First Timer's Guide to Japan
Japan Travel Itinerary & Guide
1 Week in Japan
Japan has so much to see and offer, you could easily spend a year there and not see it all. This itinerary will give you the highlights including experiences in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hakone, Hiroshima, and Miyajima.
Day 1:
Start your trip off in Tokyo, exploring Japan’s capital. Get around using Tokyo’s extremely efficient subway system. Many of the larger train stations have English maps or attendants who speak basic to conversational English, and even if they don’t speak English pointing on a map is really effective.
Sensoji Temple
Stroll around the beautiful Senoji temple and surrounding grounds, which give you a great view into some of the remnants of older Tokyo. There are some really great souvenir shopping opportunities in this area as well.
Walk Along Sumida River
Take a walk along Sumida river and enjoy the beautiful…and well interesting architecture, including the Asahi Beer Building, which has the “golden turd” on top. Originally it was supposed to be stood straight up and represent the flame and spirit of Tokyo, but due to fire regulations, it had to be put on its side.
Tokyo Skytree
Enjoy the wonderful views from the top of Tokyo Skytree. There is also a nice cafe at the top to grab a snack or coffee. There are also quite a few good restaurants and souvenir shops at the base.
Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine is a beautiful escape from the bustling city. The surrounding grounds are tranquil and calming. Take the JR Line to Harajuku Station.
Takeshita Dori
A true contrast from the calm Meiji Shrine hit the bustling eccentric streets of Takeshita Dori. Lined with the latest fashion trends Takeshita Dori is a great dive into Japanese modern culture.
Shibuya
Take the JR Yamanote train to Shibuya Station and exit at Hachiko Station to see the world’s busiest crossing. Also worth noting is seeing Hachiko Statue (story here). Enjoy the beautiful lights and wonderful vibrant energy Shibuya radiates. Grab dinner and drinks in this area as there are plenty of terrific restaurants. My favorites are Niku Yokocho or Sushi No Midori (located in Mark City).
Day 2:
Travel from Tokyo to Hiroshima by airplane then explore Hiroshima. I stayed in a very centrally located (and very affordable AirBnB).
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
When you arrive in Hiroshima, you will need to take a bus into the city center. This will be around mid-day. Grab some delicious Okonimiyaki (Japanese pancake-Hiroshima has their own style) and then make your way to the Peace Memorial Park. Take time to walk around the Atomic Bomb Dome and surrounding park. Then finish your walk by visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, I strongly recommend asking for an audio guide system.
Day 3:
Explore Miyajima then travel from Hiroshima to Osaka. In Osaka I stayed at a nice and very affordable AirBnB that included a wifi device.
Miyajima
Wake up early and take one of the first ferries to Miyajima. You’ll be able to walk out to the Tori Gates (hopefully, if the tide is out) and it’s quite peaceful before a lot of the school groups and tour groups arrive. Walk around the island and explore. You’ll get some great pictures with deer and make sure to try the maple leaf cakes. Relax until the tide comes in and the Tori gates are submerged in water. Then take the ferry back to Hiroshima and catch the bus to the airport.
Dotonbori
Check into your hotel and grab dinner out at Dotonbori. Osaka is the food capital of Japan, and I would strongly recommend Osaka’s specialties: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), yakisoba (stir fried noodles), takoyaki (dough balls filled with octopus), and sometimes you can get Kobe beef (since we don’t have time to stop there on this trip).
Day 4:
Explore Osaka and Nara for the day.
Osaka Castle
Check out Osaka Castle, which typically opens around 9:00am and spend about 3 hours here.
Nara
Then head back to the train station and catch a train to Nara Park (I think you can do: Morinomiya Station to Ikoma Station to Kinetsu Nara and then walk to Nara park.)Take some time to buy senbei (Japanese rice crackers and feed the deer)-if you don’t they get a little crazy. Then check out the beautiful temples.I would head back to Osaka around 5-6pm and then hit up Dotonbori to enjoy more incredible food.
Day 5:
Day trip to Kyoto. Be sure to buy the one-day bus pass to get around Kyoto easily!
Kinkakuji (Golden Temple)
Explore the beautiful grounds of the Golden Temple.
Nijo Castle
A beautiful Japanese castle and surrounding gardens with a lot of history and historic art. Be sure to wear socks as you’re required to take your shoes off to enter.
Fushimi Inari
Hands down one of my favorite places in all of Japan. Lined with beautiful “tori” gates and endless shrines, Fushimi Inari will take you on a little spiritual journey. I recommend going a little before dusk and seeing part of the tori gates and shrine as the sunsets. Many of the shrines are lit with candles and lamps providing an incredible contrast to the eccentric red tori gates. Also, when you arrive, you’ll be eager to get a good picture of the gates right away, but power through the entrance and head deeper into the trail where the crowds are a lot thinner, I guarantee you’ll get a better picture!
Day 6:
Fly or take the bullet train from Osaka back to Tokyo then from Shinjuku Station ride the Romance Car to Hakone. I highly recommend staying in a traditional Japanese inn, called a Ryokan. There are various different price ranges, I stayed in a mid-tier one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s linked to here.
Hakone Open Air Museum
The Hakone Museum of Art is so cool! There are great and interesting pieces of art. Very Instagramable!
Check into Ryokan
I stayed at a wonderful traditional Japanese style inn with a pure hot spring. A terrific cultural experience. You will get the experience of sleeping on a futon on a tatami mat. The staff is so kind and treat you like family. There are some other great places to stay in Hakone but they require multiple days stays or are more expensive. Breakfast was delicious here and for dinner, they’ll order from nearby restaurants that deliver. Free icecream to sooth and cool you down after the calming hot springs. It’s linked to here.
Day 7:
Enjoy a morning relaxing in the hotspring then check out of your Ryokan and return to Tokyo for your flight home.
Tips and Tricks:
- The water and food in Japan is very clean so you don’t need to worry about getting sick.
- At most AirBnBs and traditional Japanese inns you should take off your shoes before entering. (Really recommend wearing socks to most places.)
- If you are a foreigner with a foreign passport and a ticket in/out of Japan you can get really great deals on a lot of the Japanese airlines with domestic flights. I would recommend riding the bullet train once or twice, just for the experience but the flights will be way more affordable. (You can also do night buses to get around that are even cheaper.)
- People are very quiet and respectful on trains, try to whisper.
- Japan is still a very cash-based economy, for larger purchases credit cards are accepted but for the most part, cash is preferred.
- Following tip 3: 7/11 and CitiBank ATMs are the best ATMs for foreign debit cards. I’ve found many of the other ATMs in Japan won’t accept American debit cards. There is a 7/11 ATM in both Haneda and Narita.
- You can get around mostly by train; taxi cabs are a little pricey.
- You can drink the water.
- The food safety standards are one of the best in the world.
- Some useful phrases are:
“Konichiwa” = Hello. “Arigatou”= Thank you. “~wa doko desuka?”=Where is ~?. “toire wa doko desuka?” = Where is the bathroom? “Sumimasen”= Excuse me. “gomen” = Sorry. “ikura?” = How much? “kudasai”= please. - Pay attention and try to imitate how people board trains and the subway, there is a particular art to it, which in turn makes the whole experience more efficient…and well downright beautiful.
- Download a translator app on your phone. Sometimes it’s hard to find people who speak English.
- It’s hard to find public wifi in Tokyo, even though it’s becoming more common. You can rent a pocket wifi device at the airport.
Hi! Thank you for all the great info! Which Ryokan did you stay in? I’ve tried the link in the article but it doesn’t link to a specific place.
Hi Lena, Thank you very much for the kind comment. We stayed at Hishiya-Torazo. Their website is . You can send them an email requesting a booking at [email protected]. Please note that their English is a bit limited if you have any special requests. We loved staying at this Ryokan, by no means is it a luxury ryokan but it offers such a unique and authentic Japanese experience, we would stay there again in a heartbeat. We hope you enjoy! Please let us know if you have any other questions, we’d love to help.
-Tony