Japan itinerary: 2 weeks by train

Japan is the ideal country for a first trip by train: shinkansen bullet trains link the big cities in a few hours, they run on time and often, and almost every sight on this route is reachable without a car. This itinerary is the well-tried "Golden Route" west from Tokyo, extended to Hiroshima and Miyajima. It needs few hotel changes: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima – Nara is a day trip.

The route at a glance

Travel times are rounded guide values for the fastest usual connection. Between Tokyo and Kyoto the Nozomi takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. Exact times are in the rail companies' timetables.

1. Tokyo
2. Hakone
3. Kyoto
4. Nara
5. Osaka
6. Hiroshima
7. Miyajima

Base map: Natural Earth

If you are flying home from the west, book an open-jaw ticket: into Tokyo, out of Osaka (Kansai Airport). That saves you the long ride back to Tokyo on the last day.

Days 1–4: Tokyo

Give Tokyo at least three full days – the city is made of many districts, each a destination in itself. A good pattern: one day for old Tokyo with Sensō-ji temple in Asakusa and Ueno Park, one for Shibuya, Harajuku and Meiji Shrine, one for Shinjuku with Shinjuku Gyoen garden and the view from one of the towers. In the evening, the narrow lanes of food stalls around the stations are the place to be.

Use day four for an excursion, for example to Kamakura with its Great Buddha or to Nikko with its shrines in the forest. Both are reachable by train.

In Tokyo and every other city on this route, the easiest way to pay for metro, buses and local trains is a rechargeable IC card such as Suica or Pasmo. It also works in Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.

Tokyo trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Days 5–6: Hakone and Mount Fuji

Hakone lies in the mountains south-west of Tokyo and is the classic place for a night in a ryokan, a traditional inn with a hot spring (onsen) and dinner served in your room. The area works as a loop: by mountain railway, cable car and sightseeing boat you travel from Hakone-Yumoto via the steaming valley of Ōwakudani to Lake Ashi. On clear days Mount Fuji rises above the lake – it shows itself most often in winter and early in the morning, while in summer it is often hidden by cloud.

On day six, take the shinkansen from Odawara, the station at the foot of Hakone, to Kyoto. If you want to see Fuji up close, you can choose the Fuji Five Lakes on the mountain's north side instead of Hakone, such as Lake Kawaguchi; they are reachable from Tokyo by bus or train.

Days 7–9: Kyoto and Nara

Kyoto was Japan's capital for more than a thousand years and has more temples and shrines than you could see in a week. Three days cover the essentials: the thousands of red torii gates at Fushimi Inari shrine, the Golden Pavilion Kinkaku-ji, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and the old Gion district with its wooden houses. Start at the best-known places early in the morning – from late morning they get crowded.

Spend one day in Nara, an even older capital. Sika deer roam freely in its large park, and inside Tōdai-ji temple a bronze Buddha sits in a huge wooden hall. Nara is easily done in a day, and you are back in Kyoto for the evening.

Kyoto trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Days 10–11: Osaka

Osaka is only half an hour from Kyoto but feels completely different: loud, colourful and famous for its food. In the evening the Dōtonbori canal district with its neon signs is the centre of things; by day, Osaka Castle and Kuromon market are worth a visit. Osaka is also a good base if Kyoto hotels are full – the two cities are close enough to commute between.

Days 12–13: Hiroshima and Miyajima

From Osaka the shinkansen takes about an hour and a half to Hiroshima. The Peace Memorial Park with the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum commemorates the atomic bombing of 1945; allow half a day.

The next day, take the local train and ferry to the island of Miyajima. The great red torii of Itsukushima Shrine stands in the water – at high tide it seems to float, at low tide you can walk to its base. You can also hike or take the ropeway up Mount Misen. Stay a night on Miyajima and you will have the island almost to yourself in the evening.

Day 14: Heading home

Kansai Airport near Osaka has flights to Europe and beyond; from Hiroshima to Tokyo the Nozomi takes about 4 hours. Plan your return so you are not crossing the country on the day you fly.

Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?

The Japan Rail Pass covers trains of the JR group, including most shinkansen, for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days. It became much more expensive in 2023 and no longer pays off on every route. Do the maths first: for an itinerary like this one with only a few long rides, single tickets are often cheaper. Note also that the fastest trains, Nozomi and Mizuho, can only be used with the pass if you buy a supplement ticket; the slightly slower Hikari and Sakura are included. Current prices and conditions are on the pass's official website.

For regional trips, such as around Kyoto and Osaka or to Hakone, the rail companies sell their own regional passes.

Best time for the trip

• Spring (late March to May): cherry blossom starts in the south and moves north; in Tokyo and Kyoto it usually falls in late March or early April. It is the most beautiful and the busiest time – book early.
• Summer (June to August): in June and July the rainy season covers most of the country, after which it turns hot and humid.
• Autumn (October to late November): pleasant temperatures and autumn colours, which usually peak in Kyoto in November. August to October is typhoon season, and single storms can briefly disrupt trains.
• Winter (December to February): cold but often clear and dry on the Pacific side – the best time for views of Fuji and the quietest time in Kyoto.

How YesTrip helps with this trip

In YesTrip you set up the itinerary as one trip with several stops. There are ready-made city plans for Tokyo and Kyoto that you can adopt and adjust; for the other places the AI builds a day plan. The map shows every stop, the weather forecast covers your travel days, and the packing list suggests suitable clothes and the right plug adapter. Travelling as a couple or group, you share the trip and log shared expenses. The map also works offline.

What to know before you go

• Entry: UK and EU citizens can visit Japan visa-free as tourists for up to 90 days with a passport. Check the current rules with your government's travel advice, for UK travellers on gov.uk.
• Power: Japan uses type A sockets at 100 volts. You need an adapter; phone and laptop chargers generally handle the voltage.
• Cash: cards are accepted more and more, but small restaurants, temples and rural areas still often expect cash. ATMs in convenience stores (konbini) accept foreign cards.
• Luggage: there is little room for large suitcases on busy shinkansen. Many travellers send their bags ahead from hotel to hotel with a luggage forwarding service and travel with hand luggage only.
• Mobile data: roaming in Japan is expensive on most plans. A travel eSIM helps with maps and timetables on the go.