A first trip to Japan usually needs fourteen days, three bases and one long train ride. That is the short answer. Two weeks lets you give Tokyo five days, Kyoto four, and still have time for a third region without spending every second morning packing a bag.
The longer answer is that Japan rewards a specific kind of planning: book the few things that genuinely sell out, then leave the rest loose. This guide covers the decisions that are hard to reverse — timing, rail passes, where to base yourself — and links out to the detailed guides for each city.
When to go
Japan has four distinct seasons and two of them are close to perfect for travel. Late March to early May brings cherry blossom and then the fresh green of early summer. Late October to early December brings autumn colour, dry air and the clearest views of the year.
Avoid, if you can: the second week of August (Obon, when the whole country travels at once), the New Year period, and Golden Week at the end of April. Prices double and seats vanish. Late June to mid-July is the rainy season, which is warm, humid and much less busy — a genuine option if you don't mind an umbrella.
For a month-by-month breakdown, see our guide to the best time to visit Japan.
How many days you need
Five nights in Tokyo, four in Kyoto and three or four elsewhere is the structure that works. Tokyo is not a two-day city; each neighbourhood takes half a day to walk properly and the transit time between them adds up. Kyoto needs four because the temples close at 16:30 and the good hours are early.
For the remaining days, pick one: Kanazawa for craft and gardens, Hakone or Kinosaki for onsen, Hiroshima and Miyajima for the history, or Kōya-san for a temple stay. Adding two of them turns the trip into a logistics exercise.
Does the JR Pass still make sense?
Since the 2023 price rise, the 7-day national Japan Rail Pass only pays for itself if you make a genuine long-distance return journey — Tokyo to Kyoto and back, plus a side trip, roughly breaks even. For a Tokyo–Kyoto one-way plus local travel, individual tickets are usually cheaper.
Regional passes are a different matter and often excellent value: the JR East passes, the Kansai Wide Area Pass and the Hokuriku Arch Pass all cover specific routes for far less. Work out your route first, then price it three ways: individual tickets, national pass, regional pass.
A note that catches people out: the Nozomi and Mizuho services, the fastest on the Tōkaidō line, now require a surcharge with the national pass. The Hikari service takes about twenty minutes longer and is fully covered.
What it costs
Japan is no longer an expensive destination by western European standards, though it is not the bargain the exchange rate makes it look. A realistic mid-range daily budget per person:
- Business hotel or good guesthouse: ¥9,000–15,000
- Three meals, one of them decent: ¥4,000–6,000
- Local transport: ¥800–1,500
- Entry fees and incidentals: ¥1,500–2,500
That puts a comfortable day at roughly ¥16,000–25,000 before long-distance trains. You can travel well below it — convenience store breakfasts are genuinely good, standing noodle counters cost ¥500 — and infinitely above it.
Our Japan budget guide breaks down two weeks with actual receipts.
Getting around
Get an IC card (Suica, Pasmo or ICOCA — they work interchangeably nationwide) in the first hour. Tap on and off for every train, subway, bus and most convenience stores. It removes the single biggest friction point of the trip.
For luggage, use takkyūbin, the overnight courier system. Hand your suitcase to a hotel front desk before 11am and it arrives at the next hotel the following afternoon for about ¥2,000. Travelling between cities with a day bag rather than a suitcase changes how the trip feels.
Etiquette that actually matters
Most etiquette anxiety is misplaced. Nobody expects a visitor to know everything, and the things that matter are few:
- Take shoes off wherever there is a raised floor and a rack.
- Don't talk on the phone on trains; keep conversation quiet.
- Don't tip. It genuinely confuses people and is sometimes refused.
- Carry your rubbish; public bins are rare because of a 1995 security change.
- In an onsen, wash thoroughly at the seated showers before entering the water.
Tattoos remain an issue at some onsen. Many now allow them, some provide cover patches, and private family baths (kashikiri) sidestep the question entirely.
A 14-day route that works
- Days 1–5 — Tokyo. East side, old Tokyo, west side, one day trip to Kamakura or Nikkō.
- Days 6–7 — Hakone or Kanazawa. Onsen and open air, or gardens and craft.
- Days 8–11 — Kyoto. Higashiyama, the northern gardens, Arashiyama, Fushimi and Uji.
- Day 12 — Nara or Osaka. Deer and the Great Buddha, or a food day in Dōtonbori.
- Days 13–14 — Back to Tokyo. Anything you missed, plus the shopping you swore you wouldn't do.
Detailed versions of each leg are in the Tokyo neighbourhood guide and the Kyoto four-day itinerary.
What most first-timers get wrong
They move too often. Four cities in ten days means four check-ins, four check-outs and four evenings spent finding dinner in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. Three bases is the maximum that leaves room for the trip to breathe.
They also plan around sights rather than hours. The best hour in Kyoto is 7am; the best hour in Tokyo is 9pm. Build the day around those and the queues stop being a factor.
The country is small enough that you can always come back. Plan the trip you can actually enjoy, not the one that proves you were there.
Japan is unusually forgiving of the unplanned. The trains run, the signage is bilingual, the convenience stores are open, and someone will help you if you look lost. Give yourself less to do and more time to do it in.