Plan a 7-Day Japan Trip:
7 day Roadigo trip with 23 stops
Touchdown in Tokyo
Welcome to Japan! First things first, pick up your pocket Wi-Fi or SIM card and head to the JR desk to activate your rail pass or grab a Welcome Suica card. We’re taking the Narita Express straight into the heart of the city.
Narita International Airport
Welcome to Japan! First things first, pick up your pocket Wi-Fi or SIM card and head to the JR desk to activate your rail pass or grab a Welcome Suica card. We’re taking the Narita Express straight into the heart of the city.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Shinjuku Gyo-en or Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a large public garden in Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally a residence of the Naitō family in the Edo period. It later became a garden under the management of Japan Imperial Household Agency. It is now a national garden under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment.
Omoide Yokocho
Walk over to "Memory Lane" (or Piss Alley, as locals call it) near Shinjuku Station. It’s a tiny network of alleys packed with yakitori stalls. Grab a stool, order some skewers and a cold beer, and soak in the old-school Tokyo vibes.
Harajuku Culture & Shibuya Scramble
Start early at this grand shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji. The forested walk leading up to the shrine makes you forget you're in the middle of a metropolis.
Meiji Jingu
Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto.
Takeshita Street
Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular reference, Harajuku also encompasses many smaller backstreets such as Takeshita Street and Cat Street spreading from Sendagaya in the north to Shibuya in the south.
Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya Scramble Crossing , commonly known as Shibuya Crossing, is a scramble crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It is located near Shibuya Station in Shibuya, a major commercial and entertainment district in Tokyo. It has been described as the world's busiest pedestrian crossing, with as many as 3,000 people crossing during a single green light cycle.
Shibuya Sky
Shibuya Scramble Square is a mixed-use skyscraper connected to Shibuya Station in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
Old Tokyo & Akihabara Neon
Day 3｜Old Tokyo & Akihabara Neon (12km, 1h transit)
Senso-ji Temple
Tokyo’s oldest temple in Asakusa. Walk through the Kaminarimon Gate and browse the Nakamise-dori stalls for traditional snacks like age-manju (fried bean cakes).
Akihabara Electric Town
Whether you're into anime or not, this place is wild. Check out Mandarake for collectibles or hit up a multi-story arcade like GiGO.
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree , a.k.a Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest tower in Japan since opening in 2012, and reached its full height of 634 metres in early 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the third tallest structure in the world behind Merdeka 118 and Burj Khalifa.
Bullet Train to the Cultural Capital
Head to Tokyo Station and hop on the Nozomi or Hikari Shinkansen. Grab an ekiben (station bento box) for the ride. If you sit on the right side of the train (Seat E), you'll get a killer view of Mt. Fuji about 45 minutes into the trip.
Train to Kyoto
Head to Tokyo Station and hop on the Nozomi or Hikari Shinkansen. Grab an ekiben (station bento box) for the ride. If you sit on the right side of the train (Seat E), you'll get a killer view of Mt. Fuji about 45 minutes into the trip.
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market is a marketplace in downtown Kyoto, located on the east end of Nishikikōji Street, one block north and parallel to Shijō Street and west of Teramachi Street . Rich with history and tradition, the market is renowned as the place to obtain many of Kyoto's famous foods and goods.
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Kita-Hosso sect of Japanese Buddhism and its honzon is a hibutsu statue of Jūichimen Kannon. The temple's full name is Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera. The temple is the 16th stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route.
Arashiyama Bamboo & Golden Pavilions
Go early to beat the crowds. The sound of the wind whistling through the stalks is actually recognized by the Ministry of Environment as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan."
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
The Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, or Sagano Bamboo Forest is a natural bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan. It consists mostly of mōsō bamboo and has several pathways for tourists and visitors. The Ministry of the Environment considers it a part of the soundscape of Japan.
Tenryu-ji Temple
Right next to the bamboo, this Zen temple has one of the most beautiful landscape gardens in the country.
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
A bit of a bus/taxi ride away, but essential. The top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. It’s stunning when the sun hits it.
Fushimi Inari & The Soul of Osaka
Day 6｜Fushimi Inari & The Soul of Osaka (60km, 1h rail)
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain, also named Inari, which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up.
Train to Osaka
It’s a quick 15-30 minute hop from Kyoto. Osaka is much grittier and louder than Kyoto, in a great way.
Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period.
Dotonbori
Dōtonbori or Dōtombori is a district in Osaka, Japan. Known as one of Osaka's principal tourist and nightlife areas, the area runs along the Dōtonbori canal from Dōtonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba district of the city's Chūō ward.
Nara Deer & Departure
Take a 45-minute train from Osaka. The wild deer here are polite—they’ll bow for crackers (which you can buy on-site).
Nara Park
Nara Park is a public park located in the city of Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Administratively, the park is under the control of Nara Prefecture. The park is one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty" designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
Todai-ji Temple
Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admired Tang dynasty. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE.
Fly to Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Head back to Osaka to catch the Haruka Express or a bus to KIX for your flight home. Make sure to give yourself 3 hours for check-in!
- Day 2: last stop 19:00 — leave earlier or drop a stop
- 🛫 Route includes 0 flight + 2 rail segments. Map shows them as dashed lines (connection only, not real road).
- Day 4: 5h 55m driving — plan rest stops