Neon Lights & Ancient Shrines:
Since you're looking to hit the "Big Three" using the Shinkansen, we're going to mix that ultra-modern efficiency with some deep-cut local spots.
Tokyo (NRT) → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka (KIX)
Arrival in the Neon Jungle
Arrival in the Neon Jungle (20km, 1h rail/drive)
Narita International Airport (NRT)
Welcome to Japan! After landing, grab your Suica/Pasmo card and your rail pass. Give yourself about 45 minutes here to navigate customs and get your pocket Wi-Fi sorted before heading into 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
Also known as "Memory Lane," this tiny alleyway near Shinjuku Station is packed with yakitori stalls. Grab a stool, order some grilled skewers, and soak in the smoky, old-school atmosphere.
Tokyo’s Old Soul & Pop Culture
Tokyo’s oldest temple in Asakusa. The Nakamise-dori market leading up to it is great for picking up *age-manju* (fried bean cakes).
Senso-ji
Sensō-ji , is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, a five-story pagoda and large gates. It is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually.
Akihabara Electric Town
Time for a total vibe shift. Whether you're into anime or just want to see the multi-story electronics shops and themed cafes, this is the sensory overload Tokyo is famous for.
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.
Art, Harajuku & The High Life
Art, Harajuku & The High Life
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.
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower is a 54-story mixed-use skyscraper in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 2003 and named after builder Minoru Mori, it is the centerpiece of the Roppongi Hills urban development. It is the sixth-tallest building in Tokyo at 238 meters (781 ft).
Train to the Cultural Capital
460km, 2.5h rail
Tokyo Station
Grab an "Ekiben" (station bento box) and board the Shinkansen. The Nozomi or Hikari trains will whisk you toward Kyoto. Keep your eyes peeled on the right side of the train—if the weather is clear, you'll get a prime view of Mount 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.
The Zen Side of Kyoto
The Zen Side of Kyoto (30km, 1h drive)
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.
Kinkaku-ji
Kinkaku-ji , officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Golden Pavilion , whose top two floors are coated in 0.
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head shrine of the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, 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.
Nara’s Deer & The Move to Osaka
It’s a short hop from Kyoto. The wild deer here are polite (mostly) and will bow for crackers. Just watch your pockets!
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
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.
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.
Castles & Kitchens
Day 7｜Castles & Kitchens (15km, 0.5h drive)
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.
Kuromon Ichiba Market
This is where the local chefs shop. It’s less touristy than Nishiki in Kyoto and has some of the freshest grilled scallops and fatty tuna you'll ever find.
Umeda Sky Building
The Umeda Sky Building is a two-tower mixed-use skyscraper in Osaka, Japan. Located on the outskirts of the Umeda business district in Kita-ku, Osaka, the Umeda Sky Building consists of two 40-story towers interconnected at their two uppermost stories via glass bridges with escalators and elevators that cross an open atrium space. It is currently the fifteenth-tallest building in the prefecture.
- 🛫 Route includes 1 flight + 2 rail segments. Map shows them as dashed lines (connection only, not real road).
- 🛫 Route includes 0 flight + 2 rail segments. Map shows them as dashed lines (connection only, not real road).