🇯🇵 Country guide
Japan Travel Guide
In the land of the rising sun, ancient temples meet neon-lit streets.
Gateway
Tokyo · HND
Capital
Tokyo
Best time
March–May · October–November
Budget
High
Don't miss
Dawn at Fushimi Inari before the crowds arrive
How to plan a route through Japan
Japan works better planned as complementary regional stops than as one long checklist. Tokyo gives you big-city rhythm; Kyoto historic neighbourhoods; Osaka everyday food; Kobe the port, sake and hot springs; Hiroshima memory and island nature; Nara the fabric of an old capital; Sapporo Hokkaido's climate, and Okinawa a separate Ryukyu history and coral seas.
On a first trip, link the Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka backbone on Honshu by bullet train; put Kobe and Nara into the Kansai leg and Hiroshima into a route that continues west. Sapporo and Okinawa are the map's two climate extremes: rather than squeezing either into a short Honshu programme, treat each as a separate leg with its own flight.
9–11 days
A first trip to Japan
Four days in Tokyo, three in Kyoto, two in Osaka. Add Nara as a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.
10–12 days
Kansai and the Seto Inland Sea
A balanced western route from temples to street food, from Kobe's port and sake culture to the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima.
5–7 days
A Ryukyu island journey
Start in Naha and Shuri, then move on to Onna, Churaumi, Nakijin and Yanbaru. Don't treat Miyako and Ishigaki as part of the same main-island route; they are separate flight legs.
5–7 days
North in winter
Combine Sapporo with Otaru or Jozankei. During the festival, plan flights and accommodation well in advance.
Cities to visit in Japan
The cities to visit in Japan offer remarkable variety on a single trip, from traditional neighbourhoods to the metropolises of the future. Tokyo stands out for its big-city energy, Kyoto and Nara for their temples, Osaka and Kobe for food and port culture. Hiroshima opens a different route for anyone who wants to explore recent history, Sapporo the nature of the north and Okinawa Ryukyu heritage and tropical coasts.
Original guides are live for all 8 cities
Guide liveTokyo
A dazzling metropolis where tradition and futurism collide.
Guide liveOsaka
Japan's kitchen — the lively capital of street food.
Guide liveKyoto
Cherry blossoms and thousand-year-old temples blanketed in moss.
Guide liveHiroshima
A city reborn — peace, resilience and unforgettable okonomiyaki.
Guide liveNara
Friendly deer roaming freely among ancient wooden temples.
Guide liveSapporo
Snow festivals, hot springs and Japan's freshest ramen.
Guide liveKobe
Kobe beef, Nada sake and the Arima hot springs between mountain and harbour.
Guide liveOkinawa
Ryukyu history, turquoise coral seas and a distinctive island cuisine.