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東京 → 京都 → 奈良 → 大阪 → 広島

10 days in Japan: Tokyo to Hiroshima

The seven-day route, stretched west. You add Nara, a day in Hiroshima and an island day on Miyajima, with the long rail rides spread out so no day is only a train.

days
10
cities
5
stops
32
Jump to the day-by-day plan
The large torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the water off Miyajima island
The torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima

Passes, walking and not overpaying

  • This route has more long rail rides, so it is the one where a rail pass is most worth checking. Add up single fares for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima and compare them with a pass at current prices.
  • Nara and Miyajima are easy to do on foot once you arrive. Check whether the ferry to the island is covered by your pass or sold separately.
  • Nara Park and the shrine grounds in Tokyo and Kyoto are free to enter, which keeps the early days cheap.

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Tokyo

    Arrive, drop your bags and stay close to Shinjuku while your body clock catches up. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has free observation decks, and the alleys of Omoide Yokochō are a short walk from the station for a cheap, small meal.

    1. Shinjuku StationTransport
    2. Tokyo Metropolitan Government BuildingLandmarkObservation decks are free
    3. Omoide YokochōFood
    Crowds of pedestrians crossing the Shibuya scramble crossing in Tokyo, with tall screens and buildings around the junction
    Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

  2. Day 2: Tokyo

    A walkable day from forest to crossing. Start in the shrine grounds, which are free to walk through, then drift down through Harajuku on foot and finish at the Shibuya scramble, which costs nothing to watch.

    1. Meiji ShrineCultureShrine grounds are free
    2. HarajukuShopping
    3. Shibuya CrossingLandmarkFree

  3. Day 3: Tokyo

    The old east side. Sensō-ji's grounds are free, Ueno Park is free to wander and Akihabara is for browsing rather than buying. Check the map in the planner and walk where it looks sensible; otherwise a short subway hop is usually cheaper than a taxi.

    1. Sensō-jiCultureTemple grounds are free
    2. Ueno ParkNaturePark is free
    3. AkihabaraShopping

  4. Day 4: Tokyo to Kyoto

    A travel day, kept light on purpose. Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, check in, then walk the covered Nishiki Market and the riverside lane of Pontochō in the evening. Check current fares for single tickets and for a rail pass before you buy anything.

    1. Tokyo StationTransport
    2. Kyoto StationTransport
    3. Nishiki MarketFood
    4. PontochōFood
    A path lined with rows of vermilion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto
    Torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto

  5. Day 5: Kyoto

    Start early at Fushimi Inari, whose shrine grounds are free to walk, and climb only as far as you like. Then cross to the eastern hills for Kiyomizu-dera and finish in Gion, where wandering the streets costs nothing.

    1. Fushimi Inari TaishaCultureShrine grounds are free
    2. Kiyomizu-deraCulture
    3. GionCulture

  6. Day 6: Kyoto

    The western side of the city: the bamboo and riverside of Arashiyama, the Zen garden at Tenryū-ji, then Kinkaku-ji. Local buses and trains join them, so compare a day pass with single fares on the day.

    1. ArashiyamaNature
    2. Tenryū-jiCulture
    3. Kinkaku-jiCulture

  7. Day 7: Nara to Osaka

    A day trip to Nara, then on to Osaka for the night. Nara Park is free to enter and the sights are close together, so this is a day for walking: Tōdai-ji, Kasuga-taisha and the deer. Finish in Dōtonbori for street food.

    1. Nara StationTransport
    2. Nara ParkNaturePark is free
    3. Tōdai-jiCulture
    4. Kasuga-taishaCulture
    5. DōtonboriFood
    Close view of a sika deer's head with two other deer beside it on bare ground
    Deer in Nara

  8. Day 8: Osaka to Hiroshima

    Osaka Castle in the morning, then the train west to Hiroshima. In the afternoon walk the Peace Memorial Park, which is outdoors, and see the Atomic Bomb Dome. Allow time to take it in rather than hurrying.

    1. Osaka CastleLandmark
    2. Atomic Bomb DomeLandmark
    3. Peace Memorial ParkCulture
    The ruined dome of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima seen from across the river
    The Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima

  9. Day 9: Hiroshima

    A day on Miyajima: the shrine and its torii gate, Daishō-in on the hillside, then the trails up Mount Misen if the weather is good. The ropeway is an alternative to walking; check current fares.

    1. Miyajima Itsukushima ShrineCulture
    2. Daishō-inCulture
    3. Mount MisenNature

  10. Day 10: Hiroshima

    A gentle last morning before you travel home. Hiroshima Castle and the garden at Shukkei-en are close enough to walk between, depending on your flight or train.

    1. Hiroshima CastleLandmark
    2. Shukkei-enNature

Before you go

Travel information (hours, prices, schedules) may be outdated. Verify details with official sources before your trip. This route lists no fares or opening hours for that reason: check current fares and times with the operators.

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Photo credits

These photographs show the places named. They are openly licensed pictures from Wikimedia Commons, not Tabiji’s own.