Japan is overwhelming and impossible to take in within a span of one trip but let’s break down some possible itineraries & useful resources…
7 – 10 days
A good combination for first-time visitors to Japan going for around 7 to 10 days would be:
- Tokyo
- Hakone (an ancient hot spring town with excellent hiking, views of Fuji – scroll down our Tokyo page for more info)
- Kyoto
This includes hitting up the most beautiful gardens, but also experiencing traditional culture, great food, temples and shrines, plus time at an onsen (hot spring) with views of Mount Fuji. If you love gardens, in addition to Tokyo and Kyoto, consider one night in Kanazawa (scroll down to bottom of Kyoto page).
If you love art, you’ll want to add Naoshima/Teshima. In this case, you should consider Tokyo 3 days, 2 days Kyoto, 1 day Nara, 1 day Osaka + add 2 days for Naoshima/Teshima.
If you’re eager to get off the beaten path, consider Tokyo + lesser-known destinations without the crowds such as Tohoku in the north, or Kyushu in the south. Japan’s ‘Deep North.’ Tohoku is considerered to be the only place left to find ‘authentic Japan’, hit by the 2011 tsunami (the Fukushima reactor is in the southern part of this area. Mountains), it has incredible rustic ryokan with hot springs, nature, great food. Hirosaki Castle is one of the last places to enjoy curry blossom – so great for people traveling in May wanting to see blossoms. Also one of the snowiest regions in the world. Kyushu is an island where you could find almost everything the rest of Japan offers — the rainforest of Yakushima and 1,000-year-old trees, Nagasaki (and this incredible abandoned island), active volcanoes, incredible hot springs and food, nature, thriving food culture of Fukuoka, samurai history, etc. Either of these could be visited with Tokyo during a 7-10 day trip.
20 days
For a focus on food and historic cities, I would do Tokyo and Osaka for food, then Kyoto, Nara, Kanazawa and Himeji for history. And finish around Naoshima island.
For something a little more offbeat, consider forgoing the bullet trip and take a road trip seeking out Japan’s time capsule postal towns on the highway between Tokyo and Japan.
Check out our other road tripper’s wild cards here.
Train Tripping
If you want to explore Japan by train on a budget, it’s definitely worth getting a JR pass rail card. Made especially for those who live outside of Japan, it will get you a seat on all of the JR national trains including the super speedy shinkansen bullet trains. It’s best to order your pass before you get to Japan because it can take a while, and you can also get it delivered to your hotel.
The Kyo-Train Garaku is a train with interiors designed like a traditional Kyoto house, which takes you from Osaka to Kyoto on the Hankyu Kyoto Line in less than 45 minutes. A full fare is 400 yen (about $3.60)
Take a once-in-a-lifetime ride on the Train Suite Shiki-shima aka the most luxurious train in the world, which will take you on a tour of some of Japan’s most beautiful sights. Getting a spot is highly competitive, so to tick this one off your bucket list, make sure to fill out the application form in advance for your chance to stay in a maisonette deluxe suite while whizzing through the dreamy Matsushima peninsula. Prices are usually within the range of $2,860 to $10,000.
As for guides and good resources:
Andres Zuleta founded Boutique Japan in 2013 to introduce experienced travelers to a deeper side of Japan, where he has lived since 2005 and writes the Boutique Japan blog.
Julia Maeda & Lauren Scharf are cofounders of the Japan-based destination management company
Okuni – fixers and concierges who plan trips deep into the country and its complex culture.
Elizabeth Mueller, Be Here – BeHere plans immersive private itineraries that direct travelers to out-of-the way corners of the country. Each itinerary is as unique as the traveler taking it and puts a premium on putting travelers in touch with locals and hands-on experiences. One of her most popular products is for the independent traveler that likes to do their research and travel independently, but also wants an on-the-ground partner in the trip planning process. She offers 1-hour phone consultations where she workshops itineraries together to help travelers fill in any gaps.
Paul Christie, Walk Japan. The pioneering operator of multi-day walking tours in Japan, offering authentic and responsible itineraries across lesser-known regions.
Don George, GeoEx – GeoEx has a long and deep association with Japan and its culture, and specializes in taking our travelers off the beaten tourist path and leading them into the heart of the country.