--- title: "Japan itinerary 14 days: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka" description: "Two weeks in Japan, day by day: three nights in Tokyo, two in Hakone, four in Kyoto and three in Osaka, with the train times, passes and tickets to book ahead." url: "https://viaondo.com/itineraries/japan-itinerary-14-days" language: "en" updated: "2026-10-22" --- # Japan itinerary for 14 days: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka Two weeks in Japan, day by day: three nights in Tokyo, two in Hakone, four in Kyoto and three in Osaka, with the train times, passes and tickets to book ahead. - By Pablo Bravo: https://viaondo.com/blog/author/pablo-bravo - Updated 22 October 2026 - **Length**: 14 days - **Route**: Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka - **When to go**: Late March to mid-April, or late September to early December - **Best for**: First-timers who like a steady pace, with two free days This is the app an agency sends its client: the same 14 days, offline, with the agency’s brand. [Open this itinerary as a traveler app](https://viaondo.com/demo?lang=en) ## At a glance - Twelve nights on the ground: three in Tokyo, two in Hakone, four in Kyoto and three in Osaka, with one long move on each travel day. - Book teamLab Borderless for a set date before you fly; its tickets can sell out. - In Hakone, a 2-day Hakone Freepass covers the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and lake cruise; the ropeway can stop in bad weather. - A Japan Rail Pass doesn’t cover the fastest Shinkansen, Nozomi, without an extra ticket, so compare it with single tickets before you buy. - Fly home from Kansai Airport: the Nankai rapi:t reaches it from Namba in as little as 34 minutes. ## Day by day ### Day 1: Off to Japan The long flight east. Fill in [Visit Japan Web](https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/) before you board: it is the Digital Agency’s service for the immigration and customs declaration on arrival, and having it ready shortens the queue. **Tip:** Save the trip and your bookings on your phone before take-off; you land without a local SIM. ### Day 2: Welcome to Tokyo Land, reach the hotel and keep the afternoon free. From Narita, the Keisei Skyliner reaches Keisei Ueno in as little as 41 minutes; from Haneda, the Tokyo Monorail reaches Hamamatsucho in 13. An IC card (Suica, PASMO or ICOCA) on your phone or bought at the station pays for trains and the subway from here. *Night in Tokyo* **Tip:** Check in, walk the neighborhood and go to bed at local time: tomorrow starts early. ### Day 3: Classic Tokyo: Asakusa and the river Start at Senso-ji in Asakusa before the crowds; its main hall opens at 6:00 (6:30 from October to March) and closes at 17:00. Walk Nakamise-dori to the temple, then along the Sumida river, and spend the afternoon in Ueno. - Senso-ji and Nakamise-dori - Sumida river walk - Ueno Park *Night in Tokyo* ### Day 4: Art without borders A slow morning, then an evening inside teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills. Tickets are for a set date, and the Entrance Pass for a set time too; last entry is an hour before closing, so check the day’s hours when you book. *Night in Tokyo* **Tip:** Book the teamLab tickets before you fly: they can sell out. ### Day 5: Into the mountains: Hakone Take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Odawara, then the train to Hakone-Yumoto, about 15 minutes. Buy a 2-day Hakone Freepass at Odawara: it covers the Hakone Tozan train and cable car, the Hakone Ropeway, the sightseeing cruise on Lake Ashi and buses in the area. Leave the bags at the ryokan and keep the evening for the bath and dinner. *Night in Hakone* **Tip:** The Freepass bought at Odawara costs ¥6,000 for two days for an adult; the day you buy it counts as day one. ### Day 6: A day without a clock: Lake Ashi The free day of the first week. With the Freepass, ride the Tozan train and cable car up, take the ropeway over Owakudani down to Lake Ashi and cross the lake by boat; if the sky is clear, Mount Fuji stands behind the lake. The ropeway can stop in bad weather, so keep the lake and the shrine as the plan for a grey day. - Hakone Tozan train and cable car - Hakone Ropeway over Owakudani - Lake Ashi cruise - Hakone Shrine *Night in Hakone* ### Day 7: Arriving in Kyoto Back down to Odawara and on by Shinkansen to Kyoto; JR Central puts the whole Tokyo to Kyoto run at about 130 minutes, and Odawara is on the way. Check in and walk the old streets of Higashiyama in the late afternoon. *Night in Kyoto* **Tip:** With a Japan Rail Pass, the Nozomi needs an extra ticket bought for each ride. ### Day 8: Torii gates and tea houses Go early to Fushimi Inari Taisha and walk up through the torii gates; the whole mountain takes two to three hours, and you can turn back at any point. In the afternoon, a tea ceremony or a quiet tea house, booked ahead. - Fushimi Inari Taisha - Tea ceremony *Night in Kyoto* ### Day 9: The bamboo grove: Arashiyama Take the JR Sagano line from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama, about 11 minutes by rapid train; the bamboo grove is a ten-minute walk from the station. Spend the rest of the day on the river and in the temples around it. - Arashiyama bamboo grove - Togetsukyo bridge *Night in Kyoto* ### Day 10: Kyoto at your own pace The second free day. Browse Nishiki Market for lunch (each shop keeps its own hours and closing day, so go around midday), walk the Kamo river in the evening, or go back to whatever you liked most. - Nishiki Market - Kamo river *Night in Kyoto* ### Day 11: The next chapter: Osaka A short move: the JR Special Rapid Service takes about 30 minutes from Kyoto to Osaka. Drop the bags and spend the afternoon at Osaka Castle; the park is free and the main tower opens 9:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30). - Osaka Castle Park - Osaka Castle main tower *Night in Osaka* ### Day 12: Tasting Osaka A food day: start slow, then walk Dōtonbori and the canal as the lights come on, eating as you go. - Dōtonbori - Namba *Night in Osaka* ### Day 13: One last look Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in the morning (usually 10:00 to 20:00, last admission an hour before closing; hours vary by season), then a free afternoon to shop and pack. *Night in Osaka* **Tip:** Pack the night before: the flight home leaves early. ### Day 14: Heading home To Kansai Airport: the Nankai rapi:t takes as little as 34 minutes from Namba. Leave plenty of time for check-in and security. ## Getting around Four bases mean three hotel changes and four longer moves: Tokyo to Hakone, Hakone to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka and Osaka to the airport. Everything else is by local train, subway, bus or on foot. An IC card covers trains and the subway in Tokyo and in Kansai; JR West notes that one card generally can’t pay for a single journey that crosses from one card area to another, which this route never needs. In Hakone, the Freepass is the simplest ticket: unlimited rides on the mountain railway, cable car, ropeway, lake cruise and local buses for two or three days. The Romancecar from Shinjuku is not included, which is why this plan uses the Shinkansen to Odawara and buys the pass there. ## What to book ahead - **teamLab Borderless**, for a set date (and a set time with the Entrance Pass). - **The ryokan in Hakone**, with dinner: dinner times are fixed, so tell them if you arrive late. - **A tea ceremony in Kyoto**, if you want one on day 8. - **Shinkansen seats** in cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf season. ## When the plan doesn’t work - **Bad weather in Hakone:** the ropeway can stop; swap day 6 for the lake cruise, the shrine and the onsen. - **Senso-ji early:** the main hall opens at 6:30 from October to March, half an hour later than in summer. - **Osaka Castle at the year’s end:** the main tower closes from 28 December to 1 January. ## Shorter or longer For ten days, drop one Tokyo night, the Hakone free day and one Kyoto night. For three weeks, add Nara as a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, and a night in Kanazawa or Hiroshima between Kyoto and Osaka. To plan your own version day by day, start from the [free itinerary template](https://viaondo.com/tools/itinerary-template). ## Sources - [Digital Agency: Visit Japan Web](https://www.digital.go.jp/en/resources/user-centered-approach-guidebook/case-study/visit-japan-web) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Keisei Electric Railway: Skyliner](https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Tokyo Monorail: Quick transfers](https://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/haneda-tokyo-access/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [JR West: ICOCA usage area](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/howto/icoca/area/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Senso-ji: About the temple (opening hours)](https://www.senso-ji.jp/about/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [teamLab Borderless Tokyo, Azabudai Hills](https://www.teamlab.art/e/tokyo/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Odakyu: Hakone Yumoto guide](https://hakonetrip.odakyu-global.com/feature/hakone-yumoto-restaurants-and-itineraries/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Odakyu: Hakone Freepass](https://odakyu-global.com/passes/hakone-freepass/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Hakone Navi: Hakone Freepass details](https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/discount_passes/free_pass) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Odakyu: Hakone Ropeway](https://hakonetrip.odakyu-global.com/spot/hakone-ropeway/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [JR Central: Kyoto by Shinkansen](https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/onlinebooking/contents/kyoto/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Japan Rail Pass: Use of Nozomi and Mizuho trains](https://japanrailpass.net/en/use/special-ticket/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Japan Rail Pass: Types and prices](https://japanrailpass.net/en/purchase/price/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [JNTO: Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine](https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1128/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Kyoto City Official Travel Guide: Access to Saga and Arashiyama](https://kyoto.travel/en/getting-around/comfortable-access-to-saga-arashiyama/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [JNTO: Arashiyama bamboo grove](https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1141/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Nishiki Market (official site)](https://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/en/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Kyoto City Official Travel Guide: Getting to Kyoto](https://kyoto.travel/en/getting-to/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Osaka Castle Main Tower: Visitor guide](https://www.osakacastle.net/guide/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau: Osaka Castle Park](https://osaka-info.jp/en/spot/osaka-castle-park/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: Opening hours](https://pop.kaiyukan.com/language/eng/hours.html) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Nankai Electric Railway: Limited Express rapi:t](https://www.nankai.co.jp/en_railway/rapit) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [JNTO: Kyoto cherry blossoms](https://www.japan.travel/en/ph/special-features/kyoto-cherry-blossom/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [JNTO: Autumn leaves forecast 2026](https://www.japan.travel/en/see-and-do/autumn-leaves-forecast/) (accessed 22 October 2026) ## Turn this plan into your own sample app Change the names and dates, add your booking emails, and see the app your client would get. > 14 days: Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Osaka. For [names], from [date] to [date]. Booked so far: [paste it here or attach the confirmation emails]. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is 14 days enough for Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka? Yes, at a steady pace: twelve nights on the ground, one long move on each travel day and a free day in Hakone and in Kyoto. To slow it down further, drop Osaka’s third night or a Kyoto day trip. ### Do I need a Japan Rail Pass for this route? Not necessarily. The 14-day pass costs ¥80,000 for an adult bought online, and it doesn’t cover the Nozomi Shinkansen without an extra ticket. Price the single tickets for your dates (Tokyo to Odawara, Odawara to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka, Osaka to the airport) and compare. ### When is the best time for this itinerary? Cherry blossoms usually open in Tokyo around the end of March and in Kyoto on a similar timeline, until about mid-April; autumn leaves run from late September to early December, peaking in Tokyo in late November. Both seasons are busy, so book hotels and teamLab early. ## Send your clients an itinerary like this as an app Viaondo turns a day-by-day plan like this into an app with your agency’s brand: each client opens it from a private link and keeps it for offline use. [Start free](https://viaondo.com/signup?lang=en) · [See the example app](https://viaondo.com/demo?lang=en)