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Itineraries
Japan itinerary: two weeks in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka
The short answer
A classic two-week Japan itinerary for a first visit is four nights in Tokyo, one night in a Hakone ryokan, four nights in Kyoto with a day trip to Nara, and four nights in Osaka with a day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima, flying in to Tokyo and home from Osaka's Kansai airport. It's a straight line south by train, so you never backtrack, and it leaves a free half-day in every city.
Two weeks at a glance
| Days | Base | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Tokyo (4 nights) | Asakusa and Senso-ji, Shibuya Crossing, Meiji Jingu, Shinjuku Gyoen, a digital art museum |
| 5 | Hakone (1 night) | The Hakone loop by train, cable car, ropeway and boat; a ryokan with a hot spring |
| 6–9 | Kyoto (4 nights) | Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Arashiyama, a day trip to Nara |
| 10–13 | Osaka (4 nights) | Dotonbori's street food, Osaka Castle, a day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima |
| 14 | Home | Fly from Kansai International |
Before you go
- Passports. Japan asks that your passport is valid for the length of your stay, with a blank page, according to the UK government's travel advice. Check the rules for your own nationality, and any transit country. (More on passport validity.)
- Rail passes. The nationwide JR Pass became much more expensive in October 2023, and for this route individual bullet train tickets often cost less. Price both before you buy.
- An IC card. A rechargeable transport card (iPhone users can add one to Apple Wallet) pays for metros, buses and convenience stores, and saves buying tickets.
- Luggage forwarding. Hotels and convenience stores can send big cases ahead to your next hotel, usually arriving the next day. It makes the bullet train far easier.
- Cash. Japan uses cards more than it used to, but small places and temples still prefer cash. Convenience store cash machines usually accept foreign cards.
- Driving. If you plan to hire a car, you need an International Driving Permit alongside your licence.
Tokyo: days 1 to 4
Arrive in Tokyo
Land, check in, stay awake
- 7:05amLand at Haneda or Narita
Long-haul flights from Europe often land the day after they left (that's the +1). Your first hotel night is tonight.
- 11:00amDrop the bags at the hotel
Check-in is usually mid-afternoon; most hotels will hold luggage.
- AftA gentle first walk
Shinjuku Gyoen's lawns, or the streets around your hotel. Daylight helps with the jet lag.
- 6:00pmEarly dinner, early night
Ramen near the hotel. Tomorrow starts at the temple.
Old Tokyo
Asakusa and Ueno
- 8:00amSenso-ji, Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple, through the great lantern gate, before the shopping street fills up. Jet lag makes early mornings easy.
- 11:00amUeno Park and its museums
The Tokyo National Museum, or the zoo with children.
- AftFree afternoon
A river bus from Asakusa, or a rest.
Shrines and crossings
Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya
- 9:00amMeiji Jingu
A forest shrine in the middle of the city, quietest in the morning.
- 11:00amHarajuku
Takeshita Street's crêpes and fashion, then the calmer, leafy back streets.
- 5:00pmShibuya Crossing at dusk
Watch it from above, then join it.
Your Tokyo day
Pick one
- 10:00amA digital art museum, a market, or a day trip
The immersive digital art museums need timed tickets booked ahead. Or the outer market at Tsukiji for breakfast, or a day trip to Kamakura's giant Buddha and beaches.
- EveForward the big cases
Send them on to Kyoto tonight and travel to Hakone with an overnight bag.
Luggage forwarding usually takes a day
Hakone: day 5
The Hakone loop
A night in a ryokan
- 8:30amTrain from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto
The Romancecar express takes about 90 minutes. A Hakone pass covers the loop's trains, cable car, ropeway and boat.
- 10:30amUp the mountain
The switchback mountain railway, the cable car, then the ropeway over the steaming valley at Owakudani.
- 2:00pmAcross Lake Ashi by boat
Look for Mount Fuji on a clear day; it often hides in cloud.
- 4:00pmRyokan check-in
A hot-spring bath, a multi-course dinner in your room, futons on tatami. Dinner times are fixed: don't be late.
Kyoto: days 6 to 9
To Kyoto, and Gion at dusk
By bullet train
- 10:00amOdawara to Kyoto by shinkansen
Down from Hakone to Odawara, then the bullet train to Kyoto, about two hours.
- 4:00pmHigashiyama and Gion
The old lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, then Gion's wooden teahouses as the lanterns come on.
Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera
Start at dawn
- 7:00amFushimi Inari
Thousands of red gates up the mountain. It's open all day and night, and nearly empty before 8am. Walk as far as you like; most people turn back at the viewpoint.
- 11:00amKiyomizu-dera
The wooden temple on stilts above the city.
- AftNishiki Market
A covered street of food stalls for a late lunch of small things.
Arashiyama and the Golden Pavilion
Bamboo early, gold after
- 7:30amArashiyama's bamboo grove
Go early or not at all: by mid-morning it's shoulder to shoulder. Then the temple gardens and the river.
- 2:00pmKinkaku-ji
The Golden Pavilion reflected in its pond.
Day trip to Nara
Deer and a giant Buddha
- 9:00amTrain to Nara
Under an hour from Kyoto.
- 10:00amNara Park and Todai-ji
Hundreds of bowing deer, and a vast bronze Buddha in one of the world's largest wooden halls.
Hold the deer crackers high - EveForward the cases to Osaka
For tomorrow's short hop.
Osaka: days 10 to 13
To Osaka, and Dotonbori by night
A city that eats
- 11:00amKyoto to Osaka
Under half an hour by train.
- 2:00pmOsaka Castle
The castle and its park, with the moat and stone walls.
- 7:00pmDotonbori
Neon, canal-side crowds and the city's street food: takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
Hiroshima and Miyajima
The day trip that stays with you
- 8:00amShinkansen to Hiroshima
About an hour and a half from Shin-Osaka.
- 10:00amPeace Memorial Park and Museum
Moving and important. Allow two hours, and prepare children for what they'll see.
- 2:00pmFerry to Miyajima
The island shrine whose great gate stands in the sea at high tide.
Your choice
Theme park, or slow days
- Day 12Universal Studios Japan, or Kobe
The theme park needs tickets booked ahead, plus timed entry for its most popular area. Or Kobe's harbour, half an hour away.
- Day 13Shopping, an onsen, packing
A slow last day. Check tomorrow's flight time and how long the train to Kansai airport takes.
Day 14: fly home from Kansai International. Allow about an hour to the airport from central Osaka.
Shorter trip?
Ten days: three nights in Tokyo, skip Hakone, four in Kyoto with Nara, three in Osaka with Hiroshima. A week: Tokyo and Kyoto only, three and four nights, with a day trip to Nara.
Questions people ask
Is two weeks enough for Japan?
Two weeks is ideal for a first visit covering Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima without rushing. Ten days works if you skip Hakone; a week suits Tokyo and Kyoto only.
Is the JR Pass worth it for two weeks?
Often not since the price rose in October 2023. For a one-way route from Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, individual bullet train tickets can cost less. Price your actual journeys before you buy.
Should I fly into Tokyo or Osaka?
Flying into Tokyo and home from Osaka's Kansai airport lets you travel in a straight line without backtracking. Booking an open-jaw ticket often costs about the same as a return.
How many days do you need in Kyoto?
Three full days covers the main temples, shrines and neighbourhoods at a comfortable pace, plus a fourth for a day trip to Nara.
Do I need cash in Japan?
Some. Cards are widely accepted in cities, but small restaurants, temples and rural places often prefer cash. Convenience store cash machines usually take foreign cards.
