Sensoji temple gate, Japan
Japan,  Travel Itineraries

Japan Itinerary (17 days): Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima

As a first-time visitor to Japan, it makes sense to take ‘The Golden Route’ – i.e. Tokyo and Kyoto – to make sure you see all the best sights in the limited time you have.

But where to start?

Planning a trip to Japan can be honestly pretty overwhelming, even if you intend to use the Golden Route for some or all of your trip. With that in mind, here’s my 17-day Japan itinerary from my trip in 2018, which also includes Hiroshima and Miyajima. I’ve listed the main attractions I visited, although part of the fun is just to walk around and encounter things you’ve likely never seen before!

All of the itinerary below is accessible without a car. I also didn’t purchase a JR Pass for this trip as it didn’t make sense financially (there are several JR Rail Pass calculators available to work out if one is right for you but the ‘official’ one is here). 

As I start my Japan series I’ll be linking my posts to the below itinerary for easy viewing.  If you’d like to be alerted when new posts in the series come out, I’ll be posting these on social media as well as including these in my quarterly newsletter too!

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Tokyo
On this particular trip I stayed at the Shibuya Granbell Hotel which was a great location – it was less than a five minute walk to Shibuya station, and a seven minute walk to Shibuya Crossing. However, on subsequent visits I’ve also stayed at the B:Conte Aparthotel in Asakusa and the Super Premier Hotel Ginza, both of which were lovely (the Super Premier Hotel Ginza even has a sento, or public bath!) I’ve also stayed at the Sotetsu Fresa Inn Ginza Sanchome which is good if you’re on a budget (here you also get the experience of having sukiyaki/ yakiniku for breakfast!)
 
Day 1: Arrival!

Arrive into Haneda Airport, taking the Limousine Bus to Shibuya. Sleep.

 

Day 2: Asakusa and Akihabara

Get the subway from Shibuya to Asakusa. Explore Sensoji temple, Asakusa shrine and surrounding area in the morning, visit Akihabara in the afternoon for gachopon (capsule toys), videogame arcades and photobooths.

 

Day 3: Harajuku

Visit Meiji Jingu shrine and see the cool fashion of Harajuku. Visit Ikebukuro in the evening for the Pokémon Centre. (Since I visited, another Pokémon Centre AND a Nintendo store have opened in Shibuya which is probably easier to access than Ikebukuro).

Day 4: Hakone

Go on a day trip to Hakone, riding on the various types of transport (which includes cable car and pirate ship!) and exploring Owakudani, a volcanic valley.

 

Day 5: Odaiba

Visit teamLab Borderless at the Mori Digital Art Museum in Odaiba. Meet up with a friend in Roppongi for dinner.

 

Day 6: Shinkansen to Kyoto

Take it easy in Shibuya before jumping on the Shinkansen to Kyoto (journey time approx 2.5 hours). Similarly take it easy in Kyoto for the rest of the day.

 

Kyoto

I stayed at Hotel Kuu Kyoto, which was stylish, modern, and had a gorgeous onsen! It was also only a six-minute walk from Kyoto station.

Day 7: Arashiyama

Take the train to visit Arashiyama. Visit the various temples and shrines, wander through bamboo forest and shop for traditional souvenirs. Enjoy autumn leaves!

 

Day 8: Kyoto

Take the bus to visit the Kiyomizudera shrine complex. Shop for traditional souvenirs. Visit Yasaka shrine as well as Heian shrine. Do a bit more shopping!

NB I missed Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) off this trip as I didn’t have time. I visited on my second trip though – more info to come in due course!

 

Day 9: Fushimi Inari Taisha and Nara

Get the train to Fushimi Inari (i.e. the place on all the tourist websites with the red torii gates!) and walk part way up the mountain. Afterwards, head to Nara (again by train) to see and feed the deer and visit the various temples and shrines.

 

Day 10: Kurama

Visit Kurama by train (Kurama is a tiny village north of Kyoto). Get the cable car up to Kurama-dera temple and walk down through the forest. Take a dip at Kurama Onsen surrounded by nature!

(NB I had planned to visit Kibune and walk to Kurama but the typhoon had wrecked the path, so I opted for visiting just Kurama instead).

 

Day 12: Shinkansen to Hiroshima

Arrive into Hiroshima mid-afternoon (journey time from Kyoto takes approx 2.5 hours), have a brief wander round the shopping complex.

 

Hiroshima
Day 13: Hiroshima

Visit the A-bomb dome and Peace Park (the museum was under renovation when I visited). Walk to Hiroshima Castle. Visit the Pokémon Centre.

Day 14: Okunoshima/ Usagishima (Rabbit Island!)

Take the train and then the ferry to Okunoshima. Buy bunny food and make friends with the rabbit population!

 

Itsukushima/ Miyajima Island
Day 15: Itsukushima/ Miyajima (overnight stay)

Take the ferry from Hiroshima to Miyajima island. and visit Miyajima shrine (i.e. the floating Torii gate). Take the cable car up to Mount Misen and hike down the mountain, getting back to the shrine by sunset. Stay in a traditional-style Japanese hotel room overnight.

Day 16: Miyajima/Hiroshima airport

Have one last look round Miyajima, re-visiting Daisho-in temple and some of the shops near to the shrine. Take the ferry back to Hiroshima, and then on to the airport hotel from there.

 

Day 17: Fly home 🙁

Fly back to London Heathrow from Hiroshima, via Haneda airport.

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