The red Chureito Pagoda framed by pine branches, with snow-capped Mount Fuji rising above the town

8 Days

Japan Golden Route

Tokyo • Mount Fuji • Kyoto • Nara • Osaka • bullet train journey.

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The holiday

What to expect

The classic first trip to Japan, from Tokyo to Osaka. See Senso-ji temple and the Shibuya Crossing, look across Lake Kawaguchiko to Mount Fuji, ride the Shinkansen to Kyoto for its shrines, gardens and bamboo grove, meet the deer of Nara, and finish among the neon and street food of Osaka.

Japan is safe, punctual and easy to enjoy at any age. It is at its most beautiful in the cherry blossom season of late March and early April and in the autumn colours of November, and we can add Hiroshima, Hakone or a day at Universal Studios Japan. Vegetarians need a little planning, as many Japanese dishes use fish stock, so we point you to Indian restaurants in each city and to shojin ryori, the Buddhist temple cuisine of Kyoto. We can also send large suitcases ahead by courier so the train journey stays easy.

Japan

Itinerary

Day by day

A suggested plan. Days can be added, dropped or swapped around your dates and interests.

Day
1
Arrive in Tokyo
Land at Narita or Haneda and transfer to your hotel. In the evening, see the lights and side streets of Shinjuku.
Day
2
Tokyo city tour
Visit Senso-ji temple and the Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa, then the forested Meiji Jingu shrine. Cross the Shibuya Crossing and end the day with the view from Tokyo Skytree.
Day
3
Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko
Drive about two hours to the Fuji Five Lakes. See the mountain from the Chureito Pagoda and across Lake Kawaguchiko, and visit the spring-fed ponds of Oshino Hakkai; Fuji is clearest on cool, dry mornings.
Day
4
Shinkansen to Kyoto, Fushimi Inari
Take the bullet train to Kyoto, about two and a quarter hours. In the afternoon, walk through the tunnels of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha, and spend the evening in the old lanes of Gion.
Day
5
Kyoto temples and Arashiyama
Start early at the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove before the crowds arrive, then see the Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji. End the day at Kiyomizu-dera and its wooden terrace above the city.
Day
6
Nara, then on to Osaka
Travel to Nara, under an hour by train, to see the giant bronze Buddha at Todai-ji and the free-roaming deer of Nara Park. Continue to Osaka for an evening among the food stalls and neon signs of Dotonbori.
Day
7
Osaka Castle and a free afternoon
Visit Osaka Castle and its grounds in the morning. Spend the afternoon shopping in Shinsaibashi, or at Universal Studios Japan if you would like a full day there.
Day
8
Depart from Osaka
Transfer to Kansai International Airport, about an hour from the city, for your flight home.