7 days in Japan: a Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka itinerary for first-timers

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Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in a week is the classic first trip to Japan, and it works because the three cities sit on one fast train line and are completely different from each other. The trick is to give Kyoto enough time, avoid repacking too often, and not try to add Hiroshima, Fuji and Hokkaido on top.

The shape of the week

Days 1–3: Tokyo (three nights)
Day 4: Hakone or straight to Kyoto
Days 4–6: Kyoto (two or three nights), with a Nara day trip
Day 7: Osaka, then fly home from Kansai International Airport

If you can, book an open-jaw ticket: into Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) and out of Kansai (KIX). It saves you a three-hour return journey on your last day.

Days 1–3: Tokyo

Day 1. Arrive, get an IC card (Suica or PASMO) and settle in. Keep the evening easy: Shinjuku or Shibuya at night is spectacular and needs no planning. Day 2: old and new east. Asakusa and Senso-ji early, before the crowds, then Ueno Park and Ameyoko, and an evening in Akihabara or at a skyline viewpoint. Day 3: west side. Meiji Jingu, Harajuku and Omotesando, Shibuya, then Shimokitazawa or Ebisu for dinner. If you prefer art, swap in the teamLab museums. The Tokyo four-day guide on this site has more detail by area and other day-trip options such as Kamakura and Nikko.

Day 4: Hakone, or straight on

Hakone, about an hour and a half from Shinjuku, offers hot springs, Lake Ashi and, on a clear day, views of Mount Fuji. You can go from Tokyo, spend the day there, and then continue to Kyoto from Odawara Station on the Shinkansen. Staying one night in a ryokan makes it far less rushed; the onsen etiquette guide explains the baths. If you would rather have another day in Kyoto, skip Hakone.

The Shinkansen leg

The fastest Nozomi trains take a little over two hours from Tokyo to Kyoto.
On the Tokaido Shinkansen, bags whose length, width and height add up to more than 160 cm need a seat reservation with oversized-baggage space. Ordinary suitcases fit on the racks.
Sit on the right-hand side (seat E) heading to Kyoto for the best chance of seeing Fuji.
Whether a rail pass pays off for this route is covered in the JR Pass guide; for a simple Tokyo to Kansai trip, single tickets are often cheaper.

Days 4–6: Kyoto

Fushimi Inari at dawn, before the tour groups; then Tofuku-ji nearby.
Higashiyama: Kiyomizu-dera, the lanes of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, and Gion at dusk.
Arashiyama: the bamboo grove early, Tenryu-ji, and the river.
Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji in the north-west.

Kyoto is best done by bus, train and walking in small clusters. Do not try to cross the city more than once a day. The Kyoto temples guide covers etiquette and the best times to go. Nara day trip. Nara is under an hour from Kyoto by train: Todai-ji, Nara Park's deer and Kasuga Taisha make a full, easy day. See the Nara guide.

Day 7: Osaka

Osaka is 15 minutes from Kyoto by Shinkansen or about half an hour by JR local rapid trains. Spend the day eating: Dotonbori, Kuromon Market, and okonomiyaki and takoyaki. If you have a later flight, Osaka Castle fits in the morning. The Osaka and Kyoto guide suggests how to stretch this to more days.

Send your luggage ahead

Japan's luggage forwarding (takkyubin) is one of the best travel tips there is. Yamato Transport and others will take a suitcase from your hotel, a convenience store or an airport counter to your next hotel or the airport, usually the next day. Send it from Tokyo a day before you leave, travel to Hakone or Kyoto with a small bag, and your case will be waiting. Ask at the front desk; most hotels handle the forms.

Pacing tips

Three bases at most. Every hotel change costs half a day.
Go to the most famous sights at opening time; by 10am they are packed.
Leave one afternoon empty for wandering and rest.
Sundays, national holidays and peak seasons (cherry blossom, Golden Week, autumn leaves) mean full trains and higher hotel prices, so book early.

The Japan trip checklist covers cash, IC cards and etiquette. Have you done this route, or are you deciding whether to add Hiroshima? Ask or share your itinerary in the comments.