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10 days · First-time Japan route

10-Day Japan Itinerary: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto & Osaka

This 10 day Japan itinerary gives first-time visitors four nights in Tokyo, one restorative night in Hakone, three nights in Kyoto and two nights in Osaka. You move west without backtracking, see Japan's essential contrasts, and still have enough space to enjoy each place rather than race through it.

Best route
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka
Where to sleep
Tokyo 4 · Hakone 1 · Kyoto 3 · Osaka 2
Typical trip cost
$2,000–3,800 per person, before flights
Best for
First visits · Food · Culture · Onsen

10 day Japan itinerary at a glance

Fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka if the airfare works for you. The route follows the Tokaido corridor west, placing Hakone naturally between Tokyo and Kyoto and avoiding an unnecessary return journey.

  • ◆Days 1–4: Tokyo neighbourhoods, food, shrines and one flexible afternoon
  • ◆Day 5: Hakone loop and an overnight stay at an onsen ryokan
  • ◆Days 6–8: Kyoto's eastern temples, Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari
  • ◆Day 9: Nara en route to Osaka; Day 10: Osaka food districts and departure

Day 1 — Arrive in Tokyo and ease into Shibuya

Keep arrival day deliberately light. Check in, load an IC transit card and use Shibuya as an energetic but easy introduction to the city.

  • ◆Afternoon: Check in, walk through Shibuya Crossing and browse Center-gai
  • ◆Evening: Reserve Shibuya Sky near sunset, then eat in Shibuya or Ebisu
  • ◆Travel: Haneda is usually the simplest arrival; allow more time from Narita
  • ◆Typical spend: $110–240 per person including a shared room, food and local transport

Day 2 — Old Tokyo: Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara

Group the east-side neighbourhoods together so the day flows in one direction instead of zigzagging across Tokyo.

  • ◆Morning: Reach Senso-ji before the busiest hours and walk the quieter lanes behind it
  • ◆Afternoon: Choose Ueno Park and a museum, or browse Ameyoko market
  • ◆Evening: Explore Akihabara's arcades, electronics shops and casual restaurants
  • ◆Typical spend: $105–230 per person including accommodation

Day 3 — Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Shinjuku

This is modern Tokyo at three speeds: a wooded shrine in the morning, youth fashion after lunch and neon streets after dark.

  • ◆Morning: Enter Meiji Shrine through the forest from Harajuku Station
  • ◆Afternoon: Walk Takeshita Street, Cat Street and Omotesando; stop when your energy does
  • ◆Evening: See the free city view at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, then eat around Omoide Yokocho
  • ◆Typical spend: $110–245 per person including accommodation

Day 4 — Choose the Tokyo you came for

Use the fourth day for your strongest interest rather than another generic checklist. It also gives the itinerary room to absorb jet lag or poor weather.

  • ◆Art and design: teamLab Borderless and the Azabudai Hills area
  • ◆Food and shopping: Tsukiji Outer Market, Ginza and Tokyo Station
  • ◆Anime and games: Nakano Broadway, Ikebukuro or more time in Akihabara
  • ◆Typical spend: $120–280 per person including accommodation and one ticketed attraction

Day 5 — Tokyo to Hakone for an onsen night

Send large luggage ahead to Kyoto and carry one overnight bag. Leave after breakfast so you have time for part of the Hakone loop before checking into your ryokan.

  • ◆Travel: Tokyo or Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto takes roughly 90–120 minutes, depending on the train
  • ◆Afternoon: Ride the mountain railway and ropeway toward Owakudani; continue to Lake Ashi if weather and time allow
  • ◆Evening: Check in before the ryokan's dinner time, bathe and stay in for the night
  • ◆Typical spend: $230–430 per person including transport, ryokan and dinner

Day 6 — Hakone to Kyoto and an evening in Gion

Finish whichever part of Hakone you missed, then travel west. Do not schedule a major Kyoto sight on arrival day; the transfer and hotel check-in already take a useful part of it.

  • ◆Travel: Reach Odawara, then take the Tokaido shinkansen to Kyoto; reserve a seat on busy dates
  • ◆Afternoon: Check in and explore Nishiki Market or the lanes around your hotel
  • ◆Evening: Walk through Gion, Yasaka Shrine and the lantern-lit edge of Maruyama Park
  • ◆Typical spend: $190–340 per person including the intercity train and accommodation

Day 7 — Arashiyama and northwest Kyoto

Start early in Arashiyama, then stay on Kyoto's western side. Trying to add Fushimi Inari or eastern Kyoto makes this day much harder than it needs to be.

  • ◆Morning: Bamboo grove at opening time, Tenryu-ji garden and the riverside
  • ◆Afternoon: Choose the monkey park or continue to Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji
  • ◆Evening: Return to central Kyoto for an obanzai dinner
  • ◆Typical spend: $115–245 per person including accommodation

Day 8 — Fushimi Inari and eastern Kyoto

Begin at Fushimi Inari before tour groups arrive, then spend the rest of the day walking north through Kyoto's most rewarding historic district.

  • ◆Early morning: Walk beyond the first torii gates at Fushimi Inari; turn back whenever the climb stops being enjoyable
  • ◆Late morning: Take the train toward Kiyomizu-dera and walk downhill through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
  • ◆Afternoon and evening: Continue toward Kodai-ji, Yasaka Shrine and Pontocho
  • ◆Typical spend: $110–250 per person including accommodation

Day 9 — Kyoto to Nara, then Osaka

Nara works well as a stop between Kyoto and Osaka. Leave luggage in a station locker or forward it to Osaka, then focus on the compact park and temple area.

  • ◆Travel: Kyoto to Nara is about 45–60 minutes; Nara to Osaka is about 35–50 minutes, depending on the service
  • ◆Morning: Walk through Nara Park to Todai-ji and its Great Buddha Hall
  • ◆Afternoon: Add Kasuga Taisha or Isuien Garden, then continue to Osaka
  • ◆Evening: Check in around Namba and eat your way through Dotonbori
  • ◆Typical spend: $125–265 per person including accommodation and local trains

Day 10 — Osaka food, views and departure

Match the final day to your flight time. If you leave early, move Kuromon Market to day nine; if you have a full day, stay central rather than squeezing in another city.

  • ◆Morning: Breakfast at Kuromon Market, then walk toward Doguyasuji and Hozenji Yokocho
  • ◆Afternoon: Choose Osaka Castle, Shinsekai or Umeda; leave generous time for the airport
  • ◆Evening: For a late departure, finish with okonomiyaki or kushikatsu before collecting your bags
  • ◆Typical spend: $70–170 per person before the flight; add accommodation if staying another night

What this 10-day Japan trip costs

A practical planning range is $2,000–3,800 per person before international flights, based on two people sharing rooms. Your hotel choices and the Hakone ryokan create the biggest swing. Solo travellers should expect a higher per-person room cost.

  • ◆Accommodation: roughly $900–1,900 per person, including one ryokan night
  • ◆Food: roughly $350–750, mixing casual meals with a few special dinners
  • ◆Intercity and local transport: roughly $220–360 for this route
  • ◆Attractions and extras: roughly $150–350; shopping is not included

Transport, luggage and rail passes

Point-to-point tickets are usually the cleanest choice for this route. A nationwide Japan Rail Pass normally costs more than the Tokyo–Odawara–Kyoto journey plus local fares, but always compare current prices for your exact dates.

  • ◆Use an IC card for ordinary trains, subways and buses in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka
  • ◆Forward large bags from Tokyo to Kyoto and take an overnight bag to Hakone
  • ◆Reserve the Odawara–Kyoto shinkansen when travelling on weekends, holidays or with oversized luggage
  • ◆Do not book the last possible airport train; transfers and unfamiliar stations take time

What to reserve before you go

Book the items that can genuinely sell out, then leave ordinary meals and most neighbourhood wandering flexible. This keeps the trip structured without making every day depend on a clock.

  • ◆First: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka hotels, plus the Hakone ryokan with dinner included
  • ◆Next: teamLab, Shibuya Sky and any special restaurant you would be disappointed to miss
  • ◆Before travel days: shinkansen seats during peak periods and any oversized-luggage reservation
  • ◆Skip Hiroshima on this version: adding it turns a balanced route into a rushed one; use the 14-day itinerary instead

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