Japan's "golden route" from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka is the best first trip. Bullet trains make it efficient, and each stop feels completely different.
Seven days
- Nights 1–3: Tokyo. Shibuya Crossing, Senso-ji in Asakusa, the Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku at night and teamLab or Tokyo Disney.
- Nights 4–6: Kyoto. Fushimi Inari's torii gates early in the morning, the Golden Pavilion, Arashiyama's bamboo grove and Gion in the evening. Day trip to Nara to see the deer and Todai-ji.
- Fly home from Osaka (Kansai Airport).
Ten days
- Nights 1–3: Tokyo.
- Night 4: Mount Fuji & Hakone (Kawaguchiko or Hakone), staying in a ryokan with a hot spring.
- Nights 5–7: Kyoto, with Nara as a day trip.
- Night 8: Hiroshima & Miyajima, with the Peace Memorial and Miyajima's floating torii.
- Nights 9–10: Osaka, for Dotonbori's street food and Universal Studios Japan.
Getting around
The Shinkansen bullet train takes about two hours fifteen minutes between Tokyo and Kyoto. Whether a Japan Rail Pass is worth it depends on your route; see Japan Rail Pass explained: is it worth it for your route?. Use a luggage-forwarding service to send big suitcases between hotels.
Family variation
Spend more time in Tokyo for Disneyland and DisneySea, and in Osaka for Universal Studios. Skip Hiroshima if the children are young.
Food for Indian travellers
Indian restaurants are easy to find in Tokyo and Osaka. Strict vegetarians should be aware that many Japanese dishes use fish-based stock (dashi), so ask or choose dedicated vegetarian restaurants.
When to go
Spring blossom and autumn leaves are the most beautiful but busiest seasons. See Best time to visit Japan: cherry blossom, autumn leaves and beyond.
When to go
When to go
When to go
When to go