10 days in Japan: A unique Japan Itinerary
If you’re looking for a 10 day Japan itinerary, you’ve come to the right place. We spent weeks and weeks reading about Japan, researching everything, weighing the pros and cons of visiting certain places, and crafting the perfect 10 days in Japan itinerary. And you know what it means? You don’t have to – it’s all ready for you right here.
During your 10 days in Japan, you’ll see – and we saw – Hiroshima and Miyajima, Kyoto, Hakone, and Tokyo. And all of that while enjoying the lovely views from a Shinkansen!
The trip starts in Hiroshima and finishes in Tokyo. Based on your flights to and from Japan, or your other travel plans, you might need to add an extra day for travel arrangements or rest. It can be travelled in the opposite direction and it also remains flexible so you can add or remove days at certain places based on your interests, schedule and budget.
Visiting Japan will give you a shock. An incredibly interesting, absolutely unique and most definitely a very positive cultural shock. Our itinerary takes you on a rollercoaster of amazing experiences that only Japan offers. It’s based on our trip so we know that you can enjoy it fully!
Now let’s have a look at how exactly Japan will win your heart during these 10 days in Japan. Below the itinerary, you’ll also find comprehensive information about accommodation, food, transportation, and budget. We also have a photo diary to complement this itinerary.
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Our 10 day Japan itinerary
In short, you will visit all these places during your 10 days in Japan:
- Day 1 – Arrival to Tokyo and positioning to Hiroshima
- Day 2 – Enjoying Hiroshima and Miyajima
- Day 3 – Positioning to Kyoto and Kiyomizu-dera temple
- Day 4 – Kyoto
- Day 5 – Kyoto
- Day 6 – Positioning to Hakone
- Day 7 – Hakone Loop
- Day 8 – Positioning to Tokyo
- Day 9 – Enjoying Tokyo
- Day 10 – Enjoying Tokyo and departure from Japan
Day 1 – Hiroshima
Tired, but happy – that’s my usual feeling after a long-haul redeye flight, arriving in a new place. Japan is a really exciting destination, so let’s get the passport stamped, exchange your JR Railpass for train tickets, and perhaps experience your first earthquake already at the airport (we did!)
Transport
After getting your JR Pass, hop on the futuristic Shinkansen to get to Hiroshima where your 10 day Japan trip starts.
Day 2 – Miyajima and Hiroshima
Japan is a land of contrasts, and the beginning of our 10 day Japan itinerary will be no exception to this.
Miyajima
Start your day with a half-day trip from Hiroshima to the beautiful small island of Miyajima, situated in Hiroshima Bay. There’s so much beauty concentrated on this tiny romantic islet, waiting to be explored on feet.
Check out the Itsukushima Shrine and the Floating Torii gate. Explore the Daisho-In temple with the 500 Buddhist statues among other exciting things. Take a selfie with a deer (just watch out so that they don’t eat your passport!) And just enjoy the picturesque streets of the romantic town.
Enjoy a delicious matcha ice cream before heading back to Hiroshima in the afternoon.
Transport:
To get to Miyajima from Hiroshima, take a train from Hiroshima station to Miyajimaguchi (JR Sanyo Line) departing from track 1 at Hiroshima station.
At Miyajimaguchi change for a short 10-minute ferry ride to Miyajima Island. There are JR ferries as well as ferries operated by private companies. You can use your JR Pass for the JR ferry.
The romantic tiny islet of Miyajima is perfect for exploring on foot.
Hiroshima
Witness to one of the greatest tragedies in the history of humankind, today’s Hiroshima is a modern metropolis with a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. While the solemnity of the Peace Memorial Park and Museum and the frightening skeleton of the Atomic Bomb Dome will be in sharp contrast to the romance of Miyajima, this place doesn’t want you to leave depressed. Rather the opposite – learn from past mistakes, do not blame, do not seek vengeance and stay optimistic for a better future without nuclear weapons.
With this legacy in mind, visiting Hiroshima has an important place in our Japan itinerary.
Transport:
You can get back to Hiroshima the same way you got to Miyajima – by using the JR Sanyo Line from Miyajimaguchi station to Hiroshima station.
Alternatively, you can use tram number 2 running from the ferry stations to the centre of Hiroshima. It’s a bit slower than taking the train and as the Japan Rail Pass is not valid for the tram, you’d need the ticket (to be bought from the machine at the station). The advantage of taking the tram is that it brings you right to the centre where the Atomic Dome and Peace Memorial Park are.
While today’s Hiroshima is a modern city with a population of more than a million, its centre is rather compact and pedestrian-friendly. It is about half an hour’s walk between the railway station and the Atomic Dome (and Peace Memorial Park and museum – they are all pretty much at the same place). Should you still wish to use the trams, you can check the website of Hiroshima Electric Railway for routes, schedules, and fares.
Accommodation: see the best places to stay in Hiroshima and Miyajima
Our tip: Based on your preferences, you may swap the morning and afternoon programmes for this day. Spend the morning in Hiroshima and then head to Miyajima in the afternoon and spend the night in a ryokan on this beautiful island.
While Miyajima sees a lot of daytime visitors, it is mostly a calm place in the evening – perfect for savouring its beauty, enjoying the view of the setting sun behind the torii gate of Itsukushima and getting pampered in a ryokan with some fine Japanese dining.
Day 3 – Kyoto and the Southern Higashiyama district
On day 3 of this Japan 10 day itinerary it’s time to move to undoubtedly the most beautiful Japanese city – Kyoto. It’s about a two-hour ride from Hiroshima on the supermodern Shinkansen, arriving in Kyoto at around lunchtime.
Enjoy the afternoon with Kyoto’s best – the southern Higashiyama district, which is best explored by walking.
First, spend some time enjoying the amazing Kiyomizu-dera temple, and afterwards just walk at a leisurely pace through the picturesque old streets where you’ll feel like in ancient Japan and discover for yourself all the gems this place offers – numerous temples, cosy teashops, and romantic streets. To top it off, watch a beautiful sunset with a photogenic Yasaka Pagoda in the background.
Transport and Accommodation:
Getting to Kyoto – the journey from Hiroshima to Kyoto lasts about two hours. It might be necessary to change trains at Shin-Kobe. Once again, hyperdia.com is your friend for the exact schedule and transfer information.
We recommend staying close to the Kyoto station. But make sure to check out some other places to stay in Kyoto to find your favourite.
Day 4 – Kyoto Temples, Higashiyama district, and Philosopher’s Path
Kyoto is full of Unesco World Heritage sites. With more than 1600 Buddhist temples and over 400 Shinto shrines, as well as gardens, parks, markets, and tempting culinary delights, these two full days in Kyoto will be as busy as they’ll be splendid.
On the morning of day 4, you’ll be visiting Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Pavilion and Ryoan-ji with its mysterious rock garden with 15 scattered rocks and no plants.
For the afternoon, make your way to the northern Higashiyama district. Ginkaku-ji or Silver Pavilion with its stupendous garden is waiting to be explored. From there, follow the Philosopher’s Path winding its way southwards, discovering the various gems for yourself such as Honen-in Temple and finishing in the famous Gion at around sunset.
Will you be lucky to spot a geisha in this traditional district?
Day 5 – Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine, Arashiyama bamboo grove, and Monkey park
Start day 5 of your 10 days in Japan at another unique place – Fushimi Inari Shrine. Spend your morning walking through the thousands of vermilion torii gates – one of the most iconic sights not only in Kyoto but in the whole of Japan.
Walking through the vermilion gates of Fushimi Inari shrine is almost a fairy-tale-like experience.
After lunch, head to the Arashiyama district where the Arashiyama bamboo grove is.
Visit the awe-inspiring Tenryuji temple, enjoy a relaxing walk through the mystical Arashiyama bamboo forest and get amused by the utterly photogenic and slightly cheeky macaques in the Monkey Park, which also offers a superb vista of Kyoto.
If you still have some time to spare, perhaps hop on the Sagano Scenic Railway for a 25-minute sightseeing trip along the picturesque Hozugawa River valley, taking a cruise back to Arashiyama in the traditional Edo-era boat.
Getting around Kyoto
During your stay in Kyoto, we recommend using Kyoto city buses and possibly the metro (subway) to get to the places suggested in our itinerary. We also recommend using local JR trains to get to Arashiyama and Fushimi-Inari (convenient, as you have the JR pass).
We recommend getting a day pass for the public transport in Kyoto – it will not save you money per se if you follow this itinerary, but it’s still a more convenient option as you don’t have to buy tickets all the time with exact change and the price difference is after all rather negligible. The website of Kyoto city buses and subway has valuable information including route maps, types of tickets, how to use the day passes, and more.
Day 6 – Fuji and Hakone area
It’s time to leave the beauty of Kyoto behind and head for the beauty of Japanese nature, to the national park Fuji-Hakone-Izu.
This is the most relaxing part of our 10 day Japan itinerary, and also our favourite part of it. So hop on the Shinkansen again and head to Odawara. Change there for the local transportation to a place of your choice – we recommend staying in Gora or Moto Hakone.
Will you catch your first glimpse of the majestic Fuji already from the Shinkansen?
This is also a time when we recommend splurging – a stay in a great ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) with cosy onsen (hot springs) and serving exquisite kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) is definitely an unmissable part of the experience.
For the rest of the day, we recommend just relaxing and indulging yourself in the uttermost comfort of the ryokan. Before you visit ryokan, read everything you should know about ryokan experience!
Transport:
Take the Tokaido Shinkansen line from Kyoto to Odawara (the train continues to Tokyo). This is the busiest Shinkansen line in Japan with departures up to every three minutes during the peak times! The journey to Odawara lasts about 2 hours.
Once you’ve got your 3-day Hakone Freepass or a 3-day Fuji-Hakone Pass, hop on the local scenic Hakone Tozan train for a short trip to Hakone-Yumoto.
From Hakone-Yumoto, proceed to your accommodation (either by Hakone Tozan train towards Gora or Hakone Tozan bus towards Motohakone). The whole trip from Kyoto to your chosen place in the Hakone area will take up to 4 hours.
Day 7 – Hakone Loop and Ryokan with Onsen in Hakone
Today is the day to fully enjoy the beauty of the Hakone area, even if it is in winter.
We suggest making a one-way circle trip using the local means of transport: a cable car, a ropeway, a boat, a bus, and a train. Take a cruise on a historic pirate boat on the beautiful Lake Ashi with the majestic Mt. Fuji in the background. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the lake to the Hakone Shrine with its picturesque torii gate at the shore of the lake.
Will you be lucky to spot a traditional Japanese wedding at this shrine? We were.
Admire the steaming Owakudani crater right beneath you from Hakone Ropeway.
For an absolutely unique snack, try a black egg at Owakudani. These eggs are boiled in the local sulfurous water, which colours the shell black.
Did you know the legend has it that one such black egg will add seven years to your life? 😊
In the evening, enjoy the stay in your Ryokan – go soak in an onsen, have a kaiseki dinner, and get some peaceful rest on the futon bed. Tokyo is waiting for you tomorrow, and it’s gonna be busy!
Day 8 – Positioning to Tokyo
The stay in your ryokan is so amazing and relaxing and pampering that you don’t feel like leaving? We know it – that’s exactly how we felt. So, enjoy it as much as you can before moving on to the last stop on our 10 day Japan itinerary – Tokyo.
You may either opt for a straight journey to Tokyo via Odawara, or a more interesting one, although a bit more complicated one as well, via Kawaguchiko, located on the northern side of Mt. Fuji.
Here you would find one of the quintessential Japanese postcard views – Chureito Pagoda with Her Majesty Mt. Fuji in the background. A view that is hard not to fall in love with. So enjoy the magnificent view and take a few pictures before hopping on the train to Tokyo.
Transport:
At any time during the day, depending on your program, can go to Tokyo by train from Hakone-Yumoto (about a 1.5-hour trip by Odakyu-operated Hakone Express to Shinjuku Station in Tokyo). Or you may consider taking a bus to Kawaguchiko, visiting the splendid Chureito Pagoda on this day, before continuing by train from Kawaguchiko to Tokyo.
Accommodation in Tokyo:
Choose from the list of the best places to stay in Tokyo; as with Kyoto, though, we recommend staying close to the Tokyo station or in Ginza.
Day 9 – Tokyo – Tsukiji fish market, Odaiba, Shinjuku, Shibuya
By the time you’ll have arrived in Tokyo, you’ll have noticed that Japan is a land full of contrasts. And guess what – Tokyo will still surprise you with how much this holds true.
Hip and trendy, traditional and down-to-earth, busy and loud and yet peaceful and calm… no matter what you’re looking for, there’s a good chance Tokyo has it.
On the first day in Tokyo, the next to the last day of this 10 day trip to Japan, you’ll be visiting the Tsukiji Fish Market (most of which is now moved to Toyosu fish market). With many restaurants and small shops, this is a fun place to walk around and savour the fishy experiences.
After enjoying the fish, take an automatic elevated train to the nearby Odaiba – a futuristic part of Tokyo built on a man-made island.
In the afternoon, move on to the Shinjuku – think skyscrapers, the world’s busiest railway station and plenty of shopping and entertainment options.
And as we promised some contrast, nearby is a vast Yoyogi park with a splendid Meiji Jingu shrine.
From there, head on to Shibuya, which is another modern district packed with shopping, entertainment and flashing neon lights.
Up to 3000 people cross Shibuya crossing at a time, making it the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. Grab a coffee and watch this self-made street theatre from Starbucks’ second-floor seating area.
Shibuya also has a famous bronze statue of Hachiko, a loyal dog who would come here every day to meet his master.
Transport and Accommodation:
Tokyo is huge. We recommend using Tokyo’s efficient subway services for travelling between various neighbourhoods and then exploring them on foot.
We also wrote an article about the best places to stay in Tokyo.
Day 10 – Tokyo – Akihabara, Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree
More of Tokyo’s highlights are waiting for you on the last day of our wonderful 10 days in Japan.
Start the day in the Akihabara district – the centre for gaming, manga and anime culture (comics and animated stories) and also a place full of electronics stores.
Having checked out the gaming arcades and the excitement of the Japanese getting the latest rice steamer, make your way to a more down-to-earth district, Asakusa, with its beautiful Senso-ji Temple.
Asakusa has an atmosphere of the old Tokyo and is in quite a contrast to Akihabara. Well, by this time, the contrasts will feel like a completely natural part of our 10 day Japan itinerary.
To finish your splendid journey through Japan, have a look at Tokyo from a bird’s eye’s perspective. Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building in Japan and it’s more than worth taking the elevators that whizz you up within seconds to the observation gallery located at 450 meters above the ground.
Whichever direction you look, there’s Tokyo around you. With one exception – on clear days, the majestic Mount Fuji is visible on the western horizon.
Altogether, it’s a really impressive vista and we recommend enjoying it during sunset and twilight, as the city will be gradually turning on its millions and millions of lights.
We recommend occupying the place with the best view a good minute before the sun sets – the place gets full.
It’s time for the last dinner in Japan. So how about the fugu? We went for okonomiyaki, though. 😊
Are 10 days in Japan enough?
As you can see from this itinerary – and our Japan in November travel diary – travelling around Japan in 10 days gives you a very good feel of the land of the Rising Sun. If you can swing some more days to, say, visit Osaka or the Tokyo Disney, or maybe some day trips from Kyoto, I’d definitely recommend extending your trip.
Other places to consider visiting in Japan
- Osaka
- Kanazawa
- Nikko
- Hitachi Seaside Park
- Snow Monkies at Jikokudani, Nagano
- Nara
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