Planning a trip to Japan can feel overwhelming; there’s so much to see, so many cities to choose from, and countless experiences to fit into one itinerary. After spending 12 days travelling across Japan, I wanted to bring everything together in one place.
This Japan Travel Hub follows the exact route I took, from the bright lights of Tokyo to the peaceful temples of Kyoto, the historic streets of Hiroshima and the food scene in Fukuoka.
Along the way, I’ll share my itineraries, travel tips, hotel recommendations and favourite experiences to help you plan your own adventure.
Whether you’re visiting for one week or two, I hope this hub makes planning your trip to Japan a little easier.
Ad – Affiliate links: This post contains affiliate links. If you book through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. My opinions and recommendations remain my own.
🇯🇵 My Complete Japan Route (12 Days)
This is the exact route I followed as a first-time visitor, and it worked beautifully:
Tokyo → Kamakura → Kyoto → Osaka → Himeji → Hiroshima → Miyajima → Fukuoka
You can follow this exact route or mix and match destinations depending on how long you’re travelling.
📍 All Japan Blog Posts
Here you’ll find every destination guide in this series, following the exact route I travelled across Japan.
🗼 Tokyo
Tokyo is where my Japan adventure began. From bustling neighbourhoods and incredible food to unique shopping experiences and nearby day trips, it’s the perfect introduction to Japan.
Highlights:
- Shibuya
- Delicious ramen
- Day trips from Tokyo
- eSIM and first-time travel tips
Perfect for:
- First-time visitors
- Food lovers
- Shopping
- Anime & Pokémon fans
- Exploring modern Japan
👉 Read the full guide: Tokyo Travel Guide – eSIM Tips, Shibuya, Ramen & Day Trips
🌊 Kamakura
Just an easy day trip from Tokyo, Kamakura offers a completely different atmosphere with peaceful temples, coastal views and a slower pace.
Highlights:
- Historic temples
- The Great Buddha
- Coastal walks
- Relaxed atmosphere
Perfect for:
- Temple lovers
- Nature
- Photography
- Escaping Tokyo for a day
👉 Read the full guide: A Peaceful Day Trip from Tokyo to Kamakura
⛩ Kyoto
Kyoto quickly became one of my favourite destinations in Japan thanks to its beautiful temples, traditional streets and unforgettable cultural experiences.
Highlights:
- Nishiki Market
- Gion District
- Historic temples
- Traditional tea culture
Perfect for:
- Traditional Japan
- Temples & shrines
- Japanese culture
- Photography
👉 Read the full guide: Kyoto 3-Day Travel Guide
🍜 Osaka
Osaka is energetic, fun and full of incredible food. It’s the perfect place to experience Japan’s famous street food and lively nightlife.
Highlights:
- Dotonbori
- TeamLab Botanical Garden
- Osaka Castle
- Street food
Perfect for:
- Food lovers
- Nightlife
- Entertainment
- Families
👉 Read the full guide: Osaka 1-Day Itinerary
🏯 Himeji
Although we only stopped briefly, Himeji Castle is one of Japan’s most impressive historical landmarks and makes an excellent stop between Osaka and Hiroshima.
Highlights:
- Himeji Castle
- Historic architecture
- Beautiful gardens
Perfect for:
- History lovers
- Castle enthusiasts
- Scenic stopovers
👉 Read the full guide: Himeji Castle Stopover Guide
🕊 Hiroshima
Hiroshima is both moving and inspiring. Visiting the Peace Memorial Park and learning about the city’s history was one of the most memorable parts of my trip.
Highlights:
- Peace Memorial Park
- Genbaku Dome
- Okonomiyaki
- Local history
Perfect for:
- History
- Museums
- Food
- Meaningful travel experiences
👉 Read the full guide: Hiroshima 2-Day Travel Guide
🦌 Miyajima
Miyajima Island is famous for its floating torii gate, friendly deer and peaceful atmosphere. It’s an easy day trip that combines nature, history and beautiful scenery.
Highlights:
- Itsukushima Shrine
- Floating torii gate
- Deer
- Fresh oysters
Perfect for:
- Nature lovers
- Photography
- UNESCO sites
- Relaxing day trips
👉 Read the full guide: Miyajima Island Day Trip
🍣 Fukuoka
The final stop on my journey was Fukuoka, a relaxed city known for fantastic food, shopping and vibrant nightlife.
Highlights:
- Sushi
- Pokémon Centre
- Shopping
- Nightlife
Perfect for:
- Foodies
- Shopping
- City breaks
- Discovering a different side of Japan
👉 Read the full guide: Fukuoka Guide
🚄 Getting Around Japan Easily
Japan’s transport system is honestly one of the best I’ve ever used.
- 🚅 Shinkansen trains connect cities quickly and smoothly
- 🚉 Stations are huge but extremely organised and bilingual
- 📱 I always use an eSIM so I can access maps, translations, and tickets instantly
Having internet from the moment you land makes navigating Japan dramatically easier, especially when finding platforms or exits in big stations. Best to look into transport before you go; we had it all organised by our travel company.
🧳 Luggage Forwarding (Takkyubin): My Favourite Travel Hack
One of Japan’s best-kept travel secrets is hotel-to-hotel luggage forwarding, which lets you travel hands-free between cities.
Why it’s amazing
- Affordable (usually ¥2,000–¥3,000 per bag)
- Extremely reliable
- Perfect for train travel days
How to use it
- Ask the reception of your hotel to ship your luggage
- Provide your next hotel’s details
- Drop bags before ~11:00–12:00
- Pack essentials for one night
Most hotels offer this and help you fill in forms. It made multi-city travel so much easier for me.
🏨 Hotels I Stayed In
Most of the hotels are close to stations to save time and energy after long walking days.
My stay from this trip:
- Sunshine City Prince Hotel (Tokyo): inside a shopping complex with restaurants and even a Pokémon Centre
- Ala Hotel Kyoto: great location, onsen, laundry, convenience store opposite
- Hearton Hotel Nishi Umeda (Osaka): simple but perfect for short stays
- Hiroshima Grand Intelligent Hotel: elegant classic feel + spacious room with bathtub
- Hotel Clio Court Hakata (Fukuoka): practical, comfortable, near the station, with washing machines
📌 Tip: Book early in Japan. Well-located hotels sell out fast.
🎟️ Tours & Experiences Worth Booking Ahead
Some experiences sell out days (or weeks) in advance, especially in peak seasons. I usually reserve activities beforehand, so I don’t miss out.
Popular ones from my route:
- Night Walk in Gion (Kyoto Geisha district)
- Tea Ceremony with Maiko
- Meet the Geisha Maiko with Gion Walking Tour
- Osaka Castle visit
- Universal Studios Japan
- Sumo experience in Osaka
- Osaka street food tour
- Himeji Castle guided tour
- Hiroshima historical walking tour
- Miyajima Island guided tour
- Fukuoka: Hakata Old Town Cultural & Food Walking Tour
- Fukuoka: Nakasu Food Stall Private Guided Tour with tastings
Booking ahead saves stress and guarantees availability.
🇯🇵 Fun Things to Spot on Japanese Streets
One of my favourite things about Japan is the small details. Don’t just look forward, look around and down too.
Things to watch for:
- 🎨 Decorative manhole covers are unique to each city
- 🧃 Vending machines everywhere
- 🌸 Seasonal decorations
- 🚉 Station ink stamps (free souvenirs)
- 📖 Temple goshuin stamps
Tip: Carry a small notebook. Collecting stamps becomes addictive!
🧭 Suggested Japan Route Durations
7 days: Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka
10 days: Add Hiroshima + Miyajima
12–14 days: Full route including Himeji + Fukuoka
10 days: Add Hiroshima + Miyajima
12–14 days: Full route including Himeji + Fukuoka
📱 Useful Apps for Japan Travel
These apps made my trip much smoother:
- Google Maps or Naver Maps: navigation
- Tablelog: local restaurant reviews
- GetYourGuide: tours & tickets
- Trip.com: hotel bookings
- Google Translate or Papago: instant translations
- Suica card app: transport payments (You can get a physical card at the airport)
- Airalo : E-sim for internet connection
👟 Practical Tip Nobody Tells You
Japan involves a LOT of walking. I easily walked 20,000+ steps daily, and cities are not flat, lots of stairs, hills, and stations with endless exits.
👉 Bring comfortable shoes.
👉 Do NOT bring brand-new shoes.
👉 Do NOT bring brand-new shoes.
Trust me on this one.
✨ Planning Your Trip?
Here are the tools I personally use when travelling in Japan:
- 📱 eSIM for instant connection → I use Airalo (discount code for first-time user: DANIEL22410)
- 🏨 Hotels near stations → saves time + energy
- 🎟️ Pre-booked experiences → avoids disappointment
Continue Exploring Japan 🇯🇵
This hub brings together all the destinations from my journey across Japan, and I’ll continue updating it as I publish new guides and revisit previous ones.
If you’re planning your own trip, feel free to bookmark this page and come back whenever you need inspiration or practical travel tips.
I hope these guides help you enjoy Japan as much as I did.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that if you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend hotels, tours, and travel services that I have personally used, experienced, or genuinely believe will help you plan your trip. Thank you for supporting MissWidjaja and helping me continue to create free travel guides and honest travel content.
