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東京 → 箱根・富士 → 金沢 → 京都 → 大阪 → 奈良 → 広島 → 福岡

14 days across Japan: Tokyo to Fukuoka

Two weeks, from the capital to Kyushu, with mountains, a garden city on the Sea of Japan and the west coast in between. It asks for long rail days, so it leans on walking everywhere else.

days
14
cities
8
stops
46
Jump to the day-by-day plan
A pond with stepping stones, a stone lantern and pine trees in Kenroku-en garden, Kanazawa
Kenroku-en, Kanazawa

Passes, walking and not overpaying

  • This is the route where a rail pass is a real question. There are several long rides, so add up single fares and compare them with a pass at current prices before you commit.
  • Hakone and the Fuji lakes use local buses, trains and ferries with their own passes. Check what is on offer and whether it covers your days.
  • Between the long rides, the days are built around free grounds, parks and districts you can walk. Keep the paid sights for the ones you will remember.

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 Hakone

    Out to Hakone: the open-air museum, Ōwakudani's volcanic valley, Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine. Local transport links them, so check fares and passes first.

    1. Hakone Open-Air MuseumCulture
    2. ŌwakudaniNature
    3. Lake AshiNature
    4. Hakone ShrineCulture
    Lake Ashi in Hakone seen over a wooden fence, with a boat on the water and mountains beyond
    Lake Ashi, Hakone

  5. Day 5: Hakone to Fuji lakes

    Move around to the Fuji lakes: the pagoda viewpoint at Chureito, Lake Kawaguchi and the spring-fed ponds at Oshino Hakkai. On a clear day you may see the mountain; do not count on it.

    1. Chureito PagodaLandmark
    2. Lake KawaguchiNature
    3. Oshino HakkaiNature

  6. Day 6: Fuji lakes to Kanazawa

    A travel day to Kanazawa. Walk out of the station, browse Ōmichō Market for lunch and finish in the old teahouse streets of Higashi Chaya.

    1. Kanazawa StationTransport
    2. Ōmichō MarketFood
    3. Higashi Chaya DistrictCulture

  7. Day 7: Kanazawa

    Kanazawa on foot: the samurai quarter, the castle park, Kenroku-en and the contemporary art museum sit in the same part of town, so walking works well; check the map in the planner. Check opening hours for the art museum and the garden.

    1. Nagamachi Samurai DistrictCulture
    2. Kanazawa CastleLandmark
    3. Kenroku-en GardenNature
    4. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary ArtCulture

  8. Day 8: Kanazawa to Kyoto

    Another travel day, kept light: arrive at Kyoto Station, then the covered market and the riverside lane of Pontochō in the evening.

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

  9. Day 9: 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

  10. Day 10: 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

  11. Day 11: 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

  12. Day 12: Osaka to Hiroshima

    Osaka Castle in the morning, then west to Hiroshima for the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Park, which is outdoors. Give the afternoon the time it deserves.

    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

  13. Day 13: Hiroshima to Fukuoka

    The Miyajima shrine and its torii in the morning, then Daishō-in on the hill. Take the evening train to Hakata and finish at Canal City. Check the timetable and fares for the long ride.

    1. Miyajima Itsukushima ShrineCulture
    2. Daishō-inCulture
    3. Canal City HakataShopping
    The large torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the water off Miyajima island
    The torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima

  14. Day 14: Fukuoka

    The last day, kept loose around your flight. Dazaifu Tenmangū is the day's main outing; if time is short, drop it and stay in Hakata for Kushida Shrine and a lap of Ōhori Park.

    1. Dazaifu TenmangūCulture
    2. Kushida ShrineCulture
    3. Ōhori ParkNature
    A wooden shrine hall with a tiled roof among trees, beside a paved path, in the grounds of Dazaifu Tenmangū
    Shrine grounds at Dazaifu Tenmangū, Fukuoka Prefecture

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.