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Photo: Martin Falbisoner / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0country
Japan
10 itineraries through 4 cities in Japan. Pick a city, or choose a trip below.
Itineraries in Japan
10 itineraries, newest first
Photo: David Kernan · CC BY 4.09 days9 Days in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara & Osaka: The Complete Golden Route
Japan's classic first-timer route, stretched to nine days with Nara in the middle: three days in Tokyo, three in Kyoto, a day trip to Nara, and two in Osaka. Tokyo brings the neon, the temples of Asakusa and the food halls of Ginza; the Shinkansen drops you in Kyoto for Fushimi Inari, Gion and Arashiyama; then it's south to Nara for Todai-ji's Great Buddha and the deer of Nara Park; and finally west to Osaka, Japan's kitchen, for Dotonbori street food, the castle and retro Shinsekai. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel: classic, foodie or family, fast or slow.
Read the itinerary →- Photo: David Kernan · CC BY 4.07 days
7 Days in Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka: The Golden Route
Japan's classic first-timer week: three days in Tokyo, two in Kyoto, two in Osaka. Tokyo brings the neon, the temples of Asakusa and the food halls of Ginza; the Shinkansen drops you in Kyoto for Fushimi Inari, Gion and Arashiyama; then it's west to Osaka, Japan's kitchen, for Dotonbori street food, the castle and retro Shinsekai. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel: classic, foodie or family, fast or slow.
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Photo: blieusong · CC BY-SA 2.05 days5 Days in Osaka: Eat Your Way Through Japan's Kitchen
Five days in Osaka built around the city's true religion: eating. Day one dives into Dotonbori's neon and street food, day two takes in Osaka Castle and the castle-park food halls, day three goes retro in Shinsekai with kushikatsu and the tower, day four heads to the bay for the aquarium and Universal Studios, and day five winds down in Umeda's depachika food halls. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel: foodie, family or first-timer, fast or slow.
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Photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) · CC BY 2.01 days1 Day in Nara: The Great Buddha, Sacred Deer & Ancient Temples
One perfect day in Nara: start with Todai-ji's Great Buddha and the sacred deer of Nara Park, walk to Kasuga Taisha's lantern-lit shrine, then explore Naramachi's old-town lanes. Includes the best lunch spots and how to get there from Kyoto or Osaka.
Read the itinerary →- Photo: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.03 days
3 Days in Kyoto & Nara: Temples, Deer and the Great Buddha
Three days across Japan's ancient capitals: two days for Kyoto's iconic temples, geisha districts, and bamboo groves, plus a full day in Nara with its free-roaming deer, the Great Buddha at Todai-ji, and serene moss gardens. A compact long-weekend itinerary that pairs perfectly.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: David Kernan · CC BY 4.05 days
5 Days in Tokyo & Kyoto: Japan's Two Essential Cities
Japan's two essential cities in one trip: three days in Tokyo — Asakusa's temples, Shibuya's scramble, Shinjuku's neon, and Ginza's polish — then the Shinkansen west to Kyoto for two days of torii gates, bamboo groves, tea houses, and lantern-lit Gion lanes. First-timer friendly, with where to eat and how to travel between the cities.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.03 days
3 Days in Kyoto: The First-Timer's Itinerary
Three days is the sweet spot for Kyoto: enough time for the icons without sprinting. Day one climbs Fushimi Inari's torii-gate trails and drifts through Gion's lantern-lit lanes; day two covers central Kyoto — Nishiki Market's food stalls, Nijo Castle, the Imperial Palace park — and the Golden Pavilion shimmering over its pond; day three belongs to Arashiyama, from the bamboo grove at dawn to Tenryu-ji's garden and the river. With a free afternoon, Uji's matcha houses and Byodo-in are an easy half-day trip away.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.02 days
2 Days in Kyoto: Temples, Tea Houses & Old Streets
Two days is tight for Kyoto, but it's enough for the greatest hits: sunrise at Fushimi Inari's thousand torii gates, Kiyomizu's wooden stage over the city, Gion's lantern-lit lanes, the bamboo grove at dawn, and the Golden Pavilion shimmering over its pond. This is a classic first-timer's route — temples in the morning, old streets in the afternoon, and Pontocho's riverside restaurants at night.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: David Kernan · CC BY 4.05 days
5 Days in Tokyo: The Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Itinerary
Five days to do Tokyo properly: old-town Asakusa, museum-rich Ueno, Harajuku and Shibuya’s youth culture, Shinjuku’s gardens and night alleys, and polished Ginza with Tsukiji’s morning market — with where to stay and eat in each neighborhood. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel: pick a pace, budget and style and it reshuffles.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: David Kernan · CC BY 4.03 days
3 Days in Tokyo: The First-Timer's Itinerary
Tokyo's greatest hits in three days: Sensō-ji at opening, Ueno's museums, the Shibuya scramble, Meiji Shrine's forest, Shinjuku's night alleys and Tsukiji's morning market — with where to stay and eat each day. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel: pick a pace, budget and style and it reshuffles.
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