Japan City & Culture Route

Route overview

1. Daiane Basílio

   1

   Tokyo

   4 nights

   Base near a Yamanote-line station and let the trains do the work.

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   →↓By train · 2 h 15 min
2. Youko Ishikawa

   2

   Kyoto

   4 nights

   Central stays put the famous sites within reach before the crowds.

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   →↓By train · 15 min
3. yuka yuka

   3

   Osaka

   2 nights

   Finish on food: Dotonbori at night is the country's best street-eating.

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• Areas
• Activities
• Hotels
• Restaurants

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1

Old Tokyo: Asakusa and the Skytree

Tokyo

Morning

Guanchul Guanchunao

Senso-ji Temple

Tokyo's oldest temple, through the great Kaminarimon lantern gate.

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Noon

ぴぴねこ

Nakamise-dori Asakusa

Melon pan and grilled snacks along the temple approach.

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Evening

Riccardo Widera

Tokyo Skytree

Ride to the 350 m deck for a first sense of the city’s scale.

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Day 2

Neon west side

Tokyo

Morning

Lawrence

Meiji Jingu

A cedar-forest shrine in the middle of the city, beside Harajuku station.

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Noon

Alex Giles

Takeshita Street Harajuku

Teen-fashion chaos, crepes and the loudest people-watching in Tokyo.

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Evening

Equaaliuetea Poetowski

Shibuya Crossing

The world's busiest scramble at golden hour, then dinner in the neon maze.

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Day 3

Market breakfast and digital art

Tokyo

Morning

Kevin Wong

Tsukiji Outer Market

Tamagoyaki, tuna bowls and knife shops in the old fish-market lanes.

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Noon

Phan Tom

teamLab Planets TOKYO

Wade barefoot through mirrored water rooms of immersive digital art.

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Evening

Tekcho

Shinjuku Golden Gai

Two hundred shoebox bars in six lantern-lit alleys.

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Day 4

Parks, old town and last views

Tokyo

Morning

jared lee

Ueno Park

Museums, a pond and cherry avenues in Tokyo’s great culture park.

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Noon

Luigi Iodice

Ameyoko Market

Street food and bargain stalls under the Ueno train tracks.

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Evening

쿰척

Tokyo Tower

The orange landmark lit against the skyline for a final Tokyo night.

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Day 5

Bullet train to the old capital

Kyoto

Morning

YawEng Yong

Nishiki Market

Kyoto's 400-year-old food street: tofu doughnuts, pickles, tamagoyaki.

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Noon

Raymond Wu

Kiyomizu-dera

The wooden-stage temple over the hillside, with sweeping city views.

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Evening

大門豪

Gion District

Lantern-lit teahouse streets — walk Hanamikoji quietly and respectfully.

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Day 6

Ten thousand torii

Kyoto

Morning

bobby Newcomb

Fushimi Inari Taisha

The vermilion torii tunnels climbing the sacred mountain.

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Noon

akihiro yamaguchi

Tofuku-ji Temple

Zen gardens and a valley bridge, one stop from Inari.

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Evening

Agi B

Pontocho Alley

Riverside dining in Kyoto’s narrowest lantern-lit lane.

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Day 7

Bamboo west and golden north

Kyoto

Morning

Miquel Lapuente Marquès

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

The swaying green corridor beside the Katsura river.

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Noon

Yeung Daniel

Tenryu-ji Temple

A world-heritage Zen garden framed by the Arashiyama hills.

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Evening

Johnny ZHEN

Kinkaku-ji

The Golden Pavilion floating on its mirror pond.

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Day 8

Higashiyama lanes and the palace

Kyoto

Morning

Annie Sobol

Sannenzaka

The stone-stepped preserved lane climbing toward Kiyomizu.

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Noon

Enix

Kodai-ji Temple

A serene temple and garden away from the main crush.

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Evening

中島虎龍太

Kyoto Imperial Palace

A last calm evening stroll through the vast palace park.

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Day 9

Japan's kitchen

Osaka

Morning

Wayman HO

Osaka Castle

The white-and-gold keep above its massive stone moats.

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Noon

Jensen Chua Photography

Kuromon Ichiba Market

Scallops torched to order and fugu stalls in the covered market hall.

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Evening

軍事強兵

Dotonbori

Takoyaki, okonomiyaki and the Glico runner along the neon canal.

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Day 10

Last morning, fly home

Osaka

Morning

Nori N

Umeda Sky Building

The floating-garden observatory’s 360° farewell view.

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Noon

Josh

Shinsekai

Retro Osaka around the Tsutenkaku tower — kushikatsu for a last lunch.

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Evening

Sinan A.

Namba Yasaka Shrine

The giant lion-head stage, a quick and striking last stop near the station.

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Where to stay

Park Hotel Tokyo

Park Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo · mid-range

Superb transport links and skyline rooms right in central Tokyo.

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THE THOUSAND KYOTO

The Thousand Kyoto

Kyoto · mid-range

Effortless day trips and shinkansen arrivals right on the doorstep.

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スイスホテル南海大阪

Swissotel Nankai Osaka

Osaka · mid-range

Stumble home from the food crawl; direct airport trains below.

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Where to eat

一蘭 渋谷店

Ichiran Shibuya

Tokyo · Ramen · budget

The essential Tokyo ramen ritual, open late.

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たこ家道頓堀くくる道頓堀本店

Kukuru Dotonbori

Osaka · Street food · budget

Osaka in one bite — the queue moves fast.

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