Travel itinerary for visiting the best places in Japan
Japan is a country situated in East Asia and is considered one of the safest countries for travelers. Due to its vivid culture and traditions, Japan attracts a lot of visitors from all over the world yearly. Months from March to May and September to November are considered the best months to visit Japan. So, escape to Japan with our 11-day travel itinerary for traveling in Japan.
Japan is made up of 6.852 Islands and the Japanese name for it is “Nihon” which means “sun origin”. The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen. You can exchange the currency at the airport itself and make sure to carry some cash while traveling.
Day 1-3, Tokyo
Day 1
You arrive at the Narita or Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Tokyo is the capital of Japan and for 11 days we think this is the best place in Japan to start your travels. You can take the train route from the Airport to reach your desired hotel. After checking into the hotel we would suggest eating some breakfast and relax for a while to re-energize yourself. In Tokyo subways and trains are the best way to commute. So, we would suggest opting for this mode of transport in our Japan travel itinerary. Don’t forget to also check out JoinMyTrip the new traveler’s community of like-minded travelers where you can find other travel buddies to go traveling with!
The historic temple in Tokyo is the first place to visit. It is named Senso-Ji and is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Tokyo. The temple has a titanium ties roof which makes it look even more beautiful. You can spend some time here and head towards the next place i.e. Meiji Jingu.
Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the emperor. You can spend some time here to explore and then it will be time for lunch. You can have your lunch in one of the famous restaurants nearby and try some new cuisines. After lunch, you can head to Odaiba which is 25 minutes away and you can take a subway for this.
Odaiba
Once you reach Odaiba you can spend approximately 2-3 hours here. Odaiba is basically a high-tech entertainment hug build on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. You can enjoy Mt.Fuji views from here, enjoy the beach, interact with robots and eat away at the sushi bars.
After this, you take a subway and go to Tokyo Tower. The view from the Tokyo Tower is very beautiful. Especially during the evening time when the entire city is lit up and not to forget… the bird view is worth watching. Now you can have dinner and take a rest for the day.
Day 2
You arrive at Ueno by taking the subway to visit the beautiful Tokyo National museum and park here. You spend some time here and then take a train towards Nakamise Shopping center. This is one of the most popular places in Tokyo. Next, you travel to Akihabara, where you can find multiple unique cafes and paradises. You spend some time here and have your lunch.
After having lunch and relaxing for a while, you can go to Hama Rikyu Gardens. Here you can enjoy and experience the beautiful landscape. Next, you can travel through Harajuku. This is a place filled with Japanese youth and culture.
Day 3
On the third day, you travel to Tokyo Disney Resort. This is a theme and amusement park. It is owned and operated by an Oriental land company with a license from The Walt Disney company. Here we will be spending almost half a day and when you return back to the hotel you can take a rest and relax for a while. In the evening you can go to Rainbow Bridge. This is a suspension bridge crossing between Shibaura Pier and Tokyo bay. Here you come to an end to your trip in Tokyo and the next day you will be exploring Kyoto.
Day 4-5, Kyoto
You will get into a bullet train and reach Kyoto. It takes approximately 160 minutes to reach Kyoto from Tokyo. Kyoto is a city that consists of some of the best places in our Japan travel itinerary. It is a city of temples, shrines, gardens, and much more.
Day 4
As you reach after relaxing for a while you take a bus to Kiyomizu-Dera temple. This is a beautiful temple and we suggest exploring this temple completely. After exploring the temple take an exit from the front gate and head straight towards Sannen –Zaka hill. This is a lovely preserved district. You can walk here and take a foot route towards the next place which is Maruyama –Koen park. Enjoy the beauty and take some pictures.
Then you will be visiting one more temple, Chion- in the temple. This temple you can cover in 15-20 minutes and then it’s time for lunch. For lunch, you can go to downtown Kyoto. Here you will be getting a variety of food to choose from. After lunch, you can head towards Nishiki Market. The place is usually crowded, but you can buy some Japanese delicacies from here. After all this, you will definitely be tired enough to be in desperate need of rest. Hence why you will go back to the hotel and relax. Later for dinner, you can go downtown.
Day 5
Today is the last day here in Kyoto where you will be visiting Nijo Castle, which was built in 1603. The site’s most important part is five separate buildings connected with a corridor and the name of the building is Ninomaru Palace. Next up is a visit to one more shrine which is one of Japan’s most famous shrines. The shrine is dedicated to the goddess of rice growing. The name of this shrine is the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine.
After this, it will be time for lunch downtown. After your lunch, you can travel to Pontocho, a riverside district of Kyoto where you can find clubs and great nightlife. You can enjoy your time there and at around 7 pm you should head towards the Kyoto tower to experience the night from the top view of Kyoto. Here, you come to the end of your Kyoto trip. You can pack your bags as you have to check out the next day for Mt. Fuji.
Day 6- 8, Mt. Fuji
One of the best things you can do is to go on an adventure climbing one of the highest mountains, Mt. Fuji. There are several packages available for Mt. Fuji trips but we personally prefer an overnight stay at Mt. Fuji. You can take a bus or train to Kawaguchiko Station and during the entire journey, you will get to witness some beautiful scenery and lakes. The train journey will take you approximately 1-2 hours to get there.
We would suggest you book an online package for the Mt. Fuji climb. In this trek, you will be accompanied by a guide, and meals will be provided to you throughout the climb. You will be staying there overnight and then start to get down the next day. The sunrise view will be the most memorable experience and we can say that this is one of the best places that you can visit on our Japan travel itinerary. You will be staying in a Mountain hut and will have to climb from there to reach the top summit.
Day 9- 11, Osaka & Hiroshima
Day 9
Take a bullet train to Dotonbori from Tokyo which is a place in Osaka. It will take you around 6-7 hours to reach Dotonbori from Tokyo. Once you reach Dotonbori you can check-in to your hotel room and relax for a while.
Osaka is the third-largest city in Japan and is filled with shopping arcades,
buzzing nightlife, delicious food. This city has the best nightlife and is located right in the heart of Japan. You can visit Hozen- Ji Yokocho, a street filled with boutiques, lanterns, and beautiful Japanese souvenirs. Ride the Dotonbori Ferris wheel and enjoy the view and lights of this city. Most importantly, don’t forget to try as many new dishes as you want as Osaka is famous for its food.
Day 10
On your next day, you will be visiting the most famous Osaka castle and museum named Osaka- Jo. The architecture is worth seeing and you can take multiple pictures here. Next on your list is the Osaka castle museum. The timings of the museum are 9:30 am – 5:00 pm.
After visiting Osaka-Jo you can head towards your next city which is the most iconic and historically the most important place to visit when in Japan, Hiroshima. You can take a bullet train, bus, or subway to reach Hiroshima from Osaka. It takes almost 2-3 hours to reach Hiroshima. The day you reach your destination, you will be tired enough and won’t be able to go to any new places. So, I would suggest taking some rest and then explore Hiroshima the next day.
Day 11
Today is your last day in the journey of exploring the best places in Japan and trust me on this, nothing could be better than ending our trip exploring Hiroshima. You need to start early and take a ferry to the Islands of god, Miyajima in Hiroshima Bay. It’s better to start early as you have only one day here. This ferry ride will take 40 minutes and the main attraction here is Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO heritage site.
Take some pictures and explore the area. Get ready for the ropeway at the highest peak of the Island. When back from the rope ride have some food and then let’s go and visit the historic site of the first atomic bomb dropping. The park includes many sites, monuments, and landmarks in memories of those who died in the bomb dropping. After this, it will be evening time and you can roam around the city and have some dinner. Here you come to the end of your exploration of the best places in Japan. You have now successfully explored all the best places in Japan in our travel itinerary.
We hope you enjoyed our 11-day travel itinerary for Japan to start exploring with other TripMates! Find like-minded travelers to join your trip to Japan or plan your own trip with JoinMyTrip. Share costs, experiences, and come home with unforgettable memories!
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