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Verified Japan itinerary

First trip to Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka

A realistic first-visit route with two main hotel bases, one day trip and enough margin for arrival, luggage and station navigation.

10 days5 stops
Sensoji main hall in Asakusa
Sensoji main hall in Asakusa — Photo: Akonnchiroll, CC0 1.0 · Source

Best for

First-time visitors who want major sights without changing hotels every night.

Transport reality

Tokyo urban rail, Tokaido Shinkansen and Kansai local rail. Reserve large-luggage seats when the current railway rules require them.

Day-by-day route

  1. 1

    Days 1–4 · Tokyo

    Tokyo: recover, orient and explore by district

    Keep arrival day light. Group Asakusa and Ueno, then use separate days for central Tokyo and the western districts instead of crossing the city repeatedly.

    Open prefecture guide
  2. 2

    Day 5 · Kanagawa

    Kamakura or Yokohama day trip

    Choose one: Kamakura for temples and coastal walking, or Yokohama for waterfront museums and an easier urban day.

    Open prefecture guide
  3. 3

    Days 6–8 · Kyoto

    Kyoto: split east, west and south

    Travel by Shinkansen, leave luggage and avoid stacking Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama and the eastern temple district into one day.

    Open prefecture guide
  4. 4

    Day 9 · Nara

    Nara as a focused day trip

    Start early, combine Nara Park with a limited number of temples and treat the deer as wild animals rather than props.

    Open prefecture guide
  5. 5

    Day 10 · Osaka

    Osaka food districts and departure buffer

    Use Osaka as the final base if departing from Kansai Airport. Check the exact airport train, terminal and first-departure time the day before.

    Open prefecture guide

Check before booking

Schedules, reservation rules, closures and weather conditions change. Confirm every operator and attraction on its official website for your exact travel date.