Japan is a unique country to visit, but there is so much to do, it would be difficult to pick your route. Underneath you can find the perfect 3.5-week itinerary for a trip to Japan. Note that the itinerary is not going to the north of the country, which should be cool. Of course, you can delete parts you do not prefer, but it is a good one to see. The itinerary is especially for first-timers, so start looking for the perfect route in Japan!

3.5-week itinerary 

Day 1: Arrival

Most people will arrive at Tokyo at first, and for me, that is the perfect start to this great country as well. Most people will have jet lag, so on the first day I will not do too much so you can have a rest. Depending on the time of arrival, you can visit a site in the neighbourhood of your accommodation and have a nice dinner. 

Days 2-5: Tokyo

Tokyo is the famous capital of Japan, and it has so many highlights that it is impossible to discover all the fantastic locations. In my opinion the best way to discover the city is to explore it neighbourhood for neighbourhood with the highlights in it. You can visit 1-3 per day depending on which one. The most important ones to visit are Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Yanaka, and Akihabara. Do not forget to do sumo training and the early visit to the Toyosu market for the tuna auction. Below I have a page about the details of the things to do in Tokyo per area:

Day 6: Tokyo - Hakone

Today you can take the trip to Hakone from Shinjuku station with the Hakone Free Pass. You can do this throughout the day. You have the option to go in the morning and have a relaxed day in Hakone to visit an onsen (often in the ryokans and accommodations here). I would recommend visiting Toyosu in the morning with the Toyosu Market and TeamLab Planets. Afterwards you can go to Hakone in 2.5 hours by public transportation. 

Day 7: Hakone Loop

Today you should do the Hakone Loop to discover this area. If you are lucky, you will have a view of Mount Fuji. To do this loop you will take the scenic train, cable car, ropeway, boat, hike and bus. This is a fantastic loop to do. In the evening you can relax and head to an onsen. 

Day 8: Hakone - Kiso Valley

Today you will go to the Kiso Valley, and it will take around 5 hours using several modes of transportation. In the evening you can have a relaxing day in an onsen.

Day 9: Magome-Tsumago hike

Today you will do one of my favourite things to do in Japan. First have a small exploration of Magome, and afterwards have a 2-3 hour hike to Tsumago. You will go through nature and villages. Enjoy your lunch in the cute village of Tsumago and have a walk around here. You can extend the route by hiking for one more hour to Nagiso Station. 

Day 10: Kiso Valley - Takayama

You will head to Takayama for a trip of 5 hours. In the village you can relax or discover the city for a while. Try the first Hida beef or take a sake tasting. Have a stroll at Sanmachi Suji, the most important highlight of the village. 

Day 11: Takayama

Explore the city more. You can do all the things from yesterday, but most importantly hike the Higashiyama hiking course. This is a pathway for 5.5 kilometres, passing many temples and nature. You can also visit museums and temples. The village is pretty small, so you can easily visit many sights in a day. You can even fit in a 1.5-hour trip to Hida, which has canals with koi in them. It is only a 15-minute train ride, so you can easily do it. 

Day 12: Takayama - Shirakawago - Kanazawa

After breakfast take the bus to Shirakawago, which will take around an hour, and leave your luggage at the station. Shirakawago is a fantastic village with very cool houses to discover. Make sure you head to the impressive viewpoint. After spending a couple of hours here, head further to Kanazawa in an hour and enjoy your dinner. 

Day 13: Kanazawa 

In Kanazawa there are a lot of cool things to do. There is a cool market, a castle, museums, three geisha districts, a samurai district, and the most famous site is the Kenrokuen Garden. This is one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan. These sights are must-sees in Kanazawa!

Day 14: Kanazawa - Kyoto

In the morning visit the sights you have not seen yet. After lunch take a two-hour train ride towards Kyoto. Enjoy the rest of the evening or explore a neighbourhood.

Day 15-18: Kyoto (and Nara)

Kyoto is one of the biggest highlights of the country. During these days you can explore the many, many, many temples that are located here. There are more sights, so you will not be bored in this city. Do not forget to make a day trip to the city of deer (and more temples), Nara. 

Day 19: Kyoto - Osaka

Head early to Osaka after a 30-40 minute train ride. In Osaka, enjoy the main sights like the Osaka Castle, the Aquarium and the Ferris wheel. The highlight of Osaka is in the evening. You should visit Dotonbori, where you will be amazed by all the lights and impressions. 

Day 20: Osaka - Hiroshima 

After breakfast head to Hiroshima by a two-hour train ride. After arriving at the city, head to the Peace Memorial Museum and the park. Do not miss visiting the Atomic Bomb Dome. This may be a rough day, but it is very good to do, as this belongs also to the country. 

Day 21: Miyajima Island

Make a day trip from Hiroshima to the great Miyajima Island. Take a one-hour ferry ride and walk around the island to see the famous shrine, several temples, great views, and deer. This is a great place to visit. After returning, you can visit some sights in Hiroshima, like the castle. 

Day 22: Hiroshima - Nagasaki

Take the longer trip of 4 hours to Nagasaki. Have lunch in the biggest Chinatown in Japan and see the first sights of the city, like the viewpoint from Mount Inasa and Dejima Island. 

Day 23: Nagasaki

This day is another tough day, as you will find out about the atomic bomb that landed here. There are two small parks, a memorial, a damaged shrine and an impressive museum about this horrific event very close to each other. In the afternoon you can see some other sights like Glover Garden and the Dutch Slope.

Day 24: Nagasaki - Fukuoka

Head to Fukuoka in two hours by train. After lunch, check out what you want to do. The city is perfect to do the last things you want to do in Japan. Make sure you visit the yatai stalls, which are so cool and popular, so come early, and taste some ramen. The city is pretty cool and not touristy at all.

Day 25: Depart

Unfortunately today is the day to leave this unique country.

Add to the itinerary 

Japan is a huge country with a lot of fantastic sights. This itinerary has a lot of interesting things to see, but there are also some more throughout the country. For example, I did not visit the north of Japan, which should be amazing.

If you want to know more about this amazing country, check out: