The route at a glance
Tokyo (3 nights) → Hakone (1 night) → Kyoto (2 nights) → Osaka (1 night). This 'Golden Route' exists for a reason: maximum contrast — futuristic capital, hot-spring mountains, ancient temples, street-food chaos — with minimal backtracking, all connected by comfortable trains.
Days 1–3: Tokyo
Day 1: land, drop bags, and ease in with Asakusa's Senso-ji temple and a riverside dinner. Day 2: the classics — Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya Crossing at dusk. Day 3: your choice of deep-dive: TeamLab's digital art, a Tsukiji sushi breakfast, or a day trip to Kamakura's Great Buddha.
Day 4: Hakone
Ninety minutes from Tokyo, swap skyscrapers for steam. Do the classic loop — pirate ship across Lake Ashi, ropeway over the volcanic valley — then check into a ryokan for the night every guest calls their favourite: kaiseki dinner, yukata robes, and an open-air onsen under the stars.
Days 5–6: Kyoto
Day 5: Fushimi Inari's torii gates early (7am changes everything), then Kiyomizu-dera and the lantern-lit lanes of Gion. Day 6: Arashiyama's bamboo grove, the Golden Pavilion, and a tea ceremony — with an evening stroll along Pontocho alley.
Day 7: Osaka
Thirty minutes by train and a world apart. Osaka Castle in the morning, Kuromon Market for lunch, then the full Dotonbori experience by neon light. Fly out of Kansai Airport, or shinkansen back to Tokyo in under three hours.
Make it yours
This skeleton flexes beautifully: add Nara's deer as a half-day, swap Osaka for Hiroshima and Miyajima, or stretch to 10 days with Takayama and the Alps. Tell us what excites you and we'll shape it — that's exactly what our free consultation is for.