Japan Grand Tour — 13 days
Tokyo, Nikko, Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, Hiroshima and Miyajima. Day-by-day itinerary: Arrival in Tokyo & Shinjuku; Asakusa, Akihabara & Skytree; Harajuku, Shibuya & teamLab; Nikkō (day trip).
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Tokyo & Shinjuku
- 09:00 — Arrival at Tokyo Narita / Haneda
- Activate the 14-day Japan Rail Pass
- 11:00 — Limousine Bus → Shinjuku — Narita → Shinjuku
- Walk to the hotel — Shinjuku
- 13:30 — Hotel check-in in Shinjuku — Shinjuku
- 18:00 — Golden Gai & Omoide Yokocho — Shinjuku
- 20:30 — Welcome izakaya — Shinjuku
Day 2 — Asakusa, Akihabara & Skytree
- 07:30 — Sensō-ji at sunrise — Asakusa
- 09:00 — Breakfast on Nakamise-dori — Asakusa
- Metro to Akihabara — Asakusa → Akihabara
- 11:00 — Akihabara — Electric Town — Akihabara
- Metro to Tokyo Skytree — Akihabara → Sumida
- 15:00 — Tokyo Skytree — 350 m observatory — Sumida
- Metro to Ginza — Sumida → Ginza
- 20:00 — Omakase sushi — Ginza
Day 3 — Harajuku, Shibuya & teamLab
- 08:00 — Meiji Jingu sacred forest — Harajuku
- 09:30 — Takeshita Street — Harajuku
- Walk to Shibuya — Harajuku → Shibuya
- 12:00 — Shibuya Crossing & Shibuya Sky — Shibuya
- Train to Toyosu — Shibuya → Toyosu
- 16:30 — teamLab Planets — Toyosu
- Train to Ebisu — Toyosu → Ebisu
- 20:00 — Dinner at Ebisu Yokocho — Ebisu
Day 4 — Nikkō (day trip)
- 08:00 — Tobu train → Nikkō (2h)
- 10:30 — Tōshō-gū — ornate shogunal shrine — Nikkō
- 13:30 — Kegon Falls + Lake Chūzenji — Nikkō
- 17:00 — Back to Tokyo
- 20:00 — Last dinner in Tokyo — ramen — Shinjuku
Day 5 — Tokyo → Kyoto & Gion
- 09:00 — Shinkansen Nozomi Tokyo → Kyoto (2h15)
- 12:00 — Ryokan check-in — Gion, Kyoto
- Bus to Kinkaku-ji — Gion, Kyoto → North Kyoto
- 14:30 — Kinkaku-ji — Golden Pavilion — North Kyoto
- Bus to Gion — North Kyoto → Gion
- 17:00 — Hanamikoji lane — Gion
- Walk to the ryokan — Gion → Ryokan
- 19:30 — Kaiseki at the ryokan — Ryokan
Day 6 — Fushimi Inari & Arashiyama
- 06:30 — Fushimi Inari — 10,000 torii at sunrise — Fushimi Inari
- Walk to the market — Fushimi Inari → Fushimi market
- 09:30 — Inari-zushi breakfast — Fushimi market
- Train to Arashiyama — Fushimi market → Arashiyama
- 12:00 — Arashiyama Bamboo Grove — Arashiyama
- 14:00 — Tenryū-ji temple + Zen garden — Arashiyama
- Walk to the Ōi River — Arashiyama → Ōi River
- 17:00 — Riverside stroll at sunset — Ōi River
- Walk to Sagano — Ōi River → Arashiyama
- 19:30 — Sagano tofu kaiseki — Arashiyama
Day 7 — Uji & the Philosopher's Path
- 08:30 — Train Kyoto → Uji (30 min)
- 09:30 — Byōdō-in — the temple on the 10-yen coin — Uji
- 11:30 — Matcha tasting — Uji
- 13:30 — Back to Kyoto
- 15:00 — Philosopher's Path + Nanzen-ji — Kyoto
- Walk to Nishiki Market — Kyoto → Nishiki Market
- 19:30 — Dinner at Nishiki Market — Nishiki Market
Day 8 — Nara → Osaka
- 09:00 — Train Kyoto → Nara (45 min)
- 10:00 — Nara Deer Park — Nara Kōen
- Walk to Tōdai-ji — Nara Kōen → Nara
- 11:30 — Tōdai-ji — Great Buddha — Nara
- Walk to central Nara — Nara → Central Nara
- 13:00 — Kakinoha-zushi — Central Nara
- 15:30 — Train Nara → Osaka (50 min)
- 17:00 — Hotel check-in in Osaka — Namba, Osaka
- Walk to Dōtonbori — Namba, Osaka → Dōtonbori
- 20:00 — Dōtonbori — takoyaki & okonomiyaki — Dōtonbori
Day 9 — Osaka in Full
- 09:00 — Osaka Castle — Osaka-jō
- To Kuromon Ichiba — Osaka-jō → Osaka
- 11:00 — Kuromon Ichiba Market — Osaka
- Metro to Shinsekai — Osaka → Shinsekai
- 14:00 — Shinsekai + Tsutenkaku Tower — Shinsekai
- 19:30 — Kushikatsu at a popular spot — Shinsekai
Day 10 — Himeji → Hiroshima
- 08:00 — Shinkansen Osaka → Himeji (35 min)
- 09:00 — Himeji Castle — Himeji
- 11:30 — Kōko-en Garden — Himeji
- 13:30 — Shinkansen Himeji → Hiroshima (1h)
- 15:30 — Hotel check-in in Hiroshima — Hiroshima
- 17:00 — Genbaku Dome — Hiroshima
- Walk to Okonomimura — Hiroshima → Okonomimura
- 19:30 — Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki — Okonomimura
Day 11 — Hiroshima Memorial
- 09:00 — Peace Memorial Park and Museum — Hiroshima
- Walk to the city centre — Hiroshima → City centre
- 13:00 — Hiroshima noodle lunch — City centre
- Walk to Shukkei-en — City centre → Hiroshima
- 15:00 — Shukkei-en — landscape garden — Hiroshima
- Walk to Nagarekawa — Hiroshima → Nagarekawa
- 20:00 — Izakaya in Hiroshima — Nagarekawa
Day 12 — Miyajima
- 09:00 — JR ferry → Miyajima Island (10 min)
- 09:30 — Itsukushima floating torii — Miyajima
- 11:00 — Itsukushima Shrine + Mount Misen — Miyajima
- 13:00 — Anago-meshi (grilled conger eel) — Miyajima
- 15:30 — Shinkansen back to Osaka (2h)
- 19:00 — Last night in Osaka — Namba
Day 13 — Osaka → Departure
- 09:00 — Kuromon Market — last souvenirs — Osaka
- Walk to Namba — Osaka → Namba
- 11:00 — Last ramen before leaving — Namba
- 12:30 — Haruka Express → Kansai Airport KIX
- 17:00 — Return flight from KIX