Suggested Itineraries

Japan has so much to offer it might easily get overwhelming. Especially with intense in mass tourist in some areas, picking the right route for you is essential.

The Golden Route (14 days)

My version of the classic and by far the most popular tourist route in Japan. Pretty good mix of urban and rural, modern and ancient. The sights on the way are fabulous, but since the post-Covid reopening are again very crowded, especially in Kyoto. However, the cities en route have many sights with less tourists if you want to avoid the crowds.

The train costs would be around 69 000 Yen, thus it’s not worth buying the 14 day JR Pass (89 000 Yen). Possible to save some money by taking cheap flights or highway buses, but that would take much longer than trains door-to-door.

1 Week Around Tokyo

If you have only one week and you want to stay in and around Tokyo, there is still a lot to see:

Head South (14 days)

Southern Japan is warmer than the north, so heading south is a great option in late autumn and winter if you want to avoid the cold. However, it does get very hot in summer, then it is better avoided.

  • Day 1 Flight from Tokyo to Kumamoto. If you like hiking, you can fly to Kagoshima and go to Yakushima island (3-4 days) or Kirishima National Park (2 days)
  • Day 2 Kumamoto to Kurokawa Onsen via Aso volcano
  • Day 3 Kurokawa Onsen to Fukuoka. If you like hiking, you can divert to Kuju National Park (2 days). If you want even more onsens, you can divert to Beppu.
  • Day 4 Fukuoka to Miyajima. If you prefer WWII and Christian history, Nagasaki is a nice diversion.
  • Day 5 Himeji via Hiroshima. If you like cycling, you can divert to Shimanami Kaido cycling route (2-3 days). If you like modern art, Naoshima and Teshima are beautiful (2 days).
  • Day 6 Osaka. If you prefer something more rural, a loop of Shikoku (3-4 days by car, 11 by bicycle) is a great option, but cumbersome without a private vehicle.
  • Day 7 Koyasan. If you like hiking, you can divert south to do the Kumano Kodo route (3-5 days)
  • Day 8-11 Kyoto including Nara day trip
  • Day 12 Kyoto to Hakone
  • Day 13 Hakone to Tokyo
  • Day 14 Tokyo

Head North (14 days)

Region the least traveled by foreign tourists in Japan. A lot more off the beaten track, way less people, more nature. Naturally, the transportation is not as convenient, but it is still doable by public transport, while a car would help a lot if you are hiking or trying to reach remote onsens. Best done in summer, but still very doable in the fall and spring (without the hikes). Winter in Tohoku is very picturesque, while it is less practical.

The Mega Loop (30+ days)

If you have at least 4 weeks, it is possible to do a loop of whole Japan. I would prefer focusing on one area, but some people want to spread out. While that would be a lot of moving around, the variety of landscapes would be mind-blowing. Ideally, you would need 5-6 weeks to have a more relaxing pace or to visit more places. This itinerary would make use of the 21 day 100,00 yen JR Pass (start in Kagoshima). The route is doable all year, but winter would eliminate hiking in Nagano and Hokkaido, while in summer Okinawa, Kyushu, Kansai and Kanto will be very hot and humid. Thus spring and autumn are good compromises, but since you are covering almost 3000 km south-north, the climate will not be ideal everywhere.

  • Day 1 Flight from Tokyo to Okinawa (Ishigaki or Naha)
  • Days 2-4 Okinawa. In case you go to Naha, I recommend Kerama islands like Zamami and Aka
  • Day 5 Flight from Naha to Kumamoto. If you went to Ishigaki, you will need to fly to Fukuoka or via Naha. If you like hiking, you can fly to Kagoshima and go to Yakushima island (3-4 days) or Kirishima National Park (2 days)
  • Day 6 Kumamoto to Kurokawa Onsen via Aso volcano
  • Day 7 Kurokawa Onsen to Fukuoka. If you like hiking, you can divert to Kuju National Park (2 days). If you want even more onsens, you can divert to Beppu.
  • Day 8 Fukuoka to Miyajima. If you prefer WWII and Christian history, Nagasaki is a nice diversion.
  • Day 9 Himeji via Hiroshima. If you like cycling, you can divert to Shimanami Kaido cycling route (2-3 days)
  • Day 10 Osaka
  • Days 11 Koyasan. If you like hiking, you can divert south to do the Kumano Kodo route (3-5 days)
  • Days 12-15 Kyoto including Nara day trip
  • Day 16 Kyoto to Kanazawa
  • Day 17 Kanazawa
  • Day 18 Kanazawa to Takayama
  • Day 19 Takayama to Kamikochi or Tateyama
  • Days 20-21 Hike in Kamikochi or Tateyama (only in summer or early autumn)
  • Days 22-23 Tokyo
  • Day 24 Tokyo to Zao Onsen
  • Day 25 Zao to Morioka. If you like hiking, you can hike the Iwate volcano (1 day)
  • Day 26 Morioka to Sapporo, possible Otaru day trip
  • Days 27-28 Daisetsuzan National park hike (only in summer or early autumn)
  • Day 29 Asahikawa to Shiretoko
  • Day 30 Depart by flight from Shiretoko to Tokyo

For hiking itineraries head to Hiking