First Trip to Japan

We are just in the process of finalizing our 22 day trip to Japan through Inside Japan. recommended here by a few posters. We are 2 couples and they planned an hybrid guided/self guided tour for us. We will be visiting Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, back to Tokyo again.
They will book the hotels, trains, and some actitivities such as a flower arranging class, tea ceremony, kimono session with photos, woodblock printing class, Disney Sea tickets, Mt. Fuji and Hokane day trip, 2 food tours, a few walking tours, Sumo and Kabuki tickets to name a few.
We will be traveling end of March 2025 and are beyond excited.

Tokyo, use TripAdvisor.com things to do and don't miss going north to Nikko it is amazing.
Kyoto is great, plan to spend minimum of 2-3 days there.
Osaka Castle is nice to see as well.
Also, Himeji Castle is a must see. it is in Himeji.

It is possible to plan a trip to Japan on your own, but I feel first-timers would benefit greatly from assistance from a company such as the one suggested above.

I will mention another option, since you mention that you are active and like to walk a lot. That is a fully guided hiking tour on the Nakasendo historic path, starting in Kyoto and ending in Tokyo, visiting small traditional villages along the way. You stay in small inns or ryokans, with tatami rooms, soaking tubs or hotspring baths, and wonderful food. In Kyoto and Tokyo you stay in high-end hotels with Western-style rooms).

After this experience you will be prepared to travel independently for the second half of your trip, spending more time in Tokyo and Kyoto if you like, then riding the Shinkansen (bullet train) down to Hiroshima, then back to Osaka to experience that city before flying home from Kansai airport.

The company we have used for the guided hiking is MT Sobek; 2 trips with them in Japan. The group has been small, 7-10 people, and the Japanese guides are wonderful. They include some experiences that would have been difficult to arrange on one’s own (including amazing restaurants that we would never have found or attempted) and a good introduction to the history and culture of Japan.

This is their Nakasendo tour:

https://www.mtsobek.com/trips/asia/japan/japan-kyoto-to-tokyo-walking/

Last November we did the Kumano Kodo trail with them, and that was also great, but it does not include Tokyo.

Time-wise, our favorite time to go is November, during koyo, the fall color season, but Kyoto temples are more crowded at that time. Friends of ours favor sakura, cherry blossom season, but that is even more crowded. Mid-summer is hot and humid, and late summer is the typhoon season.

I’m in Japan at the moment. Third trip post-Covid, all planned by myself.

Your stops are all “standard” NOT a criticism, but this means lots of info available. There are many good guide books and online info as well as TripAdvisor which has excellent Japan experts.

There are several other Japan threads here - search in Beyond Europe. Many links to helpful guides such as https://www.japan-guide.com/ Similar one for Kyoto.

Kyoto and Osaka are commuting distance. You can probably do your day trips from either city if you find accommodation you like and don’t want to change. I have chatted with travelers catching a Shinkansen (bullet) from Kyoto to Hiroshima even though it may be a bit less time consuming from Osaka.

The main advice I would give is learn how the trains work and download both Navitime and Jorudan for transit planning. Train times, routes, platforms, cost, etc. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html. Lots of YouTubes also.

Also, don’t worry if you make a mistake on the train tickets or need to ask questions. English well spoken for typical questions. This trip, my “mistakes” include using an IC card on one of the few small routes that disallow them. (I missed the obvious English language signs….). No problem, see fare adjustment at the end - I was even given a printed explanation of my stops to hand to the officials. Obviously I am not the only oblivious traveler!

Adding - do you have a time frame? Cherry blossom season is very crowded as is fall leave color (koyo). I traveled just prior to both seasons in 2023, shoulder season that was delightful with few crowds. Of course, catching the cherry season or fall would be great if you don’t mind crowds and higher lodging costs.

My current trip was determined by my companion’s availability. I’ve lived in SE Asia, so high temp and humidity (heat stroke warning for today) is something I’m prepared for. There have been large crowds in the popular places while I’ve been here since mid-June.

I am currently planning my first trip to Japan. I admit that I was overwhelmed at first and then when I started the excitement just carried me through it. I am using this board, a couple books, Trip Advisor, https://www.japan-guide.com/, and instagram.

I just booked my flights for next May today; multi-city worked best for me, flying into Osaka and flying out of Tokyo (NRT).

My itinerary now is:
Osake - 1 night (experience the food and bar scene) mostly because we arrive to late for direct transport to our next stop.
Iya Valley - 3 nights (explore the island of Shikoku)
Kyoto - 4 nights (2 day trips, Himenji and another and 2 days for Kyoto
Open - 3 nights - City in Northern Honsu TBD
Tokyo - 4 nights

My fears are the transportation, and I thank other posters here for the links of Navitime and Jorudan, I am looking forward to checking them out.

Keep the great information coming, we all appreciate it so much!!!

I traveled in Japan with a friend independently 10 years ago. It ended up being much easier than I had anticipated. We used the Lonely Planet Japan and the Rough Guide Tokyo books plus online sources. One thing that really helped was that we each knew several people who had lived and/or traveled extensively in Japan who had good suggestions. By asking around, there maybe people you know who will be helpful and reassuring. Another thing that I had not understood until I was there was that although most people I encountered did not converse in English, most had learned enough English in school that they could read or sound out names of places, streets, museums, sites, cities etc written in English on a piece of paper or on a phone screen, and google translate was a big help. In the major cities you are visiting, train and metro stations have signs in English. I found I could walk into any major hotel and get help from the concierge. Department stores had information desks prepared to help tourists with local directions. I have never been anywhere where as many people go out of there way -- like accompanying you for blocks out of their way -- to help.

I know Japan, or the far east in general, seems overwhelming. However, don't fret. Japan is very organized and safe. Most transit signage is in Japanese and English.

How about this -- either do Inside Japan per recommendations here or hire a local guide for the first 2 days in Tokyo and Kyoto? The local guide can help you get oriented, esp. in Tokyo, which is fun but massive.

Also, the World Expo will be held in Osaka in 2025 (Apr till Oct). This means that it will be held outside cherry blossom and foliage seasons in most of the country. Something to think about.

Don't go during June-Sept when it's very hot and muggy. I went to Japan in March and Fall in 2023 and LOVED it. Cherry blossom season is shorter and may shift according to the weather. However, foliage season is longer and the weather is cool and dry.

You will get lots of good advice here and in Tripadvisor's Japan forum. Those folks were very helpful when I planned my trips.

Hi. Japan is a beautiful place. I suggest you go to Nishiki Market in Kyoto, it’s called “Kyoto’s Kitchen” because you can see top chefs and home cooks coming here for local ingredients and cooking items.

I'm in the early stages of planning a trip for 2026, but just wanted to let you know there is a thread here with so much info and links to look at when planning your Japan trip. You might want to check it out. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/japan-5af6c49f-5393-499f-b2aa-6cf6b4392ecb

This link explains the transit options in Tokyo. Scroll down a bit to “Getting Around”: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2017.html

I have found it very helpful to understand who “owns” which transit line when following signs at the larger Tokyo stations such as Shinjuku and Tokyo. For example, the Yamanote Line is a JR line. The first signs one sees when hoping to catch this line may be directions to “JR Lines” rather than “Yamanote”. Yamanote signs may be noticed after entering the JR gates.

Similarly, understanding the two operators of subways - Toei and Tokyo Metro - with different lines can make managing the large stations easier.

The officials at gate entrances are quite helpful if confused. English is generally quite sufficient to help with where to find a line.

There are also many Japan youtube videos. Some more for sightseeing. Some more for practicalities of travel. Especially like everywhere things are changing quickly such as payment and public transportation. Youtube can be the most recent information available. For example for my own planning for next year I like a youtube channel made by a young American family that goes by the name Kensho Quest.