A Sample Vacation Itinerary for Tokyo and Kyoto
Here's a sample travel itinerary for Japon (source VoyageForum):
Here's a sample travel itinerary for Japon (source VoyageForum):
TOKYO (Part 1):
Saturday: Arrival in Tokyo
- Arrival at 7am at the station
- 8am: the Keisei line offers two trains to reach Ueno station on the east side of the city
- 10am: drop off luggage at the hotel
- Afternoon: Ueno Park + Yamashiroya store (across from the train station) and 15 minutes away Akihabara to browse through manga shops
- watch a sumo tournament at Ryogoku
- visit the Asakusa district and Shumid Park
- Ameyoko Market
- Senso-ji Buddhist Temple: Tokyo's oldest temple, built in 645
- Evening: Asakusa no hanabi (magnificent fireworks)
Sunday (sleep in a capsule hotel):
- Shinjuku: go to the top of the city hall for a 360° view of Tokyo
- Takeshita-dori: very trendy neighborhood and take photos at the photo booth
- Omotesando: buy souvenirs and eat at Hiroba (Kiddy Land)
- Yoyogi koen: entrance to a park with completely wild young people
- Shibuya crossing: the most bustling square
- Jingu-mae (the young manga crowd)
- Ginza district to watch a single act of traditional Japanese Kabuki theater (approximately 40 minutes for 800 yen), which seems like the best option. You just need to arrive at the last moment and go up to the fourth floor where you'll have to stand.
Kabuki-za in Tokyo:
4-12-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Higashi Ginza Metro, exit 3.
Tel: (03) 5565 - 6000
Performances typically start around 11am and 4pm
- An onsen in the heart of Tokyo hot spring mineral water/public bath SWIMSUIT (otherwise it's completely nude!). There are plenty of onsens or public baths in Tokyo.
- Evening: the NEW YORK BAR (jazz orchestra) at the top of the tall tower of the Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel
- Return to Shibuya for an unusual bar, but you can also see shopping at 109 for girls and 109-2 for guys, there's also Condomia (quirky condom shop)
Monday:
- Daytime: visit to the Suntory Art Museum (Japanese design)
- Evening: stroll through Roppongi (find an unusual and trendy spot)
- Tokyo City View Tower - Midtown (Tokyo's tallest tower)
Tuesday:
- Morning: TSUKIJI fish market, try: sushi of course but also okonomiyaki, tempura, ramen, many pastry shops
- Daytime: The Imperial Palace at Marunouchi and Shinjuku (stroll) or Odaiba
- Overnight bus to KYOTO
KYOTO
Wednesday:
- Rent a bicycle for a day and follow the Kamogawa river along the north-south axis without traffic
- The Golden and Silver Pavilions
- Nijo Castle (9am to 4pm) 600 yen
- Ninomaru - the Ninomaru Garden (with its stone decorations around the pond)
Then cross the second moat to reach the Honmaru Palace & the Seiryu-en Garden (typical Japanese garden from the Edo period)
- Evening: you can see geishas in Gion - it's the traditional district, position yourself near the theater around 5:45pm - 6pm
- Then cross the river to reach the nearby Ponto-cho
- Kamogawa and Kawaramachi dori where you'll find most of Kyoto's bars and clubs
(architecture and museum of the future: Aomi)
- Take a bus or train to see the beautiful view (370 yen)
Thursday:
- Juingo-Ji: perched on Mount Takao (breathtaking scenery, incredible setting, above a river and valley with a small village)
- Kawarake (clay disc that you throw from the top of a cliff for wishes) come by bus (JR line toward Takao/Keihobu, get off at: Yamashiro Takao) go down stairs, cross a bridge and climb a slope for about ten minutes)
- sightseeing tours to visit all the palaces and temples (the Shogun's Palace, the Golden Pavilion and the zen garden of Ryôan-ji)
TOKYO (Part 2)
Friday:
- National Art Center (14,000 sq. meters of exhibition space)
- BUS to NIKKO - Find a RYOKAN there or BUS to KAMAKURA - Find a RYOKAN there
Saturday:
- NIKKO (2 hours) Day trip to Nikko (30,000 inhabitants... small town?!)
- KAMAKURA (1 hour near Yokohama) See the temples and the massive 11-meter tall Buddha
TOKYO (Part 3)
- Ginza or Ikebukuro, places full of souvenir shops
- Consider staying in a Love Hotel
Frequently asked questions
This itinerary includes approximately one to two weeks total, with several days in Tokyo (with excursions to Nikko or Kamakura) and two to three days in Kyoto. To fully enjoy both cities without rushing, plan for ideally 10 to 12 days.
The fastest solution is the Shinkansen (high-speed train), which connects Tokyo to Kyoto in approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Japan Rail Pass covers this route and can be very cost-effective for a multi-week stay. It's also possible to take an overnight bus, which is cheaper but takes longer.
For a first-time visit, the must-see neighborhoods are Shinjuku (panoramic view from City Hall, nightlife), Shibuya (famous crossing), Asakusa (Senso-ji temple and traditional atmosphere) and Akihabara (manga and electronics culture).
The best place to catch sight of geishas (called maiko in Kyoto) is the Gion district. Position yourself near the Gion Kaburenjo theater around 5:45pm-6pm on weekdays. Be discreet and respectful: avoid photographing them without permission.
If your trip includes Tokyo, Kyoto, Nikko, and Kamakura, the Japan Rail Pass is very advantageous. It covers most Shinkansen and JR train routes. For a trip limited to Tokyo, an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) may suffice.
