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Most first trips to Japan follow the Golden Route: Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Hakone, Kyoto with Nara, and Osaka, often extended to Hiroshima and Miyajima. You need at least 7 days for Tokyo and Kyoto, and 10-15 days to cover the full route at a reasonable pace; three weeks leave room for the Japanese Alps and Kanazawa, Kyushu or Hokkaido. Japan is easy to travel independently: punctual trains, bilingual signage and no need for organised tours.
With 7 days you can see two cities properly, usually Tokyo and Kyoto, with a day trip to Nara or an evening in Osaka. Ten days add Hakone plus Hiroshima and Miyajima. The ideal length for a first trip is 14-15 days: enough for the whole Golden Route using bases of 3-4 nights and day trips, without repacking every evening. Distances are manageable thanks to the shinkansen (Tokyo-Kyoto in about 2 hours 15 minutes), but the first day is usually lost to jet lag and the airport transfer. Beyond two weeks it makes sense to leave the Tokyo-Osaka corridor: the Japanese Alps, Kanazawa, Kyushu or Hokkaido.
Three nights in Tokyo (Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and one district of your choice), then the shinkansen to Kyoto for three nights with half a day in Nara. The last night is in Osaka, in Namba or near Shin-Osaka, so you can fly home from Kansai airport easily. Book an open-jaw ticket into Tokyo and out of Osaka to avoid backtracking.
Tokyo (3 nights), one night in a Hakone ryokan with a view of Fuji on clear days, Kyoto (3 nights) with a day trip to Nara. Then Hiroshima and Miyajima island (1 night), finishing in Osaka (2 nights) for street food and a flight out of Kansai. All long legs are by shinkansen, mostly under 2.5 hours.
Our itinerary: Tokyo, Hakone and Lake Ashi, four nights in Kyoto with a day trip to Nara, Hiroshima and Miyajima, two days in Osaka, then back to Tokyo with a day trip to Kamakura and departure from Narita. Fixed bases and day trips keep hotel changes to a minimum; the return to Tokyo suits a round-trip flight to the capital.
Tokyo with a day trip to Nikko, then into the Alps: Takayama (via Nagoya or Matsumoto), the village of Shirakawa-go by bus and Kanazawa. From Kanazawa head down to Kyoto (about 2 hours, changing at Tsuruga), then Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima, ending in Kyushu around Fukuoka, Nagasaki or Kagoshima, with a flight home from Fukuoka. In summer you can swap Kyushu for Hokkaido, reached from Tokyo by plane.
A city made of very different districts: temples in Asakusa, skyscrapers and nightlife in Shinjuku, the crowds of Shibuya, electronics in Akihabara. Allow 3-4 days, plus one for a day trip to Kamakura (Great Buddha) or Nikko (forest shrines).
Hakone, under two hours from Tokyo, combines hot springs, ryokan, Lake Ashi and the ropeway over the volcanic Owakudani valley; the alternative is the Fuji Five Lakes area (Kawaguchiko). One night is enough, ideally in a ryokan. Fuji is visible more often in the cold, dry months; in summer it is frequently hidden by clouds.
Kyoto is the heart of traditional Japan: Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Gion, Arashiyama and hundreds of temples; allow at least 3 days, ideally 4. Nara (deer and Todai-ji) is 35-50 minutes away by train and works as a day trip. Osaka, 15-30 minutes from Kyoto, is the street-food city and a convenient base for Kansai airport: 1-2 days.
The Peace Park and Museum tell the story of the 1945 atomic bombing; Miyajima island, about an hour away by train and ferry, has the Itsukushima shrine torii that appears to float at high tide. It is about 1.5 hours from Osaka by shinkansen: 1-2 days, ideally staying at least one night.
Mountain Japan and smaller historic towns: Takayama with its merchant houses, Shirakawa-go with its thatched farmhouses (UNESCO-listed), Matsumoto with its original castle, Kanazawa with Kenroku-en garden and its geisha district. Allow 3-5 days; Kanazawa is about 2.5 hours from Tokyo on the Hokuriku shinkansen.
The southernmost of the four main islands: Fukuoka for food and yatai (evening food stalls), Nagasaki for its history of contact with Europe, Kagoshima with the Sakurajima volcano, hot springs in Beppu and Yufuin. Fukuoka is about an hour from Hiroshima by shinkansen; allow 4-6 days.
Open landscapes, cool summers and snowy winters: Sapporo, Otaru, the flower fields of Furano and Biei, Hakodate, and national parks such as Shiretoko. It is the right choice for June-July, when the rainy season barely affects it, and for winter skiing. Reach it from Tokyo by plane (about 1.5 hours); allow at least 5-7 days, often with a car.
Trains are the backbone. The shinkansen links Tokyo and Kyoto in about 2 hours 15 minutes (Nozomi; about 2 hours 40 on the Hikari), Kyoto/Osaka and Hiroshima in about 1.5 hours, Hiroshima and Fukuoka in about 1 hour, and Tokyo and Kanazawa in about 2.5 hours. A single reserved ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto costs around 14,000-14,500 yen. On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines, suitcases whose three dimensions add up to 161-250 cm need a reserved seat with an oversized-baggage area (same price); without one you pay a 1,000 yen fee. Alternatively, send your luggage from hotel to hotel with a takkyubin forwarding service, usually delivered the next day. In cities, use metro, local trains and buses with an IC card (Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA). For Hokkaido or southern Kyushu, domestic flights, including low-cost carriers, beat the train on time. A car is only useful in Hokkaido and rural areas: in cities it is more hindrance than help, and you need an International Driving Permit valid in Japan.
Indicative daily ranges per person in 2026, including accommodation in a double room and excluding long-distance travel. Budget: 80-120 € (hostels or capsule hotels, convenience-store food, ramen and set lunches, local transport). Mid-range: 150-250 € (business or 3-star hotels, restaurant dinners, temple and museum entry fees). Comfort: over 300 € (upscale hotels, one or two nights in a ryokan with a kaiseki dinner, which alone can cost as much as a hotel). Shinkansen tickets come on top: Tokyo-Kyoto costs about 75-80 € each way. Hotel prices in Tokyo and Kyoto have risen sharply and easily double during cherry blossom season, autumn foliage, Golden Week (late April-early May) and Obon (mid-August). Figures also depend on the euro-yen exchange rate, which has swung widely in recent years: recalculate at the current rate.
Four distinct seasons. Spring (cherry blossom) and autumn (foliage) are the best times; summer is hot and humid, with the rainy season and typhoons between June and October; winter is cold and dry.
Updated: October 2026
Yen (JPY). Japan is still fairly cash-based: always carry yen, especially for temples, small restaurants and rural areas. Cards are increasingly accepted in cities, and 7-Eleven convenience-store ATMs work with foreign cards.
Japanese. Spoken English is limited, but train and metro signage is bilingual and photo-translation apps are very useful.
Citizens of the EU, UK, US and many other countries need no visa for tourism up to 90 days; passport valid for the whole stay. Check the rules for your own nationality before leaving.
No mandatory vaccines. Healthcare is excellent but expensive without cover: travel insurance is recommended.
Excellent coverage everywhere. Tourists use data SIMs/e-SIMs (voice lines are rare) or rental pocket wifi; Airalo, Ubigi or the data SIMs sold at the airport are handy.
100V, type A sockets (two flat blades, US-style). Frequency is 50Hz in the east (Tokyo) and 60Hz in the west (Osaka). Almost all chargers are multi-voltage: usually just a shape adapter is enough.
UTC+9 all year, with no daylight saving.
Cash + cards, with an IC card (Suica/Pasmo) for small amounts. Even in a hi-tech country many small venues take cash only: always keep yen on you.
💡 Get an IC card (Suica/Pasmo) right away and always keep some yen in cash: between convenience stores, temples and small restaurants you'll move around effortlessly. For shinkansen, compare the single ticket with the Japan Rail Pass — the single is often cheaper.
For the classic Golden Route, usually not. After the 2023 increase and another on 1 October 2026, the 7-day ordinary pass costs 53,000 yen (the official website still sells it at 50,000 yen for a limited period), while a Tokyo-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Tokyo loop on single tickets comes to around 45,000 yen. On top of that, the fastest Nozomi and Mizuho trains require a special ticket for pass holders (4,960 yen Tokyo-Kyoto, 6,500 yen Tokyo-Hiroshima), or you settle for Hikari trains. It only pays off if you pack many long journeys into 7, 14 or 21 days, such as Tokyo-Kanazawa-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Tokyo or a trip reaching Hokkaido or Kyushu: add up the single fares before buying.
For a first trip, 3-4 days in Tokyo and 3-4 in Kyoto, plus any day trips (Kamakura or Nikko from Tokyo, Nara from Kyoto). Fewer than 3 days in Kyoto forces you to choose between the main temples, which are spread across different parts of the city. On a 7-day trip it is better to split the time between these two cities than to add a third stop.
It is the classic first-trip route: Tokyo, Mount Fuji/Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, linked by the Tokaido shinkansen line. It is often extended to Hiroshima and Miyajima. It is popular because it combines the modern metropolis and temple Japan within a few hours by train; the downside is crowding, especially in Kyoto in spring and autumn.
Spring and autumn. Cherry trees usually bloom from late March to early April in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka (late April to early May in Hokkaido), with dates that shift every year and a short full bloom. Autumn colours in Kyoto run from mid-November to early December, peaking in late November. The rainy season (tsuyu) generally lasts from early June to mid or late July, except in Hokkaido; July and August are hot and very humid, and typhoons can arrive between June and October. Winter is cold but dry, with fewer crowds and Fuji often in view.
Yes, for one or two nights. A ryokan is a traditional inn: tatami room and futon, yukata, hot-spring bath, and usually a kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast included in the price, which is charged per person. It works best in hot-spring towns such as Hakone, Kinosaki or in the Alps rather than in cities. Arrive in the afternoon, since dinner is served at a set time, and check the tattoo policy if you want to use the shared baths.
Yes, though less than a few years ago. Hotels, chains, department stores and trains accept cards, but temples, shrines, small restaurants, markets and country inns are often cash-only. Foreign cards work at 7-Eleven and Japan Post ATMs; when a terminal asks, choose to pay in yen. IC cards are topped up with cash at station machines.
On a 7-12 day trip, often yes: an open-jaw ticket into Tokyo (Narita or Haneda) and out of Kansai airport saves 2-3 hours of backtracking by train and a lost travel day. The fare is often similar to a return ticket, but compare case by case. On trips of 15 days or more, returning to Tokyo also makes sense, using the last days for trips such as Kamakura.
Suitcases up to 160 cm (sum of the three dimensions) go on the overhead racks or at your feet. Between 161 and 250 cm, on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu lines you must reserve a seat with an oversized-baggage area, at the same price as a regular reserved seat; otherwise you pay 1,000 yen and may be moved to a later train. To travel light, many people forward the big suitcase to the next hotel by takkyubin and carry just an overnight bag.
Sources consulted: japanrailpass.net, japan.travel, global.jr-central.co.jp, ekitan.com
