The hour-by-hour plan for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima. Specific hotels at each price point. Named restaurants with booking instructions where needed. The train times that matter. The booking windows you cannot miss. Everything you need to book the trip and arrive knowing exactly what to do.
Before You Leave — The Booking Sequence
Do these in order. The sequence matters because some things sell out before others.
8-12 weeks before travel:
- Book flights — the cheapest Japan routes from the UK: Korean Air via Seoul (13 hours total), Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (13 hours), JAL via Tokyo direct (12 hours). Return flights: £500-800. Open-jaw (Tokyo in, Osaka out) is typically the same price and eliminates backtracking.
- Buy the JR Pass — Japan Rail Pass, valid 14 days, from £345. Buy at jrpass.com or Japan Specialist Travel before departure — it cannot be purchased inside Japan. The pass covers all Shinkansen and JR trains throughout the itinerary except the Nozomi (the fastest Shinkansen — the Hikari is covered and only 15 minutes slower on the Tokyo-Osaka route).
- Book the Kyoto hotels — Kyoto fills 8-10 weeks ahead in peak season (March-April cherry blossom, October-November autumn leaves). Book the Kyoto accommodation before anywhere else.
4-6 weeks before travel:
- Reserve the Dill restaurant equivalent — in Japan, this means the restaurants that require advance booking: Tempura Matsu (Kyoto), Kikunoi (Kyoto kaiseki), Kichisen (Kyoto — the most booked restaurant in the country, requires 2-3 months ahead minimum). For the traveller who wants one exceptional kaiseki: book Mizai (Kyoto) or Hyotei (Kyoto) 6-8 weeks ahead via tableall.com or Tablecheck.
- Book the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum — entry tickets at pcf.city.hiroshima.jp. No queue required but the online ticket simplifies the visit.
2-3 weeks before travel:
- Order the Suica card — the IC card that covers all metro, bus, and most train journeys in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Now orderable before departure from the Japan Tourism Agency (visitjapan.jp). Alternatively, purchase at any JR station machine on arrival.
- Book the teamLab digital art experience — teamLab Planets (Tokyo) or teamLab Borderless (Tokyo). The most popular timed-entry cultural attraction in Tokyo. Book at teamlab.art 2-3 weeks ahead.
The 10-Day Plan
Day 1 — Tokyo: Arrival and Orientation
Morning: Arrive at Narita or Haneda
Narita Express (N’EX) from Narita Airport to Shinjuku: 85 minutes, ¥3,070 / £16.30 (covered by JR Pass). Activate your JR Pass at the JR East Travel Service Centre at the airport on arrival.
From Haneda: the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho (17 minutes, ¥530 / £2.81) then JR to the hotel.
The hotel check-in: Most Tokyo hotels allow early check-in from 2pm; the standard is 3pm. Store luggage if arriving before check-in time. Most hotels offer luggage storage as a matter of course.
Afternoon: Shinjuku
Shinjuku is the correct Tokyo neighbourhood for the first afternoon — the density and energy of the busiest train station in the world (3.5 million passengers daily, the station with 200 exits) gives the Tokyo experience immediately and efficiently.
The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (open 9am-5:30pm, closed Monday, ¥500 / £2.65) — the finest urban park in Tokyo, the French formal garden and the Japanese stroll garden in the same 58 hectares. On a clear day: Mount Fuji visible above the western fence line.
The Memory Lane (Omoide Yokocho) — the narrow alley of tiny yakitori bars behind the Shinjuku station west exit, the charcoal smoke rising, the salary men at the counter at 5pm. The most specifically Shinjuku experience available.
Evening: Ramen at Fuunji (Shinjuku, near Takashimaya)
Fuunji (2-14-3 Yoyogi, Shibuya) — the tsukemen counter, the concentrated dipping broth with the thick noodles. Queue from 5:30pm (the 30-minute wait is typical for a counter with 12 seats). ¥990-1,200 / £5.25-6.36.
Hotel recommendation:
Budget: Capsule Hotel Anshin Oyado Shinjuku (¥4,500-6,500 / £23.86-34.47 per night) — the reference quality capsule hotel for solo travellers.
Mid-range: Citadines Central Shinjuku (¥12,000-18,000 / £63.60-95.40 per night) — the serviced apartment format, the kitchen useful for convenience store breakfast.
Comfortable: Park Hyatt Shinjuku (¥55,000-90,000 / £291.50-477 per night) — the Lost in Translation hotel, the 39th floor pool, the New York Bar with the Tokyo panorama.
Day 2 — Tokyo: The Ancient and the Contemporary
6am: Tsukiji Outer Market
Metro (Hibiya Line) to Tsukiji, 15 minutes from Shinjuku.
The market at 6am: the grilled scallop in shell (¥400-500 / £2.12-2.65), the tamagoyaki (¥300-500 / £1.59-2.65), the tuna sashimi from the specialist stalls (¥500-800 / £2.65-4.25 per slice). Go at 6am — the best stock is gone by 9am.
8am: Hamarikyu Gardens
10 minutes walk south of Tsukiji. The tidal garden with the teahouse on the central pond (the matcha and wagashi: ¥800 / £4.24). Entry: ¥300 / £1.59.
10am: Ginza
The depachika of the Mitsukoshi Ginza — the wagyu croquette from the meat counter (¥380-500 / £2.01-2.65). The Itoya stationery store (the 12-floor art supplies and stationery building — the finest stationery selection in the world) for the specific Japanese notebook that no other country produces.
1pm: Lunch — Tempura Kondo (Ginza, 9th floor Sakaguchi Building)
The tempura counter regarded by many Tokyoites as the finest in the city. The seasonal vegetable tempura (the sweet potato, the asparagus, the mushroom) cooked to the specific Kondo standard (the batter so light it is effectively the vegetable’s own skin). Reserve online at tableall.com 2-3 weeks ahead. ¥12,000-20,000 / £63.60-106 per person for the course menu.
Alternatively (no reservation): Ten-ichi Ginza (the most accessible high-quality tempura counter in Tokyo, no reservation required if arriving at 11:30am opening). ¥3,500-6,000 / £18.55-31.80 per person.
3pm: Yanaka Neighbourhood
Metro to Nippori (JR Yamanote Line, 15 minutes). The preserved pre-war neighbourhood — the Yanaka Cemetery (the cats, the last Tokugawa shogun’s grave), the Yanaka Ginza shopping street, the Nezu Shrine tunnel of torii gates (smaller and quieter than Fushimi Inari in Kyoto). The Sawanoya Ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn in Yanaka — if staying is within budget, this is the correct neighbourhood for the authentic Tokyo overnight).
7pm: Dinner — Sushi Saito or the Neighbourhood Alternative
Sushi Saito (Toranomon) is the most booked sushi restaurant in Tokyo (6-12 months ahead, introduction from a Japanese contact or hotel concierge required for international visitors). This is aspirational — include it if you have the connection.
The accessible alternative: Sushi Yoshitake (Ginza, 3 Michelin stars, slightly more bookable at 2-3 months ahead) or the neighbourhood omakase sushi counter in Yanaka or Nezu (¥8,000-15,000 / £42.40-79.50 per person, no reservation required if arriving at 6pm opening).
Day 3 — Tokyo: teamLab and Shibuya
9am: teamLab Planets (Toyosu)
The immersive digital art installation — the water garden, the floating flowers, the infinite crystal universe. Book at teamlab.art (¥3,200 / £16.96 per person). The 9am entry gives the installation at its least crowded.
Yurikamome Line from Shimbashi to Shin-Toyosu (12 minutes) or taxi from Toyosu Station.
12pm: Toyosu Market (public viewing area)
The Toyosu wholesale market replaced Tsukiji in 2018 — the tuna auction viewing area (upper-floor observation decks, the auction visible through glass at 5:30-6am if booked in advance at shijou.metro.tokyo.jp — separate visit; the 9am teamLab arrival is incompatible with the 5:30am auction). The fish market’s market-building restaurants (the sushi and ramen at the staff cafeteria level): ¥800-1,500 / £4.24-7.95.
2pm: Shibuya and Omotesando
The Shibuya Scramble Crossing at the rush hour approach (4-6pm gives the maximum pedestrian volume). The Shibuya Sky observation deck (book at shibuya-scramble-square.com/sky — ¥2,000 / £10.60, the 360-degree rooftop terrace at 230m).
Omotesando Hills (the Tadao Ando-designed commercial building) and the Omotesando boulevard for the late afternoon.
6pm: Golden Gai (Shinjuku)
The 6 lanes of miniature bars — the Albatross bar for the first drink (the 6-seat bar with the 3-story interior, the kitschy 1970s aesthetic, the English-speaking barman). The bars in Golden Gai typically charge a cover (¥500-1,000 / £2.65-5.30) and serve one or two drinks at ¥700-1,200 / £3.71-6.36 each.
Day 4 — Nikko Day Trip or Mount Fuji Area
Option A: Nikko (2 hours from Tokyo)
The Toshogu Shrine complex — the most elaborate piece of Edo-period religious architecture in Japan, the carved decorations (the sleeping cat, the three wise monkeys, the 508 carved figures on the stable) covering every surface. The mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo shogunate.
JR Nikko Line from Shinjuku to Nikko: 2 hours, ¥2,520 / £13.35 (JR Pass covered). Full-day return.
Option B: Hakone (1.5 hours from Tokyo)
The mountain resort area with the finest accessible Mount Fuji views — the Hakone Open Air Museum (the sculpture park with the Picasso pavilion, the hot spring foot bath at the museum entrance: ¥1,600 / £8.48), the ryokan stay with the onsen (the Fuji view room at Hakone Kowakien Tenyu: ¥35,000-55,000 / £185.50-291.50 per person per night including dinner and breakfast — the correct Japan splurge if budget allows).
Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto (85 minutes, ¥2,470 / £13.09, JR Pass partially covered). Hakone Free Pass covers all Hakone transport including the Romancecar.
Day 5 — Shinkansen to Kyoto
Morning: Depart Tokyo
The Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Kyoto (Hikari service — covered by JR Pass; the Nozomi is faster by 20 minutes but not JR Pass covered): 2 hours 15 minutes, approximately every 30 minutes. Reserve seats at the JR Station before boarding (seat reservation is free with the JR Pass, required on Shinkansen).
The Mount Fuji view: from the right side of the train (facing forward), between Shin-Fuji and Mishima stations — approximately 40 minutes from Tokyo. Set a reminder.
Afternoon: Kyoto Arrival and Fushimi Inari
Check in (most Kyoto hotels allow 3pm check-in; store luggage if arriving before).
The JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Inari Station (5 minutes, ¥150 / £0.80) → Fushimi Inari. The torii gates at 5pm: the light from the west, the crowds of the 10am-3pm peak gone, the gates in the golden-hour amber. 2 hours at the site is sufficient for the lower tunnels and the intermediate viewpoint.
Evening: Dinner in Pontocho
The covered laneway parallel to the Kamo River — the kaiseki-influenced dinner at one of the mid-range restaurants (Kanawa, the boat restaurant on the river, for the summer terrace experience; Ishibekoji for the closest to an authentic Kyoto kaiseki experience at accessible prices). ¥4,000-8,000 / £21.20-42.40 per person.
Hotel recommendation Kyoto:
Budget: K’s House Kyoto Hostel (private rooms from ¥5,000 / £26.50 per night, the most consistently recommended hostel in Kyoto).
Mid-range: The Royal Park Hotel The Kyoto (¥18,000-28,000 / £95.40-148.40 per night, 5 minutes walk from Nishiki Market).
Ryokan: Tawaraya Ryokan (the oldest and most celebrated ryokan in Kyoto, ¥85,000-150,000 / £450.50-795 per person per night including kaiseki dinner and breakfast — the correct once-in-a-decade Japan splurge).
Day 6 — Kyoto: Arashiyama and Nijo Castle
5:45am: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
JR Sagano Line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama (15 minutes, ¥240 / £1.27).
At 6am: the grove empty. The bamboo at dawn — the specific light quality, the stalks in the morning. Walk through the grove (10 minutes) and cross the Togetsukyo Bridge to the north bank before 8am. The Tenryu-ji garden opens at 8:30am (¥500 / £2.65) — the finest garden composition in Arashiyama, the mountains visible above the garden wall in the back-borrowed-scenery tradition of Japanese garden design.
9am: Nishiki Market
Return to central Kyoto. The market from 9-11am for the tamagoyaki from Tamagotei (the egg specialist, the rectangular grilled egg made to order), the grilled skewers from the stalls open at 9am (the tako dango — octopus ball on a stick, ¥200 / £1.06), and the Nishiki pickles from the specialist shop at the market’s western end.
11am: Nijo Castle
The Tokugawa shogunate’s Kyoto palace — the Ninomaru Palace interior (the painted screens, the “nightingale floors”). Entry: ¥1,300 / £6.89. Allow 1.5 hours.
1pm: Lunch — Ippudo or Tenkaichi (Ramen)
The Kyoto ramen variation (the lighter chicken-based shoyu broth of the Kyoto tradition versus the Tokyo style). At Tenkaichi (near Nishiki Market) or Ippudo Kyoto (the national chain at its Kyoto location). ¥1,000-1,500 / £5.30-7.95.
3pm: Philosopher’s Path and Nanzen-ji
The 2km canal path through the eastern foothills. The Nanzen-ji temple complex (the Sanmon gate, the Hojo garden — the finest dry garden in Kyoto). Sanmon entry: ¥600 / £3.18. Hojo garden entry: ¥600 / £3.18.
6pm: Gion Walking
The Hanamikoji Street at 6pm — the most reliable window for geiko and maiko sightings (the practitioners moving between appointments in the early evening). Observe from a respectful distance. No flash.
Day 7 — Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, and Kiyomizudera
8am: Ryoan-ji
The dry garden of 15 stones — at 8am opening, the garden in the morning light with perhaps 20 other visitors. Entry: ¥600 / £3.18. Allow 30 minutes for the garden; 15 for the rest of the complex.
9:30am: Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion)
The gold-leaf pavilion above the reflecting pond — at 9:30am (after Ryoan-ji), before the 10:30am tour bus peak. Entry: ¥500 / £2.65. 30 minutes sufficient.
11am: Nishiki Market (second visit) and Lunch
The market’s specific lunch items available from 11am: the tofu-based preparations (the yuba — tofu skin — from Yubatou), the Kyoto obanzai (the small traditional Kyoto dishes) from the takeaway sections.
1:30pm: Kiyomizudera
The cliff-face temple — the wooden stage extending above the hillside. Entry: ¥500 / £2.65. The Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka stone-paved approaches (the craft shops, the matcha soft-serve from the corner vendor: ¥400 / £2.12).
Evening: Kyoto departure or overnight
Option: evening Shinkansen to Osaka for the Day 8 Osaka base (20 minutes, ¥1,420 / £7.53, JR Pass covered). Or remain in Kyoto and visit Osaka as a day trip on Day 8.
Day 8 — Osaka
8am: Tsuruhashi Market
Osaka’s Korean market — the yakiniku (the Korean-Japanese grilled meat), the kimchi, and the specific Osaka-Korean food culture that developed from the Zainichi Korean community. The market at 8am: the wholesale operation in full pace.
10am: Dotonbori Canal
The Osaka food and entertainment district — the takoyaki at Takoyaki Juhachiban (the Dotonbori branch, 6 pieces for ¥700 / £3.71), the kushikatsu at Daruma (the original location, the double-dipping rule — you dip once into the communal sauce; dipping twice is forbidden — enforced by sign and by the staff).
1pm: Lunch — Kani Doraku or Harukoma Sushi
Kani Doraku: the crab restaurant with the giant mechanical crab above the entrance — the most theatrically Osaka restaurant in Dotonbori, the crab dishes from the set menu (¥3,500-8,000 / £18.55-42.40).
Harukoma Sushi (Kuromon Market, next to the stall): the counter sushi at the market fish stall, the fish purchased from the market and served as sushi immediately. ¥2,500-5,000 / £13.25-26.50 for a satisfying lunch.
3pm: Kuromon Ichiba Market
The Osaka kitchen’s wholesale market — the sea urchin on ice (the Hokkaido uni, the best in Japan, visible and purchasable from the stall), the wagyu skewers from the beef vendor (grilled in front of you, ¥600-1,200 / £3.18-6.36), and the prepared foods for the walk.
5pm: Osaka Castle
The reconstructed castle — the exterior and the surrounding park. The 8th-floor observation deck gives the Osaka panorama. Entry: ¥600 / £3.18.
Evening: Namba and the Osaka Night
The izakaya (the Japanese pub-restaurant) culture at full expression in the Namba area — the Kushikatsu Daruma (the standing bar version, the specific skewered and breaded then deep-fried items — the quail egg, the asparagus, the lotus root, the mochi — at ¥100-200 / £0.53-1.06 each), the standing sushi bars, and the street food circuit.
Day 9 — Hiroshima and Miyajima
Morning: Shinkansen to Hiroshima
From Osaka/Shin-Osaka Station to Hiroshima: 1 hour 25 minutes (Hikari, JR Pass covered). Depart 8am, arrive 9:30am.
9:30am: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The most important museum in Japan and one of the most important in the world — the exhibition covering the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945 (the bomb detonated at 8:15am, 600m above the city), the human consequences documented in the objects left behind, the testimonies of the hibakusha (the bomb survivors).
Allow 2 hours minimum. The children’s section (the sadako origami cranes, the story of Sadako Sasaki who died of radiation-induced leukemia in 1955 aged 12 and whose story generated the thousand-crane tradition) requires the same attending that the Kigali children’s memorial does — fully, without rushing.
Entry: ¥200 / £1.06. Book online at hpmmuseum.jp.
12pm: Okonomiyaki at Okonomi-mura
The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is different from the Osaka version — the layers are assembled separately (the noodles, then the cabbage, then the pork, then the egg) rather than mixed together. The Okonomi-mura building (5-13 Shintenchō, Naka-ku) has three floors of okonomiyaki restaurants, each counter serving the Hiroshima style. ¥800-1,300 / £4.24-6.89.
2pm: Miyajima Island
Ferry from Hiroshima Ujina Port (15 minutes, ¥200 / £1.06 — JR Pass covered on the JR Ferry). The floating torii gate (the Itsukushima Shrine torii, visible from the ferry approaching the island — the orange torii standing in the sea at high tide, the gate accessible on foot at low tide), and the Itsukushima Shrine (the shrine built over the water, the tide visible through the shrine floor boards). Entry: ¥300 / £1.59.
The Momijidani Park: the maple forest behind the shrine, the hiking trail to the Daisho-in Temple (the temple with the 500 stone guardian statues lining the approach, the specific atmospheric quality of the stone figures in the forest).
5pm: Return to Hiroshima or Osaka
For the 10-night itinerary ending in Tokyo: return Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Osaka (1 hour 25 minutes) then on to Tokyo (2 hours 35 minutes) for the final night.
Day 10 — Return to Tokyo and Departure
Morning: Shinkansen from Osaka/Kyoto to Tokyo
Depart 8am. The Mount Fuji view: right side, facing forward, between Shin-Fuji and Mishima (40 minutes from Tokyo). Arrive Tokyo Station 10:15am.
The last afternoon in Tokyo:
Depending on departure time:
3+ hours: Senso-ji temple in Asakusa (10 minutes by metro from Tokyo Station). The Nakamise-dori approach (the traditional shopping street leading to the temple), the temple at 11am (manageable), and the Nakamise food (the ningyo-yaki — the fish-shaped cakes, 3 for ¥600 / £3.18).
Under 3 hours: The Tokyo Station immediate area — the Tokyo Station Hotel (the red-brick 1914 building, the domed ceilings of the rotunda visible from the street) and the KITTE building (the former Tokyo Central Post Office converted to a shopping mall, the rooftop terrace above the tracks gives the Shinkansen in motion visible from directly above).
Departure:
Narita Express (N’EX) from Tokyo Station: 85 minutes to Narita Airport (JR Pass covered). Depart 2-3 hours before the flight.
The Budget Summary
| Category | Budget Version | Mid-Range Version |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights (UK-Tokyo) | £500-650 | £650-800 |
| JR Pass (14-day) | £345 | £345 |
| 10 nights accommodation | £630-900 | £1,200-2,000 |
| Food (10 days, mix street/restaurant) | £280-420 | £500-800 |
| Site entries | £65-90 | £80-110 |
| Local transport (metro, buses) | £80-110 | £80-110 |
| Total | £1,900-2,515 | £2,855-4,165 |
The Non-Negotiable Instructions
- Activate the JR Pass at the airport — not at the hotel, not the next morning. The JR East Travel Service Centre is in the arrivals hall at both Narita and Haneda.
- Reserve Shinkansen seats — the JR Pass covers the Shinkansen but does not automatically reserve a seat. Reserve at any JR station ticket window (free with the Pass). On busy routes (Tokyo-Kyoto on Friday afternoon), unreserved carriages are standing room only.
- Cash — Japan is largely cash. The 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart convenience stores operate international ATMs (the “International ATM” logo visible on the machine). Maximum ¥50,000 per transaction. Carry ¥20,000-30,000 (£106-159) at all times.
- The queue — queue for everything in Japan. The queue is always orderly, always respected, and always worth joining. The queue at the finest ramen counter moves at one bowl per 8 minutes.
- Shoes — temple interiors, ryokan rooms, and some traditional restaurants require shoes to be removed. Wear shoes you can remove without untying laces. Sandals or slip-ons are the correct Japan footwear.
What to Download Before You Leave
- Google Maps with Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka offline maps downloaded
- Hyperdia or Google Maps for train journeys — the train journey planner
- Google Translate with Japanese downloaded for offline camera translation (aim at a menu; the app translates in real time)
- tableall.com account for restaurant reservations
- Japan Official Travel App (for NHK emergency alerts and the official tourism platform)
