2-week Japan itinerary

Japan was always on the top of our list of our "one day we'll visit", but it's so far and so expensive... And then planning our summer holidays at the beginning of this year and randomly checking prices of flights to Tokyo we said - why not now? Perhaps it was because we bought it a lot in advance (January for flights in August) and managed most of the accommodation booking long before as well, the trip turned out to be completely affordable. And oh-my-god what a trip it was!

However surprising and exciting you imagine Japan is, it is all true and even more. The culture, the cities, the nature, the food... everything impressed us repeatedly for the 2 amazing weeks we spent there. You have already read a lot about our journey in several posts before but this one is finally made to show our full itinerary and share some tips if you're planning one of your own. 

In terms of planning what to see, we really wanted to see as much as possible but still have some time to enjoy it. We did plan to move every 2-3 days to another location but we saved some time in between no to be in constant hurry - especially in August when the temperature in Japan raises up to 35°C and the humidity is almost unbearable. However, since you can reach most of the places by train and if you don't want to move as much with your whole luggage, it is possible to settle in 1-2 big cities and plan day trips from there (e.g. 1 week in Tokyo and 1 week in Kyoto). What was also important for us, was the balance between city sightseeing and discovering the nature. If you're not a fan of hiking though, you can skip these parts and save more time for visiting a couple more cities like Hiroshima or Kobe. 

In terms of transport we mostly used Japan Rail pass as it allows you to take unlimited number of trains at any time (if you miss one, no worry - the next one in the same direction will most probably arrive soon). However, make sure to check and do your calculation before as for example for us it was more profitable to buy the pass only for 7 days and not full 14! Why? Because several locations on our list were covered only by local transport companies (Hakone loop and Koya-san loop), plus 4 days in Tokyo - covered full 7 days without JR pass. Also, remember: you have to buy your JR pass before arriving to Japan (online, it will be sent to your address quickly) and only activate it once there! 
To plan your trip and check train schedules you should definitely use Hyperdia - it shows you all the options, prices and companies in charge of the connection so you can actually know whether your JR pass covers it or not!

For accommodation we chose whatever was best (most convenient and affordable) in each location. We stayed in several Airbnbs in big cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka but opted for guesthouses and hotels in others. Thanks to the self-check-in being so popular in Japan and Japanese hospitality, all of our experiences were absolutely amazing and worth recommendation. You will find all of them below. 

Day 1: Paris -> Warsaw -> Tokyo

There are plenty of possibilities to get to Japan from Europe so you should be able to find something suitable for your location. Us, we were looking for something with the least and shortest stopovers. We chose LOT connection starting from Paris in the morning and with only 2-hour break in Warsaw. There is however a direct flight from Paris with Air France but the price is also considerably higher.

Day 2 – 4: Tokyo (Ginza, Asakusa, Taito, Akihabra and Shinjuku)

After landing in Tokyo, it was more than obvious for us to make it our first longer stop on the route. We found this cozy and extremely well-located Airbnb not far from Tokyo Station, from where we decided to discover the city by its neighborhoods. Since we enjoy walking a lot, we bought single metro tickets only when we needed them several times. However, day-pass options of course exist so you might consider investigating that if you want to avoid too much walking. 

And so, arriving to Tokyo in the morning on the first day we wandered around the Ginza area: after a great first lunch on Tokyo Station’s Food Street (you can read more about our Japanese food experience here), we headed to see the Imperial Palace, where we first appreciated Japan’s unique combination of old and new. This is also when we took a stroll on the famous shopping street Chuo-dori and discovered a place called Gado Shita where under the railway you can find a line of bars and restaurants (this place was absolutely amazing – filled with locals only, enjoying a drink after work).

On the second day we headed to Asakusa to visit the famous Senso-ji temple and even though it was packed with tourists already early in the morning, it was well worth seeing. From there, we took a walk to Tokyo Kappabashi street (also known as the Kitchen street) lined with local knife-makers and shops selling all kinds of Japanese cooking appliances (yes, we did shopping there). We ate lunch in Taito street market and enjoyed the quirkiness of this place for a while.
I believe the best time to visit Akihabra (the famous gaming district) is at night and this is exactly what we did. It is very impressive to find yourself in the middle of this well-known Japanese madness with all the slot machines and maiden dressed-up girls inviting you inside.

Our third day was dedicated to the famous Tsukiji fish market and the area of Shinjuku. We headed to the fish market first thing in the morning lurred by the recommendations of the best and freshest sushi in the world. This is also the place of the famous tuna auction, which we definitely decided to skip hearing about people queuing all night before. The outside part of the market, however, was a dream come true and surely one of the highlights. We tried many amazing specialties and the full-fat tuna sushi too. A must!

In the afternoon we headed to Shinjuku area to discover a bit more of the city. Our first stop there was Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, where you can go up to the last floor for free and enjoy a breathtaking panorama of Tokyo from above. After that, we wandered through Shinjuku's many streets of Kabukicho (entertainment area) or Golden Gai (a quirky network of narrow alleys lined with tiny bars) and ate the best tonkatsu ever. 

You can find all the spots we visited and would recommend on our Tokyo map here.

Day 5 – 6: Hakone

After spending 3 days in hectic Tokyo, it was a great idea to escape a bit to the nature. Hakone is only 1h30 away from Tokyo and is an wonderful opportunity to enjoy some of Japanese countryside. You can read in details about our trip to Hakone here and find the map with our highlights here.

Day 6 -  8: Kyoto

Next stop on the route: Kyoto. What a surprise! More “cozy” than Tokyo, full of hip restaurants and packed with spectacular temples all over. We enjoyed it a lot discovering it by bike thanks to our wonderful Airbnb – you can read about it more in our Biking Kyoto post right here and find the map with our favorite spots here.
One of the highlights: Kobe beef tasting in this restaurant – so good and so authentic! Also, more about our Japanese culinary experience is described here. Get inspired!

Day 9 – 10: Koya-san

Mount Kōya is the name of mountains to the south of Osaka, which are home to the ecclesiastical headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon Buddhism school. It wasn't an obvious stop for us since the beginning and we read about it somewhere by chance. But when we discovered that we actually can spend a night in a Buddhist temple, taste the food prepared by monks and take part in their morning prayers, it became one of the stops we most looked forward to. 
It is quite a trip to get there but it is well worth it. Fortunately, we decided to leave our bags on the train station in Nara as the trip all the way to Mount Koya includes a few changes. You can buy a special loop ticket in Shinimamiya (around 40 minutes from Nara) which allows you to take several local lines and a cable car all the way to Koyasan. 
Once you arrive, there is also a special bus included in the price that will take you to the temple you're staying in. We stayed in the wonderful Shojoshin-in and would recommend it to anybody (you won't find it offered by any popular booking services, only on the local Japanese Guest Houses website linked above). 
We were quite unlucky to arrive right in the middle of a crazy tropical storm so decided (were forced to) stay in the temple for the afternoon. However, if you're more lucky with the weather, the area offers wonderful hikes spotted with numerous temples and ancient cemeteries. 

Day 10 – 11: Nara

Nara was also not at all an obvious stop but for some reason, along with Mount Koya, one of our most anticipated. Not many people know that it was the first capital of Japan back in the 8th century and that it’s home to the biggest statue of Buddha in the world. Its park is also home to… thousands of deers running free and being totally friendly. We were quite lucky to get to Nara right for its Festival of Lights and therefore appreciated a beautiful installation of lanterns decorating the city. You can see more of our stay in Nara here.
In Nara we stayed in the wonderful Guesthouse Kamunabi and would definitely recommend it to anybody. It is located only few minutes away from the park and the hosts are more than welcoming. They have a little bar/restaurant downstairs where we enjoyed the most delicious okonomiyaki and drinks in the evening. 

For the map of stops in Nara, check the map here. 

Day 11 – 12: Osaka

We planned only 1 day in Osaka and everybody told us it's not enough but we found it perfectly sufficient. Perhaps because we were already getting a bit tired with the travelling, or maybe because the heat in there was particularly unbearable, but we found the crowd and the craziness of Osaka a bit overwhelming.
After arriving to our Airbnb in the afternoon, we headed to the Shinsekai area to see a bit of the city and find a spot for lunch. This is where we entered the most random tiny restaurant and tried the best kushikatsu you can imagine.  If you're in the area, this is definitely a place to try and you can find it on our Osaka map here.
In the evening, we took a walk to Dotonbori centre which represents an absolute madness. Its streets are completely overcrowded both with locals and tourists queuing to numerous game spots or restaurants (see the picture below on the right). We quickly passed through and decided to head away from the crowds and let ourselves get a bit lost in the tiny streets surrounding the bustling centre. This is where we found the tiniest little bar (even the door was 140 cm short so we had to bend over to enter!) and spend the evening sipping on drinks. 
In the morning of the next day, before heading back to Tokyo, we planned a visit to Osaka Castle, which is a very beautiful and rather calm site. The park surrounding the castle is accessible for free.

Day 12 – 13: Tokyo (Shibuya and Harajuku)

We spent our last day in Japan and in Tokyo in the famous Shibuya. We stayed in this perfect little Airbnb right in the heart of the area and wandered around for the day. It is a perfect spot for shopping with plenty of fashion shops (and wow, how Japanese are good at it!) and cool places to hang out in, since especially Harajuku is said to be where the young locals go out. We discovered this amazing gyoza restaurant (SO good and SO cheap!) and did some shopping too!

Day 14: Tokyo -> Warsaw -> Paris

With the above itinerary, our experience in Japan was just perfect. For the first-time visitors, it includes all the "must-sees" and perfectly combines a bit of everything. Moving every 2-3 days was not too tiring at all and definitely gave us time to see everything we wanted to see in each place without missing out on anything.
On a negative side, the weather in August was quite a challenge, so if you have a chance to plan your trip in any other month, you definitely should! Waking up with sunrise only to avoid the biggest heat was quite OK for us, but might not be the best option for a dream holiday... 

If you're planning your own trip to Japan and have any questions don't hesitate to contact us! Or if you happen to use any of our tips, please share your experience as well!