Twenty-one nights that keep costs low: street food, covered markets and free parks.
21 nights from Tokyo to Tokyo
Before you fly, five things matter most: check your passport and visa, book your stays and tickets, buy an eSIM and travel insurance, and decide on a rail pass. Open the list for every step, with links.
7 nightsTokyo · Akihabara and KandaPrice level ¥Find stays
About Akihabara and Kanda Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
Anime, games and electronics, with cheap hotels and a quiet old town next door.
When to stay here. Stay here when anime and games are a main goal.
Stay here if: You love anime, games or electronics. You want a central base with low prices.
Skip it if: You want old Japan or a beautiful street view.
Day 1: steps for your landing time
Midday, 11:00 to 16:00
- Get an IC card. Get an IC card such as Suica or ICOCA at the airport, or add one to your phone. It pays for trains and many shops. First-day guide
- Get online. Pick up your SIM or switch on your eSIM before you leave the airport, so you have maps at once. First-day guide
- Send big bags ahead. If you have a big bag, send it from the airport to your hotel with luggage forwarding, and travel light. First-day guide
- Go to your hotel. Keep the hotel address in Japanese on your phone. If you arrive before check-in, ask if the hotel can hold your bags. First-day guide
- Drugstore run. Buy small things for the first days: wet wipes, bandages, snacks and anything that you forgot. What to buy
- A light meal or an easy walk. Keep the first day easy. Eat close to the hotel and walk around your area.
EveningAmeyoko market street
Why it fits you. You like shopping. A loud market under the train tracks. Dried fish, snacks, sneakers and cheap souvenirs.
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MorningKappabashi kitchen street
Why it fits you. You like shopping. Knife shops and plastic food models. They make good gifts.
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AfternoonDepartment store food halls
Why it fits you. You like food. Basement floors full of sweets, bento boxes and gifts. A good rainy-day stop.
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EveningDepartment store food floors
Why it fits you. You like food. Two large stores with huge food floors. Pick up a picnic or a gift.
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MorningHase-dera temple and sea view
Why it fits you. A hillside temple with a garden and a view of the bay. Flowers bloom in many seasons.
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AfternoonEnoshima island and the coast
Why it fits you. A small island with shrines, shops and sea food. A short train ride from Kamakura.
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MorningNakamise snack walk
Why it fits you. You like food. Rice crackers, sweet buns and green tea ice cream on the way to the temple.
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AfternoonTakeshita Street and Harajuku
Why it fits you. You like shopping. A narrow street of crepes, fashion and cute shops. Visit on a weekday to avoid the crush.
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EveningRed Brick Warehouse
Why it fits you. You like shopping. Old brick buildings turned into shops and food stands by the sea. Markets run in many seasons.
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MorningConvenience store breakfast
Why it fits you. You like food. Egg sandwiches, rice balls and hot coffee for a low price. Many visitors love it.
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AfternoonKanda curry lunch
Why it fits you. You like food. The Kanda area has many small curry shops with strong, deep flavours.
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EveningYokohama Chinatown
Why it fits you. You like food. The largest Chinatown in Japan. Try dumplings, buns and sweet snacks while you walk.
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MorningInokashira Park and Kichijoji
Why it fits you. A park with a pond and rowing boats, then small shops and snacks in the town next to it.
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AfternoonAkihabara Electric Town walk
Why it fits you. Multi-floor shops of anime goods, games and electronics. Take your time on each floor.
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EveningConveyor-belt sushi
Why it fits you. You like food. A low-price, easy sushi meal. Take plates from the belt or order on a screen.
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MorningTsukiji Outer Market breakfast
Why it fits you. You like food. Fresh sushi, egg omelet and seafood bowls. Go early, before the lines grow.
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AfternoonGachapon capsule toy halls
Why it fits you. Rows of capsule toy machines with small figures. Fun for every age.
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EveningNakano Broadway
Why it fits you. A mall full of small shops for anime, retro toys and collectors.
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6 nightsKyoto · Kawaramachi and NishikiPrice level ¥Find stays
About Kawaramachi and Nishiki Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
The central shopping and food area, with a covered market and many bars.
When to stay here. Stay here for a trip about food, shopping and nightlife.
Stay here if: You want food and nights out within a short walk. You use buses and the subway a lot.
Skip it if: You want silence at night.
Moving to Kyoto today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
AfternoonNishiki Market tasting walk
Why it fits you. You like food. A narrow covered market with pickles, tofu sweets and grilled seafood on sticks.
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EveningTeramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades
Why it fits you. You like shopping. Covered shopping streets with souvenirs, games and old tea shops. Good in the rain.
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MorningHome cooking class
Why it fits you. You like food. Make sushi or home dishes with a local teacher, then eat what you made.
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AfternoonStation building and Kyoto sweets
Why it fits you. You like shopping. A large station with shops for green tea sweets and gifts. Useful on a rainy day.
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EveningKyoto-style ramen near the station
Why it fits you. You like food. A ramen street on the top floor of the station building. Strong soup, thin noodles.
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MorningByodo-in Phoenix Hall
Why it fits you. A thousand-year-old hall on a pond. You can see it on the ten-yen coin.
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AfternoonMatcha street and tea shops
Why it fits you. You like food. Old tea shops serve matcha noodles, ice cream and sweets. Buy tea to take home.
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MorningSannenzaka and Ninenzaka lanes
Why it fits you. Stone lanes with wooden shops and tea houses. Walk down from Kiyomizu-dera.
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AfternoonMatcha sweets and a tea house
Why it fits you. You like food. Green tea parfaits, soft serve and warm sweets. Kyoto is known for this tea.
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EveningPontocho alley dinner
Why it fits you. A narrow alley of small restaurants by the river. In summer there are terraces over the water.
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MorningMoss garden at a quiet temple
Why it fits you. Some temples keep moss gardens and ask you to reserve and copy a sutra. A slow, calm morning.
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AfternoonTofu or vegetarian temple lunch
Why it fits you. You like food. Quiet set meals of tofu and vegetables in a calm room. Book ahead for a popular place.
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EveningKaiseki multi-course dinner
Why it fits you. You like food. A set meal of small seasonal dishes. It is a special meal, so book well ahead.
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MorningKyoto Imperial Palace park
Why it fits you. A very large green park in the middle of the city, with wide gravel paths and old gates.
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AfternoonLocal cafe and soba lunch
Why it fits you. You like food. Small family shops serve soba noodles and coffee away from the crowds.
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EveningKamogawa riverside walk
Why it fits you. Sit on the river bank in the evening. Locals walk, run and share food here.
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6 nightsOsaka · Nakanoshima and NakazakichoPrice level ¥Find stays
About Nakanoshima and Nakazakicho Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
A river island with museums and old houses turned into cafes and small shops.
When to stay here. Stay here for a second visit, or for art and cafes.
Stay here if: You like art, cafes and calm streets. You stay longer and want a local feel.
Skip it if: You want big shopping streets at your door.
Moving to Osaka today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
AfternoonNakazakicho old-house cafes
Why it fits you. You like food. Old wooden houses turned into cafes, used clothes shops and galleries.
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EveningTempozan Marketplace food court
Why it fits you. You like food. A retro food court with old Osaka street scenes, next to the aquarium.
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MorningKuromon Market grazing
Why it fits you. You like food. Fresh seafood, fruit and grilled snacks under a covered street. Go in the morning.
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AfternoonDepartment store sweets floor
Why it fits you. You like food. A basement of cakes, Japanese sweets and bento boxes. Pick up gifts.
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EveningUniversal CityWalk dinner
Why it fits you. You like food. Restaurants and shops in front of the park gate. Easy after a long day.
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MorningKitano foreign houses hill
Why it fits you. Western-style houses from the 1800s on a hill, with a view of the harbour.
AfternoonKobe beef lunch
Why it fits you. You like food. A famous beef from this region. A lunch set costs less than dinner.
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MorningKitahama retro buildings walk
Why it fits you. Old brick and stone office buildings now used as tea rooms and shops.
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AfternoonHorie cafes and design shops
Why it fits you. You like shopping. A calm area west of the shopping streets with small cafes and design stores.
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EveningConveyor-belt sushi
Why it fits you. You like food. An easy and low-price sushi meal. Order on a screen or take plates from the belt.
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MorningFlea markets and old goods
Why it fits you. You like shopping. Markets with old tools, dishes and clothes. Dates are fixed, so check the calendar.
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AfternoonTenjinbashi-suji covered street
Why it fits you. You like shopping. The longest covered shopping street in Japan, full of local shops and snacks.
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EveningStreet food crawl
Why it fits you. You like food. Osaka is called the kitchen of Japan. Mix stands and small shops in one evening.
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MorningCup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda
Why it fits you. You like food. The original museum where you make your own cup of noodles. Book a workshop slot.
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AfternoonUmeda department stores
Why it fits you. You like shopping. Large stores with fashion floors and huge food halls. Good for a rainy day.
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EveningDotonbori canal at night
Why it fits you. You like food. Giant signs, the running man and the canal lights. Walk both banks.
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2 nightsTokyo · Akihabara and KandaPrice level ¥Find stays
About Akihabara and Kanda Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
Anime, games and electronics, with cheap hotels and a quiet old town next door.
When to stay here. Stay here when anime and games are a main goal.
Stay here if: You love anime, games or electronics. You want a central base with low prices.
Skip it if: You want old Japan or a beautiful street view.
Moving to Tokyo today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
AfternoonFigure and manga shops
Why it fits you. Floors of used manga, figures and cards. Good for rare finds.
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EveningIkebukuro ramen and gyoza
Why it fits you. You like food. A strong ramen area with many famous shops within a short walk of the east exit.
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MorningYanaka old town walk
Why it fits you. Small temples, old houses and a shopping street from the old days.
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AfternoonShin-Yokohama Ramen Museum
Why it fits you. You like food. A food hall built as an old street, with ramen shops from all over Japan in small bowls.
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EveningOmoide Yokocho alley
Why it fits you. You like food. Tiny grill stalls under the train tracks. You eat skewers shoulder to shoulder with locals.
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MorningCup Noodles Museum
Why it fits you. You like food. You design your own cup of noodles and learn the story of instant ramen.
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What this trip costs, in levels. Stay price levels for your budget: ¥. These levels are relative (one yen sign is low, three is high). Live prices come from the partner sites.