Japan travel guide: when to go, where to go and how to plan it together

November 8, 2026 · 8 min read

Japan is the rare country that is easy to travel and still surprises you every day. The trains leave on the minute, the streets are spotless and safe late at night, and a convenience store at 2 am will sell you a good dinner. Then you turn off a main road in Kyoto and the city is wooden houses, a shrine gate and nobody else around.

Most first trips are Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and that route is popular for good reason. This guide covers when to go, where to go beyond the obvious, a route for twelve days, and what changes when you're planning it with friends.

Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese yen (¥)
Languages: Japanese
Plugs: Type A and B, 100 V
Driving: On the left
Time zone: UTC+9, no daylight saving
Best time to go: March to May and October to November
Daily budget: About US$130–250 a person a day, mid-range, 2026

When to go

Spring (March to May) is the season most people picture. Cherry blossom moves north from the end of March in the south to early May in Hokkaido, and for a week or two in each city the parks are full and hotels cost the most. Book early if your dates fall in blossom season, and expect crowds at the famous spots.

Golden Week, a run of public holidays from late April into early May, is the busiest week of the year for travel inside Japan. Trains and hotels fill and prices rise; plan around it if you can.

Summer (June to August) starts with the rainy season, roughly June to mid-July on Honshu, then turns hot and humid. It is the season for festivals, fireworks and climbing Mount Fuji, which is only open in summer. Hokkaido is much cooler. Late summer into early autumn is typhoon season, which can delay flights and ferries for a day or two.

Autumn (October and November) is the other great season: dry, mild and clear, with the leaves turning red in Kyoto and the mountains. It's busy in Kyoto in November, but less frantic than spring.

Winter (December to February) is cold and bright in Tokyo and Kyoto, with fewer visitors outside the New Year holidays, when many businesses close for a few days. It's the season for skiing in Hokkaido and the Japanese Alps, and for hot springs in the snow.

Where to go

Tokyo

The biggest city in the world is really dozens of neighbourhoods, each with its own feel: Shinjuku's lights and tiny bars, the old streets and temples of Asakusa, the shopping of Shibuya and Harajuku, quiet residential lanes in Yanaka. Give it three or four days, and base yourself near a station on the Yamanote line. For a day-by-day plan, see the 4-day Tokyo itinerary.

Kyoto

The old capital has around 1,600 temples, the geisha district of Gion, the torii gates of Fushimi Inari and the bamboo of Arashiyama. Start early: the famous places are calm at 7 am and packed by 10. Three days lets you see the big sights and still wander. For a day-by-day plan, see the 3-day Kyoto itinerary.

Osaka

Kyoto's louder neighbour is Japan's food city: street food in Dotonbori, okonomiyaki and takoyaki, and a nightlife that's more relaxed than Tokyo's. It's 15 minutes from Kyoto by shinkansen, so it works as a base or a day trip.

Nara

An easy half day from Kyoto or Osaka, with the giant Buddha of Todai-ji and the deer that wander the park and bow for crackers.

Hiroshima and Miyajima

The Peace Memorial Park and museum are a moving, necessary visit. A short train and ferry ride away, Miyajima's floating torii gate and forested hills make a calm counterweight. Stay a night on the island if you can, after the day visitors leave.

Hakone or the Fuji Five Lakes

Hot springs, lake views and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji. Both are easy from Tokyo; stay a night in a ryokan, a traditional inn with tatami rooms, an onsen and a long dinner.

Kanazawa

On the Sea of Japan coast, with one of the country's finest gardens, a preserved samurai district and very good seafood. It's on the shinkansen line from Tokyo and quieter than Kyoto.

Hokkaido

The northern island is mountains, national parks and the city of Sapporo: deep snow in winter, wildflowers and cool weather in summer. It's a flight away, so it suits a second trip or a longer one.

A 12-day itinerary

Days 1–4: Tokyo. Arrive, get a transit card on your phone or at the airport, and take it slowly on the first day. Spread the neighbourhoods over three days and keep an evening free.

Day 5: Hakone. Two hours from Tokyo by train. Ride the loop of mountain train, cable car and lake boat, then a night in a ryokan.

Days 6–9: Kyoto. The shinkansen from Odawara takes about two hours. Spend three days in the city, and one on a half day in Nara plus an evening in Osaka.

Day 10: Hiroshima and Miyajima. About 1 hour 40 minutes from Kyoto by shinkansen. See the Peace Memorial Park, then take the ferry to Miyajima and stay the night.

Days 11–12: Osaka. Back east for food and a last night out, then fly home from Kansai Airport, which saves the trip back to Tokyo.

Next door, South Korea and Taiwan pair well with Japan. With more time, add Kanazawa between Tokyo and Kyoto, or a few days in the Japanese Alps around Takayama.

Getting around

Japan's trains are the best way to travel almost everywhere. The shinkansen (bullet train) links the main cities, and local and private lines reach everything else. Reserved seats are worth booking in busy seasons; unreserved cars are fine most of the time.

A rail pass for foreign visitors covers most shinkansen and JR lines. Whether it saves money depends on your route, so price the journeys you'll actually take as single tickets and compare before you buy.

In cities, a rechargeable IC card (Suica, PASMO or ICOCA, on your phone or as a card) works on trains, subways, buses and in convenience stores. Taxis are clean and safe but expensive; they're good for four people sharing at the end of a long day.

Luggage forwarding (takkyubin) sends a suitcase from one hotel to the next, usually arriving the next day. It makes the shinkansen much easier, and with a group it's worth doing for everyone.

Driving is only worth it in the countryside, Hokkaido or the Alps, and you'll need an International Driving Permit issued under the right convention for your country.

Money and costs

Japan takes cards in most hotels, shops and city restaurants, but cash is still needed in small restaurants, temples, markets and the countryside. Convenience-store ATMs accept foreign cards.

Tipping isn't done, and can cause confusion. Service is included.

Food can be very cheap or very expensive: a good bowl of ramen, a convenience-store meal or a set lunch costs little; a kaiseki dinner or a sushi counter can cost a lot. Hotels, especially in blossom season, are the biggest cost.

Rough daily costs a person, in 2026:

Budget: about US$70–110, with hostels or capsule hotels, simple food and local trains.
Mid-range: about US$130–250, with business hotels, a mix of meals and some shinkansen.
Comfortable: US$300 and up, with good hotels, a ryokan night and sit-down dinners.

Planning Japan as a group

Japan rewards a bit of planning, and a group needs a bit more.

Rooms. Hotel rooms in Japanese cities are small, and many are for two at most. For three or more, look at apartments, ryokan rooms (many sleep four to six on futons), or two rooms side by side.

Restaurants. Many of the best places are tiny, with eight or ten seats at a counter. A group of six may wait a long time or need to split up. Book the meals that matter, and for a big group, pick places with tables.

Cash and splitting. Because some places only take cash, one person often pays and the others owe them. Log it when it happens, in yen, so nobody has to remember at the end of the trip, and settle up once when you're home.

The plan. The best days in Japan start early, before the famous places fill up. A shared plan for each day, with the train times, means the whole group knows when to be at the station.

Before you go

Entry rules: check the official government site of Japan and your own government's travel advice before you book, as requirements depend on your passport.
Travel insurance that covers medical costs, as treatment can be expensive for visitors.
Connectivity: an eSIM or a pocket wifi device, which a group can share. Wifi is common in hotels.
A plug adapter for Type A, and check your devices handle 100 V; most phone and laptop chargers do.
Health: no special vaccines are usually needed; ask a travel clinic. Some common medicines are restricted in Japan, so check before you pack any.
Customs: take your shoes off where you see a step up or slippers at the door, don't eat while walking in busy streets, and keep your voice down on trains.

What to pack

Pack light: you'll carry your bag up and down station stairs, and hotel rooms have little space. Bring comfortable shoes that slip off easily, since you'll take them off at temples, ryokan and some restaurants, and socks without holes for the same reason.

For spring and autumn, layers and a light jacket; for summer, breathable clothes, a small towel and sunscreen; for winter, a warm coat and thermal layers. A small bag for rubbish helps, as public bins are rare. A coin purse is useful for all the small change.