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Quick answer: For two weeks, a classic first-timer route is Tokyo (4 nights) – Hakone (1) – Kyoto (4, with a day in Nara) – Osaka (2) – Hiroshima (2), then back to Tokyo or out from Kansai Airport. With 7 days, do Tokyo (3 nights), Kyoto (2) and Osaka (1); with 10 days, add Hakone and Hiroshima. On the shinkansen, Tokyo to Kyoto takes about 2 hours 10 minutes (¥14,170 reserved). The Japan Rail Pass rarely pays off on this route now: the full 7-day loop Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka–Hiroshima–Tokyo costs about ¥48,320 in individual tickets, against ¥50,000 for a 7-day pass bought on the official site (¥53,000 through overseas agencies from October 2026).

In this guide

The route at a glance

Days Base Highlights Travel
1–4 Tokyo Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, a day trip to Nikko or Kamakura Arrive at Narita or Haneda
5 Hakone Ropeway, Lake Ashi, ryokan and onsen, Fuji views Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku
6–9 Kyoto Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Arashiyama; Nara day trip Shinkansen from Odawara
10–11 Osaka Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, street food; optional Himeji or Kobe JR from Kyoto, 29 min
12–13 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Miyajima Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka, about 1 h 20 min
14 Departure Back to Tokyo (about 3 h 50 min) or fly from Kansai Shinkansen

This order works in reverse too, which suits flights into Kansai Airport and out of Tokyo. The 7- and 10-day versions further down keep the same backbone with fewer stops.

Before you go

Your first-day checklist

  1. Activate your eSIM or pick up your pocket Wi-Fi before leaving the airport.
  2. Set up or buy an IC card, and top it up with cash at a station machine.
  3. Withdraw some yen for temples, small restaurants and rural buses.
  4. If you bought a JR Pass, decide your start date carefully: the 7 days run consecutively, so start it on the day of your first long shinkansen ride, not on arrival day in Tokyo.
  5. Arrange luggage delivery for your Tokyo-to-Kyoto move at your hotel front desk the evening before.

Where to stay on this route

Staying close to the main station in each city saves time on every travel day. Good bases for a first trip:

City Good bases Why
Tokyo Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station and Ginza, Ueno and Asakusa Direct trains to the airports; Tokyo Station for the shinkansen; Shinjuku for the Romancecar to Hakone
Hakone A ryokan with its own onsen The overnight stay is the point of the visit
Kyoto Around Kyoto Station, or downtown between Shijo, Kawaramachi and Gion Station area for easy arrivals and day trips; downtown for evenings and walking to sights
Osaka Umeda (Osaka Station) or Namba Umeda for JR and day trips; Namba for food and the Kintetsu and Nankai lines
Hiroshima Near Hiroshima Station or the Peace Park Station for the shinkansen; Peace Park area for evenings

Accommodation taxes are added per person per night: Tokyo ¥100 or ¥200 for most rooms (a flat rate until March 31, 2027), Kyoto ¥200 to ¥10,000 depending on the room rate since March 2026, Osaka ¥200 to ¥500, Hiroshima ¥200 on rooms of ¥6,000 or more, and Kanazawa ¥200 or ¥500. Our guides to where to stay in Osaka and Kyoto go area by area.

Days 1–4: Tokyo

Tokyo skyline with Tokyo Tower framed by a hotel room window, Japan
Base yourself near a major station such as Shinjuku, Shibuya or Tokyo Station. Photo: Pexels

Four nights is enough for a first taste of Tokyo plus one day trip. Choose a hotel near a big station; our Tokyo hotels guide compares the areas, and you can check prices on Agoda.

Day 1: arrive and settle in

Get to your hotel, buy a few things at a konbini, and take an easy evening walk in your neighborhood. If you arrive early, Shinjuku’s skyscraper district and the lanes of Omoide Yokocho are good first impressions.

Day 2: east Tokyo

Start early at Senso-ji in Asakusa before the crowds, then cross to Tokyo Skytree (Tembo Deck from ¥1,800 online). In the afternoon, explore Ueno Park and the Ameyoko market street, and finish in Akihabara.

Day 3: west Tokyo

Meiji Jingu shrine in the morning, Harajuku and Omotesando, then Shibuya. SHIBUYA SKY’s rooftop costs ¥2,700 online for entry before 15:00 and ¥3,400 from 15:00 (more at the counter); tickets go on sale two weeks ahead at midnight Japan time, and sunset slots sell out first. End the day in Shinjuku.

Day 4: day trip or more Tokyo

teamLab Planets is open 8:00–22:00 and is scheduled to run until the end of 2027, one minute from Shin-Toyosu Station; teamLab Borderless is permanent, two minutes from Kamiyacho Station, and costs ¥200 more if bought on site. Both use date-based pricing, so book online. Ghibli Museum tickets are sold only in advance, from 10:00 Japan time on the 10th of each month for the following month, through Lawson Ticket’s overseas site, and none are sold at the museum.

For getting around, the Tokyo Subway Ticket covers Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines for 24, 48 or 72 hours (¥1,000, ¥1,500 or ¥2,000 since March 14, 2026). Our Tokyo day trips guide has more ideas.

Day 5: Hakone and Mount Fuji views

Hakone, in the mountains southwest of Tokyo, is the classic overnight stop for hot springs and a chance of seeing Mount Fuji. Take the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku (about ¥2,470) and loop around by mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and pirate ship on Lake Ashi. The Hakone Freepass (¥7,100 from Odawara or ¥7,500 from Shinjuku) covers most of the loop. Spend the night at a ryokan with an onsen; our Hakone guide explains the circuit.

Fuji is shy: clouds hide it on many days, especially in summer. Winter mornings give the best odds. On the shinkansen west from Tokyo, seat E (the two-seat side in ordinary cars) faces Mount Fuji. See our Mount Fuji guide for viewing tips.

Days 6–9: Kyoto and Nara

The vermilion gate and pagoda of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto under a blue sky
Kiyomizu-dera opens at 6:00, the best time to beat the crowds. Photo: Pexels

From Hakone, return to Odawara and take the Tokaido Shinkansen west to Kyoto; check the timetable for the fastest connection. Four nights in Kyoto lets you see the main sights without rushing and fit in a day in Nara. Our Kyoto where-to-stay guide compares the areas.

Day 6: arrive and southern Kyoto

Fushimi Inari Taisha is five minutes from Kyoto Station on the JR Nara Line (¥150 to Inari Station). The shrine never closes, so go early in the morning or late afternoon for fewer people.

Day 7: eastern Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera opens at 6:00; from November 21 to 30, 2026 it also opens at night until 21:30. Walk down through the old lanes of Higashiyama to Gion, then north to Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), whose adult fee doubled to ¥1,000 on April 1, 2026.

Day 8: Nara

The JR Miyakoji Rapid from Kyoto takes 47 minutes (¥720). In Nara, see Todaiji’s Great Buddha (¥800, cash only), Kasuga Taisha (grounds free) and the deer of Nara Park, then the Kofukuji National Treasure Museum (¥900, cash only). Feed the deer only the special crackers sold in the park, and keep your distance in autumn, when the males can be aggressive. Our Nara day trip guide has a full route.

Day 9: Arashiyama and northern Kyoto

Arashiyama’s bamboo grove and Tenryuji in the morning (see our Arashiyama guide), then Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion (¥500), in the afternoon. Alternatives: Nijo Castle (¥800, or ¥1,300 with the Ninomaru Palace; the Honmaru Palace costs ¥1,000 more and is booked online up to 30 days ahead) and the Kyoto Imperial Palace (free, closed Mondays and from December 28 to January 4, with free English tours at 10:00 and 14:00).

Seasonal extras in Kyoto

Ginkaku-ji holds an autumn special viewing from November 1 to December 5, 2026 (¥2,000 extra), and Kiyomizu-dera’s autumn night viewing runs November 21–30, 2026, with no booking needed. For Nara, the Kintetsu line from Kintetsu Kyoto is an alternative to JR: 46 minutes by express (¥760) or 33–35 minutes by limited express (¥1,280), arriving next to Nara Park. Kyoto plans a higher bus fare for non-residents from fiscal 2027, but it was not in force in 2026.

Getting around Kyoto

Days 10–11: Osaka

Osaka is only 29 minutes from Kyoto by JR (¥580), or 43 minutes by Hankyu (¥410). It is Japan’s great food city: spend the evenings in Dotonbori and Shinsekai, and the days at Osaka Castle, the Umeda Sky Building or Universal Studios Japan (USJ prices vary by date; check the official site). The Osaka Amazing Pass (¥3,500 for one day, ¥5,000 for two calendar days, smartphone only, no child version) covers Osaka Metro, city buses and private railways within Osaka City, plus one entry each to about 40 attractions; a 28-hour version that starts at Kansai Airport costs ¥5,300 from October 2026. Universal City Station is about ¥200 by JR from central Osaka.

With a second day, take a day trip: Himeji Castle is about an hour away by JR (¥1,460), and Kobe 21 minutes (¥420). Our Osaka day trips guide has the details, including Himeji’s new ¥2,500 fee for visitors, and our Osaka where-to-stay guide covers hotels. Don’t miss our Osaka food guide.

Days 12–14: Hiroshima, Miyajima and home

Floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, Hiroshima, Japan
Miyajima’s great torii appears to float at high tide. Photo: Pexels

From Shin-Osaka, the Nozomi reaches Hiroshima in about 1 hour 21 minutes (¥10,950 reserved).

Day 12: Hiroshima

Day 13: Miyajima

Other ways to the island: the Matsudai ferry also costs ¥200 plus the visitor tax but is not covered by the JR Pass, and Hiroden sells a streetcar-and-Matsudai-ferry day pass for ¥1,000 including the tax. The World Heritage Sea Route boat runs directly from the Peace Park to Miyajima in about 45 minutes (¥2,400 one way, ¥4,400 return, plus the ¥100 tax), which makes an easy one-day combination. Itsukushima Shrine is open from 6:30, closing at 17:30 from mid-October to the end of November and at 17:00 in December. Restoration of the shrine’s East Corridor continues until December 2026.

Arriving or leaving via Kansai Airport

Kansai Airport works well for the reverse route or an open-jaw ticket. The Haruka limited express reaches Osaka Station in about 45 minutes (¥2,380 with a non-reserved seat) and Kyoto in about 1 hour 18 minutes (¥3,060). JR West’s discounted HARUKA One-way Ticket for foreign visitors costs ¥2,700 to Kyoto and ¥1,900 to Osaka or Shin-Osaka for tickets sold from November 1, 2026. Our Osaka where-to-stay guide covers airport transfers in detail.

Day 14: home

The Nozomi from Hiroshima to Tokyo takes about 3 hours 50 minutes (¥19,760 reserved). If your flight leaves from Kansai Airport instead, return to Osaka (about 1 hour 20 minutes) and take the Haruka. See our Hiroshima and Miyajima guide.

The 7-day version

With a week, focus on Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and fly out of Kansai Airport if you can, to avoid backtracking.

Day Plan Night
1 Arrive; evening in Shinjuku Tokyo
2 Asakusa, Skytree, Ueno, Akihabara Tokyo
3 Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Shibuya, SHIBUYA SKY at sunset Tokyo
4 Shinkansen to Kyoto (about 2 h 10 min, ¥14,170); Fushimi Inari in the afternoon Kyoto
5 Kiyomizu-dera at opening, Higashiyama, Gion; Arashiyama or Kinkaku-ji Kyoto
6 Nara in the morning (JR 47 min); on to Osaka for the evening in Dotonbori Osaka
7 Osaka Castle or a food morning; Haruka to Kansai Airport –

If you must fly home from Tokyo, swap day 7 for a morning shinkansen back to Tokyo (about 2 hours 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka, ¥14,720). Hiroshima can replace day 6 as a long day trip from Kyoto or Osaka if Nara does not appeal; the Nozomi from Kyoto takes about 1 hour 36 minutes (¥11,940).

The 10-day version

Days Plan
1–3 Tokyo (as days 1–3 above)
4 Hakone loop and a ryokan night
5–7 Kyoto, with Nara on day 7
8 Osaka
9 Hiroshima and Miyajima (stay in Hiroshima)
10 Back to Tokyo, or to Kansai Airport via Osaka

Ten days is the sweet spot for many first-timers: enough time for the big three cities plus Hakone and Hiroshima, with only one night in each of the smaller stops.

Adjusting the route by season

Day trips from each base

Base Easy day trips
Tokyo Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone, Kawaguchiko (Fuji Five Lakes), Yokohama
Kyoto Nara (47 min by JR), Uji, Arashiyama, Osaka
Osaka Himeji (about 1 h), Kobe (21 min), Nara, Arima Onsen, Koyasan (better overnight)
Hiroshima Miyajima (27 min by JR plus a 10-minute ferry)

A day trip replaces one night of packing and moving, so it is often better to stay put and go out and back. Our Tokyo day trips, Kyoto day trips and Osaka day trips guides have the details.

Slower pace, families and older travelers

The 14-day route moves every three or four days, which suits most travelers. If you prefer a slower pace, drop Hiroshima or Hakone and give the extra nights to Kyoto, which rewards slow travel more than anywhere else on the route. With children, short hops help: Kyoto to Osaka is under 30 minutes, and Nara’s deer and Osaka’s food are family favorites. With older travelers, send luggage ahead on every move, choose hotels next to stations, and use taxis for short distances in Kyoto, where buses are crowded. Everywhere, plan one main sight in the morning and a lighter afternoon.

Swaps and add-ons: Kanazawa, Nikko, Fuji Five Lakes

Kenrokuen Garden pond with a teahouse and pine trees in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, an easy swap for Hakone on the way from Tokyo to Kyoto. Photo: Pexels

Kanazawa instead of Hakone

Kanazawa makes a beautiful stop between Tokyo and Kyoto. The Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki from Tokyo takes about 2 hours 24 minutes (¥14,400 reserved). From Kanazawa to Kyoto, take the shinkansen to Tsuruga and change to the Thunderbird limited express (about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours in total, ¥7,520; the transfer at Tsuruga took about 12 minutes in our searches).

If you have an extra day, Ishikawa’s tourism site lists day trips to the Noto Peninsula to support its recovery from the 2024 earthquake; the Wajima Morning Market now runs inside a shopping center building in Wajima (9:00–13:00, closed some Wednesdays). See our Kanazawa guide.

Other swaps

Getting around: shinkansen fares and booking

N700 series Tokaido Shinkansen at a Tokyo Station platform, Japan
The Tokaido Shinkansen links Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Photo: Pexels

Regular-season fares for an adult reserved seat on the fastest trains (Nozomi or Kagayaki), from route searches in October 2026:

Route Fastest time Fare (reserved)
Tokyo – Kyoto 2 h 8 min (daytime 2 h 11–15 min) ¥14,170
Tokyo – Shin-Osaka 2 h 22 min (daytime 2 h 27–30 min) ¥14,720
Kyoto – Hiroshima 1 h 36 min ¥11,940
Shin-Osaka – Hiroshima 1 h 21 min ¥10,950
Hiroshima – Tokyo 3 h 49 min ¥19,760
Tokyo – Kanazawa 2 h 24 min ¥14,400
Kanazawa – Kyoto (change at Tsuruga) about 1 h 50 min ¥7,520

Our shinkansen guide explains seats, tickets and luggage, and our Tokyo to Kyoto guide compares every way to make that journey.

Japan Rail Pass or individual tickets?

The nationwide Japan Rail Pass is sold in 7-, 14- and 21-day versions (there is no 10-day pass). Prices for adults, ordinary class:

Pass Official website Overseas agencies (from Oct 2026)
7 days ¥50,000 ¥53,000
14 days ¥80,000 ¥84,000
21 days ¥100,000 ¥105,000

The official site’s lower price applies “for a period to be announced”. The pass is for foreign tourists entering as “Temporary Visitors”; automated immigration gates give no stamp, so use a staffed gate or ask for one.

The math for this route

Buying and using the pass

The pass does not cover Odakyu (to Hakone), Fujikyu (to Kawaguchiko) or Tobu (to Nikko), which matter on this route. It does cover the Tokyo Monorail and the JR Miyajima ferry (the ¥100 visitor tax is extra). If you prefer the convenience of one pass anyway, you can buy the JR Pass on Klook. Our JR Pass guide covers more routes.

Budget for 1 and 2 weeks

The Japan Tourism Agency’s 2025 survey found that the average international visitor spent ¥228,782 per trip on an average stay of 9.5 nights, or about ¥24,000 per night. Visitors from the US averaged ¥339,708 over 12.0 nights. Spending per visitor broke down like this:

Category Average per visitor (2025) Share
Accommodation ¥84,057 36.6%
Shopping ¥61,136 27.0%
Food and drink ¥50,221 21.9%
Transport ¥22,933 10.0%
Entertainment ¥10,295 4.5%

These figures exclude international flights. For this route, long-distance trains are a bigger share than average: about ¥48,000 for the 7-day loop and ¥60,000–¥65,000 for 14 days with Hakone and Kanazawa. Admissions are modest by international standards (for example ¥200 at the Peace Museum, ¥300 at Itsukushima Shrine, ¥800 at Todaiji), while hotel prices vary most with the season. Our trip cost calculator builds a budget for your dates, and our budget travel guide has ways to save.

What to book, and when

What When bookings open
Ghibli Museum (Tokyo) 10:00 Japan time on the 10th of each month, for the following month (advance only)
SHIBUYA SKY Two weeks ahead, at midnight Japan time
Pokémon Café (Tokyo, Osaka) 18:00 Japan time on the 1st of the month before
Nintendo Museum (Uji) Drawing opens three months ahead; results on the 1st of the following month
Nijo Castle Honmaru Palace Online, 30 days ahead
Shinkansen (JR-West online) One month ahead at 10:00
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Online reservation needed for the first and last hour of the day
Hotels and ryokan As early as possible for cherry blossom and autumn-leaf seasons

Practical tips for this route

Frequently asked questions

Is two weeks enough for Japan? Two weeks is enough for Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima at a comfortable pace, with one or two day trips.

Is one week in Japan enough? One week covers Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka if you fly in to Tokyo and out of Kansai. It is busy but rewarding.

Is the JR Pass worth it for this itinerary? Usually not. The 7-day Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka–Hiroshima–Tokyo loop costs about ¥48,320 in individual tickets, less than the ¥50,000 pass, and tickets let you ride the Nozomi.

How long is the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto? About 2 hours 10 minutes on the Nozomi, for ¥14,170 with a reserved seat in the regular season.

Should I fly into Tokyo or Osaka? Either works. An open-jaw ticket, into Tokyo and out of Kansai or the reverse, saves a long backtrack.

How many nights should I spend in Kyoto? At least three, ideally four, so you can include a day in Nara or Arashiyama without rushing.

Can I see Mount Fuji on this route? Possibly, from Hakone or from seat E on the shinkansen west of Tokyo, but clouds often hide it, especially in summer. Winter gives the best odds.

Do I need to book attractions in advance? Some, yes: the Ghibli Museum, SHIBUYA SKY at sunset, Pokémon Café and the Nintendo Museum all sell out. Most temples and shrines need no booking.

How much does two weeks in Japan cost? The average international visitor spent ¥228,782 over 9.5 nights in 2025, excluding flights. Two weeks on this route typically costs more, with ¥60,000–¥65,000 for long-distance trains alone.

Does a 7-day JR Pass work for the 14-day route? Not well. On this route the long journeys run from day 6 (leaving Hakone for Kyoto) to day 14 (Hiroshima back to Tokyo), which is more than seven days, so a 7-day pass cannot cover them all. Individual tickets, or JR West’s 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass for the western part, usually work out cheaper. Tokyo sightseeing is cheapest with an IC card or a subway pass.

Can I do this route without a car? Yes. Every stop is on the rail network, and a car is more trouble than help in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Only optional add-ons such as rural Hokkaido or parts of Shikoku are easier by car.

Where should I go after this route on a second trip? Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, the Japanese Alps and Okinawa are all very different from the classic route and good second-trip choices.

What if a typhoon hits during my trip? Trains may stop for a day. Keep flexible bookings, a buffer day, and check our seasons guide for how planned suspensions work.

Plan the rest of your trip

Sources: route searches on October 22, 2026 for regular-season weekday travel (shinkansen fares and times); Japan Rail Pass official site (prices, conditions, Nozomi tickets, April and October 2026); JR West (area passes, online reservation); JR Central (Nozomi, oversized baggage); JR Central and JR West release on Nozomi charges (October 2026); Tokyo Metro and Toei (Tokyo Subway Ticket, January 2026); SHIBUYA SKY; Ghibli Museum; teamLab; Tokyo Skytree; Tokyo Tower; Pokémon Café; Nintendo Museum; Kiyomizu-dera; Ginkaku-ji (fee notice, January 2026); Kinkaku-ji; Nijo-jo; Imperial Household Agency; Kyoto City Transportation Bureau; Todaiji; Kasuga Taisha; Kofukuji; Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; Hiroden; JR Miyajima Ferry; Itsukushima Shrine; Hatsukaichi City; Hiroshima Prefecture (accommodation tax); VISIT KANAZAWA; Osaka Amazing Pass; Japan Tourism Agency International Visitor Survey 2025 (March 2026); JNTO (checked October 2026). Prices change; please check before you travel and let us know if you spot something out of date.

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About the Author

Jack

I'm Jack, the writer behind Japan Real Guide. I'm from Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku and live in Osaka. Work takes me around Japan regularly, and I go home to Ehime often, so the guides here come from living in the country, not visiting it. Prices, ticket rules and opening hours are checked against official sources, and every guide shows when it was last updated.