023 (it’s still worth it for some trips if you are travelling a lot).

• Bow if you are being bowed to . If you can manage it too, don’t turn your back upon exit. Don’t overdo it though or you’ll be a total gaijin , no need to bow to the supermarket checkout person!
• Pre-book accommodation. Wise anyway as the more affordable accommodation fills up fast, but also in line with the whole respect thing, Japanese people like to be prepared for your arrival.  So don’t just randomly rock up at a ryokan for the night! Booking.com is our favourite site for finding hotels and guesthouses, and we also use AirBnb and Vrbo  to find apartments in the big cities (which are often cheaper than hotels). See our Japan accommodation guide for recommendations.

• Go onsening! You might want to skip this in summer as hot doesn’t even come close to describing the water temperatures! But soaking in a hot spring is one of the most typical things to do in Japan and is ultra relaxing once you get over your fears of public nudity (yep, no clothes allowed!). Best of all, visit an onsen town where you can onsen-hop dressed in a kimono. See our Kinosaki Onsen travel guide for details on this lovely onsen town as well as hot spring etiquette. 

• Stay in a ryokan (traditional inn). Pricey but worth it for at least a night or two for the unique experience and the amazing meals that are often included in the room rates (and many can cater for vegetarians/vegans). Our favourite ryokan is Tsukihitei in Nara, so traditional and with a magical forest setting. We also loved our private bath overlooking the scarlet maple trees at Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo in Kyoto (book a suite not a standard room). More budget-friendly options are Hotel Musashiya in Hakone, where our room and onsen had a view of Lake Ashi, and Morizuya Ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen, which is perfect for onsen-hopping.
• Stay in a traditional tatami mat room.  If you can’t stay in a ryokan, a much cheaper way to stay in one is a traditional room in K’s House hostels—they have branches in Hakone  (with onsen), Kyoto , Izu Peninsula (in a 100-year-old building with onsen), and all over the country. We never had a bad experience with this hostel chain in our budget travel days.

• Appreciate the zen-like calm on all modes of transport – no need for quiet only carriages here! Just remember that it’s rude to speak on your phone on trains in Japan.
• Use Google Translate . Many people don’t speak English, so the Google Translate app is helpful for communicating. Write what you want to say in English then show the Japanese translation to the person. Even more impressive is the feature to translate images—point your camera at a sign, menu, or food label and it translates the text instantly. It’s not perfect but when it works, it’s brilliant.
• Translate websites too – Many Japanese websites (especially restaurants) are only in Japanese so using Chrome or Safari, refresh the page and select the English option at the top. On Safari on my iPhone, I tend to select a block of text and tap translate from the popup.
• See some sumo . If you’re lucky enough to be in the country when one of the sumo tournaments is on, go! The pre/ post game rituals are fascinating to watch. If you aren’t there during a tournament, you can see a practice session at a sumo stable in Tokyo . It was one of our favourite experiences in Japan—it felt like such an honour to see these huge, impressive sumotori training so close.
• Expect bursts of freakery!

• Get your paper fortune at a Japanese Buddhist temple. Okay, we cheated and got an English one at the Golden Pavilion (see our guide on the best things do to in Kyoto ), but what the hell! You can also get one at the gorgeous Sensoji Temple in Tokyo . 
• Love the Japanese for their never-ending capacity to help you out , and they won’t stop until they do!
• Read these Japan books before you visit for a greater understanding of this weird and wonderful culture. 
• Have some sushi – Sushi is the essence of Japan, plus sushi-train/ sushi stand up bars are so much fun watching the chefs take your order, and all shout in unison, “samon!” or “tamago!” etc. Vegetarian sushi isn’t very common, but we did find some—see our vegetarian Japanese food guide .

• Appreciate the plastic food models as works of art!
• Pack slip-on shoes. You’ll be taking your shoes on and off a lot in temples and restaurants. I wear the comfy ballet flats Allbirds Tree Breezers in warmer weather and Allbirds Wool Runner sneakers (for men and women) in cooler weather—they keep your feet cosy but can be worn without socks and easily slipped off without untying the laces. See my detailed Allbirds review .
• Shop at the 100 Yen shops.  Like pound shops BUT BETTER! Daiso is a great one.
• Play in the arcades dotted around cities, the taiko drum game rocks! 
• Make use of the many vending machines EVERYWHERE . You will never go thirsty in Japan that’s for sure.  You can even get hot coffee…in a can! (Simon’s saviour when we had early morning trains to catch.) In fact, you can get friggin’ anything from vending machines from cheap 100 yen sake (yuk!) to hot chips (not surprisingly we did not try!) and SIM cards. In Tokyo you can use your Suica transport card to pay. 
• Press random buttons on the panel next to you on the loo . It will make you giggle ;o)!  Also, if it’s cold then appreciate the absolute miracle of heated toilet seats.
• Fall in love with seeing toriis (shrine gates) everywhere , especially small red ones in rows behind each other. Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto is our favourite (but go early as it’s popular). 
• Love and appreciate the beautiful presentation of absolutely everything from the amazing architecture to the way bento boxes are wrapped in a napkin tied in a knot just so, to amazing manhole covers!
• Pack light.  It will be much easier to hop on and off trains while travelling around Japan if you pack light, and hotels have limited storage space for luggage. Best of all, travel with just carry-on luggage . The Away Bigger Carry-On was perfect for our trip and fit overhead in trains.

• Consider luggage shipping – We haven’t used this yet, but if you have large luggage, it’s common to send it between hotels (it takes a day, so pack essentials in an overnight bag).
• Withdraw cash from 7-11 ATMs.  They are the most reliable no-fee option for international cards and can be found everywhere. Make sure you always have cash on hand as many places don’t accept credit cards (although this is improving). Note that some 7-11 ATMs in popular spots (the airport, Gion), do now charge, so try to withdraw in less touristy areas.
• Use Navitime to check train times and prices (and to work out if a Japan Rail Pass is worth it for your itinerary ).
• Visit BIC Camera if you need any kind of electronics. These massive stores have everything you could imagine. Take your passport if you are making a large purchase (over 5000 yen) and get it tax free. I bought a camera here and ended up getting lots of extra discounts and free accessories. It’s also a good place to buy a SIM card if you didn’t pick one up at the airport.

DON’T:

• Rent a car – For most visitors the best way to travel Japan is by train. Elsewhere we love road trips, but renting a car in Japan is just not worth the hassle unless you are travelling far off the beaten track.
• Open the door if taking a taxi. They are either automated or the driver will open it for you. It’s also a good idea to have your destination’s address written down in Japanese to show the driver as most don’t speak English.
• Feel bad if you need to take a break from Japanese food – Japan isn’t always an easy destination and indulging in a comfort meal can be restorative (we’ve had some excellent pizza in Japan).

• Forget to check opening hours – Japanese restaurants aren’t usually open all day and both restaurants and attractions usually have a last order/entry 30 to 60 minutes before closing.
• Go whizzing around the country too much. It can save energy to base yourself in one place and take day trips as we did in Kyoto and Okayama .
• Wear holey socks. You’ll only be embarrassing yourself when you take your shoes on/ off constantly!
• Go into an onsen without washing first , that’s just dirty dude!  Also, don’t go into the bathing area with a towel wrapped around you, you’ll just look stupid. Embrace the nudity! Everyone’s naked so no-one cares. My Kinosaki Onsen guide has more etiquette tips for newbies.

Japan is a popular destination and many hotels, restaurants, and attractions book up in advance. While you can still have a wonderful last-minute trip, it’s worth researching what you’d like to do months in advance to see what needs reservations.

On our most recent trip to Japan (in the busy autumn October/November season), this is what we booked ahead:

5 Months Before

• Flights – This is personal preference and earlier or later could also work. Tokyo Narita (NRT), Tokyo Haneda (HND), or Kansai International Airport in Osaka (KIX) are all good options to fly in to.
• Accommodation – Ryokans and hotels in smaller towns are most important to book ahead. Some hotels don’t take bookings more than 3 or 6 months in advance, though. We used Booking.com and almost all had free cancellation.

4 Months Before

• Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta – Our favourite place to stay in Japan is right inside the best Disney park in the world. Rooms go on sale 4 months in advance at 11am JST and sell out in minutes, so it’s essential to do some practice runs.

3 Months Before

• Harry Potter Studio Tour, Tokyo – We booked 7 weeks in advance and only got an afternoon slot, so earlier is a good idea. Check Klook and the Warner Bros Studio Tour website as they have different availability.

2 Months Before

• Ghibli Park , Nagoya – Tickets go on sale on the 10th of the month at 2pm JST for 2 months later (it changed recently from 3 months). So May tickets will be on sale on 10 March. These sell out quickly, so be prepared.
• Teamlab Planets , Tokyo – Book early if you want a specific time for this interactive digital art exhibition (we wanted the first slot). We booked on Get Your Guide . The new TeamLab Borderless is also selling out fast (tickets available on Klook or direct ).
• Some Restaurants – We booked Monk in Kyoto exactly 2 months in advance at 12pm JST (after five attempts) and Shigetsu in Kyoto (as we were visiting during peak autumn colour). Creating a Tablecheck account is a good idea as quite a few restaurants use it for bookings.
• Saihoji (Moss Temple) , Kyoto – It’s expensive and might not be a priority with limited time in Kyoto, but it’s our favourite temple. Reservations open 2 months in advance.
• Universal Studios Japan Express Passes – These are essential to skip the lines at this very busy park in Osaka, and they do sell out. We bought the Express Pass 7 – Backdrop and Spiderman on Klook (much easier than the official site which is in Japanese only). We bought our USJ entrance tickets on Klook at the same time. See our Universal Studios Japan guide for more tips.

1 Month Before

• Ghibli Museum , Tokyo – Available at 10am JST on the 10th of each month for the following month.
• Shibuya Sky , Tokyo – Bookings open 4 weeks in advance at midnight Japan time. Book fairly soon after that to get the peak slot (one hour before sunset).
• Tours – I booked a sumo stable visit (highly recommended) and Shinjuku bar hopping tour in Tokyo. Go-karting is another fun option we’ve done before. I used Get Your Guide for most tours. Klook is a good option for tickets and attractions too.
• Tea Ceremony Ju-an , Kyoto – Learn the traditions of tea in a temple. One of the highlights of our trip.
• Sakurai Tea Experience , Tokyo – If you love green tea, don’t miss the tea tasting at this modern tea room.
• More Restaurants – I booked Saido in Tokyo, Uzu Vegan Ramen in Kyoto (reservations essential), and Ristorante di Canaletto at DisneySea (one month in advance at 10am JST exactly).
• Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland tickets – I booked on Klook. The parks probably won’t sell out, but we didn’t want to take the chance.
• Japan Rail Pass – If you decide to get one, allow plenty of time for your exchange order to arrive by post, just in case (you activate it on arrival).

2 Weeks Before

• Shinkansen Train Seat Reservations – We used the SmartEx website , which can be difficult to set up (use a Mastercard and keep trying to authenticate the payment method) but very handy. When booking a train from Tokyo to Kyoto, choose a seat on the right side of the train for Mt Fuji views (if clear). If you have large suitcases, you’ll also need to make an oversized baggage reservation .
• Airport Taxi Pickup – From Narita Airport we get the Narita Express train, but from Haneda Airport (which is closer to central Tokyo), we prefer a taxi for ease. We booked this Haneda airport pickup on Klook .
• More Tours and Restaurants – Book any more priorities as you finalise your itinerary.

Japan has so much to offer but here are a few places to get you started.

• Tokyo – The best of modern Japan. This huge city has incredible food, diverse neighbourhoods, and some unique experiences. Try these cool things to do in Tokyo and enjoy the best vegetarian restaurants in Tokyo . 
• Kyoto – The best of traditional Japan with many stunning temples to explore . Read the best things to do in Kyoto .
• Takayama – A smaller, quieter alternative for traditional Japan with a beautiful historic centre of preserved wooden houses. 
• Hakone – For the chance to see Mount Fuji, mountain scenery, lakes, onsens, and fun transport options (cable cars and pirate ships!). 
• Kawaguchiko – Even better views of Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko . 
• Nikko – Stunning temples in the forest. Could be visited as a day trip from Tokyo. 
• Hiroshima – Visit the moving peace memorial that commemorates the atomic bombing and don’t miss nearby Miyajima Island. 

See our Japan 2 Week Itinerary for a detailed guide to visiting many of these places including things to do, transport, and where to stay and eat.

Or our guide to the best places to go in Japan has more ideas.

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166 Comments

Thank you for the lovely Japan Blogs – it is making our travel planning fun! It would be really helpful to understand the areas to stay in within the cities, especially first time travelers to Japan.

Reply ↓

Thanks JK! Our Kyoto guide has tips on the best area to stay (Gion or downtown) and in Tokyo, we recommend Shinjuku for first time visitors. Enjoy Japan!

Wow, an amazing blog, Erin. This is helping us so much plan our trip. It is great to see you updating it regularly too. It’s becoming a daily read.

Kind regards,

Thanks so much for this post! As is often the case I am following you around the world and now I’m going to Japan. Look forward to reading everything you’ve written on it!

Good to hear you are going to Japan, Ruth! I hope you enjoy it as much as we always do!

We are a very active retired couple and love exploring different cultures, sights, and exploring nature. We are planning on going to Japan for the first time for 3 -4 weeks, around the third week or so in Sept to mid October or later. We will travel with just carry on luggage and backpacks. We love touring on our own, or booking individual tours at the different places. We are open to basing in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima(?) plus other places and doing day trips from these places. What would be a good itinerary for our 21+ day trip? Thanks so much! We love your website! Bunny

Hi, I lost my comment somewhere on your blog 😅 So, me and my partner are going to Japan for 4-6 weeks in sept/october. We want to travel in a slow pace and want to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, hiking around Kiso Valley (and Kumano Kodo?), Nagano, Kanazawa? We also want to explore some nice nature, visit onsen, sleep at a roykan etc. Hokkaido would be cool but i don’t know if we will have time with that. Do you have any tips where we must go? I think our plan is to be at least 7 days each in Kyoto and Tokyo, we want to stay for minimum 2 nights at each place. Would you recommend to start in Tokyo? Is it worth to start a week in a busy town with jetlag? Should we go somewhere else (where?) for a nice start on the vacation?

Thank you! /Johanna

Hi Johanna!

I’m planning a solo trip from ~May 21-June 21, but i’m worried i’ll hit the rainy season and humidity. What to you advise? I’m limited to May 21st as my earliest trip start date due to school!

I think it makes sense to start with Tokyo if that’s where you are flying in to. That way you don’t have to worry about travelling elsewhere and you have enough time there that you can plan for the first few days to be pretty relaxed – wander some neighbourhoods, eat etc.

Sounds like you have plenty of time to do everything you want. You could easily use that time in central Japan, but you could add in Hokkaido if you really wanted (we still haven’t made it there). Enjoy!

Hi Erin, is it advisable to visit Lake Kawaguchiko in November? And, do you think it is possible to do a day trip to Lake Kawaguchiko having Tokyo as the base?

We haven’t been in November but we definitely would. You will likely see the autumn colours too (generally peak around mid-Nov), which would be beautiful.

It will likely be colder than Tokyo, but as long as you are prepared with warm clothes it should be enjoyable.

And yes, it is possible as a day trip from Tokyo – many people go by train or on bus tours. Just be aware that Mt Fuji is often hidden in cloud, so if you stay overnight you increase your chances to see it. But you could also try to choose a clear day for your day trip. Enjoy!

Our Lake Kawaguchiko travel guide has more details.

Thank you for creating this! I’m making my way through reading all of your posts. I will be visiting Japan for 14 days for the first weeks in April with my husband, a 7 year old, 10 year old and my two of my adult siblings. We’ll be a big group but I’m very excited as this is my first time and have always dreamed of going. Wondering if you have any advice for the younger kids or any kid entertainment? Thanks again!

Travelling with kids isn’t our area of expertise so I don’t have any specific recommendations except for Tokyo Disney, which we love. Tokyo DisneySea is our favourite park—it’s the only one in the world and has plenty to offer for kids and adults. Enjoy!

Absolutely love this perspective on travel! It beautifully captures the essence of what it means to explore the world. Travel isn’t just about ticking off destinations; it’s about slowing down, immersing yourself in new cultures, savoring moments, and absorbing the rich tapestry of life that the world has to offer. 🌍✈️🌏

Thank you so much for this! I have started notes and saved the page so that I can come back and check out all the links. :) I am wanting to take my 14 (would be 15 then) daughter alone (we do girl’s trips every year without dad) to Japan. She loves all things Cherry Blossoms! We try and do her spring break time (next year will be the first week of April), but I am concerned about that being too short of time period. Could we do it? If that is all the time you had, would you have a ‘base in Tokyo and then do some excursions from there (which is how we like to travel)? I am also worried about the language barrier and us being able to navigate since sometimes Google translate will not work. Thanks again!

Hi Jennifer, With one week I would focus on Kyoto, which is a better location for cherry blossoms and also has so many beautiful temples and gardens. It’s more traditional Japan (although there is a modern part too). Ideally, you’d fly into Kansai Airport which is closest.

If you have to fly into Tokyo, you could spend a few nights there before taking the shinkansen train to Kyoto (the quickest one is just over 2 hours).

If you really want to see the more modern side of Japan or don’t want to take the train, then Tokyo would be a great base. You can still see plenty of cherry blossoms there.

We don’t speak Japanese (although we are trying to learn this year) and have always managed. The Japanese are very helpful and will always try to help you out, even with a language barrier. And there are an increasing number of signs in English. Just make sure you have data on your phone as Google Translate and Maps are super helpful (you can download Japanese offline in Translate too).

Be sure to book accommodation far in advance for the cherry blossom season (ideally 6 months+).

Enjoy Japan! Erin

Hi Erin, My husband & I are travelling to Japan in August as he is competing in the world masters swimming competition. We have to be in Fukuoka for the competition and then he have 9 days to explore the country ending up in Tokyo for our flight home. Could you advise what we should do at this time of year. Do you think it is sensible to base ourselves in Kyoto and then take daily trips from there using the JR Pass, (do you recommend we get the Green pass). Your advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you in advance.Pia

Hi Pia, that’s exciting!

If you don’t want to move around too much then I do think Kyoto is a great base. There’s so much to do (including festivals in August) and lots of possible day trips. You could finish up with a couple of nights in Tokyo.

If you want to add some extra places you could stop in Hiroshima on the way to Kyoto for the peace memorial and nearby Miyajima Island. It’s a quick journey on the bullet train from Fukuoka.

You’ll need to work out your route first to see whether a rail pass is worth it. It probably won’t be worth it for day trips but could work out worthwhile including the shinkansen up from Fukuoka and on to Tokyo.

We’ve never used a green pass but if you want a bit more space you could consider it.

Also bear in mind that around the Obon holiday (13-16 August) the trains will be busier than usual so book your seat in advance.

Enjoy Japan!

Hi Erin – great post, thanks for your comprehensive insight! My partner and I are heading to Tokyo for NYE and planning on heading from there to Kyoto around the 2nd for a couple of nights. I understand that Japan can be very quiet during the first week of January. Do you have any experience travelling at this time? If so, do you have any suggestions about how to make the most of the trip while the country is a bit quieter? Thanks in advance :)

Hi Sarah, We haven’t been to Japan at New Year. The important thing to bear in mind is that many businesses will be closed on some or all days between 29 Dec and 4 Jan. So make sure you look at the hours of any restaurants and attractions you want to visit and work around them.

I think Kyoto will be lovely at a quieter time of year especially as it does get so busy. There are so many temples and shrines to explore and they stay open over NY. Enjoy!

Wonderful website and tips. I know one of your dont´s is rent a car, but we are hoping to visit Shirakawa-go, Gokayama and Takayama, and have found no easy way to get there from Tokyo or Kyoto on train. Do you have any recommendation on how to do that?

Many many thanks¡

Hi Natalia. You can get to Takayama from Kyoto or Tokyo easily by changing trains in Nagoya. The journey from Nagoya to Takayama is beautiful.

The other villages can be reached by bus from Takayama (Shirakawa-go is easiest), but yes, a car would give you more flexibility to explore the countryside around here.

Maybe look into renting a car for a few days in Takayama? Just remember you’ll need an international driving licence, which you’ll need to get in your home country.

While a car could be useful in the countryside, I wouldn’t want to drive in the cities and the train between cities is probably quicker.

I’ve written a bit about Takayama in our 2 week itinerary: https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/japan-2-week-itinerary/

Have a wonderful trip to Japan! Erin

Hello Enrin, your tips makes me very enthousiatic to plan a 4week trip to Japan. Is that a good way to tour? (Will be half september-half oktober).

forgot to say ;-) we plan to travel with a campervan: is that a good way to tour?

That’s a great time to visit and a nice amount of time to explore. I don’t think a campervan or any rental car is the best way to travel though. Driving (and finding parking) in the cities is a challenge and it’s much easier to travel by train.

A campervan would only be advisable if you want to focus on rural areas like Hokkaido.

Remember you’ll need an international driving licence, which you’ll need to get in your home country.

Hello Great Blog. full of advices How do you suggest to travel the “alps” from Kanazawa that one can reach by train to takayama and around ? would that be the place where you rent a car?

You can visit places like Kamikochi by bus from Takayama so a car isn’t essential.

Hi Erin, would like to ask is hiring tour guide better or do it yourself to see all nice place in Japan?

It depends how you prefer to travel. I definitely think it’s possible to travel by yourself. A compromise might be to hire a guide for a day (or join a tour) in Kyoto and/or Tokyo.

Good Day Erin. Just doing beginning research for our yearly trip this year, and we are considering Japan. Your excellent article is the first I started with. We like to spend minimum of 2 weeks, usually longer at our destination. You suggest that using public transportation throughout the country and not to rent a car. My husand and I are seniors. My husband has difficulty (pain) after walking a short distance (100 yards). Would this destination be a wise choice for us? Before going further in my research an answer to this question is most appreciated. Regards

Hi Diane, yes, trains are definitely the best way to visit Japan’s cities. You could hire a private driver for day tours within places like Kyoto, though, which could minimise the need to walk as much when sightseeing.

It would probably be best to minimise the places you visit (such as Tokyo and Kyoto or even just Kyoto) as train stations are quite large and do involve walking. If you fly into Kansai airport you could take a taxi to Kyoto and see a lot based there.

Perhaps renting a wheelchair is worth considering. There is also an overnight luggage delivery service where you can send your bags between hotels to make train travel easier.

As we don’t have any experience of travelling Japan with mobility issues, I would look for advice from those who have. Here’s one post that might be useful: https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+132386

Diane: As someone who recently travelled to Japan having had double knee replacement surgery less than 12 months previously, I can offer a little insight! While I agree that travelling by train is a fantastic way to get around Japan (I covered a LOT of miles!) you should be aware that not all train stations have lifts or escalators. Many stations in Tokyo have quite long flights of stairs which can be a challenge to anyone less able or in pain, especially when you have luggage. Even when there is a lift, it’s typically right at the end of the platform (often the “wrong” end for where you want to be), so I would do some research before deciding how much urban train travel you will do; it’s less of an issue when taking the shinkansen to cover a reasonable distance. I much prefer trains to coaches, but I did use buses in places and that was fine. On the topic of car hire, I probably wouldn’t bother myself but I know someone who travels widely across Japan with a couple of kids and she swears by it, not least because they can easily reach locations that would otherwise be a hassle to get to. She doesn’t use one in the cities though. Lastly, I don’t think you should be put off going to Japan – it’s an amazing country and I found everyone to be unfailingly helpful. No problem is insurmountable!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Sue.

Hello Erin,

Would you recommend visiting Jaoan with a 1.5 year old? Do the onsens have babysitters?

We don’t have any experience travelling with kids but our friends took their toddler and loved it. The onsens don’t have babysitters as far as I know.

Thank so much for all the amazing info! Heading to Japan in June for two weeks with my daughter. It’s especially wonderful to know there are some great vegan/vegetarian options.

Hi Erin… I stumbled onto your website as I’ve started looking into planning for a trip in 2024 for my daughter’s High school Senior trip. Is Mid June a good time weather wise? Super hot? Also, are there food/restaurants that are gluten free for Celiacs? You mentioned beaches are those places more expensive than the cities? I will check out all your links too. TY for all the info, this will truly help.

It will be hot but if that’s the only time you can go, I wouldn’t let it stop you and it’s cooler than July and August.

I don’t have any experience being gluten free in Japan but our friend has written this guide: https://www.legalnomads.com/gluten-free/japan/

Beaches shouldn’t be more expensive than the cities but it depends where you go. We haven’t spent much time at the beaches.

Have a wonderful trip!

hi Erin, lovely website with a lot of good information. Do you list of places to visit / see – for a 4 week trip. We wanted to do the North part of the country as well. thanks for any tips and help. We are vegetarians as well but saw that you all managed to get delicious looking vegetarian food : ).

We haven’t actually made it very far north as there’s always so much to do in the central part. See our guide to the best places to visit in Japan for our favourite places: https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/best-places-to-visit-in-japan/

And yes, vegetarian food in Japan is great if you plan in advance (use the Happy Cow app).

Thanks for the info Erin. Cultural.differences are amusing at least.

Thank you so much for this guide Erin! It’s really helpful. I’m planning a 2-3 week trip to Japan around September. However, I’ve read and seen a lot of people saying to avoid this time of year due to typhoon season. Would you recommend visiting Japan around this time despite the typhoons that might hit?

We’ve been in September and enjoyed it. We did get some rain but nothing that disrupted our trip. I wouldn’t let it stop you visiting.

Hello Erin! Great information. Thank you! What percentage of small businesses (resturants, clubs, rooms, etc) are open this month (March)? What percentage may be open in May? Should I wait until September to experience Japan? Take care,

Everything should be open now so any month this year is good to visit!

How easy is it to navigate in Tokyo and Kyoto with a group of 8? We’re concerned about everything from attractions to train travel to being able to eat together. This is a trip to celebrate our friends’ 40th birthday and logistics just seem to be overwhelming!

Hi Laurie We’ve only visited Japan as a couple, but I’d say it might be a bit challenging in a big group. Many restaurants are quite small and trains can be crowded (although you can book seats together for the longer trip between Kyoto and Tokyo).

I’m sure it would be possible if you plan in advance (book some restaurants etc) and maybe break into smaller groups for some of the time. Perhaps discuss what everyone definitely wants to do and do those things together, but then have some time doing your own thing.

Good luck with it and enjoy Japan!

I’ll be visiting Japan for 10 days in March! Could you give me a little insight on the paying methods there? How much cash should I bring/have on hand? Do they mostly accept cash or do most places accept credit cards?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Susan When we visited Japan previously we needed cash for most places. We just withdrew from an ATM (the ones at 7-11 were most reliable for foreign cards) when needed so we didn’t exchange any cash in advance. Just make sure you use a card that doesn’t charge international transaction fees (this will depend which country you are from).

But I have heard that since Covid more places accept credit cards and contactless payment methods, so I’m really hoping there’s less of a need for cash now. I would still recommend always having some with you just in case.

Hello . I want to visit Japan with my 13 year old granddaughter in June. I have never been in Japan, but have traveled widely. We plan to visit Kyoto and its environs mostly but want to spend couple days in Tokyo. We do not speak Japanese but will find a way to learn some. We are coming from the US, but my home country is Finland (very Japan friendly :)). We definitely want to get bullet train passes and need to learn about cell phone communication. And we are both into adventure and are looking forward to seeing Japan. Thank you for any advice you can give us.

I plan to visit Japan soon, spiritualy a home I have never been to yet. This is due to my work and my partners need for beach and sun. I’m hoping I can convince her soon to travel with me there. Or it’s over… the Japanese have a way of life with nature that we miss here in the UK….. I have so much respect for the people of Japan. We could learn a thing or two….. I plan to beg konami tsukamoto to mentor me in order I can preserve British trees as she does her native species…… much respect.

Excellent post Erin. You’ve included some great examples of things specific to Japan that it would be great to know in advance for new travellers.

I especially liked your recommendation not to try and cram too much in and whiz around the country. This is a common mistake people make when visiting Japan. Also, not wearing socks with holes in! Once you’ve done this in Japan, you’ll never do it again LOL!

Also, an upvote for your suggestion to visit Takayama – a wonderful place that has a charming historical district that’s like stepping back in time.

Good information given u

I’m doing a project on Japan for school, your posts on Japan were all SUPER helpful- thank you so much!

Glad it helped!

Hello We are looking to travel to Tokyo with out 2 year old in October. We were told that we would need to book travel guides for us to have a visa to enter in Japan. As great as that all sounds, it’s also more then we intend to spend for our trip. How true is needing the visa to enter Japan? Should we do a tour guide for a couple days? If that is allowed.

Hi Vee, As things currently stand, Japan’s borders are still closed to independent travellers. You can only enter the country as part of a package tour that is very restrictive (you can’t do any exploring alone), and, yes, it would be expensive. You would need a guide for the whole trip.

There is a chance borders will reopen by October but really there’s no way of knowing right now. If you decide to go ahead and book in the hope they do reopen, I would make sure everything has free cancellation.

So I’m trying to plan a trip to Japan with my family next year July (4kids) but I keep hearing super expensive, anyways nanny suggestions on where or how to plan n book.? Also my chance do you have any info on Tokyo Disneyland?

yes, japan can be quite expensive but if you plan your stay well and get a rail pass if you’re hopping between cities then you should be able to manage it :)

Should we rent a car or is public transportation the preferred mode of transportation for tourists?

Public transport is easier to deal with. I wouldn’t rent a car unless you are going somewhere remote.

Is it better to custom plan everything? Like book 2-3 week stay and go whichever places we want to visit ourselves or get a package that offer planned trips?

I think it’s best to book everything yourself, but it really depends on how much experience you have travelling and how much time you have to plan it all.

I’m going to Shinjuku. Next year in June this has really helped thank you

This helped so much, im going to Japan in 2 years with my dad (to film a documentary) and this helped so much

Thanks Lillee and have a great trip!

I’d love all the great tips, but should add make sure that you keep eyed out on your train timetable…I’d went to the Takayama Festival and didn’t watch my time. I’d miss my train and got stuck in Nagoya for six half hours trying to get back to Asakusa. (Never again?)…watch your JR Rail or Metro timetable. Japan trains are on point.

Oh no, what a nightmare!

Bravo, your article full of good advice with beautiful pictures. A small precision for foreigners who wish to drive in Japan, they have to translate their driving license at a JAF center.

Now this I call a detailed guide! We are hoping to visit Japan next year so I am gathering all the info I can before I start any serious planning. This post was really helpful!

Thanks Julia! Good luck with your planning!

Hi thanks for sharing this Me & my nephew are planning to visit japan for the 1st time this September can you pls recommend any place to stay or eat and should we do tour or should we go on our own ? We kinda nervous abt the trip .

You should be fine without a tour. The train system is very comfortable and efficient and if you buy a rail pass, you don’t even have to worry about buying tickets for each trip. If you ever get confused, the Japanese are very friendly and will help you out.

Here are a few posts that should give you some ideas on where to go with accommodation and restaurant recommendations: https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/japan-2-week-itinerary/ https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/best-places-to-visit-in-japan/

Good luck and enjoy!

Wonderful and very Insightful Information.

I am a solo traveler from India, planning to travel to Japan for this first time, this summer for about 7-8 nights (June’2020), do you recommend going through some tour company or going on my own. How difficult is managing through Japan, without any knowing any Japaneses. Would you have a recommendation for a tour company.

I think Japan is fairly easy to manage without a tour company. The trains are a great way to travel and with a rail pass you don’t even need to worry about buying a ticket each time.

It helps to buy a local SIM card so you can use Google Translate on your phone. The Japanese are also usually very helpful even if they only speak a little English. We only speak a few words of Japanese are always manage fine.

Hello Erin, this is very useful. Thank you for sharing. Can you suggest us an 8 days itinerary for Japan. We’re visiting Japan for the first time and wish to enjoy the natural beauty and culture.

I would probably just focus on Kyoto and Tokyo in that time, perhaps with some day trips. Enjoy!

Hi! I’ve already been to Japan 2 times in the summer. The first time I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and the Island of Shôdoshima. The second time I browsed a bit more around Tokyo and in the countryside (mainly in the Gunma prefecture – gorgeous landscapes!). I am going back in February. Two places I will visit for sure are Yokohama (first stop) and Sendai (2nd stop). And I and am wondering if there are “musts” I should not miss at that time of year (are snow festivals worth it? Or anything else?) and if it would be worth it to go as far south as Hiroshima? I should have about 12 days for Sendai onwards. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to fly back to Canada out of Tokyo (I could fly out from elsewhere too). Many thanks for your help and for sharing all of this! You’re doing a tremendous job!

Honestly this guide is incredible. I’ve booked marked this as I’m currently planning my things to do for March/April 2020! Any website booking recommendations?

Thanks Alyssa! Spring is such a lovely time in Japan.

Do you mean websites for booking accommodation or tours? We use Booking.com for hotels, Airbnb for apartments (in the big cities like Tokyo), and Voyagin for tours. You might find this post helpful: https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/things-to-do-in-japan/

Good afternoon! I’m planning a 1-month trip to japan in two years and would like to know how much money you think I should save up. I already have the places I wanna visit in mind and would just like some bit of info.

Thank you. :)

That’s a difficult question to answer as it depends so much on your travel style. Do you want to stay in hostels or fancy ryokan or a mix of both? Do you want to do expensive tours and activities or are you happy just wandering? Are you happy with cheap ramen or do you want to try a pricey kaiseki meal?

As a rough idea, on this two week itinerary ( https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/japan-2-week-itinerary/ ) we spent about US$120 per person a day which I’d say is a mid-range budget. There is more info in the itinerary post.

“Well there it is” I shouted as I scrolled through this fantastic information resource. An superb honest, unbiased view and answer to all, yes all, my questions. Except one…. Did you get to visit Okinawa? I desperate to get there… I will have 3-4 weeks….

Thank you so much Brian!

Unfortunately, we haven’t visited Okinawa yet. You’ll have plenty of time to add on a flight down there though. Enjoy Japan!

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing the knowledge and keep up the good work.

Thanks Brian!

Those photos of the dog pulling the mans underpants!?! My child was looking at this with me and now he is scarred for life!

Oh dear! You do find some very strange things in Japan.

I really enjoyed the detail you gave on your trip to Japan! This is 100% helpful as someone planning a trip there for the first time.

Thanks and enjoy Japan!

Hi Erin, thank you for taking the time to put all this great info together. One question I have is in regards to Takayama. Did you like it more than Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go, if you went? We originally planned to stop for a night in each place, however, because of availability in Shirakawa-go, we had to switch up our itinerary a little bit. To adjust, we have considered skipping Takayama and just doing Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go, but this makes me think twice. We also have the option of leaving Tokyo a day early (currently booked for 4 full days there) to keep all 3 places in the line-up. Would love to hear your input! Thank you!

I did like Takayama more than Kanazawa. It’s smaller and cuter and is surrounded by countryside. But then I do prefer small towns to big cities so it depends on your preferences. If you can fit it in I would.

We didn’t visit Shirakawa-go in the end. We were thinking of visiting as a day trip on the way between Takayama and Kanazawa but it would have meant having to use buses rather than take the train which we prefer (and we had a rail pass). If we had had time for a night’s stay there it would have been better I think.

Whatever you choose you’ll have an amazing time though!

Thank you so much for your post! It’s incredibly informative :)

I have one question, I am a woman traveling alone is there anything I need to consider? I have heard that Japan is a safe country, as you have the real-life experience, I’d love to hear what you think!

Thank you for your time, and excellent blog post!

I don’t think you need to worry – Japan is a very safe country. Have a great trip!

Nice list, and pretty accurate- thanks for sharing all the info!

I have to say though- DO try non-Japanese food. Things off the top of my head: bread from the local bakeries, 600¥ cake from fancy department stores, Starbucks (the seasonal things!). Pork buns in Yokohama, Pirozhki in Kamakura… The list is endless. Of course eat all the Japanese food too, because it’s amazing too.

But, I’m also so sorry you had such a bad experience (I’ve been there too)! The size of the nan though? Oh-my-god, right? :)

I do think non-Japanese food has improved a lot in recent years. We had some fantastic Italian food on our last trip (as vegetarians it’s a good backup option for us!).

Which places do you wish you would have stayed longer?

Kyoto (even though we had three weeks there!) and Tokyo.

Great list! It’s made me even more excited to get to Japan now!

I love saying ‘moshi moshi’ – i used to hear it when I worked in an international call centre – it’s so much better than plain old ‘hello’!

Excellent post – interesting, funny and very informative! Currently planning my Japan trip, this was a lot of help :)

Have an amazing trip to Japan!

I am visiting my daughter in Singapore and on the way back to the US my wife and I are visiting Japan (3Jun-8Jun). It is only for 5 days so unfortunately our time there will be very short. Originally I wanted to climb Fuji but the guided trip company I emailed claimed they only had a 1 day guided trips and crampons were required. Although we love to hike this may be too much for such a short trip. If anyone has hiked Fuji in crampons in 1 day I would love to hear about the experience. I still want to see Fuji up close, Kyoto, old family member used to live in Nagoya so would like to stop by there and perhaps Hakone. I just started looking for any special events that take place in the first week of June. Looking forward to this trip and a longer one next time.

Hi there :) Loved your post. I’m from Portugal but I’m a Japan fan. Went to Tokyo las year on March but this time I’m planning on 3 weeks travel around Japan. Can you help me? I already have the places to visti but I need help spliting the time… Oh and if yo see any of the plaes below that arenot woth to visit or less mportant please I’d aprreciate if you tell me: – Chiba – Nikko – Nagano and Matsumoto – Kawagoe – Kanagawa – Mt. Fuji (just planning on going near to have a view – Lake Kawaguchiko) – Magome – Takayama – Nagoya – Kyoto – Nara – Osak – Himeji – Hiroshima – Miyajima – Tokyo (and surroundings)

Thank you so much if you can help me.

Kind regards

Hi guys! I’m planning a trip to Japan in January with mum (I know it’s cold over there, but that’s the only break we’ve got!). We’re planning for a stay for around 8 days, any tips on where to go? I heard that an ideal short trip will consist of arriving at Tokyo and departing at Osaka, is that true? I really don’t know much about Japan so any advice is appreciated!

I would focus on Kyoto and Tokyo and take the train between them. Maybe include a day in Osaka if you can get a flight out from there.

We’ve written lots more about Japan: http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/japan-round-up/

Good advice. I hope to use this on my up come trip.

This is a great post! It is very helpful. I am planning to go to Tokyo this June. I will be staying in Shibuya/Shinjuku area. I don’t know which hotel to stay in and where to go first. Do you have any advice for the first time traveler? Thank you very much! :)

I am planning a trip in March 2015. Reading your website has got me extra excited already

Hi Matthew, I’m planning to travel to Japan at the beginning of March 2015 as well. If you got any great idea, we can discuss. Thanks

I am planning a trip to Kyoto to see where Reiki was started, your insights are great. Thank you

Are you house sitting for a friend or do you use a website to find/sign up for sitting jobs?

We used mindmyhouse.com

Hi guys, great blogs-thank you for sharing it. We’re planning to do a trip in December 2013 14-27/12.

Could you advise which cities we should visit using the shinkansen. We have 14 days to spend with the first 3 days in Tokyo, so it’ll leave us with 11 days in other cities.

I am confused with the the shinkansen map and which one we should take and which cities we can visit that is on the way. We are targetting to return to Tokyo on the last 3 days to do some shopping.

It is basically that 8 days, we need to use to the cities that can be visited using the shinkansen line.

Thank you in advance for your help

Hi Hemmy. I wrote up an itinerary I followed with a one-week JR Pass that might be of some help. It includes other useful tips for planning as well. Find it at:

http://www.lengthytravel.com/saving-on-travel-in-japan-with-a-jr-rail-pass-my-itinerary-tips-and-cost-savings/

Hi Jeff, thank you for your prompt reply. I really appreciate it. You’re really helpful

This site is really helpful about Japan and shows a route map: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html

I would definitely recommend Kyoto and probably Hiroshima as well. These are the details of where we visited: http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/japan-round-up/ .

Have a great trip!

Hi I was wondering if you could help. Basically I want to pay my mum and dad back for being such brilliant parents and helping me bring up my little boy. My dad went to Japan about 40 yrs ago he has always wanted to go back. I want to plan a surprise trip next year to Japan. I’m planning about 10 or 14 days away but not too much travelling maybe a few days in 3 places and ending up in Tokyo for 4 days to finish . Can you recommend anywhere that would be a must. I am completely lost as am not familiar with hotels or places etc. Any help would be brilliant Thanks nadya :)

It really depends what you are interested in but I’d definitely recommend Kyoto as well as Tokyo. Have a read through our Japan posts and see what you like the sound of. Good luck with it.

Thanks had a look and they’re into history so definitely Kyoto . Cheers for ur help Nadya

I going to Japan next year and through out my researches I always came across those dos an don’ts and I have to say this is really nice and short one but has a lot of information in it, which is something I really like! Keep up the good work ;D

Thanks and have a great trip.

Hello, i am starting a trip around the world in february. I start in Tokio and end in Canada in december. How many days do i need to see Tokyo and are there some real good hidden secrets? Gr. Bert

That’s a difficult question. There is so much to do in Tokyo you could spend a few days or months. We didn’t spend that much time there so can’t really advise.

Hello, with one of your Dos its not mushy mushy its moshi moshi aka (もしもし). I’ve been leaning japanese for about 9 years now i was wondering id you could correct it please

ありがとうございます　（＾＿＾）

Done. Thanks for letting us know.

Your topic is amazing, I learned a lot but can you tell me what money should i required for 1 month to travel in Japan.

It’s hard to say but you can see our budget post for an idea of what we spent: http://www.neverendingvoyage.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-travel-in-japan/

Very nice and interesting article plus points. Japan is a place I really have wanted to go forever!

I am planning a 10 day trip with my two teenage girls. We really want to see Tokyo well. I keep hearing about Kyoto is it worth seeing, it seems far from Tokyo (8hrs) and expensive to get to?

I don’t think it’s that far if you get the bullet train. You can look up train times and prices on this website: http://www.hyperdia.com/ . You might also want to consider a rail pass if you are planning to visit other places. Compare the prices on that site with the rail pass.

Great Post. I lived in Japan for a few years and loved it. I would suggest going to any matsuri (festival) that are going on during your stay. There is lots of culture to be seen at those events. Plus there is good food. Depending on the location you’re at in Japan, during August or September, there are festivals for Obon.

In the planning stages for 9 days in Japan during June 2012 (flights booked). Can anyone help me with how long to see Hiroshima/Miyajima and whether we should base in Osaka or Kyoto to do the Osaka / Kyoto / Nara and possibly Takayama?

Hi Leonie, Two days would be enough for Hiroshima/Miyajima. I would chose Kyoto as a base as we much preferred it to Osaka and there’s more to see there. You can easily visit Osaka and Nara as day trips. We didn’t go to Takayama but it is quite a bit further away so it’s up to you how much you want to rush around. You could definitely find enough to do in Kyoto with a week.

Very useful! I wish I could go soon!!! Do you recommend any specific time in the year?

We were there in summer which suited us as we like hot weather. It is more scenic in the spring or autumn as you have the cherry blossoms or autumn leaves. The spring is peak season though. My friend went in the winter and loved it as the snow is beautiful, you can ski, and you can warm up in onsens (it was too hot for those when we were there). It really depends what you are looking for but anytime has something to offer.

I think Japan is going to be my next trip abroad, and this list is extremely helpful. I love that it addresses those smaller opportunities and moments and not just the big sites to see. Bookmarking right now!

Glad you found it helpful. Yes, for us travel is always more than just about the big sites. So far we are really enjoying Japan and soaking up the cultural differences.

Oh I forgot one of the highlights of Kyoto (besides the monkey park) is a trip on a little train that takes you outside of Kyoto and up into the mountains to Kurama and Kibune. You can then do a walk up over the hills from one village through to one of the big shrines at the other village. There are onsens at the end to rest in. A really lovely walk out in the countryside and the train trip is so much fun.

Sounds wonderful!

We stayed in Kyoto in 2008 for a week and went back there last year for a quick day during a week long trip to Osaka. The best thing about Kyoto is it’s location to other places for day trips – Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himiji (although the castle is covered in scaffolding). You can get a cheaper Kansai Japan rail pass for four days (about $80?) to get to all these places.

Make sure you get to the Nishiki Market for fresh food – our post at is a big band width one with loads of pictures and we have more posts on our trip last year. Also, the rice burger at MOS burger is vegetarian and yum.

We will be in Tokyo from Sep 23 for a week of exploring Tokyo and surrounds. Thanks for the onsen tips nearby, will be looking for some there.

Thanks for all your tips Alison. Your post on the Nishiki market is fantastic – we will definitely visit although I’m not sure I’ll know what most of the things are! Looks like we’ll be in Tokyo around the same time as you!

Oh yeah, JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) has an excellent series of booklets on different topics. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have Kindle versions, but probably worth the price to pick up one or two. For example: http://www.amazon.com/Look-into-Japan-Your-Pocket/dp/4533013813/ref=pd_sim_b_1

I love Kyoto though it has been years since I was in Japan and longer since I was specifically in Kyoto. My recollection is that it was easier to find English speakers there, though I tend to agree the not speaking the local language is harder in Japan than many places. To make up for that though, the people are probably more willing to be helpful than anywhere else I have ever traveled. Anyway, the number of incredible temples in Kyoto is impressive. Also, if you will be there for the fall foliage (Kouyou in Japanese) you will indeed be fortunate as it is incredible in Kyoto.

I would also point out that Japan is definitely one of the safest places in the world to visit.

Also worth mentioning is that Japan is a country where many towns and cities are famous for something very specific (knives, a certain type of food, pottery, etc.) so always try to find out what a place you are visiting is famous for.

I can’t recall how far away it is from Kyoto, but I think not too far is a place called Takayama which is one of my favorites. Especially if you can make it to the Fall festival which is one of the most impressive festivals in all of Japan, though there are many all around the country and throughout the year. Good festival street food is always available too, though I can’t recall if any of it is vegetarian friendly.

Many famous things in Japan come in 3s – 3 famous gardens, 3 famous shrines, etc. One of the 3 famous shrines is Ise Jingu which is a bit south of Nagoya and one of my favorites if you get a chance to see it. Nara is also quite special and not too far from Kyoto.

Speaking of food, you’ll have no trouble satisfying a sweet tooth as there are many good bakeries to be found, especially in the train stations. And, a popular chain of restaurants called Mister Donut is good and ubiquitous. You may also be surprised by how many people get a quick meal at the local convenience store.

If I think of anything else I’ll add it later. Ganbatte ne! (“good luck”)

Thanks so much for the advice Jeff! Unfortunately we are only in Japan until the end of September so I think we’ll miss the foliage. I had been considering Takayama though so glad to hear you like it.

Great post and very informative. The Japan Rail pass is a must if you plan to to a lot of traveling and the 100 yen shops are great for souvenirs.

Japan Australia

Am really hoping to make it to Japan sometime in the next 12 months – bookmarking this!

Hopefully we’ll have lots more posts about Japan when we get there next month.

Hi, it’s Mariko, came to check out your blog. Interesting article but I can’t keep my mouth shut on a few things. Please DO try non-Japanese food in Kyoto… we have such a great selection of Brazilian, Nepalese, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian restaurants it would be a shame if you stuck to only Japanese food. Also, Kyoto is probably the vegetarian capital of Japan if there ever was one. There are a lot of veggie and vegan places as well as a special kind of buddhist vegan meal that you have to pre-book, but is very nice.

A lot of people speak English here (not necessarily GOOD English, but…) . Almost everywhere in Japan there are English translations of Japanese signs (subway, trains, buses etc. ).

….I swear I’m not a jerk! I just want your information (and the info for anyone else who reads this) to be up to date. Don’t hate me, Amy!

It sounds like Kyoto is a lot more cosmopolitan than other parts of Japan. We are really looking forward to trying the vegetarian food, especially the Buddhist meals.

Thanks for your comment and of course you’re not being a jerk, :o)! The post is based on our 3 week experiences in Japan so obviously would never be definitive in anyway. I’m sure that other non-japanese food is great (apart from the Indian curry we had in Fukuoka!) but I guess my point for fellow travellers is that Japanese food is so delicious why waste your stomach and yen on other food during your stay!

I’m sure too that many people do speak english, in our encounters this was rare even in Tokyo, but again Japanese is such a beautiful language why not go ahead and dive in and try to speak it!

Lastly too, in our 3 weeks there were indeed occasional english transport signage to be found, but we also had many experiences standing at a bus/ subway terminals not having any clue as to where to go or what to pay. Again though, this isn’t a bad thing, sometimes the best thing about being intrepid travellers is being able to figure things out!

I certainly don’t hate you (!), in fact I apologise if you found anything in the article to be of offence. I certainly did not mean to, and again after only 3 weeks in your amazing country, the list was only ever meant to be a broad guide to anyone else going to visit.

All the best,

Totally agree about the non-Japanese food!! I loved Japanese pizza so much I would go back just for that :D

Awesome Amy my husband and I who have never been overseas before have chosen Japan as our first overseas destination for our honeymoon and soaking up any information we can get ?

Glad everyone likes the post! Love your story too Erin! I remember our friend Noriko said that, after living in Manchester for awhile, she was glad to return to her homeland of convenience!

Oh, how I want to see Kyoto! Bamboo grove, old temples, aaaah…

I know about this website: http://www.vegietokyo.com/info4vegie/articles/article2.html Though it’s for Tokyo mostly. Hope it’s helpful :) Have fun on your trip!

Thanks for that – the article is really useful.

100 Yen shops are soooooo brilliant. Get some tabbi socks too. Shinkansen, though expensive, are so worth it – you can travel vast distances so quickly and it is a breath of fresh air to use any Japanese public transportation after the British version! Gavin and I were due at Tokyo airport one cold wintery day. Woke up at 4.30am to catch our bus to Tokyo (4 hours away) to find snow knee deep. Freaked out, how would we get to Tokyo now? Needn’t have worried – Japanese workers were all out clearing the roads and our bus rolled in right on time.

Really good post, Amy you sure squeezed a lot into your 3 weeks! Erin x

I love that story! I can’t wait to try the bullet trains and enjoy everything being super-efficient and on time.

Really great posts, I have been to Japan several times and you are spot on!

Oh I love Japan so much and I haven’t even been there yet! This is a great list – it solidified everything I was thinking about our upcoming trip to Japan. My 3 years of Japan in college might finally pay off…haha.

I’m excited to hear about your 3 weeks in Kyoto too!

When will you be in Japan Ashley? We can’t wait for our trip too. Kyoto seems like the perfect place to base ourselves.

Won’t be there until January! But super excited cause I’ve wanted to visit fooooorever.

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

GREAT post – you’ve got a little bit of everything here =) Let me know if you need any ideas on Tokyo – I spent about 10 days in and around that area last year =)

Any highlights of your trip in Japan that you can share would be much appreciated!

Toni, I am going to Japan for 10 days at the end of June. Can you give me the scoop of MUST SEE sites that you really liked?

I DO :) would love some recommendations if still relevant

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Plan a Trip to Japan: How Long Should You Stay?

When you are visiting Japan for the first time, you may have some places in mind that you want to visit; Tokyo as the huge, modern city, Kyoto to see the many shrines and temples , and maybe Nara to meet the friendly, free-roaming deer. Or perhaps you have some other great places in mind where you can enjoy the diverse culture and nature of Japan . But what is the perfect amount of days to spend in Japan when you visit for the first time? Well, it really depends on your preferences, including where in Japan you want to go and what kind of experiences you want to try, and let’s not forget your budget ! In this article, we will introduce the pros and cons of four itineraries with different lengths ranging from a few days up to one month so you can decide how long you should stay for your first time in Japan!

▼Book our Private Tour in Tokyo!

Pros for a less than a one-week trip

Cons for a less than a one-week trip, tokyo – shibuya, shinjuku, nihonbashi, and more, pros for a one-week trip, cons for a one-week trip, ideal one-week itinerary in japan, pros for a two-week trip, cons for a two-week trip, ideal itinerary for two weeks in japan, pros for a one-month trip, cons for a one-month trip, ideal itinerary for a one-month trip to japan, things to keep in mind when planning your trip to japan, japan wonder travel tours , other articles you might like, a few days in japan.

If you plan a short trip to Japan for less than a week, it is a good idea to pick one destination and spend your time exploring that area. You should avoid traveling around several cities as it takes considerable time and you might end up spending most of your time on transportation . However, in some cases, you can travel across a prefectural border to visit highlights in the surrounding areas depending on what area in Japan you are in. 

There are some pros to a short trip. First of all, it saves you money that you can spend on other things like museums or exciting experiences instead of accommodation. In addition, you will have time to get used to the culture and discover the place at your own pace. The longer you stay in Japan, the more energy you will need. A short trip enables you to stay healthy and energetic the whole trip without having to worry about all the complications of a longer stay.

• Save money that you can use on other experiences
• Don’t have to spend too much time on travel
• Only visit a limited amount of areas with a limited time
• Cannot visit many places and attractions

Itinerary for a few days in Japan

When you only have a few days to spend in Japan, we recommend you visit Tokyo , Especially if it is your first time visiting Japan. In the capital city, you can have tons of different experiences and gain an understanding of Japanese culture.

Explore the highlights in Tokyo in different wards. It boasts a number of tourist attractions such as Shibuya Crossing , Asakusa Sensoji Shrine , Ghibli Museum , and many other places that are listed as the most popular tourist spots in Japan . The public transportation system in Tokyo is very punctual and takes you anywhere for an affordable fare. The city has easy access to and from both Narita and Haneda airports, and you can easily find everything such as restaurants , gift shops, historical sites , and accommodations . Lastly, Tokyo also offers easy access to Mount Fuji, something you do not want to miss when visiting Japan! Tokyo is the perfect destination for your first visit to Japan!

One week in Japan

On a one-week trip to Japan, you can visit two major cities or one city and the surrounding area . You can spend the first couple of days walking around the first destination while you get used to the culture and figure out how to get around, where to go etc. Also, if you travel from far away and there is a time difference, you will have some time to get used to the different time zones and get over the jet lag. After a few days, you can gradually expand the area you are exploring and enjoy the tourist attractions in the surrounding areas or travel to another city by Shinkansen ! This will offer you memorable experiences and you can get a better idea of the country as a whole. It will also help you get used to the new environment and enjoy your trip with a more relaxed feel.

When you spend one week in Japan and travel to two or more big cities, we recommend getting the JR Rail Pass. With this pass, you can save money on public transportation.

Even though a one-week trip might be the best option for some people, it doesn’t always allow you to enjoy the entire country and everything it has to offer. You will still need to decide your destination and plan your trip. It is possible to visit main destinations such as Tokyo and Osaka within a week, but it might make you feel a little rushed. If you prefer a slower, more relaxed trip that will allow you to explore more places and hidden tourist spots, adding another week might be the best option for you.

• Able to explore the highlights of Japan
• You can save money with the JR Pass
• Requires planning because of the time limit
• Feel a little rushed

When you have one week in Japan, we recommend you combine your visit to Tokyo with another city such as Kyoto , or make some day trips/overnight trips to the areas located close by. Explore the highlights in Tokyo and travel to any of the surrounding areas and witness the sacred Mt Fuji or visit the impressive shrines of Nikko . You can take local trains or highway buses which are convenient and relatively affordable, especially with the JR Pass. Several types of Shinkansen are also available leaving from the main stations in Tokyo. Some great destinations with a considerably short travel distance from Tokyo include:

• Mt Fuji & Lake Kawaguchi

Two weeks in Japan

In our opinion, a two weeks stay is the ideal length to enjoy the country without worrying about time . You can pick up three or four areas located throughout the country and decide how many days you spend in each area. As a first-timer in Japan, you should definitely visit the main tourist spots like Tokyo, Kyoto, and/or Osaka . In addition, you can also visit some isolated areas such as some beautiful islands like Hokkaido and Okinawa ! 

Of course, your budget for the trip will have to be much higher than any shorter trips we introduced above, though because you have more time you might be able to save some more money on public transportation with the 14-day JR Pass or other multi-day discounts . Don’t forget to try to reduce the amount of luggage you need to carry around, as it could be bothersome and exhausting to travel with huge bags!

• Perfect length to enjoy the whole country (one or two areas separately)
• Can also visit more off-the-beaten-path areas
• Higher t ravel costs

Visit the main hotspots in Japan and compare their respective highlights! Spend your first week visiting the tourist attractions in and around Tokyo , and take the Shinkansen to reach the Kansai region where Osaka and Kyoto are. As an ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto welcomes you with a number of historical and traditional spots. In addition, you could combine Kyoto with a day trip to Osaka (30 min by train) or Nara (40 min by train).

▼Book our Private Tour in Kyoto!

One month in Japan

A one-month trip to Japan will give you the freedom to travel around the country more freely without too much planning beforehand. You can explore the country as you go, based on your own interests and preferences. Especially when you travel outside of the popular holidays . You can also rent a car with an international driver’s license to get to more remote, countryside areas. It enables you to enjoy a private trip with a flexible itinerary!

Maybe you can join some private tours to explore the tourist spots more deeply with a local guide. You need to make sure that you save up enough money prior to your departure, as traveling in Japan can be quite expensive. Traveling for one month in Japan might seem like a long period of time, but the country has so many different areas and experiences to offer, from the mountains in Hokkaido , to the exotic islands of Okinawa and everything in between. It will definitely be one of the most unforgettable trips in your lifetime!

• Can explore the whole country
• Flexible travel plans
• High costs and travel expenses
• Might not appreciate each destination as much

Tohoku , Kyushu , Shikoku , some remote islands from Tokyo .. visit wherever your want!

You can visit wherever you want when you have one month to spend in Japan. With frequent and fast trains and many fairly cheap domestic flights, you can travel from up north all the way down south. Almost nothing is off the table! Also, when spending some time in one place, you will have the opportunity to get a special long-stay rate at some hotels and inns. But it is better to not stay in one place and be active to make the most of your time in Japan!

• The national holidays tend to get very busy and (much) more expensive so try to avoid traveling on these dates.
• Japan can be quite expensive, read more about your travel budget when visiting Japan

Regardless of the length of your stay, Japan offers every tourist a memorable experience with amazing tourist attractions. For your first trip to Japan we recommend staying for about two full weeks if you can. This will enable you to discover the main tourist hotspots together with some more remote places. You should carefully choose the season because of the large difference in weather circumstances. Also, we recommend to travel lightly when you are exploring the country, carrying a large suitcase around is exhausting and can also cost you extra money (for example when taking the Shinkansen). We hope you enjoy planning your trip and that you will have a great time first time in Japan! 

Japan Wonder Travel is a travel agency that offers guided tours throughout Japan.  From private walking tours to delicious Food and Drink tours, we can help you organize the best tours just for you! If you want to explore Japan and learn more about the history and backstories of each area you are visiting, our knowledgeable and friendly English speaking guides will happily take you to the best spots!  In addition, we can provide you with any assistance you may need for your upcoming trip to Japan, so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need some help! 

▶ Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Food and Drink Tour Explore the most lively and popular fish market in Tokyo and try some of the local’s favorite street foods and sake with one of our friendly and knowledgeable English speaking guides! 

▶ Tokyo 1–Day Highlights Private Walking Tour (8 Hours) There’s no better way to explore an area than taking a tour with a knowledgeable local guide. You will have the chance to learn about the history and interesting background stories of Tokyo, as well as discover some hidden gems which can be hard to do without a guide.

▶ Mt. Fuji Day Trip Bus Tour from Tokyo Experience the breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji by visiting the highlights of the area on our guided sightseeing bus tour! Departing from Shinjuku in central Tokyo, you can travel comfortably to all of the best spots in the area by bus.

▶ Kyoto Private Full Day Walking Tour On this full-day private tour of Kyoto, you will be able to see the highlights of Kyoto in just one day and at the same time develop a deeper understanding of both the culture of the area and Japan as a whole.

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Happy traveling!

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The Perfect 7-Day Japan Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

Japan captured my heart from the moment I firs visited. The delicious food, the rich culture, breathtaking landscapes, vibrant history, and the very friendly and polite people – it all blew my mind.

But Japan often feels impenetrable, especially to first-time visitors. While I think Japan deserves a minimum of 10 days, I get that some people might only have a week, so I wanted to write this, my ideal seven-day itinerary for Japan for a first-time visitor.

With only a week, there’s not much you can see unless you really rush it. And I don’t think you should do that.

So this itinerary only focuses on Tokyo and Kyoto (the most popular destinations) as well as some day trips from each. If you wanted to rush things a little, you could add in Osaka (more on that at the end).

(Note: If you purchased a Japan Rail Pass , activate it on arrival. That way, you can take advantage of the free JR trains throughout the city.)

Table of Contents

Japan Itinerary Day 1: Tokyo

Japan itinerary day 2: tokyo, japan itinerary day 3: tokyo, japan itinerary day 4: kyoto, japan itinerary day 5: kyoto, japan itinerary day 6: nara, japan itinerary day 7: tokyo, an alternative itinerary.

Tsukiji and Toyosu Fish Markets Cure your jet lag with some food! In 2018, Tokyo’s main fish market moved to Toyosu. It is now twice the size of Tsukiji (the old one), making it the largest such market in the world. Here you can eat fresh sushi for breakfast, just a few feet from where it was hauled in from the sea, while marveling at the chaotic atmosphere.

You can still head to the old market in Tsukiji to eat, shop, and wander as well. I like it a lot, because there are more food options! Food and drink tours of the Tsukiji Outer Market are available for around 15,000 JPY.

Toyosu Fish Market is open Monday-Saturday 5am-5pm, though most shops don’t open until 7am. Admission is free, but you have to pick up a visitor’s pass when you enter. Tsukiji Fish Market’s hours vary by shop (usually 5am-2pm). Admission is free.

teamLab Planets This digital art installation is a multi-sensory and immersive experience in which you become part of the artwork, walking barefoot through the four exhibition spaces and gardens as you interact with the installations’ elements in unique ways. It’s really fun! TeamLab is generally sells out in advance, so I recommend getting your tickets online ahead of time .

Take a walking tour Walking tours are a great way to get the lay of the land while connecting with a local guide. I always go on one or two when I arrive somewhere. Tokyo Localized offers many free tours, including a classic overview and ones of both the famed Harajuku and Shinjuku neighborhoods. Its Imperial Palace tour would be the most convenient one after teamLab.

The Imperial Palace Formerly Edo Castle, the Imperial Palace was built in the 15th century, and some of the walls and moats from that time are still in use to this day. When the emperor moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1869, he took Edo for his new palace and renamed it. While you can’t go inside, it is surrounded by beautiful grounds, a moat, and a park worth wandering through. You can also see the changing-of-the-guard ceremony (though it’s relatively low-key and unassuming). Admission to the grounds is free.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden This park is over 144 acres and home to some 20,000 trees. Most of the original park was destroyed in World War II but was rebuilt and reopened in 1949. During spring, it is one of the best places to see cherry blossoms. My favorite area is the landscape garden, which has several ponds with bridges and islands. It’s a peaceful oasis away from the urban hustle and bustle.

Depending on how you feel relative to your jetlag, you could fit a few more activities before you end your day. Check out this post for suggestions .

• Senso-ji – This is Tokyo’s most popular and famous temple. Beautifully painted, it sits in a scenic spot near a pagoda and the lovely Kaminari Gate. There’s a huge statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, inside the main hall. It’s very busy during the day, so maybe check out the grounds in the evening.
• Asakusa Shrine – This nearby Shinto shrine is much more peaceful, with fewer visitors, but with people praying, meditating, or performing traditional rituals. It was built during the Edo period (1603–1868) and survived the air raids of World War II.

Afterward, head to Ueno Park . Spanning over 133 acres, Ueno Park was established in 1873 on land formerly owned by a 17th-century Buddhist temple. It gets super busy in cherry blossom season, as there are over a thousand trees here. Throughout, you’ll find various stalls and vendors selling snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. On weekends, there are usually cultural events or festivals showcasing traditional arts, music, and dance. Four of Tokyo’s main museums are here:

• Tokyo National Museum – Established in 1872 on the north end, this massive building is the oldest and largest art museum in Japan. It houses one of the world’s largest collections of art and artifacts from Asia, particularly Japan.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum – This museum showcases rotating exhibitions of contemporary and traditional Japanese art.
• National Museum of Nature and Science – This museum features a wide range of permanent and temporary exhibitions covering natural science and history.
• Tosho-gu Shrine – This beautiful 17th-century Shinto shrine has carved gold doors and other ornate carvings. It’s worth seeing up close!

Afterward, walk down to Akihabara to explore the video game parlors, arcades, and anime shops. This very buzzy area is ground zero for all things electronic, and it’s fun to play many of the games. This is where you’ll find the famous maid cafés, where servers dress up as maids and serve you food and drinks. These range from big touristy ones to holes-in-the-wall (the girls on the street are promoting the latter, which are a lot more culturally fun). They aren’t cheap, though, as you have to buy drink packages and pay a fee, but they’re kitschy and fun.

In the evening, visit Shinjuku and then drink in Golden Gai . In Shinjuku, you’ll find a plethora of cool bars, bright lights, and tiny hole-in-the-wall eateries. Be sure to wander down Memory Lane (aka Piss Alley) for tiny izakaya joints and bars. Afterward, head over to Golden Gai, a warren of narrow alleyways with a bit of a red-light-district feel, flanked by diminutive backstreet bars. It’s quite touristy but also a lot of fun. I’ve had some wild nights here!

With Arigato Tours , you’ll learn about the neighborhood while stopping to sample Japanese classics like sushi, yakitori, and ramen. The 23,900 JPY cost includes a drink and dishes at four stops.  

Kamakura Here you can see a 13-meter (43-foot) bronze statue of Buddha that was built in 1252. It was initially constructed within Kotoku-in Temple, but that has since been washed away by several storms, so it now sits in the open air. Admission to enter the temple grounds is 300 JPY, while it’s 20 JPY to go inside the statue. The journey there — around an hour — is free with a Japan Rail Pass .

Tokyo Disneyland I’m a sucker for Disney. You’ll find many of the same classic rides from Disney World here, like Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and everyone’s favorite teacup ride, The Mad Tea Party. But there are several unique attractions as well, like Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Ticket prices vary depending on the day and time, but full-day admission begins at 7,900 JPY for adults and 4,400-6,200 JPY for children. It’s best to book in advance .

Mount Fuji Mount Fuji is located an hour outside of Tokyo. An active stratovolcano (which last erupted in 1708) and covered in snow for almost half of the year, it stands an impressive 3,776 meters (12,389 feet) and provides one of the most iconic views in the country. One of the Three Holy Mountains of Japan, Mount Fuji is both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a UNESCO Cultural Site. In the summer, the mountain is open to hikers, who take 5-12 hours to reach the summit (traditionally, they depart at night to arrive at the top for the sunrise).

If you don’t want to hike, you can simply visit on a day trip. There are buses that can take you partway up, where you’ll be offered sweeping vistas of the surrounding area. Guided day tours from the city cost around 12,000 JPY.  

Wander the Bamboo Forest For a relaxing break, head to Arashiyama and let the dense and towering stands of bamboo envelop you. Located near the famous Tenryu-ji temple, it’s one of the most beautiful places in the entire country. It’s not that big, but there are some hidden areas to explore. Just make sure to arrive early if you want to enjoy it without the crowds (it fills up fast after sunrise).

While there, I would also recommend visiting the Okochi Sanso Garden, which (along with the home) belonged to the famous Japanese actor Denjir? ?k?chi (1898–1962). It’s not free (it’s 1,000 JPY), but it’s really nice and has some wonderful views.

Visit the Golden Pavilion Originally built in the late 14th century as a retirement villa for the shogun (military governor), this iconic structure was later converted into a Zen Buddhist temple. The present-day edifice dates only to the 1950s, however, when a monk attempting to kill himself burned the historic original to the ground. The rebuilt temple is covered in brilliant gold leaf, symbolizing purity and enlightenment. Each of the three stories exhibits a different architectural style. Completing the scene are the serene reflecting pool and traditional Japanese gardens that contain lush foliage, manicured trees, and scenic walking paths.

1 Kinkakuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, +81 075-461-0013, shokoku-ji.jp. Open daily 9am-5pm. Admission is 500 JPY.

Admire Ryoan-ji Temple This is my favorite temple in Kyoto. Originally established in 1450 as a residence for a high-ranking samurai, it was soon converted into a Zen temple and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a mausoleum that houses the remains of seven emperors. Its traditional rock and sand garden is considered one of the best in the country. There’s also a teahouse where you can experience the traditional Japanese tea ceremony ( chanoyu ) as you overlook the Kyoyochi reflecting pool.

There are other temples in the area to check out as well:

• Daitoku-ji Temple – This massive complex dating back to 1315 covers almost 60 acres. It contains several dozen temples and is a good place to see a variety of Zen gardens and architectural styles. It’s also deeply linked to the Japanese tea ceremony, as several of the country’s most noteworthy masters studied here.
• Toji Temple – This is home to Japan’s tallest pagoda (five stories high). Founded in 796, just after Kyoto became the capital, it was one of only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city.

Go on a sake brewery tour Kyoto has a sake (rice wine) brewing tradition going back 400 years and is known for some of the best in the world, due to using the area’s pure natural spring water in the brewing process. Arigato Tours offers an excellent three-hour tour of Fushimi (the brewing district) for 23,320 JPY, including stops at several breweries, a guided tour of the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, and tastings.  

See the Fushimi Inari Shrine This mountainside Shinto shrine, dating back to 711, is dedicated to Inari, the god of rice and prosperity. It’s known for its thousands of vibrant orange torii gates that form a network of trails leading up Mount Inari. You can hike the trails on your own while enjoying panoramic views of Kyoto below or join a guided hiking tour , on which you’ll get off the paved paths and into hidden bamboo groves. Get here as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, +81756417331, inari.jp. Open 24/7. Admission is free.

Walk around Higashiyama Spend an afternoon walking along the narrow streets of one of the oldest and best preserved districts on your own or on a walking tour . The traditional machiya buildings (traditional wooden townhouses) are filled with small shops selling local specialties and handicrafts, as well as restaurants and teahouses. It’s a popular area in which to participate in a tea ceremony . Another nice place to stroll in this neighborhood is the Philosopher’s Path, which follows a cherry-tree-lined canal that’s beautiful and meditative even when the blossoms aren’t in season.

Visit Kiyomizu-dera One of a number of UNESCO sites in ancient Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera (meaning “pure water temple”) is located in the foothills of Mount Otowa in the eastern part of the city. It’s one of the most famous temples in all of Japan. It was established in 778, but most of the existing buildings date to the 17th century. There’s not a single nail used in the construction, which becomes all the more impressive once you see how large the temple is, which is best known for its wooden terrace that juts out over the hillside. The temple’s name comes from the nearby waterfall whose waters (from which you can still drink today) are said to have wish-granting and healing powers.

1 Chome-294 Kiyomizu, +81 75-551-1234, kiyomizudera.or.jp. Open daily 6am-6pm. Admission is 400 JPY.

Explore Shorin-ji Temple This small temple dates back to the 16th century. What makes it worth visiting is its meditation classes. You’ll get to tour the temple and then be instructed in zazen , the Japanese style of meditation. It’s a very unique experience and something that I think will add a lot of depth and nuance to your visit (especially if you’ve seen a lot of temples). Just make sure to dress comfortably.

15 Chome-795 Honmachi, +81 75-561-4311, shourin-ji.org. Open daily 10am-4pm. Admission is 800 JPY.

Wander the Nishiki Market Nishiki Ichiba is now one of the biggest indoor markets in town. Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen” and spanning over five blocks, it is full of vendors selling traditional dishes from the region, classic Kyoto souvenirs, and really just about anything else. There are over a hundred stalls here, many of which have been in the same family for generations. Opening hours depend on the shop but are typically from 9am to 6pm.

To dive deeper into Japanese food culture, you can take a food tour of the market . It’s the best way to learn about all the food you’ll see, as well as the market’s history.

Explore Gion Gion, the historic geisha district, is renowned as being one of the most iconic and atmospheric areas of town. It’s known for its traditional wooden machiya houses, narrow alleyways, cobblestone streets, and preservation of geisha (known locally as geiko) culture. Lining the main street are ochayas (teahouses where geishas entertain), small shops, and many restaurants, ranging from upscale kaiseki restaurants serving traditional Kyoto cuisine to casual eateries.

To really learn more about this amazing party of town and its past, take a walking tour of Gion . You’ll learn a ton and get a lot of context. They cost around 1,800 JPY.

At night, go to the Pontocho Row , a narrow street lined with restaurants, hole-in-the-wall bars, and jazz clubs. It’s one of the more lively areas in Kyoto.  

Nara was the capital of Japan in the eighth century, so there are lots of buildings and temples here that are upwards of a thousand years old (which is rare in Japan, due to the prevalence of fires and earthquakes, as well as World War II). Some things to do:

• Frolic with deer – The real draw in Nara are the deer. Since the 17th century, those in and around the city have been considered sacred. You can buy crackers to feed them or just watch them stroll around carefree.
• See the Buddha – Don’t miss a visit to Todai-ji, the world’s largest wooden building, home to a 16-meter (52-foot) Buddha statue. It was built in 738 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Take a walking tour – This guided half-day walking tour for 11,500 JPY includes all of Nara’s highlights as well as a traditional lunch.

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Japan’s most famous sumo wrestling arena, hosts tournaments three times each year, in January, May, and September. Tickets sell out quickly, so book online in advance. Prices vary but start around 3,200 JPY for arena seats. You can book a ticket online here (you’ll be accompanied by a guide too, so you can learn more about the tradition as it unfolds before your eyes).

To learn more about the sport in in the off-season, book a tour of a sumo stable .  

So, if you want to add another city to this itinerary you can follow this breakdown:

• Days 1 & 2: Tokyo
• Days 3 & 4: Kyoto
• Day 5: Nara
• Days 6 & 7: Osaka

Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara are all covered above. As for Osaka, some of my favorite things to see and do:

Take a food tour Known as “the Kitchen of Japan,” Osaka boasts a diverse culinary scene. Mouthwatering sushi and sashimi, Kobe beef and Japanese BBQ, and flavorful ramen can all be found here in abundance. Plus, there are local specialties like okonomiyaki (a savory pancake with egg and vegetables) and kushikatsu (kebab skewers). You can take a food tour for around 13,000 JPY, a ramen and gyoza cooking class for 9,500 JPY, or just wander and eat.

Osaka Castle One of the most famous landmarks in the country, the castle was originally built in the late 16th century by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and played a pivotal role in the unification of Japan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). Over the centuries, it has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times due to wars, fires, and natural disasters. The current version dates to 1931. The castle is situated amid sprawling grounds and surrounded by a moat. It’s also home to a small but insightful museum and an observation deck that offers some picturesque urban views.

Dotonbori This is arguably Osaka’s most iconic district, known for its vibrant nightlife (bars, clubs, theaters, and music venues), colorful signage, and delicious food. It’s best seen at night due to the plethora of huge neon lights and signs lining both the canal and streets, which have become symbols of Osaka’s nightlife. A guided walking tour that includes Dotonbori as well adjacent neighborhoods is 6,500 JPY.

Shitennoji Temple This temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, founded in 593. The architecture is a blend of traditional Japanese and East Asian styles, featuring impressive pagodas, gates, and shrines set amid serene gardens. Stroll through the tranquil grounds, admire the beautiful architecture, and learn about the temple’s historical and cultural significance at the museum. The temple is 300 JPY to enter, the garden is 300 JPY, and the museum is 500 JPY.  

Japan is one of my favorite countries. While it’s relatively small, it offers an amazing array of things to see and do (as well as some of the best food in the world). With seven days, you can easily see a good number of the main highlights and get a taste for the incredible history and culture. It will be a busy week, but this itinerary ensures you’ll still have some time to slow down, relax, and take in the local pace of life.

Just make sure you get a Japan Rail Pass before you go. While it’s not as cheap as it used to be, it will likely save you time and money!

Book Your Trip to Japan: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned!

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory so they are best for booking a hostel. If you want to stay in a hotel or guesthouse in Japan, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancelations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• Safety Wing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel — and I think they will help you too!

Be sure to check out the Japan Rail Pass if you’ll be traveling around the country. It comes in 7-, 14-, and 21-day passes and can save you a ton of money!

Looking for More Travel Tips for Japan? Check out my in-depth Japan travel guide for more ways to save money, information on costs, tips on what to see and do, suggested itineraries and reading and packing lists, and much, much more!

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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How Many Days in Japan is Enough?

Home » Blog » Japan » How Many Days in Japan is Enough?

There’s so much to see and do in Japan that it can be overwhelming trying to decide how long your trip should be. This article breaks down the major attractions and off-the-beaten-path adventures to help determine how many days in Japan you should plan for.

Japan is a unique and fascinating country. There are endless exciting things to do , beautiful places to see , and delicious foods to try .

There are so many experiences packed into the Land of the Rising Sun that you could never do it all on one trip.

So this begs the question…

• How many days should you spend in Japan?

The short answer: Ideally, 2-3 weeks will give you enough time to see iconic and lesser-known sights as well as recover from a long travel day and potentially a big time difference.

The long(er) answer: The ideal duration for your trip depends on several factors, including destinations you want to visit and your travel style. 

You’ll also want to consider how far you’re traveling from home and the time difference. For instance, traveling from Australia (which is just a handful of hours time difference) will have much less of an impact on you than traveling from the USA, where the time difference can be huge, making your first couple of days slow going.

Keep reading for a more in-depth look at how many days in Japan is enough for your interests and travel style.

Article contents

• Perfect done-for-you itinerary
• Best time to visit
• What to pack

If you’re planning a trip to Japan, we have the ultimate resource for you!

This FREE PDF download includes everything you’re going to want to pack for your Japan trip, including what NOT to bring, plus tons of insider tips!

Sign up for our  ultimate Japan packing list  now and get a copy sent straight to your inbox.

How long to spend in Japan

After visiting on three separate trips, we’d recommend spending at least 10 to 14 days in Japan to fully immerse yourself in the country’s diverse offerings. In our opinion, 3 weeks is ideal if you can swing that much time.

That said, we do have some suggestions based on the amount of time you have to explore:

1 Week in Japan

If you only have 7 days for your trip, you’re in luck: we have a one-week itinerary that is perfect for first-time visitors! It includes highlights in Kyoto , Hakone (+ Mount Fuji !), Osaka , and Tokyo .

One Week in Japan: Best Itinerary for your First Visit

Follow this itinerary and you’ll get a taste of the country’s culture, food, cities, and landscapes. And you’ll leave craving more!

2 Weeks in Japan

With two weeks, you could slow down your travels a bit. We recommend spending more time in Kyoto and adding Nara and Hiroshima to your itinerary.

3 Weeks in Japan

If you can swing it, we think three weeks is ideal for a trip to Japan . In this timeframe, you can explore major cities and have the opportunity to get a bit off the beaten path.

Unique Japan Itinerary Ideas Based on Your Interests

Whether it’s your first time or you’ve “been there done that”, we’ve come up with some unique ideas to create an itinerary suited to your interests.

The fact is, no matter how much time you have, you won’t be able to do it all in one trip .

This can be hard to come to terms with. Trust me, I know . But just keep in mind that you’ll need to narrow down and prioritize the things you really want to do.

And remember that, if you don’t get to everything — and you likely won’t — you can always come back for a second, third, seventh visit down the road!

Perfect done-for-you Japan itinerary

Want the perfect itinerary planned for you? 

If you don’t have a ton of time to spend planning (or you just don’t find travel planning fun!), we’re working on something you might be interested in… 

We are in the process of creating done-for-you Japan itineraries that are packed full of all sorts of tips we’ve gathered from 3 trips we’ve personally taken, as well as literally hundreds of hours of research (no exaggeration). 

We will have both off-the-beaten path routes as well as a classic itinerary that hits the top attractions. If you want to be the first to know when these itineraries are on sale, get on the waitlist !

Best time to visit Japan

If you’re considering how long your trip should be, you’re also probably wondering when you should plan to visit.

In short, you’ll have the best chance of comfortable weather in early spring (March – early April) and in autumn (late October – November) . 

That said, each season boasts different highlights: cherry blossoms blooming in the springtime, Mt Fuji opens for climbing in the summer , the leaves changing colors in the fall , and of course ski season in the winter .

The ideal time to visit largely depends on your interests, preferences, and itinerary. We have a full breakdown of each season in our guide to the best time to visit Japan . Plus, we share what time of year we would avoid visiting .

Best Time to Visit Japan: When to Go & When to Avoid!

In this article, we break down exactly what to expect during each season so you can choose the best time to visit based on your travel style and interests.

What to pack for Japan

We know it can be overwhelming packing for a trip to a new destination. That’s why we spent hours creating these super helpful guides full of  packing hacks and tips for traveling in Japan  that you won’t find anywhere else:

• Our  Japan packing guide  lists all the essentials (many of which you might not think about), as well as what you should NOT pack for a trip to Japan.
• This article on  what to wear in Japan  will help you create a perfect capsule wardrobe for every season and let you in on some cultural taboos so you can be sure to dress appropriately.
• With this  FREE Japan packing list PDF download , we’ll send checklists straight to your inbox for everything from clothing and toiletries (for both women and men!) to what shoes to pack and extra stuff you may want to have on-hand just in case. Click the image below to get your free copy!

More resources for traveling in Japan

We have TONS of resources on travel in Japan and destinations throughout the country. Check out our  Ultimate Japan Travel Guide  for all the answers to your most burning questions, or read some of our favorite articles below!

• Expert Tips for Visiting Japan (Dos and Dont’s!)
• Japan Rail Pass: Where to Buy & Is It Worthwhile?
• Renting a Car in Japan: Essential Driving Tips You Need to Know!
• Japan Travel Cost: Exactly How Much to Budget
• Pocket Wifi vs. Japanese SIM Card: Review & Comparison
• Best Japan Travel Apps
• Helpful Japanese Words & Phrases to Know for Traveling in Japan 

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What do you think is the ideal length of time for a trip to Japan? Do you have any more questions after reading this? Leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!

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Great Japan Itineraries: How Many Days to Spend?

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• ~ mins read

Japan is a mesmerizing archipelago where ancient traditions blend with modern technology, where sake is sipped daily and mountain paths are tackled by intrepid travelers searching for hidden onsens. But choosing how long to spend on any one of the thousands of islands that make up the country is a difficult task. From the sandy beaches of the southern islands to the powdered ski slopes of the north, there are lots of lands to cover, so keep reading to find out how to design the best Japan itinerary and make the most of your time in the land of the rising sun.

• Dennis Laehn

How much time should I spend in Japan?

It’s tricky to precisely say how long you should spend in Japan as it depends on what you’re interested in, and how much ground you want to cover. If your only goal is sightseeing, we’d recommend opting for a Japan itinerary of around seven days, at least. The best kind of Japan trip shouldn’t rush you from one place to the next but should offer an in-depth guide to every place you visit. With seven days as your minimum holiday duration, what’s the maximum? Well, there is no limit! But if you have a job that you need to return to, we’d cap it at three weeks and split it out between the primary islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. There’ll be plenty of time to stop off at some lesser inhabited, paradise-like, islands along the way too!

Japan in 7 days

On your seven-day Japan travel itinerary, you’ll probably stick to the main island of Honshu and cover one or two of the three biggest cities — Tokyo , Kyoto , and Osaka . We recommend tackling Tokyo first and visiting Sensō-Ji temple, Meiji Jingu Gardens and the Imperial Palace. Spend three days in Tokyo and you’ll also have time to visit Ueno park, the Tokyo national museum, and Tokyo’s Shinjuku area, soaking up the cities culture as you go. From Tokyo, it’s just a four-hour train journey to Kyoto or Osaka. In Kyoto, you can expect to enjoy kaiseki dining traditions, explore imperial palaces and visit the Arashiyama bamboo grove. If you opt for three days in Osaka you’ll be admiring modern architecture, dining on hearty street food, and visiting the 16 th  century Osaka castle.

Other seven day highlights could include a quick trip to Hakone to enjoy Mount Fuji or soak up the history of Hiroshima – you’ll also enjoy spectacular views of ancient torii gates.

For more inspiration, check out out list of 7-day tours in Japan .

Japan in 10 days

Those with a little more time to spare should consider a 10-day Japan itinerary. With this amount of time, you could visit Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and still take a self-guided tour of the Kumano Kodo trail, which forms part of Japan’s ancient pilgrim highways and is dotted with religious temples. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast and a seasoned walker, the trails here range from family-friendly routes to difficult but rewarding treks. We’d recommend spending two days in Tokyo before taking the bullet train to Kyoto and heading out to the mountains. The towns of Tsumago, Nojiri, Kiso-Fukushima, Yabuhara, and Koromo are all good starting (or ending) points for day-long hikes.  

For more ideas, check out our recommended Japan itineraries for 10 days . Browse through our 10-day in Japan tours to book one instantly.

Japan in 2 weeks

Two weeks is one of the most popular time-frames for exploring Japan as you can really soak up city-life and local culture before heading out into the countryside to explore mountain trails on foot or visit lesser-known villages. Start by enjoying the very best of Tokyo by dining like a king on sushi and sipping house-brewed sake. Be sure to visit Kanawaza’s Omicho market at your leisure to sample fresh Japanese sample dishes and ingredients. We recommend spending three days in Tokyo and two to three days in Osaka or Kyoto before heading further afield. Once you’ve finished soaking up the cities of east and central Honshu island, head further west to Hiroshima and spend two days learning more about the history of WWII and the atomic bomb. From here, head back to Tokyo via the Takayam region to trek the Japanese Alps for a further day or two. This should leave you with plenty of time to move across the island and enjoy a wide variety of landscapes.

For more ideas, check out our recommended  Japan itineraries for 2 weeks  or go through available options of 2-week tours in Japan .

Japan in 3 weeks

If you’re lucky enough to have three or more weeks in Japan, then you’re going to want to get a Japan travel pass and ride the bullet train across the country at 200mph. Again, we recommend starting in Tokyo and soaking up the city life before you zoom across Honshu to Kyoto and Osaka. From here, you could head north to the island of Hokkaido and bathe in natural hot springs amongst cedar trees, fly south to the tranquil beaches of Okinawa, or tackle the Japanese Alps with ski poles in hands. A three-week Japan itinerary is just the right amount of time to soak up cities, coastline, and mountains.

A 3-week itinerary is a perfect trip duration for those keen on exploring lesser-known islands. During these three magical weeks in Japan, immerse yourself in lush green forest to find hidden hot springs in Yakushima island, enjoy a remote wildflower-covered escape in the summer or stand knee-deep in snow in the winter on Rishiri island. If you’re a water enthusiast, add the emerald waters and soft sand beaches of Sado island to the end of your trip. 

Planning a trip to Japan

Get in touch with one of our travel experts in Japan if you would like to create your own itinerary. If you’d like to book a package or join a group tour, check out our Japan tours page for more ideas.

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• When To Visit Japan
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How Long to Spend in Japan: From 1 week to 4 weeks

How long to spend in Japan depends on your vacation time and the experiences you are interested in. Our past Japan clients have mainly been couples and families with teenagers. Most families spend 10–14 days in Japan, 30s–50s couples generally spend 1–2 weeks, 50s and above couples generally have longer vacations, so they usually spend 2–3 weeks for a more thorough Japan travel experience. We have also had some business clients who only stay for 3–5 days.

See what we'd recommend for each stay length below…

• We generally recommend 1 or 2 cities for a 5-day vacation , such as a Tokyo in-depth tour or Tokyo + Kyoto or Tokyo + Osaka.
• 1 week gives you time to explore the top 3 destinations in Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
• If your vacation is about 10 days long, consider taking a trip to Hakone (famous for onsens — hot spring baths) or Hiroshima (Peace Memorial City)
• 2 weeks in Japan is ideal for an additional side-trip to see one of Japan's interesting small cities, towns, and villages, like Takayama.
• 3 weeks is long enough for an in-depth and off-the-beaten-track route or two, like going to see monkeys soak in onsens in Nagano.
• 4 weeks could allow you to have a thorough exploration of Japan to fully experience the country and its culture, from Hokkaido in the very north to Okinawa in the extreme south.
• Top Destinations in Japan

5 Days in Japan

1 week in japan, 10 days in japan, 2 weeks in japan, 3 weeks in japan, 4 weeks in japan, do i need a visa to visit japan.

Nationals of many countries are exempt from needing a visa to enter Japan, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Most travelers can stay in Japan without a visa for 90 days.

Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family 's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

Top Destinations to Visit in Japan

• Tokyo is the capital of Japan, an international city with a good combination of history and modernity. Seeing Mount Fuji, making sushi, and exploring anime, samurai, Disneyland, and the Science and Technology Museum represent the variety that is the essence of the city.
• Kyoto is Japan's ancient capital with geishas in kimonos, shrines, ryokans (traditional inns), sake, and tea ceremonies making up key features of this incredible traditional city.
• Osaka is the flourishing trade city of Japan. Have a family fun time at Cup Noodle Museum or Universal Studios, and sample authentic street food in Dotonbori.
• Hakone is Japan's home of onsens (hot springs). Don't miss the top experience of relaxing in an onsen at a ryokan. On a clear day, you can even see Mt. Fuji from some hot spring baths.
• Takayama and Shirakawa-go allow you to get in touch with the rural life of Japan. See for yourself unique and traditional Hida folk village.
• Hiroshima , where the world's first atomic bomb was dropped during World War II, calls on everyone to love peace.
• Hokkaido is the northernmost main island of Japan. The best ski resorts, freshest seafood, and a famous chocolate factory are some of its highlights that you can enjoy.
• Tokyo–Kyoto/Osaka

Spending 5 days in Japan usually includes Tokyo and another city. The usual choices are Kyoto or Osaka. Tokyo is the ideal first stop in travel Japan as plentiful international flights land there. You can get some deep insights into Japanese culture in Tokyo at its Imperial Palace, samurai experiences, and traditional Japanese gardens.

For the rest of the trip, You are recommended to choose the ancient capital of Kyoto or the trading city of Osaka as your next stop. Visit old shrines, explore Gion District, and see geishas in kimonos in Kyoto, or walk through the flourishing downtown area in Osaka, discovering its street food and more-modern attractions. 

• Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka

1 week in Japan would allow you to cover the most popular cities in Japan , including feeling the old vibe and samurai history in Tokyo, see geishas in kimonos and ancient shrines in Kyoto, and experience the lively downtown of Osaka.

A hand-picked classic 1-week Japan itinerary:

• Days 1–3 Tokyo (sushi, samurai, anime center)
• Days 4–5 Kyoto (geishas, stay at a ryokan, feed deer in Nara)
• Day 6–7 Osaka (taste street food in Dotonbori, visit outstanding Osaka Castle)

If you don't want to change hotels, you can stay in Kyoto for days 6 and 7. It only takes 30 minutes to get to Osaka from Kyoto, and it's quite convenient to get to Osaka International Airport from Kyoto.

Read more detailed week-long itineraries here >>> The Top 5 Itineraries for One Week in Japan , which satisfy various interests for famous attractions, cherry blossoms, Japanese food, and anime. Or just let us know your interests and requirements , and we can help make it happen.

• Tokyo–Hakone–Kyoto–Osaka

With 10 days in Japan, you can not only explore the classic triad of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, but also you can visit Hakone or Hiroshima. This is an excellent choice for first-timers.

Our well-received 10-day itinerary:

• Days 1–3 Tokyo sightseeing (Meiji Shrine, Pokémon Center, Japanese gardens)
• Days 4–5 Hakone (soak in onsens)
• Days 6–8 Kyoto (geisha, sake, try on a kimono)
• Days 9–10 Osaka (Osaka Castle, sample street food in Dotonbori)

Hakone , home of onsens, is one of the popular destinations near Tokyo: it is about 1½ hours from Tokyo. The top experience in Hakone is to stay at a ryokan with an onsen. On a clear day you can even see Mount Fuji.

Hiroshima , notoriously, was the first of two Japanese cities bombed with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II. It's easy to get there from either Kyoto or Osaka, being about 1½ hours by JR (Japan Rail). Visit its Peace Memorial Park and cherish the post-war peace.

Suggested reading: 10 Days in Japan: Top 5 Itineraries >>>. Or you can just tell us your preferences and requirements , and we will customize a tour for you.

• Tokyo–Takayama–Hiroshima–Osaka–Kyoto

2 weeks is an ideal length of time for a relaxed and balanced Japan trip: you could see its small cities and towns, experience more interesting things, and you wouldn't need to rush. All the cities in the following itinerary are conveniently connected by Shinkansen.

A well-proportioned 2-week Japan itinerary:

• Days 1–4 Tokyo (make sushi, visit Tsukiji Market, Disneyland)
• Days 5–6 Takayama (picturesque towns, well-preserved Hida folk village, sample Hida beef)
• Days 7–8 Hiroshima (Peace Memorial city)
• Days 9–10 Osaka (Universal Studios, "Japan's culinary center")
• Days 11–14 Kyoto (geisha, try on kimono, a ryokan stay, tea ceremony, deer in Nara)

Read more about our 2-Week Japan Itineraries for inspiration. Or you could see our popular 2-week family itinerary , which is full of family-friendly activities such as making sushi at a local home, staying at a ryokan with an onsen, having an afternoon tea with geishas, trying on kimonos for family photos, feeding friendly deer, and having fun in Disneyland or Universal Studios.

Contact us if you want to make some adjustments or have any questions. We will create a trip based on your needs.

• Tokyo–Nagano – Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go – Kyoto–Hiroshima–Osaka

For first-time visitors to Japan, 3 weeks allows a deeper travel experience at a slow pace. You could spend time on off-the-beaten-track locations like Nagano, or even have a cross-border trip visiting China or Singapore.

We recommend spending 2 days in Nagano, a small city surrounded by mountains. Watching snow monkeys soak in the hot spring is a new experience. It also has one of the best ski resorts in Japan, and in winter you can experience the charm of skiing there.

Kanazawa, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go are three rural towns with picturesque natural views that are worth spending 3 days on discovering.

• Kanazawa: appreciate local gold-leaf products, sample sake at a brewery.
• Takayama: Visit well-preserved townhouses, stay at a ryokan with an onsen, taste delicious Hida beef.
• Shirakawa-go: View traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses. If you go in January or February, you can see their beautiful wintry lighting.

Spending some of your 3 weeks to generate a cross-border trip is also a great idea. You can consider Japan and South Korea or Japan and China. Check out more details on 3-Week Japan Itineraries . 

With 4 weeks in Japan you could have a comprehensive visit to fully experience Japanese culture, including Japan's southernmost island, Okinawa, and northernmost main island, Hokkaido.

Hokkaido has the freshest seafood and best ski resorts in Japan. Not only is the winter snow beautiful from December to February, but also the cherry blossoms in May, the lavender from July to August, and the red maple in autumn (September to November) are all worth seeing. We suggest you spend 5–6 days in Sapporo and Otaru on Hokkaido.

Okinawa has the best beaches on Japan, and it is known as the "Hawaii of Japan". Clean water, white sandy beaches, and enjoyable water sports are attractions for families or couples. In January and February, Okinawa is also the first place in Japan where cherry blossoms bloom. You are recommended to spend 3–4 days in Okinawa.

Whether your available time is long or short, you can just tell us your preferences and requirements , and we will customize a tour to suit you.

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Japan itinerary: How to get the best out of Japan in 10 days

Last updated on January 12, 2024

Looking for the perfect way to spend 10 days in Japan? We spent sooo long crafting our 10-day Japan itinerary, sifting through all the best things to do and how to make the most of it all. A trip like this is an investment, so you want to get it right!

And seeing as we’ve now done the leg work, this post is here to help save you a ton of time with loads of first-hand tips and ways to get the best out of your Japan trip. Believe me, you’re in for a treat. Japan is incredible.

I think 10 days in Japan is a good amount for a first timer, but if you have a bit more time, you could easily stretch this itinerary to two weeks in Japan, or skip one or two places if you only have a week.

About our 10 day Japan itinerary

Wild, mind-boggling, and futuristic are all words that come to mind when I think of our 10-day trip to Japan. From the Zen of the temples in Kyoto to the crazed sounds of a pachinko parlour in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, Japan is king of extremes. It topped our wish list for years (Steve is frankly obsessed by the place!), but we were always put off by the expense. We kept saving it for “a time when we had money”.  

We finally went when we were invited to a wedding in Seoul and realised that tagging on a trip to Japan was an opportunity too good to resist. We were worried about the money, and that 10 days wouldn’t be enough, but in the end, we found ways to keep costs down. And I think 10 days in Japan is a good amount to get a good taste of the country and all the things that make it unique.

As always, we spent hours researching our trip to Japan and planning the ultimate 10-day Japan itinerary. We wanted to get a good mix of city, nature and culture, while also hitting some of our bucket list items like the snow monkeys in Shibu Onsen, and the temples of Koya-San.

We finally landed on what we think is the ultimate Japan travel itinerary for first timers. Many people have replicated the trip since we did it and are always as happy as we were, so I hope you will be too. Feel free to add your own Japan tips and questions in the comments.

Our Japan highlights

It’s hard to choose what we loved most in our Japan itinerary. Ten days gives plenty of time to experience its extremes, and we saw a lot during that time. If I had to choose ten highlights, it’d be these:

• Staying in a traditional ryokan (we did this in both Hakone and Shibu-Onsen)
• Catching sight of Mount Fuji on a trip to Hakone
• Seeing the snow monkeys in the mountains of Nagano
• Visiting local onsens in Shibu-Onsen (only possible if you stay the night there)
• Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto (it’s popular for a reason)
• Playing the arcades in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, and going to an izakaya followed by karaoke in Shibuya.
• Waking up at dawn in a Buddhist temple on Mount Koya-San to hear the monks chanting.
• Soaking in a private onsen next to a bamboo forest at Mount View Hakone ryokan
• Eating all the amazing food, from cheap Japanese curries to huge feasts in ryokans, and restaurants where fresh tofu is made at the table.
• Drinking Japanese whiskey at The Sodoh in Kyoto, one of the best bars I’ve ever been to.

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Overview of our 10 days in Japan

Our itinerary covers Tokyo, Hakone, Shibu Onsen (to see the snow monkeys), Kyoto, Nara, Koya-san and Osaka. This provided a perfect mix of the best that Japan has to offer, from its fast-paced cities to its magnificent nature (including Mount Fuji) and captivating ancient temples. They are definitely some of the best places to visit in Japan.

Days 1-4: Tokyo (Stay at a Tokyo Airbnb )

Days 4-5: Hakone (Stay at Mount View Hakone )

Days 5-6: Shibu Onsen (Stay at Sakaeya )

Days 6-8: Kyoto (Stay at Kyoto Airbnb)

Days 8-9: Koya-San (Stay at S hojoshin-In )

Days 9-10: Osaka (Stay at Hostel 64 Osaka )

How to choose what to see in Japan in 10 days

We had a limited amount of time and money, so we wanted to try and fit in as much as possible into our Japan trip itinerary. This wasn’t a time for slow travel and it was more fast-paced than what we’re used to. But it was definitely worth it for all the things we saw, and it never felt rushed. We balanced out the busyness with moments of calm along the way.

Of course, it would have been nice to stretch the trip and spend a few days in each place to soak everything in some more, but for the time and money we had, our itinerary for Japan worked really well, and I highly recommend it for first-timers to Japan.

Should you base yourself in Tokyo and Kyoto?

Many 10-day itineraries suggest basing yourself in just Tokyo and Kyoto and doing day trips from there, but for me, some of the highlights of our time in Japan were the nights we spent elsewhere in Hakone, Shibu-Onsen and Koya-San.

I don’t mind changing accommodation (we pack light and I love experiencing different hotels). Plus it gives the chance to splash out on a couple of special one-night stays, perhaps in a ryokan or a temple (like we did), rather than extended stays somewhere cheaper. But if you prefer the idea of day trips and basing yourself in the two cities, that’s a good option too.

Both Shibu-Onsen and Koya-San aren’t convenient day trips, so you’d need to skip those if basing yourself in the cities. You could still visit Nara and Osaka from Kyoto, and Hakone from Tokyo. And other day trips to consider from Tokyo are Kamakura and Nikko. From Kyoto, you could visit Miyajima and Hiroshima.

Other places to consider visiting in Japan

Depending on your priorities, you might like to skip some things in our Japan itinerary and add extra time to some of the others. Places we missed, but you might consider visiting are:

• Kanazawa for art museums, Edo-era history, and one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens.
• Takayama for traditional crafts and sake breweries
• Hiroshima for the Memorial Park
• Miyajima for gorgeous views, forests and temples, including the floating shrine
• Nikko for ancient shrines, including the famous Toshogu Shrine
• Tsumago, a traditional village of wooden houses
• Kamakura for a bamboo forest, giant buddha and the Hase Dera temple
• More time in Tokyo to explore attractions like Disney Sea
• Or you could even tag on a trip to Okinawa (that’s my next dream!)

We’ve also written a storybook version of the Japan itinerary with lots of photos to inspire you. And beside this Japan blog, also have a look at our travel resources page for lots more money and time-saving tips.

Japan trip itinerary: Pre-travel essentials

When is the best time to go to Japan?

We went to Japan in December, but that was largely because we were going to a wedding in Korea just before. The weather was cold and dry, but often sunny, and we loved warming up in outdoor onsens amid the cool air (this experience alone makes me happy we went in winter!). Winter is also a good time for snow sports if you visit the mountains.

Far and away the most popular time to visit is April, which is cherry blossom season, and looks as spectacular as the hype suggests.

And Autumn (September – November) is good for the fall foliage.

The summer is hot and humid, and often rainy up until early July. That said, I’m keen to visit Okinawa in the summer and experience Japan beaches.

Is Japan as expensive as people say?

Regarding price, Japan wasn’t as expensive as we had imagined. It’s very pricey in comparison to south-east Asia, but the costs were comparable to London. For example, you could get a coffee for about £2.50 ($3.50), and an average dinner at a mid-range restaurant cost around £30 ($40) for two people without alcohol. At lunchtime, we spent as little as £6 ($10) each for a curry.

Our accommodation cost from £60-£150 ($80-$200) per night for two people, sometimes including breakfast and dinner. This was on a moderate budget where we sometimes splashed out but other times stayed in a hostel or Airbnb . We never went full luxury as the prices were sky-high. Details of all the places we stayed are included in the detailed Japan itinerary below.

How much does a 10-day trip to Japan cost?

To replicate our 10 day Japan trip, excluding flights, would cost around £2400 ($3100) for two people. That’s around £900 ($1200) for the accommodation; £500 ($650) for travel; and a budget of £100 ($150) per day for food and activities. You could save money by doing some self-catering or sticking to cheaper restaurants.

Where to stay in Japan

Our itinerary includes a range of Japan accommodation, including traditional ryokans, city Airbnb apartments, and a temple stay. We were particularly keen to experience a ryokan, which is something I’d classify as a “must” for any Japan trip.

The most we stayed in one place was three nights, and we stayed in four places for one night only. While this meant having to change accommodation quite often, we felt it was worth it for the places we got to see and experience.

It gave us the chance to really soak up the atmosphere in places like Koya-san, Hakone and Shibu Onsen, plus some of the most interesting places we stayed were outside of the city in the traditional ryokans and temple stays. As I mentioned before, if you’d prefer not to move so much, you could base yourself in Tokyo and Kyoto and take day trips from those cities.

Some quintessential Japanese accommodations we didn’t try were capsule hotels and love hotels, but both are included in our guide to the best hotels in Japan . And we’ve also written a handy guide to the best Tokyo Airbnbs .

You can use this link to get £25 off your first Airbnb booking.

Getting around Japan – why you need a Japan Rail Pass

We’ve added transport and accommodation info to each section of the itinerary. The days overlap for each place as we often spent the morning in one place before travelling on to the next.

One top tip if you’re traveling long distances is to get a Japan Rail Pass (a JR Pass). You have to order this before you enter Japan (there is no leeway on this) – they send you a ticket called an ‘exchange order’, which you then exchange for the pass once you’re in Japan. There was a trial in 2023 where you could buy the pass at a higher cost in the country, but they’re currently not continuing with that.

To work out if getting a pass is worth it, you can estimate out how many train journeys you’ll be taking and add up the prices using Hyperdia , which is a really useful Japanese website detailing all the transport timetables (it’s currently only showing historical data, but that’s still quite useful for average costs). We only saved about £40 by getting a rail pass, but some people save a lot more when they cover longer distances than we did. Another benefit of having a rail pass is that you don’t have to buy tickets for each individual train – you simply show your pass at the gate.

It’s important to note that the pass isn’t accepted on every single train in Japan – for example we couldn’t use it for the Hakone loop or for some of the private local train lines within Kyoto. There’s an option on Hyperdia where you can search for trains that are only included with the JR Pass.

The passes are available for 7, 14 or 21 days and you can get an ordinary pass or a green pass, which allows first-class travel. We went for the ordinary one, which cost ¥38,880 (£230) for seven days. The normal class was totally fine, so I don’t think it’s necessary to upgrade unless you have the money to spend, then why not? Also, we now know you can get a pass for less money by booking through this JR Rail Pass website . For example our pass would have cost around £201 with them.

Also remember to accurately time the day you activate your JR Pass so that you can make the most of it. Because we had a 10-day trip and only a 7-day pass, we activated it on day 4. This worked well as our first three days were in Tokyo where we could buy a subway ticket instead.

Buy your JR Pass here.

How is Japan for vegetarians?

One of the most common questions we get is: Is Japan good for vegetarians? And the answer is kind of. We ate really well in Japan, and with a bit of effort were able to find great Japanese vegetarian options, but there were also times when we struggled.

Those times we struggled were the evenings when we decided to simply walk around a city and choose somewhere without any research. Unfortunately, I don’t like nori, which means our options were limited even further.

On one of those nights, we ended up eating pizza and the other night, we finally found an okonomayaki only to find that the chef had covered it in fish flakes (this was despite us seeing him start to do this and reminding him we didn’t eat fish. He was adamant that fish flakes didn’t count!).

I would recommend doing a little bit of research before you set out each day so you know where to find the good veggie food. All of the restaurants recommended in this itinerary are vegetarian-friendly.

Staying in touch while in Japan – Pocket WiFi and SIMs

When travelling, I tend to use my Three Mobile Go Roam package, but as Japan isn’t a Go Roam destination, we instead relied on mobile wifi devices and a travel SIM card while there. These let you make phone calls and use the internet on your phone at local prices rather than incurring hefty roaming charges. You can choose one or the other, depending on what works best for you.

Pocket wi-fi

Japan has a surprising lack of wi-fi, plus you’re probably used to having access to the internet wherever you are, so a pocket wi-fi device will likely come in handy. These little devices can supply wi-fi to around 10-15 devices, so you’ll only need one per group. And they’re a must-have for looking up directions, making calls, checking schedules etc. That said, there is a part of me that loves the idea of going totally offline like the olden days of travel!

Lots of the Airbnbs/hotels we stayed at supplied pocket wifi devices, but it’s a good idea to buy/hire one yourself as then you’ll have access to the internet wherever you go/stay.

One recommended company is Sakura Mobile . It offers easy-to-use travel SIM cards and pocket wifi devices, which are preconfigured to work with any given country’s phones or computers (lots of local Japanese SIM cards don’t work on foreign devices). Choose the option that suits you best and order the card/device online.

You can pick them up at the airport/the company’s office in  Shinjuku  or have them delivered to your hotel (how convenient is that?!). Handily, the company offers full English language support. Order at least three days before your arrival. Order your SIM Card  here. Order your pocket wifi here .

Our detailed Japan 10-day itinerary

Days 1-4: Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the most fascinating cities we’ve ever been to and the kind of place you could spend a lifetime getting to know. We had three nights there so tried to pack in as many Tokyo experiences as possible into that time.

We stayed in Shibuya, which was an ideal place to explore the city from. It’s one of Tokyo’s most iconic areas of the city and is filled with bars, malls, restaurants, karaoke bars, and a hell of a lot of neon. It’s also home to the world’s busiest intersection, which tells you a bit about how buzzing Shibuya can be. You can get a good view of this from above at the Keio Inokashira Line, or the Starbucks (although you need to buy something to take advantage of this). While in Shibuya, also check out the Hachiko dog statue , and the Shinto Meiji Shrine

We also explored Akihabara, which is the centre of the city’s otaku culture and home to lots of amusement arcades, anime hvens, and tech shops (go to Yodobashi Akiba for nine floors of tech!). This is also where you go if you want to experience a maid café, which we decided wasn’t our cup of tea.

Other areas we explored were:

• the shopping district of Ginza (where we bought A LOT of stationery in Itoya )
• Jimbocho, which is home to streets of incredible bookstores (a Tokyo highlight for us)
• the beautiful YoYogi Park in Harajuku (this area is also known for its fashion and Harajuku girls who dress in full traditional/Anime costumer on Sundays).
• Shinjuku, the crazy entertainment district where we went to the Robot Restaurant (definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but it does show a certain side of Japan and is pretty fun in many ways, while enraging in others!). Update: The Robot Restaurant is currently closed, but is due to re-open at some point in 2024. Samurai Restaurant is currently open in the same location with an equally crazy looking show!
• Golden Gai, which is an area with rows of tiny little bars, perfect for an evening drink
• and Ebisu, an upmarket hipster area with lots of lovely boutiques and restaurants.

We tried to go to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, which looked beautiful but was closed when we went there on a Monday.  If you’re into fish, there’s the Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest fish market in the world (you could combine it with a sushi class on this tour ).

And if you go during cherry blossom season, try Ueno Park and Sumida Park, which are both gorgeous cherry blossom spots in Tokyo (or you could join a tour of the blossom guided by a local enthusiast ).

The Tokyo Skytree would also be a good place to visit for incredible views of the city (it’s one of the tallest buildings in the world). You can even walk across a glass floor up there. Buy a skip-the-line ticket here to save time. We didn’t do the Skytree and instead opted for cocktails at the Mandarin Oriental one evening instead, which also had epic views.

Accommodation in Tokyo

We stayed in an Airbnb apartment in Shibuya. The exact one we stayed in is no longer available, but we’ve made a list of the 19 best Tokyo Airbnbs , including options for all budgets and styles.

Ours cost ¥8,600 (£51/$65) per night, and included a mobile wi-fi device, which was very useful (this seems quite standard in Japanese Airbnbs).

Remember to sign up to Airbnb with this link to get £25 off your first booking.

Food and drink in Tokyo

We ate really well in Tokyo and it was easy as vegetarians. One top tip if you’re looking for a budget eat is to look for one of the many curry shops, which nearly always have a vegetarian option. We tried one in Shinjuku ( モンスナック ) and another in Jimbocho ( Bondi ) – both were delicious.

Other highlights were a tofu restaurant in Shibuya called Tofu Ryori Sorano (where they make fresh tofu at your table) and 板蕎麦 香り家 , a soba restaurant in Ebisu.

We also spent one evening in an izakaya, which is a traditional Japanese bar serving tapas-style dishes – there are tons of these in Shibuya – just wander around nd pick your favourite.

I’ve also heard good things about:

• Bon , a veggie restaurant specialising in fucha ryori, a version of shojin ryori (veggie buddhist cuisine) 
• T’s Tan tan , a vegan ramen restaurant in Tokyo station
• veggie restaurant Milk Land  near Shinjuku Station
• tempura at  Tsunahachi
• and okonomiyaki at Zen.

For drinks, one evening we went to the Mandarin Oriental . It’s expensive but worth if for the incredible view across the city. And we also did karaoke in Shibuya, which was surprisingly brilliant (you pay per hour for a booth and the menu is in English as well as Japanese).

A top coffee recommendation is Café de l’Ambre in Ginza, which is a charming traditional coffee shop with the tiniest milk jug you ever did see! Definitely make a stop here if you’re in the area.

A good way to experience Japanese cuisine in Tokyo would be to j oin a food tour like this half-day local food tour , or this 3-hour tour through the fish market .

Getting to and around Tokyo

We bought a prepaid IC card to get around Tokyo – these are available in the subway stations and you simply add credit like you do with an Oyster card in London. There are two types, Pasmo or Sucia, and we used the Suica one. They are valid on both the subway and JR lines.

However, if you’re travelling a lot in one day, it might be cheaper to get a one-day pass, which start at about ¥600. The problem with these is that they’re only valid on certain lines.

There’s a lot of useful info about this in this post . We didn’t use our JR pass because we activated it on day four when we started taking longer train journeys.

Day 4-5: Hakone

Our prime motivation for going to Hakone was to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji – a definite Japan highlight. It was a gamble as the mountain spends a lot of time hidden behind clouds, but we were willing to risk it, plus we also liked the idea of spending some time in Japan’s countryside.

It was definitely worth it as we did get to see Mount Fuji, which was a truly spectacular sight. And even without that, I think the trip would have been worth it for the magnificence of all the scenery and the peaceful break away from the city.

We did the Hakone Loop (see transport section below) and mostly concentrated on enjoying the gorgeous sights rather than doing lots of activities. We also went to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which is a world-class sculpture park and gallery featuring works by artists such as Picasso and Henry Moore. Sadly, the sculpture I wanted to see the most ­– the Woods of Net– was closed due to safety problems, but the other sculptures made up for that.

If we’d had more time, I’d have liked to go to the Museum of The Little Prince too. Our hotel stay in Hakone was also a highlight (see below).

You could go to Hakone as a day trip from Tokyo on a tour like this one , which is a nine-hour round trip. Or if you want to include a bullet train too, you could do this one instead.

Accommodation in Hakone

We stayed at a ryokan called Mount View Hakone , which was our first ryokan experience. Our room was exactly as I imagined a ryokan to be – peaceful, sparse and calming.

As with all ryokans, there were public onsens available for guests (one for men and one for women), but one of the highlights of Mount View Hakone was the private onsen that you could hire for 45 minutes for 2,000 yen. This meant that Steve and I could go in there together. The onsen was outside and looked out onto a beautiful bamboo forest, illuminated by green light. For me, being in warm water in a cold climate is one of the most refreshing experiences I can think of – it took me back to the saunas of Finland .

Another highlight at Mount View Hakone was the food. It was our first multi-dish Japanese meal and we loved the adventure of it, especially safe in the knowledge that everything was vegetarian. The food was an eclectic mixture of Japanese and Western food, including ramen, potato wedges, and vegetables that we grilled ourselves at the table. It sounds odd, but it worked! Meals are served in a large dining room along with the other guests.

The hotel is right next to the Little Prince Museum.

Rooms cost from £100 per night, which includes breakfast and dinner. Book your stay now.

Food in Hakone

The main food we ate in Hakone was at the ryokan. But on day one, we had lunch at a little restaurant near the pirate boat stop. The vegetarian choice was slim but we ate some tempura and soba noodles.

There is also a really cute coffee shop inside an airstream caravan at the top of the ropeway. We enjoyed some delicious hot chocolate and a cake up there.

Getting to and around Hakone

Hakone is a popular day/weekend trip from Tokyo and it only takes about an hour to get there on the shinkansen bullet train. The classic thing to do there is the ‘Hakone Loop’, a journey around the area that takes you on five types of transport: bus, train, pirate boat(!), ropeway and cable car. If you leave early enough, you can do the whole loop in a day trip from Tokyo, but we split the journey into two days.

You buy a pass called the Hakone Free Pass, which allows you to go on all the different transports in the loop over 2 or 3 days, depending which one you buy. The 2-day pass costs ¥4000, or ¥5,140 including the train from Shinjuku.

Our hotel was about ¾ of the way around the loop so we went in an anti-clockwise direction and did the first ¾ on day one, and the remaining quarter the next morning. This worked well as it meant we could be finished in Hakone by about 11am and make the most of our next destination. However, our journey around Hakone was definitely the most rushed part of our Japan trip, and I wish we could have added an extra day or at least a few more hours.

One key thing to bear in mind is that the ropeway sometimes closes early. On the day we went, it closed at about 3pm, just as we arrived. They wouldn’t let us on, which meant we missed that part of the trip and had to take a bus up the mountain instead.

This was a big disappointment as it’s from the ropeway that you get the best views of Mount Fuji. Had we known this before, we would simply have left Tokyo earlier in the morning. Don’t make the same mistake!

Day 5-6: Shibu Onsen and the Snow Monkeys

Shibu Onsen was not a convenient stop on our Japan itinerary, and it would have made much more sense to go straight to Kyoto on the high-speed shinkansen from Tokyo, but we were fixated on going there so we decided to make it work (and I’m pleased we did!). Our main motivation was to see the snow monkeys, which were made famous in the movie, Baraka .

These monkeys have overtaken an outdoor onsen in the mountains of Nagano and spend their days taking respite from the cold and bathing in the warm water while grooming each other. It’s like a little monkey spa.

Despite our past run-ins with monkeys , we were desperate to see these creatures for ourselves and, for us, it was worth it. The monkeys were much more peaceful than the ones we encountered in Bali (I think because people weren’t feeding them) and it was fascinating seeing how human-like their behaviour was in the onsen.

One thing to bear in mind is that the setting of the monkey spa isn’t as idyllic as it looks in some photos. The immediate area surrounding the pools is quite dishevelled and resembles a building site, but the 30-minute walk to the snow monkey area is beautiful, through a deep pine forest.

I had heard that the walk can be treacherous, but it felt very safe to me (and I am terrified of heights and cliffs). That said, it was only snowing lightly when we went, and in icy conditions, the path would probably be dangerous as, despite being wide, it does have a big drop on one side.

It is, of course, very touristy, so don’t expect to be the only ones there! All that said, we still enjoyed it and were pleased we made the trip.

Aside from the snow monkey park, our trip to the region was also made worth it for our time in Shibu Onsen, a little spa-town about 15 minutes away from the snow monkey park. There are nine onsens in the town and it’s said to bring good luck if you visit every one. Only one of the onsens is open to the public, but you are given a key to the other eight if you stay in one of the ryokans in Shibu Onsen, which we did.

Steve and I had an amazing evening, walking around the town in the snow, dressed in our robes and wooden clogs, visiting all of the nine onsens. They are split into male and female rooms and we both encountered plenty of villagers taking their evening bath and giggling at us as we struggled with the high temperatures of the baths.

Each onsen has a stamp that you can print on a towel provided by your ryokan. Traditionally, you’re supposed to offer this towel to the temple in Shibu Onsen, but we couldn’t resist keeping ours as a souvenir!

Snow monkey tours

If you don’t want to stay in Shibu Onsen, you could do a day trip to the snow monkeys from Nagano station. Get Your Guide offer this one that also includes a visit to a temple and a sake tasting, and this one that runs in spring and also includes a visit to the cherry blossom.

Accommodation in Shibu Onsen

We stayed in a traditional ryokan in Shibu Onsen called Sakaeya . We opted for one of the newer rooms, which came with a kotatsu, which is essentially a table with a blanket table cloth and a heater underneath – it’s wonderfully cosy and perfect for the cold weather. We also had a balcony that looked out over the town.

Food at Sakaeya was served in a private dining room, just for Steve and I, which felt extra special. The food here was of a higher quality than at Mount View Hakone and entirely Japanese. We tried a lot of things we’d never seen before and loved the variety of flavours. We told the hotel we were vegetarian beforehand, and they were happy to accommodate us. The only thing we couldn’t stomach was a raw egg that came with our breakfast!

Food in Shibu Onsen

We only ate at our hotel but there are a few little restaurants in Shibu Onsen too.

Getting to and around to Shibu Onsen

As we said before, Shibu Onsen was an out-of-the-way stop on our trip in Japan. To get there from Hakone, we had to take a train back to Tokyo from Odawara station (80 minutes); a shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano (100 minutes); a train from Nagano to Yudanka (50 minutes); and a bus from Yudanka to Shibu Onsen (10 minutes). It took about four hours in total. I know it sounds like a lot, but looking back on it now, the memories of Shibu Onsen were well worth the effort.

Days 6-8: Kyoto

If Tokyo is Japan’s futuristic centre, Kyoto is its ancient heart. The city is filled with thousands of temples, shrines and gardens and, if you’re lucky, you’ll see some geisha walking to their secret rendezvous through the atmospheric cobbled streets.

We only had two nights there and one full-day so we had to heavily prioritise what we wanted to see. You could easily spend weeks in Kyoto, exploring all the sights, and it’s a must for any Japan itinerary.

The things we chose to see were:

• Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Pavillion
• Kiyomizu-dera, a temple with a balcony that overlooks the city and is the perfect place for sunset
• the historic Higashiyama neighbourhood, filled with temples and shrines.
• Gion, the geisha district
• Nishiki Market where you can try all sorts of Japanese food at all its different food stalls
• and Fushimi Inari Shrine, a place you’ve likely seen photos of with its iconic paths lined with red tori gates.

If you want to join a tour, you can see all of these and more on a private guided tour of Kyoto .

We stayed in Higashiyama, which is filled with charming wooden buildings, picturesque streets and many shrines and temples. Sannenzaka and Ninensaka are two of the most beautiful streets. 

Higashiyama is next to Gion, the famous geisha district and home to the Yasaka Shrine, which we strolled through on our first night. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll see any geisha, but we did see a few throughout our trip.

We didn’t take photos of the geisha as this is frowned upon in the city. We did, however, take photos of the many Japanese tourists who come to Kyoto on a historical pilgrimage and dress up in traditional costumes for the day. There are lot of shops offering this service, and as such a lot of colourfully-dressed people, around the Kiyomizu-dera temple.

If you’re keen to see geisha, it’d be worth doing this guided night walk of Gion as the guide is more likely to know where to spot them.

Another good spot in Kyoto was the Nishiki Market – it’d be fun to combine a trip there with a cooking lesson like this one .

One thing we wished we could have seen in Kyoto bit didn’t have time to visit is the bamboo forest. Next time!

Although we loved Kyoto, we were surprised by how seedy it sometimes felt at night. At around 7pm in Gion, hostesses fill the streets, making their way to hostess bars. This was a recurring element of our time in Japan – although futuristic in many senses, its attitude towards women – from the culture of hostess bars to the maid cafes in Tokyo, and the tendency to infantilise women – sometimes felt uncomfortable.

Accommodation in Kyoto

We stayed in a studio apartment in Kyoto that we found through Booking.com . It was inside a building filled with apartments set up for business travellers with a small kitchen, washing machine and bathroom. It wasn’t anything special, but it was clean, well located and reasonably priced for Kyoto.

As with our apartment in Tokyo, we were simply given a code to enter and didn’t meet the owners at all. We were also given a mobile wi-fi device. This particular apartment is no longer available, but there are plenty more like it available on Booking.com . A studio apartment costs around 11,000 Yen per night (£66/$85).

As always, I also recommend checking out Airbnb .

And here’s a post by Broke Backpacker with more ideas for where to stay in Kyoto .

Food in Kyoto

Kyoto is famous for its kaiseki-ryori cusine, which is unfortunately not vegetarian-friendly. However, you can also find lots of shojin-ryori food, which is traditional Buddhist temple food and entirely vegetarian.

Because we’d already tried some in Tokyo and would be eating more in Koyasan, we didn’t try any in Kyoto, but we heard good things about Shigetsu , a Michelin-recommended restaurant in the Tenruji temple in the Arashiyama neighbourhood (also home to the bamboo forest).

Places we can recommend in Kyoto include: おかる curry in Gion; deserts at Nana’s Green Tea; and the street food snacks around Fushimi Inari Shrine.

There was a vegetarian modern izakaya called Onikai that we would have loved to try, but it was fully booked during our stay.

We also ate at a tiny little vegetarian restaurant called Hale in the Nishiki Market, which was atmospheric and cosy but the tofu-skin dish was a little slimy for our taste. The menu changes daily so I’d still recommend going there. And don’t miss Floresta Donuts for ridiculously cute and tasty creations.

And we had good pizza one night at Pizza Salvatore , which was a nice little break from all the Japanese food. Sometimes it has to be done!

We found an amazing, cosy cocktail bar in Kyoto called The Sodoh , which is next to a fancy Italian restaurant of the same name. It was a great place to try some Japanese whiskey and they made an excellent Old Fashioned. It was our perfect type of bar – intimate, quiet and serving amazing drinks. I still dream of that place!

Kyoto also has some good food tours and cooking classes, including: an evening food tour in Gion ; a Nishiki market tour and lunch ;  Japanese Izakaya cooking class ; and a Japanese bento cooking class .

Simon and Erin at Never Ending Voyage have a good guide to vegetarian restaurants in Kyoto .

Getting to and around Kyoto

We got to Kyoto from Shibu Onsen by following the same route back to Nagano and then getting a train from there to Kanazawa (90 minutes) and another train from there to Kyoto (130 minutes). A train directly from Tokyo to Kyoto takes 140 minutes.

Once in Kyoto, our JR pass worked on some trains, but for the two subway lines – Tozai and Karasuma – you need a different ticket. If you buy a ticket for one, it can’t be used on the other, unless you buy a day pass. The bus network is also good and useful for getting to places such as the Kinkaku-ji Temple.

Passes for both the bus and subway cost ¥1,200 for one day and ¥2,000 for two days.

Days 8-9: Nara and Kōya-san

Nara and Kyosan were another two stops on our trip to Japan that required a bit of effort and planning to get to, but they were at the top of our list of “must sees” so we managed to fit them into our Japan itinerary – and we’re really pleased we did.

Nara was Japan’s first capital and is home to lots of temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had our eyes set on one temple in particular – Tōdai-ji, which houses Daibutsu, a giant statue of Buddha. Because we were short on time, we only stopped in Nara for a couple of hours en route to Kōya-san and headed straight to Tōdai-ji.

The temple is in a beautiful park filled with tame deer, which unfortunately seem to have become reliant on the tourists for food. You could also try this walking tour of Nara , which gives a great overview of the city, including street food, temples and machiya houses.

From Nara, we made our way to Kōya-san, the centre of Shingon Buddhism. It’s a small town situated on the sacred Mount Koya and is filled with more than 100 temples, many of which offer lodging for the night. It’s a magical place to spend some time in the company of monks while exploring the sacred sites.

A highlight is the atmospheric graveyard, situated in a huge forest lit by lanterns. The graveyard also houses Oku-no-in, the mausoleum of Kukai who started Shingon Buddhism.

We arrived in Kōya-san in the late afternoon and left at midday so didn’t have a huge amount of time to explore, but we loved soaking in the atmosphere, walking through the cemetery, and seeing some of the temples, including Garan, the town’s central temple complex.

Accommodation in Koya-san

We stayed at Shojoshin-In temple which was a beautiful experience, giving us an insight into the life of the Buddhist monks. The temples in Kōya-san vary in quality and Shojoshin-In was one of the most beautiful we saw. As such, it was a little more expensive than some of the others, but for us, it was worth it.

The temple is also right next to the cemetery, which is convenient for an evening walk. Our room was clean, warm and comfortable with a balcony looking onto the mountain.

Dinner and breakfast were included and everything was vegetarian as the temples only serve shojin-ryori (Buddhist vegetarian) food.

A highlight was the early-morning service where we woke up around 5:30am to listen to the monks chanting.

Food in Koya-san

In Kōya-san Kōya-san we ate at our temple lodging (detailed above), and in Nara we grabbed a quick snack at the Mos Burger in the train station, which luckily, and surprisingly, had a veggie option.

Getting to and around Koya-san

There are trains to Nara from Kyoto that take round an hour. To get to Tōdai-ji from the station, we took a taxi as we were short on time, but there are also regular buses.

We knew we would be passing back through Nara on our return from Kōya-san so we left most of our luggage in the train station lockers so we wouldn’t have to carry so much to Kōya-san (we bought a lot of stuff in Japan!).

We got a train from Nara to Hashimoto (90 minutes) and a train from there to Gokurakubashi, which is a beautiful scenic journey through the mountain valley. From there, you get a little funicular train up to Kōya-san, which is a lovely ride up the side of the mountain. There are three bus networks in the town and you can pick up a map at the bus station at the top of the funicular. We got a bus straight to the temple we were staying at.

If you just want to see Nara, you could do that as a day-trip tour from Kyoto or Osaka , which is a nine-hour round trip including sightseeing.

Days 9-10: Osaka

We were only in Osaka for an afternoon/evening so we didn’t get to see much of Japan’s third largest city, but it’s a worthwhile stop on a Japan itinerary. We mostly spent our time doing some last-minute shopping in the Umeda area. We also went to the iconic Dotonbori Street, a hubbub of shopping, bars and neon galore.

We were specifically looking for pottery and Japan’s famed flavoured Kit Kats. Unfortunately the shop that used to sell all the flavours in Namba station no longer stocks Kit Kats so it was a bit of a wild goose chase. In the end, we just got some multipacks in a local supermarket.

We also went to the Namba area in the evening, which was bustling and neon-filled like Tokyo. We did one last night of karaoke there.

Accommodation in Osaka

We stayed in a private room in a great retro-style hostel called Hostel 64 Osaka . The staff are really friendly and the hostel has put together useful guides to Osaka, including where to find the best food and shops. It was a five-minute walk from Shinsaibashi Station.

Food in Osaka

We had curry for lunch at a little place called Camp , which was at the bottom of a department store in Umeda. For dinner, we tried to find an okonomiyaki, but it was served with fish flakes despite our protests (see vegetarian section above)! Let us know if you ever find a purely vegetarian one!

To go deeper into the food culture in Osaka, you could do this nighttime food walk or this street food hopping tour .

Getting to and around Osaka

From Koya-san, we took the same route back to Nara and got a train from there to Shinimamiya (37 minutes) and from there into Osaka (15 minutes).

Osaka has a good subway system made up of eight lines. We were only there for a short amount of time so just bought single tickets for our journeys, but you can also buy an IC card like in Tokyo. We got to the airport via a train from Namba, which took about 35 minutes.

Top travel tips for Japan

The best way to save money travelling around Japan is to get a Japan Rail Pass. You can buy yours here .

Don’t forget your travel insurance! We recommend True Traveller who offer reliable, comprehensive cover, including medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities. You can buy True Traveller insurance even when you’ve left home, which is unusual for travel insurance companies.

I’ve written another post with a guide to the most unique and best hotels in Japan . We booked our accommodation through Airbnb and Booking.com . If you sign up to Airbnb using this link , you’ll get £25 off your first booking.

I travelled with the Samsonite Spark suitcase and a small Case Logic backpack , which had enough room for everything I needed. Steve used the same suitcase and a ThinkTank Shapeshifter Backpack for all his camera equipment.

We’ve also written a storybook version of this itinerary with lots more photos from the trip.

If you decide to hire a car, we recommend Discover Cars . They always seem to have the best deals.

And check out more of our detailed itinerary posts here,  including a one-month California road trip itinerary ; Florence to the Amalfi Coast road trip; and 5 days in Iceland .

Save time and money on your next trip

See our  travel resources  page for all our best travel tips, including how to save money with the best cards, what insurance to choose, and all our favourite tools and tricks.

171 thoughts on “Japan itinerary: How to get the best out of Japan in 10 days”

What an extensive and informative guide to traveling in Japan! I’m definitely bookmarking this for future reference! I don’t have any immediate plans to travel to Japan, but it’s definitely up there on my travel bucket list and when I finally do, I’ll certainly be using this post as a helpful guide for trip planning. Thank you very much for this and I’m glad you managed to fulfill a travel dream of yours 🙂

Thank you! And it’s definitely a great one for the bucket list!

My husband, daughter and I were about to book tickets to Korea and Japan for this April and cancelled as we felt we were planning our trip last minute, and things were becoming more stressful than fun. So we do hope to go to Japan sometime in the future and I will definitely follow this guide. Your 10 day itinerary is exactly what I needed. As Indians traveling anywhere can be quite expensive and more so if Japan is the destination of choice.

I follow you on instagram so knew you had travelled to Japan and was waiting for this – so thank you for putting this together.

I will hopefully be in London and Scotland in May and will scour your website for ideas. 🙂

Thank you! So pleased it’s useful 🙂

Really enjoyed reading this! We’re actually in Japan at the moment, on a 23 day trip – we’ve been to some of the spots you’ve mentioned and makes me glad that we have that little bit of extra time! But you managed so well fitting everything in! Our next stops are Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo so I enjoyed reading these and picked up some tips – thanks for sharing!

Awesome, hope you had an amazing time!

Great itinerary for 10 days in Japan! I love how you organize your itinerary by day and location, then accommodation, food, and transportation for each of them. Very informative with lots of details and easy to follow. We had a 9-day trip back in November 2015 and it was awesome. I composed a list of things to do in Japan and some travel tips as well.

Great, pleased you enjoyed it 🙂

Wow, you really did fit a lot of things in in 10 days! Your post reminds me of our first trip to Japan in 2012 – when we hopped around the country (Tokyo (with a day trip to Lake Kawaguchiko, Nikko, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka) in 10 days and nearly burnt ourselves out. But it really was a wonderful experience and made us fall head over heels in love with Japan.

We returned for Christmas and New Year at the end of last year / beginning of this year and stayed for the entire 8 days in Tokyo. We decided we really wanted to get a feel for the city, as we had had such a sweeping visit the first time. We loved it even more than the first time and are already planning on going back next year again if we can.

I am also vegetarian and found it can be a little tricky – you made me laugh about the fish flakes. I also had the same experience with fish flakes and dashi! However, I also found many restaurants would go out of their way to create something for me when they understood that I couldn’t eat meat or fish. I had some absolutely wonderful meals – and got a little hooked on Inari sushi!

Amazing post and photo. Make me feel like wanting to go back Japan again! Thanks for sharing!

Your blog is awesome. just reading it made me feel like i was travelling with you. I’m putting together an itinerary for a trip to Japan and this was really helpful! 🙂

Thank you! I’m so pleased it was useful. Have a great time 🙂

Heading to Japan in October and finding this very useful to help plan our trip. Thank you!

Have a great time!

Really enjoyed this! Going to Japan next month and found this to be extremely helpful!

So pleased to hear that. Have a great time!

hy, do you think that is a good choise for november? thanks ana

Definitely! We were there in December so it’s pretty similar timing to when we went. Enjoy!

Hi Victoria, Sorry to pop up here. Coz i have plan to visit this upcoming Dec. Well 29 Nov to 10 Dec. was it very cold when you were there? Or how? Considering I am from Indonesia and it is warm all year long? Also, thank you for sharing, i will def take some notes from your experience 🙂

Hi. How long before your trip did you book accommodation? Being winter when you visited was it busy?

We booked about a month in advance for most of the places, but this was probably unnecessary. Most places seemed to have availability. have a great time!

Amazing blog with so much details. I was little lost when planning the trip and your blog is going to help me do a wonderful trip 🙂 Thanks a lot

Wonderful! So pleased it’s been useful 🙂

We just booked the same ryokan in Hakone! Did you find it hard to get to? Which station did you get off? Gora? or Sounzan? Did you take a bus or a cab from the station?

Hello! It’s right next to the Little Prince Museum, which means it’s easy to find. We went by bus while doing the Hakone loop (we left most of our luggage in some lockers at the train station at Odawara so we didn’t have to carry much.)I believe we went from Gora. Enjoy your trip!

Hi! Just chanced upon your itinerary, it’s a great resource for planning my trip especially your pointers for vegetarian food and the temple stay which I would really love to do! We are planning a 7-8 day trip, Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara were definitely on my list. I just added Hakone. Wondering if I can skip Osaka – would I be missing out on anything really cool? I’m interested in Universal etc as I’ve visited these theme parks several times in the US and would like to see places more unique to Japan. Are there any other places you had on your list of things to do/see but couldn’t make it during this trip?

I think you can miss Osaka and not be missing out. The main reason we went there was because our flight home was from there. Universal would be awesome!

Did you fly home frm Osaka? I’d like to do that but the tickets are $3,000 One way vs. $800 from Tokyo. That means we have to loop back on train…

We flew to South Korea first, so it was an open jaw ticket: London-Seoul and Osaka-London. Somehow that worked out to be a reasonable price. We flew with Finnair. You could also get an internal flight to save time? Have a great trip!

Hi there! This is such a wonderful post and resource for my trip to Japan. Your pictures are beautiful. May I ask which camera did you use to snap these shots?

Thank you! I was using an iPhone 6!

Awesome post with great info dear! Thanks for sharing with everyone. I know you have already mentioned, but I recommend to go to the basement of the Department store. But my favorite places are Golden Pavillion, although beautiful and more.

I loved it there. So much good food!

I’m actually planning to be in Japan for 10 days and came across this – just amazing and so informative as I am a vegetarian myself and this definitely gave me some great places to visit. Thank you!!!

Great! Enjoy it. The food is excellent!

Hi, thanks for sharing your amazing experience, it will be very helpful for my next trip in 20 days!! Can you tell me how did you deal with internet, wifi etc..? Did you hired a device or you only used the free wifi hotspots?

Most AirBnBs in Japan provide a little portable mi-fi device, which is super useful. Other than that, we just used wi-fi – there’s lots of it around.

Enjoy your trip!

This is a wonderful travel plan. Highly recommended. I myself did 15 days backpacking trip across Japan in last April.

Thanks! It’s so great isn’t it?!

Loved reading your post and it’s really helpful as I’m planning a trip to Japan for 10 days next May. I’m also a bit sceptical about the maid cafes so glad to know I’m not the only one!

I have a question for you – is it worth going to Hakone just for one night? The ryokans all seem very expensive in May so not sure I can afford 2 nights, but don’t want to waste my time either if one day isn’t enough.

Yes, we thought one night was worth it. We just wish we’d left a little earlier in the morning as we missed the ropeway, which closes quite early. Make sure to leave Tokyo early in the morning and then you’ll have plenty of time. Enjoy!

Really great write up on your blog. It will be a good guide for my trip with my Wife to Japan next Feb as it will be my 1st time there. Only thing I am confused is the JR lines in Japan.. Haha..

Thank you so much for all the details about your trip. I’m in the process of planning my trip to Japan and came across your post because I put in ‘Seoul’ in the subject line. I want to visit Seoul since I’ll be in the area and was hoping your itinerary mentioned how you got between Seoul and Japan? Can you share details about that? Did you start in Seoul? How did you get to Japan? Cost? Also, I may get the JR 7 day pass. I’m in Los Angeles and concerned with time it will take for it to arrive here? I saw it’s over nighted if you spend more than $600 but with 2 JR 7 day passes it’s not enough. Sorry for all the questions. If you could help answe any would be great!

Hi Lind, So sorry I didn’t reply to this before. I missed it somehow. We flew from Seoul to Tokyo, and I’m afraid I don’t know how long it takes for the JR pass to reach the US! Hope you got it all sorted in the end!

Super-Duper blogs! I love it really!! Would come back to visit soon, again Thanks.

I really loved this read and was very happy to see that all my must-see destinations coincide with your recommendations! I’m going to Japan in March. What do you estimate was your total cost for transportation including the routes not covered by JR?

Hi 🙂 I loved your blog on Japan. I’m headed there for Christmas in a few weeks with my partner. I was wondering if you happen to have the itinerary you took in a bulleted format?

Hi, I’m afraid I don’t have a bulleted version of the itinerary. Sorry about that!

Thank you for your wonderful blog. My daughter and i are planning to go to Japan next April. We plan to go for 10 days only. So this is ideal. We will spend a bit more time in Kyoto and not go to see the snow monkeys.

That sounds great! So pleased you found the blog useful. Have a wonderful time! 🙂

Thanks Victoria for your post.

Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic itinerary! My husband and I are traveling to Japan in two weeks… and we have been severely procrastinating the planning of our trip. This post totally saved our butts — thank you!

ps. You’ve also got a new reader in me. What a lovely blog you have. Your writing is lovely and your photos are gorgeous — and your videos? Holy cow! Thanks again for all the work you do!

Aw, thanks Kylie. That’s so nice to hear. Hope you had a great time!

Hi! Loved your post!! Just wondering, why would we need a IC card if we already have the JR pass? We would be travelling in Osaka and Tokyo and many sites have all mentioned getting a IC card! Quite consfused as we will be travelling on the JR lines so we will only be using the pass anyway, right? 🙂 thanks in advance!

Not all the subway lines are included in the JR pass (only the JR lines). Also, we didn’t activate our JR card until Day 4 of our trip when we left Tokyo. It worked out cheaper to spend 3 days in Tokyo using the IC card, and then 7 days travelling using the JR pass. Hope that makes sense! There’s a link to a site above that lists all the lines that are included in the JR pass. Have a great trip 🙂

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for the wonderful details in your itinerary! The link you have attached to the agent you used for a discount on the rail pass links back to the regular Japan Rail website. Is this correct? I saw that the price wasn’t reflective of the discount you received. Can you confirm the website of the agentvuou used? Thanks!

Hi Linda, I’ve just updated the price as i think it’s gone up slightly (by about £5) since I last checked. There are lots of vendors who sell the JR Rail passes, but the one I link to is the cheapest I’ve found. Have a great trip! Victoria

You’re awesome! Thank you!

This was great! Question… how did you book the Shinjoshin-in temple place you stayed?

Hi Katie. Please it was of use! We booked the Shinjoshin-in through the link in the post (Japanese Guest Houses). Have a great time! Victoria

You traveled to many places! Recently, Kanazawa is also on many people’s list as part of their Japan experience. If anyone has questions about Kanazawa, let me know – I’ll try my best to answer! I work for a walking tour in Kanazawa, so I know the place well!

Thanks Leigh 🙂

In all the travel that I’ve done, this has been one of the most difficult for me to plan. Perhaps its because of the ambitious schedule we have. We’ll be in Japan in February to support our family members running the Marathon in Tokyo. So, we decided to arrive in Tokyo a little early and then we booked a domestic flight to Osaka on the evening that we arrive in Japan.

We’ve been trying to figure out the JR Pass thing, because we wanted to do day trips. We wont do overnights in any other places. Is this doable? Also, we want to use the JR Pass to travel back to Tokyo. The JR rail website said that we have to go to an agent. Thanks for the online link (I tend to get nervous about these agent sites – as I question their validity).

So, we’ll be in Osaka for 5 days, and then in Tokyo for five days.

This post has been a huge help for me. But, now I’m just wondering if we can do all of the things I’ve planned after reading your itinerary. Thanks for everything.

Hi Cecily, I think it would be hard to do some of these things as day trips. If you want to do this exact itinerary, then I’d recommend doing some overnight stays. Have a great time!

Thanks so much.

Great blog post!

I know you did this trip a couple of years ago but do you recall roughly how much money did you spend overall? Would be good to have an understanding of how much to save up! I am planning to go next April with my daughter for 10 days or so.

Eek, I’m afraid I’m really not sure. I’d have to look into that. You could get a good idea by adding up the Rail Pass plus all the accommodation then adding around £50 per day for food and activities.

This is great and so helpful. We are just starting to figure out a trip to Japan this fall and this really gives us an awesome place to start. How did you pick the places you wanted to visit? Starting the research process can be so overwhelming. We are looking at about a 10 day trip as well, so are trying to figure out the “must see” places in just a relatively short period of time. Great write-ups and photos!

It was difficult! But we had a few places we already really wanted to go to such as Koyosan and to see the snow monkeys so we built it partly around that.

Hi there! Thanks so much for your post. I am also vegetarian. How highly would you recommend Mountain View Hakone? We are traveling first week of May where it is a lot more expensive. Also, how much did the private onsen cost? Thanks!

Oh I really loved it there. The private onsen was great, and it costs 2,000 yen for 45 minutes.

When you bought the prepaid card in Tokyo, did you get it at the airport? And when you use this, you don’t have to buy an actual ticket? You just hop on a train? Thank you!

Yep, you just use the card in place of a ticket. We did get ours at the airport.

Nice and informative post. Japan is a nice destination for travel.

Amazing blog with so much details. I was little lost when planning the trip and your blog is going to help me do a wonderful trip

Pleased it was helpful!

Thank you for sharing your itinerary (and amazing photos!) as this helped me plan our trip to Japan where we did so many of the things you mention here. I’ve decided to start a blog as well to share some of these adventures and insights with others. Topics discussed are how I’ve been eating sushi wrong all my life, Japanese obsession with toilets and exploring the Kit Kat store.

Great blog. I love those toilets too!

Great and very helpful post! Have you stayed in the shared bathroom room in Mount View Hakone hotel? If so, how was it? Thanks in advance!

We had out own bathroom, so I’m afraid I can’t help you there.

Very tricksy inserting the airbnb referral link three times!!!

Didn’t mean to be tricksy – just useful!

Anglophone women still take their husband’s last names upon marriage because women were legally considered chattel (property) of the male until as late as the early twentieth century.

Your comment regarding attitudes towards Japanese women is ignorant and racist because it plays into the western cultural stereotype that Asian women is subdued and oppressed by men. Feminism comes in all forms. Empowerment through freedom of choice of what to do with one’s body is one. Think about that on your wedding day when you have to do something so fundamental as changing your name in order to be married. I suggest you re-write or edit that portion of this article after some reflection

Hi Jenna, I’m sorry I offended you. I definitely wasn’t saying the western world is perfect in regards to women. Far from it. I think the whole world could do with more feminism!

I also agree that feminism comes in many forms. I find that my own understanding and relationship to it evolves and changes all the time. For me, I find the objectification of women uncomfortable and that’s something that I see daily in England, and have seen all over the world. It always makes me uncomfortable, and in my short time in Japan, it felt quite pronounced, especially in the cities. I admit I don’t know enough; it was only an impression, and I will reflect on those words. Perhaps they were too flippant.

I also want you to know I wasn’t judging the women who work as hostesses or in maid cafes. I know that many women do that out of choice. As you said, feminism has many different forms.

And finally, I agree, it’s ridiculous that women are expected to take the man’s name in marriage. When Steve and I got married, we both changed our name to take both surnames, which we were much more comfortable with.

So again, I’m sorry I offended you. I will reflect on those words, and edit them if needs be.

My best, Victoria

Oh my goodness….. food for days!! It all looks so so delicious. Thanks for sharing! If anyone would like help learning some Japanese before their trip, I would be more than happy to help! Shota

That’s a lovely offer. Thanks Shota 🙂

Your trip to Japan is really awesome. You must have many experiences in here. I also want to come to Japan, go to Shibuya which is known as the entertainment paradise. Hope that I will have opportunity come here soon

I hope so too! 🙂

Thank you for this amazing blog post and food recommendations as we are vegetarians too! Looking forward to building our trip for 2018 🙂

Have a great time. Japan is surprisingly great for vegetarians!

Hi Victoria, I very much enjoyed your blog. Please give some advice. We are going to arrive and depart from Tokyo, Aug 24th to Sept 3rd this year. We have 9 full days. What would you recommend? We are 60 and 65, so can’t do anything in a very fast pace. We love natures over cities. Thank you.

Hi Amy, Sorry I didn’t get back to you in time to help with this. I missed the comment somehow. Hope you have a wonderful time. I’m sure whatever you decided will be great!

Been looking for a lot of Japan travel blogs for the past few weeks and I would love to recommend your blogs to some of my friends since they will be travelling to Japan next month. Keep up the good work!

Thanks Kathleen!

Wow, you’ve got some really great photos here! Not to mention all the amazing details of your travels! 😛 But really, thanks for sharing this with me and everyone else. I think the idea of traveling to Japan can be really daunting for foreigners because–well, it’s SO foreign haha! I just went to Japan for the first time recently, and I fell in love with it, so I love trying to introduce others to everything it has to offer.

In addition to all the things you mentioned, you should really check out a company called Japango if you’re every back in Japan (or if you’re just curious!). Basically, they focus on partnering tourists with ‘friend-guides’ who can show them around all the best places in Japan that you might otherwise miss if you travel alone. I only had time to go on one tour with them, but it was absolutely incredible. On the tour, we took a short trip outside of Tokyo and went to a place where we were able to harvest our own tea leaves. Everyone knows Japan is famous for tea, but to go out into the plantations and actually see where some of the world’s highest quality tea comes from? Simply amazing. I recommend it to all my friends, so check it out if you’re interested. (their English site is japango-em2.com)

Excellent. Thanks for the recommendation.

Hi there, your write up is very informative and useful. I’m planning to travel to japan in Dec this year but worry the weather and your itinerarymight not work well together. Just wondering which month of the year did you visit japan (this one your blogged about)?

We were there in December too!

Hello! My name is Michael. I love your blog about japan. Was already thinking about traveling there and visiting the country and having a look at there great culture. Would also like to know their medieval culture with all the Samurai.

regards Michael

Thanks Michael. Have a great time!

How much would you say the trip cost (not including flights) if you were to estimate? My girlfriend and I are traveling to Japan in late December, then continuing on to Vietnam and Cambodia.

-Thank you for posting this!

I’m afraid I don’t know how much it all cost (I should work that out at some point!). You’d get a good idea by adding up all the hotel costs, plus the rail pass and adding about £50 per day for activities/food. Sorry not to be more exact!

Hi !! Loved your write up. Am planning a trip and your article is really helpful. I am reading in many places that the (bullet) train to Kyoto has no space for luggage and hence one has to get the luggage couriered to Kyoto. Did you face a similar issue? If no, I’d like to know you did? If yes, how does one go about doing that? Get it done by the hotel?

Hello, we didn’t have to do that. We just took our luggage on the train. I’m afraid I can’t remember how big the luggage racks were, but it was enough for our two wheely bags and backpacks.

Thanks for your reply. Am done with my trip and I loved every bit of it.. 🙂

Great itinerary. Can you please let me know what month did you go. Sorry if I missed on your blog or on people’s comments.

I was there in December 🙂

This is a wonderful itinerary. We have been to japan years go for two weeks and going back with friends who are first timers soon. It will be our first time to see the snow monkeys, interesting!

They’re so beautiful! Enjoy!

My family visited Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto a summer ago.Your right it was a trip I will not forget! We had the chance to see many of the sights you discussed. It is wise when planning an itinerary do so by neighborhoods.This ensures you get a lot of sights in. Be prepared to be exhausted every night. Thankfully we will return next year for my daughter’s semester abroad.I book marked this post to help set our itinerary. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

Hi Olaf, so pleased to be of help. Have a great time on your trip!

Thank you so much for this detailed review. Your description and the accompanying pics are so helpful in planning our itinerary!

We are arriving in Osaka Saturday late afternoon, departing from Narita Saturday morning, so we’ll have 6 full days in Japan. We are allocating the last 2 days for Tokyo since we’ve been there before. If you had to do your trip over again under these conditions, in hindsight how would have you planned it? What would be the must do things and must visit places? What could you skip? The Shibu Onsen sounds and looks so interesting but given our shorter stay and where we start and end, I don’t think we could spare the travel time to get there. Thanks for any tips!

I think it really depends on your priorities. Koyasan and Shibu Onsen are the places that are most out-of-the-way, so perhaps choose to skip one of those? You could also do Hakone as a day trip rather than stay overnight. It’s really down to what you’d like to prioritise. I loved all of it! Have a wonderful time!

Oh, the magical Japan! Your pictures took my breath away, Victoria. Japan is so versatile, charming and there are plenty of things to see and do there. This is one of the most practical itineraries I’ve read for Japan in a while. 🙂

Thanks! Pl asked you found it useful ?

I’ll be travelling to Japan (landing at Narita Airport) in Oct 2018. It’ll be 9 day trip. Would like to know if there’re any English-speaking drivers or guide who can help us travel around Tokyo and Kyoto during this duration.

Sorry I’m afraid I don’t have any knowledge about that. Have a great time!

Hi Rosie, We can help you with that. We have a tour company based in Kanazawa, but which provides an executive service all over Japan, including English-speaking drivers and guides. Please let us know if we can help.

Gavin Lead Tour Guide http://www.kanazawa-tours.com [email protected]

Thank you for posting this itinerary!

One question! I’m torn between Kyoto and Koyasan. Which one would you choose togo? This is my first time in Japan and I only have 7 full days.

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi Victoria!

We are traveling to japan in november to celebrate my birthday! I felt so lucky to find your blog, omg I loved your guide! We are now including Hakone in our trip =) We are very excited to visit this place and are following your tips, so we plan to leave Tokyo very early and spend a night there. Staying at a Ryokan is something I always wanted/dreamed to do. Checking the availability in yours (and many others), I see the bathroom is shared. I wanted to ask you how easy or inconvenient is to share the bathroom in a Ryokan? If you could please share your experience (in case that you had to share) with us will be awesome! I appreciate it! Thanks in advance for your help! Erika

Victoria, love your post. This is really on of the most extensive articles about travelling through Japan. If time is not so much of an issue, how long would you stay in Japan ?

That’s impossible to answer! I like to slow travel, so maybe six months?

Victoria, thank you so much for this wonderful post! Unfortunately I am already back from my wonderful vacation in Japan, but I will recommend this post to my friends who will go next month!

Thank you! Hope you had a great time!

This is certainly the best itinerary I’ve come across.. was so reader friendly and loved the detailing. Thankyou so much for sharing.

Such a great post! Im visiting Japan in October and reading this make me so excited to go! You have any suggestions on the most photographic places there?:)

All of it! It’s so photogenic!

Japan a beautiful and peaceful country. Thanks for sharing all the great stuff.

What an amazing and a fascinating place to visit. I really didn’t know much about this but after reading this post I will surely visit one day. Thanks for sharing such an amazing post.

Just wondering which month of the year did you visit japan?

We were there in early December.

This is an extensive and informative guide to traveling in Japan! Thanks for this.

Hey traveling with my 3 year old. Who doesn’t like walking much and we usually carry her stroller on trips. So wanted to check with you if it is practical for us to go see the snow monkeys?

I’m afraid I can’t quite remember how accessible it is for pushchairs as we didn’t have Otis at the time. If it was icy, it might be quite difficult. Sorry not to be more useful!

I was under the impression that Japan was also super expensive too. This post puts things into perspective. Also, have a few new places to check out. Thanks for sharing all of this great info!

Japan has always been on the top of my list of countries to visit. i just wanna drown myself in the beautiful and rich culture that they have

Helpful information! It will really helpful for my next trip. Planning is on way soon going to cover all the places. It’s all because of your post. Thanks a lot

Thank you for this write up. May I ask if you have ever come across a list of discount codes for Japanese restaurants?

Sorry, but I haven’t!

Funny how to feel liberated by visiting an owl cafe as opposed to maid cafes where it IS their choice to work there. Owls are definitely not entitled to that right.

This is some insular mindset you have there, especially coming from a vegetarian.

I don’t disagree about the owl cafes. In hindsight, I wouldn’t go to an owl cafe again.

Thank you so much for such a detailed trip report. Am using it as a base for our upcoming trip. I found the names of lodgings specially helpful as they are tried and tested places and saves one a lot of research .

Hey, this is such a well-written travel blog about Japan. It brought back so many memories from my trip to Japan last year.

Cheers, Ananya!

hello, would like to know why purchase of jr pass needed before entering japan. Can I not purchase the pass in Japan? thanks

No, as far as I know, you have to order it before you get there.

I highly recommend travelling to Japan. It must be recognised that Japan is one of the best countries in the world.

This can be reflected in its landscapes, culture, traditions and many other things.

Do not miss it! Give it a go!

Cheers, Erika T.

Very useful article. Thank you for giving us very useful tips for the first time to Japan. Japan is the most visited tourist spot by tourists. I had planned to go to Japan for a long time. I’m really excited. landhoteldiever.nl

This is a really helpful blog, so thank you very much for the detail and time you put into it.

We are travelling there in April 2020 and looking forward to it. We have been before, but probably all of 20 years ago now.

I was wondering which places you would consider staying longer of you had the time (which we do). We house-swap with our home in Bali and look to have an aprtment in Tpkyo and a house in Hiroshima. At tis stage we are thing of staying 7-10 nights in each and doing day trips from there. Any thoughts or recommendations?

I was wondering which places you would consider staying longer of you had the time (which we do). We house-swap with our home in Bali and look to have an apartment in Tpkyo and a house in Hiroshima. At tis stage we are thing of staying 7-10 nights in each and doing day trips from there. Any thoughts or recommendations?

THANK YOU . !! nice information to vegetraians

Hi! Amazing blog post! We are traveling to Japan this November, but a bit of skeptical on booking thru airbnb. Are they accepting bookings done thru Airbnb when you apply for a visa? Thanks in advance.

Hi Ken, I didn’t have to apply for a visa, so I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to this. I would imagine AirBnB is fine though – it’s so well-known these days.

Hello! I enjoyed this article. I love Japan. Japan is a very clean country. Everything is convenient. I had trip 5 there in May 2019. And I want to go back there again.

It is awesome all you got round to during your 10 days in Japan. Even if I have been to Japan a couple of times, there are certainly things in your guide I could use for inspiration for a future trip!

Unfortunately I booked only for 8 days Tokyo and return also from Tokyo Any advise for 8 days trip want to stay atleast one and a half day in Osaka and.want to visit Hiroshima …any thing else which u missed and can advise Ii

From Nagano, you could have also taken the train to Nagoya Station and from there to Kyoto. I think it might even be faster. It’s a shame that you didn’t have time to spend Kanazawa or alternatively Nagoya. Both are great places to check out! I hope you make it back to Japan sometime to explore some more.

I am amazed at how successful you were finding vegetarian food everywhere you went, which usually isn’t that easy because the Japanese like to put a fish broth in everything. I am even thinking about offering vegetarian food tours in Nagoya, but that’s something for the future, currently, I am offering pescatarian food tours in Nagoya introducing the local cuisine.

Hi Victoria- Thanks for the great blog post. I too am planning a ten day visit in April. I’ve never been to Japan and I imagine Tokyo is overwhelming at first. What do you think of perhaps doing the trip in reverse? Visiting Kyoto and the smaller towns at the beginning of the trip and then ending up in Tokyo. Is that a good idea or am I overthinking this?

Hi James, I think that’s entirely up to you. It won’t make any difference to do it in reverse in terms of the amount of time you’ll have everywhere. And although Tokyo is overwhelming, we did find it manageable. Have fun!

I am going to bookmark this and send it to my husband later. We are planning a Japan trip this fall and I have been tasked with the job of collecting articles that we will follow to prepare our itinerary. The amount of info about Hakone is sufficient for me as it is going to be the highglith of our trip, I know it. :D:D

thank you, your article is very good

Is it better to do a round trip from Tokyo or to arrive to Tokyo and then finish in Ossaka?

It depends on what works best for you in terms of flights in and out of the country and how much time you have. For us, it made more sense to leave from Osaka, although we could have added some more destinations if we looped back round to Tokyo.

Ah, your guide made me miss Japan so much! We didn’t do some of the things in your itinerary like the snow monkey spa and Osaka, but we went to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Still, so many places left to visit, so definitely saving your itinerary for the next trip, if we manage to take it someday 😀

We started by Osaka but we had the exact same trip! And we’re vegeterian so it was like reading an article i could have written! It was our second trip in Japan, i fell in love with this country!

Nara was mind-blowing! The Deer, walking up to you, begging for food, the Mochi pull at the mall and all the beautiful Temples. Unfortunately, it rained during our visit, but I still look at the pictures and think about how lucky I am to have seen this.

Thank you so much for all the details about your trip, simply can’t wait to come back traveling, Japan is my favorite destination and will definitely visit Shibu onsen!

Great and useful information about travelling through Japan! Thank you for these contents. Keep traveling and guide amateurs like us 🙂

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How long for a trip to Japan?

Japan Experience is 35 years of experience in organizing tours in Japan . Each year we help thousands of curious people to discover the land of the rising sun thanks to our various offers .

Do you know exactly what you want to see and where you want to go? Or you are not sure but you want to discover Japan?

We're here for you ! For a stress-free trip , take advantage of the tours created by our Japan specialists . We organize for you all the logistics of the stay : accommodation , flights , airport transfers , Japan Rail Pass , transport card , accompanied activities , etc.

The treasures of Japan are at your fingertips, so go ahead and book a tour!

The first question you ask yourself when you start planning your trip is how long does it take to visit Japan? How many days are needed to visit Tokyo or Kyoto?

Whether you leave for 10 days, 2 weeks or 3 weeks, a circuit will be there to meet your needs and desires. It is possible to discover Japan in 1 month or in 7 days. It depends on what you want to visit and how much time you want to spend there.

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Our travel tips for Japan

Ideally, how long for a trip to Japan ?

We recommend a minimum of 2 weeks to discover the Japanese archipelago. This is the minimum travel time in Japan to have time to visit Tokyo, Kyoto and their surroundings. For this, we advise you to spend a minimum of 6 nights in Tokyo and 6 nights in the Kyoto region .

Tokyo is the capital of Japan, a futuristic megalopolis that has kept its ancient soul. Indeed, although steeped in history, the city is nonetheless ultra-modern and full of life. Constantly changing, the megalopolis is the perfect illustration of the Japanese way of life and the technological advances that are being developed in Japan . The skyscrapers of Shinjuku, the nightlife of Shibuya, the nostalgic district of Yanaka, the temple of Sensô-ji or the shrine of Meiji-jingu… Tokyo has so much to offer!

Near Tokyo, the places to visit are:

• Between lakes and mountains, Hakone is a spa town with a magnificent view of the famous Mount Fuji,
• Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temples and sanctuaries of the city of Nikko are an architectural treasure in a green setting,
• Former capital of Japan, Kamakura is a quiet little town along the Pacific Ocean, known for its large seated Buddha.

Kyoto is the historical and geographical heart of Japan . It was the capital of Japan for more than 1,200 years and there remains a special atmosphere, the city of Kyoto being known as the guardian of the arts and ancestral traditions of the archipelago . In its heart, thousands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are to be discovered, and traditional streets with wooden houses are to be explored.

Near Kyoto, the places to visit are:

• Osaka , the capital of Japanese gastronomy. Enjoy a delicious Okonomiyaki and spend your evening in a traditional tachinomiya .
• Former imperial capital, Nara is full of architectural marvels. The city is particularly known for the deer that roam between its temples and shrines.
• The city of Uji with the magnificent Byôdô-in temple and its "phoenix pavilion", listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Counting the 2 days necessary for the round trip from France to Japan, such a stay therefore lasts at least 14 days.

But many other treasures are just waiting to be explored in the four corners of Japan .

We recommend, among other things:

• The Japanese Alps and the city of Kanazawa ,
• The island of Kyushu and its volcanoes,
• The nearby cities of Hiroshima and Miyajima ,
• The island of Hokkaido and its luxuriant nature,
• The city of Himeji and its impressive castle ,
• The Okinawa archipelago and its fine sandy beaches,
• The Tokaido road , a historic road with magnificent stopover towns,
• The Seto Inland Sea and its many islands .

And many others… Do not hesitate to contact us directly at [email protected] ! Our experts will be able to advise you best according to your passions, your needs and your expectations .

There is therefore no ideal duration for a trip to Japan ! Our experts have created circuits adapted to all to offer you an itinerary adapted to your needs and desires. Discover our all-inclusive stays in Japan , self -guided trips or organized trips .

7 days / 1 week tours in Japan

But don't worry if you have less time for your vacation. You will have to make choices but visiting the archipelago in 1 week is possible!

And what to visit in Japan in 1 week? For an express trip to discover most of Japan, we advise you to take night flights , visit Tokyo in 3 days and spend 3 nights in Kyoto .

For the logistical side of your trip, we advise you to buy a Japan Rail Pass , which will allow you to take the Shinkansen without constraint. And to facilitate your entire trip, our sim cards give you access to the internet directly on your smartphone, wherever you are!

What activities to do in Tokyo and Kyoto?

To go straight to the point during your visits and not waste time, why not trust our experts? In Tokyo and Kyoto, our Travel Angels, experts in their city and Japanese culture, can welcome and accompany you.

• Our activities in Tokyo
• Our activities in Kyoto

What to visit in Japan in 1 week or less?

To get off the beaten track, you can also decide to explore a region of the archipelago in depth in 1 week . Avoid the privileged places of tourists and set off to discover more unknown places in the archipelago.

• Shikoku, the mysterious island - 5 days
• In the heart of the Japanese Alps - 5 days
• Layover at the thermal springs - 3 days
• Koya-san, the sword and the incense - 4 days
• Kyushu worship - 7 days
• Mount Fuji 360° - 3 days

Our experts are ready to organize an express trip to the archipelago with you. Contact us at [email protected] and tell us what you want!

10 Day Japan Tours

If you have a little less than 2 weeks to travel to Japan, we have itineraries that may be suitable for you. Visit Japan in 10 days and dazzle your eyes, it's possible!

What to visit in Japan in 10 days?

• The essential of Japan from 1664€ - 11 days
• Tokyo getaway from 1223€ - 8 days
• Kyoto getaway from 1302€ - 8 days
• Osaka getaway from 1218€ - 8 days
• Unusual at a low price from €1344 - 11 days
• Hokkaido: Volcanic North from 1981€ - 9 days

15 days / 2 weeks tours in Japan

If you want to travel 2 weeks in Japan, we have many circuits with complete itineraries that allow you to discover a Japan of the cities and a Japan of the countryside, between ancestral tradition and extreme modernity .

What to visit in Japan in 15 days?

Two weeks in Japan is the ideal length to see the essentials .

• Classic Japan from 1935€ - 13 days
• Capitals and treasures of Japan from 1909€ - 13 days
• The great sites of Japan from 2349€ - 16 days
• Secret Japan - the path of Zen from 2021€ - 13 days

You can also choose a trip with a more unique and specialized itinerary .

• Photo of autumn leaves from 2990€ - 13 days
• Art and architecture in the Seto Sea from 1993€ - 14 days
• Kyushu on the volcano route from 2218€ - 14 days
• Hiking and sacred paths from 2213€ - 14 days
• Okinawa - between islands and beaches from 2397€ - 15 days
• Sweets of winter from 2834€ - 14 days
• Japan ski side 14 days
• Japanese Gardens from 2119€ - 15 days
• Flavors of Japan from 2700€ - 12 days
• Japanese Spring from 2049€ - 14 days

But also in the four corners of the archipelago...

• Nature and traditions in Mie from 1983€ - 13 days
• Tokaido Route from 3990€ - 15 days
• Honeymoon from 2217€ - 15 days
• Getaways in Tohoku from 1897€ - 13 days
• Hiking trails from €2182 - 13 days
• Japanese Alps from 2275€ - 15 days
• Summer holidays from 2486€ - 15 days
• Kyushu, countryside and traditions from 2198€ - 14 days
• Discovery of Japan from 2490€ - 14 days
• Hokkaido - extended version from 2538€ - 14 days
• Far from the crowds from 2523€ - 15 days

21 days / 3 weeks tours in Japan

Our 3-week Itineraries in Japan allow you to discover the archipelago far and wide or to deepen your knowledge on a theme, a passion .

The gardens, the far north, the historic Tokaido road or the Japanese Alps, let yourself be tempted by one of our 3-week tours in Japan.

What to visit in Japan in 3 weeks?

• Japanese Gardens - extended version from 2568€ - 19 days
• Crossroads from €2678 - 16 days
• Hiking trails - extended from 2513€ - 16 days

1 month tours in Japan

If you have the opportunity to travel to Japan for 1 month, it's an opportunity to go further and discover Japan from behind , a jewel still jealously protected from the eyes of most visitors.

What to visit in Japan for 1 month?

• Cities and fields from 5990€ - 22 days
• Cities and mountains from 5990€ - 22 days
• Off the beaten track from 6400€ - 24 days
• Northern landscapes from 6400€ - 24 days

If one of these circuits interests you or if you want to customize one, contact us and let's organize your ideal trip together!

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your trip to Japan:

• When to go to Japan?
• What to visit during a trip to Japan?
• Tourist guides
• Japan's jet lag
• Cherry blossoms: when to go to Japan?
• 10 things to do before you go
• 5 things to have in your bag in Japan
• Passport or visa to go to Japan?
• The cost of living in Japan

Discover the different offers of Japan Experience!

Group tours in japan.

Our tours have been created in response to a high level of demand for a tour which gives a unique view and interaction with Japan.

Self-Guided Tours in Japan

Enjoy tours created by our specialists in Japan. We organize your logistics: accomodation, airport transfers, Japan Rail Pass and Pasmo card.

Tailor-made Tours in Japan

We know that everyone is different, so our team is here to design a travel itinerary tailored to you.  

Together with one of our travel advisors, who are all experts of Japan and its culture, we can help you create your perfect trip.

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10 Days in Japan: A First-Timer’s Complete Japan Itinerary

last Updated: March 7, 2024 hiroshima japan kyoto miyajima nara osaka tokyo

FYI: Affiliate links may be sprinkled throughout the awesome, free content you see below. I’ll receive a small commission when you purchase from my links (at no extra cost to you), which I’ll totally blow on adult things like boba tea and avocado toast. As always, thanks for the support.

Looking for the best way to spend 10 days in Japan?  You’re in the right place! 

Continue reading for tons of first-hand tips, recommendations, and a complete 10 day Japan itinerary, which can easily be turned into two weeks in Japan if you’ve got a few more days.  I absolutely LOVED my time in the country, and with some proper planning, I can guarantee you will too.   

Japan is over-stimulating and over-whelming in the best way possible. An absolute thrill to the senses. 

From the shiny bright lights of Tokyo’s Akihabara District to the serene temples and zen gardens in Kyoto , Japan is a country where the past and the future collide more than you initially realize.

I can promise you that every bite of food will be better than the last, and you’ll be saying oishi (“delicious” in Japanese) during every meal.

If you can visit during cherry blossom season, you’re in for a real treat – the streets will be lined with the most beautiful bunches of white and pale pink flowers you’ve ever imagined, which in turn makes the country smell absolutely phenomenal.

Japan is quite literally the most fascinating country I’ve explored to date. (And I just hit my goal of 30 countries by my 30th birthday a few months ago!) #killingit

I’d love to spend more time in Japan, and am highly encouraging everyone I know to discover this little piece of Asia sooner than later. So today, I am sharing with you my 10 day Japan itinerary, all heavily researched (for hours!) before my trip and followed pretty much to a T.

Overview of this 10 Day Japan Itinerary

When I initially started planning my trip, I was worried that 10 days in Japan wouldn’t be enough. Thankfully, I proved myself wrong and was able to see and do  oh so   much , as well as stuff myself silly with all those Japanese snacks I had heard so much about. [Spoiler alert: bring stretchy pants.] 

The country is filled with so many fascinating areas, but 10 days in Japan will give you enough time to see the highlights. To be completely honest, this Japan itinerary is rather jam packed, yet highly efficient (I promise!), although I suggest slightly modifying it if you’d like a more relaxed trip or are traveling with kids.

While we’re at it, check out all my travel planning tips right over here!

This Japan itinerary starts in Tokyo , makes a day trip to either Kamakura, Nikko, or Hakone, then ventures south to Kyoto , with day trips to Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Miyajima Island. Distances really depend on the mode of transport you use, with bullet trains being the fastest.

• Days 1-3 : Tokyo
• Day 4: day trip from Tokyo
• Days 5-6: Kyoto
• Day 7 : Nara and Osaka
• Day 8 : Miyajima and Hiroshima
• Day 9 : morning in Kyoto  → Tokyo
• Day 10: Tokyo in morning/afternoon  → airport

Japan is a decently large-sized island country located in Eastern Asia, being slightly smaller than California .  Rest assured, the entire country is connected via trains. In my experience, Japan may have the most efficient and well-connected public transportation system in the world (and that’s coming from someone who spent their childhood riding the extensive New York City subway).

Despite holding the title for the 10th most populated country in the world (aka: it’s crowded), you can still find some peace and solitude in the many gardens and temples located just about everywhere.

Pre-Travel Guide to Japan

Where to get the best flight deals to japan:.

I swear by Skyscanner and Google Flights , and always always always use these two sites when looking for airfare.  The option to watch prices and get email notifications are top notch and one of my favorite features of the two. 

Always check budget airlines that may not be listed, especially if you are coming from other areas in Asia with shorter flight times.  A great list of budget airlines can be found here .

For reference, we flew premium economy on China Airlines with a short layover in Taipei for about $1200 round trip from San Francisco – during Easter and cherry blossom season – but I saw deals for under $800 in coach. [I’m not complaining about the upgrade that my husband insisted on buying, but know that cheaper flights are out there.]

If you’re coming from the East Coast USA, flights will be a bit more expensive but shouldn’t be more than $500 more or so.

Where to stay:

In an effort to keep things simple (and avoid changing accommodation every night or two – what a pain!), this itinerary will have you staying in 2 main areas (Tokyo and Kyoto).

I highly advise booking accommodations near centrally located train stations in each as it’ll be easiest for the day trips mentioned in the 10 day Japan Itinerary below.

I opted to stay near Shibuya Station in Tokyo, as it’s centrally located and easy to reach other districts. In Kyoto we stayed near Kyoto Station as we were taking a bunch of day trips and wanted to be able to walk to our accommodation easily after a long, busy day on the road bullet train.

• Luxury:  Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel
• Mid-Range:  Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyo
• Budget:  Shibuya Tokyu Rei Hotel
• Check out other hotels in Tokyo here.
• Luxury:  Hotel Granvia Kyoto
• Mid-Range:  Kyoto Century Hotel
• Budget:  Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto
• Check out other hotels in Kyoto here.
• Yado Kiramachi
• Kyoto Takasegawa Bettei
• Muromachi Yutone Kyokoyado

Airbnb is also a great option and a good way to save some money if you’re spending a few nights in one spot (always check the cleaning and booking fees, as these can greatly increase the price should you only need a 1-night stay).

New rules regarding Airbnb rentals were implemented in June 2018, and now listings must be registered and display a license number on their booking page. Thankfully all current listings on Airbnb are compliant (the company removed any which failed to register in 2018), so you can be sure your booking is absolutely legit.

While I’d love to recommend the Airbnbs we stayed in during our trip to Japan, they are no longer available. However, there’s tons more to choose from – just check out the Airbnb website .

First time using AirBnB?  Sign up with THIS LINK to get $30 off your first stay!

When to visit:

There’s never a horrible time to spend 10 days in Japan, but each season has their pros and cons.

Spring : If you’re hoping to see the ever-so-beautiful cherry blossoms, April is your best bet. That being said, it’s also the month most people visit Japan for that very reason. I visited in early to mid-April, and while yes it was crowded, the beauty of the cherry blossoms found throughout the country was well worth it.

Fall : Autumn is another wonderful time to visit Japan, as you’ll get to experience the vibrant fall colors (bright red leaves) from September to November.

Summer (June to August) is hot, humid, and rainy (although the rain tends to dissipate in early July), while winter (Dec-Feb) is generally cool, sunny, dry and great for snow-sports in the mountains.

Note that weather varies dramatically throughout the country, so be sure to plan accordingly especially if you visit higher altitudes.

Read Next: When to Visit Japan (Weather, Seasons, Festivals, and Crowds)

How to get Japanese Yen:

I highly advise you to NOT exchange your money at a currency exchange kiosk before or after you land as you won’t get the best rates. Instead, take out local currency (Japanese Yen) at the airport via ATM machine.

If you travel quite frequently, consider applying for a Charles Schwab bank account. The company refunds any and all fees associated with foreign transaction ATM withdrawals. You’ll pay no ATM fees anywhere in the world, including your home country. It’s what I’ve been using for years and it’s saved me 100’s in unwanted pesky fees.

Surprisingly, considering it’s crazy-advanced technology and all, Japan is mostly a cash society; yes, we were exceptionally wowed by that! Expect your credit card to get rejected at most places (especially small eateries and of course street-food stands) and be sure to carry enough Yen with you.

If you’re coming from the US, an easy way to figure out USD to JY is to move the decimal point two spots to the right >> 100Y = approximately $1USD. Just for quick reference, 10,000Y = approximately 100USD.

How to Get Around Japan:

If you’re visiting Japan from elsewhere in the world (i.e. you are not a resident of Japan), you are able to purchase a JR train pass for varying amounts of time.  The JR pass gives you access to all of the trains, most Shinkansen lines (bullet trains), the ferry to Miyajima, and a few other transportation lines.  Options include 7-day, 14-day, and 21-day.

I used a 7-day JR pass during my trip, and I highly advise you to do the same if you’ll be following this 10 day Japan itinerary. The Green Car option, while a bit more expensive, is JR’s version of “first-class” and most definitely worth it in my opinion.  Note that it does not cover all bus routes/lines and some local trains, but these only cost about 100-300Y ($1-3USD), so no biggie.

If you plan on using a JR pass, you NEED to purchase it before you enter the country . Once you arrive in Japan, there is no option to buy it. And when I say no option, absolutely NO option at all.  

Once you purchase the pass (which must be done outside of Japan) you will receive a voucher in the mail (within a few days) which you will then exchange upon your arrival in Japan at a designated JR ticket booth in major train stations. 

Buy your Japan Rail Pass here (it’s the company I used and our voucher arrived promptly in the mail). There was free delivery straight to our home which I greatly appreciated, and once in Japan we saved a ton of money on the Shinkansen (high-speed bullet train), and breezed through the JR rail stations like a boss.

I can’t imagine doing Japan any other way than with a JR Pass. Check out the options (standard and green pass) here.

UPDATE — Buying a JR Pass in Japan : The Japan Rail Pass be will sold at a higher price point and on a trial basis in Japan through October 1, 2023 at major stations and airports. However, if you know you’ll be using one, miiiight as well save a bit of money and purchase it beforehand from a trusted company . There’s really no reason not to.

The public transportation system in Japan is top-notch, and although extremely overwhelming (at first, trust me), it’s by far the best (and most cost effective) option for getting around throughout the country.

Electricity and Power in Japan:

Japan uses the same 2-pronged electrical outlets as found in the USA. If you’re coming from America, note that some electrical devices use a three-pronged plug.

It’s also important to understand that the amount of voltage is different and you’ll need a converter (different than an electrical adapter) to change the amount of electricity pushed to each device if you plan on bringing anything which uses an excessive amount of power (including hair dryers, curling irons, and/or straightening irons). 

If you don’t want to worry about this, I suggest you invest in dual-voltage devices made especially for travel like this  dual-voltage blow dryer , dual-voltage mini straightener , and this dual-voltage curling iron .

Using a Pocket Wifi Router in Japan :

If you’ve done any research on Japan, you probably came across something called Pocket Wifi . What is it exactly and why should you consider getting it for your trip to Japan?

Pocket Wifi is exactly as it sounds — a small portable device that you can keep in your pocket (or purse/backpack/day bag) that provides wifi to all your devices (cell phone, iPad, computers, etc). And the best part? One Pocket Wifi will power up to 10 devices, so you can share the same Pocket Wifi with your family and friends.

Since wifi is less common in Japan than in other countries (surprising, right?!), this handy little device does wonders! You will be able to find free wifi in your hotel/ryoken, Starbuck locations around the city, and some other restaurants, but I always recommend having your own, especially if you’re visiting any smaller cities. Do note that some ryokans and older hotels might only have LAN cable internet access, instead of wifi, so you’ll definitely want a Pocket Wifi there!

You’ll use wifi on your phone for just about everything in Japan — train schedules, getting around, translating important phrases, making FaceTime calls to family, etc. You don’t wanna be without it when you need it!

And they make it so super easy — the Pocket Wifi will be delivered straight to your hotel in Japan! Once you’re done with your trip, use the convenient prepaid envelop to return your router from any address in Japan. Couldn’t be simpler than that!

Check out the benefits and purchase your Pocket Wifi here. Honestly, a life saver!

Useful Japanese Phrases:

• Hello/Good Afternoon: konnichiwa
• Good bye: sayonara
• Delicious: oishi
• Thank you: arigatō
• Please: kudasai
• Where’s the toilet: benjo wa doko desu ka?
• Does anyone speak English? Eigo no hanaseru hito wa imasen ka

Packing tips for Japan:

Clothing : Seaso ns are kind of temperamental in Japan, and you may be wishing you brought different clothing. Therefore, I highly suggest you pack layers for your trip to Japan. An umbrella (cute ones here , here , and here ) and light raincoat (like this or this one ) are recommended as well.

We encountered much more rain during our 10 days in Japan than we had originally planned for, and I’m glad I brought along a raincoat. If you don’t want to stuff a coat in your luggage, consider bringing along a poncho  just in case.

Electricity and Power : As noted above, most of Japan’s electrical outlets are the 2-pronged “Type A” type (100 Volt, 50-60 Hz).

If you have a device with a 3-pronged or European/UK-style plug, you may need a travel adapter (for all devices) and power converter (for high powered devices like a hair straightener or blow dryer).

Pack comfy shoes that are easy to take off. You’ll need to slip off your shoes at various temples, at the airport, at ryokans, and some restaurants. My favorite ones here (on sale), here , and here .

I also suggest bringing along socks if you don’t want to go barefoot… These sushi socks are quite cute and perfect for the occasion…  🙂 

Small throwaway bags for garbage. You won’t find many garbage cans around Japan in general, and it’s expected that you keep your trash on you until you can throw them away. Keep a small bag in your purse/backpack for this purpose. A small foldable tote is perfect for this, and can be used for spontaneous shopping trips.

Pack light. Navigating Japan is much easier when you have a small suitcase, especially since Japanese trains (and train stations) do not cater to travelers with a lot of luggage. In addition, there’s not as many elevators or escalators as you might wish, so remember, you may be carrying your luggage up and down a few flights of stairs.

I recommend traveling with a small rolling suitcase (one that fits in the overhead bin on an airplane like this one or this one ) and a backpack (I have this one and love it).

Stay organized with packing cubes , which also help you fit more into smaller suitcases (I’m able to fit about a months worth of summer clothing using packing cubes and packing strategically).

Language : If you’re up for it, you can also consider taking along a small Japanese Phrase Book . The language is quite difficult, and Google Translate (which won’t work without wifi or a cell plan) saved our butts far too many times.

Japanese written language uses characters, which you’ll see all over the place.  Thankfully, most signs are written in phonetics using the alphabet we use.

We were also surprised by the low number of people who speak any English. Save yourself some frustration and pack a lightweight phrase book in your bag. Interested in learning some Japanese before your trip?

This book looks like loads of fun, and I’m actually thinking of buying it before my next trip back to the country. (The Japanese language is difficult you guys, just trust me.)

Travel Insurance for Japan

Yes, you need this. I always recommend purchasing travel insurance before your trip. You never know what might happen (flight delays, lost baggage, illness), and travel insurance definitely helps with all of those unfortunate unexpectancies.

I highly recommend the companies World Nomads and SafetyWing . I’ve recently been buying coverage with SafetyWing since they cover pandemic-related costs (which most travel insurance companies do not do).

Whenever we travel, we always buy a short term plan (depending on how many days/weeks we’ll be away) before leaving for any trip! Even if you don’t end up using it, peace of mind is 100% worth it in my opinion.

Find plan options and pricing here (and at only a few bucks a day, there’s no excuse not to!) I always say, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford your trip. It’s that easy.

Buy your travel insurance now — don’t wait until it’s too late!

10 Days in Japan:  A Complete Japan Itinerary

And now, the fun part! The 10 day itinerary in Japan!

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo!

You’ll most likely be flying into Narita Airport  and will need a little over an hour to get into the city center via the Narita Express.  After such a long flight (with lots of time difference), it’s best not to plan much on this first day – hello, jetlag! 

I suggest exploring the area you’re staying in (my suggestions: Shibuya or Akihabara) and devouring your first Japanese dinner of either ramen or pork Katsu.

During my stay, I opted for an AirBnB in Shibuya , which has an epic nightlife with tons of stuff going on, restaurants included (even if “partying” isn’t your thing- it sure ain’t mine!).  Use this first afternoon/night to relax and rest up, as the rest of this itinerary will be go-go-go!

Day 2: FULL DAY IN TOKYO (West Side)

Today’s all about modern Tokyo !  You’ll be exploring the western districts of the city, including Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku – just saying these names are fun!  You can either walk from district to district as they are fairly close together, or buy single use train tickets to hop between each. 

DO NOT USE YOUR JR PASS YET as it will expire before you finish needing it later on during the trip. Train tickets within Tokyo are not very expensive, and you won’t be needing many today anyways!

Stop 1: Shibuya

If you opted to stay in Shibuya, you won’t need to take a train here!  Shibuya is Tokyo’s version of Times Square , and with all the bright lights and massive amounts of people, it’s easy to see why.  Be sure to check out the world-famous Shibuya Crossing , where 100’s of people scramble across the street at once. 

For the best view above, head to Starbucks (you’ll need to order something before going upstairs), or find the Keio Inokashira Line at Shibuya Station for another perfect view.

Also say “Hello” – or Konichiwa — to Hachiko (the most loyal dog in the world statue) at Shibuya Crossing and do some shopping at Tokyu Hands .

Meiji Shrine shouldn’t be missed as well, which is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.  You’ll be seeing lots of shrines and temples during your time in Japan, and Meiji is a great one to start with! 

If you’re lucky, you may even witness a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony!  I, however, was not so lucky.

Stop 2: Harajuku

If you want to get a taste for Japanese street style, visit Harajuku.  On Sundays, you can see traditional Harajuku Girls dressed in elaborate costumes and anime – so fun! Try and spot the girl in the photo below all decked out in costume. If you can’t make it on a Sunday, you can get a feel for Japanese street style any day of the week. 

You can reach Harajuku by taking the Yamanote line to Harajuku Station, although it’s not a far walk from Meiji Shrine.

Walk down the famous shopping street of Takeshita Dori , where you’ll find a whole mess of fun stores and fun cafes.  Note that most shops don’t open until 11am, but if you’re following this itinerary, you’ll probably arrive here around 1pmish or so. 

Be sure to try a crepe – the unofficial street food of Harajuku, which you’ll find all over Takeshita Dori!  We also visited a hedgehog café and played with them for about 45 minutes or so.  A super quirky and super weird area, definitely not meant to be missed!

Read Next: Top Things to do in Harajuku

Stop 3: Shinjuku

Shinjuku is the largest neighborhood in Tokyo (dubbed the crazy entertainment district), and you’ll find thousands of restaurants, shops, entertainment, and other attractions that you could easily spend all day here. 

With limited time, we spent a decent portion of the afternoon and night here and felt that was sufficient enough to see the highlights.

Many people opt to see the ever-so-popular Robot Restaurant , which I’ve heard is an other-worldly experience, but after reading reviews, we decided against it.  Do your own research and decide for yourself whether this show is worthy of your time and money. 

Whether you decide to spend part of the evening at the Robot Restaurant, I highly encourage you to make a visit to Omoide Yokocho , commonly known as Piss Alley. 

Piss Alley is a small network of alleyways along the tracks northwest of Shinjuku Station filled with dozens of tiny eateries serving ramen, soba, sushi and yakitori.  Just pick one with open seats and go in – they’re all worthy of some stomach real-estate.

Consider the free observation deck on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building , visit Shinjuku Gyoen (a large public park near Shinjuku Station being a perfect cherry blossom spot – check on hours, we missed the entrance by about 20 minutes 🙁 ), and find an epic view of the area from the pedestrian overpass near the northwest corner of the Shinjuku station.

Day 3: FULL DAY IN TOKYO (East Side)

Now it’s time to experience the more traditional side of Tokyo , including Sensoji Temple and Ueno Gardens.  Another bird’s eye view can be seen today, at nearby Tokyo Skytree.

If you’re staying in Shibuya like I did, you’ll need to take the train from Shibuya Station to Asakusa Station (35-45 min on train) via the JR Yamanote Line to Ginza or Asakusa Line. Make sure to purchase single tickets – do NOT activate your JR pass yet!

Asakusa and Sensoji Temple

Asakusa is the spiritual heart of Tokyo and a good place to start your day!  Sensoji Temple is the main attraction here, and you’ll start your morning journey at the Kaminarimon Gate . 

As you walk toward the temple buildings, check out the historic  Nakamise Dori shopping street, pick out some souvenirs and grab a Japanese snack (or two!) before exploring Sensoji Temple. 

Consider drawing Omikuji (written fortunes) while here.  If you’re up for it and are interested, check out the surrounding old-fashioned neighborhoods around Asakusa.

Sumida Park and Tokyo SkyTree

If you’re visiting during cherry blossom season, I highly advise you to visit Sumida Park , which is an absolutely wonderful spot to see the flowers in bloom!  It was one of the least crowded public parks we went to and FULL of cherry blossoms! 

I cannot recommend this spot enough!  Bring a snack or two and sit on a blanket for the ultimate experience. We got sakura donuts from Mister Donut (located all around), and ate our flower-themed treats amongst the cherry blossoms.

Next up – Tokyo SkyTree , the tallest tower in not only Japan, but the entire world!  At 634m (2,080 feet),  the complex has two observation decks with great views over the city.  There’s even a glass floor for any of you brave souls!  Expect a cue, so plan on spending a bit of time here.  The Tokyo Skytree is about a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute train ride from Asakusa.

If you don’t wanna wait in line, I highly encourage you to book your skip-the-line Tokyo SkyTree ticket in advance. You can even upgrade to include the Tembo Galleria.

End the afternoon at Ueno Park , another large public space located in central Tokyo and another lively cherry blossom spot.  There are more than 1000 cherry trees of multiple varieties lining its central pathway and lots of temples and shrines here to check out, as well as museums and a zoo if those are of interest to you.

You’ll most likely want to take the JR train from Tokyo SkyTree to Ueno Park.  

Akihabara District

Wake up because we’re off to Tokyo’s crazy Akihabara District! Spend the evening perusing the many electronic shops, including Yodobashi Akiba – the world’s largest with nine stories stuffed with hi tech equipment – for geeks with money.

You’ll also find Japan’s diehard fan anime culture here, with stores devoted to anime and manga; just be sure to keep kids away from the adult-only sections (I wondered at first why all the anime was butt naked)! 

You could easily fill up a whole afternoon and night in Akihabara, from its maid and Gundam cafes, gaming centers (check out Super Potato Retro Shop if you want to be transported into the 90’s), and just gazing at the bright lights.

Day 4: DAY TRIP from Tokyo — 3 Options

Today you’ll activate your JR pass and start putting it to use!  Now that you’ve explored Tokyo, get out of the busy city center and explore another nearby area.  There are numerous day trips you can take from Tokyo , and depending on your interests, you may want to visit more than one! 

Unfortunately this ten day Japan itinerary only allows for one, but if you have another day or two to spare, you could easily do all three. 

I opted for Kamakura because of the rainy and cold weather, but I would have loved Nikko or Hakone had the weather been more cooperative that day. With two weeks in Japan, you can most definitely do all three if you’d like.

Here are my three recommended day trips from Tokyo:

1) Kamakura

Don’t miss the Great Buddha of Kamakura (at Kotokuin Temple), easily the most popular attraction in the area, and literally hard to miss at 44 feet.  Here you’ll find the second largest Buddha in all of Japan. 

Another site not to miss, and only a few minute walk from the Great Buddha – the Hase Dera Temple , which is a beautiful temple located on a hillside overlooking the ocean.

There’s also a bamboo forest at Hokokuji Temple , similar to that in Kyoto, and it’s possible to see Mt. Fuji on a clear day from Kenchoji Temple. 

Once you’ve had your fair share of temples, or are just hungry for some lunch, head on over to Komachi-dori , the busiest commercial street in Kamakura. Try the local specialty of Shirasu-don , (a Whitebait rice bowl), which you’ll easily find in numerous restaurants on the busy street.

Not interested in venturing to Kamakura alone and prefer a group tour?  Looking back, I wished I booked a tour.  Although it wasn’t too far away, we got a bit confused on the train and wasted a bunch of time trying to navigate our way to Kamakura, and then even more time once we arrived.

Many of the tours include other highlights like a tea ceremony and a view of the Bay, which we missed by going alone. I recommend these (from Tokyo) which cover all the top attractions:

• Full Day Trip to Kamakura, Yokohama, and Tokyo Bay (from Tokyo) : Not only does this day tour from Tokyo take you to all the highlights of Kamakura, but you’ll also get to have lunch in Yokohama’s bustling Chinatown, visit the traditional Japanese-style sunken garden of Sankei-en (including tea rooms!), and admire the modern cable-stay Yokohama Bay Bridge.
• 5 Hour Nature and History Walking Tour:  This walking tour follows a hiking route from Kita-Kamakura to Hase-dera Temple, passing many historic temples and shrines.  You’ll be able to enjoy some wonderful panoramas from a hiking trail that offers views in all directions. Note that transportation is not included.

Literally sick of the city and need to get some nature into your life?  Nikko may just be your answer.  Full of ancient moss, stone lanterns, vermillion gates, and towering cedars, there’s a reason why this area is one of Japan’s most visited areas.

Located about two hours north of Tokyo, Nikko is the site of the famous Toshogu Shrine , the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu (VIP in Japan), and numerous other temples and shrines. Don’t miss the famous Shinkyo bridge , the beautiful Nikko National Park (on a sunny day), Kanman-ga-Fuchi Abyss, and Kegon Falls . 

I’m quite bummed we didn’t make it here as all the photos look absolutely spectacular, but now I’ve got another reason to return to Japan!

Trying to fit in a lot during your one day in Nikko?  Consider a group tour which gets you around easily to all of the highlights.

Day Trip Options here: 

• From Tokyo: Nikko World Heritage Full-Day Tour :  Explore the beautiful mountain landscape of Nikko, Japan, experience the majesty of the Tamozawa Imperial Villa, bow to the three golden Buddah’s at the Rinnoji Temple, explore the surrounding landscape with a trip to Kirifuri Falls, and have a relaxed Japanese lunch at a local restaurant.
• Nikko: Autumn Leaves and World Heritage Full–Day Tour :  Discover the beautiful autumn leaves and world heritage of Nikko. During your full-day tour by air-conditioned coach, visit Nikko’s natural sights, Senjo-gahara and Kegon waterfalls, and Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Perfect during those autumn months!

If you have more than 10 days in Japan, check out these additional day trips from Tokyo .

If seeing Mt. Fuji is on your bucket list, then I definitely recommend making the day trip to Hakone. 

Once arriving, you have a whole slew of options to fill your day, including the Hakone Tozan Cable Car for stunning views, the Hakone Ropeway for even more epic views, Owakudani with views of Mt. Fuji on a clear day, and a small Buddhist alter. 

You can also take a Hakone Sightseeing Cruise and spend time at the Hakone Open Air Museum (art gallery). Brave? Try a black egg!

If you’re not up for heading to Hakone alone , there are numerous day trips from Tokyo that leave the transportation and planning up to someone else.  You’re on holiday – treat yourself and save yourself the hassle! I recommend the followings tours:

• From Tokyo: Mt. Fuji and Hakone Day Trip by Shinkansen : Spend a day trip traveling to Mt. Fuji, Japan’s most famous symbol and highest mountain. Enjoy the view from the 5th Station before visiting the nearby resort town of Hakone, known for its onsen hot springs. Return to Tokyo by bullet train!
• From Tokyo: Mt. Fuji and Hakone Tour with Bullet Train :  Get spectacular views of Mt. Fuji and its surrounding mountains on a day trip from Tokyo. Cruise across Lake Ashi by boat and take the ropeway up Mt. Komagatake. Relax in the hot springs resort of Hakone, and then catch the bullet train back to Tokyo.

However, note that seeing the mountain is never guaranteed and it’s possible you may make the trip only to be disappointed.  Some months out of the year have higher chances of visibility, including the winter months.  If it looks like a questionable morning with lots of clouds, I highly suggest you alter your plans and opt for either Nikko or Kamakura instead.

Day 5: MORNING BULLET TRAIN TO KYOTO then EXPLORING

First Bullet Train Ride!

*Note that you’ll be required to make a seat reservation if you have opted for the Green JR Pass.  Make this reservation when you first exchange your JR voucher for a ticket, or the night before leaving for Kyoto.  Don’t wait until the morning of because it’s possible the reservation desk will not be open yet.

Get up nice and early, grab some breakfast in the station/on the way to the station, and take a 7:00/7:30am bullet train from Tokyo Station (you may need to transfer at Shinagawa Station) in route for Kyoto! 

If you take this early morning train ride, you’ll arrive in Kyoto around 10:30am or so, which is necessary if you want to see a bunch of Kyoto sites today.  Once you arrive in Kyoto, put your luggage/bags into a coin locker (roughly 500-900 Yen for two suitcases for the entire day) and get exploring!

A note about Kyoto’s public transportation: Unlike Tokyo, Kyoto relies on large public buses. We were unaware of this and unfortunately caught off guard when we couldn’t take fast trains to get around. Give yourself some extra time as it’ll take longer to get around. Embrace it – look outside the window on the bus and take in some local Kyoto life.

Arashiyama Area

Catch the bus to the  Saga-Arashiyama Station , where you’ll be hanging out for a few hours.  First up, Tenyru-Ji Shrine and its accompanying zen garden.  So many beautiful plants and flowers (nicely labeled in both English and Japanese) here, such as the Japanese wisteria, which you’ll never see outside of Japan.

Once you exit the garden, you’ll come across the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove/Forest .  Walking through the Bamboo Grove is definitely one of the essential experiences to have in Kyoto so don’t pass it up! 

The grove is much smaller than I thought, taking roughly 15 minutes to walk through, but is absolutely excellent for photography.

Walk through slowly to take it all in, and don’t forget to look up at the towering bamboo!  Bring a wide-angle lens and if possible, a go pro, in order to include as much of the bamboo in your photos!

Before you head to the Monkey Park (coming up next!), you’ll most likely come across a lovely area with small eateries and a beautiful, green emerald lake. A good spot for some photos in my opinion!  🙂  We enjoyed a few vending machine coffees and teas here (you’ll be doing that everywhere in Japan too, you’ll see!).

Read Next: Top Things to do in Kyoto and Attractions

Next up, walk to the Iwatayama Monkey Park !  Yes, it’s about a 15-20 minute walk completely uphill to reach the park, but definitely worth it!  Just be aware, the Google Maps directions to this attraction are wrong.

The entrance to the park is simply near the orange shrine gate at the south side of the Togetsu-kyo bridge. Look for a cartoon picture of a monkey and you’re golden!

The park is a nice change from the temples and shrines you’ll be seeing a lot of in Kyoto, and it’s so much fun to feed the monkeys for only 100Y.  There’s also a wonderful view of Kyoto from up here.  

Before anyone gets mad at those pictures of the monkeys “behind bars”, please know they are free to roam wherever they’d like throughout the park, and us humans are actually put in an enclosed area when feeding them. This is to protect both the animals and us.

We could have easily spent hours watching the monkeys and admiring the view, but off to the Golden Pavilion it was!

Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)

If you’ve got more time today, take the bus to the Golden Pavilion , which is super impressive and made entirely of gold!  Reflected in the lake, it’s no wonder this is one of the top things to do in Kyoto. 

Make sure to try some Japanese flavored ice cream here, such as green matcha and/or black sesame, my new favorite!  It’s guaranteed to be crowded, but very, very worth it in my opinion.

*Don’t forget to head back to Kyoto Station to collect your bags before heading to your hotel or AirBnb for the night!

Day 6: FULL DAY IN KYOTO

Nishiki Market

Start the day at the Nishiki Market – known for its different food stalls where you can try all kinds of Japanese cuisine and treats. 

Stroll for an hour or so up and down the streets of the market, stopping whenever something tickles your fancy. The market is a great place to dive into some of the more unusual dishes – don’t be a chicken, try them!

However, absolutely don’t leave the market without trying tako tamago – the infamous candied baby octopus stuffed with a quail egg.  It tastes way better than it sounds – I could have eaten three!

Want a taste of those cutesy animal donuts you’ve possibly seen all over the internet? You can try them here – at Floresta Donuts .  I had a hard time eating mine as it was just too cute to bite into! Quite possibly my favorite thing I ate during our 10 days in Japan! SO cute!

After your fix of Japanese delicacies and donuts, walk on over to Gion, Kyotos famous geisha district.  If you’re lucky you may spot a real true-life geisha , although they tend to walk fast to their destination and don’t like to show their face. 

However, if you do spot one, but courteous and don’t obviously follow them or point your camera directly to their face.  Show respect for their culture. I wasn’t so lucky and didn’t spot any on my trip.

Higashiyama District

End the day at the Higashiyama District, the world famous hub of Kyoto’s best-known shrines and temples.  And let me tell me, this place is worth checking out. It’s one of my favorite areas in all of Kyoto .

Make sure to walk down Sannenzaka and Ninensaka – the two most beautiful streets in the district, with numerous souvenir shops and eateries.  It can get rather crowded during the day (for good reason!), so we chose to come a bit before dusk had encountered a less cramped experience. 

Still cramped, but less cramped than I imagine mid-day would be. You’ll find some eats on the walk – make sure to try a sakura cream puff !

Kyomizu-dera Temple , a listed UNESCO site, should be next on your list.  Again, it’s quite busy, but the view out over a sea of trees is hard to beat – just imagine this during cherry blossom season (absolutely to die for!) And yea, try an onigiri maki – an emoji in the wild!

Finish off this (long and tiring) day by walking part of the Philosopher’s Path (found on Google Maps as  Tetsugaku-no-michi) , a path that runs along a narrow river and is lined with more cherry blossom trees than you can ever imagine! 

You’ll end at the Silver Pavilion, although not as fancy and intricate as the Golden Pavilion, and not even lined in silver, but still impressive nonetheless.

Day 7: DAY TRIP TO NARA AND OSAKA

It’s time for some day trips today, and we’ll be crossing off two in one day’s time!  Head to Nara from Kyoto Station (via JR Nara Line – roughly 1 hour on the express train), then after seeing some of the top temples, head on over to Osaka and eat everything!

Get ready to interact with some deer in Nara Park , which can be found all throughout the area and are literally impossible to miss!  And oh yea, those crackers you see being sold on the street?  Those are for the deer, not us hungry humans!

A few temples to see: Todaiji (must visit Unesco World Heritage Site with super tall Buddha), Kasaguga Taisha Shrine (the most important shrine in Nara), Kofukuiji Temple, and Gangou-ji Temple.  If you’ve had enough of temples by this time, head over to Osaka and skip a temple or two.

Tip : Get the Nara Kotsu one day pass (it’s more of a wooden plague you can wear around your neck if you please) for 500 Yen.  This sightseeing bus brings you around to the top attractions in Central Nara, and is good for most of the buses you see throughout the city.

Off to Osaka for the rest of the day!  Many people skip Osaka as they think it’s just another large city like that of Tokyo, but we absolutely loved our few hours here!  Don’t skip it!

First up, the ever-so-beautiful Osaka Castle , one of Japan’s most famous landmarks!  Get off at Osakajokoen Station. 

Note that the castle may very well be closed by the time you reach it depending on how long you spend in Nara (last admission is 4:30pm in April, a bit later in the summer months), but the outside alone is worth the train and short 20 minute walk!

Next up, Dotonbori Street !  It’s an absolute madhouse full of people, shops, and eateries, and an absolute must-do while in Osaka.  Be sure to look up and admire the moving animal billboards found on the buildings.

Osaka is the food capitol not just of Japan, but of the entire world.  Hence, you’ll want to eat everything in sight (just leave some room for a Kobe beef dinner).  Try beloved regional dishes like okonomiyaki, takoyaki (fried octopus balls – tastes way better than it sounds), udon, and hiyashi ame ginger drink.

Rule of thumb: if there’s a long line, the food is out of this world.  Wait and you’ll be rewarded.

If you want to get some shopping on, head on over to nearby Shinsaibashi, the city’s premier shopping district.  We chose to skip the shopping and focused on stuffing our faces 😉

Great dinner suggestion: Tsurugyu.  This place is all about Kobe beef , and is super fresh and decently priced.  Expect to pay around 5,000Y per person, drink included.  Reservations are highly recommended, although we somehow got extremely lucky and were able to sit at the bar – but don’t count on this!

Day 8: DAY TRIP TO MIYAJIMA AND HIROSHIMA

Get ready for another jam-packed day.  Yes, it’ll take a while to get here, but trust me, on a clear, sunny day, it’s 100% worth it and absolutely beautiful. 

Take an early morning bullet train to Hiroshima, which takes roughly 2 hours from Kyoto Station, then a local JR train to Miyajimaguchi Station, then finally the JR ferry to Miyajima.  All included in your JR Pass .

You can choose to visit either Miyajima or Hiroshima first, but I highly recommend visiting Miyajima during high tide to see the gate “floating” in the water.  Check tide schedules online.

If you opt for Miyajima first (again, tide dependent), and take an 8am bullet train out of Kyoto Station, you’ll reach Miyajima by approximately 11am.

Head straight to the tori gate (after some deer interaction of course, yes there’s deer here and they’re SUPER friendly, just watch your food). 

You’ll want to snap a million photos because this place is just so damn beautiful it’s hard not to!  You can also check out the floating shrine as well, which we loved and was unlike any other shrine/temple we saw in Japan!

Spectacular views your thing? Take the Miyajima Ropeway (~15 minutes, $17 roundtrip) for better-then-great views of the whole area from the top of Mt. Misen . There’s a bus at the base of Miyajima Island which will take you to the ropeway station fo’ free as well if you’re already feeling super tired from your journey.

Before heading back to the ferry, pick up some ice cream (green tea or black sesame, you are in Japan!) – perfect on a hot, sunny day.

Take the ferry back to Miyajimaguchi Station, then the JR train to Hiroshima.  Note that you’ll need to either take a tram or buy a Hiroshima Sightseeing Hop-On, Hop-Off Loop Bus “Meipuru-pu” to get around in Hiroshima super easily – which is free of cost for JR pass users . 

We took the sightseeing bus to Hiroshima Castle , and then to the area with the A-Bomb Dome , Children’s Peace Monument , and Peace Memorial Museum and Park .  The museum was closed by the time we arrived, but we were still able to wander around at the memorials and pay our respects.

End this super long day eating okonomiyaki at Okonomimura , a humungous multi-level eatery with tiny stalls of different shops making varieties of the famous pancake.  Just for reference, we made it back on a bullet train around 8:30/9pm, getting back to Kyoto around 11pm.  Told you it was a long day.  😉

Day 9: KYOTO THEN BULLET TRAIN BACK TO TOKYO

Today’s your last day in Kyoto, so it’s time to do those last-minute things you missed, including the Fushimi Inari Shrine.   Put your bags in coin lockers at Kyoto Station before heading out for the day (just don’t forget to pick up before the bullet train heading back to Tokyo!)

Morning/Afternoon in Kyoto

1. Fushimi Inari Shrine (Taisha): COME EARLY BEFORE THE MASSES ! No matter how tired you are, do not skip Fushimi Inari Shrine!  To get here, you’ll need to take the JR Line (Nara or Keihan Main) from Kyoto to Inari Station. 

The shrine is comprised of over 10,000 beautiful orange-y red tori gates arching over a scenic, possible 2-hour-long walking trail. You don’t need to do the entire circuit, but definitely make it past the initial arch as this is the most populated one due to its close proximity to the start. 

Make sure to notice the numerous fox statues along the shrine grounds, as they are thought to be Inari’s messengers and hold much importance to this area. And get some inari sushi if you’re a bit hungry – look how cute they are! Definitely one of my favorite things we did during our 10 days in Japan.

Read Next: Alllll the best things to do in Kyoto

2. Nijo Castle: One of Kyoto’s most popular and impressive sights, and a wonderful place to walk around on your last official morning in the city. The grounds are large with numerous fortifications, a lovely castle, beautiful moat, and gardens.

Inari Shrine to Nijo Castle: Head back to Kyoto Station, then take the JR Sagano train to Nijo stop

3. To-Ji Garden and Temple: Depending on your groups level of tired-ness, you may choose to skip these gardens (which are a 15 minute walk from Kyoto station).  We were too pooped from the week’s festivities to even think about wandering around here, and let’s face it – I saved myself an hour or so of complaints from my husband. 

We both get a little grumpy when the tiredness kicks in.  If you do decide to go, you’ll find the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan, a lovely garden with a koi fish pond, and some beautiful cherry blossoms. Next time for me!

Bullet Train to Tokyo

Once you’re done with your activities in Kyoto, back on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo it is!

The bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo takes around 3 hours or so, and with our stomachs grumbling already, we opted for a dinner of bento boxes to take on the train with us.  You’ll find a handful of stalls in the train station selling a wide variety of food options, with bento boxes being absolutely perfect for the long train ride!

Since you’ll only be in Tokyo for one additional night and will need to take the train from Tokyo station to Narita International Airport the next day, I suggest staying in the Ginza area, 1 or 2 stops on the train depending on which line you take.

It also lets you explore a new area the next morning before heading off to the airport.

Recommended hotels in Ginza:

• Luxury : Millenium Mitsui Garden Hotel  (where we stayed and we absolutely loved it! – and less than $150 a night!)
• Mid-Line : Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Ginza  (super chic upscale hotel at affordable rates in a great location)
• Budget : Tokyo Ginza Bay Capsule Hotel  (if you don’t know what a capsule hotel is… go check that out!)

Day 10: SUSHI BREAKFAST AND OFF TO THE AIRPORT

Before heading out for the day, it’s a good idea to check out of your hotel to avoid rushing back for the mid-morning check-out time, and be sure to ask your hotel to store your bags (which you’ll pick up later before heading off to the airport).

Sushi Breakfast at Tsukiji Market

On your last official morning after 10 days in Japan (cue the sad face), there’s nothing better than an authentic sushi breakfast!  And no better place to get fresh sushi than at the Tsukiji Fish Market – the world’s largest, busiest fish market! 

Note that the Tsukiji Fish Market is comprised of two parts – the inner market (the Uogashi wholesaler market) and the outer market.  The inner market is where you’ll find the early-morning wholesale tuna auction (think 4am, yes, really that early), while the outer market is for all of us foodies hoping to satisfy our taste buds with some seafood goodness.

While Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai are two of the most common sushi shops in Tsukiji Market, the lines are astronomically long.  We picked a place at random and had a wonderful experience – the fish was fresh, service was adequate, and prices were competitive.

You won’t find mediocre sushi anywhere in this area, so decide for yourself (and your hungry belly) if waiting in those long lines is worth it.

If you have a little extra time and wanna learn about Japanese food culture and the market in general, consider signing up for a Tsukiji Outer Market Food and Drink Walking Tour . You’ll sample bonito, katsuobushi, dashi stock, sushi, sake, fresh tuna, local omelets (my all-time fave) and so much more. I so wish we did this as we didn’t learn much about the market and honestly didn’t even know where to begin on our own — there’s so many stalls and we didn’t know half of the foods!

Next time we’re in Japan I REALLY wanna take this combined tour of the Tsukiji Outer Fish Market and sushi-making class! I love taking cooking classes when I travel (I’ve made macarons in Paris, egg tarts in Lisbon, and tamales in Mexico so far), so I think sushi in Japan is next for me!

Shopping in Ginza

After filling up on some sushi (and ice cream, because, why not?!), head back to Ginza for some upscale window shopping.  This district is home to the most expensive shopping and real estate in Tokyo – kind of like New York’s Fifth Avenue, but with more lights!

Off to the Airport

Depending on your flight time, you may have a bit more time, but it’s always wise to get to the airport extra early for international flights. 

Head back to your hotel, collect your bags, head to Tokyo Station, then to Narita Airport (takes approximately 1 hour via Narita Express), have one more Japanese meal at the airport, and say goodbye to this eclectic yet charming country.

If you have any questions on this 10 day Japan itinerary, please ask below in the comments! If you follow this itinerary (exactly what we did), I can promise you not only will you see so much in such a short period of time, but you won’t be stressed out planning either!  🙂

TRAVELING TO JAPAN SOON? Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of  World Nomads  and SafetyWing when traveling abroad.

Recently, I’ve been mostly using SafetyWing since they cover pandemic-related claims (most travel insurance companies do not). Be sure to protect yourself from possible injury, lost baggage, travel delays, and theft before it happens.  Learn more and Sign up here.

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Feel free to share this 10 day Japan itinerary with a friend (just copy and paste the link!), and get started planning your trip! Have you been to the country before? What were your favorite things to do in Japan?

Photos via Day 1a | Day 2 and Steam Fire at Asakusa  | cherry blossoms | Akihabara | Hakone 1 and 3 | Hakone 2 |

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September 23, 2020 at 10:18 pm

Great post! We are planning to visit Japan around cherry blossoms season next year. Your 10-day itinerary seems perfect. We might add 3 to 4 days to it as we love to follow the slow pace when we travel 🙂

September 23, 2020 at 10:47 pm

You’re gonna have the best time ever – I wish I could go back and do my entire itinerary again! An extra few sounds would be perfect; we had to rush around a lot!

April 13, 2021 at 11:26 pm

Very elaborate Japan guide! Hope to visit this wonderful place in the near future!

March 27, 2022 at 5:54 am

Thanks so much, this was very helpful, and fun to read. I’ve been once by myself and hope to return with my wife. If it’s not too personal, what was the total cost of the trip for two?

April 4, 2022 at 6:16 pm

Hi Bill! So glad the post was helpful! Unfortunately it’s really hard to say the total cost, as it greatly varies depending on what hotels you choose, activities you do, and restaurants you eat at! With that being said, the street food is absolutely phenomenal and a great way to save a bit of money! We loved it all!

April 7, 2022 at 1:22 am

such an amazing post and trip, wish i can go there very soon. thankyou for sharing 🙂

July 18, 2022 at 8:44 am

I am so very grateful for your post. I have been researching for months and this is the most helpful post I have found! We will be traveling to Japan April 2023 for my sons graduation present. We will only have 7-8 days there. If you were to take off 1-2 days which would they be. Right now I am thinking one less day in Tokyo but not sure what else to eliminate.

July 20, 2022 at 6:58 pm

So glad you found it helpful! I would cut off the day trip from Tokyo, and eliminate a day in Tokyo like you suggested. You can see the main highlights of Tokyo in 2 long, jam packed days. It’ll be a very hectic and tiring trip, but you’ll see a lot in just a week! I cannot wait to go back to Japan! Enjoy your trip — sounds like it’ll be a special one!

August 29, 2022 at 1:19 pm

I’m planning a trip to Japan and this has been super helpful! One question though, did you mainly find lodging in just Tokyo and Kyoto? And you did day trips out of those cities but would return back?

August 29, 2022 at 8:42 pm

Hi Francesca — yup, did exactly that! I stayed in Tokyo and Kyoto and did day trips! SO much to see! Have such a great trip! I cannot wait to go back to Japan!!!

October 1, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Hey! your post is SUPER helpful for my 10 day trip I want to take in April 2023! But I was curious if you visited any hot springs or passed by any while on your trip? I want to go to one with my boyfriend and have a relaxing dip 🙂 I look forward to the trip and your trip sounds like something we would follow to enjoy our time! thnk you 🙂

October 2, 2022 at 4:33 pm

Hey there! We didn’t have time for any on our first trip, but spent a few days at an onsen in Mt. Muji on our second trip! Highly recommend adding that in if you’re looking for some peace and quiet! It was incredible!

August 9, 2023 at 9:19 am

Hi! Which onsen do you recommend?

November 1, 2022 at 11:18 am

Can u suggest a place to do one day of kintsugi lesson. I love your itinerary and plan to follow it to the T. And will definitely share my experience once I am back… I have about 13 days…one last thing..anything that a vegetarian can eat

November 6, 2022 at 2:26 am

Excellent guide! May I know is the 7-day JR pass one-way only (Tokyo -> Kyoto)? Do we need to buy another ticket/pass for the bullet train from Kyoto back to Tokyo?

November 6, 2022 at 4:32 pm

The JR pass works for all directions! As long as it’s still within the 7 days if you buy the 7 day pass! You can use the pass as many times as you want within the time frame you buy it for. It’s great!

November 27, 2022 at 10:18 pm

love your itinerary! i’m planning to visit japan in december and wondered if the disneyland in tokyo was worth it?

November 28, 2022 at 7:47 pm

Hi Rama! How exciting! I’ve never been to Tokyo Disney so unfortunately cannot comment! Have a great trip! Japan is easily one of my favorite countries!

January 19, 2023 at 12:04 pm

This post is amazing! We are planning a trip to Japan and this has everything. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences!

January 20, 2023 at 5:15 pm

Of course, so glad it’s helpful! Let me know if you have any questions! We loved our trips to Japan and can’t wait to go back!

February 9, 2023 at 2:03 pm

Thank you so much for sharing, this is super helpful! I was wondering, if you were to have stayed at a ryokan during this trip, when / in which city would you recommend staying? I’m currently planning a 10 day try and would like to follow your itinerary but also want to squeeze in a stay in a ryokan!

March 22, 2023 at 6:38 am

I just wanted to thank you. My wife and I returned last night from our first trip to Japan, 11 nights in total. We followed your itinerary almost to the letter, including all three day trips from Tokyo – Kamakura, Nikko and Hakone.

It was an extra special trip for us, celebrating my 50th birthday, and your itinerary made the incredibly intimidating task of knowing how to structure a short trip to Japan, manageable and endlessly rewarding.

I commend you for your excellent research and wanted you to know how valuable of a service you are providing!

March 28, 2023 at 7:06 pm

Just to be clear, you’re recommending just two home bases during the ten days in Japan: Tokyo and Kyoto? We’re going in October and are booking hotels. So – one hotel in Tokyo and one hotel in Kyoto from which we see those cities and take day trips. It’s that simple?

April 5, 2023 at 11:07 am

Yup — makes it so much easier than booking a different hotel for every night! 🙂 The train system is amazing in Japan and you can easily get to so many day trips from both major cities.

April 26, 2023 at 3:42 pm

We are planning a trip to Japan in April 2024 and I came across you blog post. Amazing post and your detailed itinerary is very helpful. I’m wondering if there is any advantage of choosing Narita vs Haneda airport. We will be flying from SFO and have options to both.

April 27, 2023 at 2:05 pm

If you can find a flight to Haneda for a decent price, I’d actually choose that! It’s much closer to Tokyo itself. However, more airlines fly into Narita. I’ll be looking into Haneda for my next trip! 🙂

May 9, 2023 at 4:22 pm

Thank you so much for this very helpful itinerary. My husband and I are planning to visit in early December to celebrate my 60th birthday. Your suggestions and recommendations were very helpful and I will definitely be using them. Thank you again.

May 9, 2023 at 5:54 pm

Glad it was helpful! That’s so exciting — what a special spot for a birthday! Have the best time, and let me know if you have any questions!

May 21, 2023 at 2:06 am

We are booked on a cruise around Japan for 10 days but coming in earlier to do some land tours and hopefully see things we will not be able to do on the cruise. All your information was so informative and will be looking more into it all. We will be leaving Sydney Australia on 23rd March 2024 specifically for Cherry Blossom time.

August 9, 2023 at 9:17 am

Hi! We are flying to HND arriving June 8th at 21:05. We depart from NRT June 20th. I haven’t booked any accommodations yet. I’m trying to follow your itinerary. How many nights would you recommend in Tokyo and Kyoto? Should we stay in another city for a few nights to reduce traveling time? Regarding the JR Pass, we fall in between the 7 day and 14 day pass. I’m thinking the 7 day pass should be enough if we start using it day 4 or 5. Thank you!

November 5, 2023 at 2:56 pm

Hi Jess. Your itinerary was the inspiration for my first visit to Japan last month with my niece. We followed the majority of the 10 days outlined including all of the daytrips except for Hakone. Your suggestions were excellent because each day trip was unique and memorable. Your tips on where to purchase the local currency, the JR train pass as well as the packing tips were incredibly helpful. We also made it a point to try every single one of your foodie recommendations. Black sesame and Sakura were definitely our favorite Japanese flavors for ice cream. Nishiki Market, Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, the floating shrine in Miyajima, the Great Buddha statues at Kotokuin in Kamakura and at Todaji in Nara, Okonomimura in Hiroshima, Fushimi Inari Shrine were absolute highlights. Thank you so much for sharing this well-researched and well-organized itinerary that helped us make the most of our truly breath-taking adventure in Japan.

November 8, 2023 at 12:16 am

So glad it was helpful and that you had an amazing trip to Japan! Every time I go back I’m already planning my next trip! Such a wonderful, diverse country!

December 18, 2023 at 4:02 pm

Hello, I want to make sure I understand your itinerary. At the beginning, does it call for 4 or 5 nights in Tokyo?

January 16, 2024 at 12:46 pm

What would you add to this itinerary if you travel with 12 and 13 year old children?

January 20, 2024 at 10:56 pm

Hi there! I don’t have kids so not sure I’m the best person to ask! There’s tons of things to do in Tokyo for people with all different interests though.

February 20, 2024 at 5:16 am

Fantastic info for a possible first time visitor. Thanks so much! Just querying the following part of your page though:

“If you’re coming from the US, an easy way to figure out USD to JY is to move the decimal point two spots to the right >> 100Y = approximately $1USD. Just for quick reference, 10,000Y = approximately 100USD.”

If I move the decimal place to the right for 100.00Y that equal 10000 USD based on the above. Should that have said “move the decimal place two spots to the left (which would = 1.00)

February 20, 2024 at 5:19 am

Ignore all that.. I now see it from the US point of view – i.e. move the US decimal point two spots to the right to get JPY. Sorry! Great site, really appreciate ethe information.

March 7, 2024 at 3:50 pm

what is the latest the bullet trains operate for example taking a day trip from Kyoto to Osaka at what time do you have to head back? Is there a website were we can see this?

April 20, 2024 at 2:29 pm

Hi. My name is Jack, I live in Japan for more than 10 years and run a personal blog jackinjapan.com I would be glad if you can read my work)

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How Many Days Should You Spend in Tokyo?

May 17, 2022 by Robert Schrader Leave a Comment

As a traveler (and a travel blogger), I’m always reevaluating and recalibrating my stances—the topic of how many days in Tokyo you should spend is no exception. For many years, my answer was simple: The vast majority of travelers can plan on sleeping three nights in Japan’s capital.

Over time, I came to view this answer as far too simple. While a long weekend is, technically speaking, enough to tackle even a robust list of things to do in Tokyo, the length of your stay in the city depends at least as much on the contours of your broader trip to Japan .

The good news is, now that I’ve had more than seven years to ruminate on the topic, I can provide almost surgical advice on putting together a Tokyo itinerary. The better news? With the yen weak and the Japanese economy roaring back to strength, there’s never been a better time to visit Tokyo.

Where to Stay in Tokyo

Irrespective of how many nights in Tokyo you end up spending, a centrally-located place to stay is indispensable. This is why, regardless of the level of comfort or indeed luxury you prefer, parts of Tokyo such as Akasaka, Kanda and Ginza are more practical than more parts of the city like Shibuya, Shinjuku and Asakusa, even if the latter may be more interesting to explore than the former.

For travelers on a modest budget, I like the branch of the Japanese APA Hotel situated just east of Kanda Station , as well as Hotel Hillarys Akasaka . Less constrained travelers, meanwhile, should check out Hotel the Celestine, a luxury boutique outfit with two Tokyo locations in Tokyo— one in Ginza , and the other just a stone’s throw from Tokyo Tower . Staying in a convenient place ensures a trip with no wasted time, no matter how long to stay in Tokyo you decide.

The Most Popular Tokyo Trip Ideas

3 days in tokyo.

Is 3 days enough in Tokyo? For most travelers, I think the answer is “yes.” Assuming you have three full days in Tokyo, this length of trip affords you a balanced survey of Japan’s capital, from the ancient temples of Asakusa to the neon-bathed streets of Shinjuku and Shibuya . Depending upon how deeply you plan to explore the city center, you might also have time for one or more day trips from Tokyo .

Tokyo for 4 or 5 days

How many days in Tokyo should you spend, on the other hand, if you don’t want to choose between staying inside the city, and venturing outward from it? I’ve recommended that my clients spend both 4 days in Tokyo and 5 days in Tokyo, the latter of which I call my “goldilocks” Tokyo trip. With five days in Tokyo, for example, you can see all of Tokyo’s mainstream attractions, delve into underrated neighborhoods like Setagaya and Yanaka , plus visit both Mt. Fuji and either Nikko or Kamakura .

A week (or two) in Tokyo

Is 7 days too long in Tokyo? That depends on your objective. While sightseeing for a week in Tokyo might get tiresome, I personally love renting an apartment in a local part of the city ( Bunkyo , Ryogoku and Shimokitazawa are good areas for this) and “living” in Tokyo once I’ve seen all the traditional sights I want to enjoy. The danger of this, of course, is that it sets the stage for the specter of…

Living in Tokyo long-term

Now, I have to provide full disclosure. While I have never lived in Tokyo— I recently lived in Kyoto —calling Japan’s modern capital home is something that’s very much on my bucket list. The city is rich enough in detail and sprawling enough in geography that the question of how many days in Tokyo can easily morph into weeks, months or even years, depending on how committed you are to exploration and discovery.

Tokyo between business meetings

A surprising number of my private clients are planning to visit Tokyo for business, and need help crafting a personalized itinerary for the free time they have before or after the trip. Rush off into central Tokyo from Haneda Airport before you head to the board room, or after enjoying high-dollar, high-rise dinners in glitzy Ginza on the company dime.

Is Tokyo Worth Visiting?

It might sound ridiculous to ask this question, since you’re ultimately asking “how many days do you need in Tokyo?”, but I receive it a fair bit in emails and via social media. The thinking, according to most people, is that Tokyo is “just another big city,” and that their time in Japan would be better spent elsewhere. (Well, not anywhere elsewhere—make sure to read my comparison of Tokyo vs. Osaka , which sheds light on a large Japanese city dismissed even more often than the capital!)

Indeed, this makes answering the question of how many days to spend in Tokyo all the more important. Rather than skipping Tokyo entirely—at least not on your first trip to Japan—you should arrange to spend your time in the city doing all the things you can’t do elsewhere in Japan. Maybe leave the cherry blossoms for Kyoto , for example, but definitely spend at least a night in Shinjuku and Shibuya .

Other FAQ About Planning a Trip to Tokyo

How many days in tokyo is enough.

The topic of how long to stay in Tokyo is contentious. While most travelers can take in all of Tokyo’s sights in 3-4 days, I recommend calibrating your trip to Tokyo based on the length of time you plan to spend in Japan. For example, although 3 days in Tokyo may be plenty for travelers who plan to spend just two weeks in Japan , those with three weeks or even one month in Japan might consider spending 5-7 nights in Tokyo.

What is the best location to stay in Tokyo?

I prefer staying in the central part of Tokyo—as close as possible to Tokyo Station, which is the city’s transportation hub. While not everyone will be able to afford a room at the five-star Tokyo Station Hotel , plenty of affordable options exist in centrally-located areas such as Akasaka, Kanda and Ginza.

What is the best month to visit Tokyo?

No matter how many days to visit Tokyo you decide, it’s a great destination 365 days per year. While cherry blossom season in March and April and late November’s autumn season (which often extends into early December in Tokyo) are the most obvious choices, I’m also a big fan of Tokyo in winter. Temperatures are relatively mild; skies are often clear enough to see Mt. Fuji from the city.

The Bottom Line

How many days in Tokyo should you spend? This is a question I’ve now had more than a decade to think about, and because of that I have good news and better news. The good news is that, given my extensive experience exploring not just Japan’s capital but the entire country, I understand viscerally how dependent your Tokyo travel is on what you’ll do elsewhere in Japan, and how long you’ll spend there. The better news? If you don’t want to stress over the finer details of your travel to Japan (including how many days Tokyo requires), you can hire me to take care of them for you !

Plan Your Japan Trip

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How to Plan a Trip to Japan: a Step By Step Guide

By: Author Kris

Posted on Last updated: December 6, 2023

Wonder how to plan a trip to Japan? If you don’t know where to start, or how to plan a trip to Japan, you have come to the right place.

Planning a trip to Japan, a country with a completely different culture, an unintelligible language, and several stretched-out megacities, can be a little overwhelming.

But let me reassure you immediately, it is very easy to travel independently in this country.

Japanese are welcoming, helpful, and well-organized. You will find yourself at home in this country in no time.

In this Japan travel blog post,  we will explain step by step how to get started with your Japan trip planning.

We share a lot of travel tips for Japan, how to get to the country of the rising sun, where to stay, all of the best things to do for first-timers, and everything else you need to know to craft a perfect holiday. 

We have some example itineraries to get you started, we will cover what to pack and the best travel time. 

We also mapped some things against a timeline so you know how far in advance you should take care of some of the more important things.

This step-by-step guide is also handy if you are only planning a trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka.

Ready? Let’s start working on this amazing Japan trip!

There is a really good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

When to Visit Japan

A good item to start your planning with is to record your travel period.  Once you’ve decided on a certain period you can start looking for flights.

Below is an overview of the different seasons in Japan with the pros and cons of each season.

Best Time to Travel to Japan

Japan is a long and narrow, stretched-out country.   It has a mountainous region in the North that attracts skiers in winter.  The Southern island of Okinawa is a popular beach location and scuba divers are raving about its untouched colorful underwater world.

The most popular tourist hotspots of Tokyo and Kyoto are located between those two regions. 

The best time to travel to Japan obviously depends on your interests and the region you want to visit.

The best time to travel to Japan for first-time visitors who want to see the highlights of the country is Spring and Autumn.

We would advise against traveling in summer because the cities are very hot and humid in this season.

The Sakura is a bonus of traveling in Spring, the cherry blossoms are an attraction in and by themselves.

Here are some more details about the different seasons.

Spring is an excellent season to visit Japan.  Certainly, if you can arrange your plans to coincide with the so-called Sakura, the famous cherry blossoms.

The cherry trees start blooming in the South of Japan and gradually transform the entire country into a colorful floral display.

The northern peninsula of Hokkaido is the last to showcase its beautiful colors.

It’s difficult to predict exactly when the flowers will bloom. 

You can check the predictions and forecasts on the site of the Japanese tourist board and the Japanese Meteorological Corporation.  The predictions become more accurate as the date approaches and they’re not really useful at this stage of your travel planning.

The period can vary a few weeks every year. It’s best to plan your trip across the country in a southerly direction.  It guarantees that you will see the blossoms at their best in at least one location.

We witnessed this glorious natural phenomenon in Tokyo , Kyoto, and Osaka. The cherry blossoms attract huge numbers of people all over the country, the Japanese even organize Hanami in the parks. (A Hanami is a flower-viewing party)

You can see cherry blossoms all over the world, but the atmosphere in Japan during this time of year is one you won’t find anywhere else.

The Sakura blossoms draw in large crowds, so this is a busy and somewhat more expensive time to travel to Japan.

Right after the Sakura Season is another busy travel week, the “Golden Week”.  It is formed by 4 national holidays, the first of which is Emperor day on April 29.  The other days are Constitution day on May 3, Greenery day on May 4, and Children’s day on May 5.

Many Japanese take advantage of this period to explore their own country, which makes the popular tourist attractions much busier than usual. This, in turn, causes the hotel rates to increase as well.

Temperatures will range from 15 degrees Celcius to 25 degrees Celcius.  In March and April, you may experience an occasional shower, during May it starts raining more often and more heavily.

Insider tip: Did you know that we also have a travel planner that you can download and use for your trip planning? Check out our  Japan travel planner ! This document will help you plan your trip smoothly. 

Summers in Japan are warm with temperatures that often exceed 30 degrees Celsius.  The humidity makes the wind chill even higher and unenjoyable if you’re not used to tropical climates.

The cities are always crowded and the combination of this bustling activity and such a high temperature can make exploring these concrete jungles unpleasant during this season.

June and July statistically know the most rainfall. This applies to most of the country, only the northern peninsula of Hokkaido is mainly spared from the downpours. 

The rainy season starts and ends a month earlier in Okinawa where most rainfall is measured in the months of May and June.

It doesn’t rain every day in the rainy season.  Some days are dry, while some days have light rain and other days come with massive downpours.

It’s difficult to predict, but as a rule of thumb, one can say that it will rain roughly every other day.

The benefit of traveling through Japan during this time of year is that the popular tourist sites, where otherwise you’d be part of a huge crowd, are much less busy.

Even after the rainy season has come to an end the weather remains hot and humid. 

The official typhoon season starts in May, but the typhoons that can disrupt everyday life are most common in the months of August and September.

Only a few severe storms reach the Japanese mainland and the storms are also very predictable.  This means that it is not necessary to avoid this period. It’s sufficient to watch the weather forecast to know when you shouldn’t go outside.

That being said, heavy rainfall does have the potential to cripple public transportation, while temples and amusement parks are sometimes closed during strong winds or sudden floods.

Many Natsumatsuri are organized in Summer. 

A Natsumatsuri is a summer festival.  It’s a cause for Japanese women to get their colorful Yukata out of the closet.  Huge crowds gather around the food and drink stalls and watch the fireworks together.  

If you’re in Japan during Summer you must definitely join these celebrations.

If you’re not a fan of warm and humid summer weather, you could still always go to Hokkaido. This is the only region with summer temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Fall is another great time to travel to Japan.

Japan is home to many expansive parks and forests, and the fall colors transform them into a gorgeous and colorful palette.

The fall foliage craze is no match for the popularity of the Sakura but that couldn’t stop the Japanese from giving it a special word: Koyo.

The best period to admire the amazing Koyo colors depends on the weather conditions and the location.  Japan is fairly big and the peak period differs significantly between the different regions.

Japan’s official tourism website has an Autumn leaves guide. You can track the Koyo predictions just like you can track the cherry blossoms.

Autumn temperatures start around 26 degrees Celcius.  When you visit Japan in October, you’ll normally still be able to enjoy pleasant temperatures that exceed 20 degrees Celsius. During the month of November, the temperature drops below 20 degrees Celcius to 15 degrees Celcius.

Although November is a bit cooler, it still counts plenty of sunny days to enjoy.

This makes both October and November pleasant and comfortable months to travel to Japan.

Winter announces the low season in most parts of Japan.  Only Hokkaido, with its many ski resorts, experiences a peak in tourism during this season.

Temperatures in Hokkaido range around 0 degrees Celcius.  In central and South Japan it is around 10 degrees Celcius. 

Some melting snow may fall in Tokyo during January and February, but the snow typically doesn’t stick around very long.

This is an atypical time to visit Japan, but the country does have some fun things to offer in winter. Great examples are the snow monkeys that you can see bathing in the onsen. You can also visit idyllic villages such as Shirakawa-go that are very enchanting when they’re covered by a layer of fresh snow.

The Japanese brighten up these cold months with various winter festivals featuring ice sculptures and fairytale-like lights. The most famous of those is the Sapporo Snow Festival.

General Do’s and Don’ts in Japan

It is clear that etiquette is still an important element of everyday life to the Japanese. They are some of the most courteous, helpful, and respectful people we’ve come across.

That was one of the aspects that made our trip so unforgettable.

You are certainly not supposed to comply with all their etiquette rules as a tourist, but the least you can do is try to return the favor.

Soaking in an onsen is one thing you absolutely must do while in Japan, but please read a little about basic onsen etiquette before you do.

Also, try your best at learning a little Japanese so you can say thank you and please when the locals help you out when you ever get lost in one of the huge train stations. (it happened to us a few times)

If you’re staying in a Ryokan, something we also recommend, it’s also good to read a little in preparation so that you know what to expect.

A Ryokan stay is an excellent way to experience Japanese tradition but you will enjoy it so much more if you understand the typical customs that come with such a stay.

They will provide you with slippers and a Yukata to wear around the property and Ryokans usually also have an onsen.

Are you afraid to cut a silly figure? Don’t let this stop you from staying a Ryokan and remember that you can always ask the owners about their house rules.

Intrigued by what we write above? Here you can find all our ryokans posts:

• Best Ryokan with private onsen in Kyoto
• Best Ryokans in Osaka
• 20 best Ryokans with private onsen in Hakone
• Best Ryokans in Kanazawa

Different cultures have different eating etiquette and it won’t come as a surprise that Japan also has a number of rules about eating with chopsticks. If there’s one thing you absolutely must remember, it’s that you shouldn’t place your sticks vertically in food, which is associated with death.

Did you come here expecting a list of things absolutely not to miss in Japan? We’ve got that too. Here is our Japan bucket list and famous landmarks you shouldn’t miss !

How Many Days in Japan

There’s no easy answer to this question. As Japan lovers, we recommend that you go as long as possible. 🙂

Japan is a country of contrasts. From the bustling city of Tokyo to the stillness of a Zen garden, from the neon-lit nightlife to the serene beauty of Kyoto. There is enough variation in the various sights so that traveling around Japan isn’t boring or repetitive.

To truly appreciate Japan, and its people, we recommend taking at least two weeks to explore this fascinating country.

We have carefully mapped out 5-day, 7-day, 2-week , and 3-week itineraries specifically aimed at first-time visitors.

If you want to make a city trip, check out Tokyo is the perfect destination for a 4 or 5-day city trip .

And if you have a week you can visit Tokyo and make some side trips to nearby places such as Hakone and Nikko or even Kyoto and Osaka.

Check out this list of example itineraries for various destinations in Japan

Japan Trip Cost

Japan is not the cheapest country to explore but some good planning can save you a lot of money.  Hotels will take the largest chunk out of your travel budget.  You can save a lot of money by booking these several months in advance.

Transportation is the second-largest cost item.  Oftentimes you can save on this by using local discount passes or special tourist passes.  The most well-known is the Japan Rail Pass but we also cover other passes on our site such as the Tokyo Metro Pass (Tokyo Subway Ticket) and the Hakone Free Pass .

Food is relatively cheap in Japan.  We spent an average of €12 per day per person on food.  (That is excluding breakfast which was usually included in our hotel rate)

We go into much more detail about the cost of these  3 items in our Japan Travel Guide .

Your Japan Trip Planning

Once you know when you will be traveling you can start working on your Japan itinerary.

Here we share a complete timeline.

The Timeline for Your Japan Trip Planning

6 months in advance

Book international flights

Get travel insurance Plan your itinerary Check if you need a Visa

About 3 months in advance

Book your Japan Rail Pass Book domestic flights

1 month in advance

Internet in Japan Book Tours and other Fun Experiences

1 week in advance

What to pack

6 Months in Advance

Join our japan facebook group.

Be sure to become a member of our  Japan Travel Planning and Tips Facebook group. 

The purpose of this group is to help you plan an amazing vacation to Japan. 

You can ask questions and exchange tips with fellow travelers.

Cheap Flights to Japan

We recommend that you start looking for flights as soon as your travel dates are fixed.  Prices for flights fluctuate continuously and it’s hard to predict when is the best time to buy. 

Tickets can be booked one year out until the very last day and over the course of this period, the price follows a stretched-out U curve.

Prices start high to drop gradually to a low point, and from there on they start rising again.

Everybody knows it’s expensive to wait until the very last minute but nobody knows the exact low point.

Usually, this is 4 to 6 months out for intercontinental flights.  We recommend tracking the price of your flights before you book. 

These days such tracking functionalities are available on all major booking sites (some sites call them price alerts). 

You can also use the insights provided by websites such as Momondo to get a clue about what the price will do.

Here are some tips to find cheap flights to Japan

• Use travel comparison sites such as Momondo , Skyscanner , and Kayak to instantly compare the prices on hundreds of sites.  Direct flights are almost always more expensive.  
• Japan has 2 excellent airlines. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA).  Both are recognized by Skytrax as 5-star airlines for their outstanding service.  You will notice that, because of this award, their flights are often more expensive.
• Chinese carriers often offer rock-bottom prices to Japan with a stop in Shanghai or another Chinese hub.  We flew with China Eastern and thought the service was equally good as what we have experienced on many other European carriers.
• Japan counts several airports.  Make sure to compare prices to all these airports when you’re looking for flights: Narita and Haneda in Tokyo, Kansai and Itami Airport in Osaka, and Chubu Airport in Nagoya.
• Twice yearly we compare several travel booking sites to see which one offers the best flights.  You can check the results here .

Travel Insurance

Flights to Japan are no longer as expensive as a few years ago but they still take a big chunk out of your budget. 

That’s why we recommend taking out  travel insurance as soon as these are booked.

Insurances only cover accidents that occur after taking out and you don’t want to lose this money in case things suddenly turn awry. 

Such accidents happen when you least expect them.

We once couldn’t leave on vacation because one of us slipped on an icy terrace and severely bruised an ankle.

Our travel insurance saved us a lot of money back then because it was a complete family trip that needed to be canceled.

Travel Insurance is something that can be overlooked when you prepare for your vacation.

We were glad we had it back then because, in all honesty, we didn’t always think about it before then. 

Since then we always make sure that our travel expenses are covered.

Travel Insurance for Japan

Japan is a safe and civilized country. The country has an excellent healthcare system that is free for most residents but the costs of medical treatments can be extremely high for foreigners. 

Drawing up a travel insurance policy may seem expensive at first but it can potentially save you a significant sum, significantly more than the small insurance fee. 

We explain what to look for in your travel insurance policy here .  Don’t just go with the cheapest option, make sure to look at what’s covered and to what amount.  Cheaper policies usually come with low limits which can result in high out-of-the-pocket expenses for you.

Most travel insurance policies are usually aimed at residents of a specific country.

Have a look at what’s available in your country and compare this with what’s offered by SafetyWing and HeyMondo travel insurance.

Both are good and trusted insurance companies and offer really good protection for a very affordable rate!

Passports and Visas

Most people won’t need a visa when traveling to Japan, at the time of writing residents of 68 countries were exempt from a visa for short-term stays .   

If you’re a resident of another country, such as China, the Philippines, or Vietnam amongst others, you will need to apply for a Visa before traveling to Japan.

Your passport needs to be valid for the duration of your stay and not longer.  It needs to contain one empty page for the entry stamp.

Health Declaration

Currently, everybody who enters Japan needs to have a health declaration. This declaration can be completed online on the Visit Japan Web site. You need to create an account, enter your passport and flight details, and add proof of vaccination (or a recent test certificate).

At the time of writing Japan requires visitors to have at least 3 vaccinations or a test certificate from a test taken a maximum of 72 hours before boarding the flight. (Check the links for the full official guidelines. We always recommend checking the official website as this information can change anytime.)

In the next step, you can add the customs declaration.

This will result in 2 QR codes, one for the health officer and another one to show at customs. the codes will appear at the latest 6 hours after entering the data.

The Japanese government highly recommends using the online application but it is not mandatory. Just having proof of your vaccination or test results is also OK to be allowed in the country.

We recommend using the application as there have been reports of airlines denying boarding passengers without the QR codes. This is overzealous and incorrect on the part of these airlines, but it can give you serious problems.

Plan your travel itinerary

This may be the hardest part of your Japan trip planning but it’s also the most fun and rewarding part.  

A good place to start your travel planning is our Japan Guide .  This guide contains a mix of inspirational posts about the country complemented by very practical travel information to help you explore the land of the rising sun.

Our articles will keep you busy for several hours. if you still think you miss something have a look at the wide range of books that Lonely Planet has about Japan .  

Below is our advice on the things you shouldn’t miss if this is your first trip to Japan.

We have wrapped them up in short here. More on these highlights can be found here .

Japan Highlights – Top Japan Destinations

Tokyo : Japan’s bustling capital is an amazingly fascinating city of which you will never grow tired. You will need 4 to 5 days to get an impression of the various districts. Each district has its own appearance and charm. 

9 Best Ryokans in Tokyo With Private Onsen (2024 edition)

Samurai Restaurant, the new Robot Restaurant

Mt. Fuji tour from Tokyo: 9 best tours and tips (2024 guide)

How to use Tokyo’s public transport

10 Best Ryokans in Tokyo You Need To Stay At

10 Best Airbnbs in Tokyo: 2024 Guide

17 Best Onsen Hotels in Tokyo You Need To Stay At

A thrilling Tokyo itinerary for 4 days

Where to stay in Tokyo for the first time?

The Hakone day trip guide that covers everything (2024 edition)

Best Private Mt Fuji Tour: 7 Flexible and Customizable Tours

Planning a Tokyo to Mount Fuji day trip: All you need to know

BEST Tokyo itinerary 7 days suggestions for Tokyo + surroundings

12 best Airbnbs in Tokyo for families in 2024

EPIC Tokyo Itinerary: 5 Days of Unforgettable Adventures

Where to find cheap Robot Restaurant Tickets

The best places to visit in Tokyo

Best sakura spots in Tokyo you don’t want to miss

Kyoto :  Kyoto is most tourists’ favorite.  Prepare for temples galore, the city counts no less than 1600 temples.  2 days won’t be enough to visit them all but it should be sufficient to see the highlights of Japan’s cultural capital. 

You may want to add a third day if you don’t want to feel rushed.

19 Amazing Ryokans in Kyoto in The Best Areas (2024 Guide)

How to find the best Airbnb in Kyoto

15 Best Kyoto Onsen Hotels You Need To Stay At

16 BEST Ryokan with Private Onsen in Kyoto (2024 Edition)

Where to stay in Kyoto: Best areas and hotels for 2024

The BEST Kyoto 2-day itinerary for first-timers (2024 edition)

25 Amazing Things to Do in Kyoto at Night

15 of the coolest hotels in Kyoto

Things to do in Gion at night

Osaka :  Osaka is Kyoto’s neighbor.  Both cities are just 30 minutes away by train.  Despite it being so close many tourists skip Osaka and only visit Kyoto. 

We absolutely loved Osaka, it’s also called Japan’s Kitchen, so we strongly recommend reserving 2 days to explore this city.

10 Best Osaka Capsule Hotels You Should Stay At

18 Osaka Hotels With Onsen For A Perfect Stay

Best Osaka Ryokans with Private Onsen (2024 Guide)

How To Find the Best Airbnb in Osaka (2024 Guide)

10 Best Osaka Food Tours For 2024

16 Best Ryokans In Osaka You Need to Stay At (2024 guide)

EPIC Osaka 2-day itinerary: Perfect for first-timers (2024 edition)

Where to stay in Osaka: our best recommendations (2024 guide)

EPIC 1-day Osaka itinerary: Lots of highlights in 1 day

16 BEST things to do in Osaka at night

12 of the coolest hotels in Osaka you have to see

Hiroshima : A city with a dramatic past.  We were touched by the stories in the peace museum and also loved nearby Miyajima with its picturesque floating Torii gate and the free-roaming deer.

You can find more info on what to see and what to do in Hiroshima here.

Mt. Fuji :  Japan’s iconic volcano is a sight for sore eyes.  On clear days the mountain can be seen from the capital but you better not count on that to happen. 

In the following articles we explain the best ways to see the mountain with a tour or independently .

Is The Hakone Freepass Worth It in 2024? The Ultimate Guide

14 Amazing Mt Fuji Hotels with Private Onsen

Best Ryokans in Mount Fuji You Need To Stay At

16 Best Hakone Ryokans You Need To Stay At

Hakone 2-Day Itinerary: Epic Hakone Itinerary+ Tips (2024 Guide)

12 Wonderful Airbnbs in Hakone (2024 Guide)

20 Best Ryokan in Hakone with Private Onsen (2024 edition)

The snow monkeys : Being animal lovers this was a true highlight of our trip.  The best time to see these cute monkeys is in Winter or early Spring when they’re bathing in the onsen.  but it’s also fun to see them in Summer or Autumn. You can visit on your own or join a guided tour from Nagano Station.

Check prices and availability:

Snow monkeys tour GetYourGuide

Snow monkeys tour Viator

Visit an onsen :  Living in Japan can be stressful.  They have long working hours, a high work ethic, and also something known as Tatemae which means you must be an upstanding, ideal citizen to everyone except maybe your close family.  Japanese like to visit an Onsen to find relief after a stressful day.  We also enjoyed the warm water after a full day of walking around in the immense cities.

Samurai restaurant : The Samurai restaurant is the new name of the robot restaurant. The robot restaurant was infamous because it was the epitome of Japanese kitsch, you either hated it or you loved it.  That is still the case today. Attending this crazy neo-Japanese cabaret show might be one of the highlights of your trip.

Check prices and availability: Samurai Restaurant tickets

Or read our full post about the restaurant here. 

Kaiseki dinner : The Japanese kitchen is well-balanced and widely known to provide numerous health benefits. A Kaiseki dinner is Japan’s gastronomy at its best.  It’s a multi-course meal made of local fresh ingredients presented in a beautiful pleasing way.  It’s a real culinary treat.

Kyoto is a great place to enjoy a Kaiseki dinner. The below-mentioned tour combines a guided walk through Gion with a Kaiseiki diner.

Check prices and availability: Kyoto Evening Gion food tour

A traditional tea ceremony : This is another enjoyable Japanese tradition.  It originated in Zen Buddhism and it is bound to strict rules.  A lot of places offer tea ceremonies, we suggest doing some homework and not entering the first tea house you pass.  Not all ceremonies are equally good. 

This is a well-appreciated tea ceremony in Kyoto .

Check prices and availability: Kyoto tea ceremony

Stay in a Ryokan :  A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese family hotel.  Staying in one can be a real treat as the hosts are usually very accommodating and breakfast and dinner are mouth-watering. 

Opt for a small ryokan for the best experience.

The success of Ryokans has attracted larger properties with dozens of rooms but these are nowhere as charming as the small traditional Ryokans where it feels like you’re really a guest staying with the family.

Rent a Kimono :  Ideal if you want some great pictures of your trip. Don’t worry that you will stick out, the Japanese put on these traditional clothes for all kinds of festive occasions.  We counted loads of Japanese that were taking pictures of the cherry blossoms in their colorful Kimonos. 

Here is one address in Kyoto where you can rent a kimono for a day .

Check prices and availability: Kimono rental

Example Japan itineraries

Here are some example itineraries.  You can copy them exactly or you can use them as a basis to start with.

Sapporo Winter Itinerary: Enjoy Sapporo in Winter in 2 or 3 Days

What to Do in Hiroshima? Best Activities in 2024

The Perfect 14-Day Japan Travel Itinerary for First Timers

4 Best Japan 7-Day Itinerary Suggestions For First Timers (2024 Guide)

A wonderful Kanazawa itinerary for 2 days

EPIC 3-week itinerary for Japan (perfect for first-timers)

The best Japan 5-day itinerary suggestions for first-timers

Hotels in Japan

Accommodation in the larger cities of Japan can be expensive. 

Kyoto takes the cake with prices that can reach $800/night and higher for a standard room in a 4-star hotel in the high season. 

Prices in Tokyo and Osaka skyrocket as well in peak season, albeit slightly less.

It’s good practice to be prepared and book your rooms as soon as you’ve got your Japan itinerary fixed.

Don’t be put off by the above prices. If you plan in time and compare different hotels, you can also book very good hotels for quite a bit less. We traveled through Japan during the cherry blossom season, an expensive period to be in Japan, and paid on average €105/night for our hotels. 

We stayed in a combination of Ryokans and 3 or 4-star hotels. All were well-maintained and very clean.

Best Booking Sites for Japan

It’s easy to book the hotels for your trip online.  These are the sites we used:

Booking.com

Who doesn’t know Booking.com ? What else do I need to say?   

Less popular but equally trustworthy is Agoda. It is also part of the Booking.com group.  Agoda originated in Asia and it will sometimes show better rates for Asian hotels.  We also found some Ryokans on Agoda that couldn’t be booked on Booking.com

Apartments and Houses

Hotel rooms in Japan can be on the small side.  Certainly in the megacities of Tokyo and Osaka. 

If you’re traveling with children or friends it might be better to look for an apartment instead.  We recommend renting through VRBO, Booking, and Airbnb.

And don’t worry, Airbnb is completely legal in Japan.

Here is an overview of the best Airbnb’s in Tokyo. If you are traveling to Tokyo with your family, check out this post. 

If you are looking for apartments and houses in Kyoto, click here. 

Those that are traveling to Osaka can find a selection of apartments and houses here. 

Special Accommodations

We already shortly talked about ryokans in this article, here are some other options for an original overnight stay in Japan.

As written above a stay in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese family hotel can be a real treat.  In a Ryokan, you sleep on a futon on the floor, believe me when I say that it is much more comfortable than it sounds. 

Ryokans can be booked on both Booking.com and Agoda.

A Minshuku is very similar to a Ryokan. The term Minshuku is not as widely known as many people probably just refer to these hotels as Ryokans. Opinions differ as to what a Minshuku is. Sometimes you will see it described as a low-budget Ryokan. According to us, it is better seen as a small-scale Ryokan.

All Ryokans used to be small family-run properties but these days you can find some large Ryokans with dozens of rooms. These offer luxurious accommodations with top-notch service but don’t have the homely feeling of what a Ryokan used to be about.

To experience this you have to opt for a smallish Ryokan or a Minshuku.

Very few hotels call themselves Minshuku as not many tourists know this term. Usually, they are also listed on booking platforms as Ryokans.

Temple Stay

Here you will stay at a temple. 

The room is comparable to that found in a ryokan.   

A healthy vegetarian dinner is usually included in your stay and we suggest you retire early as you’re also invited to participate in the morning prayers that start at 6 am sharp. 

You can also enrich your stay with meditation classes offered by Buddhist monks.

Temples that offer temple stays can be found in Kanazawa and Kyoto but the most popular place by far for this experience is Koyasan.  We left our temple a little disappointed, it all felt too touristy and not authentic but your mileage may vary.

There are special sites that specialize in temple stays but you will also find these temples on Booking.com and Agoda.

Check prices and availabilty: Booking.com

Check prices and availability: Agoda

Capsule Hotels

Capsule hotels, also known as pod hotels, originated in Japan. 

They were originally only aiming at busy businessmen that were looking for a place to crash for a few hours.

Many still only cater to men but some now welcome both genders, still strictly separated in separate parts of the hotel.

The capsules in the hotel are usually the size of a bed with just enough space to sit upright.  The capsules are stacked side-by-side and are usually two units high.  In the capsule is a small TV and power sockets, all other amenities like toilets and showers are communal.

Over the years capsule hotels have become more popular among tourists, on the one hand for the unique experience but backpackers also love them because they’re cheap. 

The tourists were the driver for them to start with Woman sections and Kiba hotel in Tokyo now even has pods with a double beds for couples.

Capsule hotels can be booked on Booking.com and Agoda.

Check prices and availability: Booking.com

Staying in a Machiya can be a unique experience. Machiya are vacation rentals and ideal in case you’re traveling with friends or family. The properties almost always have a full kitchen to prepare your own meals.

What distinguishes a Machiya from a regular holiday home is that they are located inside a traditional townhouse. The townhouses have been restored, respecting all elements of Japanese traditions. Some come with some Western comforts but all have a traditional Japanese interior.

Several Machiya can be found in Kyoto .

What you Should Know When Booking Accommodation

• Rooms in Japan tend to be small.  Certainly in the major cities.  The less you pay the smaller your room will be.  In our experience, the price is a good indicator of the size of the room.
• Regardless of whether we stayed in cheap Ibis or Comfort Inn hotels or more expensive Hilton and Marriott properties, our rooms were always spotlessly clean.
• Capsule hotels will require you to check in and check out every day irrespective of the length of your stay.  Your bags will also need to be stored in lockers.  Make sure you arrive prepared with all you need for the night in a separate small bag.  It’s not really practical if you need to start digging in your suitcase right there.

21 Amazing Hokkaido Ryokans with Private Onsen

Ryokan in Kanazawa: 9 BEST Traditional Japanese Inns To Stay At

15 of the coolest hotels in Tokyo you must stay in (2024 edition)

Getting Around Japan

Now that you know what you will be visiting in Japan it’s time to glue all this together.  There are 3 means to get around Japan.

Below is a short summary of the 3 options.  Click here for more information on getting around Japan .

The train is by far the most convenient way to get around Japan.  It’s also the most popular among tourists.  Japan’s train network consists of several companies. 

The formerly state-run JR is the largest company and also the one to offer the Japan Rail Pass. 

This pass is exclusively available to tourists and is often a good way to save on your transportation. 

See further in this article for more about the Japan Rail Pass.

Highway buses offer a cheap alternative to the more expensive trains.  Buses are a slower and less comfortable means of transportation but can save a few bucks in your travel budget.

There is a dense network of bus routes operated by several different companies. 

Not all companies have an English website, to book buses, it’s best to use the website of Japan Bus Online .

Rental Car or Campers

It’s also possible to rent a car or a van. 

While this probably won’t be more affordable than getting around by train it may offer you more flexibility.

Avoid large cities though where your car will be more like a liability than an asset.

Organized tours

These tours are great alternatives if you just won’t succeed to plan your trip or if you rather just enjoy your holiday without needing to worry about all the details.

There is a range of group tours, but there are also tours where you still travel independently according to a pre-organized itinerary.

TourRadar is the place to go for an all-encompassing overview of the available tours.

It is an online marketplace for tour operators. 

It shows an overview of all available tours and it avoids having to separately search the website of each tour operator. 

You will find tours from popular international household names as well as a broad selection of Japanese niche operators.

They have a very user-friendly website. Several filters allow you to limit the selection to your liking and the reviews can give you a good impression of what to expect from the tour.

Below is an overview of some excellent 5 and 7-day tours that can be found on TourRadar.

How to Choose the Best 7 days Japan Tour Package (2024 Edition)

How to choose the best Japan tour package

Best Self-Guided Tours in Japan: 10 Amazing Tours For 2024

How to choose the best 5 days Japan tour package? (+tips and tours)

3 Months in Advance

Japan rail pass.

The train is a super-convenient way to get around Japan. 

I’m a big fan of car rentals as these give you a lot of freedom during your trip and even I made an exception in Japan.

When planning our Japan trip I carefully checked the train schedules and prices and compared this with what it would cost to rent a car. 

Renting a car is not cheap, Japan counts many toll roads and fuel prices are on the high side.  What won me over is how easy it was to get everywhere with the trains.

Trains aren’t particularly cheap in Japan either but they run on time and even the most secluded stations seem to be serviced several times a day.

That brings us to the Japan Rail Pass , is it worth buying one or not?  The answer is, it depends.

Those rail passes are not cheap.  It would be a shame if you draw conclusions too quickly and buy one if you don’t need it. The rail pass makes it easier to travel by train but it’s too expensive to buy it only for comfort. 

It’s only really worth buying one if you will save on your tickets or if the difference is marginal.

We explain how you can calculate if, and how much, you will save on your tickets in this article .  I really encourage you to do the math before you buy your Japan Rail Pass.

Is the Japan Rail Pass still worth it in 2024: Tips and Tricks

Domestic Flights

The efficient Shinkansen that traverse the country in all directions make flights almost unnecessary. 

Still, there remain a few locations that are more quickly reached by plane than by train. 

Most notable is, of course, Okinawa, an island south of Japan’s main island that can only be reached by boat or plane.  Another journey, which is also faster by plane, goes to Hokkaido.  The island is north of Japan’s main island.  It’s possible to ride the Shinkansen to Sapporo but the aircraft on average cuts the travel time in half.

Japan counts a wide range of low-cost carriers.  You have Jetstar, Peach Aviation, Vanilla Air, and Fuji Dream Airlines to name just a few.  The prices for the flights are usually very good thanks to this fierce competition.

There’s also no need to book these flights long in advance. 

Somewhere between 3 months and 3 weeks in advance should be OK unless you are looking for flights in peak travel periods like Golden Week.

Use travel comparison sites such as Momondo , Skyscanner and Kayak to instantly compare the prices of all the low-cost carriers.

Check what’s included with your ticket.  Some low-cost carriers have carry-on only fares, others use 15kg as the standard baggage allowance.  (For comparison: Regular carriers usually allow 20-23kg for each piece of baggage).

1 Month in Advance

Staying online in japan.

A local SIM card or a Pocket Wifi device is an invaluable asset if you would like to discover Japan independently. 

We did use our phones intensively to avoid getting lost, to find local restaurants, and to check the train or subway schedule.

There is a whole range of other Japan apps that can help you to travel deeper.

We cover the advantages of staying online in more detail in the below articles. 

You can choose between a pocket WiFi device and a local tourist SIM card.   Both have their pros and cons which we also discuss.

The BEST pocket WiFi rental for Japan (2024 guide)

What’s the best tourist SIM card for Japan (2024 guide)

Tours and other Fun Experiences

Tourism has boomed in Japan and popular attractions can fill up several days in advance. Most notable is Teamlab Borderless where tickets are sometimes sold out several weeks in advance.  

To avoid missing out on fun experiences like these it is best to book your tickets well in advance.

In many cases, it will not only give you peace of mind but will also save you a few bucks.  Often online tickets are cheaper than the price at the door.

Most activities and tours can be booked with either GetYourGuide or Klook. 

Booking Sites for Japan Activities

Here is some information about the booking sites we use most for bookings in Japan.

GetYourGuide

Millions have already booked their tours with GetYourGuide. 

What we love about GetYourGuide is its outstanding customer service. 

They’re just a call or an e-mail away and will respond quickly and professionally. 

Most activities booked on GetYourGuide can be canceled for free until 24 hours in advance which leaves you with enough flexibility in case your plans might change.

Check prices and availability: GetYourGuide

Viator is just like GetYourGuide a middleman that brings tourists in contact with local tour companies. Viator was independent until 2014 when it was acquired by TripAdvisor. It is a reputable company with a wide range of tours, even bigger than GetYourGuide.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on GetYourGuide, maybe you should check out Viator.

Most activities can be canceled for free until 24 hours in advance. This way you can book your activity knowing that your schedule is still flexible in case your plans need a change.

Check prices and availability: Viator

Klook is a major Asian ticket-booking site aimed at independent travelers.

They offer more activities in Japan than any other booking site.  In many cases, tickets on Klook are cheaper than the official prices at the door.

This might have you wonder if Klook is legit.  It is! 

The site is completely trustworthy, it has already been featured in several reputable business magazines (such as Forbes ) and we have used it, as well as thousands of other users , without any problems. 

Not all activities offered by Klook can be canceled 24 hours in advance.

Pay attention to this when booking if your plans are not 100% fixed.

Check prices and availability: Klook

Fun Activities

Here’s a list of things you might consider booking in advance:

Robot Restaurant ( renamed the Samurai restaurant): Tickets online are usually cheaper than at the door.  Read our review to see what this show is about.

teamLab Borderless : A very popular experience in Tokyo unlike anything else you have seen before.

Tokyo Skytree : Amazing 360-degree views of Japan’s capital.  This ticket allows you to skip the line.

Traditional Tea Ceremony in Kyoto : An introduction to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Ghibli Museum : The Ghibli Museum contains a world-famous collection of art pieces

Sumo Tournament or Sumo Practice : Sumo tournaments are only held 3 times per year.  If you can attend one we certainly recommend it.  If you are not in Japan during the tournaments it is still worthwhile to attend a practice session.

Amusement Parks

Tokyo Disney and DisneySea : Tokyo Disney is very much like Disneyland anywhere else in the world.  DisneySea, on the other hand, is a unique and very well-designed theme park with some amazing rides.

Universal Studios : Another amazing theme park in Osaka.  Your ticket includes access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Minion park.  To spend your time efficiently you can upgrade your pass to skip the line at 4 attractions or 7 attractions .

Fuji-Q : This theme park is located at the base of Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s famous landmarks.   It has some record-holding rollercoasters and several anime-themed attractions.

Airport Transportation

Do you already know how you will get from the airport to your hotel?  We definitely recommend that you plan this in advance so that you arrive in the country stress-free. 

Here’s more info on how to get to Oska from the airport or on how to get to Tokyo from the airport .

Tokyo Tokyo Narita – Skyliner Express Ticket The N’ex train is covered by the JR Pass.  If you have no JR pass this train is a good alternative.

You can also book a private or shared transfer .

Osaka Kansai – Nankai Line rapi:t The JR Haruka is covered by the JR Pass.  If you have no JR pass this rapit train from the Nankai line is a good alternative.

You can also use the Osaka Limousine bus or a private or shared transfer .

Discount Passes

Hakone Free Pass A good discount pass to explore Hakone and see Mt. Fuji

Tokyo Subway Ticket (Tokyo Metro Pass) The cheapest option to get around Tokyo (unless you plan on using your JR Pass in the capital).  If you pre-order your metro pass it will be ready at the airport and you can use it to get to your hotel.

1 Week in Advance

What to pack for your japan trip.

We’re almost there.  It’s time to start packing.

The most important things are of course your passport and an open mind. 

Once those are taken care of you can have a look at our Japan Packing List , a handy list that covers everything from the official stuff, to travel gear to make your trip more comfortable as well as what to wear in the various seasons.

Great, you reached the end of this post!  I hope this means you’re all done and can start counting down to this amazing adventure.

Don’t forget to join our Japan Facebook group if you haven’t already done so.  In this group, you can exchange tips with fellow Japan Travelers to fine-tune those last details of your trip.

Let’s wrap it up by wishing you a Japan vacation of a lifetime!

Traveling to Japan for the First Time: Planning a 1-2 Week Trip Making your first trip to Japan an awesome one

May 8, 2012 • words written by Koichi • Art by Aya Francisco

Traveling to Japan for the first time can be overwhelming. I understand! There's a lot to see and do. That's why I put together a "first-timers" Japan travel itinerary, built on my 20+ years of traveling to and from Japan.

This sample trip is for people heading to Japan for 1 to 2 weeks (which seems like the standard visit time for most people). Of course, there are so many things to see in Japan besides those featured on this trip itinerary. That's why I broke the travel plan into a 2 week stint so you can customize your vacation, removing and adding things as necessary.

That said, I hope this is helpful to those of you visiting Japan for the first time.

Things To Know

There are a few important things to know that have nothing to do with the actual places. They are:

Whether you travel to Japan for one week or one-point-five weeks or two weeks, the general route stays the same. You'll do Tokyo area, then Kyoto, then Nara, then Koya, and then back to Tokyo. Throughout the route, I'll mark things as "optional" as well. If you're only staying a week, I'd recommend cutting out these things (unless you really want to go to them, then cut something else out). If you're staying for two weeks, you should be able to go to all of these places, and maybe even diverge off to other places. In fact, I highly encourage this! Go where you want – this route is merely a suggestion.

Also keep in mind that I'm just going to be providing locations. You'll have to do your own research as to how to get to them. Google and Google Maps helps a lot with this. I believe in you.

Whether you stay a week or two weeks, I'd recommend getting the JR Pass . This is like a magical golden ticket that gives you unlimited JR train rides (bullet train too) to anywhere around Japan. Not all things are free (for example, non JR trains as well as most subways), but if you take three rides on the Shinkansen that will usually make it worthwhile. You can get a JR Pass at jrpass.com (where I got my last one). Just be sure to take into account the time change when you schedule your ticket dates. Going to Japan involves traveling through both space and time.

Finding Places To Stay

I don't really cover places to stay in this article, just the places to go to. Finding someplace to stay is up to you, though there are plenty of resources out there that will help you. I recommend hostels for adventurers / students / people with no money (they're fun, cheap, and way less sketchy than other hostels I've been to). Guest houses are also great if you can find them. They tend to be a little cheaper than hotels, but the food / environments are a lot more interesting. And interesting is what you want when you travel to Japan.

Since this is a pretty standard trip, most of the places are going to be pretty bag friendly. I wouldn't bring a ton (lots of hotels have washing machines too), and would definitely recommend a backpack or something with wheels. Don't make the mistake of bringing something you're not comfortable carrying up and down long flights of stairs. You will run into a lot of these getting on and off trains, so if your biceps are tiny, only pack whatever you can lift (preferably less). Also, bring a lightweight duffel bag (or you can buy one) for the optional shopping you can do at the end of your trip.

That being said, let's get started! You have some traveling to plan.

Day 1: Fly Into Tokyo

Flying into Tokyo isn't terrible, but it isn't great either. Depending on where you're coming from, you may also be terribly jet lagged. If that's you and you're on the 2-week schedule, you get an extra day to take it easy in Tokyo. Nice. If that's not you, you better be ready to go. No rest for the weary. After getting to the airport, you'll need to go pick up your JR Pass (should be included with your ticket). If your flight comes in too late (and the ticket place is closed) I'd recommend shelling out the $30 or so to go into Tokyo without the JR Pass and get it the next day in the city.

Optional: You can also pick up a 3g hotspot / internet dongle for your computer if you'd like. Finding free wifi in Japan is a huge pain, and getting one of these will pay for itself if you need to do a lot of work, or something.

Once you've gotten your ticket, hop on the JR Narita Express (NEX) to Tokyo. When you get to Tokyo, check into wherever you're staying and scope things out. It's probably evening by now anyways, so do your best to unjetlag yourself and go to bed so you can wake up early.

Day 2, 3, & 4: Tokyo

*If you're only staying for one week, cut out days 3 and 4 and then skip to Day 7. Alternatively, you could skip Day 2 as well and choose to do Day 5 or Day 6 (then your Tokyo time will be your shopping time on your way back). If you don't really care about big cities like Tokyo, skipping this section won't be too bad! :)

For the first few days, you'll be exploring Tokyo. So many people. So many things. Hopefully by the end of your Tokyo time you'll feel so tired of it you want to go somewhere nice and peaceful (don't worry, you will!). There are various areas of Tokyo worth visiting, and they're all quite easy to get to via the subway system. As long as you're not hitting it during rush hour, you'll probably have a great time scooting around. Since there are so many different tastes out there, I thought I'd list out the main places worth visiting in Tokyo, and then you can pick and choose what you like. I'll even sort them by areas.

Central Tokyo

Akihabara: This area should be on every nerd's Japan itinerary. It's famous for its electronic shops and otaku culture. So, if you're into either of these, this is a fun place to be. Make sure you look up, too. Lots of multi-story buildings filled with all kinds of weird things. You can spend a while walking around here.

Northern Tokyo:

Asakusa: Asakusa has the feeling of an "old" Tokyo, I think. You can visit the Sensoji (famous Buddhist Temple) and Asakusa Shrine or hit up some of the various shopping lanes.

Ueno Park: Ueno Park is probably one of Japan's most well known parks. Besides being parkish, it's full of museums, shrines, temples, as well as the Ueno Zoo. Definitely the kind of place you fancier folks will enjoy. You can spend a whole day here, if you're into this kind of thing.

Roppongi Hills: Want to see Tokyo from somewhere up high? Come to Roppongi Hills. You can go up into the Mori tower and look down on all those tiny people. Pro Tip: They don't like it when you try to throw pennies off the observation deck. Also worth noting is the Mori Art Museum.

Kappabashi: Do you know how a lot of Japanese food places have fake foods outside showing you what the food looks like? There's a chance they got it at Kappabashi, the kitchen capital of Tokyo. You can buy things for your restaurant, but the best part is the fake food, I think. It's surprisingly expensive, too.

Western Tokyo

Shibuya: Shibuya is just a ward of Tokyo, but it's particularly known for all its fashion and culture. Fashionistas should put it on their Japan itinerary. A lot of shopping can be found here, but there's also the Hachiko Dog Statue as well. Scope it out but come back in the "shopping days" at the end of your trip.

Love Hotel Hill: Technically this is part of Shibuya, but it's worth noting on its own. This is just an area with a lot of love hotels. Pro tip: They won't let three people in at a time, so if you want to check one out as a group, you'll have to break up into pairs or bring a body pillow.

Shinjuku: Shinjuku's kind of the party district, though that may be because of Kabukicho (northeast of Shinjuku Station) which is Tokyo's big red light district. If you're into nightclubs, bars, pachinko, neon, and other ahem things, this will be a place you'll enjoy.

Harajuku: Love crazy outfits? You'll fit in right here. Harajuku is home to Tokyo's teen fashion and cosplay (if you visit on a Sunday). There's also plenty of shopping and crepe stands as well (yum).

Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park: These two places are pretty close to each other, so I'm putting them together here too. It's also a good place to go from Harajuku, since you'll use the same train station. The Meiji Shrine is just one of many shrines in Japan, but it's particularly interesting if you're into modern Japanese history. Yoyogi Park, on the other hand, is just a really big park. Both are nice, though, if you're looking to get out of the cement jungle known as Tokyo.

Day 5: Monkey Park, Jigokudani

Have you heard of those Japanese monkeys that hang out in the hot springs? This is one of those places, though depending on the time of year, they may not be spending too much time in the hot springs. I like this place in Winter, but other times are good as well. Summer means baby monkeys, after all. To get here, you'll have to go North of Tokyo to Nagano (Shinkansen it!). From Nagano Station, take Nagano Dentetsu to Yudanaka. From there, you can take a bus to the Kanbayashi Onsen, which has the entrance to the Jigokudani Yaen-Koen. It'll be a 30+ minute walk (depending on how much you stop) to get to the actual monkey area, though you may start seeing monkeys before then if you're lucky. Check out the livecam , too!

If you're going to Jigokudani, I'd maybe recommend heading up here at the end of Day 4 and staying the night in Nagano. There's some interesting things up there too (that's where they did the Winter Olympics in 1998!), so feel free to head up a bit earlier and check things out. Then, the next morning (Day 5) you can head out bright and early to Jigokudani and take your time with the monkeys and possibly hit the onsen. It's a nice place. Then, you can head on back to Tokyo the same night.

Day 6: Toshogu Shrine, Nikko

Nikko is the mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu. Basically, he and his relatives ruled over Japan as Shogun for 250 years (until the Meiji Restoration). That means he got a pretty sweet shrine. There are over a dozen Shinto and Buddhist buildings here, and it's in a very beautiful setting. Need some peace from Tokyo? You'll for sure get it here.

This can be a day trip (it's really close to Tokyo) with some extra time left over. I'd recommend coming here, then either checking out other things in this area or heading straight to Tokyo in the afternoon or evening. Just be sure to give yourself 3-4 hours to travel, so don't leave too late from here. Another option would be to leave the morning of Day 7 and get to Kyoto in the late morning or early afternoon. It's totally up to you.

Day 7 & 8: Kyoto

*If you're on the 1-week plan, skip day 8 and go to Nara instead.

Kyoto's going to be your shrine and temple time while visiting Japan. Since it was the place where the emperor lived for over a thousand years, it's full of cool, historical things. Take your pick and enjoy. Also be sure to just walk around at random. You'll run into so many temple, castles, and shrines just by accident. It doesn't hurt to explore, some. Oh, and bring your walking shoes. Things are about to get… walky.

Central Kyoto

Nijo Castle: This was where Tokugawa Ieyasu lived (remember his shrine, up above?). Later it switched to an imperial palace (after the Shogunate went down), and then later opened to the public. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is supposedly a big deal.

Kyoto Imperial Palace: When the Shogunate was in power, this is where the imperial family lived. You can even take tours in English, here.

Northern Kyoto

Kinkakuji: Also known as the golden pavilion, this is a building covered in gold .

Western Kyoto

Kokedera: Also known as Saihoji, this is another UNESCO World Heritage Site (way to go, Kyoto). This temple is mainly known for its moss, and apparently has over 120 different varieties.

Southern Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Shrine: This shrine is known for its thousand torii gates. They're bright orange and absolutely incredible to walk through. Highly recommended.

Eastern Kyoto

Kiyomizudera: One of the must sees, I think (and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This temple is high up on a hill and has a balcony that offers an awesome view.

Higashiyama District: You'll run into this on your way up to Kiyomizudera, actually. Think of this area as a "historic shopping district." Kind of touristy, but a lot of fun nonetheless. Grab something to take home!

Sanjusangendo: The building itself it's amazing, but the inside is pretty remarkable. There are 1001 statues of Kannon in here, which is… well… kinda remarkable.

Gion: Like Geisha? this is Kyoto's Geisha District. You will have to try pretty hard to get in to see a geiko, though, but good luck trying (hint: apparently some travel agencies will hook you up if you've got the yen).

Day 9: Nara

You can leave the morning of Day 9 or leave the evening of Day 10 and spend the night in Nara. Either is fine. You can even spend the night in Nara on Day 9 as well then move on early in the morning of Day 10. It all depends on how much you like temples and Deer.

While there's some neat temples, shrines, castles, and other similar things here in Nara, I'd say you're coming for deer. The deer here are pretty tame and will actually attack you if you have food (kinda fun to run from deer). Don't worry, they have their horns cut off, though (it's a religious thing), so you won't be stabbed through, most likely.

Places you'll want to go in Nara:

• Todaiji Temple: Largest wooden structure in the world with Japan's largest Buddha statues inside. Basically, think super sized. Definitely one of the best places to visit in Nara.
• Nara Park: Has a lot of deer. Go buy deer food, the deer will thank you.
• Kofukuji Temple: Basically a big temple. Very pretty, though.
• Nara National Museum: If you're interested in Japanese Buddhist Art, this will be a fun place for you. The building is also surrounded by ferocious, wild deer.

Consider this a day to walk around but not as much as when you were in Kyoto. Nara's a lot like Kyoto in a lot of ways, though, so I'd recommend mainly hitting up the deer and then hitting up Todaiji Temple. Depending on how worn out you are on temples, though, you can stay here longer or shorter, deciding where you stay this night based off of that.

Day 10: Mt. Koya aka Koyasan

You'll want to make sure you leave early this day, whether you're leaving from Kyoto or Nara. You have a ways to go to get to Koya-san, quite possibly one of the most beautiful places in Japan (just my opinion). This might be one of the best places you go in your Japan travels.

There are a hundred temples here, many of which you can stay the night at. When you spend the night, you get the best vegetarian meal you've ever had (guaranteed), a room to stay in, and even the option to wake up (really) early to go watch the monks do their morning rituals. It's so peaceful, a lot of fun, and one of my favorite places on earth. You'll want to go to the Koyasan website for more information on lodging.

I'd recommend getting here as early as you can on Day 10, dropping off your things at the place you're staying, then just walk around. You'll be able to fill a good amount of time just exploring. The best place to walk, though? Probably the giant cemetery, which also happens to be the largest in Japan. Although some may find a graveyard creepy, it really is quite peaceful.

This, I think, will be one of your best days in Japan, so don't skimp out on it if possible! Just be sure to get back to your temple in time for dinner.

Day 11: Travel Day / Osaka / Fuji

*If you're on the 1-week schedule, you'll need to get back to Tokyo. You're running out of days.

Day 11 is mostly travel. You'll want to leave Koya either late morning or early afternoon, depending on where you're going next. If you like shopping a lot, you'll want to get back to Tokyo on this day.

If you don't need the extra time, consider stopping in Osaka (it's on the way from Koyasan). You can visit the Glico Man, Osaka Tower, play some Pachinko, and eat some Takoyaki / Okonomiyaki (both famous in Osaka). It's a bit different than Tokyo, but it's still a big city. I'll leave this one up to you, though. Osaka's a lot of fun to just walk around and check out.

Alternatively, you could stop at Mt. Fuji on the way back too. I recommend the amusement park Fuji-Q Highland over climbing the mountain itself (it looks better from afar, you'll have to trust me on this one) if you do this. Definitely don't miss the horror house there, it's top notch.

Whatever you end up doing, you're reaching the end of your trip. Just make sure you're back in Tokyo in time to do your shopping before you get on the airplane to leave. Of course, if you don't shop, then you have more time to go to more places. If you do shop, get back to Tokyo.

Day 12 & 13: Shopping In Tokyo / Last Minute Visits

Hopefully you scoped out all the places you wanted to shop at, because this is your shopping time. Get the things you want for yourself and for your friends / relatives. Fill up that duffel bag you brought / bought and have fun. This is also a good time to just go around to the places you missed.

Either way, it's good to be back in Tokyo a day or two before your flight leaves, that way you won't miss your flight (unless you want to "accidentally" miss it, wink wink nudge nudge).

Day 14: Go Home

Hope you had traveling to Japan. This is only your first trip, though. Now that you've gotten all the normal / main stuff out of the way, your next trip can be filled with strange, exciting places. Be sure to check out TofuguTV for some of those, and keep reading Tofugu for more in the future. There are certainly many, many "off-the-beaten-track" locations worth visiting, but we'll save that for next time !

Inside Kyoto

A Kyoto Travel Guide

• 1 Week Japan Itinerary: Tokyo and Kyoto

If you’ve got about a week to spend and this is your first trip to Japan, this Classic Japan itinerary is for you. You’ll experience modern Japan in Tokyo and traditional Japan in Kyoto.

Itinerary Summary

• Duration: 7 to 10 days
• Perfect for: First time visitors to Japan with limited time.
• Cities visited: Tokyo and Kyoto
• Arrival City/Airport: Most people fly into Tokyo’s Narita or Haneda airports to do this itinerary. You can also fly via Kansai International Airport (KIX), which is the nearest international airport to Kyoto/Osaka.
• Best Season: Any time of year.
• Japan Rail Pass: A one-week Japan Rail Pass may save you a bit of money. For more details, see our Japan Rail Pass: Is It Worth It? page.

Hire A Travel Expert To Plan Your Japan Itinerary

Check hotel availability, destination, check-in date, check-out date.

How much time should you spend in Tokyo and Kyoto?

A crucial question you must ask yourself is how much time to allot to each city. For most people, the ideal breakdown is 2 full days in Tokyo and 4 full days in Kyoto (travel days are not considered full days). If you are more interested in modern Japan, then you could spend 3 days in Tokyo and 3 in Kyoto. For most people, Kyoto is more relaxing and more manageable, so spending more time in Kyoto results in a more enjoyable vacation.

The Full Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo You’ll probably arrive at Narita International Airport (NRT), but some flights also go into the more convenient Haneda International Airport (HND). See our Tokyo Airport Transport page for details on getting into Tokyo from the airports.

Day 2: Tokyo: Modern Tokyo On your first full day in Tokyo, you’ll explore the modern west side of the city. See our full Tokyo Two-Day Itinerary for details.

Day 3: Tokyo: Traditional Tokyo On your second full day in Tokyo, you’ll explore the traditional east side of the city. See our full Tokyo Two-Day Itinerary for details.

Day 4: Travel to Kyoto, Explore Downtown Kyoto Take the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. The journey takes around 2.5 hours. For details, see our How to Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto page. You’ll probably have some time after arriving in Kyoto to explore. We recommend checking out the downtown area on this day.

Day 5: Kyoto: Southern Higashiyama On your first full day in Kyoto, you’ll explore the temple-packed Southern Higashiyama area. See our full Kyoto Three-Day Itinerary for details.

Day 6: Kyoto: Arashiyama On your second full day in Kyoto, travel west to the Arashiyama district, which is home to the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. See our full Kyoto Three-Day Itinerary for details.

Day 7: Kyoto: Kurama and Northern Higashiyama On your last full day in Kyoto, consider a trip to Kurama and then explore the lovely Northern Higashiyama area. See our full Kyoto Three-Day Itinerary for details. Another option on this day would be a day or half-day trip to Nara. For information on Nara, see our full Nara guide .

Day 8: Travel from Kyoto back to Tokyo Take the shinkansen back to Tokyo. For details, see our How to Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto page. You’ll probably have some time in the afternoon to do some last-minute shopping or sightseeing. Note, if your flight out of Tokyo leaves after 3pm, you might be able to spend this night in Kyoto (see the note below).

Day 9: Leave Japan Return to Narita or Haneda airport and fly home. See our Tokyo Airport Transport page for transport details.

Important Note on Leaving Kyoto and Flying Out of Tokyo the Same Day

If your departure from Tokyo is after 3pm, you do not have to spend your last night in Tokyo; you can leave from Kyoto and still make your flight. As a rule, to travel from Kyoto to Narita takes around 4 hours, with transfers. The best way is to take a Hikari or Nozomi shinkansen to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and transfer to the Narita Express there (if you change at Tokyo Station, you have to walk VERY far to reach the Narita Express platforms).

If you you’re flying out of Haneda Airport, allow about 3.5 hours travel time from Kyoto to Haneda. The best way is a Hikari or Nozomi shinkansen to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and then the Keikyu Line to Haneda.

Japan Itineraries:

• Japan Itineraries Overview
• 10 Day Japan Itinerary: Tokyo, Kyoto and Kanazawa
• 10 Day Japan Itinerary: Tokyo, Kyoto and Takayama
• 2 Week Japan Itinerary: The Grand Tour
• 7 to 10 Day Japan Itinerary: Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima
• Japan With Children Itinerary

Kyoto Vacation Checklist

• For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Kyoto guide
• Check Kyoto accommodation availability on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
• You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto , Kyoto to Osaka and Kyoto to Tokyo
• Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Kyoto
• See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
• Buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Kansai International Airport (for Osaka and Kyoto) or Tokyo's Narita Airport . Or rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
• Compare Japan flight prices and timings to find the best deals
• If you're making frequent train journeys during your visit, you might save money with Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
• A prepaid Welcome Suica card makes travelling around Kyoto easy – here's how
• World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world

Kyoto District Map

• Central Kyoto
• Northwest Kyoto
• Northern Higashiyama
• Southern Higashiyama
• Downtown Kyoto
• Kyoto Station Area
• South East Kyoto

Disclosure: InsideKyoto.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

35+ Helpful Japan Travel Tips To Know BEFORE You Go

J apan is a remarkable country filled with so much history, natural beauty and modern touches. I’ve just returned from my second trip to Japan and was reminded of so many things I had forgotten about the country! Traveling in Japan is an amazing and enriching experience, however it is also a country filled with traditions and unique ways of operating that visitors may not be used to. Below I share the best Japan travel tips to help you make the most of your trip.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Top Japan Travel Tips to Know BEFORE You Go

Before you head off to Japan, there are a few things you will need to know in advance and to plan for. While most things on this list can be figured out while in country, a few MUST be done before you leave your home. Whether you opt for the classic tourist circuit Japan itinerary or get off the beaten path , these tips will go a long way to help you enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Get A Japan Rail Pass in ADVANCE

If you want a Japan Rail Pass , it is only available to purchase for overseas tourists BEFORE they enter the country. Once you are in country, you can no longer purchase a JR Pass, so if you plan to use the bullet train between destinations quite a bit, this is a must do before you leave. You must also give yourself plenty of advance notice as well as the pass is still mailed to a physical address. 

However, I will say that sometimes it’s not actually cheaper to get a JR Pass. Research the Shinkansen trains here and which trains you plan to take to budget accordingly. Often you can take a train that is just a bit slower, for a lot cheaper.

Regardless, the most important piece of advice for the JR Pass is once it is activated you CANNOT lose it. If you lose it, it is gone. You will not be able to print a new pass. You will not be given a refund. You cannot buy another pass until it is expired as it is connected to your passport. A fellow traveler on my recent trip had this experience, and it was not pleasant to lose a $600 pass on day 1 of his trip!

Keep Your Train Tickets With You

Along with the JR Pass information above, another thing to know when traveling on the trains in Japan is to keep your train ticket with you at all times. One, you will often be asked to show it on many longer distance train journeys and you will need it to exit the stations. Even better is to get a transportation card mentioned below for city travel as it is a little less easy to lose. Trust me, these tiny slips of paper are easy to misplace!

Get an IC Transport Card

There is nothing worse than arriving to Japan, transferring through the airports and needing a drink but unable to get one! Japan’s vending machines and many shops do not take US or foreign credit cards. What do you do when you only have a vending machine as an option in the airport? The best way to deal with this is to download and preload an IC card BEFORE your arrival.  Not only does a Suica card or Pasmo card provide easy access to public transportation, it can also be used at vending machines and for small purchases at convenience stores.

Insider Japan Travel Tips You MUST know: If you have an iPhone, you can go to your wallet, click the plus sign, then click Transit Card. Now you can search “Japan” to see the Suica option. Now you can select the amount to add to your card and go through the payment portal. BAM. You are ready to roll upon hitting the ground in Japan.

If you cannot load it on your phone, you can purchase Suica Cards at most train stations. You can also order Suica Cards online and have them mailed to your house abroad prior to your trip to be sure you will have access when in the country.

Learn Basic Japanese Words

While you might find some level of English in the big cities or top tourist spots, much of Japan still exists without much English. I always find this interesting, but again, how cool that they have managed to keep their language and Japanese culture so true to themselves! That said, if you plan to get off the beaten path at all, make sure you know a few phrases and have your Google Translate handy! 

The top phrases I found useful while in country include:

Hello – Konichiwa

Thank you – Arigato

Thank you very much – Arigato Gozai mas

Delicious – Oishi

Cute – Kawaii

Cheers – Kanpai

Sorry, Excuse me, Pardon me – Sumi masen

Download Google Translate 

One of the most important travel tips I can provide is to download the Google Translate app and Japanese packet as you will often need it. As mentioned above, there is often still quite a bit of a language barrier in Japan, especially in smaller towns or off the beaten path at all. Having Google translate will help you when you want to say something to someone but can’t communicate. The translate will provide it in text for the other person to read which is super helpful. Additionally, you can actually just turn on your microphone and let a person speak into your app and get the translation quickly. This is a great help throughout Japan!

Cash is King

Tipping is not customary.

Contrary to the West, tipping is not customary here and in some cases can be considered rude. To be honest as an American who is asked for a tip at every turn, this was a welcome change. I was so happy to not have to worry about tipping at restaurants, bus drivers or our guides. If you are unsure you can ask, but in general it is not done!

Don’t Expect a Western Breakfast

One of the things I most remembered from my first trip to Japan was the very different, for me, breakfast options. While I am all for trying things and diving into the local culture, sometimes you want a little something that is reminiscent of home. For me that is often breakfast. At most restaurants and hotels, you can expect to see very little western offerings for breakfast. If you want something you are used to (coffee even) you will need to seek out western establishments. I don’t often go to McDonalds at home or abroad, but I sure do like that sausage egg mcmuffin after a week in Japan!

Walk on the Left Side of the Street

Without even noticing it, I found myself crossing over a path of people in the underground to get on the “right” side of the walking path. You will see that people traffic flows very smoothing in Japan and most of that is because of how the Japanese walk on the correct side. Watch the flow of food traffic and you will quickly see where you need to be! When I was in Sapporo, there was an entire city of underground walkways. I quickly realized that everyone was sectioned off in the direction of their travel. It made it very easy to get through even with large end of day crowds. But beware of those very useful, but pesky bumps for sight impaired. They are everywhere and are not really an indicator of which side of the street you should be on!

Get Ready to Take Off Your Shoes

While it isn’t as common to remove your shoes in Japan as it is for say India, you will need to remove your shoes for more traditional establishments including restaurants. We had to remove our shoes at the front door to one of our hotels even and couldn’t put them back on until we were leaving! I love not wearing shoes indoors, but it was not always easy especially when I was wearing my Blundstones that are so difficult to get on/off!

Take Your Passport Shopping

If you would like to take advantage of tax-free shopping, make sure to take your passport with you when you go shopping. Some shops like UNIQLO will automatically give you the tax free savings right away once they see your passport,  helping you to avoid doing it at the airport. Other shops will require you get a refund at the airport. If you plan to do any shopping, just take it with you!

Respect the Japanese Traditions

One of the most amazing parts of traveling to Japan is how it is SO different than what many of us are used to. Historically, Japan has been a closed off society. Most of the country is Japanese origin with little Western influence. It is one of the many things that makes it so unique. That said, the most important thing is that you recognize and respect their traditions even if it’s very foreign to you. Take time to learn and ask about the traditions and practice them during your visit. It’s a great way to show respect and fully immerse yourself in the country. 

Prepare Yourself for A Japanese Onsen

One of the most beautiful parts of Japanese society is the public bathing system of the onsen. These hot springs are located throughout the country in stunning locations. It is definitely a big part of life here and something tourists should try at least once. I will warn you though, that unless you are having a private onsen, they are completely nude and can be mixed gender as well. I could write an entire article on how to visit an onsen as there are customs and rules to know, but in general you will need to fully shower and bathe with soap before entering the pools, they are totally nude and many do not allow people to enter with visible tattoos. If you are staying in a ryokan with no private shower facility in your room, make sure the staff are aware of any tattoos in advance so they can make arrangements for you. 

Transportation Etiquette

Don’t be afraid of shopping at convenience stores.

In Japan, convenience stores are everything. And EVERYWHERE! There are so many varieties from 7-11 to Lawson’s to Family Mart or more local shops like SeicoMart in Hokkaido that you can never be very far from one. Here you can literally get anything you want including breakfast or dinner! You can find ready made meals like fried chicken in Hokkaido to udon noodles, tempura, sandwiches and more. They also have chargers if you happen to have soaked your phone and need a cordless charger. They have candy and sweets, beer, iced coffee and so more more.

Get Ready to Carry Your Trash Around

One thing that is always a surprise to me when I’m in Japan is the lack of trash cans in public spaces. They are not on the roadsides or even that frequently found in shops. You will carry a lot of trash in your pockets all day long! Carry a small plastic bag for your trash to make life easier, but do remember to say no to plastic bags at most places as they are given very freely still or a minimal extra cost.

Separate Your Trash

Japan is not super up on the “use less plastic” concept, but they are very strict about separating their garbage. Hopefully this means they have a much better track record of recycling than we do in the US! If you are not used to separating your trash, educate yourself a bit on what is compostable, what is recyclable and what is landfill trash. At big festivals or events you will find very trash cans (as mentioned above), but when you do, they will expect you to seperate it all into the correct containers.

Eating, Drinking & Smoking in Public

While I am not 100% if there are rules on this, but in general you will notice that the Japanese people do NOT eat, drink or smoke while walking. There are of course designated areas for smoking, which is not allowed all over the place. But for drinking your morning coffee on the way to the train station? Nope, you won’t see Japanese people do this. Is it an unspoken rule or just a custom I am not certain, but I tried to follow suit as much as I could. 

Throughout history, Japan has been a closed off society. Would you believe that almost 99% of the country is Japanese? The result is a unique culture with little Western influence and little English. So don’t be surprised if you ask questions or try to converse with people, but don’t receive much of a response. It’s not because they are rude, they simply know they can’t speak your language, and you likely can’t speak Japanese

Japanese Toilets Will Spoil You

Ok, one of the BEST things about Japan has to be their toilets. From the airport to public restrooms, you will find some really great toilets to literally write home about! My absolute favorite that I didn’t realize until I got back home was the heated seats. It really does feel so nice to sit down on a toasty toilet in the middle of the night. There are also several bidet options, drying options and of course also “privacy” sounds/music for many public toilets. Make sure to have your phone handy though as you may need to translate some of the buttons if they aren’t obvious. I have found myself stuff with the water on, not knowing how to turn it off! All of that said, you will also still find squat toilet options in most public bathrooms. They typically have a sign on the door indicating what type of toilet you can expect. 

Get an e-SIM For Your Phone

If you haven’t tried an e-SIM yet, you need to get on the wagon. They are SO easy to use, super affordable and available all over the world. For my recently 2 week trip, I used a 10 GB e-SIM card which allowed me to have data access wherever I went. While there is often free Wi-Fi around major cities, often the log-in screen is only in Japanese which makes it challenging to login quickly. Get $3 off your first purchase at AIRLO using my code: KARILY0402

Stay at Ryokan At Least Once

One of the coolest Japanese cultural experiences I can recommend is to stay in a ryokan. A ryokan is basically traditional Japanese inns. While they come in many forms these days including a super traditional ryokan where you sleep on the tatami mats, you can also opt for ones that do have more “western” beds. I have stayed in all various forms and personally I love being able to plop down in an actual bed, but for a one night experience I would recommend trying the super traditional way as well. 

As part of the experience, you might find that you have a traditional kaiseki meal for dinner or breakfast, you might also have no private shower in your room or  have to take your shoes off at the hotel entrance. It is so fun and cool to see Japanese locals having their dinner or breakfast in the provided yukata (robe in the room) and wearing the slippers. I find this to be one of the most immersive cultural experiences you can have in Japan and well worth the price tag. (Shockingly they are usually quite a bit more expensive than western style hotels).

Japan is Not THAT Expensive

Japan has a reputation of being an excessively expensive country. While it is definitely more expensive than it’s other Asian counterparts, it is also not as pricey as some places in Europe! There are ways to reduce your expenses quite easily. One recommendation to mix up accomodation options – stay in a traditional ryokan, but also stay in chain hotels like Tokyu Stay. We had a great room at Tokyu Stay with a washer/dryer in our room for less than $80 a night. There are plenty of small shops for meals that will run you $5-10 a meal, while more traditional kaiseki meals will cost more. The biggest expense tends to be transport between cities, so that is why it is important to price it out in advance and check for internal flights and getting the JR Pass.

Do NOT Lose (or Keep) Your Hotel Key Card

Traditional hotels still use actual keys, so those are much easier to keep track of and not loose. If you are worried about losing one, you can drop it off with reception before you go out for the day. 

Japan Trains Run VERY Timely

While I can’t say that Japanese trains run on time always because I have experienced delays with them, overwhelmingly they do run on a very tight schedule with very little disturbances. This is great as long as you are early, but it’s tough when you are running late! Always plan for delays in the train station and arrive with plenty of time.

Check for Seasonal Festivals

Regardless of when you visit Japan, there is sure to be some type of festival happening. These are often the best places to fully immerse yourself into the culture. For example, the cherry blossoms in the spring often have many festivals that accompany it, which can be quite fun. In Sapporo, there is an Autumn Festival in September that brings in tons of amazing food options every day for visitors to sample. 

Bring Snacks With You

Whether it is a bus or train journey, do not plan on food being available. There are no dining cars on trains regardless how many hours they are. We found out the hard way that we needed to always have water and snacks with us because options were not always available. Shockingly though, you can eat and drink on the long distance trains, just make sure to take all of your trash with you.

Tap Water is Safe to Drink

One of the best things about travelling in Japan is that the tap water is safe to drink. I loved not having to purchase water bottles all the time or worry about water being bad quality. I even drank from a mountain spring in Rishiri Island that was crisp and cold and so delicious. Bring you recyclable water bottle and fill up in the hotels every day instead of buying more plastic. 

Public Space & Japanese Etiquette

Japan has a concept called “ma” or personal space. Respect it, especially in crowded places with lots of people. Many of these etiquette rules are unspoken, but if you take time to look around you, you will notice that the Japanese people strictly adhere to them. Again, one of the best Japan travel tips I can provide is to look around you and follow what the locals are doing! 

Wear Your Bag In Front on Crowded Trains

In places like Paris or New York, you might see people wearing their backpacks on their front on busy trains, but in Japan this is not for safety as much as it is a respect for fellow passengers. When you wear your bag on the front you are making sure that you are not accidentally hitting other people. This culture is one that is very fond of respect for others and I just love this example!

Safety in Japan

Overall I feel VERY safe in Japan at all hours of the day and night. Trains can get super crowded and you will see people wearing their bags in front like I mentioned above, however that is not necessarily for safety as it might be in other cities. All of that said, I would still be aware of your belongings when in crowded public places and wear your mobile on a strap like this one to make sure it isn’t snatched!

Use Google Maps for Train Travel

If you don’t already use Google Maps, one of my top Japan travel tips is to download it now! One of the coolest features of Google maps is that it will tell you how to walk to a train station, which train to get on and even which exit to look for when you arrive to the destination train stations! However it is important to note that oftentimes your internet may not work in the subway stations, so it is a good idea to have it all loaded before you get underground. 

Expect Lines at Restaurants

Dietary restrictions are challenging.

In Tokyo you can often manage with dietary restrictions more easily, but once you leave the big city, it can often be quite challenging to deal with dietary restrictions. I personally am allergic to MSG, which meant asking everywhere if I could eat the food prepared. For the most part, most chef’s knew instantly whether they used it or not. In the more rural parts of Japan in the far north of Hokkaido, I ran into a few more challenges. If you are a strict vegetarian, it is also a bit cumbersome to find food that does not include any fish sauce as it seems to be included in a ton. Just take your time and ask around as there are often places that can cater to your needs. 

An International Drivers License is Required in Japan

If you plan to hire a car and self drive during your visit to Japan, make sure you acquire an International Driver’s license before you leave home. If you are in the US, this is easily obtained at AAA for around $20 in one day. This is just an additional piece of paper that says that yes, your license is for driving and you are able to drive outside of your home country. 

Japanese Wait for the Walking Sign

Just like in Germany, for the most part Japanese people do not jaywalk or cross until the walking sign is illuminated. I have seen a few people here and there cut across the road or go before the walk sign is lit up, but by far the general rule is that you wait patiently on the sidewalk!

Try All the Drinks, But Don’t Expect Much More than Coke

In Japan you will quickly notice that the only western drink you can purchase by and large is Coca Cola and not even diet, just regular coke. I was so surprised when our Japanese exchange student had never had a Sprite, but after my recent visit I was reminded why – it’s tough to come by! Only occasionally did I see a Sprite in a convenience store and almost never in a vending machine. Overall, you will be presented with a ton of drinks that are only Japanese!

Also, I found out after much sampling and discussion with our Japanese hosts – you will never find sweetened tea in the vending machines unless it is Chinese or American. They do not put sugar in their green tea at all. I purchased MANY tea varieties looking for a sweet option, with absolutely no luck!

Buy From ALL the Vending Machines

One of my top Japan travel tips includes buying stuff from the vending machines. I just love the vending machines in Japan. And I love that you can purchase almost anything in the world from them. At one of my onsen visits, they had a vending machine with underwear (new!), razors, earbuds and more. We saw a vending machine selling frozen ramen which would be the perfect take out food if you lived there. You will of course find drinks machines everywhere you go as well. My favorite one of the entire country has to be the “cake in a can” vending machine in Sapporo. The cake was amazing as is the concept. It was pricey, but worth it at least once. 

Another great one to look out for and try is a coffee vending machine. You can usually adjust how strong you want the coffee, how much sugar and how much milk. It is so fun to just pay 100 yen and have a hot coffee. Additionally, on most regular machines you can look for the signs that say hot/cold as some machines dispense BOTH hot and cold drinks. You want a hot tea, but your friend wants a cold drink. You got it. Seriously, these machines are the best and one of my favorite things to check out while wandering around towns!

Japan is a country with a rich culture and history, so embracing its traditions and customs can really enhance your travel experience.

There really is no “best time” to visit. There are distinct seasons, each offering unique experiences, so you do not have to only go during the high season of summer (or during the cherry blossom season in spring!). The colorful foliage in fall is worth a trip as is seeing the country blanketed in snow! Wherever you go, have fun and enjoy all the differences that you are sure to find!

MORE TRAVEL AROUND JAPAN

We hope you enjoyed these Japan travel tips! For more travel around Japan, see the links below:

• 3 week Classic Japan Itinerary in Photos: Tokyo, Kyoto, Snow Monkeys & More
• Get off the Beaten Path in Hokkaido: Rishiri & Rebun Islands
• The Best Food in Japan That You MUST Try!

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The post 35+ Helpful Japan Travel Tips To Know BEFORE You Go appeared first on No Back Home .

• Cultural Tips

How Many Days Should I Spend in Japan??

First Time in Japan: How long and where to travel in Japan

How many days are you planning to visit Japan?? Is it enough time to see everything you want to see ?? Especially if you are a first time visitor to Japan, you wouldn’t wanna miss top highlights of the country. This is a brief tutorial for you to plan a travel itinerary according to the length of your stay in Japan!

Short Trip: 3–5 days

If you are only on a short trip for maximum 5 days, it’s better to stick to one city and not to travel around from one to another because you wouldn’t want to waste your precious time on transportation.

So the most recommended destinations for short trippers are:

The capital of the country can not be missed on your first trip to Japan. The city offers so much to tourists that 3 days might be quite short but it’s enough to see the best bits.

Check my article of the 3 days itinerary in Tokyo: → 3 Days Itinerary: First Time in Tokyo

One-day itineraries in Tokyo by area: → 1 Day Itinerary in SHINJUKU → 1 Day Itinerary in SHIBUYA and HARAJUKU →  1 Day Itinerary in AKIHABARA →  1 Day Itinerary in TSUKIJI and GINZA →  1 Day Itinerary in ASAKUSA+UENO

If you have one extra day, it’s also recommended to visit one of neighbour cities for one day trip from Tokyo such as Hakone, Kamakura, etc. Check out the list of best day trip destinations and best tours from Tokyo.

→ Best Day Trip Tours from Tokyo

-Kyoto (possibly add Osaka if you have 4 or 5 days)

The ancient capital Kyoto is the most popular tourist destination in Japan. 3 days would be a perfect duration to hunt top tourist sights in the city and if you have extra 1–2 days, I highly recommend you to visit the western capital Osaka, too.

Check my article of 7 days itinerary in Osaka & Kyoto and simply omit Hiroshima from it: → 1 Week Itinerary in Japan: OSAKA&KYOTO

Mid Trip: 7–10 days

7 to 10 days are ideal for first time visitors to Japan. You wouldn’t be able to see all around Japan, but it is possible to pick best highlights of the country.

The most ideal way to travel for mid-length in Japan would be:

-Tokyo and 1–3 cities in Kanto area

Spend 3–4 days in Tokyo and spare the rest of days for great cities around Tokyo. Most recommended destinations would be Hakone , Kamakura , Nikko and Mt.Fuji and all of them can be easily visit for a day trip, but staying one night is an ideal.

Check my article to get idea how to travel Tokyo for a week. → 1 Week Itinerary in Japan: TOKYO

– Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima

If you have 7 days or more, you can easily do these 3 top cities of western Japan. Check my article ( 1 Week Itinerary in Japan: OSAKA&KYOTO&HIROSHIMA ) for travel these 3 cities in a week. If you have few more extra days, I highly recommend you to add Himeji Castle , which is located in Hyogo (between Osaka and Hiroshima) OR Nara which is next to Kyoto.

Or it is also possible to see the two most popular tourist destinations in Japan: Tokyo and Kyoto within a week trip in Japan, too. Here is my article introducing the 1-week itinerary on the classic route of Japan from Tokyo to Kyoto → 1 Week Itinerary: the Very Best of Japan for First Timers

Long Trip: 14 days~

If you are lucky enough to have holiday in Japan for 2 weeks or longer, you can pretty much do most things you wish to.

The basic itinerary for 2 weeks in Japan for first timer would be:

– Tokyo-Kyoto-Nara-Osaka-Hiroshima

They are top sights of Japan and these 5 cities can be done in 10 days. So if you have extra days, you can add some of these suggested sites on the way from Tokyo to Kyoto. Mt.Fuji (Yamanashi), Kamikochi (Nagano), Shirakawago Village (Gifu), Kanazawa (Ishikawa). Or extend your trip from Osaka to Himeji Castle (Hyogo) or Kumano Kodo (Wakayama).

You can check my article with the suggested itinerary for 2 weeks in Japan for first timers → 2 Weeks Itinerary in Japan: For First Timers

Other recommended itinerary for 2 weeks would be adding far northern or southern islands:

– Tokyo-Kyoto and Hokkaido or Okinawa

If you are a first timer to Japan, Tokyo and Kyoto can not be missed. But how about doing more relaxing and spending time in nature? If that’s for you, I highly recommend you to pick one of Hokkaido or Okinawa and spend about 5 days there. Hokkaido is a great destination for nature lovers and delicious seafood. Okinawa is simply the best place for beach lovers. Hokkaido Itinerary: 1 Week Itinerary in HOKKAIDO: For First Timers Okinawa Itinerary: Okinawa Itinerary for 7 Days

▽How to Get Internet Connection during traveling in Japan▽ ▶︎ Perfect Guide to Get WiFi Connection in Japan ▶︎ Which Pocket WiFi Rental is the Best in Japan? ▶︎ Which SIM card Option to Choose in Japan? ▶︎ How to Find and Use Free WiFi in Japan

So I hope my article can be helpful to plan your trip to Japan. If you have any questions, please leave a comment! For more useful travel tips, please check out listed articles, too!

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▼Editor’s Picks▼

"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Born and raised in Japan, I have lived and explored countries around the world. As a resident of Japan and based on my travel experience, I'd love to share my knowledge and tips for travelling Japan with my readers. I hope my story will help you plan your trip and have a great time in Japan 🌈

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Help with itinerary 12 days in Japan (First Time Visitor) - Japan Forum

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Help with itinerary 12 days in Japan (First Time Visitor)

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10th - 13th in Tokyo (inc 1 day trip to Mt Fuji )

14th - 17th in Kyoto via bullet train

18th - 19th in Hiroshima via bullet train

20th - 21st back into Tokyo from Hiroshima via bullet train

22nd Fly home to UK

Any recommendations would be much appreciated I don't want to miss out and get it wrong!

Thanks in advance

2 replies to this topic

Looks good.

Lots of great ideas here = http://www.japan-guide.com

Seems like a good sensible use of your first time and the time you have. Loads of examples of itineraries for 2, 3 days at each place if you google and youtube. Base it on your own style and pace. Note : you will have to make some tough decisions! Draft and redraft your plans, do some things like plan the daily route and how long things take, when things are busiest etc. Some things need to be booked well in advance, so you can pen them in and adjust around them. Also be flexible, you may need to adjust on the 'fly' either because things happen or you actually decide to do something else. Some real expertise on here when you start to flesh out your detailed plans, if you are really unsure.

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How Much Money Should I Bring to Japan? Travel Budget for Visiting Tokyo!

Visiting Japan can mean different things to different people, but the kind of trip you will have depends to a large extent on what kind of budget you have and what you are willing, or not willing, to do in order to save money. Luckily, Japan has a lot of different options for a flexible traveler, regardless of whether they want to spend a little money, or a lot.

The Shoestring Budget

The mid-budget stay, the vacation splurger, book a trip you’ll never forget.

How much does the average American tourist actually spend in Japan? The data above is based on surveying done by the Japan National Tourism Organization for 2017 for Americans visiting Japan. As in all things, the cheapest options mean you need to be pretty open minded, to be willing to walk rather than take a bus or to stay somewhere quite out of the way rather than by a major station. For the traveler with money to burn it is very easy to get the absolute best of everything, from travelling in comfort to staying in stunning hotels ! To get a more specific perspective on recommended budget for Japan, the following following are the maximum claimable per diem rates according to the US Department of State's website (as of May 2019). These can serve as a reference point for relative expenses in major tourist areas around Japan. For convenience, rates are listed in Japanese Yen (rate of 110.424 JPY = 1 USD).

For accommodation the cheapest option will usually be hostels and guesthouses, though you can sometimes find a very good deal with business hotels . If you can find a cheap hotel stay with breakfast, as hotel breakfast in Japan tends to be really good, then you can also offset the cost of breakfast. Another money saver is to try a capsule hotel , but sometimes these can be a bit hit and miss in regards to cost. For breakfast your best option, will requires a bit of forethought, is to check out a supermarket the night before, bento prices and bread products tend to be fairly cheap here and also in the evening before they can get quite heavily discounted. In particular a cut price bento is perfect for lunch the next day. Other lunch options include ramen or Japanese fast food like at the Yoshinoya or Matsuya chain. You can also find some good lunch deals at some cafes . For dinner an izakaya (Japanese style pub ) is fairly cheap and will allow you to try quite a wide variety of dishes, while family restaurants are also quite inexpensive. It may seem hard to visit places on a small budget, but actually it is possible to visit many spots for no or little money, including observation floors on tall buildings like the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building or walking around the Asakusa area. You are only limited by your imagination, and not your wallet, in regards to what you can see. For wherever you plan to visit check out information on parks , temples , neighborhoods, etc., for places you can visit absolutely free of charge. You can certainly enjoy areas like Ginza without spending a penny, sometimes just window shopping can be fun in itself. It can be hard to walk around Tokyo, or Japan, as stations and bus stops can be quite far apart, but to a certain extent you can walk and then use a train or bus just to travel the minimum amount of time that you need to. Travelling a small distance costs less than 200yen. Alternatively, you can get a metro pass or train pass and then just make sure you make the maximum use of it that you can do, you will be surprised at how many places you can visit in one day if you are strict with yourself! If you really want to visit other cities then your cheapest options will be either an overnight highway busy, or a very, very long journey by regular train.

Low-Budget (~￥6,000/day): ■ Accommodation ・Khaosan World Ryogoku : JPY2,300/day per person ・IRORI Hostel & Kitchen: JPY2,800/day per person ■ Meals ・Breakfast ( supermarket reduced price bento ): under JPY500/per person ・Lunch ( bento / ramen ): JPY500-600/per person ・Dinner ( izakaya ): under JPY2,000/ per person - Gyoro Gyoro - Kojigura - Fuwari ■ Sights ・ Sensoji Temple / Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building/walking: FREE ■ Transportation costs (train/subway): ・Used for a minimum distance: from JPY140 per ride

• Address 4-7, Nihonbashihisamatsucho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0005 View Map
• Nearest Station Higashi-Nihombashi Station （Toei Asakusa Line） 3 minutes on foot
• Phone Number 03-6667-6236

• Address Sumida-ku Ryogoku 4-30-5, Tokyo-to, 130-0026
• Nearest Station Ryogoku Station （Toei Oedo Line / JR Sobu Line） 5 minutes on foot

With a bigger budget a lot more accommodation options become available. You can find many great deals at business hotels , and even four star hotels . The best ones include breakfast, even a business hotel breakfast will be delicious with a great spread! In addition this will save you any costs for breakfast. For lunch you can try brilliant lunchtime deals at restaurants, cafes and family restaurants , or even slightly pricier yakiniku or tempura deals. While in the evening you can try any of the above, including izakayas and specialist restaurants which offer up amazing dishes using a variety of ingredients including tofu , wagyu beef or soba noodles. You can enjoy many sightseeing spots, including the free ones recommended above, and also entry paying venues such as museums . For a small fee you can go to the top of Tokyo Skytree , or buy a train pass like the 3-day Tokyo Wide Pass to visit famous sightseeing spots near Tokyo like Mt. Fuji and Nikko . With a bigger budget all kinds of different metro passes and train passes can be bought and utilized for different day trips and longer journeys. You can also experience the shinkansen for perhaps a week with a train pass and see as much of Japan as you want for seven days. There are also more and more budget flights becoming available, these are certainly no-thrill rides but as they fly between the same major airports they are a good option for travelling.

Mid-Budget (~￥15,000/day): ■ Accommodations ・ HOTEL GRAPHY NEZU: JPY8,000/day per person ・Ibis Tokyo Shinjuku : JPY7,375/day per person ・Capsule Hotel Anshin Oyado Shinjuku : JPY4,180/day per person ■ Meals ・Breakfast (at hotel ): FREE ・Lunch (lunch set menu): JPY1,000-2,000/person - SUZUYA - TOKORI ・Dinner : JPY2,500-4,000/person - Daigo - Grow ■ Sights ・Entrance fees to Edo Tokyo Museum : JPY 600/person ・ Tokyo Skytree : JPY 1,030/person ・ Ueno Zoo : JPY 600/person ■ Transportation costs (train/subway): ・Tokyo Wide Pass: JPY 3,333/day ・Tokyo Subway 24-hour Ticket: JPY 800

• Address 4-5-10 Ikenohata, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0008 View Map
• Nearest Station Nezu Station （Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line）

Vacancy search, reservation

• from 16,320JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

Check with our partner site as the latest rates, rate details, and guest room requirements may vary.

• Address Shinjuku-ku, Nishishinjuku 7-10-5, Tokyo-to, 160-0023
• Nearest Station Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Station （Toei Oedo Line） 4 minutes on foot

• Address Chiyoda-ku Sotokanda 1-2-12, Tokyo, 101-0021 View Map
• Nearest Station Akihabara Station （JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line / Tsukuba Express / JR Sobu Line） 5 minutes on foot
• from 15,180JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

*Reference prices are as of May 2018 and may not include tax.

With a large budget you can enjoy superb ryokan stays, or 4-5 star hotels , either or both of which may include onsens and gyms. By staying somewhere like here the whole experience becomes less about just having a place to sleep and more of an experience within itself, customer service being what it is in Japan you will find your every need satisfied. In addition they tend to be situated in really convenient places and are easy to find. Furthermore, breakfast at a ryokan or high-class hotel seems to have been raised to a whole new level, and will probably leave you full past lunchtime! If somehow you are hungry at lunch then you can consider having something delicious like sushi . For dinner, it is safe to say that the more expensive restaurants tend to be high up, so for example in Roppongi you will end up fairly high off the ground. Other options include Blue Note Tokyo, an extremely classy jazz venue in Aoyama, as well as dinner at the hotel restaurant. For sightseeing you can experience travelling by express trains and taxis, however most places you can visit are either free or can be entered for a low fee, in this way Japan is quite an equal society! You can’t miss shopping in Ginza or Roppongi , and you must experience department store shopping at somewhere like Takashimaya in Nihonbashi. The most convenient mode of travel is to hire a sightseeing taxi; the driver will show you around town and tell you about the different spots, and can accommodate your own personal schedule. In addition with a higher budget you may want to get a two or three week JR train pass and really explore Japan from the comfort of a fast bullet train. You can also enjoy fast flights between all the major cities of Japan.

High-Budget (~￥unlimited/day): ■ Accommodations ・Royal Park Hotel : JPY 37,000/day per person https://livejapan.com/en/in- ningyocho _ monzen-nakacho _ kasai /spot-lj0005632/ ・GRAND NIKKO TOKYO DAIBA: JPY 47,000/day per person https://livejapan.com/en/in- odaiba /spot-lj0001042/ ・The Tokyo Station Hotel : JPY 25,000/day per person https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo_train_station/spot-lj0001037/ ■ Meals ・Breakfast ( hotel ): included in accommodation price ・Lunch ( sushi ): JPY8,000+/person - Ichibachi - Tsukiji Itadori Bekkan ・Dinner (best to make reservations in advance) - Blue Note Tokyo - Hotel Restaurant ■ Sights ・ Ginza shopping ・Tokyo Prince Hotel bar overlooking Tokyo Tower ■ Transportation costs (train/subway): ・Japan Rail Pass (Green car): JPY 5,500/day ・Sightseeing Taxi: from 14,950 for three hours.

• Address 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Kakigaracho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-8520 View Map
• Nearest Station Suitengumae Station （Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line）
• from 33,600JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal
• from 28,560JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

• Address 2-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 135-8701 View Map
• Nearest Station Daiba Station （Yurikamome）
• from 23,840JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal
• from 25,120JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

• Address Chiyoda-ku Marunouchi 1-9-1, Tokyo, 100-0005 View Map
• Nearest Station Tokyo Station （Tokaido Shinkansen Line / Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Yokosuka Line / JR Sobu Main Line / JR Sobu Main Line (Rapid) / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Chuo Main Line / JR Keiyo Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line） 1 minute on foot
• from 89,056JPY 1room, 2adults View Deal

• Category Other Sightseeing
• How To: Money

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'To protect Donald Trump': Hush money trial witness details deals with Playboy model and porn actress

A key witness in Donald Trump 's criminal trial testified Thursday about his role in hush money payments to a porn actress and a Playboy model the former president allegedly had affairs with — and Trump's plan to make sure other negative stories about him never saw the light of day. 

David Pecker , the former publisher of the National Enquirer, said Trump at one point sought to buy the rights to Karen McDougal 's allegations of a monthslong affair with him, as well as other information the Enquirer had on him in its archives. Trump has denied McDougal's claims.

Pecker said that he eventually backed out of the deal for fear he could get into legal trouble — and that when he heard about adult film star Stormy Daniels' claim of a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, he decided he couldn't front any more cash to keep his longtime friend out of trouble.

Daniels, he said, came forward as Trump's campaign was reeling from the emergence of the so-called “ Access Hollywood ” tape in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign. The tape included a hot mic moment from 2005 that caught Trump, then the star of “The Apprentice,” saying he could kiss and grope women without their consent because “when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

He said Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard told him that Daniels was looking for $125,000 for her story, which he didn't want to pay because he'd already shelled out $180,000 to quash two other stories that could have damaged Trump's campaign. "I am not a bank," he told Howard in a text message.

He said he reached out to Trump attorney Michael Cohen and told him about Daniels' claim and advised him that he should pay her. He said Cohen responded that the Enquirer should pay her. "I said I am not purchasing this story. I am not going to be involved with a porn star,” Pecker recounted, adding that Wal-Mart, a store with conservative roots, was his biggest seller of magazines.

Cohen agreed to pay Daniels' lawyer $120,000 but initially didn't pay. Pecker said he advised Cohen to cough up the cash "because if you don’t and it gets out, I believe the boss" — the word Cohen used to refer to Trump — "is going to be very angry with you.”

'I'll take care of it'

Pecker said he found out that Cohen was the one who paid Daniels in December 2016, when he met with Cohen at Trump Tower after the election. He said Cohen asked him whether he could "talk to the boss on his behalf" about getting reimbursed. Cohen also asked him whether he could review the Enquirer's files on Trump, a request Pecker said he refused.

Trump eventually joined the meeting, and Pecker said Cohen told him: “I went through the files. We have nothing to be concerned about.”

Pecker said he then walked alone with Trump to his office and pleaded Cohen's case. He said Trump told him: "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

He was called back to meet with Trump at his Manhattan office in January and walked in to see him surrounded by the likes of FBI Director James Comey, his soon-to-be chief of staff, Reince Priebus, and his pick for CIA director, Mike Pompeo, who'd been briefing him on a shooting at a Florida airport.

During their subsequent meeting, Trump asked "how Karen’s doing?” Pecker told him that "things are going fine."

He said Trump thanked him for "handling" her "situation," as well as another involving a doorman who'd falsely claimed Trump had an illegitimate child. “The stories would have been very embarrassing,” he quoted Trump as saying.

McDougal was apparently still on Trump's mind even after he was sworn in as president. Pecker said Trump invited him, Howard and another of their business associates to the White House for a "thank you" dinner in July 2017, when they toured the Oval Office. As they walked to dinner, Pecker said, Trump asked him how McDougal was doing. Pecker told him things were "going good."

The McDougal payment came about after Howard interviewed her when she expressed an interest in coming forward in 2016. Howard told Pecker he believed her story about a 2006 affair with Trump but said she had no corroborating evidence. Pecker said he believed her story, too, after he spoke to Trump about her on the phone. "He said she is a nice girl," Pecker recounted.

He said Cohen called him the next day and told him he should “go ahead and buy the story” from her. Pecker said he'd have Howard negotiate the terms but asked who would pay for it. He said Cohen responded that "the boss will take care of it.”

Pecker added that Cohen wouldn't have the authority to spend any money without Trump's approval.

Howard eventually reached a deal whereby McDougal would be paid $150,000 for her story and magazines Pecker published would "restart" her career with articles about fitness. Pecker said he was unhappy about having to front the money, but Cohen reassured him "the boss" would reimburse him.

The eventual agreement barred McDougal from sharing details about "any romantic, personal and/or physical relationship McDougal has ever had with any then-married man” outside of Howard's publishing company, which had zero intention of sharing them, Pecker said.

Asked by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass whether his primary purpose in suppressing her story was to influence the 2016 election, Pecker said, "Yes, it was."

“Were you aware that expenditures by a corporation made for the purpose of influencing an election and at the request of a candidate were unlawful?” Steinglass continued. “Yes,” Pecker responded calmly.

'The boss is going to be very angry'

After they made the deal, Pecker repeatedly asked Cohen to be reimbursed. Cohen assured him he'd be paid but said Trump also wanted something else from him — the rights to McDougal's story and all the files the Enquirer had on him from over the years.

“The boss said if [Pecker] got hit by a bus or the company was sold he did not want someone else to potentially publish those stories,” Pecker quoted Cohen as telling him.

Pecker said there was nothing of note in the boxes on Trump, describing the material as old files and articles that had already been published.

Pecker said he eventually agreed to a $125,000 deal, which Cohen would pay through a company he created called Resolution Consultants, because Pecker was concerned he'd get into legal trouble if the publisher got a payment directly from Cohen or the Trump Organization. Those concerns eventually led him to drop his demand for reimbursement, telling Cohen it was "a bad idea."

Cohen, he said, didn't take the news well. "He was very, very angry, very upset, screaming basically with me," Pecker said. Cohen also warned that "the boss is going to be very angry with you."

On Nov. 4, 2016 — just days before Election Day — The Wall Street Journal ran a story involving McDougal headlined, “National Enquirer shielded Donald Trump from Playboy Model’s Affair Allegation.”

Pecker said he got a call from Trump at home. He "was very upset, saying: 'How could this happen? I thought you had this under control. Either you or one of your people have leaked this story.'”

Pecker insisted he hadn't, and he had his company, AMI, issue a statement denying the accurate story.

Steinglass asked him why he'd authorized the statement. "I wanted to protect my company, I wanted to protect myself, and I also wanted to protect Donald Trump,” Pecker responded.

McDougal went public with her claim in a March 2018 CNN interview and sued Pecker's company, alleging it misled her into signing the agreement. Pecker said Trump called him after the interview and was "very aggravated."

He called Pecker again a few days later after Daniels went public with her claim and told him she'd pay for doing so.

“He said that we have an agreement with Stormy Daniels that she cannot mention my name or anything like this and that each time she breaches the agreement it is a $1 million penalty, and based on the interview with Anderson Cooper she owes me $24 million,” Pecker said.

It was after that, Pecker said, that he got a letter from the Federal Election Commission. He said Cohen told him not to worry about it because Trump's attorney general at the time was Jeff Sessions and "Trump has him in his pocket."

The company later struck a nonprosecution agreement with federal prosecutors who were investigating Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty to related charges.

Pecker revealed for the first time that he also signed a cooperation agreement with the Manhattan district attorney's office back in 2019. The deal granted him immunity in the case but warned he could be prosecuted for perjury if his testimony wasn't truthful.

Pecker said he last spoke to Trump in early 2019 but that "I still consider him a friend.” Trump, he said, "was my mentor. He helped me throughout my career.”

On cross-examination, Pecker acknowledged it wasn't unusual for him to kill stories. He said about half the stories the paper purchased from sources never made it into print, although some were used as leverage with celebrities to land other stories.

Trump attorney Emil Bove asked him whether he'd also helped kill a negative story involving Trump's then-wife, Marla Maples, in 1998. Pecker said he had. He said that stories about Trump had historically been good for the paper's sales but that negative stories about him weren't.

Earlier in the day, before Pecker resumed his testimony, prosecutors filed their third motion to have Trump held in contempt for violating the judge's order banning him from making public statements about witnesses' "potential participation" in the case. Prosecutor Chris Conroy said Trump had violated that order again with comments calling Cohen a liar and saying Pecker "has been a very nice guy." "This is a message to Pecker: Be nice," Conroy said.

Judge Juan Merchan scheduled a hearing on the request for Wednesday, which was later rescheduled to Thursday, according to a source with direct knowledge. Merchan has yet to rule on the previous requests, which were the subject of a hearing this week.

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to money prosecutors say he used to repay Cohen for the hush money payment. He has pleaded not guilty .

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Jillian Frankel is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Gary Grumbach produces and reports for NBC News, based in Washington, D.C.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.