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Japan itineraries: 7, 10 and 14 days

Three routes that work for a first trip, built around the bullet-train line from Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. Each lists where to sleep, so you can book as you read.

Facts checked October 2026

Before you choose

Non-stop flights from London arrive at and leave from Tokyo Haneda. Each route below ends with the train back to Tokyo — Kyoto to Haneda takes about three hours door to door. If you'd rather not double back, fly home from Osaka's Kansai airport with one connection.

7 days: Tokyo and Kyoto

Nights: Tokyo 3 · Kyoto 3. The essential pairing, at a pace that leaves room for jet lag.

  1. Day 1 — Arrive in Tokyo. Haneda to your hotel in 30 minutes. Stay up until evening: walk Shibuya Crossing at dusk and eat at a busy izakaya.
  2. Day 2 — Old Tokyo. Senso-ji in Asakusa before 9am, Ueno Park and its museums, then Akihabara's electronics and arcades.
  3. Day 3 — New Tokyo. Meiji Jingu's forest shrine, Harajuku and Omotesando, Shinjuku Gyoen garden, and the tiny bars of Golden Gai at night.
  4. Day 4 — To Kyoto. Morning Shinkansen (2 h 15 min). Fushimi Inari's gate tunnels in the late afternoon when the crowds have gone; Gion and Pontocho in the evening.
  5. Day 5 — Eastern Kyoto. Kiyomizu-dera at 6–8am, the stone lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, then the Philosopher's Path to Ginkaku-ji.
  6. Day 6 — Nara or Arashiyama. Either Nara's deer and Great Buddha (45 minutes by train), or the Arashiyama bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji and Kinkaku-ji.
  7. Day 7 — Home. Shinkansen back to Tokyo and on to Haneda. Allow a generous buffer for a midday flight.

Rail pass? No. A Tokyo–Kyoto return is about ¥28,340 in reserved seats, well under the ¥50,000–53,000 seven-day pass. Buy single tickets and an IC card.

Swap: trade one Tokyo night for a night in a Hakone ryokan on the way to Kyoto.

10 days: the Golden Route

Nights: Tokyo 3 · Hakone 1 · Kyoto 3 · Miyajima or Hiroshima 1 · Osaka 1. The classic first-timer route, with a hot-spring night and the most moving day in Japan.

  1. Days 1–3 — Tokyo. As in the 7-day route, with time for a neighbourhood of your own choosing — Shimokitazawa for vintage shops, Yanaka for old wooden streets, or teamLab for digital art (book ahead).
  2. Day 4 — Hakone. Romancecar from Shinjuku (about 85 minutes). Ride the loop by mountain train, cable car and ropeway over the volcanic vents of Owakudani, cross Lake Ashi, then soak at a ryokan with dinner included.
  3. Day 5 — To Kyoto. From Odawara, Shinkansen to Kyoto. Afternoon at Fushimi Inari.
  4. Days 6–7 — Kyoto. Eastern Kyoto one day; Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji the next, or a half-day in Nara.
  5. Day 8 — Hiroshima and Miyajima. Shinkansen to Hiroshima (about 1 h 40 min from Kyoto). Peace Memorial Park and Museum in the morning, then the train and ferry to Miyajima. Stay the night on the island if you can: it empties when the day-trippers leave.
  6. Day 9 — Osaka. Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka. Osaka Castle, then Dotonbori and Kuromon Market for an evening of street food.
  7. Day 10 — Home. Shinkansen to Tokyo (2 h 30 min) and on to Haneda.

Rail pass? Borderline. All the long train journeys fall within days 4–10, so a seven-day pass activated on day 4 roughly matches the cost of single tickets. Price your legs first; the pass doesn't cover Nozomi trains or Hakone's private lines.

14 days: Golden Route plus the Japanese Alps

Nights: Tokyo 4 · Kanazawa 2 · Takayama 2 · Kyoto 3 · Miyajima or Hiroshima 1 · Osaka 1. Adds the thatched villages, old merchant towns and slower pace of central Japan.

  1. Days 1–4 — Tokyo. Three days in the city plus one day trip: Nikko's ornate shrines and mountain scenery, or Kamakura's Great Buddha and seaside temples.
  2. Day 5 — To Kanazawa. Hokuriku Shinkansen (about 2 h 30 min). Higashi Chaya teahouse district in the late afternoon.
  3. Day 6 — Kanazawa. Kenroku-en garden early, the Nagamachi samurai quarter, Omicho Market seafood bowls, the 21st Century Museum.
  4. Day 7 — Shirakawa-go to Takayama. Reserved Nohi bus to Shirakawa-go (about 75 minutes), a few hours among the steep-roofed farmhouses, then on to Takayama (about 50 minutes).
  5. Day 8 — Takayama. Morning markets, the Sanmachi old town, sake breweries and Hida beef.
  6. Day 9 — To Kyoto. Hida limited express to Nagoya through the mountain valleys, then Shinkansen to Kyoto (about 3 h 30 min in all).
  7. Days 10–11 — Kyoto, with a half-day in Nara.
  8. Day 12 — Hiroshima and Miyajima.
  9. Day 13 — Osaka.
  10. Day 14 — Home via Shinkansen to Tokyo and Haneda.

Rail pass? A 14-day pass (¥80,000–84,000) is close to break-even; a 7-day pass activated on day 5 doesn't reach Osaka and back. Many travellers buy single tickets plus the JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass (¥17,000 for five days) for the western half.

Adapting the routes

  • Jet lag: flights from London land in the morning or evening Japan time. Keep day 1 light and don't book anything timed for it.
  • Fewer moves: Nara, Himeji, Kobe and even Hiroshima are day trips from a Kyoto or Osaka base. Staying put four nights saves hours of packing.
  • Mt Fuji: swap Hakone for the Fuji Five Lakes (Kawaguchiko) if seeing the mountain matters more than onsen. Go in the colder months for the clearest views.
  • Winter: add 3–5 days in Hokkaido (fly Haneda–Sapporo in 1 h 35 min) for skiing, or time the trip for the Sapporo Snow Festival in February.
  • Beach time: add Okinawa at the end — Haneda to Naha is under three hours.
  • Luggage: on travel days with several changes, send your suitcase ahead and carry a day bag.

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