2 Weeks in Japan: The Complete Itinerary
Before You Book
This is the route I give every friend visiting Japan for the first time. Not because it ticks every tourist box — but because it's the one that leaves people wanting to come back.
Fourteen days. Nine cities. One Shinkansen pass. Zero regrets.
Tokyo Arrival — Shinjuku Base
Land at Narita or Haneda. Get your Welcome Suica Mobile set up before you leave the airport — you'll use it immediately on the train into the city.
Check into your hotel near Shinjuku Station. This is your base for the first four nights. Don't plan anything ambitious today. Walk the west exit, eat ramen, sleep early.
Tonight: Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) for yakitori and cold beer. Tiny stalls, open-air grills, full atmosphere.
🏮 Local tip: Arrive at Omoide Yokocho before 7pm to get a seat. After 8pm it's standing-only and very crowded.
Tokyo — Shibuya & Harajuku
Start at Meiji Shrine (arrive before 9am to beat the crowds). Walk south through Harajuku's backstreets — skip Takeshita Street unless you're into the chaos.
Lunch in Omotesando. Afternoon at Shibuya — cross the famous scramble, walk up Dogenzaka, find a rooftop café.
Evening: Shimokitazawa for dinner. This is the neighbourhood guidebooks don't write about enough — indie record shops, jazz bars, incredible curry.
🏮 Local tip: The Shibuya Sky observation deck is spectacular at sunset. Book online at least 2 days in advance — walk-ins are rare.
Tokyo — Asakusa & Ueno
Senso-ji Temple at 7am before the crowds arrive — completely different experience. Walk the Nakamise shopping street, then continue north to Yanaka, Tokyo's most preserved old neighbourhood.
Afternoon: Ueno Park and one of the museums (Tokyo National Museum is the best). The park itself is worth an hour if sakura is blooming.
Evening back in Shinjuku: the Kabukicho entertainment district or Golden Gai's tiny bars.
🏮 Local tip: Yanaka has no famous sights — it's just a real neighbourhood. Old wooden houses, local shops, a cemetery where writers and artists are buried. Walk it without a map.
Day Trip — Nikko
Take the Tobu Nikko Line from Asakusa (around 2 hours, covered by a separate Nikko Pass — not JR Pass). Nikko is one of Japan's most ornate shrine complexes, set in mountain forest.
Tosho-gu Shrine is the main attraction — allow 2 hours. Then walk up to Taiyuinbyo (Ieyasu's grandson's mausoleum), which is quieter and equally impressive.
Return to Shinjuku by 7pm. Pack tonight — tomorrow you move.
🏮 Local tip: Nikko is freezing in winter and stunning in autumn. Summer is crowded but manageable if you arrive early.
Tokyo → Hakone
Check out and take the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto (85 minutes, book ahead). Hakone is your Mt Fuji view stop — whether you see it depends on the weather.
Hakone Open-Air Museum is genuinely excellent. Then the Hakone Ropeway to Owakudani (volcanic valley with sulfur vents).
Stay one night at a mid-range ryokan with an onsen. This is not optional.
🏮 Local tip: Check the Fujisan Weathercam before booking — Mt Fuji is hidden about 60% of the time. The best views are early morning in autumn and winter.
Hakone → Kyoto
Take the Shinkansen from Odawara to Kyoto (use your JR Pass here — about 2h20m on Hikari). Arrive early afternoon.
Check in, then walk to Nishiki Market — a covered food market nicknamed "Kyoto's Kitchen." Not a tourist trap if you go before noon.
Evening: Gion District. Walk Hanamikoji Street between 6–8pm for the best chance of spotting maiko (apprentice geisha). No photography if you're near private ochaya.
🏮 Local tip: Book dinner in Gion at least a week ahead. The best places fill up fast, especially weekends.
Kyoto — East Side
Early morning at Fushimi Inari (the thousands of torii gates) — go before 7am to have the main path to yourself. It's a 30-minute walk from Kyoto Station.
Afternoon: Nanzen-ji, the Philosopher's Path (canal-side walk), Eikan-do temple. This is the east side of Kyoto — quieter than Arashiyama, more neighbourhood feel.
🏮 Local tip: Walk the entire Philosopher's Path (2km) rather than just the famous sections. The middle stretches are often completely empty and genuinely beautiful.
Kyoto — Arashiyama & West
Bamboo Grove at Arashiyama — before 8am. After that it's fully crowded and the atmosphere is lost. Take the JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station (15 minutes).
Tenryu-ji garden, then the Sagano Romantic Train (book ahead — seasonal). Afternoon: Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) then Ryoan-ji for the most famous rock garden in Japan.
🏮 Local tip: The Sagano Romantic Train runs along the Hozu River gorge through forested mountains. It's touristy but worth it if you book the window seat on the left side heading away from Kyoto.
Kyoto → Nara → Osaka
Morning in Nara (45 minutes from Kyoto by JR). Nara Park with the bowing deer, Todai-ji (the world's largest wooden building), and Kasuga-taisha shrine through the forest.
Take the train to Osaka in the afternoon (about 45 minutes). Check into Dotonbori area hotel — you want to be within walking distance of the canal.
Evening: Dotonbori food crawl. Takoyaki (octopus balls), kushikatsu (skewered deep-fries), okonomiyaki. Osaka's entire identity is based on eating, and it's earned.
🏮 Local tip: Buy deer crackers in Nara but keep them out of sight when not feeding — the deer can smell them and will follow you persistently. They have surprisingly strong headbutts.
Osaka — Eat Everything
Kuromon Ichiba Market in the morning — the city's best food market, open from 9am. Sample as you walk: fresh maguro, tamagoyaki, crab legs.
Afternoon: Osaka Castle (the keep is worth the climb for the city views). Then Shinsekai neighbourhood — an old entertainment district with a retro 1960s feel and the city's best kushikatsu.
Evening: Amerikamura or the hidden bar district behind Shinsaibashi for cocktails.
🏮 Local tip: Osaka has the best street food in Japan. Budget ¥3,000–¥5,000 for dinner here and just walk, eat, repeat. No reservations needed at most places.
Osaka → Hiroshima
Take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima (about 1h40m with JR Pass). Leave bags at the hotel and go straight to the Peace Memorial Park.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is one of the most important things you can do in Japan. Allow 2 hours. Then the A-Bomb Dome and the park itself.
Dinner in Hiroshima: local okonomiyaki, which is layered (not folded like Osaka-style) and served on a steel hotplate in front of you.
🏮 Local tip: The Peace Museum is emotionally heavy. If you're travelling with children, read about the content beforehand. Take your time inside — rushing it misses the point.
Hiroshima → Miyajima → Hiroshima
Full day at Miyajima Island. Take the JR ferry (covered by JR Pass) to the island. The famous floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine is best at high tide when it appears to float.
Walk up Mt Misen via the ropeway or hiking trail (1.5–2 hours) for views over the Seto Inland Sea. The summit temple is one of the most peaceful places in Japan.
Return to Hiroshima for the night.
🏮 Local tip: Check the tide table before you go. High tide is roughly every 12 hours — plan to arrive 1–2 hours before predicted high tide. The Hiroshima Tourism website posts this daily.
Hiroshima → Fukuoka
Take the Shinkansen to Fukuoka/Hakata (about 1 hour). Fukuoka is often overlooked by first-timers — it shouldn't be.
Canal City Hakata for afternoon shopping (the architecture alone is worth visiting). Then the Tochoji Temple with its massive indoor Buddha.
Evening: Yatai stalls on the Naka River — open-air food stalls that only exist in Fukuoka. Sit at the counter and order ramen, yakitori, and whatever the person next to you is having.
🏮 Local tip: Fukuoka ramen (Hakata-style) has the richest, creamiest tonkotsu broth in Japan. The birthplace is here. Shin-Shin restaurant near Hakata Station is a reliable favourite.
Fukuoka — Last Day
Fukuoka Airport is 6 minutes from Hakata Station by subway — the most convenient airport departure in Japan. Use the morning for last-minute shopping at Hakata Riverain or ramen for breakfast at the famous Ichiran headquarters.
If you have time before your flight: Ohori Park for a quiet morning walk around the lake.
Final tip: Your last meal in Japan should be something simple — a bowl of ramen, an onigiri from 7-Eleven, or soba at the airport. Not the fanciest place. The food you'll remember most is always the unexpected one.
🏮 Local tip: Fukuoka Airport has great duty-free food. Hakata ramen kits, Fukuoka mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and local sweets make excellent gifts that don't take up luggage space.
JR Pass: Is It Worth It?
For this exact route, yes. Calculate your specific trains:
- Tokyo → Hakone (Odawara): ¥4,270
- Odawara → Kyoto: ¥13,870
- Kyoto → Osaka: ¥560
- Osaka → Hiroshima: ¥10,290
- Hiroshima → Fukuoka: ¥5,930
Total Shinkansen cost: ~¥34,920. A 14-day JR Pass costs around ¥50,000, which also covers the Nikko day trip, Nara, and all JR local trains throughout. For this itinerary, the pass typically saves ¥10,000–¥20,000.
Buy your JR Pass before you leave home — it's significantly cheaper purchased outside Japan.
Packing for 2 Weeks
Japan is easy on luggage. You can wash clothes at any coin laundry (open 24 hours, ¥400–¥600 per wash+dry). Pack for 5–7 days and rewash once.
The one thing most people underpack: comfortable walking shoes. You will walk 15,000–25,000 steps a day. Blisters will ruin your trip faster than anything else.