10-day plan · First trip · couples · solo travellers · culture + food obsessives
10-day Japan itinerary
The classic 10-day Japan first-timer route
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka
Estimated cost
≈ $2,100–3,000 per person incl. flights, JR Pass, mid-range ryokan/hotels
Pre-book note: Buy the 7-day JR Pass before you fly (voucher exchanged at HND/NRT). Add an Airalo eSIM for day-one data.
Day 1·Land in Tokyo, kickstart in Shinjuku
Base: Tokyo
- Morning
- Meet-and-greet transfer from HND/NRT, drop bags in Shinjuku or Shibuya.
- Afternoon
- Slow walk through Meiji Jingu shrine and Harajuku's Takeshita-dori.
- Evening
- Yakitori under the Yurakucho train tracks + a first Godzilla-view drink in Shinjuku.
Pre-book: Pre-book the airport transfer — trains are cheap but rough with jetlag + luggage.
Day 2·Tokyo icons + teamLab
Base: Tokyo
- Morning
- Sensō-ji at 08:00 (before the crowds) → Asakusa breakfast.
- Afternoon
- teamLab Planets in Toyosu (timed entry, always pre-booked).
- Evening
- Golden Gai bar-hop in Shinjuku, keep it to 2–3 tiny bars.
Day 3·Day trip: Hakone or Nikko
Base: Tokyo
- Morning
- Shinkansen or Romancecar to Hakone; ropeway + Owakudani sulphur valley.
- Afternoon
- Hakone Open-Air Museum + onsen soak at Yunessun or a ryokan day-pass.
- Evening
- Back to Tokyo for tonkatsu in Shibuya.
Day 4·Shinkansen to Kyoto
Base: Kyoto
- Morning
- Nozomi/Hikari bullet train Tokyo → Kyoto (2h15m).
- Afternoon
- Kiyomizu-dera + Higashiyama backstreets (Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka).
- Evening
- Gion at dusk — hope for a geiko sighting on Hanamikoji-dori.
Day 5·Arashiyama + bamboo + monkeys
Base: Kyoto
- Morning
- Arashiyama bamboo grove at 07:30 (empty!), Tenryu-ji temple.
- Afternoon
- Iwatayama monkey park hike + Katsura river stroll.
- Evening
- Pontocho alley kaiseki or an izakaya on Kiyamachi.
Day 6·Fushimi Inari sunrise + tea
Base: Kyoto
- Morning
- Fushimi Inari torii climb at sunrise (06:00 — the only quiet window).
- Afternoon
- Uji tea town — Byodo-in temple, matcha tasting.
- Evening
- Nishiki market snacks; early night.
Day 7·Day trip: Nara deer + Todai-ji
Base: Kyoto
- Morning
- JR to Nara (45 min), Todai-ji great Buddha hall.
- Afternoon
- Nara Park deer + Kasuga Taisha lantern shrine.
- Evening
- Return to Kyoto, izakaya near Kyoto station.
Day 8·Kyoto → Osaka, street food deep dive
Base: Osaka
- Morning
- 15-min shinkansen to Osaka; check into a Namba/Umeda hotel.
- Afternoon
- Osaka Castle + castle park.
- Evening
- Dotonbori: takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu — one bite from every stall.
Pre-book: Reserve a chef's-counter kushikatsu spot; walk-ins queue 45+ min.
Day 9·Day trip: Himeji or Universal Studios Japan
Base: Osaka
- Morning
- Choose your fighter: Himeji Castle (white heron, 1h shinkansen) or USJ.
- Afternoon
- Continue the pick.
- Evening
- Shinsekai neighbourhood for retro-Osaka vibes + a Tsutenkaku tower photo.
Day 10·Fly home from KIX
Base: Osaka
- Morning
- Kuromon Ichiba market breakfast — sushi + fruit.
- Afternoon
- Meet-and-greet transfer to Kansai (KIX). Last-minute Don Quijote souvenir raid.
- Evening
- Fly home.
Before you leave
Three pre-bookings that make day one painless.
Land connected — no roaming, no SIM queue.
Get eSIMAviasales, Tiqets, Kiwitaxi, Airalo and EKTA links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
