In a nutshell
- We’ve put together a complete Japan travel itinerary for you — with all the tips and info you need!
- We’ll show you our 3-week Japan itinerary, complete with a map and a quick overview of each stop.
- For every stop, you’ll find our personal recommendations, specific hotel picks, and a list of all the highlights.
- Your transportation of choice will be trains. We’ll explain how they work and whether or not you need a Japan Rail Pass.
- Short on time? We also show you how to make it work as a 2-week Japan itinerary.
Our Japan Round Trip Route on a Map
To give you a better overview of where you’ll be heading on your trip to Japan, we’ll start with a map of our three-week Japan itinerary.
All the stops are on Japan’s main island of Honshu. That’s where you’ll find the most famous highlights in Japan, like Tokyo and Kyoto — absolute must-haves for any Japan travel itinerary.
Our Japan Round Trip at a Glance
Now you know where you’re headed. But how much time should you plan for each city? Here’s our schedule for the Japan round trip:
- Days 0–10: Tokyo – the ultimate big-city feeling in Japan’s capital
- Days 11–13: Osaka – edgy and chaotic, with amazing food
- Days 14–19: Kyoto – culture at its finest, though a bit touristy
- Days 20–21: Hiroshima – a green metropolis with a deeply moving history
How to Get from A to B on Your Round Trip Through Japan
The best way to get around on your Japan itinerary is by super high-speed train. They’re called Shinkansen.
The network is really well developed and the trains travel at around 185 mph. From Tokyo to Osaka, for example, you only need about three hours. Depending on the route, trains run every 10–30 minutes and are incredibly punctual.
You can either buy a Japan Rail Pass or travel with individual tickets. The Japan Rail Pass covers most trains (including Shinkansen), but it’s quite expensive. It’s only worth it for a classic round trip if you’re really covering a lot of ground on long-distance Shinkansen routes.
Everything you need to know about the Japan Rail Pass and getting around in Japan, we’ve written up in detail in a dedicated article:
Days 0 to 10: Tokyo
Your Japan trip itinerary kicks off in Tokyo. Brace yourself for a bit of culture shock, because everything here is bigger, more colorful, and louder.
We love all the hustle and bustle, the countless attractions, and the incredible food.
There’s so much to see in Tokyo that you should go ahead and plan a few extra days here.
How much time for Tokyo? 5–10 days
If you want all our detailed tips on Tokyo, keep reading here:
Our Hotel Tips for Tokyo
Hotels in Tokyo are relatively expensive and book up very quickly. So take care of your accommodation as early as possible.
We’ll make it easy for you — here are our hotel picks for Tokyo:
All of our hotel recommendations for Tokyo can be found here:
Our Sights in Tokyo
There’s always something new to discover in Tokyo. These are the highlights you absolutely shouldn’t miss:
- Sensō-ji Temple
- Tokyo Skytree (get tickets)
- Tokyo Bay with Rainbow Bridge
- Shibuya Crossing
- Ueno Park (especially during cherry blossom season in Japan)
- Tokyo City Hall
- Tokyo Tower (get tickets)
- Mori Tower
- Piss Alley (Memory Alley)
- Golden Gai
- Harajuku
- Hachikō Statue
Day Trip to Kamakura and Yokohama
If you have ten days in Tokyo, make sure to plan a day trip to Kamakura and Yokohama — two cities just south of Tokyo.
It takes about an hour to get to Kamakura by train. You can pay for the ride easily with the Suica Card — which you should get for your Japan trip anyway.
In Kamakura, you’ll trade the big-city energy of Tokyo for something more natural. You can visit traditional Japanese temples and a giant Buddha statue.
On the way back, a stop in Yokohama is seriously worth it. The city is roughly halfway between Kamakura and Tokyo, so you’re looking at about a 40-minute journey. In this port city, the pier and Chinatown are especially not to be missed.
Our tips for Kamakura and Yokohama:
Continuing to Osaka
To get from Tokyo to Osaka, take the Tokaido Line Shinkansen. Three different trains run on this line.
With the Japan Rail Pass, you can take either the Hikari or Kodama train. The Hikari trains make fewer stops and are therefore faster.
The trains depart from Tokyo Station and Shinagawa Station.
Days 11 to 13: Osaka
Next up is Osaka. The city may not be as ultra-modern and wild as Tokyo, but it’s totally full of character and warmth. The people here are incredibly friendly.
The whole city has this mix of old and new. Ancient temples stand side by side with skyscrapers — really cool!
Osaka will especially appeal to you if you love alternative neighborhoods and could use a break from the mega-city energy of Tokyo.
How much time for Osaka? 2–3 days
All our tips on Osaka can be found here:
Our Hotel Tips for Osaka
Hotel prices in Osaka are significantly lower than in Tokyo. Here are three great places to stay in the center of the city:
Our Sights in Osaka
You can easily cover these Osaka highlights in two days:
- Osaka Castle
- Dotonbori
- Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku Tower (get tickets)
- Ferris wheel at the Hep Five Shopping Mall
- Umeda Sky Building
- Minami
Day Trip to Nara
Osaka is a great base for day trips. We especially recommend visiting Nara — the train ride takes just 30 minutes.
One of Nara’s highlights is its many traditional Japanese temples, perfect for some truly stunning photos. But something else steals the show: over 1,500 tame deer that roam freely through the city — pretty wild!
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Continuing to Kyoto
From Osaka, you can reach Kyoto in less than half an hour. Just hop on the Hikari train on the Tokaido Line from Shin-Osaka Station.
Days 14 to 19: Kyoto
After Tokyo and Osaka, Kyoto is the complete opposite of modern Japan.
Narrow alleyways wind from one temple to the next. There are 1,600 of them in total, and they’re simply breathtaking. Along the way, you’ll also encounter geishas who look like living works of art.
But don’t worry — it’s not all culture and history here. There are also cool cafés, shopping districts, and modern museums to explore.
How much time for Kyoto? 4–6 days
Here you'll find all our tips for Kyoto:
Our Hotel Tips for Kyoto
Kyoto has a great selection of places to stay. Here are our three hotel picks for Kyoto.
Our Sights in Kyoto
You obviously can’t visit all 1,600 temples in just a few days. These are the must-sees in Kyoto that you absolutely have to see.
- Yasui-konpira-gu
- Kodai-ji
- Chion-in
- Kiyomizu-dera
- Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Gion Geisha District
- Nishiki Market
- Tofuku-ji
- Kinkaku-ji
- Ninna-ji
- Nijo Castle
- Tenryu-ji
- Adashino Nenbutsu-ji and the northwest of Arashiyama (Bamboo Grove)
- Romantic Train
Continuing to Hiroshima
To continue on to Hiroshima, you first need to take the Tokaido Line back to Osaka. From there, transfer to the Sanyo Line.
You can take a Sakura, Hikari, or Kodama train — all of them will get you to Hiroshima Station. The journey takes about 1.5 hours.
Our tip: The famous Himeji Castle is right on the way from Osaka to Hiroshima. It’s a great spot for a stopover. Just leave your luggage in a locker at the station.
Days 20 to 21: Hiroshima
Your final stop on this Japan itinerary is Hiroshima. The city became world-famous because of a tragic event, when the first atomic bomb was dropped on it. Today, everything here revolves around peace.
The city and its sights genuinely moved us. But at the same time, it’s simply fascinating how Hiroshima is now so full of life and positivity.
How much time for Hiroshima? 2 days
You want all our tips for Hiroshima? Find them here:
Our Hotel Tips for Hiroshima
When staying in Hiroshima, your best bet is to stay downtown. That way you can easily reach all the sights on foot.
Our Sights in Hiroshima
You can comfortably cover these sights in Hiroshima in one day:
- Peace Park (including A-Bomb Dome, Children’s Peace Monument, Peace Memorial Museum, and Flame of Peace)
- Hiroshima Castle
- Shukkei-en Garden
Day Trip to Miyajima Island
For your second day in Hiroshima, we strongly recommend a trip to Miyajima Island.
The island is especially famous for the Itsukushima Shrine and its large torii gate standing in the middle of the water. But there’s much more to see on the island, such as the Daisho-In Temple, which is far quieter than the Itsukushima Shrine.
Return to Tokyo
At the end of your Japan round trip, you’ll head back from Hiroshima to Tokyo. Take the Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Osaka, then transfer to the Tokaido Line. You’ll be back in Tokyo in just under four hours.
Our Itinerary for a 2-Week Japan Round Trip
If you only have 2 weeks, a round trip through Japan is still absolutely worth it. You don’t have to skip any city either — just trim the time you spend in each place a little. Here’s one way it could look:
- Tokyo: 5 days (optional: day trip to Kamakura and Yokohama)
- Osaka: 2 days including a day trip to Nara
- Kyoto: 4 days
- Hiroshima: 2 days including a day trip to Miyajima
Questions and Answers About Your Japan Itinerary
Still have a question about planning your Japan trip? You’ll likely find the answer here. Or just leave us a comment below.
When is the best time to visit Japan?
The best time to visit Japan is definitely spring or fall. Temperatures are most pleasant then, and there are no typhoons.
From late March, you can also experience the cherry blossoms and watch the landscape turn completely pink — seriously stunning.
Spring and fall are also the peak travel seasons for Japan. So be sure to book your hotels and flights as far in advance as possible!
All the info you need about the best time to visit Japan and cherry blossom season is packed into these articles:
How much time do you need for a Japan round trip?
Our condensed Japan itinerary takes 2 weeks. You really do need that amount of time to cover all the highlights.
Longer is always better, of course. We could honestly spend several weeks in Tokyo alone!
How much does a 3-week Japan trip cost?
Japan has a reputation as a very expensive travel destination. During our trip in peak season, we paid around €3,700 per person for 3 weeks.
Unfortunately, flight and hotel prices as well as the cost of the Japan Rail Pass have continued to rise since then. You should therefore budget an average of approximately 4,500–5,000 euros per person for 3 weeks.
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