14 DAYS IN
Japan
From Tokyo to Fukuoka, here’s how to spend 14 days in Japan.
14 DAYS IN
Japan
From Tokyo to Fukuoka, here’s how to spend 14 days in Japan.
At World Nomads, travel and adventure are in our DNA
So, we made sure to fill this itinerary with unforgettable experiences and solid expertise. We asked travel writer and Japan local Selena Hoy to share her tips for exploring the best of Japan in 14 days. Our goal is to help you get the most from your adventure through our travel and safety tips and simple, flexible travel insurance.
Enjoy your visit to the fascinating island nation of Japan!
HIGHLIGHTS
This itinerary will be suitable for any time of year. Starting your trip in Tokyo, the journey loops you around Japan, finishing in Osaka after 14 days.
Everything on this itinerary is easily booked independently. Most hotels/hostels can arrange transportation and recommend operators for the suggested experiences.
HIGHLIGHTS
This itinerary will be suitable for any time of year. Starting your trip in Tokyo, the journey loops you around Japan, finishing in Osaka after 14 days.
Everything on this itinerary is easily booked independently. Most hotels/hostels can arrange transportation and recommend operators for the suggested experiences.
Bright lights of the big city, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Credit: Felipe Romero Beltran.
Arrive in Tokyo
With the most Michelin stars of any city in the world, it’s a culinary force; be sure to see some of the city’s best sights and save space for souvenirs.
Tokyo
DAY 1
Tick off a few of the 180+ Michelin-starred and 300+ otherwise Michelin-recommended restaurants.
Stroll the Imperial Palace grounds.
Visit digital art museum teamLab Borderless (pre-reserve tickets recommended).
Premium dining experiences. Credit: Martin Hong.
The "Thunder Gate" at Sensoji Temple. Credit: MIXA Co. Ltd., Getty Images.
DAY 2
Try Tokyo local dishes such as Edo-mae sushi and shoyu (soy sauce) ramen.
Shop through Shibuya and Harajuku for fashion, stationery, and gadgets. Or check out the department stores Loft, Parco, and Tokyu Hands.
Get a 360º sense of the city from 46 floors up at Shibuya Sky.
Tokyo to Yakushima
DAY 3
Visit Tokyo’s oldest temple, the colorful Sensoji.
Move to Haneda airport for a JAL flight to Yakushima via Kagoshima (~3 hours).
The beautiful forest of Yakushima. Credit: Marek Piwnicki, Unsplash.
Yakushima, Kagoshima, Kyushu
Located off the shore of Kagoshima prefecture, subtropical island Yakushima is 90% forest, home to some of Japan’s oldest living trees; 20% is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This unspoiled forest is so enchanting that it inspired the animated film Princess Mononoke. Dress for rain – rainfall is possible any time of year but especially in June and September.
Yakushima
DAY 4
Spend the day hiking through ancient, moss-covered cedar forests in Shiratani Unsuikyo.
Spot local wildlife: There are said to be 20,000 deer, 20,000 monkeys, and 20,000 humans living on Yakushima.
Sample passionfruit and tankan and ponkan citrus.
Soak in an in-ocean hot spring like Hiranai or Yudomari Onsen.
DAY 5
Snorkel along the coral reefs at Isso Beach, and spot sea turtles at Nagata-inaka Beach.
Spend half a day kayaking on the island’s rivers.
Sip locally made shochu, a distilled spirit made from sweet potatoes (tours of the Mars distillery are available).
Kagoshima wildlife. Credit: Ippei Naoi, Getty Images.
Ohori Park, Fukuoka. Credit: Kuremo, Getty Images.
Yakushima to Fukuoka
Kyushu’s biggest city is a friendly, foodie, international town.
Fukuoka
DAY 6
Fly from Yakushima’s airport to Fukuoka (1 hour).
Drop in at Fukuoka Art Museum to view contemporary, modern, and ancient Japanese and Asian art.
Stroll nearby Maizuru Park with the ruins of Fukuoka Castle, and Ohori Park for a stroll along the river.
Slurp up some pork broth-infused Hakata ramen for dinner.
DAY 7
Explore Fukuoka’s traditional crafts: Hakata dolls and Hakata-ori, a weaving style used to produce obi kimono sashes at Hakata Traditional Craft and Design Museum.
Fukuoka’s street food carts are called yatai: these mini mobile restaurants dot popular thoroughfares and offer lively, luscious local bites and drafts. There’s a concentration of about two dozen at the bottom of Nakasu Island.
Fukuoka street food. Credit: Makoto Watanabe, Getty Images.
Fukuoka to Hiroshima
Hiroshima hopes that its dark past is always a reminder that we must choose peace.
Hiroshima. Credit: Mlenny, Getty Images.
Hiroshima
DAY 8
Take a shinkansen (bullet train) from Hakata Station to Hiroshima Station (1 hour).
Spend the day at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, a UNESCO World Heritage site with iconic floating torii (gate) marking the entrance.
Eat okonomiyaki, the city’s signature savory pancake filled with vegetables, seafood, and noodles.
DAY 9
Tour the atomic bomb site to see the preserved aftermath.
Visit the Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum.
Hiroshima castle. Credit: traumlichtfabrik, Getty Images.
Hiroshima to Kyoto
Kyoto was Japan’s capital for more than a thousand years, and is resplendent in religion, arts, and cultural heritage.
Fushimi Inari torii gates. Credit: Martin Hong.
Kyoto
DAY 10
Take the shinkansen from Hiroshima to Kyoto (2 hours).
Tour temples and shrines, like the Zen rock garden at Ryoanji, the shining golden pavilion at Kinkakuji, or hundreds of vermillion gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Try shojin ryori, ascetic Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.
Stay in machiya, Kyoto-style townhouse lodging.
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavillion). Credit: Felipe Romero Beltran.
DAY 11
Wander Nishiki Market for snacks and cookware, and continue to shopping arcades Kyoto Shingyo Street and Teramachi, selling fashion, souvenirs, and religious accouterments.
Don a kimono and have a photo session in Gion, the geisha quarter.
Dine on kaiseki ryori, deeply seasonal gourmet multi-course meals.
Kimono walk. Credit: Felipe Romero Beltran.
Todai-ji in Nara. Credit: Martin Hong.
The Great Buddha in Nara. Credit: Felipe Romero Beltran.
Nara deer. Credit: Henry Tiong, Getty Images.
Nara
DAY 12
The ancient capital awaits.
Take the train from Kyoto to Nara (under an hour).
Visit Todai-ji, an enormous wooden temple built in 752 that served as a major center of power in Nara’s capital era.
Adjacent Nara Park is home to many wild deer that will beg for snacks (available for purchase at carts throughout the park).
Nara to Osaka
Known as Japan’s stomach, Osaka is a food and commerce capital famous for its friendly, frank, and funny people.
Osaka nightlife. Credit: Willian Justen De Vasconcellos, Unsplash.
Osaka
DAY 13
Take the train from Nara to Osaka (one hour).
Bring your empty stomach on a tour of the Shinsaibashi and Dotombori areas, sampling specialties like takoyaki (octopus dumplings), okonomiyaki (Osaka-style savory pancakes), and kushikatsu (various fried things on sticks!).
Visit the National Bunraku Theater to see a puppet show, an art form born here in Osaka.
Dotonbori, Osaka. Credit: Nikada, Getty Images.
Osaka Castle. Credit: Jackyenjoyphotography, Getty Images.
DAY 14
Osaka Castle houses a museum detailing its history as well as major figures from the Warring States period. The surrounding grounds hold 600 cherry trees.
Float the moat on a short cruise around the castle in a gold-leaf-covered pleasure boat.
Purchase last-minute souvenirs at Miraiza, a shopping mall converted from military headquarters on the castle grounds.
Tips for travel safety in Japan
Learn how to stay healthy and avoid crime and scams in Japan with our travel safety tips.
Be safe when visiting Japan. Credit: Azman L, Getty Images.
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