Two weeks is the sweet spot for a first trip to Japan: enough for the big three cities plus a couple of slower stops, without living on trains. Here's a loop that flows well.

The shape of the trip

Fly into Tokyo (TYO), out of Osaka (KIX) — an "open-jaw" ticket saves you backtracking. Everything between connects by the Shinkansen bullet train.

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Days 1–5: Tokyo

Give the capital five nights. Base in Shinjuku or Shibuya. Mix the headline stops (Shibuya, Asakusa, the teamLab museums) with slow neighborhoods (Yanaka, Shimokitazawa) and one day trip.

Where to stay: Find hotels in TYO

Day 6: Hakone

Two hours from Tokyo, Hakone is the classic onsen (hot spring) detour. Stay one night in a ryokan with a private bath, eat a kaiseki dinner, and — on a clear day — catch Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi. It's the slow exhale of the trip.

Days 7–10: Kyoto

The Shinkansen gets you Tokyo → Kyoto in about 2h15. Give Kyoto four nights — it earns them. Temples (Fushimi Inari at dawn, before the crowds), the bamboo grove at Arashiyama, and long walks through Gion. Rent a bike for a day; Kyoto is flat and bike-friendly.

Where to stay: Find hotels in KYO

Day 11: Nara (day trip)

Forty minutes from Kyoto, Nara has the giant bronze Buddha at Todai-ji and a park full of bowing deer. Easy half-day; back in Kyoto by evening.

Days 12–14: Osaka

End in Osaka — louder, hungrier, and more fun than its reputation. Eat your way through Dotonbori (takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu), do a day trip to Himeji Castle if you have the energy, and fly home from KIX.

Moving around

  • A Japan Rail Pass can pay off if you're doing this much intercity travel — price it against individual Shinkansen tickets for your exact route before buying; the math changed after recent price hikes.
  • Reserve Shinkansen seats in advance during busy seasons.
  • An IC card (Suica/ICOCA) covers local trains and buses everywhere.

When to go

Spring (cherry blossom, late March–April) and autumn (foliage, November) are stunning but busy and pricey. Late spring and early autumn shoulders give you good weather for less. Book ryokan and Kyoto hotels early — the good ones sell out months ahead in peak weeks.