Planning a trip to a country such as Japan can be a little overwhelming at first. You may be wondering, how do I get to Japan? How do I travel around Japan? What are the best Japan travel destinations? And so many more questions.
I felt the same way while planning my 2-week trip to Japan, but I am here to share with you the ultimate Japan travel itinerary that I followed during my Japan trip that made my trip AMAZING and one I will always remember.
In this blog post, I will be going over everything that makes up the best 2-week Japan travel itinerary.
2-week Japan Travel Itinerary Overview
Here is a quick TikTok video that overviews the Japan itinerary we will be going over in this blog post. This video goes over the Japanese destinations I visited and for how long during my 2-week trip to Japan, but this blog will go into more detail on each destination.
@never_ending_travel 2 week Japan itinerary⛩️🎋 This route is perfect for first-time travellers to Japan! Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, Hakone, and Tokyo are all very different so I recommend seeing them all in your two week trip to Japan🇯🇵 #japan #japantravel #japanitinerary #travelitinerary #2weeksinjapan #2weekjapanitinerary #japan2weekitinerary #japanplacestovisit #kyoto #hiroshima #osaka #hakone #tokyo #MLBB8TH #CapCut
♬ bounce (i just wanna dance) – фрози & joyful
Kyoto (3 days)
Where to Stay in Kyoto Japan
During my stay in Kyoto Japan, I stayed at Piece Hostel Sanjo. I really enjoyed this hostel it was very clean, had very comfortable rooms, had big communal areas, and even had a kitchen you could use to cook. This hostel is also in a great location very close to transit stations, is around a 40-minute walk from the Shinkansen train station, and is only a couple-minute walk down the road from the Nishiki Market. If you are a budget traveller like myself I recommend checking out Piece Hostel Sanjo on HostelWorld. If this kind of accommodation is not what you are looking for I recommend looking on Booking.com, Airbnb, or HostelWorld for other accommodation options.
Things to do in Kyoto Japan
- Visit Nishiki Market
- Walk along Pontocho Alley
- Walk around Gion District
- Visit the Bamboo Forest
- Visit the Imperial Palace
- Visit Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
- Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple
How to travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima
When travelling from destination to destination in Japan we took the Shinkansen Line. The trains around Japan are not the cheapest but I researched and found the best deal for us. Everyone was recommending the JR Rail Pass but when I looked into it for this itinerary it was cheaper to buy individual tickets than to buy the Rail Pass. We booked all of our bullet train tickets on Japan Experience. Our train from Kyoto to Hiroshima was only a couple of hours long.
Hiroshima/Miyajima (2 days)
Where to Stay in Hiroshima Japan
When I visited Hiroshima Japan I stayed at an Airbnb right by Peace Memorial Park and the A-bomb dome. I definitely recommend checking out Airbnb they have tons of options in great locations in Hiroshima for a great price.
Things to do in Hiroshima Japan
- Walk around Peace Memorial Park and see the memorial clock, memorial bell, the A-bomb dome, children’s memorial site
- Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
- Visit Hiroshima Castle
Things to do in Miyajima Japan
- See the O-Torii Gate
- Visit Itukushima Shrine
- Daishoin Temple
- Hike Mount Misen
- Try Karaage at Miyajima Base
How to travel from Hiroshima to Osaka
Like all of our trains around Japan, we took the Shinkansen bullet train from Hiroshima to Osaka. We booked our train ticket from Hiroshima to Shin Osaka on Japan Experience. This train ride was only around one hour and 30 minutes.
Osaka (2 days)
Where to Stay in Osaka Japan
If you are visiting Osaka and are a budget traveller, I recommend checking our HostelWorld for different hostel options. During my stay in Osaka, Japan, I stayed in Hostel Chillax, which was not my favourite accommodation during my Japan trip, but it was in a great location. The hostel itself was not the nicest, but we didn’t spend much time in our hostel, so if you are just looking for a bed in a nice location, check out Hostel Chillax. It was around a 10-minute walk to Dontonbori Street and a couple minutes walk away from Orange Street.
Things to do in Osaka Japan
- Walk along Dontonbori Street
- Eat at Kura Sushi
- Visit Osaka Castle
- Take a Japanese cooking class
How to travel from Osaka to Hakone
I recommend if you are travelling from Osaka to Hakone, first take the Shinkansen Line from Shin Osaka to Odawara. Then, take the tram from Odawara to Hakone.
Once you get to Odawara look into getting the Hakone Freepass. The Hakone Freepass included either 2 or 3 days, depending on the type of ticket you purchase, of all different modes of transport. This pass includes the Tozan Line, Hakone Ropeway, and the Cruise across Lake Ashi. If you are planning to use public transport to get around Hakone the Hakone Freepass will save you money. You can get the Hakone freepass at the train station in Odawara or you can purchase it online from websites like Klook.
Hakone (2 days)
Where to Stay in Hakone Japan
If you are visiting Hakone, Japan, I recommend K’s House Hakone. It is a beautiful hostel on the top of a hill in Hakone, just up from Hakone Yumoto Station. This hostel has both dorm and private rooms, a kitchen for guests to use, comfortable communal areas, and it even has an Onsen, which is a Japanese hot spring, in the hostel.
Things to do in Hakone Japan
- Relax in a Japanese Onsen
- Ride the Hakone Ropeway
- Take a cruise across Lake Ashi
- Visit Hakone-jinja Shrine
- Visit Gora Park
How to travel from Hakone to Tokyo
The train from Hakone to Tokyo will be one of the shortest trains throughout your Japan trip, it only takes around an hour. You must first take the train from Hakone to Odawara then take the Shinkansen Line from Odawara to Tokyo.
Once you arrive in Tokyo I recommend getting the Tokyo Subway Pass. You can get a 24, 48, or 72-hour Tokyo Subway Pass that will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go in Tokyo. I purchased the 72-hour subway pass when we arrived at the Tokyo train station but you can purchase it in advance on websites like Klook.
Tokyo (3 days)
Where to Stay in Tokyo Japan
When I visited Tokyo, Japan, I stayed at the Toco Heritage Hostel. This hostel was a bit outside of the city centre but super close to a subway line, and it was a beautiful hostel. If you don’t mind being a bit outside the hustle and bustle of the big city, I highly recommend checking out Toco Heritage Hostel on HostelWorld. If you want to be more in the city centre I recommend looking on Hostelworld or Booking.com they have lots of options.
Things to do in Tokyo Japan
- Visit Roppongi Street
- See the Tokyo Tower
- Walk around Ueno Park
- Visit Kaminarimon Gate
- Visit Senso-Ji Temple
- Visit Meiji Jingu Shrine
- Walk across the famous Shibuya Crossing
- Walk around Tsukiji Fish Market
- Visit the Tokyo Imperial Palace
How to travel from Tokyo to Airport
Depending on the time you are leaving to head to the airport you may still have your Tokyo Subway Pass. Unfortunately, this pass will not get you all the way to the airport. You can take the subway part way to Narita Airport and then pay from the final train into the airport OR you could take the Narita Express train from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport for around 30 dollars.
That brings us to the end of the ultimate 2-week Japan travel itinerary, which went over the best Japan destinations to visit, how long to spend in each location, how to travel between the places in Japan, where to stay in each destination, and the top activities to do in each place. I hope this itinerary was helpful for anyone else planning a trip to Japan. If you have any questions, feel free to comment or message me on any of my social media platforms. This itinerary made my trip to Japan one I will always remember, and I hope you feel the same way after your trip to Japan. Have an amazing trip and safe travels!
