Japan
An ~11-day Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo loop. Swap in your own dates, the pacing below is what worked for us.
Itinerary
| Name | Info | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1-2: Depart / Arrive Tokyo | Travel day | Long-haul flight out, arriving Tokyo the following afternoon. Clear customs, shuttle to a hotel in the Shirokanedai area. Evening: walk Tsukiji Market for street food. |
| Day 3: Tokyo | Free / low-cost | Breakfast at a local café in Jingumae. Pokémon Center Tokyo DX in Nihonbashi. Electric Town (Akihabara) in the afternoon. Evening at Omoide Yokocho (“Piss Alley”) for yakitori in a narrow alley of tiny bars. |
| Day 4: Tokyo, Samurai experience | $$ (~$70-80/person) | Local breakfast near the hotel, then a hands-on samurai workshop hosted at a shrine (English + Japanese). Book ahead, it fills up. |
| Day 5: Mt. Fuji day trip | $$ (~$60-80/person) | Full-day guided tour from Tokyo: Oishi Park, Mt. Fuji views, and fruit picking. Lunch included. |
| Day 6: Travel to Osaka | Travel day | Tokyo to Osaka; forward your luggage ahead if you want to travel light for the transfer. |
| Day 7: Kyoto day trip | Free, low-cost | Fushimi Inari Taisha (go early, before the crowds), Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), and Arashiyama's Togetsukyō Bridge and Tenryū-ji Temple. Base stays in Osaka. |
| Day 8: Osaka | Optional / varies | Flexible day, good slot for Universal Studios Osaka (Super Nintendo World) if that's your thing. |
| Day 9: Osaka to Tokyo | Optional add-on | Morning kimono rental/experience before heading back to Tokyo. |
| Day 10: Tokyo | Free | Evening walking tour of Shinjuku. Easy to book locally the day before. |
| Day 11: Tokyo, shopping day | Varies | A day set aside for shopping before an early flight out the next morning. |