Last Updated on October 16, 2025

All you need to know for the Perfect 16-day Itinerary in Japan

Transport in Japan

A first trip to Japan requires a plan. The cities are too vast to just wing it once you get there and transport needs some forethought too if you want to move from one part of the country to another. Will you buy a JR pass, for example, to use on inter-city travel or is it cheaper to buy individual tickets? This is particularly important to calculate as the cost of the travel pass is rising substantially in October 2023. You can find online calculator tools on the JR (Japanese Rail) website. For ease of travel in Tokyo consider buying a travel card that you can upload money onto as you need. For many metro lines, you can just tap and go. We used Pasmo cards which can be used on metro and bus and electronic payment in shops. However, Tokyo transport is rather confusing as there are some privately owned metro lines that you will need to buy a special ticket for. Fortunately, in Tokyo, all transport signs are translated into English – even the announcements on the metro are in Japanese and English – so it is easier to get around than I had anticipated.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have never encountered people so willing to help as I did in Japan. Above and beyond customer service and helpfulness from Japanese people in general.

Location

Other important questions include which areas should you choose to book hotels in?  You could do as we did and move hotels during your stay – we did this in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka –  but it is probably more convenient to decide on one location. Most important is to find an hotel near the metro as you will need to hop on and off to get around the cities. Being close to transport links saves time and energy and will be really welcome when you are moving your luggage about with you. Ask your hotel to arrange for your luggage to be sent ahead to the next city if this suits you. We used this fantastic – and reliable – service once and were amazed to find our suitcases waiting for us in our hotel room in another city from where we had handed them in. It is not very expensive and really useful.

Where to go and what to see

What sights, food and experiences do you want to select from the countless possibilities? My advice is to do your research in good time according to your interests and keep up with social media where a lot of useful information can be found. For my first trip, I only had 16 days available to travel. Ideally, I would have had at least three weeks, a month would have been preferable but I could not take off so much time from work. I wanted to have some time in cities and also a few days away from the huge metropolis that is urban life in Japan. My main pursuits were primarily cultural and cuisine-oriented, and I tried to concentrate on museum collections and food experiences I would not have access to back home. I quickly realised that there was so much to choose from that I had to be very selective. I made extensive wish lists and then constantly trimmed down to what I thought would be manageable each day. I used Google Maps to get an idea of the travel time between different parts of cities. Tokyo, for example, is home to 38 million people and earns its description as a megatropolis. One can easily end up wasting precious hours commuting between museums and attractions. Thus, it is advisable to decide which neighbourhoods you will visit and accept that on this first trip, you will only be able to see a few.

Of course, you could opt to spend your entire trip in Tokyo which is another way to go about a first trip. I don’t recommend this approach though, because there is so much to see outside of Tokyo, and I think it is better to return on another trip and explore further areas of the city. As a first-time tourist, there are certain sights you will want to tick off your list and I have included some of these in my itinerary.

Where to eat in Japan

This depends very much on your wallet and how keen you are to try new foods. We treated ourselves to some Michelin-star dining but ate many delicious, cheap meals like bowls of ramen. In 16 days I would say that we ate only one disappointing meal and that was probably because we hadn’t planned where to eat and discovered most places were closed. I do like to be spontaneous but I also do my research well in advance. The upmarket places require reservation sometimes a couple of months in advance. Of course, you can just turn up to a ramen bar – bear in mind that everywhere decent will have a queue in Japan whether for a noodle bar or street food.

There are simply so many places to choose from that your research will pay off when you are headed somewhere in particular. Street food is safe to eat in Japan unlike in certain other countries where you are often taking your stomach on a hit-or-miss adventure. Fish is fresh, pride is taken to make even the most simple food look delicious. Don’t forget that you can ask your hotel to recommend somewhere and they will make reservations for you. Good hotels will ask you questions about the kind of food you are in the mood for, whether you want a counter seat or a table and so on. Bear in mind when you are planning your itinerary that many restaurants in Japan close quite early at night.

What I realised after my recent first trip to Japan is that it is a country so varied and so fascinating that a first visit is really just an introduction. Before I left Japan for home, I knew I wanted to return. If you are happy to scratch the surface of a few cities then you will complete your holiday with a sense of wellbeing, albeit hungry for more.  Especially if you take time to plan your Japanese itinerary carefully.

16 Day Itinerary

My trip was divided into sections. 4 days in Tokyo, 2 days in Hakone, 4 days in Kyoto, 2 days in Osaka, 1 day in Kurashiki, 2 days in Naoshima Island, and 1 day in Tokyo.

Day 1 – Tokyo:

If possible, try to use Haneda airport if you are arriving in Tokyo as it is closest to the city. We arrived mid-morning and by the time we cleared all the airport checks, picked up our portable Wi-Fi (incredibly useful when travelling in Japan and you can order and pay for it online before you leave home), and worked out how to buy a train ticket for the monorail which takes you into central Tokyo, it was lunchtime when we reached our hotel. We spent an hour or so relaxing over the ubiquitous egg sando – no doubt there will be a convenience store near your hotel as they are on almost every corner – and a green tea.

As you will be starting to feel jetlag take a grip, I suggest a walking tour of the neighbourhood you are staying in as this is guided and requires no orienteering on your part. If you book into an OMO hotel as we did (different price points and neighbourhoods depending on your needs) you can join the OMO ranger’s guided tour of the area in which you are staying. In the evening we found a local place to eat – we chose an izakaya (a casual bar/restaurant) – and had a short stroll and an early night.

Day 2 – Tokyo:

We focussed on areas on the western side of Tokyo for day 2.  We spent the morning walking through the Shibuya area, across the famous Shibuya Scramble crossing and then on to Yoyogi Park to visit Meiji Jingu, the famous Shinto shrine.  We then went on to see Taketshita Street where teenagers crowd on weekends to enjoy boutiques and cafes, before jumping on the metro to the Shinjuku area for a tempura lunch. In the afternoon took the metro to Roppongi to visit some of the museums in the Art Triangle. You could spend days here if art is on your list of interests, so be selective.

We started with a look at the beautiful National Arts Centre and then spent a few hours at the Suntory Museum of Art which has outstanding, temporary exhibitions of Japanese antique ceramics. Went on to the nearby 21_21 Design which is a contemporary design museum in a gorgeous gallery space. It is the brainchild of Issey Miyake and was designed by renowned Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. In the evening we visited the Mori Museum on the 52^nd floor of the Mori Tower. This museum showcases contemporary Japanese art and is great to visit at night not only because it closes at 10 pm but also because two floors up is a viewing deck with brilliant 360-degree views of Tokyo.

Another outstanding ceramics museum in Roppongi is the Seto-oku Hakukokan Museum where we saw an awe-inspiring exhibition on another day as we wanted to see a show that only opened on a later date. Check ahead on all the museum websites to see what shows are on and that will help you select which ones you wish to visit.

Day 3 – Tokyo:

We set off to have breakfast at Tsukiji Outer Market which is on the eastern side of Tokyo. You will want to put aside several hours here as there is much to see if you love exploring food stalls and eating. You will need patience for queuing. Shops mostly don’t open before 10 am in Tokyo but food stalls were open at 9 am and doing a lively trade. We queued to eat at Seagen which opens at 10 am.

We walked through Ginza and then caught the metro to Asakusa, one of the most touristy areas of the city and full of sites one should see on a first visit to Tokyo. Then, we headed for the famous Kaminarimon Gate through which you will find Nakamisa-Dori, a shopping street leading to the temple. Take your time to enjoy the multitude of shops and food stalls. We sampled lots of the delicious offerings here including sweet potatoes, rice crackers of every description, fruit skewers, yuzu products, and pastries – all that’s before investigating the souvenirs and craft stalls. At the top of this street of stalls is the ancient Senso-ji Buddhist temple, one of the most famous in Tokyo.

A short walk from the temple is Kappabashi Street, a kilometre-long stretch of shops catering to the restaurant trade which is fascinating if you are a foodie obsessive like I am. Also in Asakusa is the wonderful Tokyo Kimono Shoes shop if you would like to treat yourself to a uniquely Japanese, handmade pair of shoes.

Keeping to the eastern side of the city, we hopped on the metro to the Sumida neighbourhood just over the Sumida River to see the Hokusai Museum which is a small museum showcasing the work of Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai. If you are interested in Sumo wrestling, the Sumo Museum is nearby. The Edo-Tokyo museum was undergoing renovation but is also in the area. Also in the Sumida area is the Skytree Tower (the third tallest structure in the world) and the Sumida Park along the river, fabulous in cherry blossom season.

In the evening you could stay and enjoy the nightlife in Asakusa or you could hop on the metro to Shimbashi to explore the izakaya which really comes to life with the after-work crowd who fill these small bars on their way home from work.

Day 4 – Tokyo:

Do set aside a day to visit the impressive collection of museums in Ueno Park. There are six to choose from according to your interests. We spent many hours in the Tokyo National Museum and still only managed the Hokan Wing of this enormous collection. It provides a fascinating introduction to Japanese culture with rooms full of antiquities – swords, ceramics, scrolls, maps, clothing and objets d’art. Take a walk in the lovely park to clear your head if you are suffering from visual overload. In the park complex, you will also find the National Museum of Nature and Science, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the Ueno Royal Museum (contemporary art), the National Museum of Western Art, and the Shitamachi Museum (social history of Tokyo). In the park, you will also find the Ueno Zoo.

Day 5 – Hakone:

We set off early in the morning from Tokyo Station on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to visit the vast national park area called Hakone for this day of our itinerary. As it is easily accessible by train – 90 minutes on the Shinkansen  – it is a very popular day trip from Tokyo so expect loads of visitors, both local and tourists. I advise a stopover for the night as there is enough to explore for a week, never mind two days. We stayed for two nights in different parts of the area called Hakone which is actually a series of towns, renowned for their onsen (hot springs) and natural beauty whether in the mountains or down at Lake Ashi.

A visit to Hakone makes a wonderful change from the fast pace of Tokyo. On arrival – see my article about this area – we spent the day on the well-organised trail which will take you many hours and enable you to see some of the highlights of the area. There are far too many wonderful museums here for a day or two so be selective about your interests. Or you may prefer to go hiking in the stunning mountains. We spent time at the Hakone Open Air Museum which is a fabulous sculpture park. We then stayed overnight in a town called Motohakone which is on Lake Ashi.  You can do as we did which was to spend one night at the lake and the second night in the mountains if you don’t mind moving accommodation. When you get to Hakone station you can send your luggage to your hotel for a small fee.

Day 6 – The Okada Museum of Art and Hakone:

We spent the morning at the superb Okada Museum of Art in a town called Kowakudani. It has five floors of oriental ceramics, a magnificent collection. We spent the early afternoon in the lovely town of Gora visiting the Hakone Gora Park and the Hakone Museum of Art which has a lovely traditional teahouse in the moss garden. Then we took the train to Hakone station and a bus to Hoshino Resorts KAI Hakone which I recommend highly for relaxing pampering and a traditional kaiseki (multicourse) dinner and Japanese breakfast.

Day 7 – Kyoto:

Checkout was early so that we could get to the town of Odawara – the train arrival station for the Hakone area – to board the Shinkansen train to Kyoto. There is so much to see in this beautiful city that you will have to make some very tough decisions if you are there only for a few days of your Japanese itinerary. We arrived in Kyoto in the early afternoon and took a taxi to the Gion area where we had booked into a very simple hotel, Kyoto Gion Inn The Second. It is very central and excellent for public transport, very clean – typical of Japan at any price point. No breakfast is served so buy an egg sando at the choice of convenience stores nearby; by the time I reached Kyoto, I was addicted to these delicious sandwiches. In Japan, no-frills means that you will have a bathroom with the fabulous Toto toilet, plenty of hot water in a decent shower, toiletries provided including a toothbrush and hairbrush, a kettle and lovely ceramic cups and a range of Japanese teas.

We had booked a tea ceremony experience for the mid-afternoon – there are many such in Kyoto which is the home of matcha (the thick green tea served as part of the tea ceremony) and I suggest you book ahead too. We went to one at Camelia Flower teahouse in Gion which was most informative and enjoyable. Thereafter we explored the streets called Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka which are full of traditional shops where you can buy food souvenirs, ceramics and much more. Don’t miss the pickled cucumbers, and have a taste of the wonderful condiments and pickles in the shops – they make great gifts to take home.

Then we carried on up the hill to the Kiyonizu-dera temple which is a large complex overlooking the city. It is beautiful towards the end of the day when the hordes of tourists have left. We had an hour there before closing time and it was beautiful in the softening light. After dark we visited Kodaji Temple which was open at night where the illuminated temple and son et lumiere show were great fun. Then strolled to dinner via the Yasaka shrine which is also best visited at night when there are few people about and the shrine is beautifully illuminated.

Day 8 – Kyoto – Inari Fushimi Shrine:

One of the most famous shrines – with thousands of visitors per day – is the Inari Fushimi Shrine in the south-east of the city. It is easy to access via public transport. I highly recommend booking a walking tour which will take you to the top of the mountain via a far less busy route. It was one of the highlights of our trip. It started early so that by lunchtime we were back in town. We moved hotel to the Dhawa Yura Banyan Tree which is also very well located being central and on a bus route and next door to a major underground station. It is luxurious and has a spa, restaurant and a fabulous breakfast buffet. We took a cab to the western edge of the city – Kyoto is large and it takes time to cross the city – to see two must-visit sites.

The Golden Pavilion is a knockout sight, situated on a lake which reflects the beautiful pavilion in the afternoon sun. Don’t miss a matcha ice cream afterwards in the park. Then it is a 20-minute walk – or a bus – to the Ryoanji Temple which has one of the most famous Zen gardens in the world as well as a beautiful Japanese garden. It is spellbinding. If you have more time than we did on the western side of town, visit the tiny Raku museum if you have an interest in tea ceremony ceramics.

In the evening explore the atmospheric Pontocho Alley where you will find lots of places to eat. We booked at Kyomachiya Kohaku for a very good dinner, Japanese cuisine tapas style. Then walk around the Gion area, don’t miss Hanamikoji Street which has wonderful traditional wooden buildings and you may be fortunate, as we were, to encounter several geisha late at night. You will inevitably find yourself on Shijo-dori, a central street running through the area where you should look out for the Mizuna Theatre, famous for its Kabuki theatre. Over the road is a shop with a perpetual queue selling freshly made takoyaki – fish-shaped pastries filled with azuki (red bean paste) and custard or sweet potato. We returned each night for a post-dinner snack.

Day 9 – Temples in Kyoto:

We spent the day exploring temples on the eastern side of the city today. If you look online you will find two, four-hour long walks described which take you to see various temples. The walks are situated in north and south Higashiyama. We began with the southern Higashiyama walk. Began at Shoren-In – if you get there at opening time as we did (9 am) you may be lucky to have the whole place to yourself. It is a very peaceful spot and the moss garden is mesmeric. Then it is a short walk to Choren-In which is a completely different experience. It is a huge temple complex with many sub-temples and shrines. As it started to rain we took cover in the main temple and were lucky that it was the time of day when the monks chant in the large prayer hall.

For a fabulous lunch nearby, book well ahead for Salon de Muge which is part of the Kikunoi brand of superb restaurants. If your budget extends to three-Michelin-star dining you can eat next door at Kikunoi but we were very satisfied with a beautiful lunch in the annex overlooking a garden. You can also book to go to Salon de Muge as a teatime treat – don’t miss the matcha parfait. We enjoyed an afternoon tea at Dhawa Yura Banyan Tree Hotel which was full of surprises.

Day 10 – Temples to the North of Kyoto:

Today we focussed on the Northern section of the Higashiyama tour. You should allocate at least 4 hours or more if you want to spend a good amount of time at each temple or shrine. Begin at the Nanzenji Temple which is a large Buddhist Temple with its impressive Sanmon Gate. Aside from the temple itself, there is an aqueduct and extensive gardens with a waterfall that you can sit and watch from the house, as well as a couple of Zen gardens. Indoors there are magnificent golden screens with scenes of tigers and forests. Next, we visited Eikando Zenrin-Ji Temple, another impressive set of buildings and gardens including a pagoda from where there is a panoramic view of Kyoto.

This area is renowned for its tofu cuisine so makes a good place to have lunch. From here it is a 15-minute walk to the start of the Path of Philosophy which is a peaceful stroll along a stream. In cherry blossom season it is magnificent. At the end of the Path, you will find the Jishoji Temple (known as the Silver Pavilion) where you are able to view the pavilion and walk through the garden and woods behind it.

We then hopped on a bus into central Kyoto and visited the vibrant Nishiki Market where you will find food stalls of every description. Don’t miss grilled eel or the butter and potato balls. Street food is generally safe to eat in Japan as food safety is taken very seriously so I found myself eating all sorts of street food I probably would avoid in certain other destinations. From here we went to a concert at the Kamishichiken Kabukai Theatre where in the cherry blossom season there are performances by trainee geisha, called maiko.

Day 11 – Feasting at Roan Kikunoi, Kyoto and Osaka :

If you are a foodie and looking for a special meal, book ahead for a kaiseki lunch at the Michelin star Roan Kikunoi. It is significantly lighter on the wallet to eat here at lunchtime than in the evening.

After a superb meal, we caught the train to Osaka. You can take the Shinkansen train but as Osaka is so close to Kyoto we took a smaller and slower train (the Kyo-train Garaku) that operates exclusively on weekends. It is a quaint train, each carriage decorated as one of the four seasons. Once in Osaka, we spent the afternoon at the Kuromon Ichiba food market where we ate oysters as big as our hands. Stunning seafood and many other foodie excitements abound. Spend the evening exploring the riotous, neon-signed Dotonbori and surrounding alleyways eating street food. Be prepared to queue.

You can stroll on to the Shinsekai area in downtown Osaka for more bites, particularly, kushikatsu which is the umbrella term for fried food on skewers.

Day 12 – Osaka Castle and more feasting:

We spent the morning at the Osaka Castle – once again be prepared for long queues, especially on a weekend. Then we took the metro to Namba stop where we ate shabu-shabu, another Osaka speciality. In the area, don’t miss Rikuro – a famous store baking cheesecake – it is more akin to a fluffy and wobbly egg-cake but no less delicious. There is a queue for the queue. Nearby is the Takashimaya department store for all your shopping needs. Don’t miss filling your basket at the depatchika, the basement food hall which all department stores have. Mind-blowing for foodies.

Day 13 – Kurashiki and Ryokan Tsugarata:

We headed out of Osaka on the Shinkansen to Okayama en route to the small town of Kurashiki. On the way you could stop off at Himeji Castle which is a huge attraction or you could take a day trip to Nara from Osaka. We were on our way south so stayed overnight at Kurashiki which is gorgeous especially at night when tourists have left.

We stayed over in a Ryokan Tsugarata – you should try to arrange at least one night in one of these traditional inns where you will be served a kaiseki dinner in your room and sleep on futons on a tatami mat. Traditional Japanese breakfast in the morning. It is a wonderful experience. Kurashiki has some very good art museums and is home to local Bikan ceramics which are very sought after.

Day 14 – Day 15 Museum of Naoshima :

We travelled to Naoshima, an island in the Inland Seto Sea which is renowned for its contemporary art museums and installations. The island is accessed by ferry from Uno and is a must-visit place for art lovers. It was the highlight of many highlights on this trip and quite unforgettable even though it was quite a pilgrimage to get there. We stayed at the Muji-decorated My Lodge which was perfect for the night. If your budget is large and your pockets deep, book in at Benesse House – a modernist museum hotel. Many people visit Naoshima for a day trip but, if at all possible, stay overnight as part of your Japanese itinerary so that you have two days to explore the sensational museums where the architecture (almost all designed by Tadeo Ando) is as exciting as the artwork.

We travelled back to Tokyo from Naoshima which was 7 hours door to door including the ferry to Uno, a slow local train to Okayama and then a transfer onto the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo.

Day 16 – Toyko revisited:

We spent the final day in Tokyo having wonderful meals with friends we had made in the city, doing some gift shopping and walking in some of the beautiful parks. We also visited the Imperial Gardens in central Tokyo.

If you are reading this article and planning a trip to Japan, feel free to get in touch with any questions you may have.