Medium
The Food Lover's Japan
Sushi, ramen, kaiseki, izakaya. The three best food cities, in order.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Fukuoka
- food
- culture
- urban
Curated itineraries
Pre-built Japan itineraries
Hand-built Japan itineraries, curated by our Japan travel team, for first and repeat visits, from a week in Kansai to a three-week loop. Pick a route, set your dates, and start planning.
- Spring / Sakura (cherry blossom)
- Summer
- Autumn / Koyo (autumn leaves)
- Winter
Built around an interest
Trips shaped by a passion: trails, onsen, food, art, the seasons.
10 nights
10 nights
SpringMediumChasing the Cherry Blossom
Pace built around the bloom front, not against it.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Hiroshima · Osaka
- culture
- nature
7 nights
IntensiveAnime and Pop Culture
Akihabara to Den Den Town, plus the side streets nobody tells you about.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Osaka
- anime
- urban
- shopping
10 nights
RelaxedHidden Onsen Towns
The remote baths the day-trippers never reach: silver Ginzan, secluded Nyuto, deep in the northern hills.
- Base cities: Sendai · Ginzan Onsen · Nyuto Onsen
- onsen
- nature
- experiences
12 nights
MediumCastles and Samurai History
Five real keeps, two reconstructions, a sword smith if you ask nicely.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Matsumoto · Kanazawa · Kyoto · Osaka
- history
- culture
9 nights
MediumThe Setouchi Art Islands
Naoshima's museums, calm inland sea, castle towns between the ferries.
- Base cities: Osaka · Okayama · Takamatsu · Hiroshima · Fukuoka
- culture
- experiences
- nature
8 nights
WinterMediumSnow Monkeys and Hot Baths
Bathing macaques, powder-quiet valleys, a long soak after every day.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Nagano · Kyoto · Osaka
- nature
- onsen
- experiences
12 nights
AutumnMediumChasing the Autumn Leaves
Timed to the koyo front, temple gardens at their reddest.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Matsumoto · Kanazawa · Kyoto · Osaka
- nature
- culture
- history
8 nights
WinterMediumWinter Lights and Hot Springs
Frosted gardens, evening illuminations, hot baths to thaw out after.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka
- urban
- culture
- experiences
7 nights
RelaxedOkinawa's Beaches and Reefs
Coral shallows, island ferries, the slowest pace in the country.
- Base cities: Naha
- nature
- experiences
- food
10 nights
RelaxedThe Ryokan Route
Every night in a proper ryokan. Mountain baths at Hakone, tatami mornings in Kyoto, Kinosaki for sea air.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Kinosaki Onsen · Osaka
- onsen
- culture
- nature
- experiences
10 nights
MediumRural Japan, Off the Line
Where the shinkansen doesn't stop. Forest shrines, thatched farmhouses, Kanazawa's old lanes.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Nagano · Takayama · Kanazawa · Kyoto
- nature
- culture
- history
10 nights
MediumAnime, Games and Ghibli Park
Akihabara, TeamLab, Ghibli Park, Den Den Town. The full otaku map.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Nagoya · Osaka · Kyoto
- anime
- urban
- culture
- experiences
10 nights
MediumSake Country
Niigata's rice paddies, Kanazawa's breweries, Fushimi in Kyoto. Drink in the right places.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Niigata · Kanazawa · Kyoto · Osaka
- food
- culture
- history
12 nights
MediumJapan on Foot
Nikko's cedar trails, Kamikochi's glacial valley, Takayama's highland paths. Twelve nights on foot.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Matsumoto · Takayama · Kyoto · Osaka
- nature
- experiences
- culture
10 nights
MediumArt and Architecture
TeamLab, Naoshima's Chichu Museum, Hiroshima Memorial. World-class art without a single flight.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Naoshima · Hiroshima · Fukuoka
- culture
- experiences
- urban
10 nights
MediumSamurai Country
Castle towns, sword museums, and samurai districts from the Tohoku mountains to the Sea of Japan.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Aizuwakamatsu · Niigata · Kanazawa · Kyoto
- history
- culture
12 nights
MediumThe Original Castle Circuit
Four surviving original keeps: Matsuyama, Kochi, Hiroshima. Plus Osaka for the start.
- Base cities: Osaka · Matsuyama · Kochi · Hiroshima · Fukuoka
- history
- culture
9 nights
RelaxedSpiritual Japan
Buddhist mountains, Shinto heartlands, and the temple lanes between. Nine slow, sacred nights.
- Base cities: Osaka · Kyoto · Nara
- history
- culture
- experiences
- nature
12 nights
RelaxedHoneymoon: Mountains to the Sea
A ryokan splurge in the hills, slow Kyoto, then the warm water of Okinawa to finish.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka · Naha
- onsen
- culture
- nature
- experiences
8 nights
MediumThe Nakasendo on Foot
Walk the old Edo highway between Kiso valley post towns, sleeping in wooden inns.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Matsumoto · Tsumago · Nagoya
- nature
- culture
- history
- experiences
11 nights
RelaxedThe Sea of Japan, Slow
The coast the express trains skip: Sado island, gold-leaf Kanazawa, the Noto cape.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Niigata · Sado · Kanazawa · Nagoya
- nature
- culture
- experiences
- onsen
11 nights
MediumKilns and Craft Towns
Mashiko pottery, Kanazawa gold leaf and Kutani, Kyoto's weavers and kiln slopes.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kanazawa · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- history
- experiences
8 nights
MediumHiroshima, Nagasaki and Remembrance
The two cities the bomb defined, the Inland Sea between them, history taken seriously.
- Base cities: Fukuoka · Hiroshima · Osaka
- history
- culture
9 nights
MediumSacred Mountains of the North
Yamabushi trails on the Dewa Sanzan, the cliff temple at Yamadera, Tohoku's quiet faith.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Sendai · Tsuruoka
- history
- culture
- nature
- experiences
10 nights
MediumThe Shimanami Kaido by Bike
Ride the island bridges across the Inland Sea, with Hiroshima and Onomichi either end.
- Base cities: Osaka · Onomichi · Hiroshima · Fukuoka
- nature
- experiences
- food
8 nights
SpringMediumBeyond the Cherry Blossom
Wisteria tunnels and blue nemophila hills in late spring, after the sakura crowds have gone.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
- nature
- culture
8 nights
MediumAnime Pilgrimage
Real-life scenes from the screen: Kamakura, Chichibu, the Hida hills behind Your Name.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Takayama · Nagoya
- anime
- culture
- nature
- experiences
First trips to Japan
The classic route, at the length and pace that fits your time.
7 nights
IntensiveJapan's Greatest Hits
Greatest hits, no padding, mostly trains.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
10 nights
MediumThe Classic First Trip
Tokyo, then Hakone for one quiet night, then Kyoto and Osaka.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
14 nights
SpringRelaxedThe Classic Trip in Cherry Blossom Season
Slow enough to feel it, full enough to remember it.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- food
- nature
- history
14 nights
AutumnRelaxedThe Classic Trip in Autumn Colour
Maple leaves, temple gardens, longer evenings.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Hiroshima · Osaka
- culture
- food
- nature
- history
14 nights
WinterMediumThe Classic Trip in Winter
Clear skies, fewer crowds, hot baths between stops.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Hiroshima · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
21 nights
RelaxedThe Slow Grand Tour
Longest trip on the free plan, paced to actually enjoy.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka · Hiroshima · Kanazawa
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
- nature
10 nights
RelaxedThe Classic Trip, Taken Slowly
Two cities, room to breathe, no day you regret rushing.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
- nature
14 nights
MediumThe Golden Route, Done Right
The famous run, paced so it never feels like a checklist.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Hiroshima · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
7 nights
RelaxedTokyo and Kyoto, Unhurried
Tokyo and Kyoto at a pace you can actually remember. Two cities, nothing rushed.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
9 nights
MediumThe Classic Trip, Plus Nikko
Nine nights that fit everything in. Nikko's cedar avenues, Kyoto's temples, Osaka's kitchens.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
5 nights
MediumA First Taste of Japan
One week off work is enough for the two cities that matter, if you do not rush them.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Kyoto
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
5 nights
MediumTokyo in Five Days
No hotel changes, no bullet trains. One city done properly, with a day in the hills.
- Base cities: Tokyo
- culture
- food
- urban
- history
Going back for more
A different region or island once you have done the big three.
10 nights
MediumKyushu: Castles and Volcanoes
Volcanic hot springs, slow castle towns, the south at its own pace.
- Base cities: Fukuoka · Kumamoto · Beppu · Kagoshima
- history
- nature
- food
10 nights
SummerMediumTohoku's Summer Festivals
Festivals, cedar coast, the north when it actually breathes.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Sendai · Morioka · Aomori · Akita
- culture
- nature
- history
7 nights
WinterRelaxedHokkaido Powder and Onsen
Powder snow, late-night ramen, onsen between the slopes.
- Base cities: Sapporo · Niseko
- nature
- food
- experiences
12 nights
MediumThe Alps and the Sea of Japan
Castle towns, gold leaf, gassho farmhouses, mountains in the middle.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Matsumoto · Takayama · Kanazawa · Kyoto
- culture
- nature
- history
14 nights
RelaxedShikoku: Art Islands and River Valleys
Art islands, river valleys, the smallest of the four.
- Base cities: Osaka · Tokushima · Kochi · Matsuyama · Hiroshima
- culture
- nature
- experiences
12 nights
MediumThe San'in Coast
Sand dunes, Japan's oldest shrine, castle towns the express trains skip.
- Base cities: Osaka · Tottori · Matsue · Hagi · Hiroshima · Fukuoka
- culture
- nature
- history
10 nights
SummerMediumHokkaido in Lavender Season
Lavender rows, cool mornings, the longest light of the year.
- Base cities: Sapporo · Furano · Hakodate
- nature
- food
- experiences
9 nights
MediumKyushu's Hot Spring Trail
Steam over the rooftops, sand baths by the sea, the south's quietest baths.
- Base cities: Fukuoka · Beppu · Kagoshima
- onsen
- nature
- food
12 nights
AutumnMediumTohoku in Autumn Colour
Maple gorges, samurai streets, mountain baths before the snow comes.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Sendai · Morioka · Akita · Aomori
- nature
- culture
- onsen
10 nights
RelaxedOkinawa's Outer Islands
Beyond Naha: Miyako's coral reefs, Ishigaki's mangroves, connected by island hop.
- Base cities: Naha · Miyakojima · Ishigaki
- nature
- experiences
- food
8 nights
MediumThe Kii Peninsula Pilgrimage
Japan's most sacred coast. Ise Grand Shrine, Kumano pilgrimage cliffs, onsen by the sea.
- Base cities: Osaka · Ise · Nachikatsuura
- culture
- history
- nature
- onsen
10 nights
MediumWest by Rail: Osaka to Fukuoka
West by rail: Himeji castle, Hiroshima's islands, Fukuoka's late-night stalls.
- Base cities: Osaka · Okayama · Hiroshima · Fukuoka
- history
- culture
- food
8 nights
RelaxedKansai, Slowly
Kansai at a slower pace. Kobe for lunch, four nights in Kyoto, Nara before the crowds.
- Base cities: Osaka · Kyoto · Nara
- culture
- food
- history
14 nights
MediumThe Deep North, End to End
The deep north end to end. Pine islands, samurai towns, lantern festivals, mountain onsen.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Sendai · Hiraizumi · Morioka · Aomori · Akita
- culture
- history
- nature
10 nights
MediumThe Central Highlands
Snow monkeys, the Japan Alps, thatched post towns, and Takayama's morning markets.
- Base cities: Tokyo · Nagano · Hakuba · Takayama · Nagoya
- nature
- culture
- history
- onsen
12 nights
MediumWild Hokkaido
Bears, cranes, drift ice, and blue ponds. Four corners of Hokkaido in twelve nights.
- Base cities: Sapporo · Asahikawa · Abashiri · Kushiro
- nature
- experiences
8 nights
MediumHokkaido on a Plate
Uni and kaisendon, miso ramen, a Hakodate morning market, Sapporo after dark.
- Base cities: Sapporo · Hakodate
- food
- culture
- experiences
10 nights
MediumYakushima and the Volcano South
Thousand-year cedars on Yakushima, the Aso caldera, Kagoshima under its smoking peak.
- Base cities: Fukuoka · Kumamoto · Kagoshima · Yakushima
- nature
- experiences
- onsen
10 nights
MediumThe Heart of Shikoku
The smallest island at the right size: art at Naoshima, Kochi's coast, Matsuyama's castle and the oldest onsen in Japan.
- Base cities: Osaka · Takamatsu · Kochi · Matsuyama
- culture
- nature
- experiences
- history
7 nights
MediumA Taste of Kyushu
One week in the south: Fukuoka's stalls, a day in Nagasaki, Kumamoto's castle by Mount Aso, and Beppu's steam.
- Base cities: Fukuoka · Kumamoto · Beppu
- history
- nature
- food
- onsen
Prefer to start from scratch?
Templates are a starting point, not a final answer. Load one and the planner lets you change the cities, the dates, the pace, and the day-by-day plan before you generate the route. Or skip the templates and build your trip from your own dates and interests.
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