This one week itinerary is perfect for travelers visiting Japan for the first time. It hits the top, must-see destinations in both Kyoto and Tokyo including day trips to Nara and Mt. Fuji. And it has been tried and tested by another first-time traveler to Japan – me!

I had the opportunity to visit Japan for a one week trip. It was my first trip to Japan and planning for it was stressful. How would we get by without knowing Japanese? Would we know how to use the public transportation? While preparing for this trip I did a TON of research and am quite proud of the itinerary and plans that I put together for it.

So, I am sharing my one week Japan itinerary along with all of my favorite experiences and tips that I learned during my time in Japan, for others like me who might be stressed out searching high and low across the internet for this information.

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Of course, if you are staying in Japan for more or less time than one week or want to visit different spots in Japan than I did, you can adjust this itinerary as needed. I hope that this blog post can act as a guide for you and provide you with the tips that you need to get started with your own Japan itinerary planning.

My trip was “one week” off of work, but including the weekends before and after really made it a 9 day trip. Below are the 9 days of my Japan trip outlined from start to finish.

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Important Tips to Know Before Your Trip to Japan

Listed below are the top Japan travel tips that I learned from my research and confirmed with my own experience traveling to Japan. Make sure to read the Japan Travel Guide for the full list of tips along with detailed explanation on each of these points.

Reserve a pocket wifi
Buy a Japan Rail Pass
How to get around Japan + how to use Japan’s rail system
Bring Japanese Yen
Outlet types + voltage in Japan
Do you need to know Japanese?
Etiquette in Japan Basics
Safety in Japan
What to pack for a trip to Japan

READ THE FULL GUIDE HERE: Japan Travel Guide: Tips and Packing List for First Time Visitors

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo, Travel Day

Unless you live in Asia or close to Japan, Day 1 will likely be just a travel day. In my case with a 16 hour time difference and an 11-hour flight, that was definitely the case. You will probably be flying into the Narita Airport just outside of Tokyo, which is Japan’s largest international airport. Feeling hungry after your flight, or need to wait for a friend to arrive? Narita Airport is 5 floors, the 4th and 5th boasting a large array of shops and restaurants to keep you entertained.

Upon arriving I recommend doing 2 very important things at the airport: pick up your pocket wifi and exchange your JR Pass voucher for the actual Rail Pass (read the Japan Travel Guide to understand why these things are so important).

Pick up your Pocket Wifi

When you reserve your pocket wifi online you’ll be able to specify which airport you’re flying into and which terminal, and they’ll give you all of the details on where to pick up your rental. I reserved mine through Global Advanced Communications. My pocket wifi was waiting for me at the airport Post Office. Since I came in internationally, I was in Terminal 1 of Narita Airport. After making it through security, the Post Office was on the 4th floor of Terminal 1 and was easy to find.

Exchange your voucher for the Japan Rail Pass

Activating the JR Pass at Narita Airport is quick and easy. The lowest level of the Narita Airport, the B1 floor, connects with the rail system. Just outside of the station on the B1 floor of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2-3, look for the JR East Travel Service Center. Here you will be able to exchange your JR Pass voucher for your actual Japan Rail Pass. All you need is your voucher and your passport. The attendants of the service center speak English and are very helpful if you have any questions. The hours of the JR East Travel Service Centers are 8:15 – 19:00 (Terminal 1) and 8:15 – 20:00 (Terminal 2-3), open every day of the year.

If for some reason your flight arrives after the JR East Travel Service Center is already closed (this was the case for my friend), you can exchange your voucher the next day at the JR Service Center within Tokyo Station before taking the bullet train to Kyoto. You’ll just have to pay for this first ride from Narita to Tokyo Station with cash using the ticketing machine at the station outside the platform. JR East has a pricing table you can check – the ride from Narita to Tokyo on the Narita Express costs 3,020 yen (roughly $30 USD).

Take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station

Once you’re ready to leave the airport, head to the bottom level of the airport, the B1 floor, if you’re not there already from exchanging your JR Pass. Take the JR Narita Express (NEX) to Tokyo Station. This is a JR line so you can use your JR Pass at no additional cost. The ride is about 50 minutes long.

Hotel near Tokyo Station

By the time we got to Tokyo Station it was around midnight, so we walked to our hotel that we had booked for the night near Tokyo Station and went right to bed to rest up for the early start the next day.

For this night’s hotel, our only criteria was that it be relatively cheap, within walking distance of Tokyo Station, and preferably have two beds. Well we found the perfect match!

Day 2-4: Kyoto

Ride the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto

From Tokyo Station, you will take the Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto. There are 3 trains that are a part of the Tokaido Shinkansen line: Hikari, Kodama, and the Nozomi. The Nozomi is not a part of JR Group and is not covered with the Japan Rail Pass. Both the Kodama and Hikari lines are covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The Kodama line makes more stops at smaller cities and takes about 4 hours to reach Kyoto, while the Hikari line is about a 2.5 hour ride at 320 km/h (199 mph), stopping only at the major cities along the way. So you will want to take the Hikari line to save time.

You can get tickets at the station outside the Shinkansen gates at ticketing machines or reserve seats with the help of an attendant at the Tokyo Station JR East Travel Service Center (which is what we did our first time). If you don’t have a Japan Rail Pass for some reason, a one-way ticket on the bullet train will cost you 13,080 yen for an unreserved seat, which is about $118 USD at the time of this post. You can see how a JR Pass will quickly pay for itself!

Where to stay in Kyoto

Where We Stayed

The Royal Park Hotel was our home during our few days in Kyoto. It was rather spacious and modern and is only a short walk from the nearest train station. To get here from Kyoto Station, take the Karasuma line, then transfer to the Tozai line to arrive at Sanjo Station. From Sanjo station, the hotel is just a 3-minute walk across a bridge on the Kamo River.

From the research that I did before my trip, this area came up as “the area to stay” while in Kyoto and it didn’t disappoint, with plenty of cool shops and restaurants along with the nearby Shinkyogoku Shopping District.

Other High-End or Cheaper Hotel Options

If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious for your stay in Kyoto, check out Hyatt Regency Kyoto, the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, or The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto. And if you’d like to see some cheaper options, look at the popular Hotel Sunroute Kyoto, the Tour Club, or K’s House Kyoto Hostel.

Explore more Kyoto hotel options on Hotels.com

Things to do in Kyoto

Welcome to Kyoto, Japan’s famed historical city. Here are a few things we did in Kyoto that I would highly recommend experiencing during your trip:

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari-taisha: the iconic, endless orange-red gates that wind up the trail to the peak of Mt. Inari, with countless moss-covered stone shrines along the path. Keep in mind, this is an actual hike. The hike takes 2 to 3 hours roundtrip and is about 5km long, up the 233 meter height of Mt. Inari. You don’t have to do the entire hike, but the beginning is the most crowded and if you continue on you can have parts of this magical trail all to yourself. This was my favorite thing from the one week I spent in Japan. Definitely try to make it here if you have the chance.

Kinkaku-ji Temple, The Golden Pavilion

Kinkaku-ji Temple was like something from a dream. The Golden Pavilion is covered in gold leaf, which is where it gets its name. It really was a magical sight to behold that I recommend visiting. Just mentally prepare yourself for the crowds of people, which are to be expected at an awe-inspiring destination with such a rich history. And the entry fee is only 400 yen (about $4.00 USD).

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Arashiyama forest is a fortress of towering bamboo shoots, softly rustling in the wind and creating a peaceful melody. Take a stroll through the bamboo forest and lose yourself in its serenity.

While in Arashiyama, you can explore the local restaurants and do some souvenir shopping. There is also a nearby Monkey Park in Arashiyama you can check out if you have the time. And when you’re ready to leave, make sure to visit the underrated, colorfully-decorated poles of the Kimono Forest. My recommendation: Wait until it gets dark to experience the magic of the kimono-patterned “forest” fully illuminated.

Day 5: Nara

How to get there

We checked out of our Kyoto hotel and went to Kyoto Station. At Kyoto Station, we used one of the lockers to store our luggage for the day. There are tons of lockers available for use all around the station, just follow the “coin lockers” signs. They come in a variety of sizes and cost between 300, 500 and 700 yen. Take note of which locker number you stored your bags in and where the locker is located within Kyoto Station so that you can easily pick up your luggage at the end of the day!

From Kyoto Station, take the JR Nara Line all the way to Nara Station. This is a 1-hour train ride that is free with your Japan Rail Pass or 710 yen without a JR pass.

Kofukuji Temple: Five-Story Wooden Pagoda

On your walk from Nara Station to Nara deer park, make a stop at the Kofukuji Temple along the way. Kofukuji is home to a collection of buildings across its grounds including a five-story pagoda and three-story pagoda. The five-story pagoda is the second tallest wooden pagoda in all of Japan!

If you have more time in Nara, you can also check out Nara’s other temples and shrines. Besides Kofukuji, Nara is notably home to Todaiji which is one of Japan’s most famous temples. Kofukuji and Todaiji are both a part of Nara’s Seven Great Temples.

Nara Deer Park

Visiting the deer park is a fun and unique experience, and something you’ve probably heard about if you’ve researched things to do when visiting Japan. Nara deer park is home to over a thousand free-roaming, wild shika deer. Although they are wild, they are quite friendly and you can even buy biscuits to feed them! The size of the park is over 1,000 acres, so you can easily spend hours here walking the paths and interacting with the deer. Entrance to Nara deer park is free and a pack of biscuits to feed the deer is only 150 yen (which is about $1.50 USD).

Try Okonomiyaki

What is okonomiyaki, you may be asking? Only a super delicious, savory Japanese pancake. The Japanese word “okonomiyaki” translates to “grilled as you like it”. Its origins are of the Kansai region of Japan, and specifically Osaka. Since this one-week itinerary didn’t include Osaka, Nara was the closest next-best thing. There are several restaurants in town that specialize in okonomiyaki and you can watch the chef grill them right in front of you.

Obviously, you should also have ramen, udon, sushi, and all the other delicious Japanese foods that you can think of during your trip to Japan (seriously I ate so much on this trip). But I just mention okonomiyaki since it’s something “different” that many people outside of Japan might not know about and it is so good!

Back to Kyoto then onward to Tokyo

Once our day trip to Nara was over, we took the JR Nara Line back to Kyoto Station where we picked up our bags from the lockers we had stored them in at the beginning of the day. Then onto the Shinkansen bullet train for a second time to make the same trip from Day 2 but in reverse back to Tokyo. Once again, the ride is about 2.5 hours long and is no extra cost with a Japan Rail Pass.

We arrived in Tokyo very late that night and went directly to our hotel to check in and get to bed. It would be another early start in the morning for a day trip to Mt. Fuji.

Day 6: Mt. Fuji

How to get there

Early in the morning, take a train from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko station for a full day trip exploring the area around Mt. Fuji. From Shinjuku Station, take the Kaiji Limited Express to Otsuki. Transfer from there to the Fujikyuko line (a privately held railway that costs about ¥1,440) to go to Kawaguchiko station. This all takes about 2 hours travel time. At Kawaguchiko station, there are buses you can take to get all around the area.

Below are some options of things to do while you’re there. We spent one day in the Mt. Fuji area and were only able to do a couple of these things, but if you have the time to spend an extra day or two in the area and explore more I would recommend it! You could hike the mountain or explore more of the five lakes surrounding Mt. Fuji. It was so peaceful here away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

Lake Kawaguchiko

Lake Kawaguchiko is the most accessible of the five lakes surrounding Mt. Fuji and is a favorite spot to view the mountain for good reason. Viewing Mt. Fuji from across the lake on its northern side makes for a beautiful scene, even if it’s on a cloudy day like the day we went. If the water of Lake Kawaguchiko is calm, the image of Mt. Fuji may be reflected in the lake. And if your trip is around mid-April, you might even be lucky enough to enjoy the view with cherry blossoms (check the cherry blossom forecast before your trip).

Getting to and around Lake Kawaguchiko is easy from Kawaguchiko Station by taking the Omni Bus lines. You will need Yen coins for payment to drop in the machine on the bus, or you can buy the unlimited 2-day pass for 1,500 yen.

5th Station Mt. Fuji

You can take the Subaru Line toll road to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station, located at the lower slopes of Mt. Fuji. If your trip to Japan is during the correct time of year (between July and September) and have an extra day to spend in the area you could even make the hike up Mt. Fuji from here! It’s about a 9 hour hike round trip, and definitely on my bucket list. But the Fuji Subaru 5th Station is also a popular sightseeing spot, offering an impressive view of the five lakes area below.

Aokigahara Forest

Also known as “Suicide Forest” or the “Sea of Trees”, Aokigahara forest is thick with towering trees and known for its both eerie and magical nature. You can access the forest by bus from Kawaguchiko Station. There are multiple bus stops throughout the forest for different walking trails. Just stay on the trail and be respectful of the area. From the Omni Bus Green Line, there are several stops at caves that lie deep within the forest including Narusawa Ice Cave, Saiko Bat Cave, and the Fugaku Wind Cave.

Day 7-8: Tokyo

Where to stay in Tokyo

After doing some research, we decided to stay in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. This area had a lot to offer in terms of restaurants and things to do, and our hotel was within walking distance of Shinjuku Station, a major station in Tokyo’s rail system.

Shinjuku Station helped us stay closely connected to the entire city of Tokyo as well as keeping other nearby areas of Japan easily accessible to us for day trips. I was very satisfied with our choice thanks to its central location and yet it was just far enough from the main busy streets of Shinjuku that it was never too loud at night.

Hotels in Shinjuku

Where We Stayed

Other High-End or Cheaper Hotel Options

However, there are much nicer hotels in the area if you have the budget. If you’re looking for a more luxurious or comfortable option in the Shinjuku area, check out the Keio Plaza Hotel, the Hilton Tokyo, or the Park Hyatt Tokyo. And conversely, if you’re on a tighter budget, you can check out the Imano Tokyo Hostel or even stay at a capsule hotel.

Explore more hotels in Shinjuku on Hotels.com

Things to do in Tokyo

After enjoying the historic Kyoto, it is time to experience Japan’s ultra-modern culture of Tokyo. Tokyo is the largest city in the world, and there’s no way to see all that it has to offer in a couple of days. These are just a few of the things we did during our short time in Tokyo that I recommend:

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower is the world’s tallest, self-supported steel tower, taller than the Eiffel Tower that it was modeled after. This tower is an iconic part of the Tokyo skyline and a popular tourist destination for that reason. For ¥900 you can go to the observation deck at the top for some lovely views of the city. Along with the walls of windows, the observation deck is home to a souvenir shop and a cafe.

Tokyo Skytree

Along with Tokyo Tower, you can also check out Tokyo’s taller observatory, Tokyo Skytree. When we went it was rainy and cloudy from the observatory deck so we opted out. They have screens broadcasting the view from the top at the entrance which is helpful when making your decision. Admission to the Skytree’s highest observation deck on floor 450 is ¥1,030, but they also offer tickets to their floor 350 observation deck and “Fast Skytree Tickets” for an added cost.

Sensō-ji Temple

Sensoji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, is Tokyo’s oldest and most significant temple, originally built in 645. Among the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, this beautiful temple offers a peaceful escape. At night the temple is lit up which adds to its striking beauty. If you do come during the day, the street ahead of the temple is lined with shops and booths selling crafts, souvenirs, and sweet and savory snacks.

Visit Harajuku

The Harajuku district is known for its over-the-top style and shopping. We spent hours walking down the narrow streets shopping for souvenirs and people watching. While in Harajuku we also stopped at the eccentric Kawaii Monster Cafe, with crazy, colorful decor and just as colorful menu items. The food is a little overpriced, but you’re really paying for the experience.

Shibuya Crossing

On an average night, you can find this chaotic crossing filled with hundreds of people walking in different directions. A street crossing may seem trivial, but the sheer size, complexity, and the overwhelming number of people made it fascinating. Shibuya Crossing is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world! We stopped to watch people cross at least five separate times, then joined in ourselves a couple of times.

Hachikō Statue

While you’re at Shibuya Crossing, make sure to stop by the Hachikō Statue just outside of Shibuya Station. This statue is modeled after the famous Akita dog named Hachikō, the “most loyal dog in Japan”, who waited for his owner to return from his commute each day outside of Shibuya Station in the 1920s. After his owner died, Hachikō continued to come to wait for his return at the station daily for 9 years. The story of the dog Hachikō’s loyalty has become a symbol of pride for Japan and this statue was created in his honor.

Tsukiji Fish Market

The Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is one of the oldest and largest fish markets in the world, famous for its sprawling wholesale fish and food selection. The area is tightly packed with booths and shops of owners selling their wares, everything from ceramics to knives, as well as innumerable food stalls and restaurants. You will have no trouble finding fresh fish to eat here. This bustling market is the perfect place to hunt for souvenirs and try some ultra-fresh sushi!

Udon Shin

Udon Shin in Shinjuku was literally my favorite meal from my entire trip to Japan. The flavorful broth, the soft noodles, the tender meat… I definitely recommend giving Udon Shin a try while you’re in Tokyo in the Shinjuku area. Expect a bit of a wait when you come here as this is a popular spot for good reason. We arrived around 6:30pm and had about a 45minute wait in the chilly autumn rain. In the meantime, you can scour the Udon Shin Yelp reviews and get hyped.

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Day 9: Goodbye, Japan!

Tokyo to Narita Airport

Another travel day, but this one much sadder than the first day because it is leaving Japan. I went to the nearby Shinjuku Station and took an express train back to Narita airport directly from there. Since I bought the 7-day Japan Rail Pass and it expired that day, I went to the ticket booth to buy my ticket. It was about $30 USD and you can pay with a credit card (a good thing for me since I was out of yen at this point).

If your rail pass isn’t going to be expired, I would recommend taking the rail to Tokyo Station and then riding the JR Narita Express (NEX) from there, as it will be no extra cost with a JR Pass. After about a one hour ride watching the final glimpses of Japan flash by your window, you will be back at the Narita Airport where you started your journey through Japan. Go to your terminal, check in for your flight, make it through airport security… you know the drill.

Until Next Time

One week is not enough time to fully explore any country and I can’t wait to return to Japan someday to delve deeper into its culture. I want to see the cherry blossom season and climb Mt. Fuji! To learn more about my one week in Japan and the things that I did there, make sure to check out the individual blog posts listed below. They can provide you with a lot more in-depth information and tips about each specific experience from my itinerary.

Are you planning a trip to Japan?

If you found this One Week in Japan Itinerary helpful, you can pin it using one of the Pinterest images below so you can refer back to it before your trip to Japan. Share it with your travel partner or anyone else who might find it useful! For more travel tips, guides, and itineraries, subscribe to Adventures with Pinny on YouTube or follow us on Instagram to keep up with our adventures!

If you’ve been to Japan, what things would you recommend doing there? If you’re planning a trip to Japan, what are you most excited for? Tell me in the comments below! Or let me know if you have any questions about my Japan trip or itinerary. Thanks for stopping by my blog!