Less than 2 weeks until departure. We have worked on an itinerary that balances sightseeing, relaxation (if we get some), shopping, more sightseeing and different activities. A good framework with room for changes if needed.
Trip itinerary · Björn & Tim
Japan, Rail by Rail
Twenty-three days end to end — Tokyo, Izu/Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and back out through Narita — strung together on subway passes, a Romancecar and three Shinkansen legs.
Tokyo
28 Sep – 4 Oct · 7 nights
Ryōgoku View Hotel
📍 2-19-1 Ryōgoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0026, Japan
Train to Tokyo
Hotel check-in
Walk around the neighbourhood
2-day subway pass (1/2) — tokyometro.jp
Shibuya & Meiji Jingū Shrine
Imperial Palace grounds
Shinjuku
2-day subway pass (2/2)
Tokyo Skytree, 10:30
📍 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 131-0045, Japan
Asakusa
Ueno
Sōbu–Yokosuka Line, Kinshichō → Zushi (direct, ordinary fare — no limited-express supplement needed)
Zushi beach day
3-day subway pass (1/3)
A free day — nothing fixed yet.
3-day subway pass (2/3)
A free day — nothing fixed yet.
- 3-day subway pass (3/3) — subway to Ikebukuro Station
- Train to Kawagoe — tobu.co.jp
Kawagoe day trip
Izu / Hakone
5 – 6 Oct · 2 nights
Diamond Hakone Society
📍 159-146 Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, Japan
- Send main luggage ahead to Kyoto hotel
- Chūō–Sōbu Line to Shinjuku
- Odakyū Romancecar to Odawara
- Store overnight bag at Odawara Sightseeing Service Center
- Hakone Tozan Railway to Gōra
- Ropeway to Ubako
- Hakone Freepass — odakyu-global.com
- Carry a small overnight bag only
Train to Odawara
Train & cable car to hotel
Onsen, relax
Pack a separate overnight bag — the rest of the luggage goes straight to Kyoto.
Hakone Freepass — local transport
Lake Ashinoko hike (12 km)
Onsen, relax
Kyoto
7 – 10 Oct · 4 nights
Elite Inn Kyoto Station
📍 3 Kamayachō, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8239, Japan
- J05 to Odawara Station (~50 min)
- Pick up stored luggage
- Shinkansen to Kyoto — aim for the 14:03
Train to Odawara
Shinkansen to Kyoto
Tea ceremony
Gion district
Arashiyama bamboo grove
Bamboo grove / sake tasting
Sake tasting & laundry — WASH&DRY Kyoto Station Front Store
📍 41-1 Higashikujo Kamitonodachō, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8002, Japan — store page · map
Fushimi Inari — 1,000 torii gates
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, 15:00
📍 21-5 Higashikujo Higashi-Iwamotocho, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8006, Japan
Osaka
11 – 15 Oct · 5 nights
TAKETO STAY Osakajo
📍 3-1-22 Higashinodamachi, Osaka 534-0024, Japan
- Walk / bus from hotel to Kyoto Station (~20 min)
- Tōkaidō–Sanyō Line to Osaka Station
- Osaka Loop Line to Kyōbashi Station
- Walk to hotel
Travel to Osaka, settle in
Dōtonbori
Shinsekai
Shitennō-ji Temple
Umeda Sky Building
JR Yamatoji Rapid, Osaka Station → Nara Station
Nara day trip
Ramen & Gyoza Cooking Class, Dōtonbori, 13:30–16:30
📍 SUNREGIS NAMBA, Room 202, 1-2-4 Shiokusa, Naniwa-ku, Osaka 556-0024, Japan
⏱ Check in by 13:25
A free day — nothing fixed yet.
Hiroshima
16 – 17 Oct · 2 nights
Smile Hotel Hiroshima
📍 7-10 Nagarekawachō, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0028, Japan
- Send luggage ahead to the Hilton
- Tōzai–Gakkentoshi Line to Hanaten Station
- Osaka Higashi Line to Shin-Ōsaka Station
- Shinkansen to Hiroshima Station
Train to Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Park & A-Bomb Dome
Hiroshima sightseeing
JR Miyajima Ferry, Miyajimaguchi → Miyajima (~10 min) — jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp
Sightseeing in Itsukushima (Miyajima)
Hiroshima sightseeing
Narita
18 – 20 Oct · 2 nights
Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport
📍 456 Kosuge, Narita, Chiba 286-0127, Japan
- Shinkansen, Hiroshima → Tokyo Station
- JR Sōbu Line Rapid, Tokyo Station → Narita (~90 min)
A free day — nothing fixed yet.
Shuttle to airport
A free day — nothing fixed yet.
Errand / buffer day near the airport.
Shuttle to airport
A free day — nothing fixed yet.
Check out — no hotel booked tonight. Flight home.
