Japan in 12 Days

This trip takes you from Tokyo's neon and quiet gardens over the mountain landscapes of Hakone to the temple quarters of Kyoto. You switch between futuristic art worlds, old shrines, viewpoints and calm paths where Japan suddenly goes very quiet. In between wait places you recognize at once and others that only unfold their full effect on site.

What is special about this route is the mix of pop culture, nature, art and a classic Japan trip. The days are clearly structured but varied enough for each stop to get its own tone.

Who is this trip for?

This trip is ideal for anyone who wants to experience Japan intensively for the first time and is up for contrasts. If you want to combine cities, temples, gardens, views and a few iconic highlights in a well-filled route, it suits you very well.

What to expect

Expect a lot of walking, frequent location changes and days with a dense program. In return you get a varied mix of major sights, quiet moments and ever-new perspectives on Japan.

Day 1 · Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo between magic and light

To start, at The Making of Harry Potter - Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo you dive into film worlds full of detail. Then Gōtoku-ji sets a completely different accent with its quiet grounds, before teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM dissolves the day into movement, reflections and color. So Tokyo begins right away with a shift between fantasy, stillness and futuristic wonder.

The Making of Harry Potter - Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Gōtoku-ji
teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Day 2 · Tokyo, Japan

Classic Tokyo with height

The day starts at the Tokyo Skytree, where the city spreads out in every direction and its size suddenly becomes tangible. With Sensō-ji a piece of old Tokyo follows right after, full of tradition and striking architecture. Later Akihabara Electric Town shows the city's other side: bright, dense and unmistakably charged with energy.

Tokyo Skytree
Sensō-ji
Ueno Park
Akihabara Electric Town

Day 3 · Tokyo, Japan

Between alleys and icons

In Yanaka Ginza the morning begins relaxed, almost small-scale, with a Tokyo that feels pleasantly down to earth. Meiji Jingu then brings breadth and calm into the day, before the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building delivers a clear view over the city. To close, the Ghibli Museum awaits, a place that makes you curious rather than loudly impressed.

Yanaka Ginza
Meiji Jingu
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Ghibli Museum

Day 4 · Tokyo, Japan

Shibuya in motion

Yoyogi Park first gives you air and green, before the city's rhythm picks up again. At Shibuya Crossing Tokyo then shows its famous dynamic, and at the Hachiko Statue a well-known motif becomes a real place in the urban space. With Shibuya Sky the day ends high above the streets, exactly where the swarm below suddenly looks orderly.

Yoyogi Park
Shibuya Crossing
Hachiko Statue
Shibuya Sky

Day 5 · Hakone

Hakone with art and steam

The ride on the Hakone Tozan Railway already makes the journey itself an experience as the landscape slowly changes. In The Hakone Open-Air Museum art and mountain backdrop stand side by side without disturbing each other. Later it turns rougher and more volcanic in Owakudani, a strong contrast to the calm museum start.

Hakone Tozan Railway
The Hakone Open-Air Museum
Owakudani
Ōwakudani Station
Pola Museum of Art

Day 6 · Hakone

Lake, cable car, shrine

With the Hakone Ropeway you glide over the slopes and get the landscape served up in a calm, wide panorama. At Lake Ashi everything feels more open and relaxed, almost like a short break between stops. Hakone Shrine provides the fitting conclusion: strikingly located and exactly the right place to let the day wind down more quietly.

Hakone Ropeway
Lake Ashi
Hakone Shrine
Old Tōkaidō Road Ancient Cedar Avenue - East End
Hakone Park

Day 7 · Kyoto

Kyoto with Zen and gold

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest opens Kyoto with height, structure and that very particular sense of space between the bamboo stalks. At Ryōan-ji your gaze automatically slows down, because here less really is more. Kinkaku-ji then brings glamour and clear impact, before Nijō Castle grounds the day historically.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Ryōan-ji
Kinkaku-ji
Nijō Castle

Day 8 · Kyoto

Temple paths and torii

Sanjūsangendō Temple sets a focused, almost silent tone right at the start. Tōfuku-ji Temple adds gardens, wood and wide grounds to the day, before Fushimi Inari Taisha sets everything in motion with its endless torii. To close, Hōkan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda) feels like a classic Kyoto image that you suddenly walk through yourself.

Sanjūsangendō Temple
Tōfuku-ji Temple
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Hōkan-ji Temple (Yasaka Pagoda)

Day 9 · Kyoto

The quiet Kyoto day

At Ginkaku-ji the day begins restrained and, precisely for that reason, so atmospheric. Then the Tetsugaku No Michi leads on at a pleasant rhythm, exactly the kind of path on which you automatically slow down. Eikandō Zenrinji and Nanzen-ji deepen this quiet side of Kyoto with plenty of space, wood and stone.

Ginkaku-ji
Tetsugaku No Michi
Eikandō Zenrinji
Nanzen-ji

Day 10 · Kyoto

Kyoto between height and alleys

Kiyomizu-dera sets a strong opening in the morning with views and clear presence. In Gion the mood then shifts into narrow alleys, traditional facades and that hard-to-grasp feeling of old Kyoto. Kenninji Temple brings calm back, before To-ji Temple closes the day with grand form and historic weight.

Kiyomizu-dera
Gion
Kenninji Temple
To-ji Temple

Day 11 · Nara

Nara with temples and deer

Kasugataisha Shrine eases you gently into Nara, with paths and shrine grounds that blend pleasantly into the landscape. In the Nara Park the city grows more open and lively, before Tōdai-ji changes the scale with its sheer presence. Isuien Garden and Neiraku Museum then provides a finer, quieter wind-down.

Kasugataisha Shrine
Nara Park
Tōdai-ji
Isuien Garden and Neiraku Museum
Yoshikien Garden
Kohfuku-ji

Day 12 · Osaka

Osaka full of contrasts

Osaka Castle gives the day a clear historic frame and a strong first impression. Then the mood in Dotonbori tips immediately toward neon signs, movement and big-city energy. With Tsutenkaku and Shinsekai, Osaka turns rougher, more direct and wonderfully unvarnished.

Osaka Castle
Dotonbori
Nipponbashi Denden Town
Tsutenkaku
Shinsekai
Shitennō-ji

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