Japan Itineraries

Tokyo – Hakone – Kyoto

If you have around ten days for your first trip to Japan, we would resist the temptation to fit in too much. Tokyo and Kyoto are both places where you could easily spend several days, and adding one contrasting stop in between gives you a much better balance than trying to race through five or six destinations.

Start with four nights in Tokyo, which gives you enough time to explore several different parts of the city without trying to cover everything in one day. You could spend time around Shibuya and Harajuku, explore Asakusa and the older side of Tokyo, visit one of the city’s museums or digital art experiences, and still have room for an evening food tour or a day trip.

From Tokyo, spend a night in Hakone. This works particularly well if you would like to stay in a traditional ryokan, use an onsen and see a completely different side of Japan after the scale and energy of Tokyo.

Then continue to Kyoto for four nights. That gives you time for the famous temples and shrines, but also for neighbourhoods, food, gardens and perhaps a day trip to Nara or Uji.

This is a relatively simple route, but for a first Japan holiday that can be a real advantage. You spend more time experiencing each place and less time checking in and out of hotels.

Suggested route:
Tokyo 4 nights → Hakone 1 night → Kyoto 4 nights

Tokyo – Hakone – Kyoto – Hiroshima & Miyajima – Osaka

Two weeks gives you much more flexibility and is probably the point at which a first Japan itinerary can start to include some real contrasts without becoming too rushed.

We would still begin with Tokyo, allowing around four nights. From there, travel to Hakone for a ryokan stay before continuing on to Kyoto for four nights.

After Kyoto, head west to Hiroshima. The city itself is worth time for the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, but I would also include Miyajima, where the famous torii gate sits just offshore and the atmosphere is completely different from the major cities.

Finish in Osaka for a couple of nights. Osaka is less about ticking off traditional sights and more about food, nightlife and enjoying the city itself, so it works particularly well at the end of a trip when you may want something a little less structured.

If flights work better from Tokyo, this route can easily be adapted, but where possible I like an open-jaw itinerary that arrives in Tokyo and departs from Osaka. It avoids unnecessary backtracking and makes better use of the time you have.

Suggested route:
Tokyo 4 nights → Hakone 1 night → Kyoto 4 nights → Hiroshima/Miyajima 2 nights → Osaka 2 nights

Tokyo – Japanese Alps – Kyoto – Hiroshima & Miyajima – Kyushu

With three weeks, Japan starts to open up much more. You can still include the places most first-time visitors want to see, but you also have enough time to move beyond the classic Tokyo and Kyoto route.

Begin with Tokyo before heading into the Japanese Alps. Takayama works particularly well if you are interested in traditional streets, mountain scenery, sake breweries and a slower pace. Depending on the route, you could also include Kanazawa, Shirakawago or both.

From there, continue to Kyoto for several nights before travelling west to Hiroshima and Miyajima.

Rather than finishing in Osaka, a three-week trip gives you the opportunity to continue into Kyushu. This part of Japan is often overlooked by first-time visitors, but it can be one of the most rewarding additions to a longer itinerary. Nagasaki has a fascinating international history, while areas around Kagoshima, Kumamoto and the volcanic landscapes of central Kyushu offer something very different again.

The important thing with a longer trip is not simply adding more stops because you have more days. We would still build in stretches of three or four nights where possible so that the itinerary has some breathing room.

Suggested route:
Tokyo 4 nights → Japanese Alps 3 nights → Kyoto 4 nights → Hiroshima/Miyajima 2 nights → Kyushu 5–6 nights

Tokyo – Aizu or the Japanese Alps – Kanazawa – Kyoto

Not everyone wants their first Japan trip to follow exactly the same route. You can still include Tokyo and Kyoto while using the middle of the journey to explore somewhere that gives you a very different experience of the country.

One option is to head north from Tokyo towards Aizu, an area associated with samurai history, mountain scenery and traditional towns. Another is to travel through Takayama and Kanazawa, where you can combine historic districts, gardens, food and a more manageable city scale before continuing on to Kyoto.

This type of itinerary suits travellers who are interested in Japanese history and culture but would rather spend less time in the largest cities. It can also work particularly well for people returning to Japan who have already seen the classic highlights.

The route takes a little more planning than a straightforward Tokyo to Kyoto journey, but that is often where a tailor-made itinerary becomes most useful.

Suggested route:
Tokyo 4 nights → Aizu or Takayama 2–3 nights → Kanazawa 2 nights → Kyoto 4 nights

Tokyo – Kyoto – One countryside or onsen stay

You do not have to move around constantly to have a varied Japan holiday. For some travellers, the best itinerary is simply a longer stay in Tokyo, a longer stay in Kyoto and one carefully chosen stop in between. That might be Hakone, Lake Kawaguchiko, Kinosaki Onsen or somewhere in the Japanese Alps.

With fewer hotel changes, you have much more freedom to take day trips, change plans depending on the weather and explore neighbourhoods properly rather than always thinking about the next train.

This approach can work particularly well if you prefer a more relaxed holiday, are travelling with a lot of luggage or simply know that moving hotel every couple of nights is not how you like to travel.

A Japan itinerary does not need to be complicated to be memorable. Sometimes choosing fewer places, but choosing them well, gives you a much better trip.

Suggested route:
Tokyo 5 nights → Onsen or countryside stay 2 nights → Kyoto 5 nights