Japan itinerary: the classic route adapted to your days

Any itinerary through Japan begins and ends in these three cities. It is not an arbitrary convention: it is the logic of the country. Tokyo concentrates the most extreme modernity in the world, the most efficient transport in Asia and the best entry point to acclimatise to jet lag. Kyoto is the historical counterpart: a thousand temples, the Gion geisha district, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and the torii corridor of Fushimi Inari. Osaka closes the trip with its food energy, the markets of Namba and the nightlife in Dotonbori.

The three cities are connected to each other by the Shinkansen: Tokyo–Kyoto takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, and Kyoto–Osaka just 15 minutes. This proximity is what makes the route so efficient: you do not have to choose between one or the other, they can be combined easily.

Extensions can be added to this base depending on the available time. The most common are:

• Nara — 45 minutes from Kyoto or Osaka by train; free-roaming deer, the largest bronze Great Buddha in Japan and temples in the middle of nature. It works perfectly as a day trip from Kyoto.
• Hakone — 90 minutes from Tokyo on the Romancecar train; the most accessible place to see Mount Fuji, hot springs and views over Lake Ashi.
• Hiroshima and Miyajima — a little under an hour and a half from Osaka on the Shinkansen; the country's historical memory and the floating torii of the island of Miyajima in a combination that is hard to forget.
• Kamakura — 1 hour from Tokyo on a local train; the open-air Great Buddha, temples among the mountains and a quiet coast that contrasts with the capital.

Three weeks allow a loop route (open jaw): you arrive in Tokyo and leave from Fukuoka, with no backtracking. You add cities that few first-time travellers know — Nikko, Kanazawa, Fukuoka — and that often become the favourite memories of the trip. With so many long Shinkansen legs, including the stretch to Fukuoka, the 21-day JR Pass (100,000 ¥, ~545 €) is usually the only route where the pass clearly pays off.

View the full 21-day itinerary, day by day

Prices vary by season (April and November are 30–40% more expensive), the type of accommodation and the travel pace. This table shows estimates for one person in mid-season with mid-range accommodation (a 3-star hotel or a quality hostel):

The 14-day JR Pass (80,000 ¥, ~435 €) can cover a good part of the intercity transport if the route includes Hiroshima or Kanazawa; for 10 days, always compare with the cost of individual tickets before buying it, because after the 2023 increase it often is not worth it.

The most common question when planning the route is whether to start in Tokyo or Osaka. The practical answer is almost always the same: start where you arrive and end at the other extreme.

The most efficient option is to do an inbound flight to Tokyo and a return from Osaka (or vice versa). That way you avoid duplicating the Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen leg, which is around 14,700 ¥ (~80 €) each way in a reserved seat. This strategy — called "open jaw" in flight jargon — is offered by all the airlines operating the route to Japan and generally has no surcharge compared with flying return to the same airport.

If you fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka (the most common order)

It is the most logical direction: Tokyo on arrival to acclimatise (jet lag is more bearable with a stimulating city), and Osaka on departure for the last day of shopping and food before the flight. The Shinkansen goes south-west, covering the whole route without backtracking.

If you fly into Osaka and out of Tokyo

It works just as well. Some prefer this direction because Osaka is a smaller city and the first day — always the most disorienting because of jet lag — is handled better in a less overwhelming environment than Tokyo. Besides, finishing in Tokyo gives access to direct flights from more European airlines from Haneda airport.

When to go from Tokyo to Kyoto?

There is no fixed answer, but the general advice is not to move your luggage first thing on day 1. The first day is doomed to jet lag — keep that day to settle in Tokyo, explore your hotel neighbourhood and have dinner at the nearest konbini. The Shinkansen can be taken comfortably at any time; trains from 6:00 to 21:00 run every 10–15 minutes.

The Japanese transport system is one of the most efficient in the world and is one of the first fears that disappears once you have spent a day in the country. The trains are punctual to the second, signposted in English and the Google Maps app works perfectly for planning any journey.

The Shinkansen between cities

The key legs of the classic route are:

• Tokyo → Kyoto: 2h15 on the Nozomi, 2h44 on the Hikari (both covered by the JR Pass on the Hikari; the Nozomi requires a separate ticket with the JR Pass).
• Kyoto → Osaka: about 15 minutes on the Shinkansen, or between 30 and 45 minutes on a local train (JR, Hankyu or Keihan line) for less than 4 €. The distance is so short that many travellers stay in Kyoto and visit Osaka on a day trip.
• Osaka → Hiroshima: 1h25 on the Nozomi (the Hikari and the Sakura take a little longer). Remember that the Nozomi is not included in the basic JR Pass.
• Tokyo → Kanazawa: 2h30 on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kagayaki).

Is the JR Pass worth it?

It depends on the route. For the basic 10-day route (Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka), individual tickets are almost always cheaper than the 7-day JR Pass (50,000 ¥, ~270 €): after the 2023 increase the 7-day pass is roughly equivalent to a return Tokyo–Hiroshima. But if you add Hiroshima, Kanazawa or Fukuoka, the JR Pass calculator usually comes out clearly positive. The 14-day JR Pass costs 80,000 ¥ (~435 €) and covers the route's Shinkansen on the Hikari and the Kodama, but not the Nozomi or the Mizuho.

The Suica or Pasmo card for local transport

Within each city, the rechargeable IC card (Suica or Pasmo) is essential. It works on the metro, the buses and most local trains throughout Japan, and also pays at konbinis, vending machines and some shops. It can be obtained at the machines in the main stations or directly on the iPhone with Apple Pay. Load 2,000–3,000 ¥ on arrival and top up when it drops below 1,000 ¥.

How to get from the airport

From Narita: the Narita Express (N'EX, about 60 minutes to Tokyo Station, ~3,070 ¥ / ~17 €) or the Limousine Bus (~1h45, around 3,200–3,600 ¥). From Haneda: the Keikyu train or the monorail, both around 30 minutes and much cheaper. From Kansai (Osaka): the Haruka train reaches Kyoto in about 75 minutes (~3,050 ¥) or Osaka in just over 30 minutes. Always compare the arrival airport in the guide to Narita or Haneda.

Most itineraries that fail do not do so for lack of information, but for overestimating what fits in a day. These are the mistakes most often repeated among those travelling to Japan for the first time:

• Changing city too many times. Each transfer eats half a day between packing and unpacking, check-out, train and check-in. Sleeping fewer than two nights in the same place is rarely worth it: prioritise fixed bases (Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka) and do day trips from them.
• Planning the first day as if jet lag did not exist. The arrival day is doomed to tiredness. Keep it to settle in, stroll through the hotel neighbourhood and go to bed early, not for a flagship visit.
• Underestimating the distances within each city. Tokyo is huge: crossing from Asakusa to Shibuya can take 40 minutes by metro. Group your visits by geographic areas instead of jumping from one end to the other several times a day.
• Buying the JR Pass out of habit. For the basic 10-day route, individual tickets are usually cheaper. Always calculate first with the JR Pass calculator instead of assuming the pass is worth it.
• Not booking accommodation in Kyoto in advance in high season. In sakura (April) and momiji (November) the good Kyoto hotels sell out months ahead. If you travel on those dates, book Kyoto before anything else.
• Leaving Hiroshima or Hakone for "if there is time". The extensions left unplanned almost never happen. Decide from the start whether they are in or not, and size the days accordingly.
• Filling every gap in the schedule. Japan is enjoyed as much in the planned as in the improvised: a Kyoto street, a nameless izakaya, a konbini at midnight. Leave room to get lost.

In short: fewer cities and more nights in each. An itinerary with three well-chosen bases and day trips is almost always more enjoyable than one that tries to touch eight cities in two weeks.