There are many people asking me about the itinerary for my 20-day Japan trip and so, here it is.
I will be including exactly what I did but also some notes on what I think I could have skipped, alternate options and places I wish I would have done.
This itinerary was made after extensive research by my friend and I and we tried to include both our varying interests
The main places I covered were: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Gokayama and Shirakawa-go, Hakone, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Beppu and Kurokawa Onsen.
Day 1: Depart from Mumbai
On 9th November 2025, our 20-day trip began with a fairly comfortable 15-hour flight on Cathay Pacific from Mumbai to Tokyo (via Hong Kong). There are also direct flights to Tokyo for around 8 hours but we were a bit late in booking and it became too expensive.
Day 2: Arrive in Tokyo
We arrived in the afternoon at Narita Airport on 10th November 2024. It took us a long time to leave the airport because we got involved in some interesting activities when collecting our JR passes from the JR office at the airport.
We then set off on the Narita Express towards Shinjuku, close to where we were staying. It was autumn season and so the sunset time was around 4:30pm. Narita airport is very far from Tokyo city and it was already dark when we reached our hotel. We were extremely tired and had no energy to roam around. So make sure you keep your first day free to relax and recover.
Here’s a recommendation for the best hotel according to location in Shinjuku: Hotels in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Day 3: Train to Kanazawa
We began our trip by going to the west of Japan to the lovely city of Kanazawa. It took us almost 4 hours to reach and while we left early in the morning, we still got only half a day to sightsee in Kanazawa. It’s a wonderfully historical place with one of the oldest Geisha and Samurai districts. It also has the beautiful Kenrokuen Gardens, the Shima Tea House and the famous gold leaf shop. Especially in autumn and winter, most things shut down by 4:30 or 5pm. So there wasn’t much time to see things. If you have time, this place is a MUST SEE.
I would recommend arriving at Kanazawa the previous night so you can spend an entire day here.
Best Hotel to stay at in Kanazawa, 5 minutes’ walk from the station and bus terminals. Book here: Smile Hotel, Kanazawa
Book your activities in Kanazawa through Klook: Activities in Kanazawa
Day 4: Gokayama and Shirakawa-go
We took an early morning bus (pre-booked) from Kanazawa to Gokayama, the famous village with the Gassho style houses. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and was one of the best places I visited in Japan. From Gokayama, we took a local bus to Ogimachi village in Shirakawa-go which is more popular and crowded than Gokayama. Don’t forget to take the shuttle bus up to the viewing deck to see the bird’s eye view of the entire village. Then we took a bus (pre-booked) back to Kanazawa and took the train back to Tokyo for the night.
Book your day tour to Shirakawa-go here: Tour to Gokayama and Shirakawa-go
To pre-book buses to Gokayama or Shirakawa-go, click here: Japan Bus Online
Day 5: Hakone
Today we left early to catch a train from Shinjuku station to visit Hakone (Odawara station) and to chance a glimpse of Mount Fuji. It took us roughly 2 hours by train and then local bus travel to reach Hakone. There are many things to do here, like the pirate ship ride on Lake Ashi, the cable car up to the different viewing points and shopping at the Gotemba outlet. However, we were out of luck and did not get to see Mount Fuji.
It will be a loooong day so make sure you reach Hakone super early or maybe stay overnight and try and see Mount Fuji in the morning before 9am.
I have a feeling that it would have been better to go to the 5 Lakes region like Lake Kawaguchiko for a better view, though it is a little further from Tokyo than Hakone.
Buy your Hakone Free Pass here: Hakone Free Pass
Day 6: Tokyo
Finally we got some time to relax and actually see Tokyo city.
The first stop was the Meiji Shrine and a picnic in Yoyogi park in Shibuya region. In the evening, we had booked TeamLAB Planets for an amazing immersive experience into the world of art. A MUST DO!
Make sure to pre-book your TeamLAB Planets Experience: TeamLAB Planets
Day 7: Kyoto
We left Tokyo for the time being as we planned to return for a longer stay in the end of our trip.
Here, we had an amazing Ninja Samurai Museum Experience. Do not miss it! It’s a fun and exciting way to learn about Japan’s history and culture, while also learning their martial arts.
For the rest of the day, we relaxed and walked around the neighborhood without a plan.
Book the most fun Ninja Samurai Museum Experience Here: Ninja Samurai Museum
We stayed at this amazing apartment in Kyoto: Floral Green Maple House, Kyoto
Day 8: Kyoto
Today we visited the famous Arashiyama Bamboo forest and took a ride on the Sagano Romantic Train.
Personally, I feel that the Arashiyama forest is over-hyped by influencers but the riverbank we reached at the end of our walk in the forest was breathtaking, especially with the vivid autumn colours. Just be aware that you will experience an extremely crowded path leading to the entrance of the forest. Once inside, it’s not so bad. But it may take a long time to get in.
The Sagano Romantic Train was a scenic experience we really enjoyed the ride. Just make sure to pre-book it.
The Arashiyama Forest is free but you can skip the crowds by booking a hand rickshaw which will take you on a fun ride on special paths: Guided Rickshaw Tour of Arashiyama Forest
You can book your Sagano train tickets here: Sagano Romantic Train
Day 9: Kyoto
This day was for the main attractions of Kyoto in the Higashiyama and Gion districts.
We walked a lot and visited Fushimi Inari shrine, Ginkakuji Temple, Yasaka Shrine, Yasaka Pagoda, Kiyomizu Dera Temple, the famous Gion district of the geishas and took a relaxing walk along the Kamo river.
I would recommend a guided tour for a more immersive experience into the history and culture of the places: Kyoto Tours on Klook
Day 10: Nara
While Nara is super close to Kyoto, we decided to stay one night there. It houses the famous Nara bowing deer in the park and we could not miss out on the experience of feeding them. Apart from that, we visited some popular shrines, the Todaiji temple with the giant Buddha statues and then climbed up to a secret place where we could see a mesmerizing sunset. walking around Nara in the dark was even more charming than the day.
You can even book a day tour to Nara from Kyoto: Nara Tours on Klook
We stayed at a really nice hotel 2 minutes’ walk from Nara Station: Centurion Hotel Classic, Nara Station
Day 11: Osaka
We took an early train to Osaka but since most hotels and airbnbs allow check-in only after 3pm, we decided to stop first at Osaka Castle which was on the way, and then go ahead to our residence. We took a walk along the Dotonburi river and market and met a local friend who took us to some places that tourists may not know about. At night, we headed to the TeamLAB botanical gardens. It was a strangely nice experience to walk around in the dark surrounded by strange artistic lights and music.
However, some of the areas in the garden were similar to the TeamLAB Planets. So if you do not want a repeat experience, you can skip the botanical gardens.
If you are okay with staying a little away from the centre but still right at a metro station, I recommend this wonderful airbnb we stayed at: Airbnb Osaka
If you prefer a hotel that’s right in the centre, book here: APA Hotel, Osaka
Book your TeamLAB experience in Osaka here: TeamLab Botanical Gardens, Osaka
Day 12: Osaka, Universal Studios
Universal Studios was added to our itinerary because I am a big Harry Potter fan, and my friend loves the thrill of a good rollercoaster. None of us were disappointed with the experience. Universal Studios is divided into different zones. My favourite was Mario World and the Harry Potter section where you literally feel like you’re in the real Hogsmead. While I couldn’t sit on too many rides because of my motion sickness, my friend went on every single one while I enjoyed the duty-free shopping experience.
Book your Universal Studio Tickets Here (I always recommend the Express Pass. Trust me, you will need it.): Universal Studios Express Pass
Day 13: Hiroshima
We left Osaka very early by train and headed to Hiroshima for the day. We covered the Shukkein Gardens, Hiroshima Castle, the peace park and museum and wanted to try their famous Okonomiyaki but did not have time to stand in the long queues. We had to leave that evening for Fukuoka. Hiroshima is a beautiful city and while the peace museum was an emotionally disturbing experience, it was profoundly eye-opening and worth it.
Book your Peace Museum experience here: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Book a 1 Day Tour of Hiroshima: 1 Day Tour of Hiroshima and Miyajima with Ferry Ride
Day 14: Fukuoka – Beppu
Fukuoka is in the Kyushu prefecture and was the central base for us to stay while we visited other places that were in different directions.
While we were tired after a long day in Hiroshima, we took the night to sleep well and headed to Beppu early the next day by train.
Do not miss the unique experience of the 7 Hells in Beppu. We visited them all, taking the local bus to reach some of the ones that were a little far, and enjoyed the sweet corn steamed in the hot springs.
In the evening, we returned to our base in Fukuoka.
You can even book a tour of some of the famous attractions in Kyushu including Beppu: Kyushu Attractions Tour
Day 15: Mount Aso and Kurokawa Onsen
For this trip, a guided day tour was the best option. It was a very long bus journey, but our guide gave us some good information on the way. We stopped at an interesting shrine and climbed up to a cave that is believed to be the door to hell. We visited the largest active volcano of Japan, Mount Aso and then a quaint little onsen village where we took a relaxing foot bath and a walk. We soon headed back to Fukuoka to rest for the night.
Book the same guided tour here: Kurokawa Onsen, Mount Aso 1 Day Tour
Day 16: Tokyo
This was the last leg of the trip. We took the 5-hour train journey from Fukuoka back to Tokyo (alternately you can also catch a flight). We still had half a day to roam around, so we visited the busy and lively shopping streets of Asakusa and Akihabara, which has all things anime. We bought a lot of souvenirs from here.
Day 17: Tokyo, DisneySea
This is one place we probably regret including in our itinerary. While some of the rides were great and the Fantasy Springs area was very well made, it was a very stressful and tiring experience to stand in line for hours and hours right from trying to enter the park to waiting for every ride. There is no express pass and you need to keep refreshing their app to get ride bookings if you are lucky. If you have kids who are fans of Frozen or Peter Pan, etc, these were great immersive shows but there is no guarantee that you might get entry for the show you want. And if you do, be prepared for frustratingly long waits.
Book your Disney tickets here. Just make sure you select DisneyLand or DisneySea correctly, based on your requirements: Disney Land/Sea Tickets on Klook
Day 18: Tokyo
This was the day we had pre-booked a visit to the Warner Brothers Studio: The Making of Harry Potter. And while we had planned around 4 whole hours for this interactive museum tour, we literally took the whole day to get out of there. So if you visit here, make sure to take the earliest morning time available and do not plan anything else. If you are a Harry Potter fan, this place is a MUST DO! Don’t forget to try the delicious butterbeer and other snacks in the cafeteria.
Book your MUST DO Warner Bros Studio visit here: Warner Bros Studio: The Making of Harry Potter
Day 19: Tokyo
This was our last day in Tokyo and we spent it doing all the pending shopping from popular stores in the shopping district of Ginza and then visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Building at night to see the light and sound show. It was literally next level! We visited the viewing deck of the Metropolitan Building to get a bird’s eye view of Tokyo. If you get a chance to visit in the morning as well, you may be lucky enough to see Mount Fuji if the sky is clear.
Day 20: Depart from Tokyo
If you don’t suffer from motion sickness like me, I would suggest you take an airport shuttle instead of a train. It would take you directly to the airport with the luggage and you won’t have to lug the big bags through multiple train changes to reach there.
One of the places we wanted to visit but could not fit into the itinerary was Nikko in North Japan. If you’d like to visit Nikko, try and make it a 2-day trip. You will need 1 day for the shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s huge. And another day to travel through the national park with all its beauty and waterfalls.
You can book a 1 day guided tour of Nikko here: Nikko 1 Day Tour on Klook.
While our journey seemed hectic and full and our feet and bodies hurt from all the walking, we were sad to leave as we still wanted to see and do so much more. Japan is the kind of place you would want to visit again in this lifetime. The people are extremely polite and respectful, and the infrastructure, facilities, hotels and toilets are literally like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Just make sure you follow their rules, respect their culture, learn a little about Japan and its customs before visiting. From my travels, there is one thing I have learnt. Do not expect other countries to have the same culture, behavior, language and manners as yours. Every place is different and exploring that is the best part about travel.
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