7 Days in Japan: First-Timer's Tokyo & Kyoto
A focused one-week first trip: four days in Tokyo with a Hakone or Kamakura option, then three days in Kyoto with a half-day in Nara.
Japan itineraries
Day-by-day routes you can copy or adapt — from a one-week first trip to a two-week classic loop, plus family-friendly and budget versions.
10 Days in Japan: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara & Osaka
The classic Golden Route with an onsen night in Hakone, plenty of Kyoto, a day in Nara and street food in Osaka.
14 Days in Japan: The Classic Two-Week Route
Two weeks taking in Tokyo, Nikko, Hakone, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima — the route where a JR Pass may pay off.
Japan with Kids: 10-Day Family Itinerary
A family-friendly pace with theme parks, aquariums, hands-on museums, deer in Nara and plenty of downtime — Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
Japan on a Budget: 12-Day Itinerary
See Tokyo, Fuji Five Lakes, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima on a shoestring using highway buses, hostels, free sights and cheap eats.
7 Days in Central Japan: Nagoya, Takayama & Kanazawa
A week through Japan's mountainous heartland — Nagoya, the Kiso Valley post towns, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa.
How to use these itineraries
Each plan assumes you arrive at Tokyo (Narita or Haneda) or Osaka (Kansai) and uses public transport. Travel days are deliberately light. If you're short on time, cut a base rather than squeezing in more stops — changing hotels costs half a day each time. Use our JR Pass value helper with your final route to decide whether a rail pass makes sense.