Japan
Kyoto’s back alleys, Tokyo’s neon, and the trains that connect them — a country where the in-between moments are half the trip.
Best time to visit
March – May, Oct – Nov
Fly into
Tokyo (HND/NRT)
Good for
Food, culture, cities
Suggested stay
10–14 nights
Two cities, one very good train
Tokyo and Kyoto make the obvious spine of a first trip, and they earn it — neon-lit Shibuya crossings on one end, temple gardens and geisha districts on the other. The Shinkansen between them takes just over two hours, so don’t rush either city to save travel time.
If you have the extra days, Osaka splits the difference: better street food than either of its neighbors, a rowdier nightlife scene, and an easy day trip to Nara’s temple deer along the way.
What the week actually looks like
Mornings in Kyoto belong to the temples — Fushimi Inari’s torii gates and the bamboo grove at Arashiyama are worth reaching before eight, when the tour groups are still at breakfast. Afternoons slow into tea houses and back-alley shops in Gion and Higashiyama.
Tokyo runs at a different pace — mornings at Tsukiji Outer Market for the freshest sushi breakfast you’ll ever eat, afternoons bouncing between neighborhoods by train, evenings chasing the neon through Shinjuku or a quiet izakaya down a side street.
Worth building your trip around
Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto
Thousands of vermilion torii gates climbing the mountain — go at dawn to have the trail mostly to yourself.
Tsukiji Outer Market, Tokyo
The old fish market’s outer stalls still serve the best sushi breakfast in the city, no reservation needed.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto
A quiet corridor of towering bamboo that photographs better than words describe it — early morning only.