Twenty-one nights with long stays, soft mornings and time for a hot spring.
21 nights from Tokyo to Tokyo
Plan B details
Add one spare day in case trains or flights stop.
Plan B has indoor swaps for 22 outdoor items.
Outdoor items with no indoor option: 2.
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.
6 nightsTokyo · AsakusaPrice level ¥¥Find stays
About Asakusa Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
Old Tokyo by the river. A big temple at the front door, lower prices and early nights.
When to stay here. Stay here for a first visit with a love for temples and old streets.
Stay here if: You want the old city and a temple at sunrise. You want lower prices and big rooms.
Skip it if: You want big bars and clubs close by.
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.
EveningNeighbourhood public bath (sento)
Why it fits you. You like hot springs. A hot bath in the city, the way locals do it. Learn the rules first: wash before you enter.
Other options
MorningHamarikyu Gardens tea house
Why it fits you. You like nature. A garden with a pond, with a tea house by the water and city towers behind.
Plan B: Ginza department stores
Other options
EveningHoppy Street izakaya
Why it fits you. Open-air tables on a small street. Order grilled meat and a cold drink.
Other options
MorningHase-dera temple and sea view
Why it fits you. You like temples. A hillside temple with a garden and a view of the bay. Flowers bloom in many seasons.
Other options
MorningImperial Palace East Gardens
Why it fits you. You like nature. Old castle walls and quiet lawns, ten minutes from the station.
Plan B: Kabuki-za theatre, one act
Other options
EveningTokyo Skytree views
Why it fits you. A very high view of the whole city. Book a ticket for a clear day.
Other options
MorningMeiji Jingu forest shrine
Why it fits you. You like temples. A wide gravel path through a forest, leading to a quiet shrine. Go early, before the groups.
Plan B: Shibuya bars and clubs
Other options
EveningTokyo Bay evening cruise
Why it fits you. A short boat trip with the city lights. Good for a calm evening.
Other options
MorningSankeien garden
Why it fits you. You like nature. A large traditional garden with old buildings and a pond. Good in spring and autumn.
Plan B: Cup Noodles Museum
Other options
EveningConveyor-belt sushi
Why it fits you. A low-price, easy sushi meal. Take plates from the belt or order on a screen.
Other options
7 nightsKyoto · ArashiyamaPrice level ¥¥¥Find stays
About Arashiyama Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
A river, a bamboo grove and mountain temples at the west edge. Quiet at night.
When to stay here. Stay here for a second visit or a slow trip.
Stay here if: You want calm nights and early mornings in the bamboo grove. You like river walks.
Skip it if: You want to be near the city centre.
Moving to Kyoto today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
EveningYasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park
Why it fits you. You like temples. A bright shrine next to a park. Cherry trees bloom here in spring.
Plan B: Traditional dance show
Other options
MorningTenryu-ji garden
Why it fits you. You like temples. A Zen temple with a pond garden and a back gate to the bamboo grove.
Plan B: Tofu or vegetarian temple lunch
Other options
EveningEvening temple light-up
Why it fits you. You like temples. In some seasons temples open at night with lights on the trees. Check the dates.
Plan B: Pontocho alley dinner
Other options
MorningKasuga Taisha lantern shrine
Why it fits you. You like temples. A forest shrine with thousands of stone and bronze lanterns.
Other options
MorningMoss garden at a quiet temple
Why it fits you. You like nature. Some temples keep moss gardens and ask you to reserve and copy a sutra. A slow, calm morning.
Plan B: Kyoto Aquarium
Other options
EveningArashiyama hot spring or foot bath
Why it fits you. You like hot springs. A hot spring bath or a foot bath at the station. A simple way to rest after walking.
Other options
MorningKyoto Imperial Palace park
Why it fits you. You like nature. A very large green park in the middle of the city, with wide gravel paths and old gates.
Plan B: Zen meditation session
Other options
EveningGion evening walk
Why it fits you. Wooden tea houses in the lamp light. You may see an apprentice geisha. Keep a polite distance.
Plan B: Tea ceremony experience
Other options
MorningCycling in the east side
Why it fits you. You like nature. The city is flat. Rent a bicycle and cover many temples in one day.
Plan B: Home cooking class
Other options
EveningKamogawa riverside walk
Why it fits you. You like nature. Sit on the river bank in the evening. Locals walk, run and share food here.
Plan B: Izakaya and bar hopping
Other options
MorningPhilosopher's Path walk
Why it fits you. You like nature. A stone path beside a canal with cherry trees and small temples. Best in spring.
Plan B: Craft workshop: dyeing or ceramics
Other options
EveningKaiseki multi-course dinner
Why it fits you. A set meal of small seasonal dishes. It is a special meal, so book well ahead.
Other options
6 nightsOsaka · Osaka Castle and HonmachiPrice level ¥¥Find stays
About Osaka Castle and Honmachi Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
A business district with a big castle park next door. Quiet at night.
When to stay here. Stay here for a quiet trip with a history stop.
Stay here if: You want a calm base with good subway links. You like morning walks in a park.
Skip it if: You want a lively night scene.
Moving to Osaka today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
EveningHozenji Yokocho lane
Why it fits you. You like temples. A stone lane with a moss-covered statue that people splash with water. A calm corner next to the noise.
Plan B: Old public bath
Other options
MorningNishinomaru Garden lawn
Why it fits you. You like nature. A wide lawn inside the castle grounds with a classic view of the keep.
Plan B: Osaka Museum of History
Other options
EveningAirport hot spring
Why it fits you. You like hot springs. A hot spring bath near the airport, good before or after a long flight.
Other options
MorningOkunoin cemetery path
Why it fits you. You like temples. A path through old cedar trees and thousands of moss-covered graves. Quiet and strong.
Plan B: Temple lodging meal and morning prayer
Other options
MorningOsaka Castle keep and park
Why it fits you. A large castle with a museum inside and a wide park with moats and stone walls.
Other options
EveningSunset at the bay promenade
Why it fits you. You like nature. A calm walk by the water as the sun sets over the bay.
Plan B: Local lunch and dinner streets
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MorningSumiyoshi Taisha shrine
Why it fits you. You like temples. A very old shrine with a high arched bridge and a calm feel.
Plan B: Kaiyukan aquarium
Other options
EveningOkawa river walk
Why it fits you. You like nature. A river path between two bridges with evening lights.
Plan B: Tenjinbashi-suji covered street
Other options
MorningMinoo Park waterfall hike
Why it fits you. You like nature. An easy forest path to a waterfall, close to the city. Autumn leaves are strong.
Plan B: Bunraku puppet theatre
Other options
EveningLarge indoor spa
Why it fits you. You like hot springs. A big bath complex with themed pools. Good on a rainy or cold day.
Other options
2 nightsTokyo · AsakusaPrice level ¥¥Find stays
About Asakusa Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
Old Tokyo by the river. A big temple at the front door, lower prices and early nights.
When to stay here. Stay here for a first visit with a love for temples and old streets.
Stay here if: You want the old city and a temple at sunrise. You want lower prices and big rooms.
Skip it if: You want big bars and clubs close by.
Moving to Tokyo today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
EveningIzakaya dinner and drinks
Why it fits you. Order many small dishes to share. This is how many locals eat and drink after work.
Other options
MorningShinjuku Gyoen garden
Why it fits you. You like nature. A large, calm garden in the middle of the city. It is good for a slow start after a flight.
Plan B: Department store food halls
Other options
EveningYakiniku grill dinner
Why it fits you. You grill thin slices of beef at the table. Good for a group dinner.
Other options
MorningSenso-ji at opening
Why it fits you. You like temples. The oldest temple in Tokyo. Go at opening time, before the tour groups arrive.
Plan B: Tempura lunch
Other options
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.