Help pls with Japan 9 night itinerary

For the first few days, you'll be in Tokyo, hitting up the cool modern spots and the old-school vibe. Then on day three, you could do a day trip from Tokyo, lots to see like Hakone for nature or Kamakura for chill temples. After that, hop on the bullet train over to Kyoto. You'll spend a few days there, exploring old streets, golden temples, red gates, and the bamboo forest. From Kyoto, maybe another day trip, could be Nara to see the deer, or perhaps Hiroshima for some history. Then it's back to Tokyo for a last chance at souvenirs or favorite spots before you fly home.

Well, I am going ahead of you.

I am going to go to Tokyo late September to take a 14 day cruise to Seoul.

This will be my first time in Asia and I did feel overwhelmed in the beginning but this forum has really helped along with a lot of research.

I have spent hours and I mean hours watching you tube videos and they have been very helpful.

Besides this forum, there are helpful facebook pages if you are on facebook. and I have also used the Trip Advisor forum which can seem a little complicated in the beginning .

Try searching Japan on this forum. There are some questions and answers as well as trip reports. Go to Beyond Europe and there is a Search at the top. Just type in Japan.

But I am also expecting other forum members are going to jump in and respond to this discussion.

Myself, I am choosing to stay in Yokohama because my ship sails from Yokohama.

I am hoping to be be able to post reviews as I go along and then a trip report after getting home.

I am not one for guidebooks but I think a guidebook would be. a big help for you.

And check out Japan Visitor Information online. There is an official one but also some very good unofficial ones.

I may be among the first to answer you but I know that other members are right behind me.

Here is a thread that was begun over. year ago. It piqued my interest in Japan and now I am leaving in less than 3 months

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/japan-5af6c49f-5393-499f-b2aa-6cf6b4392ecb

Be aware that Cherry Blossom season begins in late March and runs through May. While it makes everything beautiful, it also brings big crowds and higher prices.

Plan early.

With nine nights, I wouldn't plan to move around much. Like most first time visitors, you'll probably want to focus on bases in Tokyo and Kyoto,

From each, you could also plan to do some day trips. Perhaps even a one night stop in Hakone enroute to Kyoto to experience a relaxing ryokan. (The area is beautiful.)

Two pieces of advice I would give--make sure you have cash as Japan is not all credit card yet...and....learn the unwritten rules of behavior.

Once outside the modern cities, Japan is a beautiful country that is run very efficiently.

While English is not as widely spoken as it is in much of Europe, signs in train stations are in Japanese and English. Announcements are also made in both Japanese and English.

Japan Guide, with which I am not affiliated, is an excellent free resource to help you plan your trip. They have itinerary suggestions, a bit fast-paced to my liking, but a good starting point nonetheless!

In general:

• If you land early enough, ideally in Haneda, you can take the train straight to Kyoto and start there for 3-4 nights
• Then you can spend 1-2 nights somewhere between Kyoto and Tokyo, such as Hakone or Kanazawa
• And finish with 4-5 nights in Tokyo

We were just in Japan this past March/April for 3 weeks. Here’s some tips -

You need just 2 nights in Osaka - the draw here is the food scene. Your son will love it. We saw a Sumo Show here too which was fun! We also did a wonderful food tour in the evening.

Kyoto is more traditional Japanese, or what we think of when thinking of visiting Japan. This is Geisha territory. During the month of April is when they have the geisha dance shows. Google to check the dates. Check Midori Odori on the internet.

Tokyo would be where I would spend most of my time. It’s amazing and wonderful and fun.

The trains between each are quick. Read up about the local customs and get ready to stand in line. The Japanese people are very patient. The subway system is easy to use, all signage is in English. Google translate was our friend the entire trip.

We wasted one day going to see Mt Fuji and Hakone. There was still snow at Mt Fuji so we could not get anywhere near it, just saw the top from a parking lot. Unless you are going to spend a few days in Hakone, with such a short amount of time I would take a pass.

Have fun, Japan is so interested and fun and overwhelming and we would go back in a minute.

Thank you to everyone who have jumped in with their suggestions - very helpful.

I had started doing some research myself:

Was thinking 3 nights Tokyo - Osaka/Kyoto 5 nights, then circle back to Tokyo.

Based on mostly everyone's suggestions, seems like everyone is favoring Kyoto over Osaka? I would prefer a traditional Japan experience so seems like Kyoto will tick off this requirement. And as a history buff, I would be doing Hiroshima from Kyoto.

As 9 nights is not a lot of time, I would limit our base to Tokyo and Kyoto.

Where would I be able to fit Mt Fuji, logistics wise?

I (60F) spent 14 nights in Japan with my 2 adult sons (30, 27) in May, 2024.
You can read my trip report by clicking on my name and looking through my threads.

I agree with not moving around too much during your 9 nights.

A few comments:

Think about staying in Asakusa neighborhood in Tokyo. It is quiet with traditional buildings and the beautiful Senso-ji temple. Then you can take day trips into the other neighborhoods.

It is true that Kyoto has a lot of history. My favorite part of visiting Kyoto was wandering through the neighborhoods east of the river and seeing as many shrines and temples as possible. They are everywhere. We enjoyed the smaller, less known shrines the best.
Kyoto is spread out. I would recommend using the taxis when needed. They aren't expensive.

Consider getting a goshuincho. It is a book that you take to each shrine and temple and collect a calligraphy "stamp" that is unique to each temple and shrine. Now I have a personalized piece of art on my bookshelf at home.

Before I went to Japan, someone here on the forum stated they loved Osaka and would skip Kyoto. It made me mad. But after going, I must say I nearly agree with him. If I go back for a second trip, I would go back to Osaka and not Kyoto. Or at least, I would stay in Osaka and visit Kyoto as a day trip. I believe that your son will really love Osaka. The people are more outgoing and it is fun just to wander the streets. Perhaps my favorite activity was going to a baseball game. It was a terrific experience being with so many Japanese people in an arena at one time. You can really feel Japanese society in that way.

If you have any specific questions, ask away!

Another thing.

Some of the best times we had were just setting off randomly on foot. See as many neighborhood as you can.

There are two excellent reddit forums for Japan travel. r/JapanTravel and r/JapanTravelTips. JapanTravel is a great place to submit potential itineraries for comments and to check other's plans for idea. JapanTravelTips is a more general Q&A forum.

A great day trip from Tokyo is Nikko, you see mountains and temples and rivers. The "real" Japan.

The mood seems to be against guidebooks, they have been helping people plan trips since long before the intergoogles. Get a Fodors and a Frommers, it's a small amount of money well spent. And of course they have suggested itineraries.

You'll also need to research the rail pass which you need to buy beforehand to see if it pencils out for you, it may not.

There are Japan-centric travel agencies in SF, LA and Seattle if you need/want assistance.

I enjoyed Kyoto (a number of years ago).
Here's another opinion - Zero Zen - How Kyoto, Japan Became the World's Loveliest Tourist-Trap

If you are thinking about a Tokyo and Kyoto trip, consider using Osaka for one of your international flights. That will save you having to go back to Tokyo. We flew into Osaka and out of Tokyo for our first Japan trip.

If being on Mount Fuji is really important to you, it can be done as a day trip from Tokyo but is a bit challenging. I did it while living in Tokyo with friends who really wanted to go during their brief visit; my own (earlier) tourist trip to Fuji involved staying a couple of nights in Fujikawaguchi (highly recommended). Keep in mind being on Mount Fuji doesn't give you the classic views of Mount Fuji. ORDTraveler gave you the advice for that.

The best routing is to reserve the Keio highway bus from Shinjuku in advance. That takes you directly to the Fifth Station (more or less halfway up the mountain). From there you can hike to the Sixth station or hike around the mountain with less elevation gain. I've done both and thought the hike around the mountain was more interesting. There are lots of places to eat at the Fifth Station and it is an interesting cultural experience in itself.

If the bus is sold out, you can also take the train but it takes longer. Take the JR Chuo line to Otsuki and then the Fujikyu Railway. I believe the Fujikyu Railway also runs an express on that route that doesn't require the change of trains. The express train requires a separate, higher priced ticket. From the train station, we took a local bus up to the Fifth Station.

We loved every…single…thing about our visit to Japan. We have such great memories. Favorites are: staying at a Buddhist monastery (the one closest to the cemetery entrance) on Mt. Koya and walking through the cemetery, Koyasan Okunion, at night; the Torii gates in Kyoto; everything Kanazawa; and, unexpectedly, Tokyo. Koyasan is what stands out most. If you can trek from Kyoto, or Osaka, for an overnight there, it will be well worth it. Travel via public transportation in Japan, train and bus, was easy. Have a great trip!

I know you mentioned that you have 9 nights, but may I ask that you extend your trip???? Japan has tons to offer and trying to jam too much into 9 nights means you will spend much time in transit and little in relaxing and enjoying.

If you cannot extend your stay, then just do Tokyo (with day trip to Hakone) and Kyoto. Late Mar - early Apr is sakura season. It's very scenic, romantic, and, unfortunately, crowded.

Thank you for all the inputs.

I know public transport in Japan is highly reliable. But would it be pushing it if we stayed in Kyoto the night before our 5pm fight in Narita?

I wish I could do the trip longer but for now, it is our only available time, it being spring break.

ORDtraveler,

Thank you for your thoughts. I had finally booked our flights and will be flying in and out of Haneda, not Narita. Flight is at 630 PM. We had decided to spend the last night in Kyoto and travel to Tokyo the morning of departure and keep our fingers crossed.

Thoughts on daytrip to Hakone versus the Fuji Five Lakes? I know a seeing the Mt Fuji would not be guaranteed and all that, but how about the experience and overall excursion? For context, we plan on doing daytrips from Kyoto to Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima.

My knee jerk reaction is to say Hakone over Five Lakes for just a day trip. Odakyu Railways does a Hakone Free Pass that allows you to ride all the transportation options through Hakone and they connect in a nice loop for a day trip. I believe the pass also gets you a discount on your train ticket from Shinjuku to Odawara. I bought mine at Shinjuku just before departure.

Transportation and decisions are more complicated for a Five Lakes day trip.

Thank you, HK.

I was thinking of spending a night in Hakone but also did not want to be tied down to a particular day to do Hakone if that makes sense? We have 4 nights in Tokyo before going to Kyoto and was going to do Hakone depending on weather on that particular day.

In 2021, I visited Tokyo with my wife as part of a two-day side trip from the Philippines.

I strongly recommend a visit to Rikugien Garden: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3026.html. It was unquestionably the best thing I did.

I also loved a visit to the Sensoji Temple: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html.

The Tokyo National Museum was great: https://www.tnm.jp/?lang=en. Unbelievably, I found an exhibit in there from the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago. The exhibit was sent from Japan to Chicago and then made it back.

You mention culture. There's an area of Tokyo where all the cultural sites are collected: the symphony, a playhouse, the opera, some museums. It's essentially in the same area as the Tokyo National Museum (above). Why not hear some music or go to a performing arts event.

You are wise to use public transportation. The Tokyo system is complex, but you'll get used to it. We used the Tokyo subway the whole time and became adept at it quickly. We bought a one-day pass and moved everywhere throughout the city.