Japan is the trip that ruins all other trips.
I say this having booked Japan holidays for over 20 years. Clients come back changed — quieter, more deliberate, overwhelmed in the best possible way. There is nowhere on Earth that rewards slow, curious travel more generously than Japan.
This itinerary is built for first-timers who want to do it properly. Not a checklist of temples. A real journey, with the right hotels in the right places, designed to give you the full range of what Japan does better than anywhere else.
Two weeks is the minimum to feel Japan rather than just see it. Here is exactly how I would plan it.
Before you go — what most guides won’t tell you
The JR Pass is worth it for this itinerary. Buy it before you leave home (it cannot be purchased in Japan at the standard tourist price). A 14-day JR Pass covers the shinkansen between all cities on this route and pays for itself within the first three legs.
Book hotels before flights. Japan’s best ryokan and boutique hotels in Kyoto sell out 3–6 months in advance, especially during cherry blossom season (late March to mid-April) and autumn foliage (mid-November). Lock the hotels first.
Cherry blossom timing is unpredictable. The bloom varies by up to two weeks each year depending on winter temperatures. Check the Japan Meteorological Corporation forecast in February and be ready to adjust dates.
Cash still matters. Japan is increasingly card-friendly but many temples, local restaurants, and rural ryokan remain cash only. Keep ¥30,000–50,000 accessible at all times.
The 14-day route at a glance
| Days | City | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Tokyo | 4 |
| 5 | Nikko (day trip) | — |
| 6–9 | Kyoto | 4 |
| 10 | Nara (day trip) | — |
| 11–12 | Osaka | 2 |
| 13 | Hiroshima + Miyajima | 1 |
| 14 | Tokyo (return flight) | — |
Tokyo — Days 1 to 4
Four nights in Tokyo is the minimum. Most people underestimate how much there is — not in temples and monuments, but in neighbourhoods, food, atmosphere, and the sheer strangeness of a city of 14 million people that runs in near-perfect silence.
Day 1: Land, check in, resist the urge to sleep. Walk Shinjuku at night — the izakayas of Omoide Yokocho, the lights, the scale of it. Eat ramen. Sleep.
Day 2: Shibuya crossing at 8am before the crowds. Harajuku and Omotesando for the architecture and the coffee. Afternoon in Yanaka — Tokyo’s most intact old neighbourhood, almost entirely missed by tourists.
Day 3: TeamLab Planets in Toyosu (book weeks in advance). Afternoon in Tsukiji outer market. Evening in Ginza.
Day 4: Day trip to Nikko — the ornate Tosho-gu shrine complex is 2 hours by shinkansen and one of the most visually overwhelming things in Japan.
Best hotels in Tokyo
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi
Marunouchi, Tokyo
57 rooms in a sleek tower above Tokyo Station. Intimate scale, extraordinary service, and the best location in the city — the Imperial Palace gardens are a 10-minute walk.
From $1,100 / night
Check availability on Expedia →
The Okura Tokyo
Toranomon, Tokyo
A Tokyo institution, rebuilt in 2019 with reverence for its 1962 original. Impeccable Japanese service, exceptional restaurants, and a location between Roppongi and the Imperial Palace.
From $650 / night
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Park Hyatt Tokyo
Shinjuku, Tokyo
Made famous by Lost in Translation. Floors 39–52 of a Kenzo Tange tower, with the best city views in Shinjuku. The New York Bar on the 52nd floor is non-negotiable.
From $480 / night
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Trunk Hotel Yoyogi Park
Harajuku, Tokyo
The best value design hotel in Tokyo. Steps from Yoyogi Park and Harajuku, with a rooftop bar and rooms that feel genuinely local rather than corporate. Perfect for younger travellers.
From $220 / night
Check availability on Expedia →Kyoto — Days 6 to 9
Four nights. This is non-negotiable. Kyoto rewards depth, not speed. The travellers who try to do it in two days leave knowing they’ve missed it.
Day 6: Arrive by shinkansen from Tokyo (2h15). Check in. Walk Gion at dusk — the stone-paved lanes of Hanamikoji are at their best in the hour before dark.
Day 7: Fushimi Inari at 6am, before the crowds arrive. It takes 2–3 hours to walk all the way up. Afternoon at Nishiki Market. Evening dinner in a kaiseki restaurant — budget ¥15,000–¥25,000 per person and consider it essential.
Day 8: Arashiyama. Bamboo grove at 7am (genuinely empty that early). Tenryu-ji garden. Boat along the Hozu River. Afternoon at Ryoan-ji for the most famous rock garden in Japan.
Day 9: Day trip to Nara — 45 minutes by train. The deer are genuinely wild and genuinely unafraid. Todai-ji temple houses the largest bronze Buddha in Japan. Back to Kyoto by evening.
Best hotels in Kyoto
The hotel decision in Kyoto is the most important of the entire trip. The right ryokan changes the experience fundamentally.
Hyatt Regency Kyoto
Higashiyama, Kyoto
The best-located luxury hotel in Kyoto — steps from Sanjusangendo temple and 10 minutes from Gion. Spacious rooms, an exceptional Japanese restaurant, and a spa with traditional onsen.
From $380 / night
Check availability on Expedia →
Hotel Granvia Kyoto
Kyoto Station
Connected directly to Kyoto Station — the most practical base for day trips to Nara and Osaka. Well-designed rooms, multiple restaurants, and genuinely good value for the location.
From $220 / night
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Ace Hotel Kyoto
Karasuma, Kyoto
Kengo Kuma's masterpiece — a building that feels simultaneously ancient and contemporary. The best design hotel in Kyoto, in the perfect central location. Strong coffee, excellent bar.
From $280 / night
Check availability on Expedia →Osaka — Days 11 to 12
Two nights. Osaka is Kyoto’s opposite: loud, proud, obsessed with food, and completely unpretentious. After four refined nights in Kyoto, the contrast is exactly right.
Day 11: Dotonbori for lunch — takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu. Afternoon at Osaka Castle. Evening back in Dotonbori — it’s a different city after dark.
Day 12: Morning at Kuromon Ichiba market (Osaka’s kitchen). Afternoon train to Hiroshima (1h30 by shinkansen).
Best hotels in Osaka
The Ritz-Carlton Osaka
Umeda, Osaka
The finest hotel in Osaka. European-influenced interiors that feel deliberately unexpected in Japan, impeccable service, and an outstanding French restaurant. Central location near Umeda station.
From $420 / night
Check availability on Expedia →
Cross Hotel Osaka
Shinsaibashi, Osaka
The best value hotel in Osaka. Clean, well-designed rooms in the heart of Shinsaibashi shopping district, walking distance to Dotonbori. Honest quality without the luxury price tag.
From $140 / night
Check availability on Expedia →Hiroshima + Miyajima — Day 13
One night. The Peace Memorial Museum is one of the most important buildings in the world — go in the morning before the school groups arrive. Allow two hours minimum and don’t rush.
After the museum, take the ferry to Miyajima Island. The floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine at high tide is one of Japan’s three official scenic views. Stay for sunset.
Sheraton Grand Hiroshima
Hiroshima Station
Connected directly to Hiroshima Station, making the Miyajima day trip seamless. Comfortable, reliable, and well-positioned. Not a destination hotel, but exactly the right practical choice for one night.
From $180 / night
Check availability on Expedia →Day 14 — Return to Tokyo
Shinkansen back to Tokyo (4h). If your flight is evening, leave bags at the station and spend the afternoon in Marunouchi or revisit a neighbourhood you didn’t finish. Japan has a way of making the last day feel like the first.
Essential booking advice
Book ryokan and top Kyoto hotels 3–6 months ahead. Hoshinoya Kyoto in particular sells out fast and has a minimum stay policy in peak season.
TeamLab Planets Tokyo sells out weeks in advance — book online before you finalise your itinerary dates.
JR Pass: Buy before departure. A 14-day pass covers all shinkansen on this route and is significantly cheaper than individual tickets.
Travel insurance: Non-negotiable for Japan. Medical costs are high and yen fluctuations can make emergencies expensive. Ensure your policy covers trip interruption for flight changes.
Browse all Japan hotels on Expedia
For the full range of hotels across every city on this itinerary, browse through Manus Travel’s Japan collection — curated picks across every budget, from luxury ryokan to well-designed business hotels.
This guide is updated regularly. Last reviewed: May 2026. Hotel prices are indicative and vary by season and availability.