Photo: David Kernan / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.05 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.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
15 stops · 10 meals · 4 hotels · 1 transferThis is the editor’s pick.
5 days, 2 cities
From Tokyo to Kyoto, with 1 move between cities. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
Tokyo's oldest temple — arrive at opening to walk through Kaminarimon before the crowds build. The five-storied pagoda and main hall reward an early start.
- It draws about 30 million visitors a year — go at opening.
A local-led walk through Sensō-ji, backstreets and food stops. The fastest way to read old Tokyo.
Tempura institution near Sensō-ji since 1887. The tendon rice bowl is the order.
- Operating since 1887 — expect a line at lunch.
- End the walking tour with tempura at Daikokuya, a minute away.
Legendary melon-pan bakery on the Nakamise approach. Get it warm.
Tokyo's landmark broadcasting tower. The observation decks give you the whole Kanto plain on a clear day — book a timed slot ahead.
Cook-your-own okonomiyaki and monjayaki in a folk-craft house. Dinner as entertainment.
Closer: Asakusa Imahan, 8 min out of your way
Design hotel two minutes from Kaminarimon, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the temple.
A hillside temple with a stage view over the pond. Look for the famous moon pine tree.
- Don't miss the 'moon pine tree'.
Japan's oldest and largest museum: samurai armor, ukiyo-e and ceramics. Give it two unhurried hours.
- Japan's oldest and largest museum — plan a full morning for Ueno's museums.
Worth the trip
Tabelog top-100 soba, three minutes from Ueno Station. Handmade noodles, honest prices.
- A Tabelog top-100 soba shop; expect 1,000–1,999 yen.
Monet and Rodin inside a Le Corbusier building. The architecture is half the visit.
- The building itself was designed by Le Corbusier.
Rooftop grill near Asakusa Station with Skytree views. A good evening splurge.
Stay put: it's ~14 min by taxi to Kiyomizu Kannon-do.
A forest shrine in the middle of the city. The walk under the towering torii gates resets you completely.
Tonkotsu ramen in private booths, open 24 hours. The post-shopping bowl.
- Open 24 hours — a reliable late-night bowl.
The rooftop observatory above Shibuya. Time it for sunset and watch the city light up.
The world's busiest scramble. Cross it once, then watch the choreography from above.
- Described as the world's busiest pedestrian crossing — cross at rush hour for the full effect.
- Cross the scramble, then see it from above at Shibuya Sky.
High-tech conveyor-belt sushi in Shibuya. Fun, fast, cheap.
- Open 11:00–23:00 daily.
Switch bases tonight. Right above the scramble exit. Unbeatable for first-timers.
Tokyo to Kyoto
371 km, rated for speed and cost. For a first-timer trip on a comfortable budget at a balanced pace, take the JR Tokaido Shinkansen Nozomi. It's the quickest way across, 2h 50m door to door.
Kyoto's most famous temple, founded in 778. The wooden stage juts 13 meters over the hillside — stand on it for the classic panoramic view of the city. The three-story Koyasu Pagoda and the Otowa Waterfall (drink from one of three streams for health, longevity, or success in studies) are in the same complex.
- UNESCO World Heritage site. Arrive by 8am when the gates open to see it without the midday crowds.
The famous Kyoto latte with a view of Yasaka Pagoda on Ninen-zaka. Arrive at the 9:00 opening to skip the line, and drink it on the bench outside rather than walking with it. Also sells beans to take
- Check the % Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama listing for current hours and details.
Stone-paved pedestrian lanes below Kiyomizu-dera lined with wooden machiya teahouses and craft shops, preserved as a historic district.
- Check the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka listing for current hours and details.
Tofu restaurant near Kiyomizu-dera serving yudofu (simmered tofu) and shojin-style sets in a traditional townhouse. The perfect light lunch between morning temples — the tofu is made fresh daily.
- The yudofu set is the move — simple, warming, and very Kyoto.
Gion's guardian shrine, affectionately called Gion-san. The lantern-lit grounds are beautiful at dusk, and the main hall is a National Treasure. This is the home of the Gion Matsuri, Japan's most famous festival, held every July.
- Visit in the early evening when the lanterns are lit — it's on the way from Kodai-ji to Gion's restaurant streets.
A stretch
A polished riverside izakaya on Kiyamachi — yakitori and kushiyaki with a Kamo River view and, May to September, a noryo kawafune (river boat) seating. Budget ¥5,000-5,999 plus ¥600 seat charge; open
- Check the Manzara Donguribashi listing for current hours and details.
Casual ryokan-style inn two minutes from Yasaka Shrine — tatami rooms, garden views, shared kitchen and bicycle hire, a favorite value base for Gion.
- Check the Gion Ryokan Q-beh listing for current hours and details.
Start Day 2 at dawn in Kyoto's iconic bamboo grove. The 500-meter path of towering stalks and filtered green light is magical before the crowds arrive — and it's free and open 24 hours. The rustling sound is on Japan's list of '100 Soundscapes to Preserve.'
- Go before 8am or after 5pm. Midday the path is packed shoulder-to-shoulder — at dawn you might have it to yourself.
Arashiyama's headliner: a UNESCO Zen temple founded in 1339. The Sogenchi pond garden by Muso Soseki is one of Japan's finest — it borrows the Arashiyama mountains as a backdrop. The temple is right at the north exit of the bamboo grove.
- Enter from the bamboo grove's north gate — the garden is the highlight, so allow 45 minutes.
- Tenryu-ji is at the bamboo grove's north exit — walk straight through.
Soba restaurant in Arashiyama with views of the Hozu River. The handmade soba and tempura sets are excellent fuel before or after the bamboo grove. The riverside tables are lovely in good weather.
- Try the tempura soba set — the shrimp tempura is crisp and the noodles have real bite.
The payoff for hiking past the bamboo crowds: a mossy hillside temple guarded by 1,200 whimsical stone rakan statues, each carved by a different visitor with its own expression — laughing, drinking, h
- Check the Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple listing for current hours and details.
A stretch
Arashiyama's legendary unagi house: Michelin one star and Tabelog's Hyakumeiten four years running. Eel grilled over Kibi charcoal — crisp outside, creamy inside — served over rice with a mountain of
- Check the Unagi Hirokawa listing for current hours and details.
Switch bases tonight. Family-run budget guesthouse near Arashiyama with tatami family rooms, private bathrooms, and full kitchens. A garden setting that's quiet but walkable to the bamboo grove.
- Great value for families — the kitchens let you self-cater breakfast before early temple visits.
Bases for how you travel
Ranked for first-timer travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Tokyo
The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon
Design hotel two minutes from Kaminarimon, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the temple.
Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu
Right above the scramble exit. Unbeatable for first-timers.
Asakusa View Hotel
Landmark high-rise by Sensō-ji. Ask for a Skytree-view room.
Kyoto
Gion Ryokan Q-beh
Casual ryokan-style inn two minutes from Yasaka Shrine — tatami rooms, garden views, shared kitchen and bicycle hire, a favorite value base for Gion.
Guesthouse Kyoto Arashiyama
Family-run budget guesthouse near Arashiyama with tatami family rooms, private bathrooms, and full kitchens. A garden setting that's quiet but walkable to the bamboo grove.
Ace Hotel Kyoto
Design-forward 213-room hotel in the historic ShinPuhKan complex — in-room record players and Japanese soaking tubs, Stumptown Coffee, Italian restaurant and a lively arts program.
Flights to Tokyo & Kyoto
Fly into Narita International Airport (NRT)
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