Tokyo neon, Kyoto temples

Tokyo’s station districts and neon, Kyoto with an early visit to Kiyomizu-dera and Nara as an optional day trip, in one week. Check each place’s opening hours; early opening is not a rule for every temple.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Tokyo → Kyoto · 6–9 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

JapanTokyo
Days
3–5
When
Mar–Apr · Oct–Dec
Per person/day
Average 20,000–30,000 JPYMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. The figures are the guide’s estimate.
JapanKyoto
Days
3–4
When
Spring and autumn
Per person/day
Average 15,000–20,000 JPYMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For a first trip to Japan with limited time, or for anyone combining Japan with a longer trip across Asia.

Not for anyone who wants to see Hiroshima and Osaka, since those call for another week.

The strategy

Tokyo comes first and Kyoto comes next, a little over two hours away by bullet train. Nara comes in as a day trip from Kyoto, without changing hotels.

What you will see

Sensō-ji, Tokyo. Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple, founded according to tradition in 628 and rebuilt in concrete in 1958 after the bombing.
Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto. A shrine from 711 dedicated to Inari, the deity of rice and commerce, with about 10,000 torii donated by companies.