Tokyo to Kansai By Rail
A classic 7-day journey through Japan's neon heart and ancient soul, using the Shinkansen (bullet train) to bridge the distance.
Tokyo → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka
Tokyo's Neon Pulse
Tokyo's Neon Pulse (20km, 1h drive/train)
Narita/Haneda Airport
Welcome to Japan! Grab your Suica or Pasmo card and catch the Narita Express or Monorail into the city. Dropping bags at your hotel early is a lifesaver.
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.
Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho
Walk through "Memory Lane," a narrow alley filled with tiny yakitori stalls. It's tight, smoky, and exactly the atmosphere you want for your first night.
Old Souls and Pop Culture
Day 2｜Old Souls and Pop Culture (15km, 0.5h train)
Senso-ji Temple
Start early at Tokyo's oldest temple in Asakusa to beat the massive crowds. The Nakamise-dori market leading up to it is great for picking up a fresh melonpan (sweet bread).
Akihabara Electric Town
Whether you're into anime or not, the multi-story electronics shops and themed cafes are a sensory overload that defines modern Tokyo.
Ueno Park
Ueno Park is a spacious public park in the Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, it was founded following the Western example as part of the borrowing and assimilation of international practices that characterizes the early Meiji period.
Bullet Train to the Ancient Capital
460km, 2.5h high-speed rail
High-speed rail to Kyoto
Grab an ekiben (station bento box) at Tokyo Station and board the Nozomi Shinkansen. If you sit on the right side (Seat E), you might catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji.
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.
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.
The Gates and Gion
(10km, 0.5h train)
Fushimi Inari Shrine
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.
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.
Gion District
Wander the cobblestone streets of Hanami-koji. If you're lucky, you might spot a Geiko or Maiko heading to an evening appointment. Keep your camera use respectful!
The Kitchen of Japan
It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 15-minute ride from Kyoto. Stash your bags and head straight for the food.
High-speed rail to Osaka
It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 15-minute ride from Kyoto. Stash your bags and head straight for the food.
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.
Deer and Giants
Take the local train for a day trip. The wild deer here are "polite" and will bow for crackers, but they can get feisty if you hold out on them!
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.
Shinsekai
Shinsekai is a neighbourhood located next to south Osaka City's downtown "Minami" area. The neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half. At this location, a Luna Park amusement park operated from 1912 until it closed in 1923. The centrepiece of the neighbourhood was Tsutenkaku Tower.
Final Views and Departure
50km, 1h train
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Spend your last morning grazing through this "Chef's Market." Fresh scallops grilled in the shell and wagyu skewers are the way to go.
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.
Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Take the Haruka Express train directly to the airport. Give yourself plenty of time, as KIX is on a man-made island and requires a bridge crossing.
- Get a JR Pass only if you plan to return to Tokyo; otherwise, buy individual Shinkansen tickets.
- Download "Japan Transit by Jorudan" for real-time train schedules.
- 🛫 Route includes 0 flight + 1 rail segments. Map shows them as dashed lines (connection only, not real road).