Japan's Golden Route: Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka - 15 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo, Optional Nighttime Food Tour

Welcome to Tokyo! At Tokyo Haneda Airport, a guide will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel. Once you've arrived and settled in, head out to explore the city. While Tokyo is a large and highly-modernized metropolis, history and centuries-old culture are never too far away. As you explore the city, you'll discover towering skyscrapers, bustling markets, and peaceful gardens where you can escape the urban buzz.

For a relaxing activity, visit Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, one of Tokyo's largest parks, most famous for its 400 cherry blossom trees. Then explore the Tokyo Edo Open Air Architectural Museum, which exhibits a range of ancient buildings that were relocated or reconstructed here to preserve national architectural history. For dinner, you can join a foodie tour of Shinjuku. The first stop is a restaurant known for its Wagyu beef, cooked on a shichirin (charcoal barbecue grill). The next restaurant will teach you how to grill the meat yourself. For dessert, wind down with ice cream in a quiet café.

Day 2: Explore Tokyo, Optional Visit to TeamLab Planets Tokyo

Explore the Shibuya region of Tokyo via public transportation. Start at Tokyo's famous Shibuya Station and prepare to tackle the infamous Shibuya Scramble, the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. Afterward, visit the Village Vanguard, a trendy shop selling Japan's strangest items. Stop for lunch, then make your way to the renowned Takeshita-dori. This pedestrian street is crowded with young Japanese people decked out in wild costumes.

In the afternoon, you can visit TeamLab Planets Tokyo, a massive space consisting of immersive light installations. This digital art exhibit is based on three main concepts: continuous movement, distinct colors, and constant changes. Later, head over to the Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine, and Yoyogi Park, a popular gathering place for Japanese families, street artists, and cosplayers. As the evening sets in, make your way back to Shibuya to check out the Shibuya Sky, an observation deck that sits over 656 feet (200 m) above the ground.

Day 3: Explore Ginza, Akihabara & Asakusa, Enjoy a Shodo Experience

This morning, visit Ginza, one of Tokyo's most popular shopping areas, which features many bustling shops, department stores, boutiques, restaurants, and cafés. Next, head to Akihabara, one of Tokyo's most modern and technological neighborhoods. Take the train, then dive into this hub of Japanese electronics and manga stores. While in Akihabara, visit Yodobashi Camera, the largest electronics store in Tokyo.

Once you've finished browsing, make your way to the neighborhood of Asakusa and explore Senso-ji Temple, one of Tokyo's oldest and most significant sites. Then visit Nakamise Shopping Street, where you can enjoy a street food snack and pick up some traditional souvenirs. You'll also have the opportunity today to book a 90-minute shodo (calligraphy) experience and put your artistic skills to the test. At the instructor's home, you'll learn how to write certain characters and your name in Japanese on a fan or colored paper, which you can take home as a souvenir. 

Day 4: See a Sumo Practice & Nakameguro Food Tour, Optional Memory Lane Visit

Japan is famous for its sumo wrestlers, and today you'll get to sit in on a morning practice and watch these athletes train. You'll be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds as you watch the wrestlers charging at each other head-on. Once the practice is finished, head off on a food tour and visit several unique dining spots in the hip Nakameguro district. You'll stop at quaint eateries, tiny bars, and coffee shops, as well as a classic old candy shop, an award-winning chocolate shop, a sake store, and even a vintage kimono store.

In the evening, make an optional visit to Omoide Yokocho, also known as "Memory Lane." Walk through this alley filled with wooden restaurants adorned with paper lanterns, and try some yakitori (chicken skewers). The traditional yakitori-ya restaurants are essentially small stands where chefs grill skewers on charcoal right in front of hungry customers. Many young adults and office workers like to unwind here with a cold beer or sake after a long day.

Day 6: Fushimi Inari Shrine Hike, Optional Geisha Photoshoot 

After breakfast, head out to explore eastern Kyoto. Start your day with a hike at the famous and beautiful Fushimi Inari Shrine, popularized by the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" and features 10,000 red gates. If you wish to hike the whole trail, it will take around 2-3 hours. Afterward, wander to Nishiki Market to taste Kyoto's traditional foods. Go with an empty stomach since this is the perfect place to try excellent food, from traditional snacks to sweets!

Finish your day with a visit to Nijo Castle to learn about the history of Kyoto, or enjoy visiting Kiyomizudera Temple and taking in the beautiful views. You also have the option of enjoying an entertaining photoshoot in customary geisha clothing. During your visit to the photo studio, you'll be hosted by a maiko. As you are served traditional green tea, she will talk about geisha practices and pose with you in pictures. You'll come away with stunning professional photos and a deeper knowledge of Japanese culture.

Day 9: Day Trip to Nara

Nara is perfect for a day trip from Kyoto, and today you'll explore this ancient, dynamic Japanese city on a full-day guided walking tour. Start with a visit to Todai-ji temple, a Buddhist complex that hosts a number of awe-inspiring structures. The temple's Great Buddha Hall is known for being the largest wooden structure in the world. It was burned down several times and reconstructed in the Edo Period. This temple hosts the Kegon school of Buddhism. It is also one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another of Nara's iconic spots is Nara Park, a famous deer haven. Hundreds of deer roam freely throughout the park. You can buy rice crackers at one of the many stalls selling paper-tied packs and feed them to the deer. If you're looking for the perfect souvenir, head to the Nandaimon Gate, where you'll find many little omiyage (gift/souvenir) shops. Here, you can shop for deer-themed omiyage while picking up some tasty snacks.

Day 10: Train to Osaka, Explore & Optional Night Food Tour

Take the train to Osaka today and prepare to visit some of the city's famous sights, such as Osaka Castle, the Umeda Sky Building, and Shin-Sekai. At night, head to the bustling area of Dotonbori, where the lights are bright, and the neon signs make for a whimsical panorama.

Osaka gives Tokyo a run for its money on delicious cuisine, and this evening you can experience its culinary delights on a three-hour street food tour. You'll sample the most unique dishes in Osaka, focusing on regional foods from Kansai. Try takoyaki, ball-shaped octopus bites, and okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake topped with whatever you like. The tour includes two drinks, but feel free to get a few more rounds in afterward!

Day 11: Full Day Bus Tour of Hiroshima & Miyajima, Optional Tombori River Cruise

With an English-speaking guide (or audio guide available in eight languages), pop between historic landmarks with magnificent views as you travel by air-conditioned coach. Begin in Hiroshima, where you'll visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Hiroshima Castle. Then stop for lunch and try hiroshimayaki, a local variation on okonomiyaki. Afterward, move on to Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine. This scenic shrine is one of the top sights in Japan and was designed to appear as if floating on the sea.

Back in Osaka in the evening, you can embark on a Tombori River Cruise. Experience the neon city lights as you ride in a boat along the Dotonburi River. This is particularly scenic during Christmas when holiday decorations are strung across the bridges, and the cruise guide may dress up as Santa Claus! Keep an eye out for the famous Glico running man billboard, which you can see as the boat pauses under the Ebisubashi Bridge. 

Day 12: Explore the Sacred Forest of Mount Koya (Koyasan)

Make the most of the morning and enjoy the atmosphere of Mount Koya, also known as Koyasan. Walk along the pilgrimage route that reaches the Okunoin Temple. At the temple, you'll find the mausoleum of a famous monk known as Kukai. This area is considered one of the most sacred places in Japan, and the long path through the middle of the forest also leads to some secular tombs of famous people and important families in Japanese history.

Day 13: Train to Tokyo & Technology Tour, Optional Japanese Sword Museum Visit 

Return to Tokyo by train, then kick off your day with a tour of the city's best high-tech attractions. One must-visit place is Odaiba, an artificial island home to the Fuji Television Building, the Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation), Tokyo Big Sight (or Tokyo International Exhibition Center), Aqua City, the Panasonic Center, and the Museum of Maritime Science. While here, enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk, and try to see the Odaiba Statue of Liberty and the impressive Gundam Statue.

There's also the Toshiba Science Museum, where you can learn about Toshiba technology through workshops and exhibits. For lunch, try one of the conveyor-belt style sushi restaurants in the area, or head to Curry Station Niagara—a railway-themed restaurant where your order is delivered via a model train. Later, you can visit the Japanese Sword Museum, established in the 1960s, which preserves and exhibits Japanese swords. It also presents exhibitions of modern and antique blades and related cultural artifacts.

Day 15: Depart Tokyo

Enjoy your last day in Japan with a walk and some last-minute shopping in Shibuya before heading to the airport. A private car will pick you up from your hotel. Have a safe journey home or to your next destination!