10 days in Japan
10 Days in Japan: Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka Itinerary
Ten days lets you cover Japan's golden triangle properly, 4-5 days Tokyo + 3-4 days Kyoto + 1-2 days Osaka. Plus enough buffer for the Shinkansen between them. Here's the route.
Days 1-4: Tokyo (see our '5 Days in Tokyo' for detailed days)
Morning
Same as 5-day Tokyo itinerary days 1-4: Shibuya/Harajuku/Shinjuku → Asakusa/Akihabara → Kamakura day-trip → Ginza/Tsukiji.
Afternoon
4 days in Tokyo covers the famous neighborhoods and one day-trip without burning out.
Evening
Last Tokyo dinner — final counter sushi or kaiseki experience.
Day 5: Tokyo → Kyoto via Shinkansen
Morning
Activate JR Pass at Tokyo Station. Take 9am Nozomi Shinkansen (2h 15m, but Nozomi NOT covered by JR Pass: use Hikari/Sakura instead, 2h 40m).
Afternoon
Arrive Kyoto Station by 11:45am-12:30pm. Hotel check-in. Light lunch at Nishiki Market.
Evening
Evening walk through Gion + Pontocho. Dinner at Pontocho's lantern-lit alley.
Days 6-7: Kyoto (see our '5 Days in Kyoto' for detailed days)
Morning
Same as 5-day Kyoto itinerary days 1-3: Fushimi Inari + Kiyomizu-dera → Arashiyama → Kinkaku-ji + Ryoan-ji.
Afternoon
3 days in Kyoto covers the famous temples + Gion + western Kyoto.
Evening
Kaiseki dinner at Hyotei (3 Michelin stars) or Kikunoi. Reserve 2-3 weeks ahead.
Day 8: Day trip to Nara from Kyoto
Morning
45-min train to Nara. Walk through Nara Park (free deer). Todai-ji Temple's Great Buddha.
Afternoon
Lunch at a Nara inn (kakinoha-zushi specialty). Walk to Kasuga Taisha shrine via lantern-lined approach.
Evening
Return to Kyoto by 6pm. Tea ceremony at Camellia or Daitoku-ji.
Day 9: Kyoto → Osaka via local train
Morning
Check out of Kyoto hotel. 30-min train to Osaka. Drop bags at hotel.
Afternoon
Osaka Castle + grounds. Lunch at Osaka's Dotonbori food street (takoyaki + okonomiyaki).
Evening
Dinner at Dotonbori. Pick a kushikatsu place. Glico sign lit up + bar-hopping in Namba.
Day 10: Osaka day + departure
Morning
Kuromon Ichiba Market (Osaka's kitchen) for breakfast. Walk Shinsaibashi shopping district.
Afternoon
Universal Studios Japan or Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Or relaxed last-day food crawl.
Evening
Departure from Kansai Airport (45-min Haruka express train from Osaka).
10 days in Japan: a day-by-day itinerary
Ten days covers Japan's classic "Golden Route" with the rail pass doing the heavy lifting:
Days 1-3 — Tokyo
Shibuya and Shinjuku, old Asakusa and Ueno, teamLab and Akihabara.
Day 4 — Hakone
Mt Fuji views, an onsen, and the open-air art museum.
Days 5-7 — Kyoto
Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama's bamboo, the Higashiyama temples and Gion.
Day 8 — Nara & Osaka
Nara's deer and Great Buddha, then Osaka's Dotonbori street food.
Day 9 — Hiroshima & Miyajima
The Peace Memorial and the floating torii gate.
Day 10 — Return
Back to Tokyo (or fly out of Osaka) with last-minute shopping.
Tip: a Japan Rail Pass pays off on this route — and pack light, as you'll change cities often.
10 Days In Japan FAQ
Is 10 days enough for Japan?
Yes — enough for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and a Hiroshima day along the classic Golden Route.
Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it for 10 days?
Usually yes for this multi-city route — do the math against individual bullet-train fares.