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Japan · 7 days · checked 30 October 2026

Japan itinerary: 7 days (Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka)

A first-timer's week: two days in Tokyo, one night in a Hakone onsen town under Mt Fuji, two in Kyoto, a Nara day on the way to Osaka, and out from Kansai airport. The pace is brisk but no day has more than about 3 hours on trains. Expect about $570 per person on a hostel budget, $980 mid-range and $1,730 comfortable, excluding international flights. Skip the 7-day JR Pass on this route: single tickets cost well under half the price.

TokyoHakoneKyotoNaraOsaka
Budget, per person$570hostels, street food
Mid-range, per person$980double rooms, sit-down meals
Comfort, per person$1,730upper mid-range

On the ground for the whole trip, excluding international flights. Per person, 6 nights, at ¥158 = $1, excluding international flights, visa fees and the departure tax (already inside your air ticket).

When to go

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Late March to May and November are the best weeks: mild, dry and pretty. November is also the clearest season for Mt Fuji, and autumn colour arrives late: the 2026 forecasts put Tokyo's peak in late November and Kyoto's between about 24 November and early December. June is rainy season, July and August are hot and humid, and September is typhoon season. Winter (December to February) is cold but clear, with the best Fuji views.

Before you go: Japan is low risk. The US State Department rates it Level 1, 'Exercise Normal Precautions', the lowest level, and the FCDO has no advise-against areas on this route. The FCDO page was last updated on 28 August 2026, adding flooding and heavy-rain guidance. It also warns that Middle East airspace closures are disrupting flights, which matters if you connect through the Gulf. Japan has earthquakes: learn your hotel's evacuation route, and follow tsunami alerts on the coast. Hakone's Owakudani is an active volcanic area, and the ropeway closes for volcanic gas, weather or inspections. Planned closures: Owakudani to Sounzan from 7 to 24 December 2026, and Togendai to Owakudani from 12 January to 26 February 2027, with replacement buses. Japan restricts some ordinary medicines, including some stimulant-containing cold and allergy pills. Check the FCDO health page and the MHLW import rules before you pack prescriptions.

Visa and entry

UAE residents: living in the UAE gives you no visa benefit. What counts is your passport. Emirati citizens with an ICAO-compliant ePassport are visa-exempt for short stays, but MOFA asks those without one to get a visa first. Other nationalities living in the UAE need a visa unless their own passport is exempt. Since 1 August 2024, UAE residents apply (eVISA included) through VFS Global: Abu Dhabi residents at the Abu Dhabi centre, everyone else at Dubai. VFS lists a 110 AED service fee, and the Consulate quotes 8 working days for a complete file. Indian passport holders need a visa. In India you apply through VFS, and a single-entry tourist visa can be issued as an eVISA. Indians in the UAE apply through VFS UAE. India and the UAE are not on MOFA's list of nine countries whose residents can apply for the eVISA directly online (Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, UK, USA). Japan raised visa fees from 1 July 2026: single entry went from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000. Indian nationals keep a reduced fee, reported at ₹500 in India (check), and VFS UAE lists 20 AED for Indian nationals against 145 AED for most others (check, as that page may predate July 2026). US, UK and EU passport holders are visa-exempt. The US gets 90 days. UK, Irish and German citizens can get up to 6 months under bilateral deals, and most other EU citizens get 90 days. JESTA, Japan's planned pre-travel online authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, has not launched. The target is fiscal 2028 (April 2028 to March 2029), the fee is not set, and nothing is needed in 2026.

Official sources: mofa.go.jp, mofa.go.jp, dubai.uae.emb-japan.go.jp, vfsglobal.com.

Is a transport pass worth it?

Skip the JR Pass. The official 7-day ordinary pass is ¥50,000 ($316) bought online at japanrailpass.net, and ¥53,000 ($335) through overseas agents since 1 October 2026. JR legs on this route at single fares: N'EX Narita to Shinjuku ¥3,330, Odawara to Kyoto on a Hikari (reserved) ¥12,100, Kyoto to Inari return ¥300, Kyoto to Nara ¥720, Nara to Tennoji ¥800, Haruka Tennoji to KIX (unreserved) ¥1,820. Total about ¥19,070 ($121). The pass would lose you about ¥31,000 ($195). It also does not cover the biggest non-JR costs: the Odakyu Romancecar and every Hakone train, cable car, ropeway and boat (the Hakone Freepass covers those), Tokyo Metro, Kyoto buses, Kintetsu or Nankai. The Nozomi rule still applies: pass holders must buy a 'Nozomi special ticket' for each Nozomi or Mizuho ride, ¥4,960 Tokyo to Kyoto or Shin-Osaka. It can't be booked before you arrive, and sales open one month ahead. Nozomi trains don't stop at Odawara anyway, so from Hakone you take a Hikari, the faster of the two Odawara stops, or a Kodama. The pass only starts to pay if you add a long trip, such as Hiroshima and back from Osaka, or return to Tokyo by shinkansen. Buy single tickets instead, on smartEX (JR Central) or at station machines, and use an IC card for everything local.

The day-by-day plan

Day 1: Arrive, Shinjuku and Shibuya by night

Base: Tokyo

Morning

Land at Narita and get into Tokyo. Narita is the main long-haul gateway. If your ticket lands at Haneda, that is closer and cheaper to get in from.

How: From Narita: JR Narita Express (N'EX) from Narita Airport Terminal 1 or 2·3 station to Shinjuku or Shibuya, ordinary reserved seat. Cheaper alternative: Keisei Skyliner to Ueno or Nippori (¥2,580, about $16), then JR Yamanote Line. From Haneda: Keikyu Line to Shinagawa or Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho, then JR Yamanote Line.

Time: N'EX to Shinjuku roughly 1.5 h (check the day's timetable); Haneda to Shinagawa by Keikyu about 15 min · Cost: N'EX ¥3,330 (about $21) to Shinjuku, ¥3,140 to Tokyo; Haneda Keikyu to Shinagawa about ¥330-410 (check)

Tip: Before you leave the arrivals hall, get a Welcome Suica card (valid 28 days, unused balance is not refunded) or add Welcome Suica Mobile to Apple Wallet (needs iOS 17.2 or later). Android users: there is still no Welcome Suica Mobile app, so buy a physical card.

Afternoon

Check in, then go up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for a free view across the city. On a clear day you can see Fuji.

How: Walk from Shinjuku Station west exit, or Toei Oedo Line to Tochomae

Time: 1 h · Cost: Free

Tip: The South and North decks close on different days of the month. Check @tocho_tenbou on X before you go. Last entry is 21:30.

Evening

Shibuya Scramble Crossing, then Shibuya Sky at sunset. Dinner afterwards in Omoide Yokocho, the smoky yakitori alleys by Shinjuku Station.

How: JR Yamanote Line, Shinjuku to Shibuya (two stops past Harajuku)

Time: 3 h · Cost: Shibuya Sky online ¥2,700 before 3 pm, ¥3,400 from 3 pm (about $22); counter ¥300 more

Tip: Sunset slots go first. Tickets open about two weeks ahead. Book the slot 30 minutes before sunset, which is about 16:30 in November.

Getting there: Narita Airport (NRT) → Shinjuku, Tokyo by JR Narita Express (N'EX), about 1.5 h (check timetable), ¥3,330 (about $21). JR East ticket machines at the airport station, or online through JR East's N'EX pages. Seats are reserved.
Where to sleep: Shinjuku: the best base for a first trip. Hakone Romancecars leave from here on day 3, the Yamanote Line loops the city, and the area is busy at night. Shibuya is a good second choice.
Budget: Hostel dorm or capsule ¥3,500-5,500 ($22-35) a night · Mid: Business hotel ¥9,000-14,000 ($57-89) a room; mid-range ¥18,000-30,000 ($114-190) · Comfort: Upper mid-range to luxury from ¥30,000 ($190); top hotels ¥50,000-250,000+ ($316-1,580+)
Eat: Omoide Yokocho (Shinjuku west exit): yakitori and a beer at a counter. A sit-down meal in Tokyo typically runs ¥2,000-4,500 ($13-28). For a cheap first night, a ramen bowl is ¥900-1,500 ($6-9) and a konbini meal ¥500-700.
If it rains: Shibuya Sky closes its open roof in bad weather. Swap it for the free Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which is indoors, then Shinjuku's department-store food halls.

Day 2: Asakusa, Tsukiji, Harajuku and Meiji Jingu

Base: Tokyo

Morning

Senso-ji temple and Nakamise street in Asakusa, before the tour groups. Then Tsukiji Outer Market for a grazing breakfast.

How: Tokyo Metro or Toei to Asakusa (Ginza Line from Shibuya, or change from the Yamanote Line at Ueno). Then Toei Asakusa Line to Higashi-ginza and Hibiya Line to Tsukiji.

Time: 3.5 h · Cost: Senso-ji free. Tsukiji street food ¥300-800 ($2-5) an item. Tokyo Subway Ticket 48 h ¥1,500 ($9.50), 24 h ¥1,000

Tip: Get the 48-hour Tokyo Subway Ticket on day 1 evening. It covers all 13 Tokyo Metro and Toei lines from your first tap, but not JR. It pays from about three rides a day.

Afternoon

Meiji Jingu shrine through the forest, then Takeshita Street and Omotesando in Harajuku.

How: Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line to Meiji-jingumae (Harajuku), or JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku

Time: 3 h · Cost: Meiji Jingu grounds free

Tip: Send your big suitcase from your hotel's front desk to your Kyoto hotel today by Yamato (TA-Q-BIN). About ¥1,970-2,630 ($12-17) a bag, and it arrives next day or later, so it is waiting when you reach Kyoto on day 4. Travel to Hakone with a day pack.

Evening

Ginza or Shibuya for dinner, or an izakaya near your hotel. Early night: tomorrow starts at 8 am.

How: Subway

Time: 2 h · Cost: Dinner ¥2,000-4,500 ($13-28)

Where to sleep: Same hotel in Shinjuku
Budget: Hostel dorm or capsule ¥3,500-5,500 ($22-35) · Mid: Business hotel ¥9,000-14,000 ($57-89) a room · Comfort: From ¥30,000 ($190) a room
Eat: Tsukiji Outer Market for breakfast: tamagoyaki, grilled seafood skewers, sushi counters, ¥300-800 ($2-5) an item. Conveyor-belt sushi for dinner runs ¥1,500-2,500 ($9-16) a person.
If it rains: Swap Harajuku for the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno or the department stores of Ginza. Senso-ji and Tsukiji work under an umbrella.

Get the full 7-day itinerary (PDF)

Print it, save it to your phone, or attach it to your visa application.

Full PDF coming soon

Days 1 and 2 are free above. The full PDF goes on sale shortly.

Day 3: Romancecar to Hakone and the full loop under Mt Fuji· in the full PDF

Base: Hakone

Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, then the Hakone Tozan Train up to Gora and the Hakone Open-Air Museum.

Day 4: Shinkansen to Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion· in the full PDF

Base: Kyoto

Early bath, then down to Odawara and the shinkansen to Kyoto.

Day 5: Fushimi Inari at dawn, Arashiyama and the Golden Pavilion· in the full PDF

Base: Kyoto

Fushimi Inari's thousands of red torii gates, before 8 am.

Day 6: Nara's deer and Great Buddha, then on to Osaka· in the full PDF

Base: Osaka

Check out and send or store your bag.

Day 7: Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market and out from Kansai Airport· in the full PDF

Base: Osaka

Osaka Castle main tower and park.

Get all 7 days in full →

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Sources

We checked 62 sources for this itinerary, official ones first. Prices change; check before you book.

Trip Under is reader-planned, not a travel agency. Prices and rules were checked on 30 October 2026 and move with season and demand. Where a figure could not be confirmed we say "check".