Japan’s cities and mountains in a 10-day itinerary

Planning a 10-day itinerary for Japan is hard. The options are endless, and for a first trip you’ll easily spend more time fretting about what you’ll miss than shortlisting what you could see.

We decided to focus on Tokyo, Kyoto and the Japanese Alps, and this itinerary worked perfectly. It strikes the balance between cities and nature, takes in spectacular scenery and uniquely Japanese sights, with just enough time to get a feel for each place.

Our Japan budget: how much did 10 days in Japan cost?

The itinerary

	Day	Night
Day 1	Arrive at Osaka Kansai airport in the evening, train to Kyoto	Kyoto	Read about Kyoto
Day 2	Kyoto	Kyoto
Day 3	Kyoto	Kyoto
Day 4	More Kyoto, then train to Kanazawa (2h 10m)	Kanazawa	Read about Kanazawa
Day 5	Quick walk around Kanazawa, then bus to Shirakawa-go (1h 15m)	Shirakawa-go	Read about Shirakawa-go
Day 6	Bus to Takayama (50 mins), explore Takayama	Takayama	Read about Takayama
Day 7	Early bus to Hirayu Onsen (1h), then Kamikochi and the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway	Hirayu Onsen	Read about Hirayu, Kamikochi and Shin-Hotaka
Day 8	Bus to Matsumoto (1.5h), see the castle, then train to Tokyo (2.5h)	Tokyo	Read about Matsumoto
Day 9	Tokyo	Tokyo	Read about Tokyo
Day 10	Tokyo	Tokyo
Day 11	Fly home

Kyoto

I loved Kyoto, and I’m glad we gave it at least two full days. Even then, you might feel like you’ve barely scratched the surface.

Transport: Buy the ICOCA & Haruka cards to get a discount on the train from Kansai airport to Kyoto. It’s ¥1,600 for the JR Haruka train, one-way, plus ¥2,000 for the ICOCA prepaid card – that includes a refundable ¥500 deposit and ¥1,500 balance that you can use on trains and buses in Kyoto. It takes about 1h 15m from the airport to Kyoto.

Where to stay: We stayed at the Hotel Gimmond, which was good value, comfortable and conveniently located. It’s 10 minutes’ walk from the unmissable Gion district, and a few stops from Kyoto’s main station on the Karasuma line.

If you only do one thing: Don’t let temple fatigue set in before you’ve seen the Fushimi Inari shrine. This huge Shinto shrine complex is full of opportunities for atmospheric photos – keep climbing and you’ll pass several smaller shrines with few other tourists.

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We also loved exploring Pontocho and Kiyamachi street, Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka – two iconic Kyoto lanes that are now busy with souvenir shops but still full of character. A traditional dance performance by maiko and geiko (geisha) at Gion Corner was a little overpriced and uncomfortable – you’re packed in on tatami mat seating – but worth it for a cultural insight.

Skip the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove; it took ages to get there and didn’t look as impressive as it does on Instagram. Partly because it was crowded with inconsiderate Instagrammers.

For drinks, A-Bar had a lively atmosphere – if you can find it, and brave the weirdly unassuming entryway – and Star Bar in Pontocho had fantastic cocktails and Japanese whisky.

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Kanazawa

It’s a nice city but, sorry to say, if I had to cut anything from this itinerary it would be Kanazawa. Though to be fair, it rained so much while we were there that that’s my prevailing memory.

Transport: Take the Thunderbird train from JR Kyoto Station to Kanazawa. It takes 2h 10m and costs ¥6,380, or you can use a Japan Rail pass. Check schedules on Hyperdia.

Where to stay: Resol Trinity is a standard-looking business hotel, but it’s good value, ideally located – about 15 minutes’ walk from the train station, and near the main sights – and had a great breakfast buffet. Rooms are small; get the larger option if you have a lot of luggage or are staying longer than a night.

If you only do one thing: Kanazawa Castle Park is hard to miss, and beside it, Kenrokuen Garden is said to be one of the most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan. It was impressive, even in the pouring rain.

Just outside the garden, between the Katsurazaka and Renchi-mon gates, there’s a pretty pedestrian road with shops and restaurants.

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There’s also the samurai district, Nagamachi, which is worth a quick look for its architecture, and Omicho Market, because food markets are always interesting. We had a delicious dinner at I no Ichiban (居乃一ＢＡＮ), an izakaya, where the food was excellent but the language barrier impenetrable – it was one of those ‘point at the menu and hope for the best’ evenings.

Shirakawa-go

Shirakawa-go is a touristy place but most visitors only stay a few hours, so spending the night gives you a sense of atmosphere and a privileged view of its pretty thatched-roof farmhouses (gassho-zukuri). Wait for the daytrippers to leave before going nuts with photos. Explore the streets and check out a museum or two. Sit on the steps of your ryokan and pretend it’s the 1800s.

Transport: From Kanazawa, take the bus to Shirakawa-go from the East Gate Bus Terminal at Kanazawa Station. Tickets cost ¥1,850 (although prices are apparently rising from April 2019). It takes about 1h 15m, and there’s a schedule on Japan Bus Online. When you arrive, cross the bridge into Ogimachi, the main village in the Shirakawa-go region.

Where to stay: We stayed at Kanja, booked at Japanese Guest Houses – the best way to book a traditional farmhouse ryokan in Shirakawa-go. They all look the same, but you can check the reviews, cost, facilities and location. Kanja isn’t the cheapest (¥12,500-13,500 per person), but the food was good, the bathrooms modern, and the view of the town from our bedroom was magical.

If you only do one thing: Head up to the Shiroyama lookout point for gorgeous views. It’s a 15-minute walk on a trail starting in the northeast corner of the village.

You’re in Hida beef country now – it’s less famous than Wagyu but just as melt-in-the-mouth delicious. There are some great snack stalls along the main road, with beef skewers that are pricey but worth it. If you’re looking for somewhere for lunch, we liked Shiraogi; nothing special, but the food was affordable and service was quick.

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Takayama

Takayama was another trip highlight – it feels traditional but quirky, with a relaxed vibe and a lovely historic district, Sanmachi Suji. Do give it at least a day and night if you can.

Transport: From Shirakawa-go, you’ll probably pick up the same bus route that came from Kanazawa. It takes 50 minutes and costs ¥2,470 (though again, prices are meant to rise in April 2019) to get to Takayama, where you’ll arrive at the Hida Bus Centre beside the train station.

Where to stay: We liked Oyado Yamakyu, a friendly ryokan with slightly eccentric decor, about 20 mins walk from the station and 5 mins from the historic district. The owners are kind (they insisted on giving us a lift to the station when we left) and the breakfast spread, brilliantly, included a little croissant and frankfurter beside the usual pickles.

The Hida Takayama Ryokan＆Hotel Association website is handy for ryokan bookings, and if you’re looking for advice they’re fairly responsive.

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If you only do one thing: Takayama’s Showa-kan Museum was probably the best surprise of our trip. It’s a weird and wonderfully kitsch ode to Japan’s Showa period, i.e. retro memorabilia from the 1920s to 80s.

Do also try to make it to the morning market along the Miyagawa River; it’s brilliant for random snacks and souvenirs.

As for food – don’t judge us, but we loved Center4 Hamburgers. It’s fun and well worth the break from Japanese food (we’d quickly had our fill of hoba miso – an intensely savoury miso paste that Takayama’s known for), although the Hida beef burger is a bit of a gimmick. Save your yen for Suzuya Restaurant, which is highly recommended for Hida beef and other regional specialties.

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Hirayu, Kamikochi and the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway

Yay, mountains! This is the most naturally scenic part of the trip, and in one bus-filled day we saw three of the most popular spots in the Japanese Alps.

Transport: From Takayama it’s a one-hour, ¥1,570 bus ride to the hot spring resort of Hirayu Onsen. We went straight to our hotel in Hirayu to leave our luggage; it was too early to check in, but they were happy to look after it. Otherwise, there are lockers to leave luggage at Hirayu bus terminal.

From there, it’s 25 mins by bus to Kamikochi. Nohi Bus runs frequently between Hirayu and Kamikochi Bus Terminal, for ¥1800 return.

Around Kamikochi there are easy walks to gorgeous scenery. You can get off the bus before it reaches Kamikochi, at Taisho Pond, and walk from there to the famous Kappa-bashi (Kappa Bridge) over the Azusa River, and on to the smaller Myojin Pond. According to the park info, it should take just over an hour to walk from Taisho Pond to Kappa-bashi, then another hour to Myojin Pond.

That assumes you don’t stop for photos though, and the snow monkeys around here are not shy. We walked for about an hour and a half, making it just past the bridge before heading back to the bus terminal.

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Snack shops at the bus terminal are good for lunch, and there’s a cafeteria upstairs.

We then took the bus back to Hirayu to pick up the bus heading to the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway (around 40 mins, ¥890). The buses are hourly. By this point we’d gotten to know Hirayu bus terminal pretty well, but the waiting area has heated foot spas!

From the Shin-Hotaka bus stop there’s a 200-metre ropeway (cable car) ride up to the visitor centre, restaurants and gift shop, and the start of the main event: the double-decker cable car that takes you up to an observation deck 2,150m above sea level. It’s breathtaking, literally.

Keep an eye on the ropeway timetable – they both run every 30 minutes, so it’s an annoying wait if you just miss one (like we did). Shin-Hotaka Ropeway times and prices are here.

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Alternatively, you could take the Nohi bus from Takayama straight to the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway for ¥2,160. If it’s not too snowy (ideally between June and September), apparently you can hike from Shin-Hotaka to Kamikochi – take the cable car up, and follow hiking trails for 3-4 hours down the other side of the mountain to Kamikochi.

Where to stay: We stayed at Hirayu no Mori, a big ryokan and bath house, conveniently opposite Hirayu’s bus station. It lacks personality but feels thoroughly Japanese, with labyrinthine corridors, good food, a few bookable private baths, and many public outdoor baths that are popular with day guests.

If you only do one thing: Admittedly it would make sense to pick either Kamikochi or Shin-Hotaka to make the most of your time. This was a full-on day, but worth it – the views from the ropeway are stunning, and in Kamikochi we loved the hiking trails, getting away from civilisation, and seeing snow monkeys.

The single essential experience in this part of Japan, though, has to be an onsen. The Okuhida region is famous for hot springs, and Hirayu is the biggest of five onsen towns. Get used to getting naked with strangers, and smelling of sulphur – that whiff followed us all the way to Tokyo.

If you’re staying at Hirayu no Mori, I recommend using the onsen after dinner, when it’s quieter. In the hour or two before the outdoor baths close at 9pm, we had them almost entirely to ourselves. (Not together, though; there are separate sections for men and women.)

Matsumoto

Matsumoto is perfect to visit for a couple of hours on your way between the Japanese Alps and Tokyo, or as a day trip from Tokyo. There are coin lockers in Matsumoto Station where you can leave luggage – Visit Matsumoto explains where to find them.

Transport: Good old Nohi Bus also runs frequently between Hirayu Onsen and Matsumoto. It takes an hour and a half, and costs ¥2,370 one way – details here. From there, direct trains to Tokyo run once or twice per hour.

From the station it’s about a 15-minute walk to Matsumoto Castle – a striking sight. Dating back to 1504 and with Japan’s oldest surviving wooden keep, it’s historic, impressively preserved and beautifully situated.

If you only do one thing: You can’t miss the castle, but I’d also recommend taking a walk down Frog Street (Nawate Dori). Weird frog statue aside, it’s a pretty pedestrian street of antiques, homewares and snack shops.

Tokyo

After all that rural tranquility, Tokyo might be a shock to the system. Arriving by train from Matsumoto, we seemed to pass through residential swathes of the city for well over an hour before nearing the centre.

Transport: There are slower and cheaper local trains, and buses, but the best option from Matsumoto is the JR Azusa or Super Azusa train. It will get you direct to Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station in about 2.5 hours, for ¥6,500. Again, Hyperdia has details; search for ‘Shinjuku (JR)’.

Where to stay: It’s not easy to narrow things down in a city this size. We decided to stay in Shin-Okubo, the Korean neighbourhood, partly because we like Korean food but mainly because it’s walking distance from Shinjuku (or one stop along the Yamanote Line, if you don’t want to walk). I liked the area – lots of interesting shops and restaurants, without being overwhelming.

We stayed in an Airbnb, and in general I think you can get more space for your money with Airbnb than in hotels in Tokyo. Plus it’s fun to experience Tokyo apartment living.

If you only do one thing: then you’ll be better off. It’s easier said than done – especially on a first visit – but I recommend picking your priorities and focusing your time there. We made the mistake of walking between far too many of Tokyo’s main areas, which meant we were both exhausted and dazed – distances can be long, and there’s not much to look at in between.

Harajuku was heaving, but interesting – world-class people-watching, and the gyoza bar at 6-4-2 Jingūmae was worth the queue. Shimokitazawa (‘Shimokita’) is said to be the Shoreditch of Tokyo – it’s not quite, but it does have some quirky shops and alleyways. We could have skipped Shibuya crossing – it’s basically Oxford Circus – and we didn’t get the appeal of Akihabara. Yes, it’s the bright lights and big noise of iconic Tokyo, but so is Shinjuku, where we had a lot more fun.

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In Shinjuku, Golden Gai is an essential stop, though when we tried going into a couple of the tiny bars, they were so cramped we didn’t stay (and we resented the expensive cover charges). We preferred ‘Piss Alley’ (Omoide Yokocho), where several nameless yakitori places were loud and lively. Our bill got mixed up with the other gaijins’, and we left hungry, but still had a brilliant time.

Our favourite place for souvenir shopping was the market surrounding Sensō-ji, the Buddhist temple in Asakusa, while the catering supplies stores on Kappabashi Street were entertaining (this is where all the plastic food models come from!). We would have gone to Tsukiji fish market, but apparently there’s no point arriving after 5.30am.

For views, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No 1 has an observatory on the 45th floor with panoramic views of the city. And it’s free! I’ve also heard The Moon restaurant at the Mori Museum in Roppongi Hills recommended. Time your visit to catch sunset.

Our budget for 10 days in Japan

We spent around ¥300,000 (£2,070), for two people, for accommodation, food and transport, excluding flights.

That includes a mix of types of accommodation, but no hostels, so if you’re on a tighter budget you could make some savings there. We didn’t eat at any particularly lavish restaurants, but if you stay in a hostel or Airbnb with a kitchen, you could save a bit more by cooking meals. To spend less on transport, take more time to travel more slowly; the major routes have cheaper local trains or buses.

For flights, check Skyscanner. You should be able to fly into Kansai and out of one of the Tokyo airports for not much more than a regular return flight. If you book far enough in advance, avoid peak dates and aren’t picky about airlines (Air China and China Eastern often come up cheapest), from London there are flights under £500 per person.

When to go

Many parts of the Japanese Alps are inaccessible in winter; Kamikochi is closed from November 15 to mid/late April, depending on the amount of snow. Aim for April to see cherry blossoms – though that does also mean there are more tourists – or the summer for warmer weather. Our trip was in mid-April, and most of the places on this itinerary were between 10° and 18°C during the day.

For more advice, here’s a list of tips for first-time travellers to Japan.

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