Ten days is the duration we recommend for a first trip to Japan: enough to experience Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka at a relaxed pace and add a day trip to Nara, without the feeling of always being in a rush. This is the classic route day by day, with real activities you can book and the option to tailor it to your taste.
Why is 10 days the ideal itinerary for a first time?
Ten days is the sweet spot for a first trip to Japan: just enough time to get to know Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in depth, add a day trip to Nara and do it without the feeling of always watching the clock. It is the duration we recommend to almost everyone travelling for the first time.
Compared with the 7-day itinerary, which forces you to cut back and leaves little breathing room, with ten days the first day of jet lag no longer penalises so much and you can devote four full days to Tokyo and three to Kyoto without feeling short on time in Kyoto. And unlike longer routes, you still move along the same Shinkansen line, so you change hotel only twice.
If you have more time, with 14 days Hakone (Fuji views) and Hiroshima fit; you have it detailed in the 14-day itinerary. But for a balanced first visit, ten days is hard to beat.
The 10-day route at a glance
The classic structure: four days in Tokyo to acclimatise, three in Kyoto, a day trip to Nara and a finish in Osaka with departure from Kansai airport. Only two hotel changes.
Day-by-day itinerary (10 days)
A realistic split for a first visit. The times are indicative: adjust them to your pace and the season (in summer it is worth starting early to avoid the heat).
Arrival in Tokyo and first orientation
From the airport to the hotel on the Narita Express or Limousine Bus, top up your Suica card at the station and keep the day for something light: stroll through Shinjuku at dusk, have dinner at a konbini or an izakaya and sleep early. Jet lag is beaten by resting.
Tokyo · base 1Modern Tokyo: Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku
Start in Harajuku (the Meiji-jingū shrine and Takeshita street), continue to Shibuya (the most famous crossing in the world and the Shibuya Sky viewpoint) and finish in Shinjuku among izakaya alleys and neon. The three areas are 10–15 minutes apart by metro.
Traditional Tokyo: Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara
The Senso-ji temple and Nakamise street in Asakusa in the morning, the park and museums of Ueno at midday (the Tokyo National Museum is worth the stop) and the electronics and otaku culture of Akihabara in the afternoon.
Flexible Tokyo: Ginza, Odaiba or a day trip to Kamakura
A fourth day to your taste: Ginza for galleries and shops, Odaiba to see the bay, or a day trip to Kamakura (1 hour by train) with its open-air Great Buddha. In the afternoon, pack your suitcase for the transfer.
Shinkansen to Kyoto and the Gion district
Take the bullet train mid-morning (2h15 from Tokyo Station on the Nozomi). Drop your luggage at the hotel and devote the afternoon to Gion: the wooden streets of Hanamikoji, the Higashiyama area and the climb to Kiyomizu-dera with sunset views.
Kyoto · base 2Kyoto: Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama
Get up early to reach Fushimi Inari before 8:00 and walk among the thousands of orange torii with almost no one around. In the afternoon, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and the Tenryu-ji temple beside the Oi river.
Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji and Higashiyama
The golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji first thing, the rock garden of Ryoan-ji next, and in the afternoon the Higashiyama walk among ceramic shops and minor temples.
Day trip to Nara and transfer to Osaka
Nara is about 35–45 minutes from Kyoto on the Kintetsu train (35 minutes on the limited express). In the morning, the deer of the park and Tōdai-ji with its bronze Great Buddha; add the Kasuga-taisha shrine if you have time to spare. Find the details in the day trip to Nara from Kyoto. In the afternoon, a direct Kintetsu train to Osaka-Namba (about 35 minutes) and Dotonbori at night.
Osaka · base 3Osaka: castle, Namba and street food
Osaka Castle early in the morning, and the rest of the day devoted to eating: takoyaki in Dotonbori, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu in Shinsekai. At night, the Namba district is the best plan of the route.
Osaka and return flight
A final day depending on the flight time: Umeda and the Kuromon Ichiba market if you have the morning. Kansai International Airport (KIX) is 30–50 minutes away on the Haruka train. If your hotel offers luggage forwarding, send it to the airport the day before to travel light.
Three variants of the 10-day route
The route above is the most balanced for a first time, but ten days give room to reorganise it according to what interests you most. These are the three variants that work best without breaking the transfer logic:
Classic variant (the one in this itinerary)
Tokyo (4) → Kyoto (3) → Nara (day trip) → Osaka (2). It is the recommended option: maximum depth in the three big cities, a single Shinkansen axis and only two hotel changes. If in doubt, this is the one that never fails.
Variant with Mount Fuji
Tokyo (3) → Hakone (1 night) → Kyoto (3) → Nara (day trip) → Osaka (2). You sacrifice the fourth flexible day in Tokyo to sleep a night in Hakone, see Fuji from Lake Ashi and try an onsen on the way south. It fits well because Hakone is right on the route between Tokyo and Kyoto. If you want Fuji and Hakone at a more relaxed pace, it works better in the 14-day itinerary.
Variant with express Hiroshima
Tokyo (3) → Kyoto (3) → Osaka (2) → Hiroshima and Miyajima (2). You swap Nara for a two-day getaway to the west: the Peace Park and the floating torii of Miyajima. Hiroshima is about 1h25 from Osaka on the Shinkansen (Nozomi), so in this variant the 7-day JR Pass starts to approach the break-even point; check it in the JR Pass calculator.
Whatever the variant, the rule does not change: do not go below two nights per main city and keep the arrival day to acclimatise.
What to book on this route
A selection of real experiences from our catalogue for each stop. Each card links to its page, its booking page and its location on the map.
Activities to book in Tokyo
Four days in Tokyo give you a lot: these are some of the activities you can book or locate on the map.
Day trip to Mount Fuji from Tokyo
Nature, Viewpoints · A day trip to Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from Tokyo with a guide; tour from around 8.000-10.000 ¥ depending on the route.
5,000–10,000 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort day trip
Sports · A ski resort accessible by shinkansen from Tokyo; a day pass usually exceeds 5.000 ¥.
5,000–10,000 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Museums · The Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka; admission booked in advance, adults around 1.000 ¥.
1,000 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
See all activities in Tokyo → · Tokyo guide
Activities to book in Kyoto
Kyoto concentrates temples and very popular experiences: book the ones with limited places well in advance.
Animals · Urban aquarium next to Umekoji park with penguins, seals and a large marine tank; adult admission around 2.600 ¥.
2,600 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Temples & castles · Castle of the Tokugawa shogunate with the famous "nightingale" floors that creak when you walk; admission ~1.300 ¥.
1,300 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Gastronomy, Tradition · Half-day tour of Uji, the cradle of matcha, with a green-tea tasting and a visit to the surroundings of Byodo-in temple; from around 4.000 ¥.
2,500–4,999 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
See all activities in Kyoto → · Kyoto guide
Activities to book in Nara
For the day in Nara, these experiences help you make the most of the trip.
E-bike rental in Ikaruga (Horyu-ji)
Sports, Viewpoints · Rent an electric bike to tour the temples of Ikaruga at your own pace, such as Horyu-ji, Japan's first World Heritage Site; from around 3.000 ¥.
2,500–4,999 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Museums · A collection of Buddhist sculpture and art from the Nara and Heian periods in a neoclassical building next to the park; adult admission ~700 ¥.
700 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Temples & castles · The largest wooden temple in the world houses the 15 m bronze Great Buddha; adult admission ~600 ¥.
800 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
See all activities in Nara → · Nara guide
Activities to book in Osaka
Osaka is the food stop of the trip, but it also has a castle, viewpoints and nearby day trips.
Animals · One of the largest aquariums in Japan, with gigantic tanks and Pacific marine fauna.
2,700 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Shinsekai district and Tsutenkaku Tower
Nightlife · Osaka's retro area with izakayas, neon and the iconic Tsutenkaku tower.
1,500–2,499 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Osaka Castle (castle interior and museum)
Museums, Temples & castles · Visit the interior of Osaka Castle and its museum, with a viewpoint and an exhibition on the history of feudal Japan.
1,200 ¥ Book now View on Google Maps
Indicative budget for 10 days
Estimate for one person in mid-season, with mid-range accommodation (a 3-star hotel or a quality hostel). In April and November prices rise by 30–40%. These are indicative figures, not a fixed budget.
| Item | 10-day estimate |
|---|---|
| International return flight | 600–950 € |
| Accommodation (9 nights, ~60–90 €/night) | 540–810 € |
| Intercity transport (Shinkansen) | 110–190 € |
| Food (15–35 €/day) | 150–350 € |
| Tickets and activities | 80–150 € |
| Local transport (metro, bus) | 40–70 € |
| Total per person (without flight) | 920–1,570 € |
| Total per person (with flight) | 1,520–2,520 € |
For the classic 10-day route linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, the 7-day JR Pass rarely is worth it: the two Shinkansen legs are cheaper bought individually. Only if you add Hiroshima (the variant below) does the pass approach the break-even point. Bear in mind that the price of the 7-day pass rose from October 2026, so always check the current fare before deciding. You have the full comparison in the JR Pass guide and the details of how to get around the country in transport in Japan. Check it with your exact route in the JR Pass calculator before buying it, and work out how much cash to bring with the yen converter.
Make this itinerary your own
Ten days give room to adapt the route to your style without sacrificing the essentials. Some variants that work well:
- Travelling with children? Spread the Tokyo days with more breaks and swap a Kyoto temple for the Nara park. You have ideas in Japan with kids.
- Want to see Fuji? Sacrifice the flexible Tokyo day and add a night in Hakone (better in the 14-day itinerary).
- Love food? Stay in Osaka the last two nights and make the most of its markets and nightlife.
- Tight budget? Stay in Osaka and visit Kyoto on a day trip (15 min by train), or adjust the hotel category.
The fastest way to adapt it is to say how many days you have, how many of you there are, your budget and your pace: from there the nights are distributed between cities, the costs are estimated and the hotel links are generated automatically.