Japan golden route
7 nights Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka
Best for First-timers
- Days 1-3, Tokyo: Asakusa and Senso-ji, Shibuya, teamLab or Akihabara, a day for Disney if travelling with children
- Day 4: Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko for Mount Fuji views and a hot-spring stay
- Days 5-6, Kyoto: Fushimi Inari gates, Arashiyama bamboo, Kinkaku-ji, Gion at dusk
- Day 7: Nara deer park, evening in Osaka's Dotonbori
- Day 8: Depart from Osaka
Blossom and maple seasons
9 nights Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka
Best for Travellers timing the trip for spring or autumn
- Days 1-3, Tokyo: City sights and the best parks for the season
- Days 4-6, Kyoto: Temples and gardens at their peak, a tea ceremony
- Day 7: Hiroshima Peace Park and Miyajima island by bullet train
- Days 8-9, Osaka: Castle park, food streets
- Day 10: Depart
Japan Alps and old towns
10 nights Tokyo, Kanazawa, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka
Best for Repeat visitors
- Days 1-2, Tokyo: The city
- Days 3-4, Kanazawa: Kenrokuen garden, samurai and geisha districts
- Days 5-6, Takayama: Old merchant streets and the thatched village of Shirakawa-go
- Days 7-9, Kyoto: Temples and Nara
- Day 10: Osaka, depart the next day