How many days do you need in Tokyo, Kyoto & Hakone?
- Most travelers spend 8-10 days in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone combined
- Visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone in 6 or 7 days is possible, but it will feel rushed
- With 11 or more days, most travelers choose to add more stops to their trip
- The most common extensions are Osaka and Hiroshima
How Many Days to Spend in Japan
Recommended Itineraries for Tokyo, Kyoto & Hakone
Recommended Itinerary for 8 Days
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Tokyo, Free Time | Tokyo |
| Day 2 | Explore Tokyo's Asakusa & Akihabara Districts | Tokyo |
| Day 3 | West of Tokyo & Odaiba Tour | Tokyo |
| Day 4 | Tokyo to Hakone, Onsen, Ryokan & Mount Fuji Experience | Hakone |
| Day 5 | Hakone to Kyoto, Visit Nishiki Market & Nijo Castle | Kyoto |
| Day 6 | Day Trip to Nara | Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Explore Kyoto's Arashiyama District | Kyoto |
| Day 8 | Depart Osaka |
Explore the best of Japan's world-famous highlights. Begin by wandering through Tokyo's parks, museums, temples, and neon-lit shopping areas. Then head to Hakone, where you'll stay in a traditional ryokan inn and experience a multicourse kaiseki dinner and hot spring. Move on to Kyoto to explore markets, temples, and castles, then take a day trip to Nara to see its famed deer park before returning to Kyoto for one last day of sightseeing. Read more
Recommended Itinerary for 9 Days
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Tokyo, Free Time | Tokyo |
| Day 2 | Full-Day Tokyo Highlights Tour | Tokyo |
| Day 3 | Full-Day Tokyo Art & Culture Tour by Private Car | Tokyo |
| Day 4 | Tokyo to Hakone, Mount Fuji National Park Excursion | Hakone |
| Day 5 | Hakone to Kyoto, Geisha Tea Ceremony & Show | Kyoto |
| Day 6 | Full-Day Kyoto Highlights Tour | Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Full-Day Nara & Fushimi Excursion from Kyoto | Kyoto |
| Day 8 | Full-Day Hiroshima Excursion from Kyoto | Kyoto |
| Day 9 | Kyoto to Osaka, Depart |
This nine-day itinerary starts in Tokyo, where you'll take two full-day tours to explore the city's best highlights and cultural attractions. Then you're off to Hakone and Mount Fuji National Park for an outdoor excursion before finishing in Kyoto. Here you'll join a geisha tea ceremony, visit the deer in Nara, and take a day trip to Hiroshima to complete the adventure. Read more
Recommended Itinerary for 10 Days
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Tokyo, Explore | Tokyo |
| Day 2 | Tokyo Day 2 | Tokyo |
| Day 3 | Tokyo Day 3 | Tokyo |
| Day 4 | Tokyo to Hakone | Hakone |
| Day 5 | Hakone Day 2 | Hakone |
| Day 6 | Hakone to Kyoto | Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Kyoto Day 2 | Kyoto |
| Day 8 | Kyoto Day 3 | Kyoto |
| Day 9 | Kyoto to Tokyo, Free Time | Tokyo |
| Day 10 | Depart Tokyo |
This 10-day itinerary follows the path of Japan's ancient Tokaido Highway (the Golden Route) from the skyscrapers of ultra-modern Tokyo to the cultural heart of Kyoto. In between the two cities, you'll stop in the beautiful town of Hakone to soak up Mount Fuji views, hot springs, and excellent museums. Traveling by bullet train, your flexible Japan Rail Pass offers plenty of day trips for a truly customizable adventure. Read more
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Extended Itineraries
9-Day Itinerary Including Osaka
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Tokyo, Explore | Tokyo |
| Day 2 | Modernity & Tradition Tour, Stroll Tokyo in a Kimono, Nighttime Foodie Tour | Tokyo |
| Day 3 | Day Trip to Nikko | Tokyo |
| Day 4 | Day Trip to Kamakura | Tokyo |
| Day 5 | Tokyo to Hakone, Explore | Hakone |
| Day 6 | Arrive in Kyoto, Traditional Afternoon Tea Ceremony | Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Arashiyama Bamboo Walking Tour, Kyoto Temple Afternoon Tour | Kyoto |
| Day 8 | Explore Osaka & Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine | Osaka |
| Day 9 | Depart Osaka |
Explore Japan's natural beauty and intricate rituals on this fascinating nine-day itinerary. In Tokyo, you'll travel back in time by wandering the streets in a kimono. Head to Hakone to cruise on Lake Ashi, enjoy spectacular views of Mount Fuji, and finish the day in soothing natural thermal springs. Continue to Kyoto for Buddhist temples, gardens, palaces, and shrines, then end in Osaka to revel in the city's dynamic "foodie" districts. Read more
13-Day Itinerary Including Osaka & Hiroshima
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Tokyo | Tokyo |
| Day 2 | Tokyo City Tour From Traditional to Modern | Tokyo |
| Day 3 | Day Trip to Nikko | Tokyo |
| Day 4 | Day Trip to Kamakura | Tokyo |
| Day 5 | Tokyo to Hakone, Explore | Hakone |
| Day 6 | Hakone to Kyoto, Hiking at Fushimi Inari Shrine | Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Day Trip to Nara & Uji | Kyoto |
| Day 8 | Arashiyama & Kyoto Landscape Views | Kyoto |
| Day 9 | Kyoto to Hiroshima, Explore | Hiroshima |
| Day 10 | Visit the Hiroshima Gardens | Hiroshima |
| Day 11 | Day Trip to Miyajima Island | Hiroshima |
| Day 12 | Hiroshima to Osaka, Explore | Osaka |
| Day 13 | Depart Osaka |
See some of Japan's most famous sites while exploring the country by bullet train on this 13-day tour. After learning about Tokyo's history and culture, visit Nikko for a rejuvenating hike, Kamakura to explore its shrines and temples, and Hakone, where you can relax in its thermal waters. Then it's on to Kyoto to admire the beautiful shrines of Fushimi Inari and Hiroshima to reflect on the tragic events there before ending your adventure in Osaka to look around its famous castle. Read more
How to travel between Tokyo, Kyoto & Hakone
Kyoto is 283 miles (445 km) from Tokyo, but you can get from Tokyo to Kyoto in just over two hours if you travel on a high-speed Shinkansen (bullet train). By air, the journey will take about three hours, including ground transportation. Read more
Map
