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The Itsukushima shrine’s red torii gate standing in the water at sunset on Miyajima island, with mountains and glowing clouds behind

Trip itinerary · Japan

Japan in two weeks: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka by bullet train

Fly into Tokyo, fly home from Osaka, and ride the bullet train between four very different places in 13 nights, with no backtracking and no rental car.

  • 14 days · 13 nights
  • By train
  • Best time: March to May, or October to November
  • Tokyo → Osaka
See the route
Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0
  1. 1Tokyo5 nights
  2. About 2.25 hours
  3. 2Kyoto3 nights
  4. About 1.75 hours
  5. 3Hiroshima2 nights
  6. About 1.5 hours
  7. 4Osaka3 nights

Why this route

This route runs from east to west along the line most first-time visitors to Japan follow: Tokyo for the neon, the food and the sheer scale, Kyoto for temples and old streets, Hiroshima for its history and the shrine island of Miyajima, and Osaka for a loud, delicious finish. Every move is by bullet train, and the longest ride takes about two and a quarter hours.

It is a trip of four bases, so you change hotels three times and still see a lot. Tokyo gets the most nights because it is the biggest, and Kyoto and Osaka sit close enough together that they share day trips to Nara and beyond. We only suggest ideas for each stop, so you decide how much to fit in.

The journey

Tokyo → Osaka

  1. Tokyo → KyotoTrain · About 2.25 hours
  2. Kyoto → HiroshimaTrain · About 1.75 hours
  3. Hiroshima → OsakaTrain · About 1.5 hours
Route map: Tokyo → Kyoto → Hiroshima → Osaka.1Tokyo5 nights2Kyoto3 nights3Hiroshima2 nights4Osaka3 nights
Schematic route; actual distances between cities vary. · Natural Earth
The five-story pagoda of Sensō-ji in Asakusa lit in gold at night, with the Tokyo Skytree tower behind
Photo: redlegsfan21 · CC BY-SA 2.0

Why it is on the route

Five nights is the right amount for a city this big: enough to see several very different neighborhoods without rushing, with a day left for a trip out of town. Tokyo is easy to get around by train, so pick a base near a major station and let the rail network do the work.

Things you could do

  • Sensō-ji temple and the old streets of Asakusa
  • Meiji Shrine and the shops of Harajuku
  • Shibuya Crossing and the view from above
  • Shinjuku and its lively lanes of bars and restaurants
  • The fish and food stalls of the Tsukiji outer market
  • Ueno Park and its museums

Day trips

  • Nikko, with its ornate shrines in the mountains
  • Kamakura, a seaside town of temples and a giant Buddha
  • Hakone, for hot springs and views of Mount Fuji on clear days (check the ropeway status before you go)
Our itinerary · 5 daysFive days in Tokyo, without making every neighborhood mandatory

Getting to Kyoto

Tokyo → KyotoTrain · About 2.25 hours

Take a bullet train (shinkansen) from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station.

When to leave: Mid-morning after check-out, so you reach Kyoto in the early afternoon and can drop your bags before check-in.

  • Reserve your seat, and if you have a large suitcase, book a seat with space for it, as oversized bags need one on this line. You can also send your luggage ahead to your next hotel by courier the day before you travel, and ride light.
  • On a clear day, the right-hand side of the train (the E seats) has the best view of Mount Fuji.
A path of closely spaced orange torii gates with a hanging lantern at Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine in Kyoto
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why it is on the route

Three nights covers Kyoto’s headline sights, and the city is also a good base for a day in Nara. Its temples are spread across the city, so choose one or two areas a day rather than trying to see everything.

Things you could do

  • Fushimi Inari shrine and its thousands of orange gates
  • Kiyomizu-dera and the old streets of Higashiyama
  • The Gion district and Hanamikoji street
  • Arashiyama’s bamboo grove and riverside
  • Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion
  • Nishiki Market and a stroll through downtown

Day trips

  • Nara, with its friendly deer and the great Buddha of Tōdai-ji
  • Uji, a tea town known for matcha
Our itinerary · 3 daysThree days in Kyoto, from Kiyomizu-dera to the deer of Nara

Getting to Hiroshima

Kyoto → HiroshimaTrain · About 1.75 hours

Take a bullet train from Kyoto Station to Hiroshima Station.

When to leave: Mid-morning after check-out, so you reach Hiroshima around lunchtime and have the afternoon for the Peace Memorial Park.

  • Reserved seats are worth it on busy days, and large suitcases need a seat with luggage space on this line too.
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, the ruined domed building preserved as a memorial, seen from the park under a blue sky with autumn trees
Photo: Balon Greyjoy · CC0

Why it is on the route

Two nights lets you spend a day at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and museum and another on the shrine island of Miyajima, with an easy evening in between. It is a compact, welcoming city and a calmer stop than the two before it.

Things you could do

  • The Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome
  • The Peace Memorial Museum
  • The grounds of Hiroshima Castle (the keep is closed) and the Shukkei-en garden
  • Miyajima island and the Itsukushima Shrine
  • The walk up Mount Misen on Miyajima

Day trips

  • Iwakuni and its wooden Kintai Bridge, if you have an extra day
Our itinerary · 2 daysTwo days in Hiroshima, from the Peace Park to Miyajima

Getting to Osaka

Hiroshima → OsakaTrain · About 1.5 hours

Take a bullet train from Hiroshima Station to Shin-Osaka, then a local train or the subway to your hotel in central Osaka.

When to leave: Late morning after check-out, so you reach Osaka around lunchtime, can drop your bags and head straight into the food.

  • Shinkansen trains stop at Shin-Osaka, a little north of the center, so allow another 15 to 30 minutes by local train or subway to reach Namba or Umeda.
The Dotonbori canal in Osaka at night, lined with glowing neon signs and strings of lanterns, with boats on the water
Photo: Sakai Yayoi · CC0

Why it is on the route

Osaka is more relaxed and more playful than Tokyo, and it is all about eating. Three nights gives you time to eat well, see the castle, and take a day trip to Nara, Himeji or Kobe, and it puts you close to Kansai airport for your flight home.

Things you could do

  • Dotonbori and its glowing signs and canal
  • Osaka Castle and its park
  • Kuromon Market and the street food of Namba
  • Shinsekai and Tsūtenkaku Tower
  • The view from the Umeda Sky Building

Day trips

  • Himeji Castle, Japan’s best-preserved castle, by bullet train
  • Kobe, a port city known for its beef and harbor
  • Nara, if you did not go from Kyoto

With more or fewer days

If you have 10 days

Skip Hiroshima and give Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka 4, 3 and 2 nights, for 9 nights in total. Fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka, with a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and a fast local train on to Osaka.

If you have 3 weeks

Add two nights in Tokyo, a night in Hakone on the way to Kyoto, a night each in Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka, and a night in Nara at the end of the trip, before you fly out of Kansai, which makes 20 nights. Hakone and Nara both mean an extra short stay and an extra packing day.

Before you book

Published: · Updated:

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