Harajuku shops, a Hakone bath, Kyoto gardens and one last Osaka dinner.
Osaka gets the last afternoon and dinner before your flight from Kansai Airport. Tokyo and Kyoto each have two full sightseeing days, with arrival, departure and three hotel changes filling the rest of the ten-day calendar.
The two-night Hakone stay gives you time to settle into a ryokan, enjoy dinner and return to the same room after a day around the lake. Choose a Gora-area inn for the mountain railway and Open-Air Museum. Hakone-Yumoto offers a shorter arrival and a restaurant street if you prefer the lower valley.
Explore Asakusa and Ueno on Tokyo’s first full day, then Harajuku and Shibuya. Kyoto combines a southern shrine and brewing district with western gardens. You won’t need a car. Take the fourteen-day route for Hiroshima or the Japanese Alps; fitting either here would cost you the mountain day or one of Kyoto’s two days.
Meiji Jingu’s broad wooded paths lead you towards Harajuku’s small shops. Takeshita Street sells clothes and accessories; Cat Street continues towards Shibuya with boutiques, while Omotesando has larger stores along its avenue. Choose the streets that suit your shopping, stop for a crepe and leave time to browse.
The Hakone Tozan train climbs through wooded hills between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora. At three switchbacks, the driver and conductor exchange positions and the train reverses direction. Stay in your seat: it’s part of the ride. At Gora, change to the cable car for Sounzan, then the ropeway over the open volcanic valley.
At the Hakone Open-Air Museum, paths run among sculptures with the hills behind them. Walk around the works to see them from different sides. Pola Museum offers indoor galleries for paintings and less time outdoors. Choose one for this mountain stay and leave the other for a future visit, keeping the circuit unhurried.
At a Hakone ryokan, dinner and a bath can fill the evening. Choose the sleeping arrangement you want: a futon on tatami or Western beds where offered. If you enjoy sitting on the floor, pick a traditional room; otherwise, chairs and raised beds make relaxing easier.
Fushimi Inari’s torii paths and Fushimi’s sake-brewing streets share a name but sit in different parts of southern Kyoto. The shrine is beside JR Inari; Gekkeikan is farther south near Keihan Chushojima. A railway journey between them leaves you a morning outdoors and an afternoon learning about sake, with lunch between the visits.
April and May, or October and November, work well for this mixture of city streets, temple gardens and Hakone outings. Spring blossoms and autumn leaves bring busier hotel dates. June can be rainy, and midsummer calls for more breaks indoors. Mount Fuji may be hidden, while wind can suspend the ropeway or boats; use Hakone Navi’s operating notices and leave the mountain day flexible. The ryokan evening is still part of the visit even when the view changes.
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Think twice if
Choose more nights for Hiroshima, a full theme-park day or several Osaka excursions. This trip reaches Osaka only on the penultimate afternoon.
StartBooker answer
Stay three nights in Tokyo, two in Hakone, three in Kyoto and one in Osaka. You’ll have two full days in Tokyo and Kyoto, with a whole mountain day between your Hakone evenings. Travel west through Odawara on a Hikari that stops there, then finish near Nankai Namba for the airport train. Buy individual intercity tickets and an Odawara three-day Hakone Freepass. Choose the ryokan room and meals first, then arrange the city stays.
Choose one hotel for each city and one Hakone inn for both nights. These areas put meals and useful railway entrances near the places you’ll visit.
4 stops · swipe
1
Marunouchi or Ginza: an easy start for the train to Odawara
Marunouchi suits the Tokyo Station departure to Odawara; Ginza adds department-store food floors. Ueno helps with a Narita arrival. Shinjuku is useful if you instead take Odakyu’s direct Romancecar.
Watch out: Measure the walk from your hotel to the railway entrance you’ll use.
Read the Tokyo guide →
2
Gora: two evenings at a ryokan above the lower valley
Gora puts the sculpture museum and Sounzan cable car nearby, reached by Tozan railway from Hakone-Yumoto. Hakone-Yumoto simplifies arrival; Lake Ashi offers waterside inns with a different museum journey.
Watch out: Match your arrival to the inn’s dinner time, especially if the room includes both meals.
3
Shijo or Kawaramachi: Kyoto dinners near the river
Shijo and Kawaramachi suit dinners near Nishiki Market and the Kamo River. Kyoto Station shortens JR outings; Higashiyama favours wooden lanes and eastern temples.
Watch out: A riverside hotel can be farther from JR than a Kyoto Station room; include the connection in your morning plan.
Read the Kyoto guide →
4
Namba: a final Osaka meal before the airport
Stay near Nankai Namba for dinner around Hozenji and Dotonbori, then the airport train next morning. Umeda offers more station shopping but adds a connection.
Watch out: JR, Metro and Nankai Namba have separate station areas; locate Nankai’s airport platforms before choosing your room.
Read the Osaka guide →Begin each city day in one district and explore nearby. Change hotels on days four, six and nine; arrive on day one and depart on day ten. The timings leave room for lunch and a slower look around.
Leave your luggage at the hotel. If your arrival time allows, spend ~one to two hours around Marunouchi and Ginza. From Haneda Terminal 3, Keikyu reaches Shinagawa in ~15–20 minutes for ¥330 by paper ticket or ¥327 with an IC card; onward JR travel costs extra. Buy at the station machine and use Haneda Tokyo Access for terminal directions. If the shops are still open, visit Ginza’s food floors for a bento, sushi or a rice bowl. Save the hotel’s Japanese address before leaving the airport, and spend the evening close to your room.
Base: Tokyo
Spend the morning around Senso-ji and Kappabashi’s kitchenware shops, then go to Ueno for Tokyo National Museum. Allow ~five to six hours for walking, lunch and a ~two-hour gallery visit. Adult collection admission is ¥1,000, available through tnm.jp or the ticket counter. Use an IC card for the local trains and leave any suitcase at the hotel: the museum prohibits them. The museum closes on Mondays, or the next weekday after a Monday holiday; check its calendar for additional full or partial closures. Swap days two and three if that allows a collection visit. If neither day works, keep Asakusa, Kappabashi, Ueno Park and Ameyoko without the museum. Try soba near Asakusa or a rice bowl around Ameyoko before browsing the market streets.
Base: Tokyo
Start at Meiji Jingu for ~an hour on its wooded paths, then browse Takeshita Street or Omotesando. The shrine grounds are free; meijijingu.or.jp lists seasonal opening hours. Follow Cat Street towards Shibuya, allowing ~20 minutes for the direct walk and longer for shops. Set aside ~five hours here, with a Harajuku crepe and a simple lunch of ~¥800–1,500. GO TOKYO’s Harajuku map helps you choose streets.
Base: Tokyo
Take a Hikari or Kodama from Tokyo Station to Odawara, ~30–45 minutes and ~¥3,400–4,000 for an Ordinary reserved seat booked on SmartEX. Continue to Hakone-Yumoto, then change to the Tozan railway for Gora. A three-day Hakone Freepass from Odawara costs ¥6,400, covering the local train and tomorrow’s circuit; buy through EMot or a station machine. Allow ~two hours at the Open-Air Museum, ¥1,800 online or ¥2,000 at the counter. Its entrance is two minutes from Chokoku-no-Mori Station. Use a museum locker for your overnight bag, or ask the inn whether it can hold the bag before the visit. Eat soba or yuba near Hakone-Yumoto on the way, then reach the inn by its agreed check-in and dinner time. Confirm that deadline before choosing your train; skip the sculpture visit if a late arrival leaves too little time.
Base: Hakone
From Gora, use the cable car to Sounzan and the ropeway towards Togendai, changing at Owakudani. Allow ~five to six hours for the circuit, stops and lunch; the full ropeway line takes about 45 minutes of riding, with queues and the Owakudani change adding time. Your Freepass covers standard travel, including the Lake Ashi sightseeing boat, ~25–40 minutes to the southern ports. Check Hakone Navi’s last services before setting out; published ropeway boarding cutoffs are 16:15 in December–January and 17:00 in February–November. Work back from the inn’s dinner time when planning the return. Try Owakudani Kitchen’s curry or pick up black eggs at the valley’s shops. From Motohakone or Hakone-machi, take Hakone Tozan Bus H towards Hakone-Yumoto to Kowakidani, then the Tozan train towards Gora. These rides are covered by the Freepass. If the ropeway or boats are suspended, consider Pola Museum’s indoor galleries; a free shuttle runs from Gora, but check its operating conditions before setting out.
Base: Hakone
After breakfast, return to Odawara for a Hikari that stops there and continues to Kyoto. An Ordinary reserved seat costs ~¥11,900–12,500 for the ~2h–2h20 ride. Book the service on SmartEX and allow ~three to four hours from your Hakone hotel to Kyoto. Buy an ekiben, a boxed meal sold at stations, at Odawara; Ordinary cars have no onboard food service. Leave bags at the hotel, then spend ~an hour or two beside the Kamo River and around Shijo. Have udon or a set meal nearby. Collect your forwarded case from reception and unpack for three nights.
Base: Kyoto
Take JR from Kyoto Station to Inari, ~five to ten minutes and ¥150 one way. The shrine grounds are free. Spend ~one to two hours on the lower torii paths, using inari.jp’s map, then walk to Keihan Fushimi-inari and take a local or semi-express train south to Chushojima for the brewing district. Gekkeikan’s museum costs ¥600 for adults aged 20 and over, including three sake tastings. Allow ~40–60 minutes and bring a payment card: it is cashless. Reserve online through the museum’s website, with bookings opening two weeks ahead; walk-ins depend on available space. Check its closure calendar, including 13–16 August and 28 December–4 January. Have noodles or a rice lunch in Fushimi, then stroll the brewing streets before heading north again.
Base: Kyoto
Ride JR from Kyoto Station to Saga-Arashiyama, ~20 minutes and ¥240 one way. Tenryuji opens at 8:30 a.m.; garden admission is ¥500, with the temple buildings another ¥300. Buy at the entrance. Before adding the temple interiors, read Tenryuji’s notices: ceremonies can restrict access to the buildings without closing the garden. Allow ~three to four hours for the garden, nearby bamboo paths and Togetsukyo Bridge, including the thirteen-minute walk from the station to the temple. Try yudofu, simmered tofu, for lunch in Arashiyama. Carry fewer shopping bags today so the return train is easier, then use your last Kyoto evening for the restaurant streets close to your hotel.
Base: Kyoto
Finish breakfast and any Kyoto shopping before taking JR Special Rapid to Osaka Station, ~30 minutes and ¥580. Pay for this unreserved ride with an IC card or station ticket; JR-West’s Route Finder lists departures. Osaka Metro to Namba costs extra. Leave bags at the hotel and spend ~two to three hours around Hozenji and Dotonbori, with dinner along the way. Try takoyaki, then sit down for okonomiyaki. During the walk, find Nankai Namba’s airport platforms so you know which station entrance to use with your luggage tomorrow.
Base: Osaka
Work back from your airline’s check-in deadline to choose a Nankai Rapi:t from Namba to Kansai Airport. Have breakfast near the hotel only if your flight time allows, then collect your luggage. The fastest ride is 34 minutes. A regular reserved seat totals ¥1,520 with the ticketless service or ¥1,670 at the standard paper price. Reserve through Nankai Reservation for Limited Express; those totals include the ¥970 base fare, paid separately. For Terminal 2, take the free Aeroplaza shuttle after the train, a ~ten-minute ride. For a very early flight, use the airport-area final-night option below.
Base: Osaka
Use Tokyo Station and Odawara for the first two journeys, then a regular JR train into Osaka. Keep the Hakone local pass separate from the shinkansen tickets.
3 transfers
Tokyo Hakone
Tokyo Station → Odawara by Hikari or Kodama: ~¥3,400–4,000 for an Ordinary reserved seat. Continue by local train to Hakone-Yumoto and Gora.
Booking note: Book on SmartEX. Add the local trains, changes and your inn’s walk or pickup to the Tokyo–Odawara journey; confirm the inn’s latest arrival time. Use the Odawara Freepass for covered local transport.
Hakone Kyoto
Hakone hotel → Odawara → Kyoto. A Hikari stopping at Odawara takes ~2h–2h20 on the shinkansen portion, ~¥11,900–12,500 Ordinary reserved.
Booking note: Choose the exact stopping service on SmartEX and leave time between the local train and shinkansen; Nozomi trains do not stop at Odawara.
Kyoto Osaka
Kyoto → Osaka Station by JR Special Rapid: ¥580, with no seat reservation. The Osaka Metro connection to Namba is separate.
Booking note: Tap your IC card or use a JR machine. Follow JR-West Route Finder and choose Osaka Station, not Shin-Osaka.
Amounts below are approximate adult one-way fares for the stated route and seat.
These ranges assume two adults sharing a city double, with two Hakone nights priced per person including dinner and breakfast. Flights, drinks, shopping and local accommodation and bathing taxes are extra.
Booking tips
Compare Shijo and Kawaramachi with Kyoto Station, using the hotel map to see the connection for the two JR sightseeing days.
The map marks the four overnight bases. Hakone covers several valleys and lake districts; locate the inn beside the station or bus route named in its arrival directions.
Kyoto
Yes. Move the second Hakone night to Kyoto or Osaka and keep the same nine-night total. You’ll have less time for the inn and mountain outings. For a room mainly booked for dinner and a bath, a one-night stay can still suit you.
Yes. Reserve on EMot for a direct Hakone-Yumoto service, allowing ~85–110 minutes and checking the exact service. The express-seat surcharge is ¥1,200 on paper or ¥1,150 online, on top of the ordinary fare or eligible pass. Keep the onward Kyoto journey from Odawara.
No. A private bathroom can be an ordinary indoor bathroom. Choose a room explicitly listing a private hot-spring bath, or an inn with a separately reservable family bath. The bathroom photograph alone doesn’t tell you which amenity you’re booking. Ask about the inn’s tattoo policy before choosing shared baths; private baths may require a separate reservation.
Yes. Wheelchair users can board in their chair, and the ropeway stations have step-free access and free wheelchair loans. That covers the ropeway, not every hotel or mountain path. Ask the ryokan for its entrance, room and bath access before reserving.
No. For a very early departure, an airport-area room is easier. Keep nine hotel nights, but make the last one near Kansai Airport and shorten the Osaka afternoon. Terminal 2 also needs the shuttle beyond the airport railway station.
No. From March 2026 it ranges from ¥200 to ¥10,000 per person per night according to the taxable accommodation charge. The first thresholds are ¥6,000 and ¥20,000 per guest per night. Add the amount shown for your Kyoto room to the three-night budget. The taxable accommodation charge includes room-related service fees but excludes meals and consumption tax; use each guest’s charge rather than the shared-room total.
Reviewed by StartBooker
Last checked 2026-10-04
Updated
How this route was checked: Train and pass fares checked with JR and Odakyu; museum prices with each attraction. Hotel and meal estimates cross-checked with Japan Guide, ryokan choices with AFAR. Route timing and reader-facing text reviewed together; travel times are approximate.
61 references reviewed
Some photos provided by Pexels.
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