Plan your Japan trip

Plan Japan with japanguide.se

Build a considered Japan trip through curated routes, seasonal choices, and city-specific recommendations. When the plan is right, a Japan specialist has useful context.

How the planner works

Choose a route, adjust pace and themes, watch the map update, and send planning context with the real decisions.

Choose a season

SpringSummerAutumnWinter

Choose a pace

CompactBalancedSlow

Curated routes

Classic first trip

Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka in a dependable first-time route.

First-time travelers who want cities, onsen, and the classic stops in one route.

Cities: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka

Day plan

  1. Day 1Arrive in Tokyo
    Keep the first evening close to the hotel and easy.
  2. Day 2Tokyo in two tempos
    Let the day alternate between energy and stillness.
  3. Day 3Tokyo with breathing room
    Leave a day open for what draws you in.
  4. Day 4Hakone check-in
    Keep the transfer soft and the day restorative.
  5. Day 5A full Hakone day
    Make room for scenery, baths, and a slow dinner.
  6. Day 6Kyoto: first neighborhoods
    Enter Kyoto without rushing through the headline sights.
  7. Day 7Kyoto: culture day
    Give one day fully to tradition, temples, and slow walks.
  8. Day 8Kyoto: optional day
    Add space for craft, food, or a half-day excursion.
  9. Day 9Osaka with evening focus
    Shift base and save energy for the evening.
  10. Day 10Osaka: food and neighborhoods
    Let the city be led by meals and smaller district choices.
  11. Day 11Reserve day
    Keep the day open for shopping, rest, or an extra stop.
  12. Day 12Departure
    Wrap up at an easy pace and head home.

Slow culture & craft

Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Nara with a slower rhythm and a craft-driven lens.

Travelers who prioritize craft, urban texture, and reflective cultural stops.

Cities: Tokyo · Kanazawa · Kyoto · Nara

Day plan

  1. Day 1Tokyo: soft landing
    Keep the first evening easy and restorative.
  2. Day 2Tokyo: urban texture
    Focus more on rhythm than on iconic must-sees.
  3. Day 3Tokyo: open day
    Leave room for the neighborhood that feels most compelling.
  4. Day 4Kanazawa: arrival
    Shift into a smaller scale and more craft-oriented pace.
  5. Day 5Kanazawa: full day
    Markets, museums, or old districts depending on the interest.
  6. Day 6Kyoto: quiet start
    Arrive without over-programming the first day.
  7. Day 7Kyoto: classic lines
    Give the strongest cultural threads enough time.
  8. Day 8Kyoto: extra day
    Use the extra day for craft, tea, or smaller detours.
  9. Day 9Nara: first day
    Let Nara act as the final slowdown.
  10. Day 10Nara: reserve day
    Keep a reserve day for rest, nature, or a final cultural stop.
  11. Day 11Departure
    Finish with a smooth transfer.

Food & city pulse

Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto with food, energy, and evening life at the center.

Travelers who want every day to build toward a strong evening.

Cities: Tokyo · Osaka · Kyoto

Day plan

  1. Day 1Tokyo: simple start
    Land softly and keep the first evening close.
  2. Day 2Tokyo: two neighborhoods are enough
    Remove pressure from how many places you need to cover.
  3. Day 3Tokyo: open evening
    Leave room to return to favorites.
  4. Day 4Osaka: arrival
    Move bases with minimal friction.
  5. Day 5Osaka: markets into night
    Let the day grow naturally toward the evening.
  6. Day 6Osaka: extra day
    Add more breathing room and repeatable favorites.
  7. Day 7Kyoto: lower the pace
    Let Kyoto make the route feel more reflective.
  8. Day 8Kyoto: meals as ritual
    Go deeper into quieter dining experiences.
  9. Day 9Kyoto: reserve day
    Keep the last full day open for walks and a final booking.
  10. Day 10Departure
    Close the trip at an easy pace.

Calm onsen & city contrast

Tokyo, Yokohama, Hakone, and Kyoto with recovery and contrast built in.

Couples or small groups who want cities without staying in high gear the whole time.

Cities: Tokyo · Yokohama · Hakone · Kyoto

Day plan

  1. Day 1Tokyo: easy arrival
    Start clearly without accelerating the trip too hard.
  2. Day 2Tokyo: a calmer axis
    Let walks, not packed schedules, determine the tempo.
  3. Day 3Tokyo: extra day
    Keep an extra day for recovery or personal interests.
  4. Day 4Yokohama: arrival
    A short transfer into more space and a waterside evening.
  5. Day 5Yokohama: full day
    Let the day remain low-key and open.
  6. Day 6Hakone: first bath
    Continue in the same soft rhythm.
  7. Day 7Hakone: reserve day
    Keep an extra day for weather, rest, and better timing.
  8. Day 8Kyoto: slow arrival
    Do not overload the first day.
  9. Day 9Kyoto: culture and gardens
    Give Kyoto a clear but quiet focus.
  10. Day 10Kyoto: extra day
    Build in breathing room before departure.
  11. Day 11Departure
    End without having to rush out.

Curated stops in each city

The planner reuses the site's existing hotels, restaurants, sights, and guides so the experience stays consistent.

Tokyo

Hakone

Kyoto

Osaka

Kanazawa

Nara

Planning checks

Current notes are used as decision support when dates, transport, tickets, closures, or hotel areas may be affected.

19/09/2026

Choose help by the decision that feels hardest

Planning starts with the intake. A Japan specialist can then help where the risk is highest.

Email a Japan specialist