Planning your Japan itinerary can feel overwhelming because there are so many different ways to plan your trip.
This Japan itinerary focuses on three cities that work especially well for a first trip: Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. It follows the same route I took during my trip, starting in Osaka and finishing in Tokyo.
I also visited Nara from Osaka and Hakone from Tokyo, so I have included both as optional day trips.
You can follow the complete route or skip one of them if you would rather have more time in Osaka or Tokyo.
This Japan travel itinerary for 10 days gives you enough time to experience very different sides of Japan without changing hotels every night.
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10-Day Japan Itinerary at a Glance
| Day | Where You’ll Stay | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Osaka | Arrive in Osaka and explore nearby |
| Day 2 | Osaka | Explore Osaka |
| Day 3 | Osaka | Nara day trip or another day in Osaka |
| Day 4 | Kyoto | Travel from Osaka to Kyoto and start exploring |
| Day 5 | Kyoto | Explore Kyoto |
| Day 6 | Kyoto | Explore Kyoto |
| Day 7 | Tokyo | Take the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo |
| Day 8 | Tokyo | Explore Tokyo |
| Day 9 | Tokyo | Hakone day trip or another day in Tokyo |
| Day 10 | Tokyo | Final day in Tokyo |
Why I Recommend Osaka → Kyoto → Tokyo
You will find plenty of Japan itineraries that start in Tokyo, but you do not have to follow that order.
I started my own trip in Osaka, continued to Kyoto and finished in Tokyo, and the route worked really well.
Osaka and Kyoto are close enough that getting between them is easy, while the Shinkansen makes the longer journey from Kyoto to Tokyo straightforward.
Starting in Osaka also works particularly well if you fly into Kansai International Airport. I have a separate guide covering 3 easy ways to get from KIX to Osaka, including the option I used during my trip.
You could also take a day trip to Kyoto from Osaka, but I would not do that with this itinerary.
Kyoto deserves more than a few hours, so we will move there and stay for three nights instead.
Before You Start Planning
This article is mainly about where to go each day, so I am not going to repeat all the practical Japan travel advice here.
If this is your first visit, read my 30 Tips for Visiting Japan alongside this Japan itinerary.
It covers the things I learned before and during my trip, including IC cards, Shinkansen reservations, eSIMs, restaurant reservations, luggage forwarding, money, tax-free shopping and Japanese etiquette.
You can also use my 30 Simple Japanese Phrases for Travelers before your trip. You do not need to speak Japanese to follow this route, but knowing a few basic phrases definitely helps.
Day 1: Arrive in Osaka and Take It Easy
Your first day in Japan should be flexible, especially if you are arriving after a long international flight.
After landing at Kansai International Airport, head to your hotel, check in and give yourself some time to settle in.
There are several ways to get from KIX to central Osaka, including trains and airport buses. You can compare them in my KIX to Osaka: 3 Easy Travel Options guide.
I used the Limousine Bus because we were traveling with three large checked bags, and the idea of navigating train stations with all that luggage after a long flight did not sound fun.
For your first evening, I would keep things simple. Explore the area around your hotel, grab dinner and get some rest. You have plenty of time for Osaka tomorrow.
If you still have some energy, Dotonbori is a fun introduction to the city at night. The restaurants and crowds immediately make you feel like you have arrived in Osaka.
Day 2: Explore the Best of Osaka
You could start around Osaka Castle, then make your way toward some of the city’s busier neighborhoods later in the day.
Depending on your interests, you can add places like Shinsekai, Kuromon Market, or the observation deck at Umeda Sky Building.
Save Dotonbori and the surrounding Namba area for the evening if you did not visit on your first night.
This is also a good time to try some of Osaka’s best-known foods, including takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
I would not try to squeeze every Osaka attraction into one day. Pick the places that interest you most and leave yourself time to actually walk around the neighborhoods.
For more ideas, check my Things to Do in Osaka: 15 Amazing Experiences You Can’t Miss.
If you plan to visit several paid attractions, my Osaka Amazing Pass guide can also help you decide if the pass will save you money.
Want to Visit Universal Studios Japan?
If Universal Studios Japan is one of the main reasons you are visiting Osaka, you can use Day 2 for the park instead.
It will take most of your day, so I would not try to combine it with a long list of Osaka attractions.
My Universal Studios Japan: The Only Guide You Need covers the park in much more detail, so I would use that to plan your day rather than repeating everything here.
Day 3: Take a Day Trip to Nara
For Day 3, you have a choice. Spend another full day exploring Osaka or take a day trip to Nara.
Nara is best known for the deer that roam around Nara Park, but do not make the mistake of going only for the deer. You can also visit temples and shrines and spend some time walking around the park itself.
You do not need to make this an exhausting day trip either. Head out in the morning, spend several hours exploring Nara and return to Osaka later in the day.
If three days in Osaka already feels too short for you, skip Nara.
This Japan itinerary is meant to be flexible, and you will not ruin your trip by choosing more time in Osaka over another destination.
Day 4: Travel From Osaka to Kyoto
Today you are changing cities, but Osaka and Kyoto are close enough that you do not need to lose an entire day to transportation.
This is also why I prefer staying in Kyoto instead of making a day trip to Kyoto from Osaka.
You could easily visit Kyoto that way, but staying for several nights gives you much more time to explore without constantly watching the clock for your return train.
When I traveled between Osaka and Kyoto, the journey was straightforward. I have a separate Osaka to Kyoto by Train guide where I explain my experience and the options for making the trip.
We also made traveling through Kyoto much easier by sending our three large checked bags directly from our Osaka hotel to Tokyo.
We packed what we needed for Kyoto into our carry-ons and traveled without the big suitcases.
If you are following the same Osaka → Kyoto → Tokyo route with a lot of luggage, this is something I would seriously consider.
Once you arrive in Kyoto, check into your hotel and start exploring rather than trying to cover half the city on your first afternoon.
We stayed at Nohga Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto, and I have a full review if you are considering staying there.
You can also check my Where to Stay in Kyoto guide for other areas and hotel options.
For the rest of Day 4, I would focus on the area around your hotel or choose one nearby neighborhood.
Save the bigger sightseeing days for tomorrow!
Day 5: Explore Kyoto’s Temples and Historic Streets
Day 5 is your first full day in Kyoto.
This is a good day for some of the places that probably made you want to visit Kyoto in the first place: temples, shrines and traditional streets.
Start early if you are visiting one of the city’s most popular sights. Kyoto can get busy, and some places feel completely different before the larger crowds arrive.
Rather than jumping back and forth across the city, group attractions that are reasonably close together. You will spend less time on buses and trains and more time actually exploring.
And remember the rule from my Japan travel tips: you do not need to collect temples like stamps. There are just way too many.
Choose the ones you genuinely want to see.
My Things to Do in Kyoto Japan: The Ultimate 3–5 Day Travel Guide has many more options, so you can use it to build this day around your interests instead of following an overloaded checklist.
Day 6: Another Full Day in Kyoto
Give Kyoto another full day.
You can use Day 6 for the part of the city you did not explore yesterday, revisit somewhere you loved, or take things at a slower pace.
This is one reason I prefer giving Kyoto three nights in this Japan itinerary.
A quick visit from Osaka technically works, but Kyoto becomes much more enjoyable when every temple visit is not followed by a race to the next one.
It also gives you some flexibility. Bad weather, tired feet or a restaurant reservation will not throw off your entire Japan tour itinerary.
Keep the evening relatively relaxed because tomorrow you will be taking the Shinkansen to Tokyo.
Day 7: Take the Shinkansen From Kyoto to Tokyo
Day 7 is your biggest travel day, but taking the Shinkansen makes the journey from Kyoto to Tokyo relatively easy.
I recommend booking your seats in advance once you know your travel date and preferred time.
We did this even though we were not traveling during one of Japan’s busiest holiday periods, and there were already very few seats available for the time we wanted.
If you followed my luggage forwarding tip and sent your larger bags ahead, this journey will also be much easier with just a carry-on.
Once you arrive in Tokyo, check into your hotel and use the rest of the day to explore nearby.
Tokyo is enormous, so I would not plan an ambitious cross-city itinerary immediately after arriving.
I stayed at Hotel Mystays Premier Akasaka, which worked well as a base for getting around Tokyo.
You can read my Where to Stay in Tokyo guide if you want to compare Akasaka with areas like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa and Ginza.
Day 8: Explore Tokyo
Now you have a full day for Tokyo.
Instead of trying to cover the entire city, choose a few areas that work well together. Tokyo distances can be deceiving, and crossing the city several times in one day wastes time.
You could focus on western Tokyo and combine places like Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku, or spend the day exploring a completely different part of the city.
This is where my Tokyo Itinerary: How to Spend 3–5 Days in Tokyo becomes useful.
It has a much more detailed breakdown, so you can choose the neighborhoods and attractions that interest you instead of trying to squeeze them all into this Japan itinerary.
If photography is important to you, you can also use my Best Photo Spots in Tokyo guide while planning your day.
What About Tokyo DisneySea and TeamLab Borderless?
Both can fit into a 10-day trip, but I would not automatically add them to everyone’s itinerary.
Tokyo DisneySea can easily take an entire day. If visiting the park is a priority, replace one of your Tokyo sightseeing days with it. My Tokyo DisneySea guide covers tickets, transportation and planning in much more detail.
TeamLab Borderless is easier to work around other plans. I visited it during my trip, and you can read my TeamLab Borderless review before deciding if you want to include it.
Day 9: Take a Hakone Day Trip
If you want a break from Tokyo, use Day 9 for a Hakone one day trip.
I visited Hakone as a day trip from Tokyo, and it was one of the most different days of my trip.
Instead of skyscrapers and busy stations, you get mountains, Lake Ashi and volcanic scenery around Owakudani.
During my visit, I took the pirate ship across Lake Ashi, rode the cable car and visited Owakudani, where I tried the famous black eggs.
Hakone also gives you a chance to see Mount Fuji when the weather cooperates, although visibility is never guaranteed. I would not plan the entire day around getting the perfect Fuji view.
You can find more details about Hakone and other options in my Day Tours from Tokyo guide.
If Hakone does not interest you, stay in Tokyo. Ten days is not a lot of time, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with using Day 9 for another part of the city.
Day 10: Enjoy Your Final Day in Tokyo
Your last day depends heavily on what time you are leaving Japan.
If you have an evening flight, use the morning and early afternoon for anything you missed.
This could be shopping, another neighborhood, a temple or shrine, or simply returning somewhere you particularly enjoyed.
I would keep this day flexible rather than saving a major attraction that requires a reservation.
You do not want a delayed train or an attraction running longer than expected to turn your final day into a race to the airport.
If your flight leaves early, treat Day 9 as your final full sightseeing day instead.
How to Customize This 10-Day Japan Itinerary
You do not have to follow every day exactly as written.
Think of this as a Japan trip planner you can adjust around what actually interests you.
The important part is keeping the route simple:
Osaka → Kyoto → Tokyo
You are moving in one direction instead of constantly changing cities, and Nara and Hakone work as optional day trips without requiring another hotel.
For a first trip, I would rather have ten enjoyable days across these three cities than turn a Japan travel itinerary for 10 days into a checklist of every destination you have ever seen on Instagram.
How Many Days Do You Need for This Japan Itinerary?
Ten days gives you enough time to experience Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo without changing hotels every day.
That said, it is still a fairly active trip. You will be sightseeing most days, and adding both Nara and Hakone means giving up a full day in Osaka and Tokyo.
If you have 12 to 14 days, even better. I would not necessarily add several new cities. Instead, give Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo more time or spend a night somewhere like Hakone rather than visiting as a day trip.
If you only have 10 days, resist the temptation to keep adding destinations. On paper, you can fit just about anything into an itinerary. Actually traveling that route is another story.
Getting Around During This Japan Itinerary
You will use a mix of local trains, subways and longer-distance trains throughout this route.
For everyday transportation in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, an IC card makes things much easier.
You can tap in and out instead of buying an individual ticket every time you use local transportation.
The trip from Osaka to Kyoto is short and straightforward, while Kyoto to Tokyo is the longest journey in this itinerary and is where you will use the Shinkansen.
I booked our Kyoto to Tokyo Shinkansen seats in advance. We were not traveling during peak season, but there were already very few seats left for the time we wanted, so I would book ahead once your dates are fixed.
If you are traveling with large suitcases, consider luggage forwarding too.
We started our trip with three checked bags, but instead of taking all of them through Kyoto, our hotel in Osaka sent them directly to our hotel in Tokyo.
We packed what we needed for Kyoto into our carry-ons, and it made those few days much easier.
For more transportation details, read my Osaka to Kyoto by Train guide and KIX to Osaka: 3 Easy Travel Options.
I also explain IC cards, Shinkansen reservations, luggage forwarding and other transportation basics in my 30 Tips for Visiting Japan.
Where to Stay in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo
Location matters more than I initially realized when planning Japan.
You will already be walking a lot, so staying close to useful transportation can save you a surprising amount of time.
Where to Stay in Osaka
For a first visit, I would look for somewhere with easy train or subway access and good connections to the places you actually plan to visit.
Namba is convenient if you want restaurants, shopping and nightlife nearby, while Umeda can be useful for transportation and exploring other parts of the Kansai region.
You can compare neighborhoods and hotel options in my Where to Stay in Osaka guide.
Where to Stay in Kyoto
In Kyoto, think about the attractions you want to visit and how easily you can reach them from your hotel.
We stayed at Nohga Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto, and I have a separate review covering our experience there.
You can also read my Where to Stay in Kyoto guide for more neighborhoods and hotel recommendations.
Where to Stay in Tokyo
Choosing where to stay in Tokyo can feel more complicated simply because the city is so large.
I stayed at Hotel Mystays Premier Akasaka. Akasaka was relatively quiet while still giving us good transportation connections for exploring the city.
Your ideal neighborhood may be completely different. Shinjuku and Shibuya put you closer to nightlife and shopping, while areas such as Asakusa have a different atmosphere.
My Where to Stay in Tokyo guide compares eight areas and includes hotel options for different budgets. I also have a separate guide to boutique hotels in Shinjuku if that is where you want to stay.
How Much Should You Budget for 10 Days in Japan?
There is no single budget that works for everyone.
Japan can be surprisingly manageable if you stay in simple hotels and eat casually, but the total can climb quickly once you add nicer hotels, Shinkansen tickets, attractions and shopping.
Your main expenses will be accommodation, transportation, food and activities.
For food, you can mix inexpensive meals from ramen shops, casual restaurants and konbini with a few more expensive experiences.
We definitely used convenience stores on days when we were exhausted and just wanted to get back to the hotel.
Transportation is another expense worth calculating before your trip.
Local train rides may not seem expensive individually, but they add up, and the Shinkansen between Kyoto and Tokyo will be one of the larger transportation costs on this route.
Nara can be a relatively simple addition from Osaka, while a Hakone one day trip can cost more depending on how you get there and what transportation and activities you use once you arrive.
Attractions also vary considerably. Temples and shrines can be inexpensive or free, while theme parks, observation decks, museums and organized tours can take a much larger bite out of your budget.
And then there is shopping.
I would keep that completely separate from your daily travel budget. Japan has a dangerous talent for turning things you never knew existed into things you suddenly need.
What Should You Book Before Going to Japan?
You do not need to reserve every part of this Japan itinerary, but I would book the things that could cause problems if you leave them until the last minute.
Start with your hotels. Once your Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo dates are fixed, booking accommodation also gives the rest of your itinerary some structure.
I would also reserve your Kyoto to Tokyo Shinkansen seats once you know when you want to travel, especially if you are visiting during a busy period.
Popular attractions are another priority. If you plan to visit Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo DisneySea, TeamLab Borderless or another attraction with timed or limited admission, check when tickets become available instead of waiting until you arrive.
The two sites I used most for booking attractions and experiences were Klook and GetYourGuide. I found them useful for comparing tours, tickets and experiences before my trip.
I also bought my Japan eSIM through Klook, and it worked like a charm during the trip. Having mobile data from the beginning made navigating trains and finding places much easier.
If you are still preparing what to pack, you can also check my Amazon Storefront, where I have all the travel essentials you will ever need.
Keep Planning Your Japan Trip
This Japan itinerary is only the starting point. Visit my Japan travel guides for more itineraries, hotel recommendations, transportation tips, day trips and things to do in Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and beyond.
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