2 Weeks in Japan: A 14-Day Itinerary for First-Time Visitors, With Trains, Costs and Seasons

Is 2 Weeks in Japan Enough?

For a first visit, yes. Fourteen days covers the classic "Golden Route" of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and still leaves time for Hiroshima and Miyajima, which most one-week plans have to drop. You get a decent amount of time in each city rather than one rushed afternoon.

Two weeks isn't enough for the whole country, though, and a two week trip goes better if you accept that. Hokkaido, Okinawa, the Japanese Alps and Kyushu each deserve their own trip, and adding one of them usually costs two days of travel. One rule keeps the pace manageable: spend several nights at each base and avoid two big travel days back to back. The route below runs entirely on bullet trains and local trains, so you won't need a rental car. A rental car only makes sense in the countryside — around the lakes near Mt Fuji, in rural Hokkaido or Kyushu — and requires the correct driving documents for your licence’s country of issue. Check the JAF guidance before booking a car.

Your Two Week Japan Itinerary at a Glance

How Many Nights to Spend in Each Base

Tokyo gets four nights because it's huge and the flight usually uses up day one. Kyoto also gets four: its main sights are spread out, and early starts pay off there more than anywhere else. Hiroshima needs only two nights, one afternoon at the peace museum and one full day on Miyajima, and Osaka gets two. If you'd like fewer hotel changes, stay in Kyoto and visit Osaka on day trips — the JR Special Rapid takes about half an hour.

Fly Into Tokyo, Fly Out of Osaka?

If your airline sells open-jaw tickets, you can land in Tokyo and fly home from Kansai International Airport. That cuts out the two-and-a-half-hour ride back to Tokyo and gives you an extra day; flights from Kansai are sometimes more expensive, so compare both before you book.

Days 1–4: Tokyo and a Mt Fuji Day Trip

Day 1: Land in Tokyo and Keep It Easy

From Narita, the Narita Express runs to Tokyo Station and on to Shinjuku and Shibuya; JR East has long sold a discounted round-trip N'EX ticket for overseas visitors, which fits a trip that starts and ends in Tokyo — check the current price and conditions before you buy. From Haneda, the Keikyu Line or the Tokyo Monorail gets you into the city in well under an hour, and an IC card works on both. Then check in, walk around your neighborhood, have ramen at a counter and go to bed early. Our Narita vs Haneda guide compares the two airports.

Day 2: Asakusa, Ueno and Tokyo Tower at Night

Jet lag helps here. Get to Senso-ji in Asakusa in the early morning, before the shopping street opens and the tour groups arrive; it's Tokyo's oldest temple and free to visit. Ueno is three stops away on the Ginza Line, and the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park is the best place in the city to get a better understanding of Japanese art before Kyoto. After dark, go up Tokyo Tower: the Main Deck observation deck at 150 meters costs ¥1,500 and is open until 23:00, and the Top Deck Tour at 250 meters is ¥3,300 online — book it ahead to avoid disappointment.

Day 3: Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku After Dark

Start at Meiji Jingu, a shrine in a surprisingly large forest next to Harajuku Station, then walk Takeshita Street and Omotesando down to Shibuya for the famous scramble crossing. The evening is for Shinjuku: yakitori in Omoide Yokocho and a drink in Golden Gai, where about 290 tiny bars fill a few lanes. See our guides to Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Day 4: Mt Fuji Day Trip to the Fuji Five Lakes

Set an alarm and catch an early train: your best chance of clear Mt Fuji views is in the morning, before cloud builds up around the summit. From Shinjuku, the Fuji Excursion limited express reaches Kawaguchiko in just under two hours (¥4,200; four round trips a day, reserved seats only, on sale a month ahead), and highway buses from Busta Shinjuku take about 1 hour 45 minutes from ¥2,000. The JR Pass covers the train only as far as Otsuki. From Shimoyoshida Station, allow about 25 minutes on foot, including 398 steps, to the Chureito Pagoda viewpoint, then head back to Lake Kawaguchi's north shore, a great spot for views across the water. If the forecast shows heavy cloud, swap this day with day 3. More in our day trips from Tokyo guide.

Days 5–8: Kyoto and a Nara Day Trip

Day 5: Bullet Train to Kyoto, Then Gion

A Nozomi from Tokyo to Kyoto takes 2 hours 9–15 minutes. Reserve an E seat, on the two-seat side: heading west on a clear day, Mount Fuji appears on the right around Shin-Fuji. Leave your bags at your hotel in downtown Kyoto and, by early afternoon, head to Kennin-ji, Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, founded in 1202, then walk through Gion — some private lanes there are closed to tourists, so follow the signs — and up Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka toward Kiyomizu-dera for sunset. Dinner in lantern-lit Pontocho. Our Tokyo to Kyoto guide covers tickets and seats.

Day 6: Fushimi Inari at Dawn, Nishiki Market and Nijo Castle

Fushimi Inari Taisha is free and open 24 hours, which is why you should go early: the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station takes about five minutes to Inari, and the crowds thin out the higher you climb. Late morning, go to Nishiki Market, where the rule is to eat at the stall, not while walking. In the afternoon, Nijo Castle's Ninomaru Palace has "nightingale floors" that squeak like birds; admission with the palace is ¥1,300, and the city plans to charge more to visitors from outside Kyoto from fiscal 2027.

Day 7: Kinkaku-ji and Arashiyama

Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion in northern Kyoto, opens at 9:00 and costs ¥500; be there when it opens, because by mid-morning the viewing path feels like a queue. Ryoan-ji's rock garden is close by. Then take the small Randen tram to Arashiyama for the bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji and the Togetsukyo Bridge; the bamboo grove is packed in the afternoon, so if it's your priority, reverse the day. After a day exploring Arashiyama, the JR Sagano Line takes you straight back to Kyoto Station. Our things to do in Kyoto guide has more.

Day 8: A Day Trip to Nara

Just one day is enough for Nara. The JR Nara Line's Miyakoji Rapid takes about 45 minutes from Kyoto and the JR Pass covers it; Kintetsu is a little faster and stops closer to the park. The main sight is Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall, long described as the world's largest wooden structure: ¥800, open 7:30–17:30 from April to October and 8:00–17:00 from November to March. The deer in Nara Park bow if you bow first, and Kasuga Taisha's lantern paths are free. See things to do in Nara.

Days 9–10: Hiroshima and Miyajima

Day 9: The Silver Pavilion, Then Hiroshima Peace Park

Spend the morning at Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion (¥1,000 since April 2026), and walk the Philosopher's Path. Then take the Shinkansen: Kyoto to Hiroshima is about an hour and forty minutes on a Nozomi. Take the streetcar (¥240 flat fare) to the Genbaku Dome-mae stop for the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome, the ruined hall left standing after the atomic bomb of August 6, 1945. The Peace Memorial Museum is eye-opening and essential; it costs ¥200 and opens at 7:30 (until 19:00 in March–July and September–November, 20:00 in August, and 18:00 in December–February); the earliest and latest entry slots are sold online only, so book a timed ticket. Dinner is Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, layered with noodles and cabbage.

Day 10: A Full Day on Miyajima Island

Give Miyajima a full day. The usual route is the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi and then a 10-minute ferry (¥200 each way plus the ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax; the JR ferry accepts the JR Pass). Itsukushima Shrine (¥300) and its great torii in the sea are a UNESCO World Heritage Site — check a tide table, because at high tide the gate seems to float. The Miyajima Ropeway (¥2,000 return) climbs Mt Misen for views over the Inland Sea, and the five-story pagoda is under repair until November 2027. Our things to do in Hiroshima guide has the detail.

Days 11–14: Osaka, a Free Day and Home

Day 11: Osaka Castle and Dotonbori Street Food

Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka takes 1 hour 21–26 minutes by Nozomi. Leave your bags and go to Osaka Castle: the main tower is a 20th-century reconstruction with a museum inside, ¥1,200, open 9:00–18:00. At night, Dotonbori is Osaka's best street food area — takoyaki, okonomiyaki, gyoza and plenty more under huge neon signs.

Day 12: A Free Day — Himeji, Universal Studios or Shinsekai

• Himeji Castle: a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka by Shinkansen; ¥2,500 for visitors since March 2026.
• Universal Studios Japan: book well ahead, especially for Super Nintendo World; see our theme parks guide.
• Shinsekai and Kuromon Market: old-fashioned Osaka, kushikatsu and the Tsutenkaku tower.

You can also make the journey between Kansai and Hiroshima part of the sightseeing. Our Himeji guide compares a stop along the way with an overnight stay, and links to tours that follow those routes.

More ideas in what to do in Osaka and day trips from Osaka.

Days 13–14: Back to Tokyo and Home

Shin-Osaka to Tokyo takes about two and a half hours on a Nozomi. Spend your last night somewhere you missed the first time — the Ginza food halls, Tokyo Tower if cloud spoiled the view, or one more izakaya — and on day 14 take the train to Narita or Haneda. With an open-jaw ticket from Kansai, skip the trip back east.

Trains: Japan Rail Pass or Individual Tickets?

Here are the legs of this route with typical times and one-way adult fares:

The four long legs come to a little over ¥50,000 per adult on regular tickets. The Japan Rail Pass costs more, and since October 1, 2026, passes bought from overseas agents cost more again; the official website has kept the old prices for now.

The pass covers most JR trains, including the Hikari and Kodama Shinkansen and the JR ferry to Miyajima. Nozomi trains need a special ticket each time: ¥4,960 between Tokyo and Kyoto or Shin-Osaka, ¥4,170 between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima. On this route the long legs are spread over nine days, so a 7-day pass can't cover them all and a 14-day pass costs more than the tickets. A pass starts to pay when you fit several long rides into seven days, or add a far-off region such as Kyushu or Tohoku. Our JR Pass guide does the math for other routes, and the smartEX app sells Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen tickets in English.

With four hotel changes, Japan's luggage forwarding service is a lifesaver: ask at the front desk and your suitcase usually arrives the next day. On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, a bag whose three sides add up to more than 160 cm (up to 250 cm) needs a reserved seat with an oversized-baggage area.

When to Visit Japan for a Two Week Trip

• Cherry blossoms (late March to early April): the most popular time for a first time visit to Japan; the average first blooms are March 24 in Tokyo and March 26 in Kyoto. Beautiful and crowded, and hotels cost more, especially in Kyoto.
• Golden Week (late April to early May): in 2027, April 29 is a holiday, followed by the May 1–2 weekend and May 3–5 holidays; much of Japan travels at once. Avoid it if you can.
• Rainy season (about early June to mid-July): the Kanto and Kinki averages run from about June 6–7 to July 19.
• Summer (July and August): hot and humid, Fuji often hazy, festivals and long evenings; August and September bring the most typhoons.
• Autumn leaves: on average maples turn in Tokyo around November 28 and Kyoto around December 5, with peak color at the famous temples from mid-November.
• Winter (December to February): clear skies, the best Fuji views and fewer crowds outside New Year, when many sights close for a few days.

For a month-by-month verdict, see our best time to visit Japan guide.

Planning Tools for Two Weeks in Japan

• Google Maps: very good for train routes in Japan, with platforms, transfers and even which exit to use; it will save time at big stations.
• An IC card (Suica, PASMO or ICOCA): tap in on local trains, subways and buses, and pay at convenience stores. On an iPhone you can add one to Apple Wallet.
• Convenience stores: cheap breakfasts, ATMs that usually take overseas cards, and phone chargers.
• Visit Japan Web: fill it in before you fly for faster immigration and customs, and set up an eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi.
• The Narita Express and airport trains: plan the airport legs first, because they decide where you spend your first and last night.

Small Costs That Add Up

Japan's main prices are reasonable; it's the extra cost of small things that people forget when planning two weeks in Japan. Kyoto's accommodation tax rose on March 1, 2026 and now depends on the room rate per person per night: ¥200 under ¥6,000, ¥400 up to ¥19,999, ¥1,000 up to ¥49,999, ¥4,000 up to ¥99,999 and ¥10,000 above that. Add Miyajima's ¥100 visitor tax, Nozomi supplements if you use a JR Pass, the Fujikyu part of the Fuji Excursion beyond Otsuki, and entry fees like these:

For the whole budget — flights, hotels, food and transport — use our Japan trip cost guide, which includes the cost of two weeks in Japan for two people.

Common Mistakes First Time Visitors Make

1. Changing hotels every night or two. Each move costs half a day; spend at least two nights in every hotel.
2. Planning Mt Fuji for a fixed day with no backup. Keep that day flexible.
3. Relying on Kyoto's city buses at busy times. Take trains or the subway, or walk.
4. Starting late. Most famous sights are calm before 9:00 and packed by 11:00, so take the early train.
5. Skipping seat reservations in peak weeks. Unreserved cars can mean standing for two hours.
6. Ignoring closing days. Many museums close on Mondays.

Adjusting This 2 Week Japan Itinerary to Your Travel Style

If You Want Fewer Hotel Changes

Spend five nights in Tokyo and eight in Kyoto, and visit Nara, Osaka and even Hiroshima as day trips. It makes for long days, but you only unpack twice.

If You Want Hot Springs or Mountains

Replace the Fuji day trip with a night in Hakone, on the way to Kyoto via Odawara (see our Hakone guide). Or replace Hiroshima with Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa: Nohi Bus runs Takayama–Shirakawa-go (about 50 minutes, ¥2,800) and Shirakawa-go–Kanazawa (¥2,800), most services need a reservation, and the fastest Kanazawa–Osaka trains via Tsuruga take about 2 hours 9 minutes.

For a different route through central Japan, allow one or two nights in Matsumoto between Tokyo and Kyoto, using the Azusa from Shinjuku and the Shinano via Nagoya. Our Matsumoto sightseeing guide explains how to fit the castle, old streets and museums around your train times. Make room by reducing nights elsewhere in the itinerary.

If You're Traveling With Kids or Older Parents

Do fewer things each day, stay at least three nights in each base, send luggage ahead every time, choose hotels near stations and use taxis for short hops in Kyoto. Our Japan itinerary with kids has a family version.

Self-Guided Two Week Japan Itinerary Tours

If you like this shape but don't want to book it all yourself, these self-guided tour routes of 12 to 16 days handle the hotel bookings and intercity trains, which takes most of the planning off your hands. Our staff meet you at the airport with your trip documents, the tickets for the legs we book and a loaded IC card, and after that the days are yours; no guide comes with you, but a local guide can be arranged as an option. The 14-day Spirit of Tradition (GR009), for example, includes 13 nights with breakfast, the Shinkansen and limited expresses, a Hakone Freepass, luggage delivery between Tokyo and Kyoto, a ¥6,000 IC card, travel insurance and 24/7 support. Prices are per person and move with the departure date and room type.

Interested in a tour? Click the route name above, or search by route code in the top-right Search bar.

Want to spend two weeks in Japan without making every booking yourself? Get in touch through Plan My Trip on our self-guided tours site, and we’ll suggest the tours that best fit your dates and plans.

FAQ: 2 Weeks in Japan