Every guide about Ready-made itineraries for a trip to Japan, in one place.
Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto in a week, with realistic travel times, why adding a fourth city breaks it, and whether the rail pass pays for itself on a trip this short.
Fourteen days is the most common Japan trip length for long-haul visitors. Here is a route that adds Hiroshima, Miyajima and the mountains without turning the fortnight into a station crawl.
Seven destinations within a train ride: Hakone and its onsen, Kamakura and the great Buddha, the shrines at Nikko, the Fuji lakes, Yokohama, Kawagoe and Enoshima. Times and which suit a half day.
A five-day Okinawa itinerary covering Naha, Churaumi and the north, a Kerama islands boat trip, wartime history in the south, and island hopping over the causeways.
A five-day Hokkaido itinerary covering Sapporo, canal-side Otaru, an onsen town, and a flexible outdoor day that swaps between summer flower fields and winter powder skiing.
A slow five-day escape west of Tokyo built around hot springs and mountain views: a full Hakone loop, an art and rest day, and two days circling the Fuji Five Lakes.
A five-day Kansai itinerary built entirely around food: Osaka street food and markets, Kyoto kaiseki and tofu, Kobe beef and sake, and a matcha day in Uji.
The classic first Japan trip compressed into five days: two days in Tokyo, a Mount Fuji stop at Kawaguchiko or Hakone, then Kyoto and a Nara add-on, moving by shinkansen.
A five-day route through western Japan: Hiroshima and the Peace Park, the floating gate at Miyajima, the art islands of the Seto Inland Sea, a stretch of the Shimanami cycle route, and the canal quarter at Kurashiki.
A five-day route two hours from Tokyo: the seafront baths of Atami, the bamboo path and wasabi farms at Shuzenji, the seven waterfalls of Kawazu, the harbour at Shimoda, and the cliff walk to the Jogasaki suspension bridge.
A five-day route through central Japan: Kanazawa gardens and gold leaf, the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa go, Takayama morning markets and sake, an alpine valley at Kamikochi, and Matsumoto castle on the way out.
A five-day Tokyo trip that keeps the costs down: free observation decks and shrine grounds, standing noodle bars and convenience store meals, an IC card instead of a rail pass, a local train to Kamakura, and a department store basement at closing time.
A five-day Tokyo itinerary built for families: a theme park day, the zoo and museums at Ueno, teamLab and a toy floor, the Great Buddha and a beach at Kamakura, and a last day on the bay at Odaiba.
A five-day ski trip in Japan: an arrival afternoon on the easy runs, two full days with a guide, an onsen and ramen recovery evening, the snow monkeys or a fish market, and how Niseko, Hakuba and Shiga Kogen differ.
A five-day route around the southern island: Fukuoka riverside food stalls, Nagasaki harbour and peace park, the steam vents of Beppu, the ryokan town of Yufuin, and the castle and caldera at Kumamoto and Aso.
A five-day route around the fourth island: Ritsurin garden and sanuki udon at Takamatsu, the vine bridges of the Iya valley, the long staircase at Kotohira, Matsuyama castle and Dogo Onsen, and a stretch of the pilgrimage walked on foot.
A five-day route through northern Honshu: Sendai and the pine islands of Matsushima, the wooden bathhouse street at Ginzan Onsen, the mountain temple steps at Yamadera, a boat through the Geibikei gorge, and Hirosaki castle and its orchards.
A five-day Kansai itinerary from a Kyoto or Osaka base: Higashiyama temples, the Fushimi Inari torii tunnels, Arashiyama bamboo, Nara's deer and the great Buddha, and Osaka's Dotonbori.
A relaxed five-day Tokyo itinerary built around neighbourhoods, not a checklist: old Asakusa, modern Shibuya, Yanaka craft, Akihabara and Golden Gai, plus a Kamakura day trip.
A ready-made 10-day Japan itinerary: Tokyo, a Hakone or Fuji escape, historic Kyoto and Nara, and buzzing Osaka, planned day by day with one signature experience each.
Long enough to go beyond Tokyo and Kyoto and short enough to get wrong: a route that runs in one direction, with the nights allocated and the bookings flagged.