Japan travel guide: a first trip beyond Tokyo and Kyoto (2026).

Japan is the most organised country you will ever travel in. Trains arrive to the second. Convenience-store food is genuinely good. You can drink the tap water anywhere. This Japan travel guide assumes that you want more from a first trip than the Tokyo–Kyoto axis — Japan rewards going one step off it.

It is more expensive than Southeast Asia but less than many people fear. Budget $90–150/day mid-range, $200+ for comfortable trips with mid-range ryokans.

Tokyo. 3–4 nights. Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, the Tsukiji outer market, Yanaka old town. Use it as your arrival point.

Hakone. 1–2 nights in a hot-spring ryokan, with views of Mount Fuji on clear days. The cheapest way to experience Japanese inns.

Kyoto. 3 nights. Stay near Gion or the Philosopher’s Path; bike the temples; eat in Pontocho alley.

Kanazawa. 1–2 nights. A small Edo-era castle town with one of Japan’s three great gardens (Kenrokuen) and a strong craft scene.

Kiso Valley (Magome–Tsumago walk). A 1-night detour from Nagoya or Kanazawa. Walk an 8 km section of an old Edo-period highway between two preserved post towns.

Osaka. 1 night, mostly for the food (takoyaki, kushikatsu, okonomiyaki) and the contrast with Kyoto.

Beyond a first trip. Naoshima art island, the Japanese Alps, Tohoku in autumn, Yakushima, Okinawa — all great, but save for trip two or three.

March–April for cherry blossom (sakura); peak prices and crowds, but worth it once. October–November for autumn colours, more reliable weather than spring, and slightly cheaper.

June is the rainy season — avoid unless prices matter most. July–August is hot and humid in the cities. December–February is cold but clear in central Japan, with great food and onsen weather.

• Backpacker: $70–95/day (capsule hotel or hostel, conbini meals, JR Pass)
• Mid-range: $130–200/day (3-star hotel, mix of sushi-go-rounds and izakayas, JR Pass)
• Comfort: $300–450/day (mid-range ryokan with meals, taxi between stations, kaiseki dinners)

Convenience store food is excellent and cheap — a 7-Eleven onigiri lunch is around ¥600–900 ($4–6).

The JR Pass is no longer the obvious deal it used to be — the 2023 price hike made it worth it only for high-mileage trips. As a rule, if your route is Tokyo → Kyoto → Hiroshima → Tokyo (or further), the 7-day pass pays off. For a slower Tokyo–Hakone–Kyoto–Osaka route, point-to-point shinkansen tickets are usually cheaper.

Buy your IC card (Suica or Pasmo) on arrival — works on trains, subways, vending machines and convenience stores nationwide. Use a Welcome Suica if you can’t get a regular one due to chip shortages.

Days 1–4 — Tokyo. Shibuya, Asakusa, Yanaka, day trip to Kamakura.

Day 5 — Hakone. Train + Hakone Free Pass, ryokan with onsen.

Day 6 — Train to Kanazawa via Tokyo. Kenrokuen garden, samurai district.

Day 7 — Kiso Valley. Walk Magome to Tsumago.

Days 8–10 — Kyoto. Fushimi Inari at sunrise, Arashiyama bamboo, Philosopher’s Path, Pontocho dinner.

Day 11 — Osaka day trip + back to Kyoto.

Day 12 — Train to Osaka KIX or back to Tokyo HND, fly home.

• Visa: most Western passports get 90 days visa-free
• Cash is still needed for small temples, ryokans and rural restaurants
• Tipping is not done — and can confuse staff
• Carry a small bag for trash — public bins are rare
• Stand on the correct side of escalators (left in Tokyo, right in Osaka)
• Pre-book popular restaurants and famous ryokans 1–3 months ahead